Scotland v Tonga, 22 November

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Scotland v Tonga

Date: Saturday, November 22
Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock
Kickoff: 14:30 local (GMT)
Referee: JP Doyle (Ingerlund)
Assistant Referees: ?
TMO: Gareth Simmonds ?

Autumn tests so far

Scotland 41 - Argentina 31
Scotland 16 - New Zealand 24

Tonga 40 - USA 12
Georgia 9 - Tonga 23

Teams

Scotland

15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); 26 caps
14 Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors); 12 caps
13 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors); 90 caps
12 Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors); 3 tries
11 Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby); 14 caps

10 Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors); 4 caps
9 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester); 33 caps

1 Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby); 38 caps
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby); 79 caps
3 Geoff Cross (London Irish); 34 caps
4 Richie Gray (Castres); 41 caps
5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors); 7 caps
6 Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors); 9 caps
7 Blair Cowan (London Irish); 5 caps
8 Johnnie Beattie (Castres); 33 caps

16 Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors); 2caps
17 Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors); 5 caps
18 Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors); 18 caps
19 Kieran Low (London Irish); 4 caps
20 Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan); 41 caps
21 Chris Cusiter (Sale Sharks); 69 caps
22 Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors); 17 caps
23 Duncan Taylor (Saracens); 11 caps

Tonga  


[TBC]

funnyExiledScot wrote:Actually BabyfES has insisted that I pay not to watch the rugby. My season ticket  looks newer than Al Kellock's kit at the end of a game.

I sometimes wonder if the players ever chance upon these boards and have a little cry at the comments. Poor Al. It's all true, but still, poor Al.

Any idea how many tickets have been sold?
I like the idea of moving one AI a year around but not at the expense of a rubbish crowd

Well looking towards the 6N there is some positive news from the Edinburgh camp - Matt Scott has been declared fit this weekend.

Given Bennett is likely to at least miss the start of the 6N it is cruical we get Matt Scott up to match fitness and sharpness. He's got time on his hands now though having come back early, and should be firing on all cylinders come 6N time (if he doesn't get injured again)

funnyExiledScot wrote:

Riskysports wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:I really don't get this massive dislike of David Denton or really understand what he's done wrong to warrant these low opinions. Sure, he is not the complete number 8 and has weaknesses to his game, but he's a pretty damn good player for Scotland to have at our disposal, and I've certainly never had the impression having watched him numerous times for Edinburgh that he's a shirker. I certainly do not think he fails in comparison to Ryan Wilson and Adam Ashe (not yet anyway) nor frankly Johnnie Beattie (who I've not yet seen perform convincing over the last two years!), but perhaps underlying all of this is the whole Glasgow/Edinburgh thing again.....

Not sure why you keep bringing this up - but it seems to be a bug bear of yours - not one else seems to be mentioning it or have I missed something!?

It just annoys me that Edinburgh fans, to a man, are able to combine flawless rugby knowledge whilst remaining completely impartial, unbiased and objective when evaluating players from all origins, yet our Glasgow brethren can sit there, unwashed, unemployed and misunderstanding the democractic process, claiming that Byron McGuigan is better than Conrad Smith......

Woah there!!!!

Are you implying that I'm a weegie????????

?

I don't get it?  Australian American Madman v Tonga?

God help Tonga!

A couple of questions for Scotland fans:

Will the venue at Kilmarnock help or hinder your cause?

Is there any fear of being ambushed or do you all feel confident that you will have their measure and it will be a comfortable victory?
(If so... by how much... approximately?)

InjuredYetAgain wrote:Any idea how many tickets have been sold?
I like the idea of moving one AI a year around but not at the expense of a rubbish crowd

There were over 10k sold last week, but not seen anything since. Looking at the ticket map, both stands behind the posts (which had free kids tickets available) look almost full. Plenty of seats available in the two main stands.

Hard to continue to justify the move around the country in terms of pure numbers through the gates, but I still think there is more to be gained from moving them than just the crowd attendance.

Maybe move one of the bigger Test matches (in terms of opposition) or at least if its a Tier 2 team, make it the First Test Match.

The Loaded Dog wrote:A couple of questions for Scotland fans:

Will the venue at Kilmarnock help or hinder?

Is there any fear of being ambushed or do you all feel confident that you will have their measure and it will be a comfortable victory? (If so... by how much... approximately?)

A very good chance of being ambushed. Scotland are not at the level yet, where they can be confident of beating any of the Worlds top dozen or so, without playing well.

That said, I think we are playing well and with a win rounding off what would be then a good AI series, I can see us taking it by 10.

...Provided, as you alluded to...you play as if facing New Zealand again. Sometimes the urge is to see the opposition for what they are. If the opposition are terrifying, the concentration and effort can go up. But if the opposition hold no fears mentally speaking then often gameplay can dangerously reflect that ease of mind. That's when you can find yourself in a game you're trying desperately to reel back in towards the end.

So Scotland should play with the same focus as against a top side, and if they have it in them to give Tonga a whipping, then they should keep the gas on and do just that. Not as an insult to Tonga but as a habit former.

Dorothy_Mantooth wrote:

InjuredYetAgain wrote:Any idea how many tickets have been sold?
I like the idea of moving one AI a year around but not at the expense of a rubbish crowd

There were over 10k sold last week,

So sounds like we'll be lucky to get 15k, even though they are giving loads of freebies away.

I know they say it is about spreading the game, but I'm fairly sure it is actually financial and they don't want the embarrassment of an empty Murrayfield.

I'm no marketing expert, but given a load of the gate money will have to go to the football clubs, I'd much rather keep it at Murrayfield and price the tickets at £30/£20 for adults, £10 for students, kids go free.

Surely we'd get around 30k for that, representing a decent turnout and making sure the money stays in the SRU?

Thats the issue though, we'd not get 30k at HQ. Any less than that and the atmosphere won't be there. It looks bad on the tele!

The moving games aorund the country is to try and reach youngsters and give others the oppertunity to see live international rugby!

Hopefully if the team can start getting regular wins, then we may see more fans rocking up to HQ so we won't need to move to smaller grounds!

Unfortuantly its a fashion thing just now! If it's not England, Wales or the Oirish then we don't sell out Murrayfield!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Dorothy_Mantooth wrote:

InjuredYetAgain wrote:Any idea how many tickets have been sold?
I like the idea of moving one AI a year around but not at the expense of a rubbish crowd

There were over 10k sold last week,

So sounds like we'll be lucky to get 15k, even though they are giving loads of freebies away.

I know they say it is about spreading the game, but I'm fairly sure it is actually financial and they don't want the embarrassment of an empty Murrayfield.

I'm no marketing expert, but given a load of the gate money will have to go to the football clubs, I'd much rather keep it at Murrayfield and price the tickets at £30/£20 for adults, £10 for students, kids go free.

Surely we'd get around 30k for that, representing a decent turnout and making sure the money stays in the SRU?

I don't understand why they think there are going to get thousands attending the game from the West for the game at Kilmarnock who would not have attended had it been at Murrayfield. Train journeys from Central/Queen Street to Edinburgh and Kilmarnock are pretty similar.

tigertattie wrote:Thats the issue though, we'd not get 30k at HQ. Any less than that and the atmosphere won't be there. It looks bad on the tele!

There was 30k plus for the game against Japan last year.

Also, I'm assuming Kilmornock have any away game that weekend, so a lot of the local sports fans will be at that one instead?

RDW_Scotland wrote:Also, I'm assuming Kilmornock have any away game that weekend, so a lot of the local sports fans will be at that one instead?

You'll be lucky if Killie get 1000 fans to go to an away game!

I'm predicting another win for Tonga, that would make it two in a row against the the world premier dark horses .

The Saint wrote:I'm predicting another win for Tonga, that would make it two in a row against the the world premier dark horses .

Hopefully a case of once bitten, twice shy. Hopefully Stern Verm will have the players in the right focussed.
Time to exorcise the demons of 2 years ago!

Scotland are overwhelming favourites at 1/9 - bit optimistic!

My sky box has decided to stop working! Does anyone know if you can watch the game live on iPlayer?

cakeordeath wrote:My sky box has decided to stop working! Does anyone know if you can watch the game live on iPlayer?

You should be fine from here http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/rugby-union/29788112 and click on "live coverage", should give you the option

highland_scot wrote:

cakeordeath wrote:My sky box has decided to stop working! Does anyone know if you can watch the game live on iPlayer?

You should be fine from here http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/rugby-union/29788112 and click on "live coverage", should give you the option

Cheers

GLove39 wrote:

The Saint wrote:I'm predicting another win for Tonga, that would make it two in a row against the the world premier dark horses .

Hopefully a case of once bitten, twice shy. Hopefully Stern Verm will have the players in the right focussed.
Time to exorcise the demons of 2 years ago!

Vern is good in that department, though as of yet I'm not so sure he can implement what he wants to a great enough extent. In the near future, who knows.

Good luck today anyway, I hope we get a few more tries. Scotland in another try-fest shocker (bad headline).

Vern will know that structure is critical to any match with the Island sides. Scotland in a canter.

I'm nervous...

Just a thought but should the ref be using the vanishing marking spray to mark the ground

We're definitely in for a game here!

Surely you can't roll away with someone laying on top of you!!!

Jeez the Tongans like coming in from offside

That's the most blatant yellow you can get!

Absolutely crucial that we scored there

We going for a tight offloading game here?

I liked the bit where the ref was trying to explain the maul laws to Tonga

Hogg's passing had been crap these AIs

Hmmmm. We're looking a bit rushed. Thibk we need to calm down a tad and do some pick and go's for a while

I take back everything I said about Ross Ford, his throwing has been perfect.

We were very naive with the extra man there - this will be a big boost for Tonga

Should be a yellow

Well done camera folks.....

Naughty naughty Dunbar.

Dunbar actually lucky that Gray caught the Tongan or he could have been looking at a red

Very concerned now!

Such a soft YC, why not just play some touch rugby.

How was that a yellow? Hip hit the ground first.

Why was he shouting for 9 to use it when we were rampaging forward in the maul?

This looks ominous...

Really bored, unfortunately those are the laws. If a player should know not to run at the side of a maul they should know what happens when you lift someone above the horizontal and not put them down safely.

Lovely take and pop pass

Scotland need to get their collective finger out. They are woeful

Why are we throwing it wide when we're down a back?

Poor game management from us, they're playing a far smarter game right now.

Visser and ford looking the hungriest