Mark Connolly Posted August 23, 2023 Share Posted August 23, 2023 For a nice bit of RWC squad trivia, here are Scotland's scrum halves at each edition. We might have been shite in other positions, but even when the depth at 9 wasn't great, our first choice was one of the best in the business 1987: Roy Laidlaw and Greig Oliver 1991: Gary Armstrong and Greig Oliver 1995: Bryan Redpath and Derrick Patterson 1999: Bryan Redpath, Gary Armstrong, Iain Fairley 2003: Bryan Redpath, Mike Blair, Graeme Beveridge 2007: Mike Blair, Chris Cusiter, Rory Lawson 2011: Mike Blair, Chris Cusiter, Rory Lawson 2015: Greig Laidlaw, Henry Pyrgos, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne 2019: Greig Laidlaw, Ali Price, George Horne (Henry Pyrgos called up to replace Price mid-tournament) 2023: Ben White, Ali Price, George Horne 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAD Posted August 24, 2023 Share Posted August 24, 2023 11 hours ago, Mark Connolly said: For a nice bit of RWC squad trivia, here are Scotland's scrum halves at each edition. We might have been shite in other positions, but even when the depth at 9 wasn't great, our first choice was one of the best in the business 1987: Roy Laidlaw and Greig Oliver 1991: Gary Armstrong and Greig Oliver 1995: Bryan Redpath and Derrick Patterson 1999: Bryan Redpath, Gary Armstrong, Iain Fairley 2003: Bryan Redpath, Mike Blair, Graeme Beveridge 2007: Mike Blair, Chris Cusiter, Rory Lawson 2011: Mike Blair, Chris Cusiter, Rory Lawson 2015: Greig Laidlaw, Henry Pyrgos, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne 2019: Greig Laidlaw, Ali Price, George Horne (Henry Pyrgos called up to replace Price mid-tournament) 2023: Ben White, Ali Price, George Horne The 2007/11 depth is mental, three of the best scrum halfs around at the time, all played for Scotland, all played in really shite teams. I always think guys like that must look at the team now and wish they'd been born 10 years later. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvo Montalbano Posted August 24, 2023 Share Posted August 24, 2023 2 hours ago, GAD said: The 2007/11 depth is mental, three of the best scrum halfs around at the time, all played for Scotland, all played in really shite teams. I always think guys like that must look at the team now and wish they'd been born 10 years later. Yeah, I always thought Cusiter was almost the best of them but Blair often got the nod. Can't really complain about that though, as all three were very good 9s. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Connolly Posted August 24, 2023 Share Posted August 24, 2023 9 hours ago, GAD said: The 2007/11 depth is mental, three of the best scrum halfs around at the time, all played for Scotland, all played in really shite teams. I always think guys like that must look at the team now and wish they'd been born 10 years later. I wish I was born a few years earlier, they were all in my age group! And Chris Cusiter’s brother Calum was a year older - at 18-21 he was probably better than any of them 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAD Posted August 24, 2023 Share Posted August 24, 2023 1 hour ago, Mark Connolly said: I wish I was born a few years earlier, they were all in my age group! And Chris Cusiter’s brother Calum was a year older - at 18-21 he was probably better than any of them You must have been playing the same time as me! Most notable player I played against was Euan Murray. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHF-23 Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 On 23/08/2023 at 14:40, flyingscot said: Lewis Ludlam presumably. But Borthwick said relying on Vunipola wasn't a risk... Or Earls tbf, but yeah very stupid stuff from Borthwick to take one out and out 8. On 23/08/2023 at 21:04, Mark Connolly said: When you look at it, that back line is really strong. With the 7 backs who aren't starting, you could have had Kinghorn, Steyn, Harris, Redpath, Horne, Healy, Price. With the exception of sticking George Horne on the wing because we have 3 scrum halves rather than two distinct backlines, you'd happily start most games with that. Imagine if we had that 2nd-ish string backline in the 2007 RWC - the backline that started the QF against Argentina was R Lamont, S Lamont, Webster, Dewey, Paterson, Parks, Blair. How many of them would honestly be in the squad this time? Takes me back to when I did that worst team of the millennium(ish) a year or so back. I'm sure there was a time around that world cup when I was walking the dog, murmuring to myself "Dewey and Webster... It might just work you know". I kind of miss the mixture of desperation for something to work and pessimism that it never would of that time. Kind of like following Hibs under Calderwood, you got to just laugh at Francis Dickoh's high voice in a silent stadium and then convince yourself that Victor Palson and Jimmy Scott might be a good midfield On 23/08/2023 at 21:15, GAD said: Offt, Paterson and Blair the only two, though I think both would be pushing for a start. I think now there's no Hogg/his poor form before you'd probably stick him at 15 wouldn't you, although I'm loving Kinghorn there 16 hours ago, Mark Connolly said: I wish I was born a few years earlier, they were all in my age group! And Chris Cusiter’s brother Calum was a year older - at 18-21 he was probably better than any of them Funny one how that works out sometimes. I'm a year or so younger than Hogg and played with guys at school a year older, a couple of whom were in Scotland squads and played for Callie up to 16/18s - only one of them went pro and played a total of two games for Glasgow iirc. They always said until about 18 Hogg was just decent at that level and then just rocketed up once he started playing seniors. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HK Hibee Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 On 23/08/2023 at 00:10, honestly united said: We had Nic Berry for the 2nd France game, I thought he was ok (was he?) HE started to get pissed off with Ritchie constantly in his ear in that game. If we need the win v Ireland I would go as far as making Finn captain 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Connolly Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 All Blacks v SA from Twickenham on Sky Sports Mix right now. Just finishing the anthems 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Connolly Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 16 minutes played and NZ have conceded about a million penalties and already have two in the bin. Hard to work out if it's actually deserved or just Matthew Carley pot luck. Suspect it's a bit of both 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAD Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 20 minutes ago, Mark Connolly said: 16 minutes played and NZ have conceded about a million penalties and already have two in the bin. Hard to work out if it's actually deserved or just Matthew Carley pot luck. Suspect it's a bit of both I can't decide if South Africa have been good or NZ bad. That's a shocker of a try to lose either way. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAD Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 I'm almost thinking some of the NZ players are struggling with the kits? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Connolly Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 Well we won't be seeing Scott Barrett at the World Cup 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAD Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 1 minute ago, Mark Connolly said: Well we won't be seeing Scott Barrett at the World Cup Off the scale stupidity. No idea what he was actually trying to achieve. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Connolly Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 Seems utterly bizarre for Sky to be taking the South African coverage of a game at Twickenham 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Connolly Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 How on earth has that yellow not been upgraded? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gianfranco Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 The disallowed try was a thing of beauty. SA’s scrum looks monstrous. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 South Africa taking their foot off the gas I see. Beatable. Lordy. They’re very good. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAD Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 It's going to be tough to beat this lot. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAD Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 As much as it'll upset the usual people, games like this show that constantly criticising refs and highlighting their poor performances against you fucking works. Refs are scared to give decisions against SA because of the inevitable backlash. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignoramus Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 South Africa look quite handy here lads, got to say 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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