Ireland v Scotland

[Croft_No.5]

Scotland team to face Ireland in Dublin

NatWest 6 Nations Round 4: Saturday 10 March (kick-off 2.15pm) - live on ITV / STV

15. Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 58 caps

14. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) – 1 cap
13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 14 caps
12. Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 31 caps
11. Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 32 caps

10. Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) – 35 caps
9. Greig Laidlaw VICE CAPTAIN (Clermont Auvergne) – 61 caps

1. Gordon Reid (London Irish) – 30 caps
2. Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) – 15 caps
3. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby) – 7 caps
4. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) – 21 caps
5. Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 41 caps
6. John Barclay CAPTAIN (Scarlets) – 69 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 18 caps
8. Ryan Wilson VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 35 caps

Substitutes

16. Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 29 caps
17. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) – 6 caps
18. Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) – 20 caps
19. Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 34 caps
20. David Denton (Worcester Warriors) – 37 caps
21. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 14 caps
22. Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors) – 2 caps
23. Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 7 caps

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Well done to Kinghorn. Ireland will be targeting him though.

Can't argue with much of that. Would have liked to have seen Richie brought onto the bench ahead of Swinson. He played 80 mins last week...

[Cameo]

Yeah, happy enough with that and excited about Kinghorn.

Is it just because he is tall that I am worried about his acceleration on the wing?

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Yeah, happy enough with that and excited about Kinghorn.

Is it just because he is tall that I am worried about his acceleration on the wing?

I'm more worried about him in attack than defence on the wing. I suspect he might drop back when we have possession so that Hogg is in the line. Hoggy didn't get enough ball against England.

[whatisthejava]

Keep thinking Hogg has been quiet but he is just drawing men and creating space for others.

I'm getting excited for the game.

It's all going to go terribly.

[Big D]

Well deserved start for Kinghorn who is the 2nd most dangerous open field runner we have.

So long as he can hold his positioning he'll be grand.

One things for sure loose kicks from Ireland will see us with plenty of options.

[Tobylerone]

I'm getting excited for the game.

It's all going to go terribly.

Ha..

[General Zod]

Is anyone going? If so, any plans for watching dance - england after the game? Usually I just stay back and have a few pints at the Aviva while the crowd disperses then get a taxi into Dublin afterwards. Any suggestions for quickest way back into town most welcome.

[SerjeantWildgoose]

I'd have to say that the quickest way back into town is on Shanks' Pony, General. You're as fast walking as you are in a cab and the Dart takes an age to clear.

Walking depends where you're exiting the stadium, but your best bet is to get onto Landsdowne Road, cross Northumberland into Pembroke Road and follow it all the way in. Do not be tempted to stop at the Landsdowne Court, but keep going for anothe couple of hundred metres to Searsons, which is a bit of a barn but they have a couple of hundred TV screens and its a proper rugby crowd.

If ye get a good start, keep walking and once you cross the canal carry on up Lower Baggot Street to O'Donoghue's on the left just before St Stephen's Green. Great pint of Guinness and they have a big screen under the canopy with the heaters on full belt. (It's only 2km from the junction of Landsdowne Road/Northumberland to O'Donoghue's.

[SerjeantWildgoose]

... and it goes without saying, I hope yez all have a shyte afternoon, but a cracking evening getting over it.

[General Zod]

... and it goes without saying, I hope yez all have a shyte afternoon, but a cracking evening getting over it.

Haha cheers. We’re at the Lansdowne Road entrance, so may get a jump on the crowds.

Or come to think of it, will they show it at the stadium? Don’t want to miss the lap of honour.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I'm actually a bit concerned about this game now that I think about it.

Ireland are averaging something like 65% possession over the course of the 6N. With our knock ons and lineout we are not particularly great at keeping possession. That stat could well tip well over 70% in Ireland's favour if we lose the customary couple of lineouts, a restart plus a couple of pointless knock ons for good measure.

How do we combat it?

[Mikey Brown]

Lots of pointing and shuffling around would my guess. Then eventually a terrible box kick.

[Edinburgh in Exile]

I'm actually a bit concerned about this game now that I think about it.

Ireland are averaging something like 65% possession over the course of the 6N. With our knock ons and lineout we are not particularly great at keeping possession. That stat could well tip well over 70% in Ireland's favour if we lose the customary couple of lineouts, a restart plus a couple of pointless knock ons for good measure.

How do we combat it?

Yeah, was thinking about that the other day. They are very good at keeping the ball. It’d be an idea to not cheaply give it to them... I say this as I guarantee at some point we will fire up an aimless box kick between the two 10 meter lines. That tactic genuinely drives me mad, it should be marked down as a turn over.

How do you combat that kind of possession stat though? Defend better than we have all tournament and then be 1st half against England clinical with the finishing. France or (shudder) Wales game performance and it’s going to be grim.

[Mikey Brown]

We're just going to have to blast the almighty fuck out of them in defence I think. I'm not entirely sure how thats going to work though.

[switchskier]

I'm actually a bit concerned about this game now that I think about it.

Ireland are averaging something like 65% possession over the course of the 6N. With our knock ons and lineout we are not particularly great at keeping possession. That stat could well tip well over 70% in Ireland's favour if we lose the customary couple of lineouts, a restart plus a couple of pointless knock ons for good measure.

How do we combat it?

We don't. For this game possession is a chimera. To win we need to be utterly ruthless with the chances that we do have and those chances can come from anywhere on the field. We also need to be very disciplined in defence. It's a very long shot no matter what.

[BlackCat1978]

[Tobylerone]

Forecast looks like a lot of rain overnight in Dublin, then Irish mist for game time..

[Mikey Brown]

Shit.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

So the travel/preparations/captains run look to be very similar to that of Cardiff...

[Big D]

So the travel/preparations/captains run look to be very similar to that of Cardiff...

It's daft.

[Mikey Brown]

So the travel/preparations/captains run look to be very similar to that of Cardiff...

So they’re still in Scotland?!

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I agree, it's moronic. We'll see if it looks as if they forgot to turn up tomorrow.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

So the travel/preparations/captains run look to be very similar to that of Cardiff...

So they’re still in Scotland?!

Land in Dublin this evening IIRC.

It's not exactly the same as Cardiff as it's a wee bit trickier to get to Dublin but we kick off at 2.15 tomorrow. It feels v last minute and rushed. I wouldn't be surprised if the players seem unsettled again.

[switchskier]

So the travel/preparations/captains run look to be very similar to that of Cardiff...

So they’re still in Scotland?!

Land in Dublin this evening IIRC.

It's not exactly the same as Cardiff as it's a wee bit trickier to get to Dublin but we kick off at 2.15 tomorrow. It feels v last minute and rushed. I wouldn't be surprised if the players seem unsettled again.

Anyone know what Glasgow did under Toonie? I can see the argument for training and sleeping in familiar surroundings for as long as possible.