Scotland v Wales

[Edinburgh in Exile]

Great result , great game. Going to have to watch again as lots I missed at murrayfield.

Thought Wales changed tactics at half time and stopped contesting the ball as much as we suddenly got quick ball for the backs.

You'd probably miss loads anyway Java, you know nothing about rugby union.

[Big D]

Also on Jones it is hard to judge with the lack of ball, but it's true he's made a couple of mistakes and not come looking for short balls much. He's run some good lines and given a couple of great offloads (particularly for Hogg's try last week) too, so hard to say. I can just picture him being very effective roaming about on the wing though. Also to keep banging on about the Dunbar thing it just seems he's able to build up a head of steam and pick his line a little better at 13.

Bennett not even getting on the pitch (is the Beeb correct with that?) seems strange.

I'm not overly keen on anyone at 13 looking for short balls. England do it with Teo but that's a very different game plan.

It's working with Jones maintaining some width and Hogg working off/ beside him.

Dunbar needs to be at 12 as he is out defensive leader. Very difficult to do it from 13 and the others are all 13s who can play 12 rather than the other way around.

Jones didn't do too much wrong IMO, maybe missed a tackle.

One of the really encouraging things is every player has made mistakes but we've won two games and are showing flashes of what we can achieve. With a stable scrum we'd see the backs a lot more visible than they have been. In fact we haven't really went off the top in line outs very often to the backs. Maybe twice today?

[whatisthejava]

Alun Wyndham getting smashed by Gordon Reid 8 mins in.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Also on Jones it is hard to judge with the lack of ball, but it's true he's made a couple of mistakes and not come looking for short balls much. He's run some good lines and given a couple of great offloads (particularly for Hogg's try last week) too, so hard to say. I can just picture him being very effective roaming about on the wing though. Also to keep banging on about the Dunbar thing it just seems he's able to build up a head of steam and pick his line a little better at 13.

Bennett not even getting on the pitch (is the Beeb correct with that?) seems strange.

Yup. Vern didn't use much of the bench. No Berghan, Swinson, Weir, Bennett & Ford only got 9 mins.

No point changing a winning formula.

[whatisthejava]

First 20 mins of second watching and bigger is a whiny bitch and we were by far the better team.

[whatisthejava]

TMO did us a favor. Knew Lacey was shite but how he was ok with that is mental. Good for TMO to stand up and disagree.

[whatisthejava]

On second viewing think Hogg was probably denied a try. If both are touching it when 1/2p grounds it it's a try.

[whatisthejava]

Half time, while at the game thought Wales had dominated that half but apart from their try we held up pretty well

[Sandydragon]

Well done Scotland. The better team by far won and you took your chances we'll.

[Sandydragon]

Great result , great game. Going to have to watch again as lots I missed at murrayfield.

Thought Wales changed tactics at half time and stopped contesting the ball as much as we suddenly got quick ball for the backs.

We fell apart mentally once you put pressure on us.

[Mikey Brown]

First 20 mins of second watching and bigger is a whiny bitch and we were by far the better team.

I could have told you that before my first viewing but my god he was a whiny little bastard today. He was almost approaching Keith Earls levels of cuntishness.

I also wanted to see a replay of the Hogg/Halfpenny thing because if Hogg had his hand there first he certainly managed to get it to the ground.

On the Dunbar at 13 thing I don't see why he cannot lead the defence from there. He's played his best games there in my opinion and it's an equally pivotal position in defence. Scott is surely a 12 currently playing 13. Though to be honest wouldn't care too much which one played where.

I wasn't suggesting Jones play as a crash ball 13 (we haven't even seen Teo play there for England yet?) but I just want him on the ball more. Totally agree his chemistry with Hogg looks very handy in that channel though.

Anyone got the latest on Dickinson and Nel? I can't help but think how these new guys could develop with the reliable Dicko/Nel combination available too.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

I have no substantive contribution to make, other than to say, I'm very happy with that outcome.

aye. Me too.

[Edinburgh in Exile]

First 20 mins of second watching and bigger is a whiny bitch and we were by far the better team.

I could have told you that before my first viewing but my god he was a whiny little bastard today. He was almost approaching Keith Earls levels of cuntishness.

I also wanted to see a replay of the Hogg/Halfpenny thing because if Hogg had his hand there first he certainly managed to get it to the ground.

On the Dunbar at 13 thing I don't see why he cannot lead the defence from there. He's played his best games there in my opinion and it's an equally pivotal position in defence. Scott is surely a 12 currently playing 13. Though to be honest wouldn't care too much which one played where.

I wasn't suggesting Jones play as a crash ball 13 (we haven't even seen Teo play there for England yet?) but I just want him on the ball more. Totally agree his chemistry with Hogg looks very handy in that channel though.

Anyone got the latest on Dickinson and Nel? I can't help but think how these new guys could develop with the reliable Dicko/Nel combination available too.

Not sure on Dickinson, but Eskimo wont be around for a while yet, the cat had neck surgery.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

MB I think you need to stop banging the Matt Scott drum. He realistically won't feature until Toony arrives and figures out what his best team is.

[Edinburgh in Exile]

Half time, while at the game thought Wales had dominated that half but apart from their try we held up pretty well

I like how you were giving us live updates on you re-watching the game, but nothing after half time, did you explode into an Andy Nicol shaped puff of blue and white national pride?

[Edinburgh in Exile]

One more thing in defense of Jones, watching our first try back, his dummy line is what creates the space outside for Visser then Seymour.

Worth watching that again by the way, it's a good example of finishing what you create clinically, all the way through to how Seymour gets the ball down.

[Big D]

I wasn't suggesting Jones play as a crash ball 13 (we haven't even seen Teo play there for England yet?) but I just want him on the ball more. Totally agree his chemistry with Hogg looks very handy in that channel though.

Anyone got the latest on Dickinson and Nel? I can't help but think how these new guys could develop with the reliable Dicko/Nel combination available too.

Didn't mean to suggest you were meaning crash balls off 13. I've been watching it back again (rock and roll Saturday night) and Jones holds wide a lot so it's a game plan. For the Seymour try it was Jones that had the dummy run in the wide channel. That game plan is working in open play so I wouldn't change that even if we changed 13.

Rumours that Nel will be back April/May. Not sure about Dicko or Sutherland.

At about 48-50min in they showed a graphic where there were no Scottish handling errors.

[Big D]

Few other random thoughts.

Price played well enough to suggest he's been under used off the bench but we knew that.

Prices box kicking was excellent.

For Seymours try, if he didn't ground it there's a shout for a penalty try.

Fagerson was unlucky not to draw more pens off Evans. He looked to.be hinging a lot. Clancy went round and the scrums were stable. He tired a bit but he's played all bar 20min.

Watson was targeted on kick offs or at least it looked that way.

Wales need to bin Biggar. Or at the very least get him playing flat.

Tipuric and Watson are class.

[Edinburgh in Exile]

Few other random thoughts.

Price played well enough to suggest he's been under used off the bench but we knew that.

Prices box kicking was excellent.

For Seymours try, if he didn't ground it there's a shout for a penalty try.

Fagerson was unlucky not to draw more pens off Evans. He looked to.be hinging a lot. Clancy went round and the scrums were stable. He tired a bit but he's played all bar 20min.

Watson was targeted off kick offs or at least it looked that way.

Wales need to bin Biggar. Or at the very least get him playing flat.

Tipuric and Watson are class.

Aye, that's pretty much in line with my second viewing thoughts, all except for the front row stuff. I know fuck all about the front row.

Was going to point that out about Seymours try, it would have been bugger nothing a year ago, but wasn't that given as a penas try against Ulster relatively recently? Really doesn't bother me mind you...

Agreed on the two backrow lads. Watson must have a massive engine, he excelled in the last 10 to 15 minutes of that game.

[Big D]

Few other random thoughts.

Price played well enough to suggest he's been under used off the bench but we knew that.

Prices box kicking was excellent.

For Seymours try, if he didn't ground it there's a shout for a penalty try.

Fagerson was unlucky not to draw more pens off Evans. He looked to.be hinging a lot. Clancy went round and the scrums were stable. He tired a bit but he's played all bar 20min.

Watson was targeted off kick offs or at least it looked that way.

Wales need to bin Biggar. Or at the very least get him playing flat.

Tipuric and Watson are class.

Aye, that's pretty much in line with my second viewing thoughts, all except for the front row stuff. I know fuck all about the front row.

Was going to point that out about Seymours try, it would have been bugger nothing a year ago, but wasn't that given as a penas try against Ulster relatively recently? Really doesn't bother me mind you...

Agreed on the two backrow lads. Watson must have a massive engine, he excelled in the last 10 to 15 minutes of that game.

Agreed re Seymour. Nice finish too.

[Big D]

Visser standing up North was comical. Seriously what is going on with North?

[Edinburgh in Exile]

Visser standing up North was comical. Seriously what is going on with North?

In fairness Visser seems to have always been able to do that to just about anyone. North looked a shadow of his former self today mind you.

I think Mike was talking about it on here earlier, Vissers performance was a mental one, but his second half performance was spot on, stopped the Webb try, gave the final pass to Seymour, and finished off his one chance. I'm pretty sure that's the best I've seen him play in a Scotland shirt.

[Big D]

Visser standing up North was comical. Seriously what is going on with North?

In fairness Visser seems to have always been able to do that to just about anyone. North looked a shadow of his former self today mind you.

I think Mike was talking about it on here earlier, Vissers performance was a mental one, but his second half performance was spot on, stopped the Webb try, gave the final pass to Seymour, and finished off his one chance. I'm pretty sure that's the best I've seen him play in a Scotland shirt.

Aye bar a stupid off load after an interception he was very good.

Just finished the game. Those boys in blue emptied their tanks again today. They are putting everything on the line and reaping benefits. 4 in a row at MF.

[af73]

Visser standing up North was comical. Seriously what is going on with North?

In fairness Visser seems to have always been able to do that to just about anyone. North looked a shadow of his former self today mind you.

I think Mike was talking about it on here earlier, Vissers performance was a mental one, but his second half performance was spot on, stopped the Webb try, gave the final pass to Seymour, and finished off his one chance. I'm pretty sure that's the best I've seen him play in a Scotland shirt.

Visser's pop pass, almost into thin air, for Seymour to run on to was instinctive and perfectly executed. Any other pass in such a confined space wouldn't have resulted in a try I don't think.

Likewise Finn's pass and Hogg's take and give had to be precise for Visser's try. It demonstrates that what's being worked on in training is paying off in the game. We recognise when a score is on, get into the correct alignment, run the correct lines and deliver accurate & perfectly weighted passing. A sign of growing confidence.

When the forwards are struggling for parity you might get 2 or 3 chances in a game. In the past we might have got 3 or 6 points return. Its more like 12 or 14 now. That makes the difference when 20-27 points usually wins you the game.

They can go to HQ now and give it a lash, really express themselves and see what happens. The pressure was on for two significant home wins for perceived progress to become tangible and they've accomplished that. Hats off to them.

It would be just "us" though if we had a chance to win the championship on the last day and blew it by losing to Italy

[I R Geech]

This exactly