RugbyRebels

Last two times we played Australia with our "first team", they lost, so why not change it?

hope Hughes has a number one back and sides.

I guess there will be a lot of hard running from the backs. They are all fairly powerfull

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Is that a real question?

If Toonie doesn't think he could improve on the platform that Cotter built, by 2 points, he shouldn't have taken the job.

Interesting. Bolder calls than I expected but not necessarilly bad ones. Feel a bit for Scott but hopefully he can get another start next week

Dissapointing IMO to be using the Oz game to experiment more than the Italy one. We already struggle to get big away tours in the summer. We are heading to North America next year so it will be 2020 at least before we get a crack at a SH team away.

We absolutely need to give some players game time but this is a game where I'd have liked his 1st choice 23 out. Unless of course this is it.

As an aside. I'd we win by 15 we go to 3rd in the world.

Hey , i thought this place would be kicking off, you guys never fail

Im surprised by the squad but Toonie needs to make sure everyone feels they have had a fair crack to impress the new coach.

Reid - stronger than Dell and for me should be starting LH even when Dicko is fit
Brown - again the strongest
ZFG - lets be honest Nel needs to be managed a bit
Gray - good
Toolis - played himself into the shirt
Barclay - captain
Watson - again strongest player we have
Wilson - prob my starting 8 with all fit , much prefer his dog than the carries we get with Straus , the 7 tackles he made in the Wales game within about 90 seconds just showed total commitment to the cause


9 - Price - Must be first choice for Scotland
10 - Russel - good to see no farting about with him
11 Hughes - Visser is injured so makes sense, I like Hughes although he has struggled a wee bit with injury , mind you expect to see him knock on at leas once
12 Taylor - Guy needs a chance to retake his shirt, when was the last time we had a player that could play centre and full back, centre is his best position and he deserves a chance to keep it
13 - Dunbar, still a quality player and will be around the squad until the world cup but he needs to start showing up more in games, he was on the pitch for the England disaster and he needs to atone
14 Lee Jones - Good to see the guy getting another shot , a very talented wee winger who has come on leaps and bounds since Alan Solomans pumped him out the door , just another in the long list of ex Edinburgh players who are doing well away from the toxic environment
15 - Tonks - Bit of a strange one, I think he isnt international class although i have seen him doing some fairly exceptional things at times, full back is his best position but where Hogg looks for a gap to exploit himself Tonks does have good vision to look for supporting players, the backs that are around him should give him those options

On a seperate but related note. Is there a reason other than we have been shite that we don't get 3 game tours v the SANZAR nations like the other formerly 5 nations countries do?

Edinburgh in Exile wrote:

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:Hell of a bench though.

For the record the team isn't that bad. Tonks is a huge liability though.

I thought Tonks wouldn't be getting used unless absolutely neccessary... does make you wonder about Bryce & Tait though.

Mate... if Vern had picked that back three you would be spitting fucking blood.

Tonks is a f*cking awful selection and Hughes isn't better than Hoyland or Visser but the rest of the team ain't bad at all.

The Tonks selection makes me worry about Toony as a selector tbh. He didn't even start for LI in their crunch games. We struggle for good cover after Hogg but we really do have better than Greig Tonks.

If Visser is actually injured then you can't have many complaints about that team. The Tonks one is a real f*cking clanger though.

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:If Visser is actually injured then you can't have many complaints about that team. The Tonks one is a real f*cking clanger though.

Lets see how Tonks does , i doubt he will ever be more than emergency cover but lets give the guy a chance, he was good for Scotland A

I can't even remember the last time I saw Tonks play but was always reliable performer for Edinburgh, if nothing else. Be interesting to see if we see more of Dunbar in the 13 birth.

Who covers what?


9. Price (wings )
10. Russell
11. Hughes
12. Taylor ( wings/ FB)
13. Dunbar
14. Jones
15. Tonks

Pyrgos
Jackson (10/15)
Scott(centre)


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hugh_woatmeigh wrote:If Visser is actually injured then you can't have many complaints about that team. The Tonks one is a real f*cking clanger though.

I genuinely don't have an issue with his selection. It's Toonie, it's what he does. On the whole it has worked for the Weeg. Was just surprised at how much tolerance you are showing.

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:

Edinburgh in Exile wrote:

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:Hell of a bench though.

For the record the team isn't that bad. Tonks is a huge liability though.

I thought Tonks wouldn't be getting used unless absolutely neccessary... does make you wonder about Bryce & Tait though.

Mate... if Vern had picked that back three you would be spitting fucking blood.

Tonks is a f*cking awful selection and Hughes isn't better than Hoyland or Visser but the rest of the team ain't bad at all.

The Tonks selection makes me worry about Toony as a selector tbh. He didn't even start for LI in their crunch games. We struggle for good cover after Hogg but we really do have better than Greig Tonks.

If the alternatives were beating Tonks out the gate in training they'd be starting, he also has a big boot which the other options don't have. Visser is injured, Jones has had a great season and has matured as a player, unlike Hoyland and Hughes he's had time to make his mistakes and learn from them. Hughes has 4 inches and a fair few kgs on Hoyland which will be handy given who they're defending against and if he's used right in attack by a coach who knows him well (I wonder if we have one of those?) He can be a very effective player. Will he be up to the task? Who knows, but they all have to start somewhere. Hoyland isn't the first name on the teamsheet either yet.


Also here's the kicker. This is the one and only tour Toonie will have to experiment. After 5 years with Glasgow making us armchair critics look silly you'd think folk would give him some credit.


Fuck me, I just realised who I was replying to. There's 5 minutes I'll never get back.

I feel like I'm stealing Greg's thunder a bit here. But if Townsend is the guy to get the best out of Hughes, is that what we've been seeing the last few seasons for Glasgow? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see him flourish because the physical gifts he has would compliment the backline perfectly.

Hoyland is smaller but seems to have a good brain and technique, from what little I've seen.

The Tonks argument could be made for literally any selection (dud or otherwise) that any coach has made.

I'm still curious on the centre combo given Taylor plays 13 at least as much as he plays 12, I'm sure I've read it is his preferred position. I wonder how much of that is due to particular defensive duties. I must say I'm glad we won't be seeing Horne try to tackle Kuridrani again.

If Dunbar does manage to actually have some impact in attack from 13 I'll be very pleased/irritating.

Tonks to Score the first Scottish try of the game. You heard it here first

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Adder wrote:Tonks to Score the first Scottish try of the game. You heard it here first

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Don't limit yourself Adder: Tonks get a hat-trick, is called up for Lions and wins the series playing both 15 and 10 at the same time, surely.

Matt Ha wrote:

Adder wrote:Tonks to Score the first Scottish try of the game. You heard it here first

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Don't limit yourself Adder: Tonks get a hat-trick, is called up for Lions and wins the series playing both 15 and 10 at the same time, surely.

I'm staying safe and will go for a brace.

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A brace of hat-tricks? Wow. Does that even have it's own name?

Adder wrote:

Matt Ha wrote:

Adder wrote:Tonks to Score the first Scottish try of the game. You heard it here first

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Don't limit yourself Adder: Tonks get a hat-trick, is called up for Lions and wins the series playing both 15 and 10 at the same time, surely.

I'm staying safe and will go for a brace.

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What is the record for the most tries scored by one player during an International? Doesn't matter, it's about to get broken!

Mikey Brown wrote:A brace of hat-tricks? Wow. Does that even have it's own name?

Murray/ Zebo special..... Sextrick

Adder wrote:

Adder wrote:

Matt Ha wrote:
Don't limit yourself Adder: Tonks get a hat-trick, is called up for Lions and wins the series playing both 15 and 10 at the same time, surely.

I'm staying safe and will go for a brace.

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What is the record for the most tries scored by one player during an International? Doesn't matter, it's about to get broken!

It's 10 but there are some real mismatches outside of the top tier rugby nations.

The most notable/relevant ones I could find were Josh Lewsey scoring 5 against Uruguay in RWC 2003 and Chris Latham also scoring 5 against Namibia in the same RWC.

Marc Ellis got 6 v Japan, RWC1995.

Lizard wrote:Marc Ellis got 6 v Japan, RWC1995.

Did you eventually manage to get tickets to the Fiji fixture gizzard?

The manager of my property over there is sorting it out.