Scotland (17) v France (19), 8 March

First topic message reminder :

Scotland    vs France   

RBS 6 Nations
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Saturday 8th March, 2014
KO 1700

Referee: Chris Pollock



Assistant Referees: George Clancy, JP Doyle

A. Squads

Scotland Squad REVISED:

Forwards: Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Geoff Cross, David Denton, Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford (all Edinburgh Rugby), Chris Fusaro (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), Ryan Grant, Jonny Gray (both Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Castres), Jim Hamilton (Montpellier), Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), Moray Low, Pat MacArthur (both Glasgow Warriors), Euan Murray (Worcester Warriors), Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan), Tim Swinson and Ryan Wilson (both Glasgow Warriors).

Backs: Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Jack Cuthbert, Nick De Luca (both Edinburgh Rugby), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Max Evans (Castres), Dougie Fife (Edinburgh Rugby), Stuart Hogg, Ruaridh Jackson (both Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens) and Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors).

NO HARLEY, RENNIE or K LOW

French Squad:

Vincent Debaty, Thomas Domingo, Yannick Forestier, Brice Mach, Dimitri Szarzewski, Nicolas Mas, Rabah Slimani, Alexandre Flanquart, Yoann Maestri, Pascal Pape, Sebastien Vaahamahina, Virgile Bruni, Alexandre Lapandry, Wenceslas Lauret, Bernard le Roux, Damien Chouly, Antonie Claassen, Jean-Marc Doussain, Maxime Machenaud, Morgan Parra, Jules Plisson, Remi Tales, Mathieu Bastareaud, Gael Fickou, Remi Lamerat, Maxime Mermoz, Yoann Huget, Maxime Medard, Hugo Bonneval, Brice Dulin

B. Previous matches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd7YAfmRSls  2013  L
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_7_quuZcsY  2012  L
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zpi55BQmRM 2011    L

C. Teams

France Team:


France team: B Dulin (Castres); Y Huget (Toulouse), M Bastareaud (Toulon), M Mermoz (Toulon), M Medard (Toulouse); J Plisson (Stade Francais), M Machenaud (Racing Metro); T Domingo (Clermont Auvergne), B Mach (Castres), N Mas (Montpellier), Y Maestri (Toulouse), P Pape (Stade Francais, capt), S Vahaamahina (Perpignan), A Lapandry (Clermont Auvergne), D Chouly (Clermont Auvergne).

Replacements: G Guirado (Perpignan), V Debaty (Clermont Auvergne), R Slimani (Stade Francais), A Flanquart (Stade Francais), A Claassen (Castres), J-M Doussain (Toulouse), R Tales (Castres), G Fickou (Toulouse).

Scotland Team:



Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh); Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Castres), Jim Hamilton (Montpellier), Johnny Beattie (Montpellier), Kelly Brown (Saracens, capt), David Denton (Edinburgh).
Replacements: Ross Ford (Edinburgh), INJ OUT Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh) IN Moray Low, Euan Murray (Worcester Warriors), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Max Evans (Castres).

D. Watch out for...

Richie Gray https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSpiYWB-5Sk

Yoann Huget https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYWJyeLoUAs

PS Thanks to George Carlin for previous match threads. I've tried where possible to continue your style and structure.

mystiroakey wrote:Are you a French fan Whocares?

I know sometime it is not so obvious due to lack of positive comments ... but yes I still support France in rugby

Good lad- I didn't realise we had one.

Dickinson has had to pull out - Moray Low replacing him.

Moray Low onto the bench in place of Dickinson who hasn't recovered from injury

http://www.scottishrugby.org/news/14/03/07/scotland-update

Edit: I'm slow

So we have Moray Low and Euan Murray both on the bench. Let's hope nothing happens to Ryan Grant.

I do not understand why Jon Welsh has been ignored, or even Gordon Reid and Grant Shiells.

I've never liked Low at loosehead, never seen him once play well in that position.

Oh dear,  I just tipped Scotland to win in my work's score predictor*, now that we have Grant and.....Grant at LH that could end badly if anything happens to him.

Although Geoff can play both sides (or at least used to be able to) so that could be an option if Grant has to go off at any point.

*it was a moment of Friday afternoon optimism

Johnson really is an utter baw-bag !

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

IanBru wrote:I heard that asking for a currency plan B is just treasonous scaremongering by quislings...

Indeed, especially when someone has every right to plan A - oh hang on, let's wheel out Fanny Alexander again ...   

Fixed that for you pal !

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

IanBru wrote:I heard that asking for a currency plan B is just treasonous scaremongering by quislings...

Indeed, especially when someone has every right to plan A - oh hang on, let's wheel out Fanny Alexander again ...   

Fixed that for you pal !

"Fanny Alexander", wasn't that a Bergman movie? Oh wait, the auteur of existentialist angst directed "Fanny and Alexander".
"Fanny Alexander" was the other type of Swedish movie. Should have known which one was in your video collection Schiz.  
Bet there'll be plenty of angst at Murrayfield tomorrow though.

Aye Jimbo my son you know how I like 'art house' movies !   

Any chance of the French going all arty on us tomorrow? Our front row options are beginning to worry me just a bit. The French look as if they're going all introverted and want an arm wrestle and Rab C's tactical response seems to be , "Right then square go now ya bass"
Oh well, it'll be better soon as soon as we get a decent coach unlike; Williams, Hadden, Rab C and anyone else who isn't the love child of Toonie and Saint Sean of Lineen.

SJ says "we're no the wee Scottish laddies"

He even attempted a Scottish accent. Cringe!!!

Not only is he useless as a head coach, now he's stooped as low as insulting the nation he is representing. Has he been reading our comments? Have we pushed him over his limit?

Utter baffoon!!!

Nobody watching Scotland v France U20 just now?

What channel?

Scottishrugbyonline youtube channel

Manky-Flanker wrote:Scottishrugbyonline youtube channel

Tks for the link. Close game. How old is your number 21?

Much better performance from the u20's. Magnus Bradbury had a standout game and carried brilliantly. Others who looked good were Vellacott, the replacement SH when he came on, Glen Young and there were some nice touches from Hoyland and Farndale. Just did not quite have the composure to finish them off, but were definitely on top of the French for the last 20 mins having been well down earlier. Some promising signs for the future, a lot of these lads will be back next year.

Good to see the lads fight back in the 2nd half. Our 21 was Velacott, 18 years old I think.

Ok tks. He doesnt look big (specially when watching with an iphone!) but quite an effective scrumhalf.

Driving maul u20 18 -13 scotland U20. Could well see something similar tomorrow!

Manky-Flanker wrote:Nobody watching Scotland v France U20 just now?

Thanks Manky

Whats the score?

Game day!

Is it sad that all I'm really looking for is a decent Scotland performance, and something to cheer about to make all the money I'm about to spend worth it?

Well,I reckon Scotland should do it today with the hugely weakened French outfit.Picamoles,Fofana and Nyanga are top top level players.Don't follow French Rugby enough to comment on their replacements but I doubt that they are better than this three.
Carpe Diem!

Is this the the same Taffineastbourne who usually despises all things Scots ? Thanks anyway and to you also tomorrow.

If we do win today - and that is a big if - I'd be pretty disappointed if the focus was on the fact that it was because France were missing key players.

Let's put this into perspective - France have something like 9 or 10 times the playing numbers Scotland do. The French league is the most lucrative league in the world, with even the lowest teams having bigger budgets than Edinburgh and Glasgow.


Scotland vs France is always David and goliath, irrespective of the fact they have 4 or 5 key players missing.

Also worth remembering Scotland have only beaten France once in the 6N - 8 years ago. I'm sure in that time we've played plenty 'weakened' French teams.

If Scotland win today it will be an incredible achievement - no doubt about that.

presumably we are wearing our away strip even though it a home game ...?  

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Is this the the same Taffineastbourne who usually despises all things Scots ?    Thanks anyway and to you also tomorrow.

Ta!
I despise paedophiles and thugs who batter old folk.I certainly do not despise all things Scots  

Thanks for the good wishes Taffin.

I don't give a merde if France has some first team members missing. You can only play the team in front of you. A strange cross section of the media never, ever give credit where it's due and will always find some way to excuse favourites being beaten. Couldn't care less - we can win today and I think that we really might.

If france can break Scotland's line and score they will win. If not I think scotland could really annoy the French.

Going go for the later - a low scorer - zero tries.

9-12 either way

Sorry Oakey, if Scotland win it'll be by scoring those 5 point things. We need to get the ball away from the fatboys and avoid set piece in our own half. If we can get to run at them in the backs, esp 10-13 we will win. A forward battle and it's anybody's.
  

Your going for a scotland try!!

We always seem to go wrong in our away strip (Italy in the past and SA just recently)   

On another note,

COME ON CYMRU!    

Scotland have the backs to score tries - its just can Johnson assemble a team where the forwards can get the ball and the backs use it. The team selected is 80% of what it should be - only 2 or 3 players out of position or wrongly selected. Is this enough agaisnt a wounded France? Dunno. Somehow I don't see a classic game happening

Still have a feeling #lackingclue will be out in force again today

Watching the Ireland Italy game, who is the Italian tackling coach? Can we have him? Italian tackling is top drawer

Lovely day in Edinburgh, if a bit windy. If the wind dies down it'll be perfect conditions.

Bit windy? It's blowing a gale man!

mystiroakey wrote:Your going for a scotland try!!

Didn't say we will score tries, but if we want to win we must score them.
Scott and Dunbar will score if Laidlaw extracts the digit.  

Why are we being subjected to jiffy Davies?

Massive chance today for Scotland. Really hope that they get the win.

Benign conditions for Scotland. They'll be worried it's such a beautiful Edinburgh day...

I really do love that French anthem

That Jonathan Edwards MP won't like that, Jonathan Humphreys singing the Scottish national anthem.

Aside from basteraud, that's one feckin pacey backline for France

That is an unbelievable decision at the scrum. The French loose head is bent double on the floor and the Scotland player has taken it down. ridiculous

Beattie has had a very good start to the match at 6.

How was that not a penalty for holding on from the France 12 after the break? That was looking like a turnover.

Eh. Looked like a fair play from Scotland to me. Why the penalty?

That really looks like a try to me.

Yes Hoggy! One of those 5 pointer things