Very, Very bad luck Scotland.

I will be very honest i was getting quite worried at half time, as i relay thought that England was not doing enough in the scrum and the break down.

England may gave won the game today, burt Scotland deserve all the praise for the way the played today.

Well done England, class showed in the end but what an effort by Scotland. Its sad to see them going home but they havent deserved to go on.

Unfortunately you are correct eirebilly, Scotland just can't buy a try.

Congratulations England fans. Top of a very competitive group.

Bad luck Scots. Can I propose you come teach us forward play, and we'll help you with the backs? Between us we could go somewhere.

Don't know what it is with Scotland. Sometimes they look very good, they play the percentage game very well, they are hugely competitive in the forwards. They even throw some nice passages of play together, but they'd be more dangerous to the try line if they tried to clean it up with a flannel.

I hope that the two losses in the last five minutes in games they could have won, together with the lack of tries, leads to a decent restructuring. Someone needs to take an objective look at the Scotland setup from the ground up.

Scotland showed everything we should have expected. Brave, fired up but sadly very limited.

They really roughed up the English team in the first half and 9-3 was a fair reflection. England were much better in the second half.

It was a typical Eng v Scots game. Close, ugly and slow.

I just asked on the other thread; Where was this Scotland before? Not just at the RWC, but all year? The past few years? This was a terrific Scotland effort. Had the right player slection for playing England. Came within a whisker and, to me, were the better team. Shame.

The famous passion was certainly on display today. Just couldn't close it out against the master scrappers.

Actually I thought they gave it a red hot go against Argentina too...similar problem really - a pity as they definitely deserved to win that one. Can't blame the ref today.

I guess their real problem was the group they drew ... would have fancied them to get second in the NZ/France group (in hindsight )

Alfie, to me it was more than the great passion. There was a lot more precision to thier attack and defense. Against Argentina the backs seemed almost stationary before the ball came out. Today was different. Now, if they could cross that damn line.............

Don't think luck had anything to do with it. Scotland ceated all the pressure but were't good enough to score the points. If anything England were lucky that Scotland couldn't convert the pressure. The best team in the end won - because England took their chance.

That was a very good first half for Scotland. England were rattled and making mistakes all over the place. I can't really remember England keeping the ball for more than 5 seconds at any point. Second half was much better by England and their resolve showed through. Scotland were giving a string of pens away in the latter stages and were just hanging on. England had to score.

A win for England but run very close. Its a shame that Scotland side couldn't go on to worry one or two other teams in the tournament.

I seriously doubt that had Scotland progressed, that they would have gone on to worry any of the remaining teams to be honest.

England looked much better when the replacements came on and had they started with that 15, would have won fairly comfortably I think.

Big difference when Corbisero came on. Wilko had a shocker really.

Hats off to Hastings for not being able to remember when it last was that Wilkinson missed 3 penalties on the trot....

And good tho the 1st 15 played for Scotland I dont think much of the replacements at all. De Luca doesnt exactly fill you with confidence does he?

Scotland had the 9 point margin they needed to go through.

They fell apart from the very next restart. A simple, short looped drop kick, and they stood around and let it fall softly into the hands of an England player.

Exactly the same as they did against Argentina last week.

They also panicked at 12-9, given a succession of penalties, they kept tapping and going, getting isolated and turned over.

They needed to trust their game plan, kick for the corners and build the pressure. England were conceding penalty after penalty under pressure as they have all tournament, they could easily have at least won the match and gone out with dignity and pride, maybe snuck the 8 points.

They just lost the plot. It's nothing new, same thing as long back as I can remember.

Absolutely spot on GreyGhost. Again, the match turned on a very basic restart. Had we collected that ball and trusted Parks to once again make a mockery of Ashton and Foden's defensive positioning, we would not have so easily let England back into the game. Identical to the Argentina game, where we again got a good margin ahead, and then switched off for the key moment.

Restarts are absolutely critical phases of play, and I think the only excuse Scotland can have is that we don't really have to face too many these days....

exiledscot- a good margin isnt 6 with 11 mins to play or 2(theoritically) with 30 mins to play against england.

build pressure with tries or at least attempting them.

you gave a good game againsty england and i expected no less from you lot- but the problem is way bigger than 'restarts'.

the drop goal against argentina cost you that game- only 6 pt lead with a garanteed penalty if things went wrong and a golden try op- i think you guys went 9-3 up on england with a drop goal as well from a very good position.

I think deLuca was a mole playing for England he was so useless.

Oakey I'm not saying it was because of the restart, I'm saying that from the very moment they were in the winning position they lost focus. The failure at the restart was symptomatic of their loss of concentration.

Exactly the same issue with Argentina. You have to double your focus after a score, you're already conceding field position and need to "convert" a score, by winning the restart and regaining your territorial advantage.

GG i understand- but even if they win the oidd game by concentrating better- its only gonna hide scotlands real problems. And thats the fact they are kicking to much and not playing or trying to play rugby. They have no chance in the future if they are so insitant of not playing rugby- they got 4 tries in that group- even for scotland that is shocking. lets not mask the problems scotland have

Strokey, I can only suggest that you are a victim of hackneyed cliches, but as these stats show (http://www.espnscrum.com/2011-rugby-world-cup/rugby/match/93493.html), Scotland kicked about the same number of times as Enlgland, ran more often and passed more frequently. Our problem is our conversion ratio in the oppo 22, and after that it's about closing out tight matches where we are ahead (ie concentration)

look pal i SAY what i SEE and stats BACK ME UP- have no idea what your hackneyd cliches comment is all about. As soon as you kicked the drop goal against argentina and didnt go for the try i knew you would loose- it was such an easy try score- just look at it again. you did the same thing to us(england) and i knew you would loose. go for the kill when you have the chance- dont go for kicks here and there. Your try stats are also a joke- you cant compare 17 to 4 between england and scotland- its chalk and cheese. england did however kick way to much ion your game as well- but we really are not talking about england here - we are talking about scotland- and the fact is england score bags and bags of tries

Hmm, curious, what you "SEE"/"SAY" seems to be at odds with the stats "BACK ME UP" for our game, just as I said. Scotland do not in fact kick too much - in fact, they tend to kick well. Our issue (yes, we are talking about Scotland) is failure to convert the rest of our possession (from passing or running) into tries. You don't seem to know very much about the game for someone that posts on a rugby board? Have you got the wrong site?

You are a very coinfussed boy arnt you. No real point trying to discuss anything here. Your problem is so obvious, then you get abusive when an opinion is made (classic case of knowing your wrong in fairness).


How are you going to convert your possesion into tries if you go for drop goals all the time!!!!!!

your point is only backing my point up!!!


If you cant accept that tries create not just more points but also massive pressure on the other team , and that every time scotland in recent games have had a try scoring op they have gone for a goal kick , then you are the person who should be posting on another board. and stop acting like a spoilt brat

Abusive? How strange - I was merely questioning your knowledge of the game, which in fairness seems to be minimal. Perhaps you could rewstch the game again? We failed to convert any of 3 try-scoring opportunities whereas England converted their one - simple

you seem very vexed . england score tries, scotland dont.

scotland lost the games v england and argentina because at important times in the game they picked the wrong option and that was kicking rather than going for the kill with a try- the argentina one was mental because you had a penalty anyway!!- thats my point- now jog on and enjoy being a world cup neautral

mystiroakey wrote:you seem very vexed . england score tries, scotland dont.

scotland lost the games v england and argentina because at important times in the game they picked the wrong option and that was kicking rather than going for the kill with a try- the argentina one was mental because you had a penalty anyway!!- thats my point- now jog on and enjoy being a world cup neautral

Brilliant, you've got it, took you a while, but you're there

As is right. Scotland are able to retain the ball well, recycle well and have a solid Scrum and line out. Considerably stronger in all of those aspects than England were. We just could not convert this into try scoring. Its a shame but it's something that could be worked on.

TBH stroaker it whatever your name is I can't ever recall your posting here and reading some of your comments its something I'm grateful for

you make bad decisions at bad times, i point it out and i get this- get some humility . You lost fair and square and you still want to make out you played better- you scots are something else arnt you. maybe your starting point is becoming gracious in defeat, learn to loose well. At best you want get as het up

I never once said we played better. Learn to read. I said we had a better Scrum lineout and recycled the ball better. England packed the killer blow by cutting through our defence and scoring the only try from their only real chance. Scoand created more chances but could not cross the line.

Some humility from the likes of you mate would not go amiss. Scotland are not as far behind England most people think.

More like bad decisions at potentially good times.

It's almost more frustrating to be creating try scoring opportunities and not taking them, than not to be creating opportunities at all (which is where we were under Hadden).

Our next competitive international is England at Murrayfield, so hopefully we can dish out some revenge.

you played well i admit it- as you do so often against england, England have much more belief that we are going to win mind and we believe we have rugby in the locker in tight games.,scotland lack self confidence and make bad decisions at key times(as seen against england and argentina) .- i just dont like your personal attacks

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:As is right. Scotland are able to retain the ball well, recycle well and have a solid Scrum and line out. Considerably stronger in all of those aspects than England were. We just could not convert this into try scoring. Its a shame but it's something that could be worked on.

TBH stroaker it whatever your name is I can't ever recall your posting here and reading some of your comments its something I'm grateful for

Here here. This guy locks horns with whoever he can steer clear.

Oakey just stick to rugby and keep off the personal stuff and you will find everyone else will. I think you are being deliberately combative and hypocritical when it comes to suggesting others are being personal. You seem to chuck it out there but cannot take it. Can we just stick to rugby?

your back are you. I thought you got banned in fainress after locking the thread with childish abuse- dont ruin another one gats.

like your edit gatts- you came on this thread with one intention. you did the same thing in another thread earlier. YOU DIDNT DISCUSS RUGBY - JUST ME. I never ever get personal unless i am attacked first- i just debate peoples points- sometimes they dont like it- like you- then you get personal!

Ah look you're referring it to the mods

lol why do you think i would ever do that. I even tried to calm the situation down with you

No, you make your own luck. Scotland can't score tries for toffee and twice now they have gone ahead only to switch off at the resulting kick off and allow their opponents easy possession in their half late in the match which is punished. Poor game management.

Yep they cetainly wernt unlucky.

To say they were unlucky or England wee lucky in such a hard fought match between two evenly matched teams playing at their best is actually quite insulting.

evenly matched teams lol- certainly evenly matched teams on the day yep. Scotland love to rise to the occasion, but then fall short.

I hope you don't write France off so lightly.

i havent at all. Gonna be very tough- I also didnt write off scotland either- new it would be close- as i said england are at the moment a class above when comparing opposition- but it can be very tight between us.

If ITV care at all for your chances they will target the build up to the first match, give your boys space to breathe.

240 Minutes without a try!
Poor tournie!