Scotland xv vs France

First topic message reminder :

15. Hogg- played well on his first cap and look very promising, he has to start
14. Jones- Looked good and made some promising breaks
13. De Luca- Bit of a muppet, give him a last international chance outside a decent ball-playing inside centre
12. Scott- Playing well at club, works well with De Luca, will bring something extra
11. Evans- Exciting and unpredictable player, could easily become a lion
10. Laidlaw- scored a try and Scotland's backs did something for a change
9. Blair- fast and snappy player brings fresh impetus. At his best he is world class as is
8. Beattie- Big gamble but if it pays off it could be fantastic
7. Rennie- very good, certain lion, world class as is Barclay on his best form
6. Denton- can lead a generation of wacky haired Scottish forwards with Gray, might be harsh to move him from 8
5. Hamilton- adds considerable bulk
4. Gray- irreplaceable, Scotland's only guaranteed Lions starter with ford
3. Cross- good in the loose, not convinced with his scrumming
2- Ford- world class player, best European hooker
1. Shiells/ Jacobsen- Shiells has proved himself to be solid in the aviva, Jacobsen is a true legend

16. Lawson- there in case ford get's injured
17. Kalman- will do a job
18. Kellock- true leader, solid lineout
19. Barclay- off form but a fantastic player, if we can get him back to his best then we'll have an almighty fight for the 7 shirt
20- Cusiter- tenacious but his passing can be slow and inaccurate
21. Weir- Solid kicker, nailed on starter in two years
22. S/R Lamonts- neither have been fantastic but will add bulk

funnyExiledScot wrote:Lievremont was the opposite of Robinson. He capped half of France, wouldn't stop tinkering with the side, whereas Robinson won't give a new cap to a player unless that player has dominated domestic and European competition for half a decade.

+1

Riskysports wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:Lievremont was the opposite of Robinson. He capped half of France, wouldn't stop tinkering with the side, whereas Robinson won't give a new cap to a player unless that player has dominated domestic and European competition for half a decade.

+1

+2

Only one change to the squad, with Jackson added (despite not showing any form against either Scarlets or Connacht) So that confirms that we won't be seeing Matt Scott at 12. Am hearing hideous rumours that Hogg may be asked to play 13, but am steadfastly ignoring them - XXII announced on Wednesday

I think this selection could be the swinging factor is the vote to keep or get rid of AR

Do I hear and OOOOOoooooo AAAAAHhhhhhhh

Hogg at 13 and I'll be throwing my toys out of the pram!

Not surprised about Scott. Disappointed he isn't getting involved but not surprised. As long as Jackson doesn't actually make the squad I don't care that he's being reintroduced.

Were Doomed, Doomed I tell ye! Hogg 13 then Jackson before Weir. Should we persevere with Evans I just think he is to much o a lightweight in his overall performance and still cannot pass a ball.

Any news of Ansbro?

Robinson will get it wrong again. We are up against one of the most physical packs in world rugby, one of the best in the tight. Their tail jumpers (Hary, Dusaitor and Bonnaire) are outstanding. Neither Dents, Rennie or the injured Stroker are great lineout exponents. We dominated a severely depleted Welsh lineout but if Robbo thinks that Barclay is the answer to counter their lineout threat he is in dream land.

McInally is an excellent ball carrier but again not great in the air. Harley on the other hand is big enough to play lock at A level. We have plenty of carriers but not few genuine stoppers, for me Harley is the obvious choice, which of course is why he will not be selected!

John Welsh has now played two full games at tight head, scoring in both. In these two games he has shown a genuine ability to play both sides of the scrum in a way that Al Dickinson could only dream about. Yet it wil be the much improved but much less dominant Ed Kalman who will warm the bench assuming (fingers crossed) that Dickinson is still crocked, beacuse he poses little long term threat to AR's choice of the Edinburgh props.

We will also see Sean at 12 again and i suspect that Fofana will make him look what he is: a big, strong winger masquerading as in inside centre.

Worryingly Saint Andre has said that the postponement of the irish game was hugely benefiticial as he had almost another week to fine tune their game plan and tighten up on some loose techincial aspects! Not looking forward to Sunday.

From today's Hootsman, DF rarely gets it wrong:

Andy Robinson has a dilemma as Ruaridh Jackson makes return to fold

By DAVID FERGUSON
Published on Tuesday 21 February 2012 03:58

SCOTLAND are expected to shuffle the back division again for the visit of France to Murrayfield on Sunday.

The French team will be announced today but Scotland head coach Andy Robinson is holding off for another 24 hours before confirming his line-up as he seeks a first win in the RBS Six Nations Championship since last year’s defeat of Italy.

With Max Evans continuing his rehab on the ankle injury suffered against Wales in the Millennium Stadium, Robinson is expected to start with the back three formation that he was forced into when Evans went off after 15 minutes. That means a Test start for 19-year-old Stuart Hogg, from Hawick, who has impressed at full-back and centre for Glasgow this season. He injected a threat to Scotland’s attack in Cardiff, notably in the second half when the game was opening up and he was denied a debut try only by the self-recognised error of French referee Romain Poite.

With Hogg at full-back and Lee Jones and Rory Lamont on the wings, Robinson could go further and shake-up his midfield. Edinburgh centre Matt Scott is the choice of many who have watched the youngster emerge as an inside centre who can offer a second stand-off presence and play the game with power and pace. He is definitely in the sights of the Scotland coaches, but he is not expected to be thrown a Test debut yet, with Robinson reluctant to make wholesale changes and send fresh combinations out against a French side confident of retaining the Six Nations crown.

The last time the coach sent out the same back line in two consecutive Tests was at the start of last year’s Six Nations, with changes made, either through injury or by design, in each of the 11 internationals since.

Yet, there are now signs of a more threatening group coming together with the addition of Hogg and Greig Laidlaw at stand-off.

The versatile Edinburgh half-back showed enough in his first Test start to earn another run-out in the No 10 jersey, which leaves a dilemma for Robinson over whether to restore Ruaridh Jackson, the fit-again Glasgow stand-off, to the matchday squad.

Jackson, who re-joined the training squad this week, was Robinson’s first-choice stand-off in the World Cup and in the planning for the Six Nations, only for the 24-year-old to be dogged by the hamstring injury he suffered in the opening minutes of the World Cup match with England. Laidlaw will start against France, but Robinson has to decide whether to keep Duncan Weir as the bench cover, with Weir still to make his Test debut, or promote Jackson after two club matches and continue his return with a second-half cameo on Sunday.

Mike Blair has also been maintaining his usual rivalry with Chris Cusiter, the Glasgow scrum-half, but he appears likely to continue on the bench as Robinson seeks to give Cusiter time to regain top form. The pack will have a familiar ring to it, however. Geoff Cross will retain the tighthead prop’s jersey knowing that he has another opportunity to prove his value before Euan Murray becomes available for the remaining two games.

Lock Jim Hamilton sat out training yesterday as he recovered from Gloucester’s derby win over Bath on Sunday, and a throat infection, while two other forwards in action at the weekend, Richie Vernon (ankle) and Scott Lawson (dead leg), received treatment from the Scotland medical team. Glasgow prop Ed Kalman was back in training, however, having recovered from neck pain suffered in his Test debut against Wales and so will resume as bench cover for both sides of the scrum in what is expected to be the Scottish forwards’ most intense set-piece examination of the championship.

Scotland’s last victory under Robinson was against Georgia in the World Cup, but he has secured just two wins in the last 12 Six Nations games. Having lifted Scotland to a record high of sixth in the IRB World Rankings in 2010, he only narrowly avoided taking the side to 12th for the first time on Sunday when England came from behind to beat Italy in Rome.

France at home will be another great test of his side’s ability to perform under pressure, but as he digests Philippe Saint-Andre’s line-up today, Robinson’s thoughts will be on whether his latest selection under pressure will produce a winning formula.

So an in-form Weir to be sacrificed to make way for an out-of-form Jackson, keeping with Cusiter over Blair even tho the club partnership is obviously the way to go, but luckily no chat of Hog at 13. Definitely no place for the best 12 in Scotland at the moment, Matt Scott

Have no fear As.

Hopefully by April, we'll have a new coach who knows how to pick form players and refuses to remain loyal to personal favourites.

You know something I think we are all barking up the wrong tree here. Blaming the coaches i.e. it started with Williams, Then to Hadden and now to Robinson.

I'm begining to see a pattern here.

I think we should be sacking the Murrayfield tea lady for spiking every single one of the coaches teas and coffees with LSD. This visual demonsration below will help you understand :

+ =

or in Robbinson's case :

+ = Play Morrison at 12 because he is an international class inside centre, play Parks at 10 for our 6N opener because he showed he could do it in 2010, play Hines at 6 because a big lumbering 2nd row is really the answer we need at blindside flanker and this weekend playing a light weight specialist openside is exactly the level of physicallity we want to bring to Hairy, Dusatoir and Bonnaire.

There you go! Sitiuation explained.

SACK THE TEA LADY!!!!!

RRadge - i think you hit it on the head - although I think we need to be more radical in our clearing out.

I am starting a new campaign to get rid of the grass cutter - as I beleive it is this that has been the root of our down fall - how long can we continue with a Grass Cutter who is clearly still living in the pre-pro global warming era.

Our grass is still be cut in a vertical pattern starting from the west wing on the left- everyone and their dog know that the form direction is horizonal from the south, with slight triangles (determining the right size is what makes the best grass cutters) in the corners.

Out game is being held back, as the bounce of the ball, and even passes are being affected (adverse air flow over the apex of each blade). Our players are being hampered by the inability to play on a Pro Global Warming Grass Surface (PGWGS), designed for slightly warmer weather, with the likelyhood of snow men

This also affects us on the road, as we when we arrive at away grounds it takes us 40 mins to understand the density of blade zoning.

Oh, what could have been if we had looked forward and planned for the post global warming era instead of harcking back to the good old amateur grass days, where just being slightly shorter and greener were enough

It is not a conincidence that our younger players, who have only know PGWGS, are the most exciting we best able to cope

Sack the GRASS CUTTER

No, no, lads you have it all wrong, you're not getting to the root of the problem with the tea lady and the grass cutter - it is the window cleaner who is at fault.

The young lad has been reading phosphorous nitrade (PdNd2), a deeply poisonous toxin that befuddles the brain of anyone that spend too long in a windowed confined space, instead of the infinitely less harmful phosphoride nitrite (PoNi2). PdNd2 causes the afflicted to lose all reason and knowledge when selecting the national team - it is particularly harmful to those that open their nasal passages when screaming and shouting and generally losing the plot in said windowed box.

Having spoken to a couple of far more experienced chemists than myself, I am led to believe that we are lucky that we haven't lined up with Big Euge somewhere in the threequarters, and Shuggy in the front row. There is a suggestion that the same chemical imbalance in a more severe form may have afflicted Nick Mallett when he selected Mauro Bergamasco as a scrumhalf against Italy that time.

Sack the WINDOW CLEANER

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:From today's Hootsman, DF rarely gets it wrong:

Andy Robinson has a dilemma as Ruaridh Jackson makes return to fold

By DAVID FERGUSON
Published on Tuesday 21 February 2012 03:58

SCOTLAND are expected to shuffle the back division again for the visit of France to Murrayfield on Sunday.

The French team will be announced today but Scotland head coach Andy Robinson is holding off for another 24 hours before confirming his line-up as he seeks a first win in the RBS Six Nations Championship since last year’s defeat of Italy.

With Max Evans continuing his rehab on the ankle injury suffered against Wales in the Millennium Stadium, Robinson is expected to start with the back three formation that he was forced into when Evans went off after 15 minutes. That means a Test start for 19-year-old Stuart Hogg, from Hawick, who has impressed at full-back and centre for Glasgow this season. He injected a threat to Scotland’s attack in Cardiff, notably in the second half when the game was opening up and he was denied a debut try only by the self-recognised error of French referee Romain Poite.

With Hogg at full-back and Lee Jones and Rory Lamont on the wings, Robinson could go further and shake-up his midfield. Edinburgh centre Matt Scott is the choice of many who have watched the youngster emerge as an inside centre who can offer a second stand-off presence and play the game with power and pace. He is definitely in the sights of the Scotland coaches, but he is not expected to be thrown a Test debut yet, with Robinson reluctant to make wholesale changes and send fresh combinations out against a French side confident of retaining the Six Nations crown.

The last time the coach sent out the same back line in two consecutive Tests was at the start of last year’s Six Nations, with changes made, either through injury or by design, in each of the 11 internationals since.

Yet, there are now signs of a more threatening group coming together with the addition of Hogg and Greig Laidlaw at stand-off.

The versatile Edinburgh half-back showed enough in his first Test start to earn another run-out in the No 10 jersey, which leaves a dilemma for Robinson over whether to restore Ruaridh Jackson, the fit-again Glasgow stand-off, to the matchday squad.

Jackson, who re-joined the training squad this week, was Robinson’s first-choice stand-off in the World Cup and in the planning for the Six Nations, only for the 24-year-old to be dogged by the hamstring injury he suffered in the opening minutes of the World Cup match with England. Laidlaw will start against France, but Robinson has to decide whether to keep Duncan Weir as the bench cover, with Weir still to make his Test debut, or promote Jackson after two club matches and continue his return with a second-half cameo on Sunday.

Mike Blair has also been maintaining his usual rivalry with Chris Cusiter, the Glasgow scrum-half, but he appears likely to continue on the bench as Robinson seeks to give Cusiter time to regain top form. The pack will have a familiar ring to it, however. Geoff Cross will retain the tighthead prop’s jersey knowing that he has another opportunity to prove his value before Euan Murray becomes available for the remaining two games.

Lock Jim Hamilton sat out training yesterday as he recovered from Gloucester’s derby win over Bath on Sunday, and a throat infection, while two other forwards in action at the weekend, Richie Vernon (ankle) and Scott Lawson (dead leg), received treatment from the Scotland medical team. Glasgow prop Ed Kalman was back in training, however, having recovered from neck pain suffered in his Test debut against Wales and so will resume as bench cover for both sides of the scrum in what is expected to be the Scottish forwards’ most intense set-piece examination of the championship.

Scotland’s last victory under Robinson was against Georgia in the World Cup, but he has secured just two wins in the last 12 Six Nations games. Having lifted Scotland to a record high of sixth in the IRB World Rankings in 2010, he only narrowly avoided taking the side to 12th for the first time on Sunday when England came from behind to beat Italy in Rome.

France at home will be another great test of his side’s ability to perform under pressure, but as he digests Philippe Saint-Andre’s line-up today, Robinson’s thoughts will be on whether his latest selection under pressure will produce a winning formula.

So an in-form Weir to be sacrificed to make way for an out-of-form Jackson, keeping with Cusiter over Blair even tho the club partnership is obviously the way to go, but luckily no chat of Hog at 13. Definitely no place for the best 12 in Scotland at the moment, Matt Scott

Oh yes Asbo. What could possibly go jubblies up with that selection?

I would like to spend my summer holidays in Robinson's head.
Seems like a serene, rose tinted place. There would also be lots of space to stretch out.

Jackson has been fine since his return but there's no way he could be said to be playing "well", either by his standard or by that of his competitive colleagues.

Imagine if Laidlaw were to get injured in the first 10 minutes. It would mean Jackson coming on as our goal kicker and playmaker for 70 minutes. Doesn't bear thinking about. I like Jackson, but he isn't ready for this.

Good to see DF talking up Matt Scott, at least he's getting mentions in the press. Hopefully the bandwagon will get rolling and he gets some caps on the summer tour, or even in the Wooden Spoon decider in Italy.

cp10 wrote:

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:Boone seems to realize that NDL never plays well for Scotland because he has big lumbering lummoxes inside him. Visser, Jones and JT have so much time on the ball because Scott gives NDL loads of space and he passes it on to those outside him.

Give him an inside centre who can create space and you'll get the best out of NDL.

His yellow card was inexcusable though

I don't think NDL planned to "tackle" Davies, if you watch the replay he planned to run along side and got pushed by the oncoming Rennie (not complaining about Rennie as he had a MOTM game), got squeezed and then stumbled on to the feet of Davies (with his hands out i must admit - but could be to protect his face). It ended up looking like a idiotic tackle.

At the start - 0.03 in.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17006348

That is the funniest thing I have read on these boards for ages. Talk about making stuff up.

The French are unchanged from the Ireland game squad:

1 - Jean-Baptiste LICE - Toulouse
2- Dimitri SZARZEWSKI – Stade Français Paris 2 - Dimitri Szarzewski - Paris Stade French
3- Nicolas MAS – USA Perpignan Roussillon 3 - Nicolas MAS - America Perpignan Roussillon
4- Pascal PAPE – Stade Français Paris 4 - Pascal IPO - Paris Stade French
5- Yoan MAESTRI – Stade Toulousain 5 - Yoan MAESTRI - Toulouse
6- Thierry DUSAUTOIR – Stade Toulousain (Capitaine) 6 - Thierry DUSAUTOIR - Toulouse (Captain)
7- Imanol HARINORDOQUY – Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque 7 - Imanol Harinordoquy - Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque
8- Louis PICAMOLES – Stade Toulousain 8 - Louis Picamoles - Toulouse
9- Morgan PARRA – AS Clermont Auvergne 9 - Morgan Parra - AS Clermont Auvergne
10- François TRINH-DUC – Montpellier Hérault RC 10 - Francois Trinh-Duc - Montpellier Hérault RC
11- Julien MALZIEU- AS Clermont Auvergne 11 - Julien MALZIEU-AS Clermont Auvergne
12- Wesley FOFANA – AS Clermont Auvergne 12 - Wesley Fofana - AS Clermont Auvergne
13- Aurélien ROUGERIE – AS Clermont Auvergne 13 - Aurelien Rougerie - AS Clermont Auvergne
14- Vincent CLERC – Stade Toulousain 14 - Vincent Clerc - Toulouse
15- Maxime MEDARD – Stade Toulousain 15 - Maxime MEDARD - Toulouse

Remplaçants : Substitutes:

16- William SERVAT – Stade Toulousain 16 - William Servat - Toulouse
17- Vincent DEBATY – AS Clermont Auvergne 17 - Vincent DEBATY - AS Clermont Auvergne
18- Lionel NALLET – Racing Metro 92 18 - Lionel Nallet - Racing Metro 92
19- Julien BONNAIRE – AS Clermont Auvergne 19 - Julien Bonnaire - AS Clermont Auvergne
20- Julien DUPUY – Stade Français Paris 20 - Julien Dupuy - Paris Stade French
21- Lionel BEAUXIS – Stade Toulousain 21 - Lionel Beauxis - Toulouse
22- Maxime MERMOZ – USA Perpignan Roussillon 22 - Maxime MERMOZ - America Perpignan Roussillon

So that's Picamoles, Harinordiquy and Dusatoir in the back row to handle.

If Barclay is picked at 6 I'm not sure I'll watch.

That's an awesome French side. Let's hope they're both rusty and don't travel well.

If Barclay is picked I would say the collisions are a foregone conclusion. What won't be changed is our front row of Chunk, Ford and Cross.

The Edinburgh front row need a massive game, France are always fearsome in the scum with Mas having a reputation of vapourizing some and dominating many at Scrum time, Chunk will really have to have his head in the game to lay the platform.

Cross I felt dealt pretty well with Jenkins in Cardiff so I would expect him to deal pretty well with Baptiste.

I really hate to think what that backline could do to us if they get clean ball.

Please AR pick the team to beat these guys, not the team that has your budies and favourites in!

Robinson will attempt to pick a team to negate France not our best team

Cusiter at 9 is just ridiculous.

This is the 6 nations, there's no time to regain form, it doesn't work that way - you're in form so you're in the matchday XV. Go regain form back at your club or at squad training after the incentive of being benched / jettisoned.

This is precisely why we only won our last match in the last 2 6 nations, and will repeat the same feat this time around.

cp10 wrote:

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:Boone seems to realize that NDL never plays well for Scotland because he has big lumbering lummoxes inside him. Visser, Jones and JT have so much time on the ball because Scott gives NDL loads of space and he passes it on to those outside him.

Give him an inside centre who can create space and you'll get the best out of NDL.

His yellow card was inexcusable though

I don't think NDL planned to "tackle" Davies, if you watch the replay he planned to run along side and got pushed by the oncoming Rennie (not complaining about Rennie as he had a MOTM game), got squeezed and then stumbled on to the feet of Davies (with his hands out i must admit - but could be to protect his face). It ended up looking like a idiotic tackle.

At the start - 0.03 in.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17006348

Umm, wow, you're actually right. That makes me somewhat even more depressed given the last time we got a yellow card in Cardiff (Godman on Lee Byrne *cough*dive*cough*).

Although I think what happened is De Luca realised he was falling and had a moment of madness: "****, that's my man, better fall into him to stop him or it could be a try" ... it's not like he had any time to think about it.

nickj wrote:The French are unchanged from the Ireland game squad:

1 - Jean-Baptiste LICE - Toulouse
2- Dimitri SZARZEWSKI – Stade Français Paris 2 - Dimitri Szarzewski - Paris Stade French
3- Nicolas MAS – USA Perpignan Roussillon 3 - Nicolas MAS - America Perpignan Roussillon
4- Pascal PAPE – Stade Français Paris 4 - Pascal IPO - Paris Stade French
5- Yoan MAESTRI – Stade Toulousain 5 - Yoan MAESTRI - Toulouse
6- Thierry DUSAUTOIR – Stade Toulousain (Capitaine) 6 - Thierry DUSAUTOIR - Toulouse (Captain)
7- Imanol HARINORDOQUY – Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque 7 - Imanol Harinordoquy - Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque
8- Louis PICAMOLES – Stade Toulousain 8 - Louis Picamoles - Toulouse
9- Morgan PARRA – AS Clermont Auvergne 9 - Morgan Parra - AS Clermont Auvergne
10- François TRINH-DUC – Montpellier Hérault RC 10 - Francois Trinh-Duc - Montpellier Hérault RC
11- Julien MALZIEU- AS Clermont Auvergne 11 - Julien MALZIEU-AS Clermont Auvergne
12- Wesley FOFANA – AS Clermont Auvergne 12 - Wesley Fofana - AS Clermont Auvergne
13- Aurélien ROUGERIE – AS Clermont Auvergne 13 - Aurelien Rougerie - AS Clermont Auvergne
14- Vincent CLERC – Stade Toulousain 14 - Vincent Clerc - Toulouse
15- Maxime MEDARD – Stade Toulousain 15 - Maxime MEDARD - Toulouse

Remplaçants : Substitutes:

16- William SERVAT – Stade Toulousain 16 - William Servat - Toulouse
17- Vincent DEBATY – AS Clermont Auvergne 17 - Vincent DEBATY - AS Clermont Auvergne
18- Lionel NALLET – Racing Metro 92 18 - Lionel Nallet - Racing Metro 92
19- Julien BONNAIRE – AS Clermont Auvergne 19 - Julien Bonnaire - AS Clermont Auvergne
20- Julien DUPUY – Stade Français Paris 20 - Julien Dupuy - Paris Stade French
21- Lionel BEAUXIS – Stade Toulousain 21 - Lionel Beauxis - Toulouse
22- Maxime MERMOZ – USA Perpignan Roussillon 22 - Maxime MERMOZ - America Perpignan Roussillon

God, that's depressing. The entire French bench would be solid starters in the Scotland XV.

Reminds me of Frankie Boyle on MTW's Scenes We'd Like To See - topic: "Things You'd Never Hear In A War Film":
"Our only hope is that the enemy kill so many of us, that they become a bit depressed".

Hmm, I'd rather not have gouger Dupuy tho, GC

It is a little unfair, as there are two of them in each position!

I honestly hope France tear us apart if Robinson makes terrible choices again. It pains me to say it but we need the wooden spoon to show we need some drastic team changes to Robinson and the SRU as they seem to fail to see that we've been playing abismally and trying to delude ourselves we're doing any better is just crazy! Hopefully we'll have a coach that isn't Scott Johnson (God help us all if that's why Robbo recruited him). I don't want Scotland to click under Robinson, we'd be stuck with his terrible choices until 2015. You've done a good coaching job Andy, but we've got options now which you clearly can't deal with, so thanks and see you later!

Safe to say time for this idiot to go. Take that useless bell end Townsend with you to bath or wherever

From today's Herald, all I can hope is that KF is attempting to disguise the fact that he knows the real team with some outrageous suggestions - if so, good work, KF, bringing back Morrison, a lovely little touch; if not, god help us:

Time for Scotland to go the whole Hogg

by Kevin Ferrie, Senior Sports Writer

Should Max Evans fail to recover from injury in time for Sunday's meeting with France, it will limit options, but Scotland's management have had some major decisions to make either way. The Castres back may have established himself as a regular on the wing for the national team but shifting him back to centre where he initially made his mark and gained Scotland honours, could open up other options as a cutting edge is sought.

Where Evans plays can have a major influence on getting the balance between power and incisiveness that the coaches are looking for.

With Nick De Luca having so far failed to reproduce the form he has shown for Edinburgh, admittedly partly because of a lack of supply, they must have considered pairing Evans with former Glasgow Warriors midfield partner Graeme Morrison.

Whether alongside Evans or De Luca, the burly inside centre responded superbly to being dropped from the national squad without having had the chance to so much as come off the bench against England, when asked to take over the Glasgow captaincy and at last looks to be back to something approaching top form at club level.

That would allow Sean Lamont to return to his best role on the wing and, for all that Lee Jones has played well in his first two Test matches, a strong case could be made for putting his brother Rory on the other flank.

That would ensure that there were three very powerful figures in the back line while leaving room to introduce the teenager whose debut showing was the biggest consolation for Scotland supporters in Cardiff.

While he has yet to fill out there is something in the way that Stuart Hogg's footwork and deceptive turn of pace takes him past players that is reminiscent of the young Brian O'Driscoll and surely no greater compliment could be paid to a modern European back.

His has been an astonishing rise this season when it is considered that he was on an apprentice contract and not even in Glasgow's official 36-man RaboDirect Pro12 squad when Sean Lineen decided to throw him into the fray at the beginning of the season.

Some will urge caution in how he is handled, but just as was the case with the then 20-year-old O'Driscoll he has instantly shown himself to be good enough to step up at a time when Scottish rugby, just as Irish rugby was in the late 90s, is desperately seeking inspiration.

It is worth remembering that when O'Driscoll, who has become the talisman for this great era of Irish success, made his debut in June 1999, Ireland had not beaten Scotland for 13 years.

Lineen has made it clear he envisages Hogg occupying the same outside centre role as O'Driscoll in the long term but he has so far used him much more at full-back and Andy Robinson, Scotland's head coach, is on record as saying that is where he is being considered at Test level at the moment.

No matter where Hogg plays or who is in the three-quarter line, however, the decision-making has to be right to get the best out of them and that raises the question of what has to be done at half-back.

Having put Greig Laidlaw and Chris Cusiter in my own preferred team to start this championship I was surprised when they were then selected together for the meeting with Wales because as I repeatedly said both in print and in conversation thereafter, I thought I had made a schoolboy error in suggesting that pairing.

My thinking had been based on the view that Cusiter is the finest individual player in the country and that Laidlaw was the in-form standoff and goal-kicker. However, no sooner had that been printed than I was reminded of the unique way – in Scottish terms at least – that Laidlaw and Mike Blair interchange at half-back for Edinburgh.

With Laidlaw, for all his strength of demeanour and character, still a novice in the position it seemed sensible to introduce him to Test rugby with his regular partner who is himself a top-class scrum-half with vast experience. In those terms, it seemed significant when Laidlaw scored Scotland's long awaited try, ending a 386-minute wait in Tests, from the scrum-half position which he might not have been occupying had Blair not replaced Cusiter by that stage of the match.

Like Cusiter, both Blair and Laidlaw are men with leadership experience, which takes us to the pack where the temptation might be to make only the change that has been enforced by Al Strokosch fracturing his hand – such has been the supply of ball – but where further change might just bring added benefits.

In a team that is repeatedly losing its composure at critical moments what is needed is sound leadership and cool headedness in every department and in Al Kellock, Scotland's World Cup captain and John Barclay, his Glasgow Warriors clubmate, they have such figures available.

Clearly Ross Rennie and Dave Denton are now automatic choices in the back-row and perhaps the easiest thing to do would be to introduce as a direct replacement for Strokosch, yet another Warrior in Rob Harley who may be young but has also shown his capacity to lead when captaining Glasgow in the early part of the season.

However, this may be the right time to bring Barclay back, whether as a second openside operating alongside Rennie, or at No.8 where he has performed better for Glasgow this season than at openside, which in turn would allow Denton to revert to his club role on the blindside.

Kellock's return alongside Richie Gray would also mean that it was a pack built on club partnerships as the Glasgow locks tucked in behind the Edinburgh front-row, albeit Jon Welsh's try-scoring form for Glasgow, crossing the line in each of the last two matches, may just have caught the selectors' eye.

Morrison? I actually vommited in my mouth a little bit.

Barclay at number 8? Sunday won't be pretty if these picks are made. It is going to be an utter rout.

How on earth did this guy make Senior Sport's Writer?

He clearly knows bugger all about rugby.

Morrison should never grace international rugby articles ever again.

By the way I hope everyone is bracing themselves for Barclay at 6, the latest article in the Hootsman is as good as saying he'll be starting at 6.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:By the way I hope everyone is bracing themselves for Barclay at 6, the latest article in the Hootsman is as good as saying he'll be starting at 6.

Yet another example (as if one was needed!) of Robinson's failure as a selector! Where's flyhalffactory to defend the lunacy?!

Not to unduly alarm anyone, but on another site, someone with an 'inside source' is giving this as the team:

Hogg
R Lamont
S Lamont
Morrison
Jones
Laidlaw
Blair
Jacobson
Ford
Cross
Hamilton
Gray
Barclay
Rennie
Denton
Subs: S Lawson, Kalman, Kellock, Vernon, Cusiter, Weir, De Luca


I can only hope that that's a mahoosive wind-up - too awful to contemplate otherwise

Morrison and Lamont in the centres? This has to be a joke.

if it did not matter so much you could laugh at the poor selections some of these coaches make. Why they don't read these boards is a mystery? There is no doubt that AR is a fine coach. He has had a positive impact on several teams and did a pretty good job as England forwards coach in 2003. But as England's head coach he messed it up with unbelievable poor selections. He kept selecting people in their wrong positions. For instance he played Moody at 7 and Sanderson at 6 against the All Blacks when those two players both played in the opposite positions (I appreciate Moody went on to play as 7 in many games but at the time he was a pure 6 who even had the temerity to knock Hill out of the side on merit). This was to supposedly combat McCaw. Then he played Noon and Tindall together.....jeepers! AR is not alone in being a poor selector, but unless he gets some good advice then this factor alone will continue to undermine the current Scotland team. We all know that he is preparing the team well so fingers crossed for Scotland that the selection issues get sorted.

Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god

Who in the name of all that is holy could think putting Morrison and Lamont at inside and outside centre would be a good Idea?

Rory, Stu and Lee migth as well bring a hamper and some beers because they'll be as well setting up a picnic in the dead ball area for all the ball they are going to see.

If that team is picked I seriously hope we get dicked.

He is my - if I were AR and has his insight - team (of current squad (Plus two retireers) backs (And aiming for the most terrible of terrible back lines

Patterson (dragged out of retirement)
Danielle
S Lamont - can it get worst?
Morrison - can it get worst?
Max Evans
Parks (one more kick)
Cussiter

Not too far aware from what he will select - oh god

This Cretin is ruining my 6N.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:Who in the name of all that is holy could think putting Morrison and Lamont at inside and outside centre would be a good Idea?

Rory, Stu and Lee migth as well bring a hamper and some beers because they'll be as well setting up a picnic in the dead ball area for all the ball they are going to see.

I don't think that's fair. They should practice tackling. Their entire afternoon will be spent trying to haul down Medard, Clerc, Rougerie and Malzieu, and covering for the extreme lack of pace at centre.

If Barclay plays at 8 or 6, and Morrison starts, I will never back Robinson again. Those would be utterly dreadful and completely unnecessary selections. I could live with Sean Lamont at 13, but only with Matt Scott (or even Jackson) at 12. Morrison and Lamont in the centres is almost as bad as Hape and Tindall.

It's been said a million times. We will not beat France by trying to contain them, we are at home and we have to attack them with the same style that caused Wales problems in the last 20 minutes in Cardiff. Everything we do must be fast and accurate. Not words you associate with a centre pairing of Morrison and Lamont. If those two play together you may as well haul Dan Parks out of retirement. Laidlaw will struggle.

you could also play Phil Godman I guess ...

not sure why you guys are so pessimistic wiht your team: at least you have half of it which is performing very well, your forwards have been the best of the 6N so far , the fundamentals are very good and they have a lot of activity in the loose. I think they will dominate their french counterparts on scrum and line outs and cause problems at the breakdown (in fact if france backrow plays with the same kind of lazyness that they had against italy, they will be in big trouble).
your backplay is work in progress but at least should give some time to your new 10 to get used to scotland game.

I agree that Laidlaw will struggle but so will young Hoggy. Imagine making your full debut outside two guys who don't or can't pass.

What is the point of picking these young creative players (Laidlaw, Jones and Hogg) if our centres are picked to contain rather than create?

I thought the delay in picking the team was to allow Max some time to prove his fitness. If he's out where is Ansbro? Surely he's fit now?

Morrison really must have played a stormer last weekend to even get in the 22. Did anyone see the game? Did he stand out?

As you know I have backed Robbo to date, but if that is the team we'll see on Sunday I might have to reconsider.

I hope Scott Johnson proves to be a savvy selector and devils advocate against calls like this when he comes in

nickj wrote:I agree that Laidlaw will struggle but so will young Hoggy. Imagine making your full debut outside two guys who don't or can't pass.

What is the point of picking these young creative players (Laidlaw, Jones and Hogg) if our centres are picked to contain rather than create?

I thought the delay in picking the team was to allow Max some time to prove his fitness. If he's out where is Ansbro? Surely he's fit now?

Morrison really must have played a stormer last weekend to even get in the 22. Did anyone see the game? Did he stand out?

As you know I have backed Robbo to date, but if that is the team we'll see on Sunday I might have to reconsider.

I hope Scott Johnson proves to be a savvy selector and devils advocate against calls like this when he comes in

Yes, and no. It's still on BBC Alba iPlayer if you can be bothered

We are frustrated because for the first time in nearly a decade we have some good backs performing well for Edinburgh and Glasgow, but the management team have been extremely slow (in fact pressed) to pick them.

The Edinburgh combination of Blair and Laidlaw, with Hogg at fullback, should have been the first, rather than the last, names on the teamsheet at the start of the campaign. Yet it took Dan Parks to retire, and several injuries, for two of those three to get to play. We are still waiting for Blair to get a start, despite the huge improvement he brought to the side.

The only "form" player yet to produce has been NDL, but the team isn't providing him with any ball. At Edinburgh he gets quick ball and can run flat and hard onto it, with Scotland he gets the slow and static second and third phase stuff. Putting NDL outside Parks and Lamont is hopeless and pointless. You may as well just pick Barclay at 13, he'd be no less effective there than at 6 going up against Harindordiquy.

I'm going out for lunch. When I return I will log in and check the Scotland side with fear.

whocares wrote:you could also play Phil Godman I guess ...

not sure why you guys are so pessimistic wiht your team: at least you have half of it which is performing very well, your forwards have been the best of the 6N so far , the fundamentals are very good and they have a lot of activity in the loose. I think they will dominate their french counterparts on scrum and line outs and cause problems at the breakdown (in fact if france backrow plays with the same kind of lazyness that they had against italy, they will be in big trouble).
your backplay is work in progress but at least should give some time to your new 10 to get used to scotland game.

He has picked the right Forwards so far so he gets a in that department. However if what I think is true and he picks 2 opensides against one of the most physical backrows in the 6N our pack will be destroyed. So far our backrow has had the right combination of chopper, fetcher and carrier. If he goes with Barcs at 6 which I think he will we will lose the bulk of the collisions and almost certainyly lose the game.

Dusatoir, Harinordoqy, Picomoles and Bonnaire are not normally renowned for taking prisoners.

To be fair Morrison played well against the Scarlets, but not in a particularly creative way, he just carried pretty well (as a man of his size should) and slipped a couple of tackles. He did make good yards a few times though, and tackled strongly.

He shouldn't be anywhere near the side though. Fofana is young, promising and extremely quick. It would be so depressing if we went with Morrison, just to tackle him.

funnyExiledScot wrote:We are frustrated because for the first time in nearly a decade we have some good backs performing well for Edinburgh and Glasgow, but the management team have been extremely slow (in fact pressed) to pick them.

The Edinburgh combination of Blair and Laidlaw, with Hogg at fullback, should have been the first, rather than the last, names on the teamsheet at the start of the campaign. Yet it took Dan Parks to retire, and several injuries, for two of those three to get to play. We are still waiting for Blair to get a start, despite the huge improvement he brought to the side.

The only "form" player yet to produce has been NDL, but the team isn't providing him with any ball. At Edinburgh he gets quick ball and can run flat and hard onto it, with Scotland he gets the slow and static second and third phase stuff. Putting NDL outside Parks and Lamont is hopeless and pointless. You may as well just pick Barclay at 13, he'd be no less effective there than at 6 going up against Harindordiquy.

I'm going out for lunch. When I return I will log in and check the Scotland side with fear.

Feicing hell, if lunch starts before 11 in Embra, time for me to head back across the border!

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:We are frustrated because for the first time in nearly a decade we have some good backs performing well for Edinburgh and Glasgow, but the management team have been extremely slow (in fact pressed) to pick them.

The Edinburgh combination of Blair and Laidlaw, with Hogg at fullback, should have been the first, rather than the last, names on the teamsheet at the start of the campaign. Yet it took Dan Parks to retire, and several injuries, for two of those three to get to play. We are still waiting for Blair to get a start, despite the huge improvement he brought to the side.

The only "form" player yet to produce has been NDL, but the team isn't providing him with any ball. At Edinburgh he gets quick ball and can run flat and hard onto it, with Scotland he gets the slow and static second and third phase stuff. Putting NDL outside Parks and Lamont is hopeless and pointless. You may as well just pick Barclay at 13, he'd be no less effective there than at 6 going up against Harindordiquy.

I'm going out for lunch. When I return I will log in and check the Scotland side with fear.

Feicing hell, if lunch starts before 11 in Embra, time for me to head back across the border!

Yeah We are all pretty casual up here these days ASBO

Bar-stewards, the lot of ye!

Some Greek analysts cited long lunches as being behind the downfall of their economy - just sayin...

I'm surprised so many posters are saying "If AR picks so and so I will finally have lost faith in him" or words to that effect ... didn't you lose faith in him when we played England? It was only 3 weeks ago, can you not REMEMBER that match?

We're being too nice, and too Scottish, being optimistic before the match in terms of selection and in terms of performance. We are awful, nothing to be feared, even by the Italians who will be certain they can clobber us, and all because we simply don't win matches. And that buck has to stop with the coach - not inspiring, not clever, not a clue.

12 Morrison
13 S Lamont

Have to admit that would be absolutely hilarious and has to be a wind up.

If Morrison does play, we will see in the backline

9 Cusiter [bad]
10 Laidlaw [good]
11 S Lamont [finally]
12 Morrison [awful]
13 De Luca [NA - need a good 12 first]
14 R Lamont [indifferent]
15 Hogg [good]

20 Blair [to try and haul back the 20 pts we lost in the first 60]
21 Jackson [to bring on at 60 with Blair meaning we never actually have a club 9-10 axis at any point]
22 Jones [effectively losing his place to Morrison - woeful]

And Weir will be back in Glasgow wondering what he has to do to play for Scotland.