6N starting team

[General Zod]

Let’s not forget that Ross Ford is now officially an international try machine.

[Mikey Brown]

Let’s not forget that Ross Ford is now officially an international try machine.

I thought that was just the glory that recently comes hand in hand with the Scotland no.2 shirt.

[General Zod]

Let’s not forget that Ross Ford is now officially an international try machine.

I thought that was just the glory that recently comes hand in hand with the Scotland no.2 shirt.

Natch!

[Big D]

Rumours about that Fagerson injury was due to dropping something in the gym.

[ARM]

Rumours about that Fagerson injury was due to dropping something in the gym.

A bench fell on his foot apparently. FFS

[whatisthejava]

With both bel and Zander out wouldn't be surprised to see Wilson dropped for cdp, Strauss or Ashe.

[General Zod]

Just seen Strauss is out injured today. Not sure if serious, or whether he’d make the matchday squad, but thought I’d just post!

[switchskier]

Fagerson our for two months.

Well the hope was nice while it lasted. If there was one position where we are really short of depth...

Now do we reign in the high tempo game to minimise the number of scrums or go even more crazy so that their pack are too tired to scrummage properly?

[Big D]

I have changed my mind and now wouldn't have Kinghorn ahead of Jackson/Maitland for the 6N if Hogg is out. I have a feeling this is going to be a tough 6N for Scotland (tougher of the 2 year schedules, propping crisis and France have a coach who may know what he is doing). I expect wins but fear that Kinghorn could become a scapegoat for any mistakes and not being Hogg.

Get him in the squad for the 1st time now then gametime in North America.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I have changed my mind and now wouldn't have Kinghorn ahead of Jackson/Maitland for the 6N if Hogg is out. I have a feeling this is going to be a tough 6N for Scotland (tougher of the 2 year schedules, propping crisis and France have a coach who may know what he is doing). I expect wins but fear that Kinghorn could become a scapegoat for any mistakes and not being Hogg.

Get him in the squad for the 1st time now then gametime in North America.

Kinghorn does make some mistakes that would be punished at 6N level, it's true. But Jacko/Maitland don't have the ability to run it back and break the line as he does. That's where we truly, truly miss Hogg IMO.

[Mikey Brown]

I'd definitely like to see him on the bench, probably fighting it out with Jackson. We don't seem to often have dangerous runners to bring in off the bench.

And yes. I definitely think it will be tough. The summer/autumn never seems to mean anything at all when it comes round to the 6 nations.

[Big D]

I have changed my mind and now wouldn't have Kinghorn ahead of Jackson/Maitland for the 6N if Hogg is out. I have a feeling this is going to be a tough 6N for Scotland (tougher of the 2 year schedules, propping crisis and France have a coach who may know what he is doing). I expect wins but fear that Kinghorn could become a scapegoat for any mistakes and not being Hogg.

Get him in the squad for the 1st time now then gametime in North America.

Kinghorn does make some mistakes that would be punished at 6N level, it's true. But Jacko/Maitland don't have the ability to run it back and break the line as he does. That's where we truly, truly miss Hogg IMO.

I totally agree re lines etc and would want him in if we can.

I just worry, that with expectations being so high for this 6N that every little thing new comers to the side do wrong will be hugely magnified. Especially for someone who will be replacing Hogg (if injured) and in and out the side. I'm probably being to protective of a 20/21 year old lad.

I think this will be a tough 6N and while the GT system is still bedding in I think Jackson as a 15/2nd play maker may not be a terrible thing.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

BTW I've heard nothing to suggest that Hogg is out. He will play at least one of the euro matches ahead of the 6N.

[whatisthejava]

He makes too many mistakes and although i have no problem him sitting on the bench and coming in for the last 20 mins he still is too raw and would get shredded by some of the more experianced back 3 out there

[Mikey Brown]

How much does it depend on the balance elsewhere in the backline?

The second playmaker thing is a good point. Presumably we won't be playing one at 12, Horne is the only real option there.

How sure are we of any wing combination that would be selected right now? Has Seymour screwed his head back on yet? Visser/McGuigan are both dangerous in both good and bad senses of the word. Jones/Maitland are pretty solid picks I guess. I'm really not sure what the best balance in the back three would be.

[switchskier]

I can't claim to have watched all of edinburghs recent games but I wonder if the mistake thing isn't a bit overblown for Kinghorn. He's definitely improved his consistency since the start of the season. Edinburghs toughest recent opponents were probably Glasgow and he was a lot more threatening and no more error prone than the other back three players in those games. The bigger question for me is, if Hogg is fit do you give him a bench slot? He doesn't offer much flexibility and it's unlikely that Hogg will be subbed off at any point unless injured.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I don't think so but I felt he should have travelled on the summer tour. He's good enough to get the B side international games and the more experience he gets the better.

The only way he gets on the bench is by covering 10 as well as 15. As much as I like the idea there's no point ruining his development as a very good 15. He has been playing 10 towards the end of some Edinburgh matches, especially in Europe but I think that's down to fly half availability rather than anything - injury crisis, euro registrations, etc. Even SHC had a pop at 10.

[General Zod]

He can play as a winger, surely? It’s not like they actually do much.

[OptimisticJock]

I can't claim to have watched all of edinburghs recent games but I wonder if the mistake thing isn't a bit overblown for Kinghorn. He's definitely improved his consistency since the start of the season. Edinburghs toughest recent opponents were probably Glasgow and he was a lot more threatening and no more error prone than the other back three players in those games. The bigger question for me is, if Hogg is fit do you give him a bench slot? He doesn't offer much flexibility and it's unlikely that Hogg will be subbed off at any point unless injured.

Yeah I've never got the negative stuff around him especially when Embra try to use him as much as possible. If he's got the ball more then it'll look like he fucks up more.

[af73]

He could be one of those players whose standard of performance increases to match the elevated company and environment (like some of the recent new caps). Alternatively he could find it all too much and leaving everyone who watches him at club level scratching their head (like DeLuca for instance.

We'll never know unless he gets the opportunity. That much isn't in doubt so the question becomes when. Is the potential reward greater than the potential or probable risk both to the team and the player etc?

On the brilliant v brain fart all players are prone to them. From what I've seen of Kinghorn both for u20's and Edinburgh they often occur in the same movement! A searing 50 yard break finished off with an unnecessarily flashy, one handed pass to a team mate which may.....or may not come off for example. Its almost as if the good stuff comes so easily to him that the concentration can waver at the crucial moment. Russell and Hogg were both like that to an extent.

That's the case against for me at this precise moment. Eliminate those things while retaining the good stuff (which he is doing in rapid progress this season) and he will be a special player no question.

[ARM]

Really like Kinghorn

Although I hope Hogg will be around for a long time yet I can see BK picking up a rake of Test caps. Yes he makes a few mistakes but Hogg until very recently got pilloried for his weaknesses (unfairly at times, justified at others) - probably because he was so outstanding in attack, and expectations are so high, that his mistakes were often glaring. BK has something about him.

[General Zod]

Would he make such an error?

Anyway, get him in the squad and see what he does in training.

[Spiffy]

What's the view of Scottish fans on Denton? About 4 seasons ago he looked the real goods then faded from the scene. He seems to have had a new lease of life with Worcester. He's massive (close to 19 st), athletic and powerful. He's only 27 - I had the feeling he was much older, and has plenty of rugby left in him. As an abrasive blindside/8 Sctland could do worse.

[cashead]

What happened to that loose forward that became a centre? I thought it was Denton, but apparently not.

[OptimisticJock]

Denton has never had the ball handling skills required. Was great at making ground but then always fucked up the final pass.

Vernon. Was injured until recently I think, maybe back for Stirling county or whoever he's with.