Name your AI Training Squad

[Big D]

That's good news.

Ah, Scotland, where a chest infection is classed as good news..

Player specific [emoji6]

[Tobylerone]

Of course, old chap..

[ARM]

Haven't seen Dunc Taylor in a Sarries match squad for a while.

Presume injured. Anyone know what the situation is?

[Chunks Baws]

Haven't seen Dunc Taylor in a Sarries match squad for a while.

Presume injured. Anyone know what the situation is?

He's still injured. No idea what injury he has though. Think he left the Japan tour with a hamstring injury, but that was back in June.

[Big D]

So Scotlands best No.8 on current form excluded although in "wider training squad".

[whatisthejava]

WP Nel injured , going to be rested as is Sutherland

Its quite difficult to pick your starting 15

Dickinson
Brown
Fagerson
J Gray
GG
Barclay
Watson
Straus

Laidlaw
Russel
Seymor
Taylor
Dunbar
Maitland
Hogg

Ford
Reid
Low
R Gray
Hardie
Pyrgos
Horne
Jones

[whatisthejava]

No Matt Scott, wonder if its an outstanding bill, injured or just squad rotation or actually fifth choice ?

[Adder]

So Scotlands best No.8 on current form excluded although in "wider training squad".

Why is Matt Scott not included, he seems to be playing well for Gloucester.

Our front and back row look extremely weak

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[Big D]

No Matt Scott, wonder if its an outstanding bill, injured or just squad rotation or actually fifth choice ?

Well Grigg is training with the "wider squad" so is he 6th choice?

Our front and back row look extremely weak

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Yeah, front row through injuries and back row through choice. Although some potential options including playing 3 7s.

[Big D]

Think I'd go for (assuming there is nothing Bradbury can do in training to be called up):

Dickinson - Hopefully he is fit.
Ford - Our best scrimmaging hooker still.
Fagerson
Gray
Gray - GG has been second best to Toolis for Edinburgh IMO.
Barclay/Hardie
Watson
Strauss/Barclay - Really tempted to go with 3 7s but willing to give Strauss ago. Definitely not Wilson.

Laidlaw
Russell
Seymour
Dunbar
Bennett
Hoyland
Hogg

McInally
Reid
Low
Gilchrist
Hardie/Strauss
Pyrgos
Horne
Jones

[Adder]

Dickinson
Brown
Fagerson
J Gray
GG
Hardie
Watson
Straus

Laidlaw
Russel
Seymor
Taylor
Dunbar
Maitland
Hogg

MacInally
Reid
Low
Swinson
Barclay
Pyrgos
Horne
Jones

Would be my choice. I want a strong punchy, fast pace start. Scrum will be mince though.

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[Adder]

No Matt Scott, wonder if its an outstanding bill, injured or just squad rotation or actually fifth choice ?

Well Grigg is training with the "wider squad" so is he 6th choice?

Our front and back row look extremely weak

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Yeah, front row through injuries and back row through choice. Although some potential options including playing 3 7s.

Not wanting to jinx anyone, but still time for a few injuries

Our Front row situation can get worse...

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[Big D]

It's already bad for Edinburgh. Could be down to 4th choice LH if Dell makes game day squads. The TH situation is already worrying behind the RG fella.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

How can Moray Low be justifiably included? At least Allan, Rae, etc get SOME game time with the first team.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Really poor squad all in all. Good enough to win 2 matches though.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Too many players that are not getting game time included.

Sad to see Kinghorn, Brown, Price, Bradbury/Ritchie omitted.

Suspect we'll have to wait for Toony. Vern is an awful squad selector.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I make that 7 players not playing first team rugby (some playing no rugby at all).

[ARM]

Nel is a big loss. Front row options are obviously weak. Fagerson is talented and can get a shove on but on some occasions, like any young prop, he gets dominated and lacks the coping strategies to minimise damage. So its either dominate or minced with very little in between. Dell, Low and Dickinson have hardly played any rugby. At least Jon Welsh is starting games for Newcastle.

Back row - we've been lacking ball carriers for a couple of years so it wasn't going to suddenly change overnight. Watson deserves his call up on recent form. Calls for playing three 7s ignores the fact that we get physically dominated in Test matches its not lack of speed at the breakdown its being effective when we get there. Ireland last season case in point. Wales for about ten years. Our backs are small by modern standards so we need to make up elsewhere.

Thought Matt Scott would be in with a shout.

[Cameo]

Not many surprises there although confused about Scott and hadn't realised about Nel. Could really do with Strauss stepping up this year to give us some power.

[Mikey Brown]

Really unimpressed with that.

[Big D]

Nel is a big loss. Front row options are obviously weak. Fagerson is talented and can get a shove on but on some occasions, like any young prop, he gets dominated and lacks the coping strategies to minimise damage. So its either dominate or minced with very little in between. Dell, Low and Dickinson have hardly played any rugby. At least Jon Welsh is starting games for Newcastle.

Back row - we've been lacking ball carriers for a couple of years so it wasn't going to suddenly change overnight. Watson deserves his call up on recent form. Calls for playing three 7s ignores the fact that we get physically dominated in Test matches its not lack of speed at the breakdown its being effective when we get there. Ireland last season case in point. Wales for about ten years. Our backs are small by modern standards so we need to make up elsewhere.

Thought Matt Scott would be in with a shout.

I only suggested I was tempted by 3 7's (not that Barclay is really a 7 anymore) as the 2 options for 8 haven't set the world on fire at all and they were used as play things by an admittedly fired up Munster team and Bradbury needs his Vice President Maw to have a word in Verns ear. Bar the odd flash, Wilson and Strauss have been poor at international level. Watson, Hardie and Barclay are all reasonable ball carriers and I prefer Watsons band of physicality to Wilsons.

Edit: To suggest we were underpowered v Ireland is correct, and not only the BR's fault (Barclay was brain dead in that game tbf). However, Wilson and Strauss played in that game as part of the back row. VC has a hard on for Wilson so no doubt he'll be involved.

[ARM]

Sounds like Huw Jones has been in decent nick in the Currie Cup - scored 7 tries during the comp.

Here he is showing a bit of toe...

http://www.worldrugbyvids.com/index.php ... ing-rugby/

[ARM]

Nel is a big loss. Front row options are obviously weak. Fagerson is talented and can get a shove on but on some occasions, like any young prop, he gets dominated and lacks the coping strategies to minimise damage. So its either dominate or minced with very little in between. Dell, Low and Dickinson have hardly played any rugby. At least Jon Welsh is starting games for Newcastle.

Back row - we've been lacking ball carriers for a couple of years so it wasn't going to suddenly change overnight. Watson deserves his call up on recent form. Calls for playing three 7s ignores the fact that we get physically dominated in Test matches its not lack of speed at the breakdown its being effective when we get there. Ireland last season case in point. Wales for about ten years. Our backs are small by modern standards so we need to make up elsewhere.

Thought Matt Scott would be in with a shout.

I only suggested I was tempted by 3 7's (not that Barclay is really a 7 anymore) as the 2 options for 8 haven't set the world on fire at all and they were used as play things by an admittedly fired up Munster team and Bradbury needs his Vice President Maw to have a word in Verns ear. Bar the odd flash, Wilson and Strauss have been poor at international level. Watson, Hardie and Barclay are all reasonable ball carriers and I prefer Watsons band of physicality to Wilsons.

Edit: To suggest we were underpowered v Ireland is correct, and not only the BR's fault (Barclay was brain dead in that game tbf). However, Wilson and Strauss played in that game as part of the back row. VC has a hard on for Wilson so no doubt he'll be involved.

Sounds like we are violently agreeing! Just coming at things from a different direction.

Our backrow options are poor - I'd agree with you on Wilson at Test level. Strauss I still have hopes for given his form in the first few seasons for Glasgow. Perhaps I am deluding myself. Think his biggest issue is workrate.

[Big D]

Bradbury is my great white hope in that regard.

Watson is pretty aggressive, his series of hand offs on Saturday was beautiful.

[Mikey Brown]

I think Watson has to play.

I have hopes for Strauss too but he needs to deliver at some point. I think 6. Hardie 7. Watson 8. Barclay would be just as hard-carrying and hard-tackling as any more traditional backrow trio we could put out. I just don't rate Harley or Wilson at this level. Bradbury really should be involved.

That clip of Jones looked great. I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more of him. Bennet seems a bit out of sorts and Taylor I haven't seen all season. What has Scott done so wrong?