6 Nations 2026

[septic 9]

So thinking ahead to Wales, these would be the obvious 3 selection condundrums;

Injuries - as I understand it Ritchie, Dempsey, Dobie but presumably Ashman is back

Rotation due to Wales' quality - are we in a position where we even consider rotating players? Sure Wales look awful, but don't want to get ahead of ourselves and there will be a rest week following this match anyway

Rotation due to fatigue/form - What's going on with Zander? Give EMM a chance at a start in a proper first team? Maybe Cummings/Brown just isn't powerful enough behind him?
That was Turner's best showing (low bar) for a while, maybe he needs a bit of a run to get back up to speed, but I'm conscious of keeping Ashman's confidence up as much as possible too. This leaves Cherry out again with no real sense of whether he's still at the level he was last year.
Is there anything to giving Finn a week off?
It's been great to see Darge have some big moments, even in the Italy game, but this feels like a good chance to give Douglas or AOC another run out.

I think this would be the default GT selection with injuries accounted for, and the other changes I would consider.

1. McBeth
2. Turner (Ashman / Cherry)
3. Fagerson (EMM)
4. Cummings
5. Williamson
6. Brown
7. Darge
8. Fagerson (Bradbury)

9. White
10. Russell (Hastings/Kinghorn - swapping with Jordan)
11. Graham
12. Tuipulotu
13. Jones
14. Steyn
15. Jordan

16. Ashman
17. Schoeman
18. EMM (Fagerson)
19. Gilchrist
20. Bradbury
21. Hastings (AOC / Douglas)
22. Horne
23. Kinghorn

I think there was planned to be some rotation, those injuries may affect that plan IMHO )and Brown had a "stinger"). We can't overdo it, weak as Wales have been. We need to shore up the scrum and that means two big full time locks starting, and another on the bench. Wales set scrum has been about their only positive so far.
I still do not want to gloss over that abysmal performance in Rome (where not a single player played to standard) which was IMHO predominantly down to Ashman and Gilchrist. Gilchrist- bluntly thanks, great servant, but his race should be run. Craig going really well at Glasgow would be my preference. Still think Graham is too weak under high balls, I'd be tempted with Douglas and Bradbury to start but would be worried - after Glasgow beat England - about having too many Edinburgh players

[Mikey Brown]

I should have included Craig as a bracketed player too. I like him too, but assume he’s still behind GG in Townsend’s eyes.

I hope Brown is okay. He really is class and has a serious engine.

I get what you mean about the Edinburgh influence but I think you can still argue their backrow are still playing well in a poorly coached/resourced team.

[septic 9]

I should have included Craig as a bracketed player too. I like him too, but assume he’s still behind GG in Townsend’s eyes.

I hope Brown is okay. He really is class and has a serious engine.

I get what you mean about the Edinburgh influence but I think you can still argue their backrow are still playing well in a poorly coached/resourced team.

bit about Edinburgh players was partly tongue in cheek, but only partly. There needs to be a huge change in the mentality at Edinburgh. That isn't going to come from Everitt or SRU, that much is clear. So it has to come more from players. If that means it looking like its much harder to get capped playing for Edinburgh, so be it. That should drive standards and performances. And if it means some players want out to progress their career elsewhere, that's also fine. Better environments for them and a turnover at Edinburgh forcing Everitt to play hungrier players eager to make a mark. You might not "win anything with kids" (I usually agree) but they are not going to win anything with the current squad and their academy recent and soon to be (I hope) graduates is stacked with talent - see Douglas, OBL, McVie and a disproportionate number of the U20 squad (including McArthur, Dalziel, Wolfenden, Widdowson

[BaldiePete]

As an Edinburgh supporter I wholeheartedly agree with that. I’d say the back row has been the only bright spot in Edinburgh’s season, although that’s largely due to injuries forcing the selection of McConnell and Douglas. If he wasn’t injured I’d say McConnell would be pushing for the blind side spot but he wouldn’t be in front of Brown.

[BaldiePete]

Rotation worries me. I’m concerned we don’t have the depth to not play our best team in every match of the 6N. Four years ago we beat England and went down to Wales with everyone on a high expecting a win. Townsend rotated the whole front row of Sutherland/Turner/Fagerson who started against England on the bench for Wales with Schoeman/McInally/Nel who benched against England starting against Wales. We were dogshit and lost against a Wales team who were already on the slide, the only the game they won in the championship that year.

[Cameo]

I think we should, and will, pick our best team. We're not good enough to rotate for this one, and we have injuries in the positions we might consider it.

Interesting call at lock and in the backrow, with knock on effects on the bench.

I think I'd go:

4. Cummings
5. Williamson
6. Brown
7. Darge
8. Fagerson

19. Craig (wouldn't be shocked to see Gilchrost start with Williamson on the bench, but I hope not)
20. Bradbury

I would like to see Douglas, but it seems odd to change the one member of our backrow who remains fit and I'm never sure about a straight seven on the bench (or about Darge at 6). Be excited if it does happen.

I've assumed a 5-3 split, and I might actually agree with that for this one whereas I haven't for the previous two. I know it has seemed ridiculous in the last couple of games, but 6-2 hasn't suddenly become risk free, and we might want to take a couple of the backs if we can.

On that, I wonder if Townsend's thinking is shaped by the forwards available. We have great backs cover, but if three backs get injured, there is no forward who jumps out as having the pace to offer much on the wing.

[BaldiePete]

Bayliss has covered wing for Bath on at least one occasion. I could see him on the bench for the Wales match. He scored a great try against Australia in 2024 while lurking out on the wing.

https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/en/autu ... ular-score

[Mikey Brown]

Bayliss is a fantastic option to cover out wide, I just don’t know that he offers enough as a backrow to be in the squad in the first place.

I was only really thinking of Douglas as a sixth forward if GT does go 6:2, but I agree it’s unlikely and not without its own risk.

It feels harsh on Hastings, but McDowell/Hutchinson and Kinghorn makes more sense to me as replacement backs if we’re going 5:3. Come to think of it I feel like you could shove Staff in the backrow in an emergency.

[Cameo]

Bayliss is a fantastic option to cover out wide, I just don’t know that he offers enough as a backrow to be in the squad in the first place.

I was only really thinking of Douglas as a sixth forward if GT does go 6:2, but I agree it’s unlikely and not without its own risk.

It feels harsh on Hastings, but McDowell/Hutchinson and Kinghorn makes more sense to me as replacement backs if we’re going 5:3. Come to think of it I feel like you could shove Staff in the backrow in an emergency.

McDowell has done that for Glasgow. Agree re Hastings. Even if we go 5-3, I'm don't think we need him.

[BaldiePete]

Ritchie, Dobie and Dempsey confirmed as out of the squad.

[BaldiePete]

On the outside chance that anyone is feeling confident (and I actually don’t think anyone dares to be confident) this fact was on the BBC.

The Scots have beaten England eight times in the Six Nations, with the first victory in 2000 coming in the final round of the Championship. Following six of the other seven triumphs, Scotland have gone on to lose their next match.

[Cameo]

I am reasonably confident of a win, probabpy a bonus point one, but I suspect it will be slightly underwhelming. It's a bit of a no win, unless we blow them away it will feel like a bit of a come down.

Wales also aren't terrible ball in hand and will be up for this. If they get into the game early, it could prove quite sticky.

[septic 9]

I am reasonably confident of a win, probabpy a bonus point one, but I suspect it will be slightly underwhelming. It's a bit of a no win, unless we blow them away it will feel like a bit of a come down.

Wales also aren't terrible ball in hand and will be up for this. If they get into the game early, it could prove quite sticky.

Welsh scrum was pretty solid v Engerland, and very solid v France. They will have seen that we didn't scrum so well either of our games and will hope to attack ours. So need to step up, play 2 full locks. And need to secure our lineout, again.
Wales also have the very very rapid LRZ. He doesn't look the best full back in defence but kick to him at your peril. And some very tall backs, expect more high balls and a different 10 to kick them

[Mikey Brown]

Wales: Rees-Zammit; Hamer-Webb, James, Hawkins, Adams; Costelow, T Williams; Carre, Lake, Francis, Jenkins, Carter, Plumtree, Mann, Wainwright.

Replacements: Elias, Smith, Griffin, F Thomas, Botham, Hardy, J Evans, Murray.

[Which Tyler]

Keep that Raeburn safe - the French want a shot

[Mikey Brown]

Scotland XV to face Wales: Kinghorn, Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe, Russell, White; McBeth, Cherry, Z. Fagerson, Williamson, Cummings, Brown, Darge, M. Fagerson.

Replacements: Turner, Schoeman, Millar Mills, Gilchrist, Bayliss, Horne, Jordan, Graham.

The usual mix of positivity and ambivalence here. A decent starting team and a fairly underhwelming bench, but I'm not sure what else I expected. I guess I just don't rate Bayliss. It will be interesting to see how Duhan goes.

[BaldiePete]

I think I’d have preferred Graham to start with Steyn switching to the other wing and a 6:2 bench with Douglas, Horne and Jordan.

[Cameo]

Happy enough with the team, though the various comments on here are reasonable:

- I'd personally have preferred Graham than VDM but that is mainly because I love watching him. Can imagine VDM doing some damage.

Juat crossing fingers re scrum - surely they have found a fix.

- I actually think the bench has some impact. Agree with you, MB, about Bayliss but that is more from ignorance than anything else - objectively a rapid ball carrying backrow is a good bench option. Gilchrist - meh, but the alternatives aren't obvious (I would have liked to see Craig but I don't really see him as a big part of the long term plan so not too worried). The backs are all players who come on and up the pace.

- Linked to that, I'm on board with 5-3 for this (if we are just trying to win this game - can see the argument for Douglas if we want to see him or give Darge a rest, though 3 backs may make it easier to bring Russell off). 6-2 is fashionable but is still a risk - three backs (or two outside backs) getting injured isn't unheard of and our fluency in the backs is our big strength. Graham isn't an obvious bench option as a winger, but I can see an argument that we are more likely to want to keep upping the pace rather than physically dominate them. Other than Douglas (a slightly weird bench option as a pure 7), we are not overflowing with impact bench forwards.

[septic 9]

Gilchrist - meh, but the alternatives aren't obvious (I would have liked to see Craig but I don't really see him as a big part of the long term plan so not too worried). The backs are all players who come on and up the pace.

Gilchrist will be 36 this year. Craig will be 29. Craig is currently playing really well. Gilchrist isn't. nad had a nightmare (2 daft pens conceded) and the lineout. Townsend says he will be=ring his experience and lineout expertise off the bench. Delusion rather than spin

I don't know if Craig is a big part of the long term plan either, that depends on injuries, who the coach is (!) and how others develop. I do know he is more likely to be than Gilchrist. He will be younger at the 2031 RWC than Gilchrist will be for the 2027 one! He isn't the lineout jumper Gilchrist is but he is a far better TH lock in the scrum right now - think it was Warriors-Toulouse game. Scrum under real pressure, starting locks Cummings and Williamson. Craig came on scrum solid and better.
Samuel, maybe Henderson if fit could have featured but you just know Toonie would still stick with Gilchrist. Its a clear sign when a coach blindly sticks with an old favourite who isn't delivering, whose stamina is doubtful, that its time to go.
And my opinion won't change whatever happens tomorrow

[septic 9]

The backs are all players who come on and up the pace.

- Linked to that, I'm on board with 5-3 for this (if we are just trying to win this game - can see the argument for Douglas if we want to see him or give Darge a rest, though 3 backs may make it easier to bring Russell off). 6-2 is fashionable but is still a risk - three backs (or two outside backs) getting injured isn't unheard of and our fluency in the backs is our big strength. Graham isn't an obvious bench option as a winger, but I can see an argument that we are more likely to want to keep upping the pace rather than physically dominate them. Other than Douglas (a slightly weird bench option as a pure 7), we are not overflowing with impact bench forwards.

i think (hope but doubtful) that this would have been a game for Douglas to start. and Darge to rest The loss of Dempsey and Richie maybe scuppered that.
On the backs, Duhan and Graham good as they are in their own ways do not add fluency. One bashes up when he can be bothered, the other is doing a good impression of a headless chicken this season, no peripheral vision and no intention of using any he has. Amazingly Toonie says Duhan's workrate has always been excellent for Scotland. I mean, seriously!

[Mikey Brown]

Yep. I don’t want us to be too defensive with the bench, but I have more concern about another complacent performance where we allow Wales back in to the game after getting ahead. A lethal jackaler, even on the bench could be a good counter.

I understand the logic that Gilchrist could maybe assist a faltering lineout, Italy game aside, but it doesn’t exactly look intimidating. Maybe he can throw himself into it more if it’s just a 25 minute burst, but it’s hardly forward thinking.

Craig is maybe not the lineout leader we need but he’s a bit of a unit at least.

[switchskier]

Syeyns just not quick enough at this level is he?

[BaldiePete]

Fucking hell

[Cameo]

Syeyns just not quick enough at this level is he?

I've wondered that in the past, but I thought he was good today. With more pace he might have scored one or two more, but without his other attributes, he might not have been in the position to do so.

Not sure what to say about that game. A bit deflating to be talking about a scraped win and we didn't look like a team that will beat France, but we at least didn't completely bottle it and our subs made a positive difference for once.

A bit gutting for Williamson but can't argue with the decision and Bayliss was very good. Just don't know where it leaves us going forward.

Looked like we could break through their midfield / wide defence but you need to be able to marry that with forwards winning quick ball and punching holes.

Defence looked a bit passive, but Wales' attack isn't terrible.

Also, just too many mistakes in good positions.

[Donny osmond]

Same old shite. Being let off the hook by the worst Welsh team in a generation doesn't change that.