Scotland World Cup look ahead and squad

A. WORLD CUP WARM-UP MATCHES:

                                
15 August 2015:Ireland v Scotland, Dublin.

                              
22 August 2015:  Italy v Scotland, Turin.

                                 
29 August 2015:  Scotland v Italy, Edinburgh

                                      
05 September 2015: France v Scotland, Paris

B. WORLD CUP POOL MATCHES

                                         
23 September 2015:  Scotland V Japan, Kingsholm - Gloucester.

                                        
27 September 2015:  Scotland v USA, Elland Road - Leeds.

                                        
03 October 2015:  Scotland v South Africa, St James Park - Newcastle.

                                     
10 October 2015:  Scotland v Samoa, St James Park - Newcastle.

C. EXTENDED SCOTLAND SQUAD

- FORWARDS (25) -

Prop (7):
Mike Cusack (Glasgow Warriors) – Uncapped
Allan Dell (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped
Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 44 caps; 4 RWC appearances (2007 and 2011)
Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors) – 22 caps
Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) – Uncapped
Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps
Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons) – 4 caps

Hooker (3):
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps
Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) – 85 caps; 8 RWC appearances (2007 and 2011)
Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) – Uncapped

Second-row (6):
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) – 8 caps
Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 caps
Richie Gray (Castres) – 44 caps
Jim Hamilton (Saracens) – 61 caps; 6 RWC appearances (2007 and 2011)
Robert Harley (Glasgow Warriors) – 15 caps
Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 12 caps

Back-row (9):
Adam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors) – 5 caps
John Barclay (Scarlets) – 43 caps; 4 RWC appearances (2007 and 2011)
Hugh Blake (Glasgow Warriors) – Uncapped
Blair Cowan (London Irish) – 11 caps
David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby) – 25 caps
Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors) – Uncapped
Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan) – 44 caps; 3 RWC appearances (2011)
Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 1 cap

- BACKS (21) -

Scrum-half (4):
Chris Cusiter (Sale Sharks) – 70 caps; 6 RWC appearances (2007 and 2011)
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby) – 5 caps
Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester) – 39 caps
Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 caps

Stand-off (3):
Ruaridh Jackson (Wasps) – 25 caps; 3 RWC appearances (2011)
Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) – 9 caps
Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) – 18 caps

Centre (6):
Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors) – 7 caps
Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) – 14 caps
Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 7 caps
Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby) – 25 caps
Duncan Taylor (Saracens) – 12 caps
Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps; 3 RWC appearances (2011)

Back-three (8):
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 32 caps
Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby) – Uncapped
Rory Hughes (Glasgow Warriors) – Uncapped
Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors) – 93 caps; 8 RWC appearances (2007 and 2011)
Sean Maitland (London Irish) – 15 caps
Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps
Greig Tonks (Edinburgh Rugby) – 4 caps
Tim Visser (Harlequins) – 18 caps

I'm off to buy a Georgia strip

I'm off the buy a crate...

I was born in England, I could of been in for an exciting day today. Yet for some reason I chose Scotland and I'm fecking deflated.

Looking at the championship as a whole:

As a team, we've been terrible
We've had no luck
Refs don't 'Favour' us because we don't command any respect
Our pack has gone backwards more than the limbo world champion
Politics have prevented two of our best performing players to be overlooked
Fyfe is not international standard
Swinson Is not international standard
Harley is soooo off form that he's either injured or lost it
Laidlaw is too slow for our style of play
Laidlaw is not captain material
Finn Russell is Wobblier than humpty sitting on a wall
Our tackling is bad
Our breakdown is bad
Our scrums are bad

As a rugby nation, we've made no progress. No wonder we are considered a third tier nation

Basically it's time to have a watershed moment; there are some players who have been there for years and if they haven't done it yet they never, ever will. Let's clear them out and I don't mean after the world cup, Visser, Laidlaw, Beattie, swinson, Hamilton, Ford and Murray have to go.

On the six nations:
Mitigating factors:
Injuries and suspensions to key players I.e maitland, Dunbar and russell
Lack of our 3 fly-halves against Italy
The fact that our six nations ended the second russell tacked Biggar in the air
Some of the refereeing decisions have been debatable
We played France away in an emotionally charged atmosphere and we played each of the favourites on a backlash
We were urine poor against Italy

But these aren't decent excuses for what we have seen a lack of leadership and a constant desire to overplay killed us. We all know the negatives but looking to the future:
Clear out the deadwood mentioned earlier
Clear out the Poopie in the coaching team like the Welshman who seems to have crippled our pack
Keep Johnson in his role as he seems to be doing decent things but don't allow him near the Scotland first team
Look to the u18s and u20s and make sure their best players fulfil their potential as they have been brilliant this year
Look to make a development side in the pro12 Ireland have 4 teams and our youth sides beat them at both age levels. So we can develop the depth that is currently lacking
Bring back brown and Barclay for their leadership in the short term

Perhaps Scotland could join a tournament where they would feel a little bit more comfortable and be able to compete with the opposition for a few years. I think a trial separation would do us good and we can still be friends with the SRU see how things go. Don't worry though Scotland...it's not you...it's us

We are sh. It and I am going to be selling my world cup tickets next week in the official resell process. I am not paying good money for this

Steffan wrote:Perhaps Scotland could join a tournament where they would feel a little bit more comfortable and be able to compete with the opposition for a few years. I think a trial separation would do us good and we can still be friends with the SRU see how things go. Don't worry though Scotland...it's not you...it's us

We can't join a suitable competition as the Shetland isles P3 girls league is already full

Yeah, the big one was Barclay and Brown. I don't know Ashe was on the pitch today, not his fault he's an inexperienced guy out of position, and Barclay is just very classy.

I'd add maitland to that as well

I dread world cup and so should VC because his position ALREADY should depend on World Cup!

This 6N has been diabolical and a total disgrace!

I would rather play crap and win than play great (I don't believe they have by the way!) and lose.

Results are WORSE now than under Williams, Hadden, Robinson and Johnson!!!

The SRU need to ensure that the talent in the age group systems are not lost in the wilderness. For that to happen I suggest we scrap the 7's setup it does nothing for us and we will not even be holding a round next year. With the money that releases and an injection from the willing sponsors that have already declared an interest form a third pro team in Aberdeen. Formalise a relationship with London Scottish and use them to develop talent in the English leagues. Forget the borders they just aren't interested in supporting pro rugby as it stands. This World Cup is fecked lets target the next one starting now. The young players currently in the international setup will still be young in four years time.
It requires a clear out of players who are not going to be there in four years. Ford, Murray, Hamilton, Laidlaw, Beattie, cross, Cusiter etc. and ensuring these emerging players are exposed to as high and intense a level of rugby as possible to prepare them.
Get our top coaches back coaching scottish players they are out there helping other countries develop their talent. We could start with Ritchie Gray,Matt Proudfoot and the lad who is off to London Irish.

Lastly sort out the schools system. It is a total mess with schools who already have a well established rugby programme being given preferential treatment. We all know that means private schools almost without exception. There is a massive pool of untapped talent within the state school system which is basically being ignored. The new proposals would mean the kids cannot play both club and school rugby as the SRU want these games all on a Saturday.
When you look at the structure of scottish rugby as it stands it really is no surprise we are in such a mess at senior level.
I have now completed my rant.

V embarrassing six nations for scotland.

My main negatives are
-poor assistant coaches, forwards have gone backwards since humphries took charge and scrum is still too inconsistent.
-scotland are not aggressive and physical enough at the breakdown, we are also not streetwise enough either and able to get away with things that ireland, Wales, England do!
- we still try to force things to much. Rugby is a simple game to play well but over and over we try to over complicate things and force passes to much.
- scotland also make too many basic mistakes which pro players should not be making.
- a lack of leadership is a big problem, Laidlaw is not a leader and never has been! The other captains are very vocal with the refs and get in their ear and influence them where as Laidlaw is very quiet and doesn't impose himself enough!
- the Backrow has been quite simply rubbish. Denton carried the ball well and played pretty well the last two games but the other back rowers have under performed. 6 & 7 through out the tournament have not turned up. I have been a big fan off blair Cowan for the last 3 or 4 years but he has not played well this 6 nations! He was half asleep today and totally off pace. He has given the opposition to easy a ride at the breakdown and not been a nuisance enough to the opposition. He also hasnt supported well enough in attack and rarely been first man to the breakdown.

There are still positives for scotland going forward.
There are some very good young players like hogg, Bennett, Russell, gray etc but they are continually being let done by a few players who seem un droppable.
We have had a lot of injuries and have tested our depth so there are quite a few players to come back into the team who can make a difference.
Vern cotter is a good coach but needs to be allowed to bring in his own backroom staff.

There are some simple fixes that can be made to improve scotland quickly but it's a question of whether the sru and coaches will actually make them.
For me though Jim Hamilton, greg Laidlaw, Blair Cowan, dougie Fife should not play for scotland again until their performances improve hugely!

Heuer27 wrote:The SRU need to ensure that the talent in the age group systems are not lost in the wilderness. For that to happen I suggest we scrap the 7's setup it does nothing for us and we will not even be holding a round next year. With the money that releases and an injection from the willing sponsors that have already declared an interest form a third pro team in Aberdeen. Formalise a relationship with London Scottish and use them to develop talent in the English leagues.  Forget the borders they just aren't interested in supporting pro rugby as it stands. This World Cup is fecked lets target the next one starting now. The young players currently in the international setup will still be young in four years time.
It requires a clear out of players who are not going to be there in four years. Ford, Murray, Hamilton, Laidlaw, Beattie, cross, Cusiter etc. and ensuring these emerging players are exposed to as high and intense a level of rugby as possible to prepare them.
Get our top coaches back coaching scottish players they are out there helping other countries develop their talent. We could start with Ritchie Gray,Matt Proudfoot and the lad who is off to London Irish.

Lastly sort out the schools system. It is a total mess with schools who already have a well established rugby programme being given preferential treatment. We all know that means private schools almost without exception. There is a massive pool of untapped talent within the state school system which is basically being ignored. The new proposals would mean the kids cannot play both club and school rugby as the SRU want these games all on a Saturday.
When you look at the structure of scottish rugby as it stands it really is no surprise we are in such a mess at senior level.
I have now completed my rant.

Said that for a long time that scotland need to get Ritchie gray and matt proufoot involved. Both excellent coaches and far better than what is in place. Clark Laidlaw is doing a great job at the Hurricanes who are unbeaten and their backs are scoring tries for fun!

That's the other guy Clark Laidlaw.

The Scottish rucking technique is woeful. The players all seem to go in high giving the opposition a target to clear out fairly easily. Furthermore they seem to struggle to jackal and cannot hold their feet and are just not aggressive enough at the clear out. All technical faults which should be coached but they are not it would seem.
I don't do scrums but they look a bit shambolic to me. For the life of me I cannot understand why when we have a boiler house the size we do that we get shunted about so effortlessly at times.
The 9-10 axis is not balanced we have a ponderous scrum half and a live wire ten.
Centre is sorted , wings are good and fullback is world class.
Back row is an issue as is tight head although things should be better when the project players become available.

It sickens me we're relying on short term project players

Here's a question that has no easy answer -


Who will be Scotlands world cup captain? I'd be very, very disappointed if it is Laidlaw - the difference hidalgo-clyne made when he come on really was vast.

Question should be; who will be COACH!?

Very good question but really not sure of an answer as no obvious candidates in the current squad.
There are 3 or 4 very good options currently being ignored for whatever reason but not sure whether cotter will make those needed changes!

Barclay should be captain

Ashe needs to mature in his position in the back row and Bradbury is coming through at Edinburgh. Faegerson looks a prospect too. Brown and Bryce look to be the future at hooker .
With regards the project players, everyone is doing it why get left behind even further

I understand why we do it I just don't like it

Well, then. Just about digested that rather large poo sandwich with a side order of extra embarrassment. It's official. This current crop have the worst 5/6N record since 1970. And it feels like it too.

There are a number of things that I simply don't have an explanation for.

Main ones are:

1. How can a pack of forwards give us so little platform? Over the course of the tournament, that has to be the worst ball retention I have ever seen from a set of Scotland forwards. And I have no idea what it is, given how effective practically the same pack was under Robinson and Johnson. What is wrong? Size of the men? Or just lack of basic skills?

2. Our ruck technique is absolutely horrendous. We do not commit enough men and those who do attend seem to be making it up as they go along. I am fearful every time that we will be turned over and I cannot ever remember feeling that before watching the national side.

3. Why in the name of almighty f*ck do we concede so many penalties? I would estimate that it is one fifth to one quarter more than any other team in this tournament. How can that possibly be explained? Have we given up listening to referees any more? Or do we all just get so wild with frustration that we think coming in from the side and holding on to tackled players is the answer?

4. Why do the players given captaincy roles have so little gravitas? Are these really the best that the country can produce? Greig Laidlaw couldn't sell bottled water to plane crash victims in the Sahara. Why am I to believe Grant Gilchrist should be any better? My haircut is older than him and I wouldn't feel I could lay my body on the line for him. Oh for a Gordon Brown, Sole or Calder.

For all of those who tush-tush and spit at suggestions that guys like Josh Strauss might one day captain Scotland - you need to wake up and smell something unpleasant. We do NOT have the luxury of thumbing our nose at great players and genuine leaders. Grow up. At least twice tonight the referee blew for a choke tackle causing a maul because Paul O'Connell was loudly shouting that this had occurred. Leadership matters.

I hope and pray that (as with the AIs) Cotter committed to this group of players to give them a run of 5 games before making wholesale changes. Because now the hammer needs to come down.

We have always did this. Budge Pountney was from the Isle of Man and he captained Scotland.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Here's a question that has no easy answer -


Who will be Scotlands world cup captain? I'd be very, very disappointed if it is Laidlaw - the difference hidalgo-clyne made when he come on really was vast.

Has to be brown

Team should be

Dickenson
Ford
Murray (or A.N Other)
Gray no 1
Gray no 2
Brown
BARCLAY
Denton (or Ally Hogg)

Sam H C
Russell
Maitland
Scott (Dunbar if he makes it)
Bennett
Seymour
Hogg

Grant
Brown
Cross
Gilchrist/toolis
Harley
Cusiter
Taylor
Tonks

Oh, and a side order of boots up the ring pieces of every player and told they are playing for the God damn country so get your heads out your backside and start performing

I think you'll find Scotland are genuine dark horses for next year's 6N. Up until today they were just very, very, very, very, very, very, very dark, blue horses.

More like donkeys

Heuer27 wrote:More like donkeys

Ehhhhhh that's insulting to call us donkeys !!!

Donkeys are very hard working animals. Don't go tarring them with the same brush as us!

Aye true my bad.

As RU PooL B (assuming they beat Samoa which right now is not a safe bet) they will go out in the 1/4s to England/Wales/Aus. Job done

As for a PM on this sorry 6 Nations state, they have indeed gone backwards at a rate of knots. I would just proceed to the funeral and leave out the PM and inquest.

Gwlad wrote:As RU PooL B  (assuming they beat Samoa which right now is not a safe bet) they will go out in the 1/4s to England/Wales/Aus. Job done

As for a PM on this sorry 6 Nations state, they have indeed gone backwards at a rate of knots. I would just proceed to the funeral and leave out the PM and inquest.

More of a wake, really.

George Carlin wrote:Well, then. Just about digested that rather large poo sandwich with a side order of extra embarrassment. It's official. This current crop have the worst 5/6N record since 1970. And it feels like it too.

There are a number of things that I simply don't have an explanation for.

Main ones are:

1. How can a pack of forwards give us so little platform? Over the course of the tournament, that has to be the worst ball retention I have ever seen from a set of Scotland forwards. And I have no idea what it is, given how effective practically the same pack was under Robinson and Johnson. What is wrong? Size of the men? Or just lack of basic skills?

2. Our ruck technique is absolutely horrendous. We do not commit enough me and those who do attend seem to be making it up as they go along. I am fearful every time that we will be turned over and I cannot ever remember feeling that before watching the national side.

3. Why in the name of almighty f*ck do we concede so many penalties? I would estimate that it is one fifth to one quarter more than any other team in this tournament. How can that possibly be explained?

4. Why do the players given captaincy roles have to little gravitas? Are these the best that the country can produce? Greig Laidlaw couldn't sell bottled water to plane crash victims in the Sahara. Why am I to believe Grant Gilchrist should be any better? My haircut is older than that and I wouldn't feel I could lay my body on the line for him.

For all of those who tush-tush and spit at suggestions guys like Josh Strauss might one day captain Scotland - you need to wake up and smell something unpleasant. We do NOT have the luxury of thumbing our nose at great players and genuine leaders. Grow up. At least twice tonight the referee blew for a choke tackle causing a maul because Paul O'Connell was loudly shouting that this had occurred. Leadership matters.

I agree with all of this GC. I have to admit that I did not think we would lose by 30 points today and to do so was frankly humbling. I had reservations about giving JS the captaincy, but after the utter rubbish we've put up with this season, I now have no issues with giving him the captaincy. I struggle to see many other potential leaders, other than John Barclay and Kelly Brown but I can't see the SRU turning round and recalling them. The only other contender for me is Stuart Hogg- at one point today, Ireland were taking a kick at goal and Hoggy was organising the team in case the ball rebounded off the post again. I appreciate he may be slightly far removed from the action at times, but he is a guaranteed starter - the same cannot be said for Laidlaw.

SHC, Tonks and Fraser Brown did okay off the bench (from what I saw live at the match and I've not watched it back yet). SHC's service and sniping round the breakdown was quite impressive, whilst Brown won a couple of turnovers and generally it seemed like he fizzed his lineouts with more speed than Ford.

Moving forward to the WC, we MUST pick the IN FORM 15 players, not based on reputation, previous form or these mythical leadership/game management skills. Ford and Laidlaw are part of the problem - they're picked on their past reputations or leadership skills, when they no longer appear to be the best players in their position. Ford's throwing is accurate but is slow, whilst his work in the loose is now non-existent, which is not the modern way - both MacArthur and Brown are surely better options. Fraser Brown's issue is that he is the bench hooker at Glasgow, so he does not get as much game time as he would if he were the first choice hooker elsewhere.

It appeared that Matt Scott had a defensive nightmare, as did Dougie Fife - as I say, I only watched it live so was that also the case to those watching on TV?

Just watched Vern cotters and greg laidlaws press conference and not overly convinced they see where the major flaws are in their performances.
Hopefully it's a case of cotter not saying too much in the media but if not then I really do worry we aren't going to see any improvements in the foreseeable future.

I thought hidalgo-clyne was excellent when he came on - his passing was far sharper and he offered so much more from 9

Majestic83 wrote:Just watched Vern cotters and greg laidlaws press conference and not overly convinced they see where the major flaws are in their performances.
Hopefully it's a case of cotter not saying too much in the media but if not then I really do worry we aren't going to see any improvements in the foreseeable future.

I hope he's just one of those coaches who doesn't want to blame his players in public, but absolutely batters them in the dressing room

RDW_Scotland wrote:I thought hidalgo-clyne was excellent when he came on - his passing was far sharper and he offered so much more from 9

Agreed RDW, he's comfortable passing off both sides and it's a really fizzed pass. He was bossing the forwards around, and was sniping round the edges of the breakdown, like Ben Youngs, Rhys Webb and Conor Murray have been. If Mike Blair retires and takes a coaching role at Edinburgh, SHC should work closely with him because there are real similarities in aspects of their play.

I am sorry for him, because his attacking platform was seriously limited, but almost every time I saw a missed tackle from which Ireland scored, Fife was the culprit. Fife is like Visser, but without the attacking threat or confidence.

The only good thing that can be said about tonight's omnishambles is that it didn't injure any more Glasgow players (as far as I know).

On the Strauss issue if you were to compare the back row of Harley, Cowan and Beattie that started the six nations with the brown, Barclay and Strauss that could start the world cup I know which one I'd choose.
Laidlaw is dreadful he really is, talks the talk moans an awful lot. But if he played as well as he talks we'd have George Gregan and Gary Armstrong's love child on our hands. The Sru loves him because he's a suck up, I cringed in his post match interviews when he said bt murrayfield at every possible opportunity.
Visser and Fife are a waste of space, every time I see Lamont play I feel he's like an old sheepdog that needs a wee walk to the woods with a shotgun and then Visser and Fife turn up and ruin the idea. The gap between maitland and Seymour and then the rest is enormous.
Russell needs someone to just calm him down, if you read any of wilkinson's autobiography, not that russell is the next wilkinson, he cannot speak more highly of Martin Johnson's ability to calm him down when he's stressed and there's no one to do that for russell for scotland whereas at Glasgow there's kellock and Strauss.
I can't make my mind up with ford, I read an article in which it was suggested that if the lions tour were this summer he'd be starting and my English friends agree but I just can't see it.
Grant is a decent player even when he's off form but if he gets a run of starts which he hasn't since the lions then he'll be a real asset for us.
Murray is pretty much useless but wp nel will fill the gap until darcy Rae and zander fagerson are ready.  
Centres we are in a fantastic position dunbar and Bennett are quality as is Scott when he's on form. And Horne isn't as bad as he likes to pretend when playing for scotland
Things aren't as bad as they seem and I still believe we'll beat Samoa but changes have to be made.

What really struck me in the match today was the lack of leadership. Poc was in the refs ear throughout, laidlaw did nothing. Watching the ball essentially being fed to the back row at the scrum time and again and he just stuck his hands up. It didn't work the first time, so maybe mention it to the ref in passing. Now if laidlaw did actually speak to the ref then fair enough, but I didn't see it happen.

I'd like to think some of the players who have featured this 6 nations, have played themselves out of the squad, strockosh I assume is gone. Hamilton should have played his last game for us, I'm not sure on Fife, but he just doesn't seem up to it.

I also think Cotter needs to rebuild his backroom team. It's been said but cuttia and humphreys seem to have made the players worse.

Captaincy remains an issue, with no obvious contenders, other than Strauss, who from the look of things is going to come straight into the team when qualified.

I really hope this tournament is the wake up call Cotter needed and he can start to rebuild. Sadly as it's a wc year I can't see many, if any, changes as he'll probably want a settled side. Despite how poor we've been.

To me this World Cup is just a step in the road to 2019 now, the current team won't beat Samoa on this form and we'll never win it in a million year so let's cut out the crap and admit this and put a team together that can experience tournament rugby and use the time together to develop a style and a culture that makes it easier for the successful u18s and u20s to move into rather than have more of the baptisms of fire that the likes of Matt Scott and Adam Ashe were put through. We really should be aiming to have the current Young talents playing tournament rugby and the ones coming through for 2019 playing for Glasgow and Edinburgh while they're away. What's the point kidding ourselves that the likes of Jim Hamilton and laidlaw are cut out for anything other than the annual wooden spoon challenge? John Barclay is young enough that he could be around for 2019 still and kelly brown's attitude and leadership as well as playing ability is someone our young players should be around.

Ideally I'd like our team at the start of the World Cup to be:
1. Grant
2. Ford
3. Nel
4. Gray
5. Gray
6. Brown
7. Barclay
8. Strauss
9. Hidalgo-Clyne
10. Russell
11. Seymour
12. Dunbar (Scott if he's not ready)
13. Bennett
14. Maitland
15. Hogg

16. Dickinson
17. Brown
18. Murray
19. Gilchrist
20. Denton
21. Custer
22. Jackson/ Weir
23. Tonks

123456789 wrote:To me this World Cup is just a step in the road to 2019 now, the current team won't beat Samoa on this form and we'll never win it in a million year so let's cut out the crap and admit this and put a team together that can experience tournament rugby and use the time together to develop a style and a culture that makes it easier for the successful u18s and u20s to move into rather than have more of the baptisms of fire that the likes of Matt Scott and Adam Ashe were put through. We really should be aiming to have the current Young talents playing tournament rugby and the ones coming through for 2019 playing for Glasgow and Edinburgh while they're away. What's the point kidding ourselves that the likes of Jim Hamilton and laidlaw are cut out for anything other than the annual wooden spoon challenge? John Barclay is young enough that he could be around for 2019 still and kelly brown's attitude and leadership as well as playing ability is someone our young players should be around.

Ideally I'd like our team at the start of the World Cup to be:
1. Grant
2. Ford
3. Nel
4. Gray
5. Gray
6. Brown
7. Barclay
8. Strauss
9. Hidalgo-Clyne
10. Russell
11. Seymour
12. Dunbar (Scott if he's not ready)
13. Bennett
14. Maitland
15. Hogg

16. Dickinson
17. Brown
18.  Murray
19. Gilchrist
20. Denton
21. Custer
22. Jackson/ Weir
23. Tonks

I'd say that is pretty much the strongest team we could put out. Backrow looks far more balanced than current Backrow.
Some good impact players on the bench, only change I'd have would prob be Duncan Taylor for greig Tonks .

Unfortuately none of these sensible things will happen. The back room coaches wont be sacked, as Dot Cotton didnt insist on bringing in his own team when he arrived last summer. Laidlaw is a  yes man who clearly enjoys talking total media bolloxxs, and we wont see Brown or Barclay again in a blue shirt.
Without Dunbar we have little change of stopping Samoa in the W cup.

We are getting really desperate now!

Just saw an article from Monday's Edinburgh News claiming that a Fijian is close to signing for Edinburgh with him being eligible for Scotland in 3yrs time through residency rule.

FFS, there MUST be good Scots out there!

Guys don't know why we're all so down, just listen to Denton

After finishing bottom of the Six Nations championship, David Denton states that Scotland will look to bounce back from this disappointment by winning the Rugby World Cup.

I want what he has been on!

GLove39 wrote:Guys don't know why we're all so down, just listen to Denton

After finishing bottom of the Six Nations championship, David Denton states that Scotland will look to bounce back from this disappointment by winning the Rugby World Cup.

 

Nothing new, weren't the SRU banging on about winning RWC a couple of seasons ago? Gulp

Gwlad wrote:

GLove39 wrote:Guys don't know why we're all so down, just listen to Denton

After finishing bottom of the Six Nations championship, David Denton states that Scotland will look to bounce back from this disappointment by winning the Rugby World Cup.

 

Nothing new, weren't the SRU banging on about winning RWC a couple of seasons ago? Gulp

Like I said not to worry, Dodson's strategic aim was World Cup win & grand slam, all to be completed by 2016. Bumper few months ahead...