Andy Robinson does it again: Selects another atrocious set of backs and a bench to put us at the mercy of the rugby gods.

He says he needs a running threat at 9 so picks Blair ahead of Cusiter and Lawson is dropped altogether. Is this the same Blair that was dropped to the bench for the match against the same opponents in the 6 nations? The same Blair who was so slow at getting the ball from rucks that in 4 successive phases of play against Ireland that forwards were forced to dig the ball out because Blair hadn’t reached the break down yet? The same Blair who’s passing was so slow that Felipe Contemponi almost intercepted it when Parks was attempting his drop goal last week?

The idea of playing any wide game has died with Blair’s inclusion and that of Sean Lamont at 12. Which is fine, as we can’t really play a wide game, but we do need to have some form of attack, don’t we? Lamont will burst some tackles and get go forward but then what? His passing is so poor he only trusts himself in the off load. Something the English back row will surely exploit to their advantage.

If we aren’t moving the ball wide then surely the full back must be strong enough to break the English defence? Eh, no. We have good old Paterson again. A magnificent servant for Scotland but shorn of his old acceleration and lacking in bulk will find it difficult to break through. Difficult to see how this starting back line will make any breaks and Robinson hasn’t picked Jackson for his kicking game.

But it’s not till I read the bench that I saw the full horror of Robinson’s selection. Lawson is a fine hooker, dynamic and an excellent thrower but not the biggest. Against a strong English front row he needs the support of a sound replacement prop. Instead he gets Al Dickinson. He is an experienced player with around 25 caps.

Unfortunately his experience is of being bested by his opponent almost every time he goes into a scrum in a blue shirt.

Surely his performance against Argentina first at 1, then comically at 3, is enough to demonstrate that whilst he may give a good impression of a wee blind side, he is not international quality in the front row? Apparently not. Also, not a great idea of Robinson’s to waste a place on the plane by taking Moray Low and never using the big fella. The guy anchored our scrum in a two match winning test series in Argentina but he isn’t apparently good enough to get the nod ahead of Dickinson. Oh I forgot, Dickinson keeps telling Robinson that he can play both sides of the scrum, and he believes him!

If Murray or Jacobsen departs the field within 50 minutes we cannot hope to hold onto any slender lead we may built by that time.

The back replacements start off fine with Cusiter and Parks and then move to the nightmare selection of de Luca. Because De Luca came off the bench in a warm up game and gave a scoring pass ( with Morrison running a lovely block on his would be tackler) Robinson hopes that he can do the same again against England (even though Lamont doesnt really know what he is doing at 12) . Might happen, but what else might happen? Imagine Paterson goes off injured. Danielli would be forced to full back (a few matches for Ulster at 15), Lamont back to the wing and De Luca to 12. Or Lamont gets injured and De Luca takes his place. Anyone remember the first two games of the 6 nations with de Luca at 12? Two minutes into France game he was stripped off the ball and France scored. Against Wales he went missing defensively on numerous occasions. De Luca is not and never will be an international class 12.

If we get an injury at 1,3, 8, 12 or 15 in the first half of the game this selection leaves us horribly exposed. If we dont get any crucial injuries and we play well we will lose by 10 to 15. If we make mistakes and sustain injuries we could be staring down the barrell of a 30 to 40 point loss. The only positive that would come from such a prison shaming is that surely Townsend at least must get the boot, and Robinson will at least get a wake up call for his inability to selector his backs.

I was considering not watching the game live, I might now not bother watching the recording if we get a doing.

That's the spirit. Chin up.

What is a prison shaming? Sounds interesting

PerryGee

Everyone else is ignoring this pathetic thread mate.............. I suggest you do the same, maybe he'll just go back to sleep then.

As an Englishman, I am pretty nervous about the match this weekend and I am hoping for a victory for us. But as I said to Andy Robinson and a few of the Scottish team when I saw them in Brisbane a few weeks ago. Good luck to you.