Can Scotland equal or better themselves in 2014?

Top half finish in the Six Nations and Glasgow sitting at the top of the pro 12. I would say that's their best position for many a year if you also include their recent SH scalps.

Individually I would say the Scots have some fantastic talent. They also have a good pack but just need a bit more depth and grunt in the forwards.

The halfbacks are good but I think potentially world class players like Scott, Hogg and Maitland need another season before they really make their mark on the international stage. I hope Ansbro makes a comeback and I would like to see more of Max Evans.

If current trends continue I can see Wales, England and Scotland propping up the Six Nations table again, but not sure of the order.

Ireland have been leapfrogged by Scotland and the thing about which France will turn up is dead and buried. France need a lot of work. They are currently clueless and devoid of passion.

Italy will not improve until all their best players are playing in their own regions.

Scott Johnson needs at least another season. Firstly to give Scotland some consistency and secondly to see if 2013 was a fluke.

We'll have a real good test in the summer. I reckon we'll go to this tournament in South Africa missing : Hogg, Beattie, Brown, Grant and possibly Scott or Visser or Maitland on lions duty so it will be a chance to give some of the other talented players some game time.

Guys like Welsh, Wilson, Tonks, Horne, Dunbar etc.

We'll have games against the Boks, Samoa and Italy so it'll be a stern test of where we are.

I am not at all sure about Johnson. I want the SRU to look long and hard for a good coach. Johnson had little time to do much this year -and yes -he didn't do much. Player seem to like him to. Lost a bit of sparkle in attack

We have still not seen the best of this group of players except in odd spots. Still in recovery from the last wasted year of Robinson.

I think there is more to come and I think winning the 6N and a Semi final in the WC is a reasonable aim and highly possible in the next 4 years.

Edinburgh need to get sorted out, a third team would be good, still work on national structure needed but I have followed scottish rugby since the 70s and I think this is the best group of players for a very long time - maybe 1990 slam team had more / better individuals? Certainly a better team.

Scotland as a national side need leadership, they need to be melded into a real team and then I think the future is bright.

I'm really looking forward to horne and Dunbar linking up with Scotland, Horne offers that second playmaking role that worked really well when teamed up with Jackson. And his partnership with Dunbar looks both strong and creative

I would like to see Horne and Dunbar offer a partnership at Glasgow and continue to bed Scott and either Cairns, NDL, Fife or one of the youngsters grow into a partnership for Edinburgh.

Sean Lamont for all his faults just isnt a 13. Compare him to Conrad Smith, Fofana, BOD or JD2 and you realise how poor he is in that position.

Yeah Sean Lamont is surely going to be eased out of the 13 shirt. I would like to see a fierce rivalry between Horne and Scott for the 12 shirt and between Dunbar and Grove for the 13. They all offer something unique to the game.

Ps I love seeing Dunbar getting over the ball and winning penalties like a good open side!

Sean Lamont - has ever a player of so limited talent just tried so hard? he busts a gut every game and has wrung the most out of his limited talents. If only Cipriani or Henson had had his attitude!

I'm sick of it - I want to win something, I really do.

"I'm sick of having this year after year, valiant losers or whatever.

"We need to pull our fingers out, there's been too many years gone by where we've been also-rans. It's not good enough."

t1000advancedprototype wrote:If current trends continue I can see Wales, England and Scotland propping up the Six Nations table again, but not sure of the order.

Propping up the table would mean they were at the bottom.

Damn good post t1000

On reflection with regard to the 6Ns we have deffo played better in previous seasons and finished in a worst position, so the positives are that we now know we have a squad that can get the results and have some real talent coming through the ranks. The summer internationals look to have meaning for us i.e. an actual tournament setting

Summer Tour
Scotland will play in a quadrangular tournament in South Africa this summer with the Springboks, Italy and Samoa.

Scotland face Samoa, who they defeated in Apia last June, on Saturday 8 June at King’s Park in Durban. then, a week later (Saturday 15 June), Scotland meet South Africa at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. Thereafter, the teams are ranked with the third and fourth and first and second placed teams clashing at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday 22 June.

I can't wait to see some exciting combos and players

10 Jackson / Weir / Heathcote
12 Dunbar / Fife / Grove
13 Horne / Cairns /

4 Swinson / Ryder
5 Gilchrist

6 McInally
7 Rennie
8 Willson

The only slight concern is we seem to be short on back three options..... I want to see quality youngsters to accompany the massive potential of Greg Tonks although I do like the look of Duncan Taylor albeit he is 23 and a centre

I think the word to sum up Scotland just now is ‘potential’. We are not he finished article, but we have some young, inexperienced players who offer some genuine hope for the future that we have not had for a long time.

The problem is, so does everyone else.

So in 2012 we played well in the first 3 games of the 6N and terribly in the last two, and lost all our games. We then had a fantastic summer tour then a dreadful Autumn, despite a promising start against NZ. This 6N we didn’t play fantastically well but still came 3rd. So all in all I’d say that was a fairly standard year in the life of Scottish rugby!

Will the new season be any better (starting from summer)?. I’m not so sure just yet. I think next years 6N will be the real test. We have always done well in summer tours and generally been respectable in the AIs (most of our big wins), but come next 6N when we only have England and France at home – that will be the real test. To do well we will have to beat England or France at home, and Ireland or Wales away. If we can mange that and even sneak a in over Italy then the future is definitely bright. If however we only manage one win – or even none, which is a real chance – then we can put our hopes to the future off for yet another year.

All in all though the future is bright in the sense the pretty much all of the current team will be in their playing primes come the next world cup, with only really Euan Murray, Kellock, Strokosh, Lamont and Hall likely to be too old – and not all of them are guaranteed starters just now. Add to that Josh Strauss and maybe even WP Nel becoming available (he has had an OK season but has every chance of developing into a top class tighthead – he is only 26 after all) to add to the competition and we will be in a good place.
We just need a top class coach to guide us there – I’m still to be convinced SJ is that man.

I think next year will be even better, hopefully Horne, Scott and Dunbar will be fighting it out for 12 and Bennett, Dunbar, Ansbro and Cairns for 13. If Bennett can go on and fulfil his potential it will leave a very interesting battle for the 12 shirt. Dunbar is the strongest and quickest and his strength means he can often make half-breaks and offload, Horne is a very elusive runner and is also creative as is Scott but Scott is a more direct runner.Weir is a very good kicker and can control the games but Jackson is more creative and attacking minded. Hopefully Kennedy can continue his development because he looks very good and if Cusiter can get back to full fitness there will be real competition for Laidlaw. The back three are a ready good but Seymour, Brown, Tonks and the Lamonts could still come into it. The forwards are strong especially with the likes of Jonny Gray coming in.

I'm quietly pleased with the way things are going at the moment in Scottish rugby. We need to sort out the head coach issue at Scotland and Edinburgh, and Edinburgh needs to make some personnel/tactical changes, but if Glasgow can make a good showing in the playoffs, and Edinburgh can win the remainder of their games, then I'd say that this has been a fairly positive season.

But, just because we're only an upward trajectory does not mean we'll fulfil that potential. We need to consolidate, and that means the new head coach selecting ruthlessly on form and ability, and putting in place a gameplan to best suit the players we have. Not sure Johnson and Ryan got that 100% if I'm being honest, and there were some confused selections (alongside some good ones).

It's always interesting to look at trends if 'trends' is the subject of the thread. And a trend was mentioned, so let's look at trends.

Scotland have achieved 3rd place in 6N on 3 occasions (their highest point)

In 2001, Wales and France fell below them
In 2006, England and Wales fell below them
And now, in 2013, Ireland and France have fallen below them

So in 6N history there are three distinct Scottish spikes. The trend between the two previous ones was unfortunately a dip back down the table.

In 2002, France leapfrogged Scotland and went back up to first (Grand Slam) And for ten years after that they didn't go below 3rd

Two years after 2006, Wales had their Slam. They've had another Slam and a Championship since.

In 6N history:
Wales have ended up beneath Scotland on four occasions.
France have been beneath Scotland twice.
England once
Ireland once

Now let's look at International Rankings and see can we spot trends.
Rankings began in 2003.

New Zealand - breathtakingly stable at the top or thereabouts

Australia - quite stable. If anything their stability has settled at a higher level than it began

SA - erratic in the first number of years but has stabilised too at the top

France - a slight dip through the course of Rankings history, but it too could be said to be stable towards the top.

England - trend wise they look in quite a healthy place. They started at the top and gradually lost ground year by year - smooth curve - and now seem to be rising again on a long term graph reading. 2015 might just be perfect timing for them to get back to the future

Wales - Their curve highs and lows have been sharper than England's and obviously then more plentiful. But as they rise and fall in World Rankings, they are pretty constant with it. Their trend seems to be more of the same - swinging between 4th and 9th

Ireland - It's striking (at least for me) how similar the routes of France and Ireland are through the rankings history. Started high enough and in a sequence of ups and downs have generally followed each others progress with Ireland running at usually a few notches beneath France. The two of them fell off the tail end of 6N too this year. Having said that, Ireland do look a little less stable now than France. The trend is down although the grade of the slope is still shallow (for now). (New Coach quick please!!!! )

Scotland - There have actually been more promising periods for Scottish rugby in the past. From 2003 to 2006 they had a sustained period of 9th, up to 7th. And around 2010/2011 they were staying up around 7th and 8th too. At present the trend, despite the good rugby being played, seems to be that they're in one of their habitual dips that have them hovering around 10th and dropping out of top 10 too.

Other International sides improving all the time in regions outside Europe will obviously mix up the numbers and drag Euopean teams down the table even if their playing style has improved. But it's clear to me that in order to continue to improve, Scotland have to actually buck a few big trends in the next few years rather than too confidently assume the present is a trend. I'd suspect it takes a lot of extra effort to buck a stable trend...and it is going to take a lot of sweat still to rise in the charts in Europe and in World terms...and stay there.

Sorry for the long post - but for a non-stat guy I've become interested in what long term trends say over the last few months. Guess why??

Scotland have has some crud players recently. For the first time in ages we are in danger of producing a backline that might actually threaten teams with the ball in hand. 2nd top try scorers this year behind Wales... Happy with that.

SFly - I agree that to a certain extent we (Scotland) have been here before. In fact we own the copyright in false dawns. However, the fundamentals are coming together.

The club sides are showing signs of improving, albeit have not made a splash in the HC this season, but I'd be willing to bet that Glasgow will put in a stronger showing next season. The Scotland 1st XV is as good as it's been in the last decade.

We have the opportunity to bring in new coaches at Scotland level and at Edinburgh at the same time, enabling the SRU (assuming they think this far ahead) to put in place coaches that sing from the same hymnsheet in terms of style of play (knowing already how Gregor Townsend likes the game played).

We have Stuart Hogg, Tim Visser and Sean Maitland. As good a back three as we've possibly ever had. All young with plenty more to come.

Cautious optimism.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:Scotland have has some crud players recently. For the first time in ages we are in danger of producing a backline that might actually threaten teams with the ball in hand. 2nd top try scorers this year behind Wales... Happy with that.

This might seem a bit ahead of oursleves here, but we have to be carefull that we dont let this golden decent generation of players clog up our conveyor belt of youngsters, the same way we did in the run up to the 03 world cup leaving a bunch of youngsters to pick up the pieces in a series against australia in 2004, otherwise we are doomed to another recession in a few years when we have a mass retirement.

Oh certainly, Exiled. The trends are there to be changed. Scotland are looking forward and there is a bounce in the step mostly. Confidence itself can have a big impact on performances too. So by all means, cautious optimism is a legit feeling.

My concern is that we seem to have robbed peter to pay paul!

in previous years we have had better posession and territory than our opponents yet we could not get over the line to score

This year we have been void of possesion and teritory but we have managed to score.

Now, this is where the glass is either half empty or half full. Is it a case of Scotland have gone backwards? Have we surrendered posession and territory to other teams and the only
thing that has seen us finish 3rd is a combination of breakaway tries with good finishers and the fact other teams (france, ireland) have been so utterly guff that even Scotland finished above them?
Or is it a case that the Scotland have gone forward in that we now have a backline that can produce scores?

Personally I see things as this:
We have a dangerous back division now. Give them the ball in the right areas of the field and watch them score plenty tries. Dont get them in position and live off breakaway tries.
Our pack, under Dean Ryan, has regressed into a bunch of clueless buffoons. The pack needs to go back to how it was under robinson. Had Robbo not resigned I'd have retained him as forwards coach!!!
Our issue was our forwards got into the opponents 22 but had no confidence in the backs so kept ramming away for phase after phase untill we lost the ball!
We now have the opposite. The backs dont have the confidence in the forwards to get them into the right positions.
An old saying for you all - Forwards normally decide who wins a match. The backs normally decide by how much!
If we can get our pack to be the dynamic ball retaining, ball winning unit that is was for the last 2 to 3 years and combine this with our now taltented back three, then, BOOM. We could be onto something
Johnson is not a head coach. He should be retained as attack coach with another man (Mallet, White, Kirwin???) taking over the top job.

Lets get our forwards back to how they were, lets get our backs into the right areas and lets see Scotland winning games by 3 or 4 tries with at least 50% possesion and territory.

In 2014 the Scotland fixtures are:

Wales away: Loss
England home:Win
France home: Win
Ireland away: Loss
Italy away: Win

I think 3/5 or even 4/5 is possible as no reason why you can't go to Ireland and win again. Of course you could also lose the lot - Good luck

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:We'll have a real good test in the summer. I reckon we'll go to this tournament in South Africa missing : Hogg, Beattie, Brown, Grant and possibly Scott or Visser or Maitland on lions duty so it will be a chance to give some of the other talented players some game time.

Guys like Welsh, Wilson, Tonks, Horne, Dunbar etc.

We'll have games against the Boks, Samoa and Italy so it'll be a stern test of where we are.

that will be a good test to see what depth there are in Scotland.

RubyGuby wrote:In 2014 the Scotland fixtures are:

Wales away: Loss
England home:Win
France home: Win
Ireland away: Loss
Italy away: Win

I think 3/5 or even 4/5 is possible as no reason why you can't go to Ireland and win again. Of course you could also lose the lot - Good luck

If we have a home game first and win I think that all sorts of possibilities open up especially if it's England or France.

By the start of next year's six nations we could be looking at:

1. Grant/ Welsh/ Reid
2. Ford/ MacArthur/ Hall
3. Welsh/ Murray/ Low/ Cross
4. Gray/ Swinson
5. Hamilton/ Gilchrist/ Kellock
6. Brown/ Harley/ Strokosch
7. Rennie/ Barclay/ Fusaro
8. Beattie/ Denton/ Wilson/ MacInally/ Vernon
9. Kennedy/ Laidlaw/ Cusiter
10. Weir/ Jackson/ Heathcote
11. Visser/ Brown
12. Scott/ Horne
13. Bennett/ Dunbar
14. Maitland/ Seymour/ Lamont
15. Hogg/ Tonks/ Lamont

RubyGuby wrote:In 2014 the Scotland fixtures are:

Wales away: Loss
England home:Win
France home: Win
Ireland away: Loss
Italy away: Win

I think 3/5 or even 4/5 is possible as no reason why you can't go to Ireland and win again. Of course you could also lose the lot - Good luck

Ireland will now (officially) have a new coach by then. Kidney is gone. Hmmm.................... the future.......

Biltong wrote:

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:We'll have a real good test in the summer. I reckon we'll go to this tournament in South Africa missing : Hogg, Beattie, Brown, Grant and possibly Scott or Visser or Maitland on lions duty so it will be a chance to give some of the other talented players some game time.

Guys like Welsh, Wilson, Tonks, Horne, Dunbar etc.

We'll have games against the Boks, Samoa and Italy so it'll be a stern test of where we are.

that will be a good test to see what depth there are in Scotland.

The chances are that we will only have 4-5 players on the Lions tour so the side won't be too different, however it will leave you and the samoans crapping yourselves (after we've smashed you) about how good we'll be with our best players in 2015.

123456789 wrote:

Biltong wrote:

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:We'll have a real good test in the summer. I reckon we'll go to this tournament in South Africa missing : Hogg, Beattie, Brown, Grant and possibly Scott or Visser or Maitland on lions duty so it will be a chance to give some of the other talented players some game time.

Guys like Welsh, Wilson, Tonks, Horne, Dunbar etc.

We'll have games against the Boks, Samoa and Italy so it'll be a stern test of where we are.

that will be a good test to see what depth there are in Scotland.

The chances are that we will only have 4-5 players on the Lions tour so the side won't be too different, however it will leave you and the samoans crapping yourselves (after we've smashed you) about how good we'll be with our best players in 2015.

Yes, Numbers

123456789 wrote:

By the start of next year's six nations we could be looking at:

1. Grant/ Welsh/ Reid
2. Ford/ MacArthur/ Hall
3. Welsh/ Murray/ Low/ Cross
4. Gray/ Swinson
5. Hamilton/ Gilchrist/ Kellock
6. Brown/ Harley/ Strokosch
7. Rennie/ Barclay/ Fusaro
8. Beattie/ Denton/ Wilson/ MacInally/ Vernon
9. Kennedy/ Laidlaw/ Cusiter
10. Weir/ Jackson/ Heathcote
11. Visser/ Brown
12. Scott/ Horne
13. Bennett/ Dunbar
14. Maitland/ Seymour/ Lamont
15. Hogg/ Tonks/ Lamont

That really looks good for us. A few real class players, and plenty of quality and even a bit of depth. *cautiously optimistic* ( can a scots fan be cautiously optimistic?)

TJ wrote:

123456789 wrote:

By the start of next year's six nations we could be looking at:

1. Grant/ Welsh/ Reid
2. Ford/ MacArthur/ Hall
3. Welsh/ Murray/ Low/ Cross
4. Gray/ Swinson
5. Hamilton/ Gilchrist/ Kellock
6. Brown/ Harley/ Strokosch
7. Rennie/ Barclay/ Fusaro
8. Beattie/ Denton/ Wilson/ MacInally/ Vernon
9. Kennedy/ Laidlaw/ Cusiter
10. Weir/ Jackson/ Heathcote
11. Visser/ Brown
12. Scott/ Horne
13. Bennett/ Dunbar
14. Maitland/ Seymour/ Lamont
15. Hogg/ Tonks/ Lamont

That really looks good for us. A few real class players, and plenty of quality and even a bit of depth. *cautiously optimistic* ( can a scots fan be cautiously optimistic?)

What I find funny is that in 2011 we were panicking because Morrison was injured and we had no other inside centres in Scotland at all, now we have Scott, Dunbar and Horne who are better than Morrison ever was.

I'm actually glad Dunbar and Horne didn't feature in the 6N. It would have been depressing to see them get no ball due to the simple kicking for territory game plan.

Once Sotland start using the backline in their own half and have the confidence to put the ball through the hands, then it'll be exciting to see how all these uncapped players go.

Bennett has been particularly impressive. I know you all make fun of him for being the messiah, but I see glimpses of BOD in way he plays, he could... indeed, actually be the Messiah!!!

2 days late to say that he's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty [little] boy...

I'm cautiously optimistic going forward, I think we have a set of players with good potential, but they need to be well managed. There's no point having good backs if we boot the ball away at every opportunity, and likewise there's no point having the forwards make clear scoring opportunities for the backs to run into touch/drop the ball/fall over/kick it anyway (delete as appropriate for the Robinson era).

The game is by no means perfect in Scotland - there is a lot to do in development terms, with vast swathes of the country untapped for their talent. If we can get the talent conveyor belt moving properly then there's nothing to say that, after these guys win the 2015 world cup, there won't be a whole team of Messiahs ready to challenge for their places...

Interestingly, who would we be looking to play on the summer tour? How big a squad? Doesn't look like this is happening, but it would have been good to have a couple of games against club XV teams in SA to allow a team to bond in a low pressure match before the tournament.

For the centres I'd be looking to take Scott, Dunbar, Horne, Messiah but who else? That seems awfully green. I really don't want to have Lamont play at 13 for Scotland again unless there is a major crisis. Perhaps take him as an elder mentor and a utility sub but I don't want to see him as first choice when we have far better centres. But then, on the off chance that Scott goes with the lions then will we want to play 2 uncapped (although admittedly a developed partnership) centres against the big Saffers? I'm not sure...

I guess a lot depends on if Gatland picks any scots for the lions, and whom, but who would everyone be looking to take to SA at this stage??

Personally I reckon we'll be missing Hogg, Grant, Beattie, Brown, possibly Laidlaw, Maitland or Gray and an outside chance for Scott.

It's good to be able to have selection debates though! I remember thinking Andy Henderson was awesome because he scored a try... Go easy on me, we didn't score many, and I was only about 10. Plus he was no Marcus di Rollo...

Well done to Scotland on this years 3rd place finish.

I must bookmark this page so that I remember to congratulate you after next years championship.

Can we?

I am not yet convinced that we have reached the corner yet, let alone turned it

Those that have been bored by my rants will already know that I thought we went backwards in terms of play this year and got very very lucky to win two games.

We have had many a 'dark horse' light at end of and ' potential' in recent years that I am now mentally scarred - just the mention of rugby makes me want to head out to the nearest pub and drink my sorrows away

If just looking at this 6 nations, I would have to answer no - no chance at all - the tactics we played, the lack of forward competitiveness and the lack of ball would result is a white wash most years.

However - we do have some good players coming in, and if we can get the tactics right, find our forward drive again we could start to reach that corner

The Summer tour is going to tell me a lot more.

If we play better and earn two wins next year, I will be happy

Tend to agree with risky, but not quite as despairingly.

My biggest issue with 6N was the fact Johnson refused to adapt as the tournament went on. And that he didn't blood Dunbar or Horne. Watching the last game and the first game, there is barely any change at all. Both games we were totally outplayed and looked far inferior.

After the resurgence vs italy, there should have been more emphasis on playing in that manner.

It was just too much kicking and not enough ball through the hands, even when the stupid bbc pundits were making it plainly obvious that Scotland's best players were getting no ball and they need to attack from their own half more.

But Johnson just had Laidlaw and weir booting it up the field, hoping to win penalties or get a chance at an attacking line out for a set piece move.

The good thing is that Scotland showed that when they actually have a go they can match any NH team which is very positive, but we won't see it if they continue to pay this horrible kicking style of game.

Positives - we have the players

Negatives - we don't have the right gameplan... Yet!

bsando,

Wouldn't blame Weir to much he hardly got a decent pass from Laidlaw in 2 games to get the backs running.

So hopefully in the summer tests we will see this improve.

i don't blame weir for anything he played well, just hate the kicking gameplan layed on them by Johnson

Agreed bsando also it would be great to see Dunbar and Horne in the mix they really do deserve a chance

yeah definitely, I really wish both those players got blooded in the 6N, seems so silly that they didn't. Nothing against Lamont, but why play him at 13 when you have two s**t hot Glasgow centres?

Of course Scotland can better themselves. It's interesting watching the Scottish psyche, full of optimism but so quick to become dysthymic about our international side. If only we had the self belief of some other nations and their support. we seem to lack self belief and that bit of arrogance sportsmen need to succeed. It clearly only takes one fantastic performance for a side's previous poor performances to be forgotten and suddenly fortunes change. Our moment will come.

For me the Scottish players, man for man are no worse than the Welsh side for example but the difference is gameplan, psychological factors and also national mantra with rugby. This will continue to be a limiting factor for Scottish rugby, rugby isnt popular enough at grass roots level, in schools, the class divide etc. The things that have been well commented on by others here. Glasgow bring me a lot of hope as they have been superb this year, are building a support in Glasgow, a typically non-rugby city and have a real winning attitude and confidence our national side need.

I agree, Scotland have the players but we need a lot of development of the gameplan and the right people to do that. Glasgow are showing the way. We also talk a lot of Horne and Dunbar. Dunbar I really look forward to his inclusion as he has the pace, power and dimensions to be a really effective player for us at International level and he has been consistently good for Glasgow for some time. Horne has clear ability but I thought he was annonymous against Munster and has looked a bit vulnerable defensively against better opposition.

I remain the typical Scottish optimist but will curb my expectations, just for the time being.

PS. Hogg for the Lions! (Halfpenny is a very good player who does the basics briliantly but i think is a little overvalued and we need an x-factor player like Hogg to beat the Aussies.) Can't be bothered putting this in the 15 poll and the subsequent debates.

This might be a tad controversial, but I'd quite like to see us trying alternatives to Laidlaw. Pyrgos and Kennedy spring to mind, although I'm not sure either is ready yet. I have nothing against Laidlaw per se; I do think that he's a good goal kicker but doesn't keep the opposition guessing like some other scrum halves do. Now, that may be the game plan, or the slow ball from the forwards, but I would like to see quicker passing and sniping runs.

I think that we Scots tend to over hype Laidlaw because he's the kicker, just as some Welsh do with Halfpenny, who is also an excellent player but made more important by his kicking role. Pretty sure everyone does it, after all, you would tend to value your top points scorer highly.

Relieve Laidlaw of place kicking and is he our best Scrum Half? I'm not sure.

And DrTreasure, I agree. Hogg for the lions. Too much hassle to go on the 15 poll!

We have not seen the best of Laidlaw this season - for that reason I want to persist with him.

Biltong - what sort of squad are you going to put out against us?

Will it be the Springbok Ladies 2nd XV or will it be, you know, a proper team? At the moment, it might as well be half Sharks, half Cheetahs.

Touch wood we don't lose anyone to injuries because at full strength we've got a very good XV but we still don't have quality depth in every position.

Would love to see this XV next 6 Nations;

1 - Grant
2 - Ford
3 - Murray
4 - Gray
5 - Hamilton
6 - Brown
7 - Rennie
8 - Beattie

16 - MacArthur
17 - Welsh
18 - Low
19 - Gilchrist
20 - Denton

That's a top class pack, more than capable of mixing it with the best in the tight and loose. There is a good balance of carriers and grafters, plus a springling of game-changers in Gray, Rennie and Beattie. Plus I'd expect the likes of MacArthur, Lawrie, Welsh, Gilchrist, Gray Jnr, Sinclair, Harley, Fusaro, Wilson and Denton to be forcing their way in over next couple seasons.

9 - Laidlaw
10 - Jackson
11 - Visser
12 - Scott
13 - Bennett
14 - Maitland
15 - Hogg

21 - Cusiter
22 - Weir
23 - Dunbar

May not be on level with the top of the world in the midfield yet but the back-three certainly is, need the likes of Jackson, Scott and Bennett to deliver on their potential if we're to really improve. Plus the likes of Kennedy, Horne, Ansbro, Grove, Taylor, Seymour, Murchie and Tonk may wall be involved before the next RWC.

I'd like to see Johnson involved over the next few seasons because he seems to have a positive effect on the players but we need a top class forwards coach and whether we can attract someone of that calibre to play second fiddle remains to be seen.

If Glasgow can claim the Rabo, we get a reasonable representation on the Lions and we can beat at least Samoa and Italy in the summer hopefully it'll kick-start the development of our RWC team. The entire squad above will probably be available in 2 years time (+ Cuscack, Nell & Strauss) and could be a very handy outfit, more than capable at least of getting through the group stages.

I think there is a strong argument for giving Pyrgos a chance ahead of Laidlaw. Laidlaw is clearly an intelligent and talented rugby player but I felt his tactics ruined the six nations for us and I havent felt he has shined for Edinburgh this year at scrum half. Pyrgos has lacked game time for Glasgow due to Niko but when he has come on for Scotland it has often improved our team performance and increased the tempo considerably.

New Zealand are the best in the world and they arent there because they play defensive, conservative rugby. They are the best because their basics are so good, they attack with confidence and pace and crucially they are brilliant at the breakdown, creating quick ball for the backs and upsetting things for the opposition. We need to look at that style of rugby when looking to move forward.

It is for that reason I do not feel that Hamilton has a future role for the national team. He is massive and aggressive, yes, but he is slow, gives away too many penalties and can't play to the pace and style around the park we need to aspire to. I really want to see a dynamic pack and think Gray and Swinson could work well together and offer a lot around the pitch.

I also want to see Barclay given another shout. It's great to have Rennie back and am sure he will be crucial for us but I really like the way Barclay plays. As well as competing at the breakdown effectively, he is carrying very well, running very good lines in recent weeks and also being the first receiver from scrum half which would have been a great option this six nations. They missed the boat big time not bringing him in midway through.

Ive watched Bennett closely recently and don't feel he is at international standard yet. Another year of proffessional rugby and he could well be. Dunbar is a strong in attack and defence as well as being a real nuisance at the breakdown. Another potential asset for us and he and Scott deserve a chance to build a partnership together.

10 is really up for grabs with all three playing good rugby recently, especially Jackson last week but i really feel Heathcote deserves a shot at least for the way he has been treated by us and the way he has been playing for Bath. His goal kicking means we dont need to rely on Laidlaw.

A side I would really like to see playing together is;

Grant
Macarthur
Welsh
Swinson
Gray
Barclay
Brown
Beattie

Pyrgos
Heathcote
Visser
Scott
Dunbar
Maitland
Hogg

Scotland on paper have a much better side than previous years mainly in the backs. I don't think the current back row is as good as in the last 6N, Brown is no 7 so the sooner Rennie is back at 7 the better. Gray seems to have gone backwards compared to last year, he should have stayed at Glasgow. The backs this year are much better both defence and attack with the new imports. This year's results are mixed, how did they win against Ireland, Ireland should have won by 30 points, Scotland were winning the ball but just kicked it to Ireland who did not kick it back hence the stats. Sometimes it is better not to have the ball and defend and wait for mistakes, this shows poor confidence/lack of skill in attack.

Next year Scotland will do well to win 2 games with three away games and Italy are no push overs in Italy, it could be back to square one I hope I am wrong!