Kelly Brown - No 6 bus out of there.....

How do we turn this around?
How do we make Scotland a competitive nations?
How do we stop being a laughing stock?


One suggestion would be to play players in the right position - I know it is something that I have shouted for years, but when we we learn???

Kelly Brown is a 6 - he is not a 7 and not an 8 (unless forced there through injury)

Ross Ford is a kit bag - big and takes up space, but nor great at hooking the darn ball throwing - he is not a hooker

Hamilton is an iceberg - slow moving, not very nimble and creeps forward -  he is not a international class send row


3 changes that I would make

Why is Barclay not considered...hes' looked seriously good at 7 for Scarlets

6 Brown
7 Barclay
8 Denton

That would give any side a good game...

GeordieFalcon wrote:Why is Barclay not considered...hes' looked seriously good at 7 for Scarlets

6 Brown
7 Barclay
8 Denton

That would give any side a good game...

Can't understand what's happened with Barclay, surely not on the Scotland ex-caps list at 27 years old. We've got real depth to choose from in the back row which makes it even more galling when the selections are wrong. Thought Beattie carried well when he came on, I'd play him from the start.

I agree - he is a 7 and in form

What it would be like to bring the Killer B's back - they may not have the same impact, but they would have the final B in the pack - BALANCE

Beattie looked sharp but I will say that was Denton's best game for Scotland esp. the 1st 40. I would go as per above with 6. Brown; 7. Barclay and 8 Beattie with Denton on the bench.

Barclay seemed to fall out of favour when he was not offered a contract by the SRU for the Warriors - a truly astonishing decision given his ability and previous loyalty to Glasgow. If the SRU had a hand in it (and they patently did) it would be all fecked up as in every other thing they do.

Speaking of the back row, whatever happened to Rob Harley? Has dropped right off the radar since being talked about very highly this time last year. Has he suffered injuries or just a fall from grace?

Big Bad Bob Harley is still tackling everything and anything that moves for Glasgow Warriors and has had a great season for us.    Played for Scotland A on Friday v Saxons and had a fine game.     Inexplicably overlooked for the Scotland 23 but I am personally glad as we get to keep him for the Rabo games --yessssss  

I'd actually have Harley in at 6 for the extra lineout option he gives, either at the tail or as a front jumper, not to mention that he would tackle everything in white until he dropped from exhaustion - and that's our only chance

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:I'd actually have Harley in at 6 for the extra lineout option he gives, either at the tail or as a front jumper, not to mention that he would tackle everything in white until he dropped from exhaustion - and that's our only chance

Indeed   Won't happen though. Jamsie Cotter will most likely play The Schlong at 6, Cusiter at 7 and Kalman at 8   

The question is what value comes from leadership?

Which is better in people's eyes.

Player 1 who is a A* first class player but an individual not a leader

or

Player 2 who is an A first class player but is also an excellent leader.

If you look at it Wales (Warburton), England (Robshaw), Scotland (Brown) all play 7's who are arguably not the best opensides available but are chosen in part due to their leadership qualities.

SA chose John Smit for years over Bismarck and look to follow suit by preferring De Villiers over Frans Steyn for the same reasons.

Player 1 may be better but does the team player better with player 2? I'm on the fence with this one as it differs player to player situation to situation... for Brown I would say I think his leadership is a little lacking and potentially replaceable.

I never really get the obsession with Hamilton. I am sure he's meant to be an enforcer, but he just seems to be a bit of a penalty man too and somebody you can wind up.

Was pretty disappointed with Brown getting hooked so early yesterday. I have him and Grant in my team and was hoping that might be a gamble worth taking, as not many Welsh in my league will have them. Not sure what they'll do with Brown now, so might take him out for one of the Irish three (maybe Henry)

I have no idea why they don't have Barclay- well, I do but Scott Johnsons plan of picking a team of ball carriers and seeking contact at every opportunity isn't going to tax many defences at this level.

They need Barclay, they need Scott, they really need Laidlaw to perform a lot better at 9. They need a few more guys who look for space and can offload the ball.

Notch - we need Cusiter at 9. The problem then is who kicks - Weir has not yet found his kicking boots since his injury - although Hogg can crack them from a long way out. God how much we are relying on a 20 yr old for some decent rugby !

Just to muddy the back row waters; Fusaro totally outplayed Robshaw when Glasgow were at the Stoop pre-season. My team mate , JinxyJoe, who is a Harlequins anorak came back raving about Fozzie, couldn't believe how good he was. In all honesty Kellybrows would be fourth choice behind Barclay, Fozzie and Rennie. In no particular order. Then again at 6 does Kellybrows tackle as much as Harley? Or Strokes? Does he add as much at the lineout as Harley?
I think Rab C wants him in for his leadership but can't justify playing him at 6 or 8. So we get a fourth choice 7 and an unbalanced back row.  

From what I have heard down with the Scarlets is Barclays has taken a while to settle in to the new club, new coaching style and his new team mates but now is playing on top form.

As good as Denton is playing why oh why did we play Wilson at 6 when he has been the best performing 8 this season, and did we win anything at the breakdown?.... like hell we did, so we didn't pick the best 7 (Barclay) The best 6 (Brown) and probably the best balanced 8 (Beattie).

Locks: Hamilton is looking more and more ponderous, Gray has to play next week with Swinson with Gilchrist on the bench, and lets get Murray back asap, I dispair who is to play hooker.

With regard to the backs, as much as I want to give Weir a full run for the five games I believe it will do him more harm than good. Johnson gave him full backing with no 10 on the bench and in my opinion he was the weak link.... no creativity from our pivotal position. To bring Jackson for next game will send out all the wrong signals but its really our only options, unless we take a massive risk and play Tonks (I think he carried an early first half injury and didn't display his club form) or Hogg at flyhalf. I though Taylor and Dunbar did more than enough to continue next week, and Scott didn't do enough to suggest he is the man at 12.

I would play this starting 15

15 Hogg
14 Evans
11 Lamont

13 Dunbar
12 Taylor

10 Jackson or Tonks
9 Cussiter

8 Beattie
7 Barclay
6 Brown (C)

5 Gray
4 Swinson

3 Murray
2 My Aunt Molly
1 Grant

I would give the kicking duties to Hogg

jimbopip wrote:Just to muddy the back row waters; Fusaro totally outplayed Robshaw when Glasgow were at the Stoop pre-season. My team mate , JinxyJoe, who is a Harlequins anorak came back raving about Fozzie, couldn't believe how good he was. In all honesty Kellybrows would be fourth choice behind Barclay, Fozzie and Rennie. In no particular order. Then again at 6 does Kellybrows tackle as much as Harley? Or Strokes? Does he add as much at the lineout as Harley?
I think Rab C wants him in for his leadership but can't justify playing him at 6 or 8. So we get a fourth choice 7 and an unbalanced back row.  

Absolutely correct, I would say 7 is probably our position with the greatest depth - when you look at Rennie (when fit), Barclay and Fozzie.....yet for some reason we play a six there...infuriating.

In a few interviews Rab C has said that (paraphrasing - insert Aussie accent) "the position (6) has moved on a bit" whatever that means. My guess is that he wants a more physical, ball carrying threat at 6 - rather than a chopper like Brown or Harley. Whatever the reasoning, it leaves our back row hugely unbalanced.

I would re-instate the killer B's for the England game - or go with Rennie, as Barclay seems to be out in the cold. Johnson only has to look at the Ireland game to see how valuable an out and out 7 is to a team.

I dont mind Brown at 7 these days as he has been playing there for his club this season.

In last year's 6ns I think Kelly had the highest number of turnovers?

I don't get wilson being at 6. Playing 3 number 8s was just silly. It's great having three ball carriers, but you need the ball to carry first. Also, you need guys running off the shoulder which our 3 8s were not doing.

Bring back the B's

No word on Twitter or SRU website about extra players being called up for Saturday so doubtful if we'll see Barclay, Welsh, R Grant etc featuring. More of the same alas.

The more I think about this, the more I'm inclined to drop Brown. People say he's in there for leadership qualities (amongst others) but when we're constantly losing, the leadership is lacking when it comes to pulling the guys together after falling behind.

I would like to see this team (although I doubt there will be any tactical changes from last week):

15 Hogg
14 Seymore (or Evans, not fussed)
11 Lamont
13 Dunbar
12 Scott
10 Weir
9 Cusiter
8 Denton
7 Barclay
6 Beattie
5 Gray
4 Swinson
3 Murray
2 Hall
1 Grant

I'd have Harley on the bench in addition to Gray Jnr, MacArthur and Welsh. Swinson or Cusiter as Capt.

Telfer in for a pre-match team talk who would in no uncertain terms tell them to feicin smash anything in a white shirt as hard as physically possible......even Rowntree.

Might be missing something here, but is Rennie out injured at the moment? If so, is he due back during the 6N at any point?

He is back from injury (rencently)

lacking game time but scored two tries last week for Bristol

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:The more I think about this, the more I'm inclined to drop Brown. People say he's in there for leadership qualities (amongst others) but when we're constantly losing, the leadership is lacking when it comes to pulling the guys together after falling behind.

I would like to see this team (although I doubt there will be any tactical changes from last week):

15 Hogg
14 Seymore (or Evans, not fussed)
11 Lamont
13 Dunbar
12 Scott
10 Weir
9 Cusiter
8 Denton
7 Barclay
6 Beattie
5 Gray
4 Swinson
3 Murray
2 Hall
1 Grant

I'd have Harley on the bench in addition to Gray Jnr, MacArthur and Welsh. Swinson or Cusiter as Capt.

Telfer in for a pre-match team talk who would in no uncertain terms tell them to feicin smash anything in a white shirt as hard as physically possible......even Rowntree.

esp Rowntree you mean !

Or on the subject of feckin smashing anything in a white shirt how about:-
6. Stroker or Harley
7. Barclay
8. Beattie

Still like KB at 6 mind you

Harley
Barclay
Denton.
Don't pick that backrow against us and as an england fan I'll be very happy

Nah Johnny Beattie way better 8 than Denton and way harder too. Denton did have his best game for Scotland on Sunday tbh .

Lots of selection isuues in the pack. First problem is that Swinson and Gray senior are both 4's. The Lions tried Ritchie in some midweek games and he didnt convince as a middle jumper. He spends most of his time at the front of the lineout for Castres and is starting to find his enormous feet in France.
As Rab C is unlikely to drop Ross Ford he could argue that as Ford's throwing is so pi** poor we wont be throwing it anywhere except the front but then again that would be fairly mental!
For me the nightmare selections would be to keep Ford, drop big Jim ( blaming him for most of the linoeut woes) and installing the enforcer that is Grant Gilchrist.

The reasoning could be: its a 6 day turn around so we need fresh but slow and unathletic legs, he is a club colleague, and lineout caller, of the beleagured Ford and "he is one for the future". If anyone watched the way Paul O Connell stole significant ball off him in the recent HC game with Munster and saw how weak his tackling was around the fringes, would not be looking forward to seeing the Gil in blue on Saturday. I am not sure what Tom Ryder has done to annoy the selectors so much that he cant get picked for Scotland A let alone for the big team. Alan Solomons is a canny coach and makes sure that wheneverr GG carries for Edinburgh he has a man on his shoulder to back him up, not just when picking and driving but in open play as well. I predict that we would be even more totally smashed up front if Gilchrist starts!

If anyone saw the way young Gray tired dably in the second half of that game against the Saxons that should act as a bit of a reality check in terms of his int. credentials. i think  he will be a fine Scotland lock in a couple of years but his fitness and power levels are a bit lacking at the mo IMO.

I posted this on the Scotland Victim Support thread but I'll mention it again here.
The common theme amongst the loose forward trios used in Scotland's better victories in recent times?:

20 March 2010 - Ireland 20-23 Scotland
Brown-Barclay-Beattie

12 June 2010 - Argentina 16–24 Scotland
Brown-Barclay-Beattie

19 June 2010 - Argentina 9–13 Scotland
Brown-Barclay-Beattie

20 November 2010 - Scotland 21-17 South Africa
Hines-Barclay-Brown

5 June 2012 - Australia 6–9 Scotland
Strokosch-Rennie-Barclay

16 June 2012 - Fiji 25–37 Scotland
Strokosch-Rennie-Barclay

23 June 2012 - Samoa 16–17 Scotland
Strokosch-Rennie-Vernon

Genuine openside every time.

Poor selection at international level has been a theme for Hadden, Robinson and now SJ. It's killing us.

George Carlin wrote:I posted this on the Scotland Victim Support thread but I'll mention it again here.
The common theme amongst the loose forward trios used in Scotland's better victories in recent times?:

20 March 2010 - Ireland 20-23 Scotland
Brown-Barclay-Beattie

12 June 2010 - Argentina 16–24 Scotland
Brown-Barclay-Beattie

19 June 2010 - Argentina 9–13 Scotland
Brown-Barclay-Beattie

20 November 2010 - Scotland 21-17 South Africa
Hines-Barclay-Brown

5 June 2012 - Australia 6–9 Scotland
Strokosch-Rennie-Barclay

16 June 2012 - Fiji 25–37 Scotland
Strokosch-Rennie-Barclay

23 June 2012 - Samoa 16–17 Scotland
Strokosch-Rennie-Vernon

Genuine openside every time.

Poor selection at international level has been a theme for Hadden, Robinson and now SJ. It's killing us.

GC

I am sure Robinson (correct me if I am wrong) nurtured and developed Rennie with us, and developed the Killer Bees and particular Barclay with the As and full squad. He was in charge of Edinburgh and Scotland A 07-09, then Scotland 09-12 that's about five years. He also pushed the our modern day academy where Ross who is only 27 now certainly learnt his trade and scavenging technique, whilst Barclay in 2011 had injuries and such a serious dip in form he was replaced by Fusaro, but Robinson still selected John ahead of Chris for the 2012 summer tour.

I am certain that now Ross is back with AR (Bristol on loan) you will see a resurgent Rennie

Definitely Fly - Robinson was/is an excellent forwards coach.

His problems came with backline selection.

As needs just posted on the other thread, I think KB may get dropped for Saturday and a proper openside come in. As Fusaro is the only one in the squad that would be him.

Rennie just needs to stay with Bristol for the moment and get his form, fitness and confidence back. He said in an article on the BRUFC website that it was his first 80 mins for a while and his lungs felt it. He is not ready for international rugby yet, hopefully we will see him back for the summer tour.

BigGee wrote:As needs just posted on the other thread, I think KB may get dropped for Saturday and a proper openside come in. As Fusaro is the only one in the squad that would be him.

Rennie just needs to stay with Bristol for the moment and get his form, fitness and confidence back. He said in an article on the BRUFC website that it was his first 80 mins for a while and his lungs felt it. He is not ready for international rugby yet, hopefully we will see him back for the summer tour.

Thank god a bit of common sense

Ross and to be honest Matty Scott are not ready for the first 15 (Scott lacked any creative spark and looked poor compared to Taylor who all but took the sting out of the Irish centres for him).

I cannae understand the situation with Barclay who I think is close to his 2010 form and should be in the squad, I can only assume it is because of his views on Toonie, the SRU management and his refusal to sign a new contract with Glasgow under the present regime.

I am not surprised both Ross and John have decided to leave for pastures new.

Might want to change the title of this thread to "Kelly Brown - No in the team"
The herald and lots of other people saying he's been dropped.

Gutted he's not even in the squad. Dream team down the flipping toilet now.

Dropped by that buffoon with a silver mullet.

Prepared to be hammered on Saturday.

Apparently the only scope for Brown to play is at 7... That is his career finished then. This really is quite baffling. He hasn't been as good usual, but he has been out of position. He is our best 6 IMO. If we were dropping him for Harley to improve the line out, I would understand. I just don't see that Wilson is a better option there then Brown, but delighted to see Fusaro in.

Another odd one is Gray being dropped out if the 22. I felt he made a difference when he came on. England play with two huge and athletic second rows and yet our equivalents in Gray and Gilchrist aren't in the 22. Nothing against Swinson, I just think the other two I mentioned are better. Hamilton is still somehow undroppable but offers nothing and for all of his 50+ caps I can only remember him having a handful of good games. Ford is badly out of form and he is still in there too. I cannot this group of forwards being competitive at test level unless they seriously up their game.

Just watched Johnston on the box saying that he has spoken to Brown on the areas of his game that he needs to improve upon. Interesting that Brown is singled out for treatment whereas Ross "cant hook wont hook " Ford isnt mentioned!
I also think Brown is a better option than Wilson at 6, its mono brows best position by miles.
Droppping big Gray for ickle Gray is also daft as the young pretender looked knackered in the second half of the A game last week.
As for having Tonks on the bench, is he going to move to 15 and Hogg with his two Lions mid weekers under his belt move to 10 if required, or is Tonks seen as an outside half option after a lack lustre display last weekend and a few semi dencet run outs for the gunners?

Oh and after 15 minutes of a hit out last week Matt Scott is now deemed fully match fit after a 3 month lay. At least Taylor is on the bench for when he tires around haf time!

Also having given Ford a master class in reasonable lineout throwing, and a lesson in how to hook a ball, MacArthur finds himself dropped from the squad for the even smaller and lighter Scottt Lawson who can come on to add his massive bulk to our by then fully retreating scrum.

I am really glad that Fusaro is getting a chance for his first cap, he fully deserves his shot but he should have got his first cap in the autumn series not being thrown into this total SNAFU and basically being told sink or swim.

Rab C is lucky Scotland have signed him up a D of rugby because after this shambles no have decent club would touch him with a barge pole.

I wish it was the end of Johnson and Humphrey's coaching careers !

Is he injured?

Or as he not been playing good enough for the coaches satifaction?

If he's injured then ok thats part opf the game but its a big drop from captain to not even in the match day sqaud.

Has he done "A Dark Knight"?

You know as in a Bruce Wayne covering up for Harvey Dent's murderous rampage in the movie. Taking the flak, heat and blame and becoming a scapegoat so the rest of the squad can focus?

folk keep saying that Johnson has lost the plot!

Did he ever have a plot to lose?

Some hilarious stuff in the Hootsmon:

Six Nations: Johnson ‘won’t run away from reality’

If anyone expected Scott Johnson to take the easy option and keep everyone sweet in his final few matches as Scotland’s interim head coach, they received a shock with his team to face England tomorrow.

The coach will step down at the end of the RBS Six Nations Championship and hand the reins to Vern Cotter but, in dropping his skipper Kelly Brown in order to hand a Test debut to Chris Fusaro, he is attempting to leave Cotter with a stronger squad. After telling Fusaro just three months ago that he was not yet ready for the Test team, and had areas to work on, he feels now is the right time, impressed by the 24-year-old’s work to tackle those weaknesses.

Amid all the sympathy and headlines generated by Brown’s ejection, however, is a key desire in Johnson to find a slicker and more creative blend in Scotland’s back row.

Few could argue that that is not required by a Scotland side who work tirelessly but continue to flatter to deceive.

Asked why Brown was considered a virtual certainty in Scotland’s back row, and whether it was fair that he had lost his place after agreeing to Johnson’s request to shift to an unfamiliar openside role, the coach batted pretty straight.

“A couple of years ago I was good looking,” he said, which must be debatable. “Time moves on and the game changes. If you look at the back row and the young guys coming through it’s my job to have a look at what’s behind and make decisions for the interest of Scotland.

“We’ve got some athletic players. Ryan Wilson wasn’t in that group [in 2012] and we’ve got a couple more who will be available come the World Cup too who are not on our list at the moment, so we’re going to have competition for that six/eight spot like never before.

“Kelly is not a big ball-carrier or an explosive type of player. He isn’t that type. He isn’t a dominant lineout player. He has a prodigious workrate and so his skill-set moves to the other side on the six and eight. I like fast and explosive six and eights. I won’t run away from that or the fact that the country needs that. All successful teams appear to have that.

“Kelly’s skill-set is leaning now more towards that [openside flanker] at this period, and I won’t run away from the fact that he’s been told that. Is it unfair? I didn’t make the decisions previously when that occurred [Brown played at blindside and No 8] but if I had, I probably would have argued the same then and said he was better suited to the other side at international rugby. As it stands we’re starting to get some depth at six and eight, with players I believe can turn games.”

While the focus is on the current championship, and a desire to right the ship in tomorrow’s Calcutta Cup clash of two sides that lost on the opening weekend, there is no doubt that Johnson and Cotter have been planning the shape of Scotland’s squad for 2014-15, leading up to the Rugby World Cup, and the back row is one area of the team with burgeoning competition.

Involved tomorrow alongside Fusaro, David Denton, Wilson and Johnnie Beattie are out-of-favour Alasdair Strokosch, John Barclay and Rob Harley, Ross Rennie, who is returning from injury, highly-rated youngsters Hamish Watson, Magnus Bradbury and Tommy Spinks, and London Irish newcomers Kieran Low and Blair Cowan.

On top of that, Edinburgh’s Cornell du Preez, Josh Strauss at Glasgow and Scots-qualified Otago flanker John Hardie are all in the sights of the Scotland coaches for 2015. Rennie is not only dealing with regaining match fitness after his latest series of injuries, but also the loss of his mother, and he has moved out of the spotlight by switching from Edinburgh to Bristol.

John Barclay falls into a similar category to Brown and Roddy Grant in that Johnson feels he knows what they can bring, which is why he has opted for Fusaro this week – to find out about the Fife talent under Test pressures.

What Johnson would give for that kind of depth in his front five. He admitted that there could have been more changes made to the side that faltered in Ireland, but players such as hooker Ross Ford and lock Jim Hamilton appear to have escaped the axe as much due to the lack of serious rivals as their own performances.

The scrum and lineout were key failings in Sunday’s match against Ireland, leading directly to Scotland conceding points and squandering good scoring opportunities. A lineout loss also led to Sean Maitland being knocked out chasing an Ireland clearance.

But, as one of the strongest- ever players in the Scotland squad, in terms of modern analysis, at least, Ford brings so much to the scrummaging power of the team. Asked specifically about why the hooker was leaving the ball in the tunnel at most scrums, and not hooking it, Johnson explained that this was the coaches’ call, as every time he did attempt to hook the ball, under the new rules the opposition pack were steamrollering Scotland back off it.

When he scrummages, the Scottish scrum is solid – even dominant – but the selection of Scott Lawson instead of Pat MacArthur on the bench has been made with the intention of bringing a different hooking option into play this weekend.

The lineout is Hamilton’s chief responsibility so he shoulders as much of the blame for Sunday’s “shambles”, to use the word of his forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys, as Ford. Some of the hooker’s throws were spot on but there was no player in the air to receive the ball, allowing Ireland to say “thanks very much”.

However, Hamilton’s high work-rate and efficiency in other areas, revealed in the match analysis, combined with the fact that neither Tim Swinson or Richie Gray can call lineouts, Al Kellock is injured and Jonny Gray is still learning that art, has provided Hamilton with another chance to drive to a Scottish win.

“It wasn’t like we didn’t discuss it,” said Johnson. “We thought long and hard about game one, the fact that we had a short turnaround and so you need some consistency, but we’ve got to be honest – some standards in Dublin slipped. There’s no hiding from that.

“It isn’t to say these players are untouchable and we’re being honest in that… but the front row and scrummaging isn’t just the hooker, and neither is the lineout just the hooker. It’s a combination of a lot of things.

“It’s not easy coaching a country like this where lots of players are not jumping out at you, but it is what it is and I’m not going to sit there and tell kids that they can’t do it. They can do it and they have to learn how to do it more consistently.

“There were parts of that game at the weekend, as I’ve said, that we were really happy with, but we just weren’t consistent enough.”

The elder Gray, still just 24, is back in France at Castres with the stark message that his brother is currently producing more quality and quantity. It has been a week for straight-talking in the Scotland camp.

As the mist clears the question now is what difference that will make to a squad seeking to restore pride and claim a first win against England in six years.

This house proposes that Scott Johnson has no idea what reality is - discuss

Johnson is a moron

An absolute moron.

It's time for animainiacs, we are zaney to the max............

Jeebus this is comedy gold by Johnson, it makes being an Irish fan boring!

Does he know anything at all about forwards?

Agreed Johnson does not have a clue how to pick a team and in a sense I feel we have gone backwards under him.
Brown is a quality player but his confidence is bound to have taken a beating due to the management of Johnson. Brown one of the best 6s in the Aviva premiership and what does Johnson do, play him out of position then make him the scapegoat. Then he plays a 8 at 6 who doesn't look convincing.

For me the back row should have been 6 Brown 7 Fusaro or Barclay 8 Beattie and sub back row Ally Hogg who is in top form and could cover the whole back row and is a great leader.

Ally Hogg - Great player, covers positions, former Edinburgh Captain - Why is he not even being looked at?

Its not like he is over the hill

And remember, behind Sean Lamont, he is Scotlands top active try scorer.

Majestic83 wrote:Agreed Johnson does not have a clue how to pick a team and in a sense I feel we have gone backwards under him.
Brown is a quality player but his confidence is bound to have taken a beating due to the management of Johnson. Brown one of the best 6s in the Aviva premiership and what does Johnson do, play him out of position then make him the scapegoat. Then he plays a 8 at 6 who doesn't look convincing.

For me the back row should have been 6 Brown 7 Fusaro or Barclay 8 Beattie and sub back row Ally Hogg who is in top form and could cover the whole back row and is a great leader.

I rate Hogg hightly, but I don't think he covers the whole back row anymore. When he was a young buck he could pass as a 7, but he's much bigger and heavier now, and as a result slower, so I think he's now an 8, possibly a 6, but not a 7.

I agree with your back row though, although I would have Denton in the mix, either starting at 8 or on the bench.