Scotland and the summer tour!

by Majestic83 Mon 17 Mar 2014, 6:47 pm

First topic message reminder :

Games:

Saturday 7 June:
United States of America v Scotland
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas

Saturday 14 June:
Canada v Scotland
BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario

Saturday 21 June:
Argentina v Scotland
Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba

Saturday 28 June:
South Africa v Scotland
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

***
Now the 6 nations are over there will be major changes for Scotland between now and the next international.
Vern Cotter will be the head coach for the next test with scott Johnson moving to director of rugby. Unclear yet if Cotter will bring in his own coaching team or whether he will inherit the current crop.

The 6 nations has been a disaster for Scotland but I still believe Scotland has some very good players and a lot of the problems in the 6 nations stem from poor coaching, tactics, very bad selection and man management. Glasgow regularly beat the top Rambo teams, Edinburgh can as well and a lot of the exile players are playing at the very top teams in England and France and winning week in week out but for some reason when they pull on the blue jersey something just isn't there.
This will all change when Cotter arrives. Speaking to Chris Paterson and al kellock a few weeks ago they can't wait for cotter to arrive as they say his coaching style and manner is that of a modern day Jim Telfer and they believe exactly what this squad need.

From a playing point of view there are a few players that should be dropped and not selected for the summer tour. For me they are Ryan Wilson, Tim Swinson, Greig Laidlaw.
Wilson is good at number 8 for Glasgow but is not a 6 at international level. We have 3 far better 6's available yet none were picked. Would Wilson get in the team at 8? For me, nope. Denton, Beattie are far better options and I would say Ali Hogg is also far better than wilson. Why was he picked? Because Johnson thought he was a good "kid". It's not wilson a fault he was picked out of position but there are far better options.
Tim Swinson was very poor compared to his form on last years summer tour. He didn't seem to have the same grunt or energy and was ver ineffective. Again there are other options at lock like Gilchrist who has improved a lot this season and has a harder edge about him now and also johnnycake gray.
Greig Laidlaw was put in the autumn tests and even worse in the 6 nations. His decision making was poor, his service was extremely slow. He offers no break or snipe at all and his main attribute his goal kicking has been poor. Custer looks far sharper, when he has played and deserves a shot. He also has very good leadership qualities. Grayson Hart is also in top form and deserves a chance on recent form. Quick pass, physical and knows the way to the line.

The Backrow was the biggest concern during the 6 nations, it was unbalanced and very off pace. The back row needs balance and a good back row will have 3 players with different qualities, a scavenger who makes a nuisance of himself and tackles his heart out. A hard worker who will do the unseen stuff at the breakdown and then a big athletic ball carrier who will run all day making the hard yards. Scotland have these options but went for three players who were all very similar. It didn't work and must be changed.

The summer tour we play Canada, USA, Argentina and South Africa. The first two teams we "should" beat comfortably the other two will be tough and physical. They will probably take a squad of between 32 and 35.
I'd go with 6 props
Ryan grant
Ali Dickinson
Jon welsh but has to move back to loose head where he is far more destructive.
Euan murray
Geoff cross
Moray low not great during 6 nations but would like to see what difference cotter can make.

Squad

North America

LH - Allan, Reid, Traynor
H - Bryce, Lawson, McArthur
TH - Cross, Low
SR - Gilchrist, Gray, Hamilton, Low
6/8 - Beattie, Brown, Strokosh
7 - Cowan

SH - Hart, Laidlaw
SO - Heathcoat, Russell
IC - Taylor
OC -Bennett
W - Evans, Lamont, Maitland, Visser
FB - Hogg

Argentina / SA

LH - Dickinson, Reid
H - Bryce, Ford, McArthur
TH - Cross, Low, Welsh
SR - Gilchrist, Gray, Swinson
6/8 - Denton, Harley,
7 - Fusaro

SH - Hart, Pyrgos
SO - Jackson, Weir
IC - Horne
OC - ?
W - Fife, Maitland, Seymour
FB - Hogg, Murchie

by Nematode Mon 24 Mar 2014, 12:48 pm

Just got wi-fi, gotta be quick in case the signal goes. Currently on some sort of lorry being taken away after being ripped up at Murrayfield. Heard someone saying 'they can't make it into compost'. Any clues? Hang on, Scott Johnson is walking past.... oh boy that's an exclusive. Apparently Cotter is going to sign as backs coa

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Mon 24 Mar 2014, 12:50 pm

George Carlin wrote:Nice piece from Morrision in the Hootsmon about Cotter:

Iain Morrison: Vern Cotter can galvanise Scotland
Sunday 23rd March 2014

IT WAS back in 1998 that Welsh rugby had an epiphany of sorts, their very own Damascene moment. It is worth reminding ourselves of this in light of last weekend. The event occurred in Pretoria’s wonderful old Loftus Versfeld stadium.

Professionalism was in its infancy and Wales were bush-whacked by the Springboks who ran out 96-13 winners. It was an utter humiliation for a nation that has always seen itself amongst the world’s elite, stymied only by fate, blind referees and cheating Kiwi locks.

It proved a turning point for Wales, who hired Graham Henry and drew a line in the sand. Enough. Within 12 months they had their revenge, posting a 29-19 victory over South Africa in Cardiff, surely one of the greatest turnarounds in sporting history.

Scotland’s miserable 51-3 defeat by Wales last Saturday won’t be wasted if the experience is used to galvanise the SRU into making some of the changes that are badly needed. The Scots too have their very own Kiwi coach arriving this summer in the robust shape of Anthony Vernon Cotter and, whatever else you may say about Scott Johnson, the SRU’s director of rugby picked a good ’un in the Clermont Auvergne coach.

Cotter’s appointment was endorsed by Joe Schmidt of Ireland, the Six Nations championship-winning coach and a former Clermont colleague. He had this to say: “I think Vern will clarify a few things for the Scottish players, like how scary he is as opposed to the opposition!”

Of course Cotter is only human, he can’t conjure up world-class players from Highland mist. What the Kiwi can do is cajole this group of players into fulfilling their potential, or something close to it, which is not a claim anyone has made on behalf of the man he replaces.

Sadly Scotland won’t win next year’s World Cup (it is a goal, if you recall), but they have a realistic chance of qualifying from their group by beating Samoa and making the knockout stages. The islanders are a tough nut to crack but the Scots would prefer to clash heads with them rather than England or Ireland, two other second-tier countries they could have been drawn against. Scotland lost to Samoa in South Africa last summer, for the first time ever, but beat them in Apia in 2012. It will be a close game but this Scotland team is much better than they have shown in recent weeks and the XV that Cotter picks for that crunch World Cup fixture will bear little relation to the one that got its backside kicked from one end of the Millennium Stadium to the other – perhaps less than half will survive.

The back three should be plucked from Stuart Hogg, Sean Lamont, Sean Maitland and Tim Visser, the latter pair missing almost the entire Six Nations due to injury. The midfield duo of Matt Scott and Alex Dunbar have the potential to be the equal of anything in Europe. Scott came into the Six Nations one match late and hopelessly undercooked on account of the hand he broke against Japan in November so imagine just what fireworks the pair might produce when they are both fully fit.

Ryan Grant follows a long line of mobile, athletic and skilful Scottish props (Hugh McLeod, David Sole, Tom Smith) and on the opposite side of the scrum WP Nel will ensure that Euan Murray is at the top of his game, exactly the boot in the backside that the veteran Scot needs.

At his best Richie Gray is world class, even if he has struggled occasionally to reach those heights in recent months. One insider insisted that his gym numbers were well down since joining Castres: he has effectively gone from pulling up trees to picking daisies. Am I alone in suspecting that the big fella might have been better served by staying put at Glasgow?

Leave aside Richie and concentrate on “little” Jonny Gray. He came off the bench for the final 11 minutes of the Calcutta Cup game and was never seen thereafter. Gray Jnr has every chance of being in Cotter’s World Cup team, possibly playing alongside his brother. The competition for a second row place remains healthy with Jim Hamilton, Tim Swinson and Grant Gilchrist all in the mix.

South African Josh Strauss, who qualifies for Scotland just in time, will give Cotter options in the third row of the scrum, as will the return of Ross Rennie and John Barclay, who are refurbishing their reputations in England and Wales respectively.

Admittedly that still leaves Scotland short of a Test-class ten but someone – Duncan Weir, Greig Tonks, Tom Heathcote, Finn Russell or even Greig Laidlaw – will put their hand up. Laidlaw’s cause will be helped if he is playing stand-off on a weekly basis for Gloucester, Weir’s by getting regular starts for Glasgow. If Cotter can sort out the half-backs, Scotland will boast its best back line they’ve had this millennium.

Two people are tasked with dragging Scottish rugby out of the mire. Cotter will help determine Scotland’s results for the next few years but, if he does what he is tasked to do, Johnson can help Scotland’s results for the next decade and then some. The Aussie has to focus on his day job and give up any thoughts of “helping” coach the national team, even presuming Cotter wants him hanging around. Johnson’s record as head coach has been one of dismal under-achievement.

The Australian needs to focus on getting more competition at youth level and even here the news is not all doom and gloom because the private school sector has undergone a quiet revolution over the last few years with a long list of impressive signings.

Heriot’s coach and one-time Edinburgh assistant Phil Smith is now director of rugby at Glasgow Academy, where Peter Wright is the hands-on coach. Former Edinburgh professional Andrew Easson is helping Heriot’s, Gloucester stalwart Don Caskie has the reins at Dollar Academy, former Borders coach Steve Bates is at Fettes College, Scotland A full-back Mark Appleson and Edinburgh lock Isak van der Westhuizen coach Edinburgh Academy, Rob Moffat and Roddy Deans crack the whip at Merchiston Castle, one-time Scotland A stand-off Mark McKenzie is doing great things at St Aloysius, helped by former Scotland centre Andy Henderson, while Ally Donaldson has just added Ben Cairns to the already impressive coaching roster at George Watson’s. In the last few years a vast reservoir of coaching talent has been sucked up by the private schools because they can afford it (or more accurately because they can’t afford not to have it) and all these coaches want an integrated and competitive fixture list. They recognise the need for change so it should not be beyond Johnson’s ability to push open a door that is already ajar.

Naturally the SRU will continue its evangelical work within the state sector but that necessity should not prevent them from fully exploiting all the talent in the private sector: it is what drives the excellence in Irish schools rugby that one coach dubbed “professional, in all but name”.

Beyond the immediate needs of competition at youth level, Johnson needs to address a couple of other issues, the first being the structure of the Premiership and whether they should resort to an eight-team, semi-professional superleague – although that decision will ultimately lie with the clubs themselves. Secondly, he needs to help smooth the transition from youth to adult rugby when so many young players chuck in the towel. Encouraging the Premier Clubs to run  under-20 teams would help, and they could play in tandem with the senior sides, so limiting any additional transport costs.

Meanwhile, the policy of pumping money into the pro-teams has yet to pay dividends for Edinburgh but if coach Alan Solomons is a decent judge of horse flesh then the capital club may be the surprise package in Europe’s second-tier tournament next season. Glasgow remain on course for a place in Europe’s main competition and the Rabo play-offs, although a home tie looks beyond them. They will likely travel to Limerick or Dublin.

If Scotland use last weekend as the spur to make the necessary changes the gloom currently hanging over rugby will lift pretty quickly. One day a journalist might be able to write that the Scots eventually got to grips with professionalism in 2014 after suffering all manner of indignities in Cardiff. Hell, we might even be grateful to the Welsh.

Love the Joe Schmidt comment

by Nematode Mon 24 Mar 2014, 12:52 pm

Nematode wrote:Just got wi-fi, gotta be quick in case the signal goes. Currently on some sort of lorry being taken away after being ripped up at Murrayfield. Heard someone saying 'they can't make it into compost'. Any clues? Hang on, Scott Johnson is walking past.... oh boy that's an exclusive. Apparently Cotter is going to sign as backs coa

Scotland and the summer tour! - Page 3 Dumper-truck-2

I'm in something like this

the coach wa

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Mon 24 Mar 2014, 12:53 pm

Nematode wrote:Just got wi-fi, gotta be quick in case the signal goes. Currently on some sort of lorry being taken away after being ripped up at Murrayfield. Heard someone saying 'they can't make it into compost'. Any clues? Hang on, Scott Johnson is walking past.... oh boy that's an exclusive. Apparently Cotter is going to sign as backs coa

by GLove39 Mon 24 Mar 2014, 12:53 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Barring fatigue...

Who is he? Is he Scottish qualified? And could he play stand off?

by funnyExiledScot Mon 24 Mar 2014, 12:54 pm

Yeh, I enjoyed that as well. With Cotter in charge of Scotland, and Solomons at Edinburgh, I think the soft core at the heart of the Scotland side is getting an almighty jolt!

by cakeordeath Mon 24 Mar 2014, 1:14 pm

funnyExiledScot wrote:Yeh, I enjoyed that as well. With Cotter in charge of Scotland, and Solomons at Edinburgh, I think the soft core at the heart of the Scotland side is getting an almighty jolt!

I commented on an Edinburgh match post (maybe against the Osprey's) that Edinburgh were a much much more physical side since Solomons took over. This is what the national team needs a healthy injection of.

by **RDW** Mon 24 Mar 2014, 1:16 pm

I agree on not selecting older players if there is a realistic alternative for the summer tour (i.e. Shlong over Fife/Seymour) but Cotter really needs to establish a squad of 25-30 players and stick with it.

by tigertattie Mon 24 Mar 2014, 2:40 pm

Cotter needs to take the best players he can and stick with them. Guys who normally bench could see themsevles getting a run out against the Yanks and Maple Leafs.

The problem though is going to be burnout. Players like Ryan Grant and One Direction Denton have played alot of rugby this season. Grant in particular with his little Lions adventure had his "pre season" interupted last summer. It may do him the world of good to have a rest this time round???

by funnyExiledScot Tue 25 Mar 2014, 2:02 pm

Clearly burnout should be considered, but I don't think it should affect that many. Perhaps Grant, R Gray, Maitland and Hogg may have a case due to the Lions, but it wasn't a particularly heavy schedule for those guys.

I guess it'll come down to how each individual player feels. Fatigue is often as much a mental condition as a physical one.

by tigertattie Tue 25 Mar 2014, 4:24 pm

funnyExiledScot wrote:Clearly burnout should be considered, but I don't think it should affect that many. Perhaps Grant, R Gray, Maitland and Hogg may have a case due to the Lions, but it wasn't a particularly heavy schedule for those guys.

I guess it'll come down to how each individual player feels. Fatigue is often as much a mental condition as a physical one.

Maitland has had a nice rest over the last month and a bit. He needs to go for game time more than anything!

Even Hogg had a wee spell off at the start of winter so I'm not so worried about him!

by **RDW** Tue 25 Mar 2014, 4:26 pm

Apparently Visser is in light training and due back next month. Obviously depends when 'next month is' but it is likely to be near the end of the season and I think he really needs to just take the season off and come back 100% fit and strong.

by demosthenes Tue 25 Mar 2014, 4:50 pm

tigertattie wrote:
funnyExiledScot wrote:Clearly burnout should be considered, but I don't think it should affect that many. Perhaps Grant, R Gray, Maitland and Hogg may have a case due to the Lions, but it wasn't a particularly heavy schedule for those guys.

I guess it'll come down to how each individual player feels. Fatigue is often as much a mental condition as a physical one.

Maitland has had a nice rest over the last month and a bit. He needs to go for game time more than anything!

Even Hogg had a wee spell off at the start of winter so I'm not so worried about him!

Aye, and Hogg is having a wee spell off just now as well!!!

by tigertattie Tue 25 Mar 2014, 4:52 pm

I can't see him playing for Edinburgh again this season (unless we get to the playoffs Laugh

)

He'll start doing fitness work and rebuilding the strength in his foot/ankle

He is another that Cotter may take on tour over the summer. It will depend if Coter uses it as a training excercise or if he wants to go out and win the games at all costs!

by funnyExiledScot Tue 25 Mar 2014, 5:47 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Apparently Visser is in light training and due back next month. Obviously depends when 'next month is' but it is likely to be near the end of the season and I think he really needs to just take the season off and come back 100% fit and strong.

For some reason I can't imagine Visser doing anything other than "light training"!

by Nematode Tue 25 Mar 2014, 7:15 pm

Fife is out for the next 2 months at least

http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/14/03/25/fife-grounded-rest-season

Gutted. Could have had his chance on the summer tour to really stand out and maybe oust the immortal Max Evans.

by **George Carlin** Wed 26 Mar 2014, 8:14 am

That's really bad news about Fife. Was looking forward to seeing him on pitches unemcumbered by knee deep mud or nematodes. Is it officially crisis time on the wings front for us? Maitland was on the bench against Scarlets, I guess.

by tigertattie Wed 26 Mar 2014, 9:34 am

Don't suppose Carlin Isles has a Scottish granny?

by **RDW** Wed 26 Mar 2014, 9:37 am

Well he's playing for Ayr against Hawick this weekend so if ever he was needing a reality check of his current situation that will be it!

by tigertattie Wed 26 Mar 2014, 9:54 am

I wonder if bookies will take bets on the following:

The time when Carlin Isles gets ran over the top of
The time when Carlin Isles will attempt a tackle
The time when Carlin Isles gets knocked out
The time when Carlin Isles says "Stuff this, these boys are rough" and walks off the pitch
The number of minutes after the match where Glasgow release Isles from his contract!

by Nematode Wed 26 Mar 2014, 1:08 pm

Look, Isles is potentially a shrewd move. If he works out ok in XV then we could have some top French teams showing interest, which is good money to spend on future Scottish talent...

I think FB would be a good place for him potentially, but look at someone like Gio Aplon.

by Nematode Wed 26 Mar 2014, 1:12 pm

IMPORTANT

http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/14/03/26/laidlaw-rested-world-cup-preparations-begin

by **RDW** Wed 26 Mar 2014, 1:14 pm

Nematode wrote:Look, Isles is potentially a shrewd move. If he works out ok in XV then we could have some top French teams showing interest, which is good money to spend on future Scottish talent...

I think FB would be a good place for him potentially, but look at someone like Gio Aplon.

How would we make money from that? There's no transfer fees in rugby and if he moves at the end of his contract Glasgow will get nothing...

by **BigGee** Wed 26 Mar 2014, 1:26 pm

There are transfer fees, but like football only if in contract. If someone else takes him it will only be at the end of next year when he is out of contract.

Still think that this is a punt to nothing, he has not cost big bucks, he can't be on much more than a training contract. Its good publicity and you can never rule out someone with that kind of pace actually being half decent in the long term. If the conditioners can put another stone on him over the summer then you never know. He could be a useful impact sub, throw him on when you are chasing the game or need a forth try. It could work.

by funnyExiledScot Wed 26 Mar 2014, 11:32 pm

Nematode wrote:IMPORTANT

http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/14/03/26/laidlaw-rested-world-cup-preparations-begin

Hart is a better 9 and Bezzy (on current form anyway) is a better kicker. No issues for Edinburgh here, plus I want Kennedy and S H-C to get as much rugby as possible, as both are excellent prospect.

Good move all round, although I suspect some will not be encouraged to hear that Laidlaw is ear marked for a key role next year.

by tigertattie Thu 27 Mar 2014, 9:19 am

it could be smoke and mirror stuff

Solomons may want the 9s that will be playing at edinburgh next year playing the remaining matches!

With Laidlaw's kicking having gone to pot recently, there is nothing in his skillset that would point towards him being the first choice 9 for Scotland next year. And with the great one rocking up over the summer, no-one's place in the team is safe (I hope)

If the team has already been picked before Cotter arrives then there is no hope for us going forward! Cotter has to be left to do things how he wants and pick the players he needs!

by Majestic83 Thu 27 Mar 2014, 9:59 am

Potentially good long term news for Scotland....Steve MacColl currently the Leeds full back has signed for Gloucester for the next couple years.
Expect him to make a big impression and step up.

by **RDW** Thu 27 Mar 2014, 10:00 am

That is good news - he looks a good player and Edinburgh and Glasgow are well covered at fullback

by Majestic83 Thu 27 Mar 2014, 10:04 am

Think he could be an outside bet for the world cup squad if he manages to get good game time at Gloucester. Normally a full back but has a lot of experience at 12,13 and also played a bit at 10 so is versatile and he is a pretty good goal kicker too especially from long range.

by TJ Thu 27 Mar 2014, 10:39 am

I think Laidlaw is a quality player and will play for Scotland and play well again. However he does need a break. I wouldn't take him on the summer tour either.

by tigertattie Thu 27 Mar 2014, 12:09 pm

I'm not saying Laidlaw is not a good player, but I think his skills won't suit the backline we are forming. Laidlaw was always a "general" telling forwards to pick and go, or popping a wee pass to a pod of forwards to attack round the fringes. If Scotland are going to using the backs to play fast attacking rugby, we need a nine that has fast and accuracte service. Laidlaw is not this nine!

by **RDW** Thu 27 Mar 2014, 12:54 pm

Solomons has made the cardinal selection sin of picking Matt Scott (12) at 13

https://www.606v2.com/t52894-treviso-v-edinburgh#2590310

What's worse is that he is suggesting the Strauss 12 Scott 13 axis is one for the future.

Could we be in a situation where Scott and Dunbar play in the opposite way round for their clubs as they do for Scotland?

by Majestic83 Thu 27 Mar 2014, 1:00 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Solomons has made the cardinal selection sin of picking Matt Scott (12) at 13

https://www.606v2.com/t52894-treviso-v-edinburgh#2590310

What's worse is that he is suggesting the Strauss 12 Scott 13 axis is one for the future.

Could we be in a situation where Scott and Dunbar play in the opposite way round for their clubs as they do for Scotland?

Yep very poor selection from Solomons, hopefully this is just a one off as Scott is not a 13.
Whats more is that Solomons has named Strauss as captain, I'm sure that must have ruffled a few feathers in the Edinburgh changing room!

by **RDW** Thu 27 Mar 2014, 1:01 pm

Especially since Roddy Grant was captain for 2 years!

by **George Carlin** Thu 27 Mar 2014, 1:07 pm

Jaysus:
- Leonard at 10
- Bezzy at 15
- Glacial at 14
- Gilchrist as vice captain
- Scott at 13

Has Pappy been on the liqueur chocolates?

Then again, you could play Uncle Dougie and the old, rusty birdcage against Treviso at the moment and still win...

by Nematode Thu 27 Mar 2014, 4:38 pm

Really excited to see Steve McColl heading to Gloucester. Will surely improve his game and with Laidlaw playing there the selectors will probably be able to catch a better glimpse of him.

Could he squeeze in on the summer tour? If you look at the back 3 - Hogg, ~~Tonks~~, Murchie, ~~Visser~~, Maitland, ~~Lamont~~, Seymour, Evans, ~~Fife~~; Dunbar, Scott, Taylor, Bennett, Vernon ...

If you play Hogg; Maitland and Seymour then you'd have room for McColl on the bench potentially.

by Nematode Thu 27 Mar 2014, 4:46 pm

He's 6ft 2 ish and 102kg according to his highlights video on YouTube and seems to be pacey enough.

by **RDW** Thu 27 Mar 2014, 4:46 pm

Should he be brought straight in to the Scotland squad having played a season of Championship rugby?

He's looked very good, but remember the Championship is a big step down from the AP never mind International.

by Nematode Fri 28 Mar 2014, 8:36 am

I was more thinking for the USA game perhaps.

by **George Carlin** Sun 30 Mar 2014, 3:54 pm

Footage of us spanking those Fromage Quaffing Surrender monkey

(sorry, WhoCares) in the Bowl Final the other day. Well done, boys. Nice cameo by Jedi and the Selkirk Pixie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvZJN-No_g0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r9Mq9GfnqA

by funnyExiledScot Sun 30 Mar 2014, 6:37 pm

Thanks GC, enjoyed that. Bennett should really be playing 15 a side you feel, not sure this is really developing him. Lee Jones at 9 isn't a daft idea....

by **George Carlin** Mon 31 Mar 2014, 7:39 am

Yes, agreed. Smaller wingers to 9 is actually one of those positional switches that would make sense.

Just read that Isles scored 27 tries in 14 international sevens tournaments. Almost Cullen-esque.

Still no idea what to make of the 7s teams. Delighted that we won the bowl (first time since 2004 that the Scots had been in a trophy final in Hong Kong apparently) but then I turn and watch the English and Welsh teams regularly contesting the cup and plate and (even then) wonder what they get out of it. I keep coming back to it - both England and Wales seem to have a reasonable club structure and can afford the luxury of a 7s team. We just can't.

by **RDW** Mon 31 Mar 2014, 8:10 am

Not sure where Lee Jones would get much gametime at 9, but then again he's not getting much gametime on the wing!

Lee Jones is one of those players who is really a top class 7s player trying to find somewhere to fit in 15s.

I think he should concentrate on the 7s and represent Scotland at the Commonwealth games, then see what happens after that.

by **BigGee** Mon 31 Mar 2014, 9:03 am

George Carlin wrote:Footage of us spanking those Fromage Quaffing Surrender (sorry, WhoCares) in the Bowl Final the other day. Well done, boys. Nice cameo by Jedi and the Selkirk Pixie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvZJN-No_g0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r9Mq9GfnqA

Just watched this game and you have to say that they played very well, really taking it to the French and playing some very attractive sevens. I did not see the other two games we won that day but both were decent looking results. It seems though in sevens like in 15's we always start to slowly in the tournaments. Ok it probably did not help having NZ up first but I can't believe that if we played like that all the way through we would not end up in the sharp end of the tournament at some stage.

Bringing in some of the pro's, who are not getting game time can only be a good thing. All the Glasgow players made an impact and probably made the others pick up their games. If we are going to play in the international sevens and considering our heritage in the game, I think we should, then we need to put out competitive teams. We should be looking at rotating more of the back up pro's through this program, it is hard to see that it would not improve their games as well!

by **RDW** Mon 31 Mar 2014, 9:22 am

It's really frustrating seeing young backs who can pass, step and have pace playing for the 7s team when we have the likes of Cuthbert (who had a decent game at the weekend granted), Beard, and Niko (a scrum half really) playing on the wings for the pro teams.

Jones, Fleming, Johnston, Auld etc. are really skillful players but just can't seem to get a break in the pro teams. Throw in Farndale and Hoyland (who scored a screamer of a try for Gala last week) and we've got some real talent that I hope isn't lost.

Saying that, as a young guy it is probably a lot more attractive touring the world with the 7s team than grinding out games in the mud in Scotland.

by kiakahaaotearoa Mon 31 Mar 2014, 9:22 am

Ridiculous travel schedule in 4 weeks! Even the RC has a break between every two games. I'm surprised they haven't thrown in another game in Samoa after the SA game!

by Nematode Mon 31 Mar 2014, 7:23 pm

If I was VC looking ahead to the USA, I'd be looking at a 23 like this (after the past 5 or so club games & 6 Nations) to give some youngsters a chance and rest some of our veterans:

Reid, MacArthur, Welsh, Gray, Gray, Harley, Rennie, Beattie (Rest Denton?), Cusiter, Weir, Maitland, Scott, Dunbar, Seymour, Hogg

Grant, Ford, Cross, Gilchrist, Barclay (Beattie/Denton), Hart, Horne (Heathcote), Vernon

I've been impressed by that Glasgow front row and having a FR that knows each other's abilities is a bonus. Similar with the two Gray brothers who I think would complement one another. I'd like to see Harley get some reward for his good Glasgow performances and maybe Beattie so that Denton can get a rest. Might be a nice introduction for Rennie to get back into the international scene. Backs are fairly explanatory. I included Vernon because I think he may have potential. It'd be good to seem him actually lay that down and I think 25/30 mins vs USA would be a good opportunity.

I think this would give a good spine.

Hogg, Scott, Weir, Cusiter, Beattie, Gray, MacArthur

I don't think Weir really proved himself in the 6N but like a grey cloud, it passes over and at his age I think he definitely deserves another chance. Also he'd have good service from Cusiter and a good breakdown to play from.

Been thinking about Ruiardh Jackson though lately and whether he should completely fall out of the team and I'm converted from 'GET HIM OUT' to unsure. He seems to me perhaps a little more opportune than Weir and that's a good thing with someone like Rennie in the team and good backs like Maitland and Scott. He has been a bit hopeless recently at Glasgow but maybe a 1 year all-or-nothing loan to Edinburgh might be an idea - like Nikki Walker...

So yeah. Oh, for captain, I'd go for Cusiter or Denton.

by **RDW** Tue 01 Apr 2014, 8:38 am

Shock announcement from the IRB this morning

https://www.606v2.com/t52961-irb-ruling-scotland-to-start-each-match-with-10-points#2595032

by **George Carlin** Tue 01 Apr 2014, 8:49 am

Does anyone think that Western will be playing against Scotland with the US 15s team this summer?

by EWT Spoons Tue 01 Apr 2014, 8:57 am

George Carlin wrote:Does anyone think that Western will be playing against Scotland with the US 15s team this summer?

Well if he's got the ambition to play in the World Cup then I think he would need to be playing in the summer for the full team. Whether he'll be ready or not is another matter, but I think if he's played a few times for Glasgow then the USA will probably want to see what he can do at international level.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/feb/18/usa-sevens-carlin-isles-signs-glasgow-warriors[

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