Big D wrote:Someone elsewhere said Taylor looked like he was playing a veterans game.
If that is what he has then it looks a big mistake taking him.
Not sure. Another interpretation is that he played it conservatively/ like a friendly, knowing there’s a time to go for it and a time when you’re playing a bounce match against a tier two side when a few of your team-mates have already gone off injured.
Pity if Ritchie’s injury is true - have read on TOL that he’s possibly got a fracture.
He was missing tackles before the injuries started. And he is playing for a place in the starting XV.
In the last year we have seen 2 average test performances. He must be a demon on the training paddock.
Watched the highlights back and Cummings impressed even more than I realised. Some of his big contributions I'd attributed to Thomson. Seems very unhelpful of them to wear the same headgear.
While Ritchie is one of our best players - Bradbury gives a much better balance to the back row make-up. It should have been Barclay or Ritchie IMO. When Barclay retires, I suspect Ritchie will be our starting 6.
Still a chance Ritchie may recover but it doesn't look good given they've sent another player to Japan in his stead.
Mikey Brown wrote:Watched the highlights back and Cummings impressed even more than I realised. Some of his big contributions I'd attributed to Thomson. Seems very unhelpful of them to wear the same headgear.
I had him nailed on MOTM in the first half and then the decision to play a bit more wider prevented his runs
I think he is a far more direct second row than Gray although i think he should be on the bench against Ireland
hugh_woatmeigh wrote:While Ritchie is one of our best players - Bradbury gives a much better balance to the back row make-up. It should have been Barclay or Ritchie IMO. When Barclay retires, I suspect Ritchie will be our starting 6.
Still a chance Ritchie may recover but it doesn't look good given they've sent another player to Japan in his stead.
Largely agree, but immaterial as GT would probably select 6. Wilson 7. Wilson 8. Wilson if he could. It's nice to have Bradbury and what he offers in the squad, but does leave us a bit light at openside. Has Barclay still got the legs for it?
I wouldn't be starting Cummings over JG/GG at the moment either but I'm actually quite excited by the idea of having him on the bench now rather than just annoyed it's not TTRI.
"Back-row Jamie Ritchie will leave Edinburgh tomorrow (Thursday) to join the Scotland squad for Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.
The Edinburgh forward sustained a facial injury in the national team’s win over Georgia at BT Murrayfield last weekend and remained home for further specialist assessment.
He will now join the rest of the Scotland squad at their training camp in Nagasaki, with teammate Magnus Bradbury remaining with the group as precautionary injury cover."
Big D wrote:Interesting that Thistle pod reporting that Wilson wouldn't have gone if Skinner was fit.
Bit sceptical about who they got that from. Surely only a very few people would know that. Would be a strange choice too as that would leave Thompson as the only 8
Big D wrote:Interesting that Thistle pod reporting that Wilson wouldn't have gone if Skinner was fit.
Bit sceptical about who they got that from. Surely only a very few people would know that. Would be a strange choice too as that would leave Thompson as the only 8
I thought Skinner could also play 8. Not sure tho.
Big D wrote:Interesting that Thistle pod reporting that Wilson wouldn't have gone if Skinner was fit.
Bit sceptical about who they got that from. Surely only a very few people would know that. Would be a strange choice too as that would leave Thompson as the only 8
They were spot on about the squad before anyone else to be fair.
It probably would have been a double swap. Skinner in for one of the locks and maybe Bradbury in for Wilson. No way would anyone take 4 locks plus Skinner.
It seems to have recently been decided that Wilson is a master lineout technician so maybe that was the thinking in the battle with Skinner. Skinner has never played 8 and I don’t really see him as a 6 either to be honest but it sure would be nice to have a bit of ballast available in the pack.
When I flew back home earlier this week the on-flight entertainment on Virgin included a classic 5 & 6 nations moments highlight package about 50 minutes long.
A stark reminder of how absolutely shit we were for so many years.
hugh_woatmeigh wrote:When I flew back home earlier this week the on-flight entertainment on Virgin included a classic 5 & 6 nations moments highlight package about 50 minutes long.
A stark reminder of how absolutely shit we were for so many years.
Not that long ago Scotland were nilled at home in the Calcutta Cup, beaten by Tonga and frequently failed to score a single try.
TBH though we aren't that much better these days, we've lost to Fiji and have had a number of shockers
Jimmilton’s take. Agree with a lot of it actually, surprised at some. Possibly over optimistic but it’s not totally illogical?
“In contrast to how you would describe us at any other time, Scotland are predictable when it comes to the World Cup. We win the games we are supposed to and lose the ones we are expected to.
I genuinely believe that’s going to change when Gregor Townsend’s 2019 version begin their campaign against Ireland. Few outside the camp are tipping Scotland to win, but I think they will. It sounds daft when you think that Ireland are ranked No 1 in the world, have beaten New Zealand twice in the past three years and won a Grand Slam in 2018. Since that Six Nations, Scotland have won twice away from Murrayfield — against Argentina and Georgia — and their one win in this year’s tournament was at home to Italy.
It’s easy to make a case for Ireland winning their seventh head-to-head in eight since a certain JL Hamilton was man of the match in 2013, but for my money the Scots arrive with a clearer identity and their key players in much better form. Less than a month since they were embarrassed in their first warm-up game away to France, that experience looks like a blessing in disguise because it forced them to challenge what they are doing. It gave the defence coach, Matt Taylor, more ammunition to demand an upping of the focus on his area and it perhaps made Townsend stop and ponder whether compromise is really a cop-out.
Pressure player: fit-again centre Duncan Taylor stays calm in the toughest of situations
Pressure player: fit-again centre Duncan Taylor stays calm in the toughest of situations
GARY HUTCHISON
Fair enough, they have only beaten Georgia and a French side who seemed to lose interest once it became clear that Scotland weren’t going to roll over at Murrayfield. Yet in those three wins there has been a pleasing solidity and a much better balance between ambition and pragmatism. The first thing Scotland must always be is hard to beat, and too often in recent times the devastating attacking ability has been undermined by soft defence and a vulnerability to power. That’s how Ireland will come after them again, I’m sure. Those relentless carries off nine, working the position for Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton to start buzzing. But Scotland now look better equipped to deal with a route-one game than was the case as recently as that disastrous first half at Twickenham.
From captain Stuart McInally — a former back-row who remains world class over ball — through lock Grant Gilchrist to those great momentum-killers Hamish Watson and John Barclay, Townsend has forwards who have shown they can be just as physical as the opposition. They’ve also now got ballast in the centres, where Duncan Taylor has hit the ground running since returning from injury. Duncan thrives under pressure. Rugby comes easy to him even in the toughest situations, and that calmness spreads. Having him fit is a huge boon, especially when Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg both look in the groove and in the mood. Scotland have always had the stardust: it’s the foundations that have been the problem.
Big impact: hooker McInally has world-class ball skills and leads from front
Big impact: hooker McInally has world-class ball skills and leads from front
VISIONHAUS
When you look at Ireland, you see a side built from the bottom up, but after such brilliantly meticulous progress under Joe Schmidt, they seem to have lost that sense of themselves. We’re talking about a team who, very recently, appeared unbeatable, where you could name their 1-15 without pausing and where you knew their strategy inside out.
To my mind, the non-selection of Devin Toner speaks to confusion. Ian Henderson and James Ryan are both excellent second-rows, but so much of Ireland’s game has been based on their lineout, and so much of their lineout has been based on Devin Toner. Lineout, maul, penalty, kick to corner, repeat. Jean Kleyn offers more in the loose, but when a team is struggling for momentum — and despite also winning three of their four warm-up games, Ireland are — you go back to your core strengths. Toner’s set-piece expertise is one of those.
Scotland, whose own lineout has had its recent wobbles, will be happy the Leinster lock isn’t there, and they will also feel that Sexton is vulnerable in a way he hasn’t been before. If they can find a way to manage him, Ireland will be in trouble.
What Scotland can’t do is go chasing the game, and that’s why Greig Laidlaw has to start. Ali Price and George Horne have something he doesn’t, but Scotland — and just as importantly Russell — look much more in control with Laidlaw. The best teams, especially the best tournament teams, are littered with great leaders, and Greig is one of the best I ever had.
Much of the rest of the side picks itself. I’ve thought long and hard about my old position, and I’m going with Jonny Gray and Gilchrist. Jonny doesn’t make mistakes. He always plays well. The question has been if he can play very, very well and dominate the big games. It’s been a standing joke for years that Gilchrist never shows much in training, but he always turns up on match day and his experience just edges it, with Scott Cummings as my bench lock.
Ben Toolis hasn’t done much wrong, but Cummings not only carries well, he has that priceless, Billy Vunipola-esque ability to generate front-foot ball off slow ball. Scotland haven’t had that for years.”
We've shown nothing to suggest we can beat Ireland. Either against them or other teams. It would be against the grain if we beat them.
BTW isn't it mad that our second best LH prop is only deemed good enough for semi-professional rugby. Old news but it only just occurred to me earlier when catching up on the latest rugby news.
hugh_woatmeigh wrote:We've shown nothing to suggest we can beat Ireland. Either against them or other teams. It would be against the grain if we beat them.
BTW isn't it mad that our second best LH prop is only deemed good enough for semi-professional rugby. Old news but it only just occurred to me earlier when catching up on the latest rugby news.
Yep. There really has to be some sort of plan beyond just hoping enough random Saffas keep hanging around one of the Scottish clubs long enough to qualify.
Similar situations in a few positions though to be honest.
hugh_woatmeigh wrote:We've shown nothing to suggest we can beat Ireland. Either against them or other teams. It would be against the grain if we beat them.
BTW isn't it mad that our second best LH prop is only deemed good enough for semi-professional rugby. Old news but it only just occurred to me earlier when catching up on the latest rugby news.
Yep. There really has to be some sort of plan beyond just hoping enough random Saffas keep hanging around one of the Scottish clubs long enough to qualify.
Similar situations in a few positions though to be honest.
Well Reid already lives in Ayr or Kilmarnock (I forget which), is tied to the Ayrshire semi-pro side yet Glasgow just picked up a random kiwi LH who won't be available until mid/late October either... Makes you wonder.
hugh_woatmeigh wrote:We've shown nothing to suggest we can beat Ireland. Either against them or other teams. It would be against the grain if we beat them.
BTW isn't it mad that our second best LH prop is only deemed good enough for semi-professional rugby. Old news but it only just occurred to me earlier when catching up on the latest rugby news.
I don't think that's true. Our last two performances against them have been so frustrating exactly because we have shown we can beat them. Especially in the first one we showed that we could unlock their defence but then we just weren't clinical.
I suspect and fear they will grind us down again as they are very good at that and we usually fold in the end but I don't feel they have some kind of hex over us
