Road to RWC 2023

[Mikey Brown]

I like the look of that team.

I’m not sure if we need to mix up the second row combos to some degree and see if we can get something out of one of the more athletic pair alongside an old boy.

Does Kinghorn need the time at 10 more than time to bed in at 15?

[Donny osmond]

Why not Healy at 10? He got the plaudits against Italy, if we're looking at him as a potential 10 get him in there and give BK time at 15 where he looked pretty good last week.

[General Zod]

I’d like to see Crosbie given a shot at the weekend. The Italy match was pretty poor all round, so it would be a bit unfair to single him out. He’s a big unit and could be very handy in the squad.

[Donny osmond]

Ok team is out:

15. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) 45 caps
14. Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 11 caps
13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 37 caps
12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 17 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 29 caps

10. Finn Russell (Bath Rugby) – Vice-Captain – 70 caps
9. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) 62 caps

1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 22 caps
2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 36 caps
3. WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) 54 caps
4. Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 74 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) – Vice-captain – 63 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) – Captain – 41 caps
7. Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) 9 caps
8. Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 10 caps

Replacements

16. Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) 48 caps
17. Rory Sutherland (unattached) 24 caps
18. Javan Sebastian (Edinburgh Rugby) 4 caps
19. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) 27 caps
20. Sam Skinner (Edinburgh Rugby) 26 caps
21. Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby) 4 caps
22. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 21 caps
23. Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps

[BaldiePete]

Team is out and we’re risking Finn. I’m definitely not sure about that.

[Donny osmond]

Nothing to really say about that, except I know we've only seen it once but I think captaincy really suited Russell and I've yet to be convinced it really suits Ritchie.

[BaldiePete]

The opposition. France aren’t fucking around this week, that team is full noise and must be close to the team they’ll play against the ABs.

[Big D]

Looks like Walker and Dobie will definitely be cut. Hooker and back row still potentially open to debate.

I'm not keen on the idea of Kinghorn covering 10 from 15 to be honest. He's the best 15 and should be playing there. He's at his fluent best at 15 and takes one of our best runners away from our wide options in game.

His goal kicking isn't good enough either and Horne might not be on the pitch to counter. Actually on that thought, he should be kicking at goal on Saturday. He's not kicked in a game for months.

[Big D]

Looks like we are going 6/2 split v SA and Ireland

[Mikey Brown]

Looks like we are going 6/2 split v SA and Ireland

Very possible I think, but I can't see a configuration that works.

a) Healy covering 10, when we won't really want to take Russell off and leaves us with no wider cover
b) Smith covering 10/wing by way of Kinghorn moving
c) Redpath covering centre and back three by way of Jones to 15 and Kinghorn to 10/wing.

Are we confident enough in any lock combo, letalone wanting to switch both of them at once? We surely aren't planning to take off our captain for Skinner?

[septic 9]

Looks like we are going 6/2 split v SA and Ireland

Very possible I think, but I can't see a configuration that works.

a) Healy covering 10, when we won't really want to take Russell off and leaves us with no wider cover
b) Smith covering 10/wing by way of Kinghorn moving
c) Redpath covering centre and back three by way of Jones to 15 and Kinghorn to 10/wing.

there are option. None are ideal of course but there are reasonable options to cover the backs. Top is Kinghorn covering 10 from full back (or bench). If Kinghorn starts at 15, Smith on the bench - who also covers wing and at age group 13. Alternately Steyn benches, covers 11,13, 14 and 15
The issue is always if you get more than one injury, or worse 3 injuries in the backs. Toonie will have watched a lot of Glasgow last season who went 6/2 virtually every game. Both Horne and Dobie (who started games there!) played wing and didnlt look out of place. And as long as Darge is in the 23, I'm happy about him being the extra back

[septic 9]

Are we confident enough in any lock combo, letalone wanting to switch both of them at once? We surely aren't planning to take off our captain for Skinner?

again watching Glasgow, rare indeed to switch both locks at once, not unheard but they usually staged it -or even didn't bring on the 2nd one. Therein lies a clue to Toonie's thinking IMHO. The Bok game is always incredibly physical. none of our back rows is really capable of playing lock at this level. Not the tallest and far from the heaviest good as they all are individually. 6 forwards with 2 locks on the bench gives a degree of security at lock while still allowing us to have a fast back row trio.

BTW I'm not saying its what I would do, or that I think Toonie will, but I suspect this is his thinking

[Big D]

Looks like we are going 6/2 split v SA and Ireland

Very possible I think, but I can't see a configuration that works.

a) Healy covering 10, when we won't really want to take Russell off and leaves us with no wider cover
b) Smith covering 10/wing by way of Kinghorn moving
c) Redpath covering centre and back three by way of Jones to 15 and Kinghorn to 10/wing.

Are we confident enough in any lock combo, letalone wanting to switch both of them at once? We surely aren't planning to take off our captain for Skinner?

Makes no sense to do 6/2 here if the plan is for a 5/3 split in those games unless there are injuries in camp to Healy/Redpath/Harris.

I have no issues with taking any captain off if performance merits it.

[Mikey Brown]

Looks like we are going 6/2 split v SA and Ireland

Very possible I think, but I can't see a configuration that works.

a) Healy covering 10, when we won't really want to take Russell off and leaves us with no wider cover
b) Smith covering 10/wing by way of Kinghorn moving
c) Redpath covering centre and back three by way of Jones to 15 and Kinghorn to 10/wing.

Are we confident enough in any lock combo, letalone wanting to switch both of them at once? We surely aren't planning to take off our captain for Skinner?

Makes no sense to do 6/2 here if the plan is for a 5/3 split in those games unless there are injuries in camp to Healy/Redpath/Harris.

I have no issues with taking any captain off if performance merits it.

I agree that it looks as though it’s the plan, I’m just unconvinced in the reasoning for doing it.

Of course captain Ritchie should be brought off if he isn’t playing well, but removing him as part of a pre-planned move to get another lock on the field (and limiting your options significantly in the backs) wouldn’t make a lot of sense to me. Maybe he wants the option to take teeny wee Darge off and shift Ritchie across.

So it’s that or feeling the need to replace both locks, which I don’t see given how crucial Gray/GG appear to be for our set piece.

The prospect of playing Smith/Steyn at centre or Horne/Dobie on the wing against SA/Ire doesn’t do the slightest thing to make me feel like it would be a good decision.

[Big D]

Very possible I think, but I can't see a configuration that works.

a) Healy covering 10, when we won't really want to take Russell off and leaves us with no wider cover
b) Smith covering 10/wing by way of Kinghorn moving
c) Redpath covering centre and back three by way of Jones to 15 and Kinghorn to 10/wing.

Are we confident enough in any lock combo, letalone wanting to switch both of them at once? We surely aren't planning to take off our captain for Skinner?

Makes no sense to do 6/2 here if the plan is for a 5/3 split in those games unless there are injuries in camp to Healy/Redpath/Harris.

I have no issues with taking any captain off if performance merits it.

I agree that it looks as though it’s the plan, I’m just unconvinced in the reasoning for doing it.

Of course captain Ritchie should be brought off if he isn’t playing well, but removing him as part of a pre-planned move to get another lock on the field (and limiting your options significantly in the backs) wouldn’t make a lot of sense to me. Maybe he wants the option to take teeny wee Darge off and shift Ritchie across.

So it’s that or feeling the need to replace both locks, which I don’t see given how crucial Gray/GG appear to be for our set piece.

The prospect of playing Smith/Steyn at centre or Horne/Dobie on the wing against SA/Ire doesn’t do the slightest thing to make me feel like it would be a good decision.

There is nothing preplanned about it though. Having Skinner as an option allows maximum flexibility in options up front. The SA and Ireland games are going to be hard on the big lads up front with the physical challenges in defence and getting about the park when we have the ball.

Harris and Redpath will also be in contention for the 23 shirt with Jones able to cover wing and full back if needed. So there are options for thr 23 jersey.

[Mikey Brown]

I feel like we've gone round in circles with this one re: options for 23 shirt.

I guess it's good to try out the 6:2 option, but it seems like more of a (potential) loss than a gain to me. It may be not be that it's pre-planned whether Skinner would go to lock or 6, but it's potentially wasting a bench spot if you want to keep Ritchie and one of the locks on the field. I just don't see enough upside.

Unless you've got a Macalou or Botia available (or insane depth at lock like SA in 2019) it just seems to beg for an injury crisis.

[Mikey Brown]

I think I'd rather Redpath/Harris at flanker now I think about it. Redpath had a good little audition there at the weekend.

[Cameo]

I like the team. It's be nice to wrap some more players in cotton wool but there are warmups for a reason. We want combos firing by game 1. This team seems like a good balance between resting some and giving others time.

On the 6-2 split, I don't normally like it, but I can see the merit against SA and Ireland. They are relentless and we need to not just keep up with them but keep pushing the pace. Shame Hastings isn't fit/firing, but happy enough with Kinghorn covering 10 and Smith or Redpath on the bench. The latter maybe offers more impact/ability to chanfe things but also might lead to more shuffling around. In a 6-2, I don't really see the point of Healy as we would never bring him on for Russell by choice.

[Donny osmond]

Great first 15

[Donny osmond]

6 Penas after 20 mins tho, not great

[Donny osmond]

And that's someone off for repeated team penalties. And we've lost the ref already, I can only imagine Ritchie's constant bullshit would make the refs job more difficult than he wants it to be

[Donny osmond]

Handling errors being added to daft penalties. But also a lot of decent effort, I think the subs are having a positive impact for us currently.

[Donny osmond]

Has Ritchie stopped his chat? Maybe someone had a word at half time.

[Donny osmond]

Great couple of tries for Scotland, taking advantage of broken play. Trouble is we've given them a huge lead already!

[Donny osmond]

Great couple of tries for Scotland, taking advantage of broken play. Trouble is we've given them a huge lead already!

Hahahahaaaaaa no trouble at all, lead wasn't big enough! 27 - 27. Who would've thought that at half time!!!!