Scotland Rugby and 2012

Mainly thought I would write this to try and get a different post up, as getting a little fed up with 1 million posts on the same thing / teams / ref


So, who do you think will start the first match against a troubled, but dangerous English side. (Assuming all fit). Need to bring in some more youth, but balance that with experience where it counts


Allan Jacobsen
Ross Ford
Euan Murray

Alastair Kellock
Richie Gray

Kelly Brown
Ross Rennie
Richie Vernon

Ruaridh Jackson

???
Sean Lamont
Joe Ansbro
Max Evans

Rory Lamont


So who to step up, either on the bench or straight into the squad

Players I do not want to see near the squad

Parks
Morrision
Patterson

I'd like to see Beattie fight to reclaim his place at 8 and Laidlaw given a chance at 9

A tough one to call this, there is a couple of threads already crept up regarding England's selection for the 1st match of the 6N and another saying we are in trouble. To be honest we had a tough group in the world cup and lost 2 games against the Argies and England that we could have won. We played well in both games and wee mistakes tripped us up.

The 6N this year will be interesting for our point of view. Mainly because I would like to see AR be a little less conservative and try to bring back the slick offloading game that he put into practice during his time at Edinburgh that saw Edinburgh finish 2nd in the ML.

We do have some talented young centres and wingers now who in the absence of some of Glasgow and Edinburgh's 1st name stars have really thrown down a marker and will make it very tough for the players who were in NZ on world cup duty to oust them in the respective 1st XVs.

In particular Jackson will have his hands full trying to oust Weir, so much so that I hope Lineen will try and put Jackson on the pitch at 12 and see if it is a Viable combination. If it works for the Navy blue of Glasgow lets try it in the navy blue of Scotland.

Likewise Harley has been outstanding for Glasgow as has Denton and Scott for Edinburgh.

If the trend of how these players continues in the same fassion and they are in the running to make the 6N training Squad I would like to see a Scotland team like this :

1. Jacobsen
2. Ford
3. Murray
4. Gray
5. Kellock
6. Harley / Brown
7. Rennie /Barclay
8. Brown / Beattie

9. Laidlaw
10. Weir
11. Ansbro / Jones
12. Jackson
13. Ansbro / NDL / Scott
14. Evans
15. R. Lamont / Thompson / Hogg

Tough on Sean Lamont I know, because noone plays with more pride and passion. Although we kid ourselves if we think he is a viable option at 12 and TBH we have better wingers than him.

On a related note, what ever happened to Alex Grove?

I think Grove is back with Worcester Warriors, now that they themselves are back in the Aviva.

I'm sure AR will be watching him

I think we'll see very few changes to be honest. There are a few young players doing good things though at the moment. Matt Scott looks promising at 13, Lee Jones has been good on the wing and Rob Harley looks every inch a future international player. Jack Cuthbert also was singled out as MOTM for his performance from 15 at the weekend.

Taking into account those form players, I'd think the side would be something like this:

1.Jacobsen
2.Ford
3.Murray
4.Hamilton
5.Gray
6.Harley
7.Barclay
8.Brown (c)
9.Laidlaw
10.Jackson
11.Jones
12.S Lamont
13.Ansbro
14.Evans
15.Cuthbert

16.Lawson 17.Cross 18.Kellock 19.Rennie 20.Cusiter 21.Weir 22.R Lamont


I don't want the baby out with the bath water, but have attempted to freshen things up where possible. Obviously form could entirely change this selection come next spring.

As much as I would love seeing the younger players getting a chance, I really don't think AR will make that many changes come the first game next year. Depending on injuries and retirement, he'll likely stick with the core WC team. He'll also have Southwell and Beattie coming back. I think he will include some younger players in the squad but I doubt they'll get much game time.

No, the pack is close to what I would hope for just now.

The backs, we need to do some tweaking, and while it might not be ideal to experiment too much, I think the 6 nations is a good place to test out a few things

Agree Risky - the only things I want in the pack is Beattie back to form (Vernon is clearly not trusted by AR as a big game player and unfortunately, correctly) and Euan Murray getting some proper game time.

Hines is a wonderful impact lock but we need to stop depending on him so much and phase the Big Wagga out. The same with Paterson - a wonderful servant but he is blocking the shirt now and we need to try something new.

There are two critical, critical things - both of them already mentioned:

1. Getting Laidlaw in at 9

This frees the 15 shirt from Lord Mossy for Cuthbert or Ramont and offers an alternative attacking angle in broken field play, which we need desparately. I wouldn't have said that he had a prayer before but I am fed up with Blair dialling in every other performance, Cuss is sadly a shadow of the terrier he was and I am just not a Lawson fan.

2. Jackson or Weir in at 12

I don't care which one now. Most people seem to prefer Jackson at 12, that's fine. I would rather french kiss a skunk than see Morrison in the thistle ever again. Every selection of Morrison is a terrible lack of ambition, nothing more. But I shall change this record now, it's starting to squeak.

An international centre has to be able to do more than to 'do a job' or 'be solid defensively'. Enough is enough.

I really hope that Toonie has the good grace to go quietly.

I was frustrated with Scotland in the WC. They have such great players but are unable to score tries or close out games.

I was impressed with what Robinson did at Edinburgh but I think he has been exposed at international level, as he was with England.

Get yourselves a decent(international standard) coach and things could be quite different.

I dont want to see Matt Scott as a 13, He was signed as a ten who had the potential to be a great 12, and is only playing 13 because Cairnsy's injured. Dont make him another mossy.

I would rather see Weir at 12 and Jackson at 10, as Weirs kicking from hand is gash. Every time I watch him play he slices an up and under, but I do rate his other aspects of play. Hes also a bit more robust than Jackson, and we saw in that try last year against the scarlets that hes a strong runner aswell.

With NDL back at Edinburgh, that should give AR the chance to move Scott to 12.

Love the tag of "robust" for Weir. Rowan Shepherd and Brandan Laney, also "robust".

Weir is pretty much the chainsaw 2.0 in physical appearance... As for rugby skills, ive blocked that era from my mind, so i couldnt possibly comment...

I'm gonna hold fire on team selections until we get into January at least, but there are a number of players that I'll be watching with interest in the leagues and HC:
* Jim Thompson - has been talked about for a couple of seasons now as the next great thing at fullback, cut from the Andy Irvine mould rather than the Gav Hastings one, I'd really like to see him progress;
* Tom Brown/Stuart Hogg - probably too early for either of these guys realistically for int'l honours (unless they put in sensational first halves of this season), but this is the time for them to show that they weren't just very good age-group players, but can cut it with the big boys;
* Matt Scott - want to see him given a chance at 12 (then at least we'll know whether we've got the answer or not), other comments as per TB/SH;
* Lee Jones - bags of pace, good feet, decent hands and can tackle, looking forward to seeing him popping up all over the backline when the chance is there and scoring as many tries as Visser;
* Ruaridh Jackson/Duncan Weir - our hopes of getting a backline moving rest with one of these two (or Laidlaw as an outside possibility), I'd like to see Jackson work on his game management in particular, but we need to keep developing them both;
* Alex Grove - either you can offer Scotland an option at centre or not, back playing in the AP with Wuss, time to take his talent to the next level;
* Greig Laidlaw - time to play out of his skin, and give Bradley no choice but to let him have the 9 jersey from Blair; or else if we're serious about him at 10, let's give him a good solid run there in the Heino and be done with it one way or the other, it'll either be a stroke of genius or a wet trout;
* Jon Welsh/Moray Low - we know that they have the talent, cos we've seen glimpses of it, but these two need to up there scrummaging abilities to international level;
* Dave Denton/Rob Harley - plenty of promise, just want to see them both put another solid season behind them, expect them to rise to a level where they are both capable of turning at least Rabo games almost single-handedly;
* Ross Rennie - more pressure on John Barclay pls, can't be far off taking the shirt, and based on horses for courses selection, I'd expect to see him attain further caps;
* John Beattie - a return to the rampaging form of the 2010 6Ns, supreme ball-carrier, pushing the likes of Parisse & Harinordaquay for title of best 8 in the NH, up there with Heaslip and Faletau too;
* Richie Gray - stay injury free, and just keep improving as he has done over the last couple of seasons, the lad will become a titan;
* Andy Kelly/Fergus Thomson - Fordy needs back-up, both a pro-district team level and at international level, one of these two needs to take up the mantle.

I'm sure that there's loads more, but those are the ones in particular I want to see.

If only I could watch a few of the Glasgow and Edinburgh games. Would be great to see some of the new talent coming through

BBC Alba or S4C for Rabo games, Sky for Heino?

Spoiler:

You also get highlights on some of the Rabo side websites.

Looking forward to the HC this year, a great test for the younger players, and if I recall, if was against Bath in the HC that Jackson stepped out from the shadows. Hopefully someone like Matt Scott, Stuart Hogg or Lee Jones can do the same this year.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:BBC Alba or S4C for Rabo games, Sky for Heino?

Spoiler:

Unfortuanltely do not get BBC Alba or S4C on Virgin Media.

yes, watch the Heino ones, but they do not last long :-(

Richie Gray is really turning into a great player so he is a definate starter.

I am not sure whether Dan Parks will ever start for Scotland again now and too be honest, i never really rated him that highly.

Scotland do have some emerging young talent (not as many as the rest of the home nations) so its not all doom and gloom.

Question to Scottish fans, are you still happy with AR leading you?

eirebilly wrote:Richie Gray is really turning into a great player so he is a definate starter.

I am not sure whether Dan Parks will ever start for Scotland again now and too be honest, i never really rated him that highly.

Scotland do have some emerging young talent (not as many as the rest of the home nations) so its not all doom and gloom.

Question to Scottish fans, are you still happy with AR leading you?

Bill - I think you'll find the answer to that question is generally yes and the individual that has to sling his hook is Gregor Townsend, the "attack" coach. Yes, that's right. The one who had the brass stones to sit in a World Cup press conference and say that it didn't matter if Scotland didn't score tries.

George Carlin wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Richie Gray is really turning into a great player so he is a definate starter.

I am not sure whether Dan Parks will ever start for Scotland again now and too be honest, i never really rated him that highly.

Scotland do have some emerging young talent (not as many as the rest of the home nations) so its not all doom and gloom.

Question to Scottish fans, are you still happy with AR leading you?

Bill - I think you'll find the answer to that question is generally yes and the individual that has to sling his hook is Gregor Townsend, the "attack" coach. Yes, that's right. The one who had the brass stones to sit in a World Cup press conference and say that it didn't matter if Scotland didn't score tries.

+1

Riskysports wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:BBC Alba or S4C for Rabo games, Sky for Heino?

Spoiler:

Unfortuanltely do not get BBC Alba or S4C on Virgin Media.

yes, watch the Heino ones, but they do not last long :-(

The games are often live online for BBC Alba and S4C and sometimes they keep them up for a while so you can view them at your leisure

Will keep an eye out for them. :-)

George Carlin wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Richie Gray is really turning into a great player so he is a definate starter.

I am not sure whether Dan Parks will ever start for Scotland again now and too be honest, i never really rated him that highly.

Scotland do have some emerging young talent (not as many as the rest of the home nations) so its not all doom and gloom.

Question to Scottish fans, are you still happy with AR leading you?

Bill - I think you'll find the answer to that question is generally yes and the individual that has to sling his hook is Gregor Townsend, the "attack" coach. Yes, that's right. The one who had the brass stones to sit in a World Cup press conference and say that it didn't matter if Scotland didn't score tries.

I quite like AR and i thought that Scotland was showing some good progress under him. I used to be a fan of Gregor Townsend but he has shown a lack of amition as an attacking coach.

Townsend is another in a category of great player not so great coach. There are plenty of them.