Scotland vs Wales: Match Thread

[bsando]

First topic message reminder :

SCOTLAND vs WALES

Venue: Murrayfield
Date: 9/3/13
Kick-off: 14:30
TV coverage: BBC One
Weather Forecast: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/edinburgh#?tab=fiveDay&fcTime=1362787200
Ref: Craig Joubert

SCOTLAND
1. Grant
2. Ford
3. Murray
4. Gray
5. Hamilton
6. Harley
7. Brown
8. Beattie
9. Laidlaw
10. Weir
11. Visser
12. Scott
13. Lamont
14. Maitland
15. Hogg

Bench: 16. Hall 17. Low 18. Cross 19. Kelock 20. Wilson 21. Prygos 22. Jackson 23. Evans

WALES
1. James
2. Hibbard
3. A. Jones
4. A. W. Jones
5. Evans
6. R. Jones
7. Warburton
8. Faletau
9. Phillips
10. Biggar
11. North
12. Roberts
13. Davies
14. Cuthbert
15. Halfpenny

16. Owens 17. Andrew 18. Mitchell 19. Coombs 20. Tipuric 21. L. Williams 22. Hook 23. S. Williams

[AlastairW]

Most penalties in any 6N game ever

Ok, everyone likes to see the battle of boot amongst the place kickers, but I'll be happy if I don't see another penalty between now & tomorrow evening.

[thebluesmancometh]

echooooo oooo oooooo ooooooo

[t1000advancedprototype]

Wales will beat England due to the occasion but points difference not enough.


If France win today then Wales could finish in top 2 with 6 points.

[The Bachelor]

Is it the done thing now to criticise Warburton? I thought he was excellent in the second half...

[Duty281]

Rather laboured win that for Wales, whilst Scotland were rather poor with little attacking threat. The referee was just awful, especially at the scrum.

[Looseheaded]

sat what you will about Joubert at least he's consistently shoite

[LondonTiger]

28 penalties awarded. Every 3 minutes a penalty!!


Good comments from Scott Johnson.

[AlastairW]

I thought Joubert made some bad calls. I'm sure he wasn't this bad a year ago ...

[Morgannwg]

Was that really forward? MAybe after today people will finally listent to me about Joubert.

Clearly forward.

Thanks for clearing that up...

Thats OK i can set up your appointment with Specsavers if you want?

Cheeky .

PS - love the commentators slating Joubert! Perfect end to the game.

[wales606]

When was he the best??? Nigel has always been by far the best referee.

Well he got the WC Final, and was very good in the lead up to that. On consistancy I think Owens probably was/is the best - he kind of got screwed by Samoa in the WC

[Cari]

Most penalties in any 6N game ever

Ok, everyone likes to see the battle of boot amongst the place kickers, but I'll be happy if I don't see another penalty between now & tomorrow evening.

You might not want to watch the next game...

[gregortree]

Well done Wales, you will give England a hard match next w/e.
What a pedantic ref tho'. Joubert kept pinging 'early engage' throughout the Eng v Fra match too. Just let them get on with it Craig

[Hood83]

Scotland's breakdown work has gone backwards horribly. You may not need an out and out 7, but Scotland missed one today. Warburton and Tipuric worked well together because their front five had the power and did the carrying grunt work.

[bsando]

Those two weak penalties given to Wales at around 60 mins was what killed what could have been a very tight finish to a game. Such a shame from a Scottish perspective, because I think if they had been in touch in the last ten they might have just clinched it.

But Wales played very smart rugby. Safe, but powerful and aggressive. They deserve to be 2nd in my view. Scotland played it too safe, we have Maitland, visser, Scott Hogg. No back line play until final minutes. It's too safe and will not be enough to beat Wales or France next week. Keep some elements of the kicking game, but be braver!

[thebluesmancometh]

In Jouberts defence it certainly wasn't his typical performance, he generally picks a team to dislike and penalises them out of the game (usually any opposition of NZ) but today he disliked both teams to be at least almost fair.

[t1000advancedprototype]

Wales not conceded a try since 43rd min of match 1.
3 away wins in a row.

Excellent from Wales. Grafted, not laboured.

[A World Cup and 3 Finals]

Warburton was magnificent, a shoe in for Lions captain, what with winning MOTM today................... Jiffy you're pathetic!

[wales606]

Is it the done thing now to criticise Warburton? I thought he was excellent in the second half...

Yep, best performance by him since the WC - hope he follows it up next week and doesn't get injured!

[thebluesmancometh]

because I think if they had been in touch in the last ten they might have just clinched it.

I was worried about the same thing too!

[RuggerBoy]

A win is a win and I'll take it!

One redeeming feature though, Warburton and Tipuric looked really good together I wonder if that's they're the starting flankers for the England game next week.

[Cari]

A win is a win and I'll take it!

One redeeming feature though, Warburton and Tipuric looked really good together I wonder if that's they're the starting flankers for the England game next week.

Depends on R-Jo's injury I expect.

[t1000advancedprototype]

First half of the Ireland game still annoying me! !!!!!!!

[Morgannwg]

In Jouberts defence it certainly wasn't his typical performance, he generally picks a team to dislike and penalises them out of the game (usually any opposition of NZ) but today he disliked both teams to be at least almost fair.

And opposition of Australia. I remember me and you commenting on how poor Joubert was a long time ago yet nobody paid any attention. Bet you guys are sorry now!

[majesticimperialman]

What ever happend too George North today? Only reading about him the other day, saying he was going to take his frustration out in Scotland today.

Did he even play in the first half? A very scrappy game. Not very good rugby wise and far toooooooooooo many penalties from both sides.

[gregortree]

In Jouberts defence it certainly wasn't his typical performance, he generally picks a team to dislike and penalises them out of the game (usually any opposition of NZ) but today he disliked both teams to be at least almost fair.

And opposition of Australia. I remember me and you commenting on how poor Joubert was a long time ago yet nobody paid any attention. Bet you guys are sorry now!

Ok I am, I'll see if I can get him fired.

[AlastairW]

Most penalties in any 6N game ever

Ok, everyone likes to see the battle of boot amongst the place kickers, but I'll be happy if I don't see another penalty between now & tomorrow evening.

You might not want to watch the next game...

heh! I can't help myself, I'll have to or I'll start getting the shakes and jitters.

[Exiledinborders]

Sam Warburton, Man Of the MATCH? that as to be the biggest joke of the day.

Really? He was clearly the biggest influence in the second half. He was everywhere in that second half and got a lot of turnover - including the last one

The biggest influence in second half was Joubert just as he was in the first hald and in the England France game. The man is a game killer. At the scrum he seems to deliberately wait rather than calling "set" so he can give a penalty.

[Shifty]

Meh Wales won we barely got out of second gear but if I'm honest I didnt think Scotland had much chance in this, I always thought we were the better team. Sadly we gave away silly penalties that kept them in it, but never felt we'd lose or that we were not in control.

Good effort by the lads though they won thats what matters in the end.

[thebluesmancometh]

Morg

After that world cup final I refuse to acknowledge he does anything right whatsoever!!! Scumbag!

[t1000advancedprototype]

What ever happend too George North today? Only reading about him the other day, saying he was going to take his frustration out in Scotland today.

Did he even play in the first half? A very scrappy game. Not very good rugby wise and far toooooooooooo many penalties from both sides.

You are shocking, just like Cyril.

North is the reason Wales even had a try. His defence was very good too.

People stop blaming the ref.
Scotland never looked a threat and even on the Welsh line they squandered chances.

[100%beefy]

We made Scotland look good but both sides were poor

[bsando]

Meh Wales won we barely got out of second gear but if I'm honest I didnt think Scotland had much chance in this, I always thought we were the better team. Sadly we gave away silly penalties that kept them in it, but never felt we'd lose or that we were not in control.

Good effort by the lads though they won thats what matters in the end.

Just a little arrogant

[captain carrantuohil]

Joubert can only apply the damn laws the way they are constituted. Blaming the ref is absurd on this occasion - one side was vaguely interested in playing rugby and one was not. If your strategy consists of commiting nobody to the tackle area, fanning out across the field and hoping that the opposition will be naive enough to waste possession, you get everything that you deserve.

Scotland do indeed have a lethal back three - I wonder why they're not inclined to include them in their tactics. In the last 160 minutes, Hogg, Maitland and Visser could have take up knitting for all the involvement they have had. Seriously that was a crushingly limited game that was set before the spectators, precisely the kind that loses fans for life. The weather was fair enough for it to be no excuse - this was among the two or three worst games of the Six Nations era, played beween two teams capable of far better. Only one side was culpable today, however.

[Barney McGrew did it]

I gave MOTM to Cutherbert - pretty sure I saw him make a successful tackle; magnificent effort.

Joubert's main problem is his lack of knowledge/interest in the scrum. Insead of working with the 2 packs, he adopts a schoolteacher approach, seeming to vary the timing of his engage call as if to deliberately catch them out.

[RuggerBoy]

Carl,
I think there was more balance in the back row after Ryan left the field, so I was actually thinking they might start together irrespective of Ryan's fitness. If Ryan is fit I'd actually start him on the bench because I think he's a better impact player than either Warbs or Tipiric, which is what we might need against England.

[Exiledinborders]

A win is a win and I'll take it!

One redeeming feature though, Warburton and Tipuric looked really good together I wonder if that's they're the starting flankers for the England game next week.

By the second half Scotland were too afraid of Joubert to compete for the ball so difficult to say how good Wrburton on Tipuric were.

[thebluesmancometh]

Blaming the ref is absurd on this occasion =

pretty sure I saw him make a successful tackle; magnificent effort. - Lets hope Ashton can match him tom!

[t1000advancedprototype]

Wales kicked, kept the ball in their half and didn't need to play fancy attacking rugby

10 point win in Murrayfield against a form Scotland team is impressive and required a real hard graft.

I'm very happy. If Wales forwards improve by 5%, beating England will be easy.

England rarely win on Grand slam day and will play either conservatively or make many errors.

[thebluesmancometh]

When Jones went off Tipuric made much lower tackles, JOnes tried to hold players up and Tips chopped them down, thats why Warburton started to become effective IMHO

[Cyril]

England to stuff Wales after seeing this performance

It's going to be a spectacular Grandslam for the Red Rose

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

That's two really really bad performances in a row from Joubert. The French papers were absolutely enraged at his performance against England and he was worse than today which is hard to believe.

Good to see Warburton playing better as he is a quality player, but Man of the Match? He was anonymous in the first half but excelled when Tipuric came on. Warburton is a limited player in that he needs the right partners for him to really use his strengths. Lydiate allows him to do it and on this evidence so does Tipuric. I thought Jones was very good again until he came off injured. Falateau again impressed at 8. Four (five with Lydiate) into three positions doesn't go and Howley and then Gatland need to find the right balance.

[Barney McGrew did it]

Wales kicked, kept the ball in their half and didn't need to play fancy attacking rugby

10 point win in Murrayfield against a form Scotland team is impressive and required a real hard graft.

I'm very happy. If Wales forwards improve by 500%, beating England will be easy.

England rarely win on Grand slam day and will play either conservatively or make many errors.

That's done it

[LondonTiger]

England to stuff Wales after seeing this performance

It's going to be a spectacular Grandslam for the Red Rose

[t1000advancedprototype]

England to stuff Wales after seeing this performance

It's going to be a spectacular Grandslam for the Red Rose

Typical English arrogance. You haven't played Italy yet and Parisse is back.

You barely beat Ireland, the France game was close. England's best rugby was second half vs Scotland.

[doctornickolas]

Joubert taking a lot of flack but he was right mostly. Scotland did consistently go early on the engage. Towards the end he did get a few decisions wrong. Wales went early once and weren't pinged and also 2 of Scotlands's penalties were wrong. 1 they scored 1 they missed.

Wales made hard work of that i thought and should have won more comfortably. We gave away a lot of unnecessary penalties and lineouts. Really need to tighten up our basics otherwise we will lack the platform to do anything worthwhile. Halfpenny's radar was off in the first half which could have made the scoreline a better reflection of the game too.

[Duty281]

Wales kicked, kept the ball in their half and didn't need to play fancy attacking rugby

10 point win in Murrayfield against a form Scotland team is impressive and required a real hard graft.

I'm very happy. If Wales forwards improve by 5%, beating England will be easy.

England rarely win on Grand slam day and will play either conservatively or make many errors.

What bearing does the past have on the future, in this case?

[bsando]

Sam Warburton, Man Of the MATCH? that as to be the biggest joke of the day.

Really? He was clearly the biggest influence in the second half. He was everywhere in that second half and got a lot of turnover - including the last one

The biggest influence in second half was Joubert just as he was in the first hald and in the England France game. The man is a game killer. At the scrum he seems to deliberately wait rather than calling "set" so he can give a penalty.

I think in one scrum he even said "seee...t" and the players started advancing in. It was just very bad reffing at the scrum in my view. Nigel Owens is a fantastic ref, he makes concise decisions. Joubert was dilly dallying about too much and being too slow with the calls in the scrums. It totally threw Scotland off their rhythm and then made them paranoid to get a good nudge on, which meant Wales got a slight advantage which is all they need really.

[LondonTiger]

Guff

Typical English arrogance. You haven't played Italy yet and Parisse is back.

You barely beat Ireland, the France game was close. England's best rugby was second half vs Scotland.

Looking at your posts - pot, kettle, black

[Cyril]

England to stuff Wales after seeing this performance

It's going to be a spectacular Grandslam for the Red Rose

Typical English arrogance. You haven't played Italy yet and Parisse is back.

You barely beat Ireland, the France game was close. England's best rugby was second half vs Scotland.

We've plenty more in the tank. I don't think you guys have. Wales are a busted flush.

We'll smash Italy and then smash Wales (probably won't beat Wales by quite as many as we're away).

[Guest]

England to stuff Wales after seeing this performance

It's going to be a spectacular Grandslam for the Red Rose

Typical English arrogance. You haven't played Italy yet and Parisse is back.

You barely beat Ireland, the France game was close. England's best rugby was second half vs Scotland.

Easy bite for Cyril. Nibble nibble

[Sponsored content]