Rugby Union

[Mark Connolly]

2 hours ago, Savage Henry said:

The Scotland team that started against Italy played arguably as well as any side has up until this England performance.  I'd imagine for the next game, Townsend will drop Jones (though I'd go with him over Horne against France any day of the week) and perhaps make changes in the second row, but there really aren't many options.  Scotland just don't have the depth that England or Ireland, or even Wales, do.

And if the Scottish players would quit throwing the ball away under no pressure, they having the makings of an extremely dynamic side.

My concern is that France go with the big b*****d backs rather than the dillydallying flair guys and just beat the crap out of our centres.  

My great hope is that one day Scotland will put it all together like they did vs England and Australia in recent times and absolutely trounce somebody.   This team is so much like Gregor Townsend was as a standoff.   

 

If France continue with their current selection policy, we will win.

It's actually really sad that France are now the team that play the least like France.

[Carl Cort's Hamstring]

1 hour ago, Mark Connolly said:

If France continue with their current selection policy, we will win.

It's actually really sad that France are now the team that play the least like France.

France didn't seem to have any gameplan at all today. They were absolutely awful.

[come on shire]

Napoleon Bonaparte could be their head coach just now and France would still be utterly honking.

Some very sound posts on here regarding our game in Paris in a fortnight. We CAN win however we'll need to play to our best. Unfortunately, we are limited with the 4 big 6N teams also having far more depth and quality players. For Scotland to beat a Tier 1 nation except Italy (possibly Argentina too) we also heavily rely on the opposition to have a poor day.

However, we have a huge chance in Paris. The French are traditionally strong at home but are in a serious dip and even lost to Fiji. At Twickers I've never seen France in such a mess since their revolution in the late 18th century.

[Savage Henry]

13 hours ago, Mark Connolly said:

If France continue with their current selection policy, we will win.

It's actually really sad that France are now the team that play the least like France.

There are three Frances.  Throw the ball about all over the shop France, play like they've never met France, and, once in a blue moon, lose the plot and resort to petty violence France.  As long as it isn't France #1, it's fun.

[Mark Connolly]

43 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

There are three Frances.  Throw the ball about all over the shop France, play like they've never met France, and, once in a blue moon, lose the plot and resort to petty violence France.  As long as it isn't France #1, it's fun.

Unless France #1 are playing anyone but Scotland.

[GAD]

Wilson out for the rest of the tournament, which is a disaster. I know people don't like it as an excuse, but the injuries this tournament are killing us, it's going to be very difficult now. Just got to hope some of the guys getting into the team now can show something. Hopefully the chance of a world cup spot will bring out some hidden depths...

[flyingscot]

41 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

There are three Frances.  Throw the ball about all over the shop France, play like they've never met France, and, once in a blue moon, lose the plot and resort to petty violence France.  As long as it isn't France #1, it's fun.

 

Just the three? France are screwed because of the Top 14 and the number of international players in it. Add into that the mercenary project players of which I think they are one of the worst and they don't seem to have any identity or plan. They seem to have slow big forwards and classically French elusive pacy backs but no idea what plan to play. Bastaraud is a bizarre one- I really don't see what he adds to the centres as he's so slow. Yes he is a battering ram but is that what you need there? 

Against England they were awful, one of the worst performances I've seen from France. 

9 minutes ago, GAD said:

Wilson out for the rest of the tournament, which is a disaster. I know people don't like it as an excuse, but the injuries this tournament are killing us, it's going to be very difficult now. Just got to hope some of the guys getting into the team now can show something. Hopefully the chance of a world cup spot will bring out some hidden depths...

It is a disaster for both Scotland and Glasgow. Only consolation is Ritchie has been decent and him and Strauss have done well. 

[Gianfranco]

Would knee ligament damage make Wilson a doubt for the World Cup?

[GAD]

1 minute ago, flyingscot said:

 

Just the three? France are screwed because of the Top 14 and the number of international players in it. Add into that the mercenary project players of which I think they are one of the worst and they don't seem to have any identity or plan. They seem to have slow big forwards and classically French elusive pacy backs but no idea what plan to play. Bastaraud is a bizarre one- I really don't see what he adds to the centres as he's so slow. Yes he is a battering ram but is that what you need there? 

Against England they were awful, one of the worst performances I've seen from France. 

It is a disaster for both Scotland and Glasgow. Only consolation is Ritchie has been decent and him and Strauss have done well. 

Ritchie has done well and is definitely on the plane to Japan I'd say. Not sure about Strauss, but with the rest injured he's certainly not been bad. I'm guessing for the France game we might go with Hardie if he is fit and stick Graham on the bench.

[Savage Henry]

22 minutes ago, flyingscot said:

 

Just the three? France are screwed because of the Top 14 and the number of international players in it. Add into that the mercenary project players of which I think they are one of the worst and they don't seem to have any identity or plan. They seem to have slow big forwards and classically French elusive pacy backs but no idea what plan to play. Bastaraud is a bizarre one- I really don't see what he adds to the centres as he's so slow. Yes he is a battering ram but is that what you need there? 

Against England they were awful, one of the worst performances I've seen from France. 

It is a disaster for both Scotland and Glasgow. Only consolation is Ritchie has been decent and him and Strauss have done well. 

I don't really see it with Ritchie, but everyone else agrees with you.   

Real chance for either Hardie or Graham to make a real case for Japan.  Strauss I think is the most explosive number 8 they have available.

[flyingscot]

5 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

I don't really see it with Ritchie, but everyone else agrees with you.   

Real chance for either Hardie or Graham to make a real case for Japan.  Strauss I think is the most explosive number 8 they have available.

Don't think he's set the heather on fire in a blue jersey but he's been solid. I'm guessing Tim Swinson could do 6 as well (unless he's out injured and I missed it!).

I think Strauss has been excellent, carried well into contact and makes metres. 

[TheScarf]

Bring back Tim Visser IMO.

[John Lambies Doos]

Is anyone due back from injury for next game, anyone????

[GAD]

1 hour ago, John Lambies Doos said:

Is anyone due back from injury for next game, anyone????

It's two weeks away so who knows. Seems players come back from nowhere and straight into the team in rugby. None off this easing back in off the bench stuff.

[honestly united]

Dont know where to start on Saturday's game. First hald had a lot of positives. Ireland created nothing, and our defence was outstanding. First try, Hogg gets taken out late and it doesn't get looked at all by TMO, Irish player infront of the kicker, then dreadfull pass by Seymour. If Hogg wasn't down having treatment there is another body back to defend.

2nd try was the only good bit of play by Ireland all game, but its one of there stock plays and we should have defended better, and would have helped if Kinghorn hadn't been running in treacle at the time, it looks like he loses about 20 yards of Stockdale who goes past him before Kinghorn even moves. At that point with Sexton going off injured you would maybe take losing a try to get him off the pitch. 

At 12-10 before half time we really needed to score as if we are winning at we are in with a shout. After 5 minutes camped in their 22 we come away with nothing, slow ball and just crashing up the side of rucks only works if you have really explosive ball carriers to hammer over, but we dont really have any. We need quick ball to suck in defenders and create space to spin wide. The Irish were lapping it up as they had loads of time to set up there defence for each phase.

I was quite hopeful at half time, that we could turn things and get the win. We had been playing well, creating chances, and Ireland had only been in our 22 twice. Then (and I am now fully blaming Innverdale for losing us hte match), Innverdale pipes up with his interesting "fact" that Scotland have failed to score a try in the 2nd half of 8 of there last 12 matches - and so it was to be again.  For me this was a case of next score - we score and all the pressure is on Ireland, they would have had to come out and attack, we could have kept them camped in their own half and picked off the errors, Ireland score and we are then chasing the game leaving us open to errors.

As is always the case with Scotland we get unlucky, both Harley and Dell tackle Carberry and knock each other off the tackle letting Carberry through, who passes forward to Earls to score (if I hear "well his hand go backwards" when there is a forward passes I may top someone). As everyone know from there on in, it was one error after the other from Scotland, not helped by the Irish cheating. At one point the commentary team discuss the fact that there has been no jackling at all in the game, which is true as when the first Irish player to get to the tackle flops (illegally) on top of hte ball your not going to win it.

 

So off to France, batter and bruised, but still in with a chance of winning the tournament, however slim. Questions are rightly going to be asked over selection, but I wouldn't want to be making them. Do you drop Laidlaw for Price or Horne, but if you do who captains the team as there are no obvious candidates. In the backrow the main options in hte squad at present are Hardie or Graham both opensides. Ritchie is naturally a blind side but doesn't really have the size or prescence of an international blindside although our game plan works better with 2 opensides. If we could I would bench Jones as he has looked jaded since the last 6 Nations. I would probably go Johnson and Dunbar at centre but that may stunt our creativity.

 

Also in Glasgow related news DTH is out injured for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

[flyingscot]

37 minutes ago, honestly united said:

So off to France, batter and bruised, but still in with a chance of winning the tournament, however slim. Questions are rightly going to be asked over selection, but I wouldn't want to be making them. Do you drop Laidlaw for Price or Horne, but if you do who captains the team as there are no obvious candidates. In the backrow the main options in hte squad at present are Hardie or Graham both opensides. Ritchie is naturally a blind side but doesn't really have the size or prescence of an international blindside although our game plan works better with 2 opensides. If we could I would bench Jones as he has looked jaded since the last 6 Nations. I would probably go Johnson and Dunbar at centre but that may stunt our creativity.

Johnston and Grigg for me. They know each other, work well as a partnership. Toony might think it is too lightweight against big French boys but I think we play to our strengths instead of worrying about them.  If we are going to play France at what England did, Finn and Hogg kicking to get them turning, then pace is needed to close down and pressure the back 3 of France. Finn would have single handily destroyed that French team. 

Laidlaw for Horne would be a brave call but interesting one. Surely captain has to be McInally? 

I'm not sure Jones is jaded, although he might well be have coming from SH to Northern, but he's not playing at Glasgow which doesn't help.

[peasy23]

Scotland 7s winger Kyle Steyn signs for the Warriors for next season. He'll remain a part of the 7s squad until the summer but will train with Glasgow when there are breaks in the 7s schedule. Be interesting to see how he steps up to 15s, he's looked good in 7s.

[come on shire]

Adam Ashe signs new 2 year deal. Absolute stalwart and a mystery as to why he's not been in the Scotland squad this 6N. 

If he stays around after that then surely he's got to be looked at as a possible club captain.

[Savage Henry]

Hogg likely out for the rest of the season according to the Mail. Disaster.

 

[John Lambies Doos]

Hogg likely out for the rest of the season according to the Mail. Disaster.
 

So the c**t Murray denies him his Lions tests and the c**t O'Mahony denies him his Glasgow swansong. Is it possible to hate Munster and Irish rugby more!