Summer and Autumn Internationals announced.

[General Zod]

http://www.scottishrugby.org/news/18/01 ... 8-calendar

Interesting addition to the Autumn calendar. We must be looking for an extra confidence-builder.

[Big D]

http://www.scottishrugby.org/news/18/01 ... 8-calendar

Interesting addition to the Autumn calendar. We must be looking for an extra confidence-builder.

It's bollocks. I We will have none/few of our non Scots players and we will hopefully have 2 sides in the big euro comp with 4 games around then. It's bonkers, the last thing the players need is another international match at that time of year.

Presumably we were Wales cheapest option for a 4th test.

[Stones of granite]

http://www.scottishrugby.org/news/18/01 ... 8-calendar

Interesting addition to the Autumn calendar. We must be looking for an extra confidence-builder.

It's bollocks. I We will have none/few of our non Scots players and we will hopefully have 2 sides in the big euro comp with 4 games around then. It's bonkers, the last thing the players need is another international match at that time of year.

Presumably we were Wales cheapest option for a 4th test.

Agreed. Seems nuts to me. I guess someone got blinded by ££££ instead of think8ng it through

[Croft_No.5]

Maybe GT looking at this as a squad building exercise which is fine if the Welsh are considering the same.

“This additional contest in the autumn will allow us to expose more Scotland players to international rugby and will support our preparations to face three huge matches at BT Murrayfield later that month, and beyond.”

Also I fully expect that the ProXX scheduling will have the Scottish Teams flying out to SA around that time!!

[General Zod]

Also I fully expect that the ProXX scheduling will have the Scottish Teams flying out to SA around that time!!

Was thinking the same (if the Kings still exist!). Can’t remember the scheduling for the Euro Cup this year tho - was it the week before the autumn internationals?

[Big D]

Maybe GT looking at this as a squad building exercise which is fine if the Welsh are considering the same.

“This additional contest in the autumn will allow us to expose more Scotland players to international rugby and will support our preparations to face three huge matches at BT Murrayfield later that month, and beyond.”

Also I fully expect that the ProXX scheduling will have the Scottish Teams flying out to SA around that time!!

That's ok if it's for example sticking Hastings at 10 with Price and Taylor or Dunbar either side of him. We learn that way.

If it's the type of side that gave Fiji it's almost pointless.

All the exiles won't be available either.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Very, very annoyed at this 4th AI fixture. The SRU have got so much right over the last few years so this represents some serious regression just to chase a few extra bucks like the WRU.

Aside from the player welfare issue it we won't have exiles available so it will just further damage Glasgow & Edinburgh's campaigns by taking their players for a completely unnecessary fixture. The club/international balance was spot on and did not need changing. Will Gray et al now become the new Sam Warburton & co - featuring for Glasgow and Edinburgh just a handful of times each season?

I will wait for the full detail to emerge - if it's some kind of one-off charity match with proceeds going to Weir's charity then I can get behind that. If it's to become a regular cash cow fixture then I will certainly be writing to the SRU to point out that they have pretty swiftly eroded most of the faith they have built up over the years.

[Stones of granite]

Very, very annoyed at this 4th AI fixture. The SRU have got so much right over the last few years so this represents some serious regression just to chase a few extra bucks like the WRU.

Aside from the player welfare issue it we won't have exiles available so it will just further damage Glasgow & Edinburgh's campaigns by taking their players for a completely unnecessary fixture. The club/international balance was spot on and did not need changing. Will Gray et al now become the new Sam Warburton & co - featuring for Glasgow and Edinburgh just a handful of times each season?

I will wait for the full detail to emerge - if it's some kind of one-off charity match with proceeds going to Weir's charity then I can get behind that. If it's to become a regular cash cow fixture then I will certainly be writing to the SRU to point out that they have pretty swiftly eroded most of the faith they have built up over the years.

Well said.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Long stretch but does anyone have any inside info or even educated guesses on where the two NA fixtures will be played? I am travelling the states this summer and would love to take in the American game as well as the Canada one if possible. I've contacted a couple of people at the SRU directly and they won't share any detail with me - not even a list of potential venues being considered despite specifically asking. Just to keep an eye on social media with no dates ... if that ends up being 2-3 months away it's not very helpful!

I may try contacting the US & Canadian RUs directly.

Thoughts? I know we played in Houston last time. So perhaps somewhere on the East coast this time or California?

Canada is a lot easier to predict. Given their plight, lack of a tier 1 opponent in god knows how long and need for cash, I'd be surprised if it isn't in Toronto. Even then there are not many other options.

Cheers

[Big D]

Canada game in Edmonton.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Canada game in Edmonton.

Excellent news - any official link? ESPN still has the game listed as being played in Kobe (Japan)...

[hugh_woatmeigh]

So too does the beeb.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Think I'll have to duck out of the Canada game. Edmonton is a pain in the arse to get to compared to Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, etc.