Rugby Union

[Genuine Hibs Fan]

8 minutes ago, Honest_Man#1 said:

I think he’s in the middle of a breakdown. He’s been doing this overly aggressive, arrogant ‘you’re an idiot, I know better’ act across multiple thread over the last couple of weeks, and that’s only the ones I’ve happened to read.

Yeah I thought that as well recently. I hope he's alright as I've always found him pretty sound previously. 

I would say he's probably right, especially when you start getting into second and third picks we don't have the quality of player, but that doesn't mean the coaching team is infallible. Townsend has never got the best out of his players consistently and that's a problem that should show signs of improvement 4 years in. But then I know as much about rugby as a sandwich because I'm not listening to what irish people say about Scottish players 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Genuine Hibs Fan

[DeeTillEhDeh]

That was the case before the tournament and nothing was going to change it.  Hogg will be the only player on the plane.

Russell might have had a chance but he's had a pretty meh tournament.

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

It's only when you're a Scottish rugby fan that you know that groundhog day is a real thing. 

Mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake. We are by far and away the stupidest team in international rugby. 

The only reason we got anywhere near getting a result in that game is because in all honesty, Ireland are a pretty poor team. But that doesn't excuse the awfulness of the line-out.... I don't think Turner has hit a Scotland player since the 60th minute at Twickenham.....or the brainfarts from Price in the 40th and 76th minutes. 

It's just another 1 step forward, 3 steps backwards year from Scotland. Same as ever. One good result, a scrappy win against Italy, and then 3 error strewn performances where we can't get the basics of the game right. 

The only real plus points were that Watson was immense, and Hogg put in another decent shift. Russell can forget being a Lions first pick, and there's simply nobody else standing up. 

I cannae even be bothered being angry about it all. It's the same year after year after year. 

 

[Honest_Man#1]

4 minutes ago, Genuine Hibs Fan said:

Yeah I thought that as well recently. I hope he's alright as I've always found him pretty sound previously. 

I would say he's probably right, especially when you start getting into second and third picks we don't have the quality of player, but that doesn't mean the coaching team is infallible. Townsend has never got the best out of his players consistently and that's a problem that should show signs of improvement 4 years in. But then I know as much about rugby as a sandwich because I'm not listening to what irish people say about Scottish players 

Yeah I used to think he was a reasonable  poster as well. I think he said he was having a bit of a shite time just now so hopefully comes back around.

[Binos]

5 minutes ago, Bob Mahelp said:

It's only when you're a Scottish rugby fan that you know that groundhog day is a real thing. 

Mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake. We are by far and away the stupidest team in international rugby. 

The only reason we got anywhere near getting a result in that game is because in all honesty, Ireland are a pretty poor team. But that doesn't excuse the awfulness of the line-out.... I don't think Turner has hit a Scotland player since the 60th minute at Twickenham.....or the brainfarts from Price in the 40th and 76th minutes. 

It's just another 1 step forward, 3 steps backwards year from Scotland. Same as ever. One good result, a scrappy win against Italy, and then 3 error strewn performances where we can't get the basics of the game right. 

The only real plus points were that Watson was immense, and Hogg put in another decent shift. Russell can forget being a Lions first pick, and there's simply nobody else standing up. 

I cannae even be bothered being angry about it all. It's the same year after year after year. 

 

1 step forward 3 steps back during a period when we do have some top class players

Wasted

[Binos]

11 minutes ago, Left Back said:

That was the case before the tournament and nothing was going to change it.  Hogg will be the only player on the plane.

Watson and Russell will clearly be on the plane

Hogg likely only starter surrounded by garland usual suspects

[Left Back]

13 minutes ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

15 minutes ago, Left Back said:

That was the case before the tournament and nothing was going to change it.  Hogg will be the only player on the plane.

Russell might have had a chance but he's had a pretty meh tournament.

Gatland was never picking Russell.   Total opposite of his kind of player

[Left Back]

3 minutes ago, Binos said:

Watson and Russell will clearly be on the plane

Hogg likely only starter surrounded by garland usual suspects

No way Watson fits into Gatlands crash ball style.  Not physically big enough.

[John Lambies Doos]

Gatland was never picking Russell.   Total opposite of his kind of player

Not sure he's saying that TBF. Russell will be on plane but gets nowhere near test match. Hogg starts all tests if fit and I think Watson could make a test off bench. Gray also go's as water carrier. I also think Van De Meyre goes too but Anthony Watson puts his hand up yesterday.
In summary, 5 will be on plane imo. and two get test involvement.

Hogg
Watson

Russell
Gray J
De Meyre.

[Savage Henry]

3 minutes ago, Left Back said:

No way Watson fits into Gatlands crash ball style.  Not physically big enough.

Watson’s an absolute star. Even today, he was outstanding for good reasons.  Hogg and Watson will both be on the plane/bus.   Ritchie might have had a real shot, but he’s been a shadow of himself this season. 

[GAD]

43 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Turner was really bad but he's miles better than Cherry in the loose. Do you ever watch Glasgow?

Yeah, but today that didn't matter. I would always pick Turner ahead of Cherry, everyone would, but today Turner had a nightmare to the point that Scotland lost seventy five percent of their own lineout ball. You cannot win international rugby with numbers like that, and Townsend let it carry on till the 60th minute.

[super_carson]

Taylor was poor today, but some of the calls really didn't help and his head went down after that. That's a hard place to come back from as a hooker, but we need to remember that Taylor and Cherry are the third and fourth choice hookers. Rambo and Brown being back Will make a difference.

Indiscipline cost us again today, woeful inaccuracy at the breakdown too.

Bar the games v France and Wales last year, and Twickenham this year, we have been pretty poor. I really don't know why we got rid of Cotter (well, I do, but that's a different story).

[printer]

1 hour ago, Genuine Hibs Fan said:

Sure thing pal, the Irish are not blinded by bias in a discussion of how good Scottish vs Irish players are. Townsend is a busted flush

 

Do you think Scotland will have more players in the Lions squad than (i) Ireland and (ii) Wales?

Do you think they should?

[Genuine Hibs Fan]

13 hours ago, printer said:

Do you think Scotland will have more players in the Lions squad than (i) Ireland and (ii) Wales?

Do you think they should?

No of course we won't. I'm not claiming our squad is better than Ireland's or Wales'. I've praised the quality of welsh players on this forum recently. I think we'd all agree we have the improved but still have the 5th best playing pool. It's how far the gap has closed people disagree on.

I think Scotland have 2/3 guys who could be Lions starters max, 1 who probably will, and another 2 who could realistically get in. So maybe 5 tops from a squad of 35 odd. I do think the gap has closed enough though that Scotland are capable of winning one of these mid cycle six nations, but don't seem to be working towards that. It all just feels aimless tbh, and I think we could be doing better.

Fully understand if folk don't think this team is capable of that but the arguments aren't the most convincing for me. Someone said earlier that Gary Graham was in great form for his club in a top professional league, and wouldn't be on the bench if our best players were available, and this was evidence that our players aren't good enough somehow. Ireland had their fair share of guys out there who are capable of looking out their depth in international rugby.

 

Edited March 15, 2021 by Genuine Hibs Fan

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

We actually competed well in the scrum today, but for some reason were utterly woeful in the line out....meaning we couldn't build any real periods of possession to put pressure on a pretty poor Ireland side. 

The England game aside, Turner at hooker has been a disaster in such a vital part of the game. Either that or other teams know our line out calls better than we do. 

The lack of possession leads to us being under fairly constant pressure, with the consequence that we commit errors and give penalties away....meaning that it's either a guaranteed 3 points for the opposition or a line out in our own 22 where we get under more pressure, and ....so it continues. 

Townsend and the forward coaching team should have the front 8 and reserves out on the training pitch for 10 hours a day for the next week practicing line out throws. 

And while we're at it, make Ali Price spend 10 hours a day running round the pitch in the pouring rain, just because he's a stupid khunt. 

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Bob Mahelp

[come on shire]

Best team we've had in a while but discipline is shocking. I'd wager that's down to organisation/communication on the pitch. This in turn could well be a coaching issue. 

That aside don't worry about it. We'll take the positives as we always do. 

Edited March 14, 2021 by come on shire

[John Lambies Doos]

Best team we've had in a while but discipline is shocking. I'd wager that's down to organisation/communication on the pitch. This in turn could well be a coaching issue. 
That aside don't worry about it. We'll take the positives as we always do. 

Pray tell the positives from our last two outings, apologies if you being tongue and cheek. We didn't win the last two games because deep deep deep down we didn't believe we could. We are mentally weak arseholes against the Welsh and Irish; and they feckin know it

[honestly united]

10 hours ago, John Lambies Doos said:

11 hours ago, come on shire said:

Best team we've had in a while but discipline is shocking. I'd wager that's down to organisation/communication on the pitch. This in turn could well be a coaching issue. 
That aside don't worry about it. We'll take the positives as we always do. 

Pray tell the positives from our last two outings, apologies if you being tongue and cheek. We didn't win the last two games because deep deep deep down we didn't believe we could. We are mentally weak arseholes against the Welsh and Irish; and they feckin know it

For me the problem is player development. In other countries they are coaching kids, along with the general skills, how to win rugby matches. They are also in the most cases playing / developing in an enviroment where winning is key, and they are playing games that mean something. From looking at the Scottish dev pathway apart from those playing in the Scottish private schools system, no one is playing meaningful games in that 16-20 age bracket that breed that win at all cost mentality. We are developing technically good players, but we are not developing winners. I used to play with a guy, who's pre match team talk was along the lines of needing to be a winner, things like he would push past his wife to get out the door first, he wouldn't talk eating dinner to ensure he finished first, etc but that is the mentality we need to instill in the players. Our best players techniclally are as good as Wales or Ireland, they are just not winners.

Its gotten that bad in the youth development, that we got relegated from the Euro U20's (along with Ireland), threw a hissy fit and all the home nations pulled out, just leaving France and Italy playing in it. We do nothing in the U20 6 nations, and have been relegated from the World U20 top tier and are now behind Italy, Fiji and Georgia. I was hoping the Super 6 would start to provide a competition to give these players a decent grounding, and we've seen some benefits in the young guys at Glasgow, but so far it doesn't grab you as a competition players are going to be desperate to win.

 

[ahemps]

2 hours ago, honestly united said:

For me the problem is player development. In other countries they are coaching kids, along with the general skills, how to win rugby matches. They are also in the most cases playing / developing in an enviroment where winning is key, and they are playing games that mean something. From looking at the Scottish dev pathway apart from those playing in the Scottish private schools system, no one is playing meaningful games in that 16-20 age bracket that breed that win at all cost mentality. We are developing technically good players, but we are not developing winners. I used to play with a guy, who's pre match team talk was along the lines of needing to be a winner, things like he would push past his wife to get out the door first, he wouldn't talk eating dinner to ensure he finished first, etc but that is the mentality we need to instill in the players. Our best players techniclally are as good as Wales or Ireland, they are just not winners.

Its gotten that bad in the youth development, that we got relegated from the Euro U20's (along with Ireland), threw a hissy fit and all the home nations pulled out, just leaving France and Italy playing in it. We do nothing in the U20 6 nations, and have been relegated from the World U20 top tier and are now behind Italy, Fiji and Georgia. I was hoping the Super 6 would start to provide a competition to give these players a decent grounding, and we've seen some benefits in the young guys at Glasgow, but so far it doesn't grab you as a competition players are going to be desperate to win.

 

Is this not a problem in itself. If the players in the super 6 don't see it as something to win then they don't have that winning mentality. 

It is now the competition below professional for the best amateur/part time players. it should be seen as a prestigious competition as you are among the best players in the country and competing with players who may go on to play not just at professional but possibly international level.

When I played amateur football I wanted to win every game as I hated getting beat and getting wound up by the opposition. Once you adopt a mentality of not being bothered by defeat then you become a soft touch and easily bullied by those who want to win at all costs.

[East Coast Warrior]

It seems harsh to criticise Super6 as being something players don't want to win when there's never even been a completed season for it yet!

 

(Stick the boot in for the lack of a Glasgow team instead!)