Sean Maitland for Scotland?

Sean Maitland the Crusaders wing/full back is scottish qualified through his Dad. What do people think the chances are of getting him over and playing for Scotland. Would be an excellent addition to the team with his pace and try scoring. Despite being one of the most consistent wingers in NZ he can't seem to get anywhere near the all blacks squad so could possibly be keen to wear the blue of scotland and his Dad by all accounts is keen for him to play for Scotland!

Nope - don't like importing players. its different if they are over here for another reason or take the time to qualify on residency but just mercenaries - rarely turns out well

Don't seen any harm in it, I don't really like to have players who have qualified through residency but players who qualify through bloodline i have no real problem with. Someone of Maitland's stature would only be good for Scottish rugby as well and would help to bring in fans. Scotland has a small player base so the days of purely picking players who are born in Scotland can't be done if Scotland wants to be successful.

One of the most consistent wingers in NZ? He has only one season of super rugby. A good player and obviously talented, but i think anyone would look good in a backline of Carter, SBW, Fruean, Guildford, Dagg!

That said, would breeze into the Scottish side.

What's going on with Visser? Surely he is a better 'foreign' target for you

He has been playing super rugby for the Crusaders since 2008 and made his debut for canterbury in the npc in 2006 so has been playing consistently well for a good few years now. Alot of the canterbury fans rate him alot higher than Guildford too.
Visser qualifies for Scotland in early June I think and will probably be on the summer tour. Has started this season in great try scoring form again so will probably be a certainty on the left wing for Scotland.

You mean the Dutch , England U18 now Scottish Tim Visser? No he's not a mercenary at all.

Surely its a case of picking the best 15 you have available? In which case would include Visser and Maitland?

A potent back 3 of Visser , R Lamount and Maitland with Jackson at 10 and you'v got the makings of a decent back line there!



Don't think Maitland will play for Scotland though , Would be like Warburton choosing England.

Exactly in professional sport you have to pick the best players that are available to you and there is no room really for sentiment these day. A back 3 of R lamont, maitland and visser would be really good plus you have some other youngsters coming through like lee jones, Tom Brown, Stuart Hogg to put into the mix as well.

Scotland do have the foundations of a very good rugby nation. Kelly Brown for me is the best 6 in Europe without a second though , Richie Grey , Al Kellock , Euan Murrey (Falcons tinted glasses on there) and John Barcley are solid foundations just need a LH who can scrummage and Beattie to get fit and find some form again.

Duncan Weir looks a handy lad at 10 but may want to think about playing 10 for Edinburgh to get more game time when Jackson comes back into fitness.

1.New LH
2.Ford
3.Murrey
4.Grey
5.Kellock
6.Brown
7.Barcley
8.Beattie

9.Cuisitour/Blair
10.Jackson
11.Visser
12.New 12
13.Sean Lamount
14.Maitland
15.Rory Lamout

Scotland do have the foundations of a really good team and possibly the best team Scotland will have had for many years. A lot of really good young players in the forwards and backs coming through. The guys coming through in the backs are really exciting and in positions that Scotland have been lacking for many a year. Stand off we have Duncan Weir, Ruraidh Jackson, Harry Leonard all playing well. Also a couple of years off yet are Robbie Fergusson at Ayr. Some great centres with Matt Scott already looking like he is up to speed, Mark Bennett at Clermont is a cracking player and has already made a few appearances for Clermont firsts until he injured his knee.

Potential Scotland team for the future i would pick would be

1. Jacobson (in the form of his life at the moment.
2. Ford
3. Murray
4. Gray
5. Hamilton ( better balance with Gray, Great in the scrum and does alot of good work in the tight that goes un-noticed
6. Brown
7. Ross Rennie ( playing far better than Barclay and was always considered the better player through out the age grade levels. Been unlucky with injury but in good form now.
8. Dave Denton Still young but playing well for Edinburgh at either 8 or 6 good ball carrier and a massive tackler.
9. Greig Laidlaw Excellent form, creative and good organiser and lethal with the boot.
10. Duncan Weir Good with the boot, good passer and strong with the ball in hand, also strong in defence.
11 Tim Visser
12 Matt Scott Been the find of the season so far for Edinburgh, can play 12 or 10, Good distribution, creative, fast and strong in defence and scores tries too.
13 Joe Ansbro/Mark Bennett
14 Max Evans/Sean Maitland
15 Rory Lamont

See for me if you drop Rudih Jackson - Scotland are half the team that they 'COULD' be. I agree on Matt Scott from what i'v seen he looks a talent and a half.

Sean Lamount every day of the week in that backline , breaks the gain line , he's rock solid in defense , great offload for when the support is there.

Jim Hamilton is in there at the risk of dropping the skipper , who for me is the only man who could captain Scotland - Al Kellock is such a great influence.

Max Evans i'm a bit up in the air about as with Visser and Maitland in the team do they really need him for his finishing?

I think Jackson is good but I think Weir could be better than him, already he has the better all round game and has only just turned 20. I agree Sean Lamont at the moment should be at 12 for Scotland but after the 6 nations i think his time with Scotland could be limited due to the emergence of the younger guys. Sean Lamont could make a great impact sub for a few years to come though.
I think the days of Al Kellock as captain could well be over, on form is only 3rd or 4th choice Scotland lock. On a few other pages Kelly Brown and Ross Ford are being talked of as captains which either would be good and also potentially Greig Laidlaw since he has done a great job at Edinburgh.

Well could Jackson play 12? and give Scott more time to develop?

Think he has played the odd game at 12 but not too much I think. Could be a possibility as he has the skill set to play but I reckon Scott is pretty much ready to play international rugby and having heard from a few others in and around the Edinburgh set up they reckon he is ready despite only playing around 10 games so far.

If Maitland was only qualified through a grandparent then I'd say it couldn't be a clearer poach. Though he might have a Scottish parent he seems to be far more committed to NZ rugby than seeking a claim to a side many would say he could start for in the blink of an eye. And something still rings rotten about going for a player whose existence you're only aware of because another country has developed him.

He is only 23, if he hasn't broken into the All Blacks in another 2/3 years he might want to try it abroad. Then he could play for Scotland.

I would welcome Sean Maitland with open arms if he chose to don the navy blue of Scotland, he's a cracking player. His playing for Scotland would be no different to my own son deciding to play for Scotland - both have non-Scottish mothers, were born outside of Scotland, but have Scottish fathers. My wee lad is a 4-yr old kilt-wearing nutter (has just learned to dummy pass [nice work, Hoog], finished off with an "Olé!", guaranteed to wind up the oppo), but we may have to work on Maitland's passion. Back three resources of R Lamont, S Lamont, M Evans, T Visser, and J Thompson look good, with L Jones, S Hogg and T Brown coming along nicely - Maitland would fit in very well

Similarly I have no issue with it. If he wanted to come to Scotland and play, and he was good enough, then no problem for me.

Although I would love it if Maitland chose to play for Scotland, I can only see it happening if he moves to France or England. The kid has scored 19 tries in 35 games for the Crusaders and I think it’s only time before the ABs policy of capping everyone includes him. Does anyone know his dad? Maybe we could twist get him talking about how proud he’d be if his son played for Scotland!

Some coverage of Sean Maitland

Well maybe this is the solution to all of Scotland's problems.

If Sean maitland qualifies for Scotland, then maybe his cousin Quade Cooper does as well, But Sean Maitland is also related to Joe Stanley, so maybe all the Stanleys playing in Auckland and Japan also qualify,Jeez we may have just found the best attacking International backline,and its Scotland's??

You've got to be good if your going to wear yellow boots ......

aucklandlaurie wrote: Well maybe this is the solution to all of Scotland's problems.

If Sean maitland qualifies for Scotland, then maybe his cousin Quade Cooper does as well, But Sean Maitland is also related to Joe Stanley, so maybe all the Stanleys playing in Auckland and Japan also qualify,Jeez we may have just found the best attacking International backline,and its Scotland's??

STOP. THE. PRESS.

aucklandlaurie wrote: Well maybe this is the solution to all of Scotland's problems.

If Sean maitland qualifies for Scotland, then maybe his cousin Quade Cooper does as well, But Sean Maitland is also related to Joe Stanley, so maybe all the Stanleys playing in Auckland and Japan also qualify,Jeez we may have just found the best attacking International backline,and its Scotland's??

Mind blown!

aucklandlaurie wrote: Well maybe this is the solution to all of Scotland's problems.

If Sean maitland qualifies for Scotland, then maybe his cousin Quade Cooper does as well, But Sean Maitland is also related to Joe Stanley, so maybe all the Stanleys playing in Auckland and Japan also qualify,Jeez we may have just found the best attacking International backline,and its Scotland's??

Laurie, I think you could be on to something - generous fees for you if you'll act as our agent

Aslongasbut100ofus
I'm not greedy, I'm happywith my standard 10% finders/introduction fee, then a further 10% on complaetion of contract,but I will also build in a further 10% bonus fee in 2015 WHEN Scotland win the next world cup.

It's a deal, fella, can't ask for fairer than that

Laurie, my sister's single, and I'm officially offering her.

That might sound creepy, but she's a patriot and will take one for the team.

Ianbru
What's her teeth like?

I'm a horse trader as well...

Haha you scots really are making me laugh! Naming future teams with a kiwi and dutchman in it who haven't even played yet. Then there is Rudairh Jackson who is dire. He's just young and so you think he might, just might be good. He wont. Dan Parks is your best player. Cherish him. When Dan Parks goes it should be Duncan Weir. He'll do a job.

Actually... this is ridiculous. Just saw someone say do we need Max Evans with Visser and Maitland! Max Evans is better than the pair of them and he actually WANTS to and HAS played for you, despite being English! Scottish rugby - what a farce!

Wow that guy looks a cracking player! The kind of guy that could draw large crowds to Murrayfield.

And personally I'm not that bothered at using imports - as long as the vast majority of the team are "Scottish" I'm quite happy for someone like that to play for us!

As has been pointed out though - he ain't gonna come to Glasgow or Edinburgh so would have to be a French team or something.

but having grown up in NZ will he really want to leave there to play for Scotland?

Sounds like a great player! Does anyone know if AR or someone from the SRU spoke with him during the world cup?

Harry2899 wrote:Dan Parks is your best player. Cherish him.

A truly excellent display of rugby knowledge. I simply can't argue with you.

Harry2899 wrote:Actually... this is ridiculous. Just saw someone say do we need Max Evans with Visser and Maitland! Max Evans is better than the pair of them and he actually WANTS to and HAS played for you, despite being English! Scottish rugby - what a farce!

Who brought this idiot to the party ?

Hes a very overated player in my opinion. A speed merchant with little else, a bit like Rod Davies for the Reds and OZ. That said Visser and Maitland could complement quite well but nothings going to change for Scotland until they can get a decent 10 and 12

!0s might just be appearing for Scotland

Weir, Laidlaw ( also plays 9) Harry leonard ( also plays 12)

all very young, all appear to have the potential to be international players and maybe (especially in the case of laidlaw) be world class. early days yet but IMO Weir has put his hand up for the10 shirt in this years 6Nations. Very calm for a youngster

Sounds like the old scouting network is being relaunched, with a view not only to finding Scot-qualified exiles but also to following the Irish model and identifying NSQ players that you'd like to cap after they fulfill residency requirements: Project players

Rumour has it that Matt Scott is believed by many in Murrayfield to be ready to step up to international rugby.

aucklandlaurie wrote: Well maybe this is the solution to all of Scotland's problems.

If Sean maitland qualifies for Scotland, then maybe his cousin Quade Cooper does as well, But Sean Maitland is also related to Joe Stanley, so maybe all the Stanleys playing in Auckland and Japan also qualify,Jeez we may have just found the best attacking International backline,and its Scotland's??

Sorry aucklandlaurie Saracens and England already have called dibbs on members of the Stanley clan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_Stanley

There are Stanleys every where either of the rugby codes are played, I was at an Auckland secondary schools 1st xv game a few months back and there on the wing for Auckland Grammar was another one. I cant recall his first name but for a 16 year old he wasnt bad.
This family are quite amazing.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:I would welcome Sean Maitland with open arms if he chose to don the navy blue of Scotland, he's a cracking player. His playing for Scotland would be no different to my own son deciding to play for Scotland - both have non-Scottish mothers, were born outside of Scotland, but have Scottish fathers. My wee lad is a 4-yr old kilt-wearing nutter (has just learned to dummy pass [nice work, Hoog], finished off with an "Olé!", guaranteed to wind up the oppo), but we may have to work on Maitland's passion. Back three resources of R Lamont, S Lamont, M Evans, T Visser, and J Thompson look good, with L Jones, S Hogg and T Brown coming along nicely - Maitland would fit in very well

SchlongAs - I have picked the correct moniker for you.

If you're 99 years of age as your profile suggests, and you have a four year old child than must mean...