Scotland World Cup look ahead and squad

RDW_Scotland wrote:We're getting pumped.

Men against boys!

Their left winger is a superstar in the making.

After naming his 46-man initial World Cup training squad at BT Murrayfield yesterday, the head coach said: “There are 22 players from Glasgow. But there are also players from Saracens [Jim Hamilton and Duncan Taylor], who won a competition. Edinburgh reached a European final. Gloucester won that final and Greig Laidlaw was strong for them. I thought he really controlled the game well.

“It’s pleasing to see that players who left and went back to their clubs had positive influences on their teams.

“And Glasgow won the Pro12. That was fantastic and it was pleasing to see Finn Russell, in a big year of rugby for him, win games and make big decisions.

“That shows how he’s kicked on since the Six Nations. Learning how to win was very important.”

“We have to go through some pretty intensive training games”

Scarlets flanker John Barclay has been given the chance to end his two years in the international recall after excellent club form has earned a recall which many have been calling for.

Cotter said: “I congratulate John because we discussed things with him and felt that while he was a very good defensive player he wasn’t offering us enough in attack and carrying. In the last three months he has impressed us because he has been playing eight and seven, and that gives them an advantage over someone like Roddy Grant.


“He plays to positions and he has been carrying the ball and getting over the advantage line. I think he has been effective at ruck time, getting more turnovers and being more of a threat without the ball. We are really happy to welcome him back into the group.”

While Barclay returns, there are a few familiar names who have not been included.

“I spoke with Johnnie Beattie,” added Cotter. “He, Roddy Grant, Dougie Fife and Kelly Brown were all players who were close. They may still get a call. We have to go through some pretty intensive training and games, so any of those players could still be called up and make the 31. It can’t be just a fixed group, we need some flexibility as well, but this is how we are starting.”

Prop Geoff Cross and his London Irish team-mate Kieran Low, who is joining Glasgow for next season, are also left disappointed, as is Edinburgh’s Australia-born lock Ben Toolis and the Glasgow flanker Chris Fusaro.


“Geoff’s another that has missed out,” said Cotter. “He’s got things, as has Dougie Fife, to work on to become involved. He’ll be able to prepare with his club and if we need him we’ll call.

“Moray Low is another one. What we’ve done is take a core group from Glasgow, players who know each other with strong cohesion. Mike Cusack we want to have a look at and see what he’s got, Dicko [Al Dickinson] can play tighthead, that is an option.

“We’ve communicated with players. Kieran Low’s had a tough season and for whatever reason he’s not put forward the performances needed to be selected.

“We know he’s a good rugby player and we’ll maybe see something more of him in the future.”

Eight uncapped players make the initial pool, including the South Africa-born “project player” pair of WP Nel and Josh Strauss.


Young wingers Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh) and Rory Hughes (Glasgow) will have a chance to impress, while Hugh Blake, the young “kilted Kiwi” whose Six Nations call-up without a single Edinburgh appearance to his name at the time proved controversial.

He has since been loaned to Glasgow but his only action has been with the sevens squad. Cotter said: “Hugh has been playing sevens. We had a Glasgow/Edinburgh versus the under-20s game a month ago and he played well in that.

“He is a player who can play six and seven. I think we have seen his skillset and want to have a good look at him. He has been working hard so he gets his opportunity.

“With Damien Hoyland we have also seen what he has done at sevens. Hughes impressed me in that under 20s game.

“These are players we want to have a look at. We don’t have a lot of depth in outside backs, so we want to have a look at these guys in an intensive situation to assess them as athletes and rugby players.”

Cotter said that he expects the final tournament squad of 31 will be an 18-13 split between forwards and backs and is still hopeful that some of the key injuries Scotland have suffered of late have good chances of being fit in time for the tournament.

The coach said: “I had a meeting yesterday with medical and Mark Bennett’s improving rapidly, that’s positive. Sean Maitland as well, with Matt Scott improving too.

“Alex Dunbar is going well but we know his injury will take a little more time so we’re hoping middle of August latest to have him on the paddock. Grant Gilchrist will be attacking full contact on the 15th [June], fully fit and on his final process. He’s still not there yet, but fingers crossed we’ll have everybody in the month of August.

“With Dunbar, I can’t be 100 per cent certain. I’m hopeful and confident, I know the medical staff are working with him and he’ll go to the States for two weeks for rehab.”

Asked if any of the injured players would still travel to the training camp in the Pyrenees the former Clermont Auvergne, coach Cotter joked: “To carry logs and things like that? Absolutely.” He then clarified: “No, there will be a group who stay back here for rehab. Guys like Sean Maitland, they’ll be back here working separately. They will join us progressively.

“That camp in France will be important for a lot of things. First of all, it’s a start, allowing us to define as a group where we want to go.

“It will be good because players are taken out of their comfort zone. We’ll look at how they react.

“We need to improve physically, that is one aspect. But team cohesion and having a laugh will be as big a part of it, as well.”

highland_scot wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:We're getting pumped.

Men against boys!

Their left winger is a superstar in the making.

Yes, absolutely fantastic player!

Riskysports wrote:I quite like VC

Although I do miss the old days of SJ - where this line would end up as


“I spoke with Johnnie Beattie - and felt that he did not involve enough radio presence,” added SJ. “He, Roddy Grant, Dougie Fife and Kelly Brown were all players who were close to playing above the grass, but below the sky. They may still get a call if I need a pizza in a hurry - well except fifie - as he might drop the box over the sideline - haar haar. We have to go through some pretty intensive dancing and party games, so any of those players could still be called up and make the 31 gnomes of efldome. It can’t be just a fixed group, we need some flexibility as well, but as none of these could touch their toes in Head, Shoulders, Knees and toes - if made it a little creaky, but this is how we are starting the develop into my army or Johnsonites.”

Outside backs (5): Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Sean Maitland, Sean Lamont, Tim Visser

Centres (4): Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, Matt Scott, Peter Horne

Stand-offs (2): Finn Russell, Duncan Weir

Scrum-halves (3): Greig Laidlaw, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Henry Pyrgos

Props (4): Alasdair Dickinson, Gordon Reid, WP Nel, Jon Welsh

Hookers (3): Ross Ford, Fraser Brown, Stuart McInally

Locks (4): Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist, Rob Harley

Back-rows (6): Ryan Wilson, Adam Ashe, Blair Cowan, John Barclay, Josh Strauss, David Denton

Nematode wrote:anyone know why 'the pen' twitter account is down/locked?

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Nematode wrote:anyone know why 'the pen' twitter account is down/locked?

The account appears to have become protected - i.e. they have to approve you following them.

cakeordeath wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Nematode wrote:anyone know why 'the pen' twitter account is down/locked?

The account appears to have become protected - i.e. they have to approve you following them.

Strange, I wonder what happened.

George Carlin wrote:

cakeordeath wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Nematode wrote:anyone know why 'the pen' twitter account is down/locked?

The account appears to have become protected - i.e. they have to approve you following them.

Strange, I wonder what happened.

Do you think that me sending them 50 Tweets a day asking them to sign David Smith had anything to do with it?

World Cup call-up for Scotland’s ‘project players’
Duncan Smith, The Scotsman
SCOTLAND head coach Vern Cotter has defended his decision to include South African duo Josh Strauss and WP Nel in his 46-man training squad for the World Cup, saying he has no “political” view on rugby’s residency rules.

Edinburgh prop Nel completes the three years in the country required to qualify for Scotland this month, while back-row forward Strauss – who started as captain in Glasgow’s Guinness Pro12 final triumph at the weekend – will be able to play for Scotland as of 19 September, one day after the World Cup starts and four days before the opening pool match against Japan in Gloucester.

World Rugby’s residency rules have attracted criticism, with many arguing that they should have no place in the international selection process at all, or at least require a longer period of stay in the chosen country than the current three years.

Nations around the world have taken advantage of the situation to boost their squads and Scottish Rugby made no secret of the fact that the South African pair were being viewed as so-called “project players” when they were signed to the pro teams three years ago. Another South African, Edinburgh back-rower Cornell du Preez, will become eligible next summer, while the Doncaster-born Glasgow prop Mike Cusack, who moved to the Warriors in 2011, is included in this extended squad and also qualifies through residency.

“I look at it from a rugby point of view,” said Cotter at BT Murrayfield yesterday. “Josh is a very talented player and he adds value to this team. He has been very influential with Glasgow.

“He has a massive desire to play for Scotland. Although he had had a couple of beers when we let him know that he would be involved [following Saturday’s Pro12 final win over Munster in Belfast], you could tell it really meant something to him.

“WP’s children were born here in Scotland. Those guys are playing here, they live here. I have no problems with those players fitting in because there is such a strong culture in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The culture of this country is impressive and they are already affected by it.

“That’s how I see it. I don’t see it in any political form whatsoever. All I see is players who want to pull the jersey on and do their best for the country where they live.”

Strauss was even mentioned as a potential Scotland skipper by the coach yesterday. He hopes to have Grant Gilchrist fully recovered from the broken arm which ended his season shortly after the 24-year-old Edinburgh lock was appointed captain for the autumn Tests.

Asked if he saw Gilchrist as a possible World Cup captain, Cotter said: “Yeah, we’re lucky to have leaders who have put their hands up. Josh Strauss has. Henry [Pyrgos] did very well and showed good leadership for Glasgow at the weekend.

“Grant obviously has that and Greig was outstanding against Edinburgh in the European final. He controlled that game. So we’ve got players who can do that. Grant is a leader, Jonny Gray has had captaincy roles. So we have options.

“There may be two captains.”

Scarlets flanker John Barclay could end his two-year Scotland exile after he was also named in the training squad. The 28-year-old has been overlooked for successive RBS Six Nations tournaments.

As well as Nel and Strauss the other uncapped players named in the group are props Mike Cusack and Allan Dell, hooker/flanker Stuart McInally, back-row forward Hugh Blake and young wingers Damien Hoyland and Rory Hughes.

Notable absentees include Johnnie Beattie, former skipper Kelly Brown, Geoff Cross, Kieran Low and Dougie Fife, who scored Scotland’s first try of this year’s Six Nations in Paris.

Ryan Wilson, who recently returned from a three-month ban following an assault conviction but is suspended internationally until late August, is named in the squad which will be whittled down to 31 for the World Cup.

Cotter was keen to stress that the squad was by no means a closed group.

“Flexibility and being able to adapt are among our key themes as we move towards the final 31 and the Rugby World Cup. This is not a firmly fixed squad, it’s a living document,” said the New Zealander.

“There are a number of players we’ve spoken to who will be working on things with their clubs and looking for form, and may well feature in our warm-up games as a chance to push for selection.

“We’re working hard to be as cohesive as possible and push the limits of how far we can go.”

Those limits will be put to the test in a fortnight’s time when the squad travel to train at high altitude in Font Romeu in the French Pyrenees, returning home for two months of skills, conditioning and tactical training at the home of Scottish rugby.

Cotter added: “Our priorities will focus on the major aspects of the game.

“Physically we’ll be working very hard to find peak form. We know that teams play better in the Rugby World Cup, and we want to be one of those teams.

“We have four matches before the tournament; four 80-minute spells in which we can practice our combinations and work our plays, in attack and defence, providing opportunities for a number of players to compete for a place in the final 31.

“Every team entering the Rugby World Cup wants to win, but to win a World Cup you first have to qualify from your pool, and that’s our major focus: two games in five days [Japan and USA] followed by another in six [South Africa] and another in seven [Samoa].

“We’ll focus on preparing appropriately for each of those matches, so that we can become as effective as possible in this Rugby World Cup.”

Scotland will face France, Ireland and Italy as part of the national team’s build-up to the World Cup.

The four-match schedule played on consecutive Saturdays from mid-August (15th) will begin when Cotter’s men travel to face Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Back-to-back fixtures against Italy will follow in Turin (22nd) and Edinburgh (29th), before concluding preparations against France in Paris at the start of September (5th).

The final squad will leave for Gloucester on Wednesday 16 September, ahead of their opening Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool match against Japan at Kingsholm Stadium on Wednesday 23 September (kick-off 2.30pm).

The Scots will face USA at Elland Road in Leeds (Sunday 27 September) followed by South Africa and Samoa on consecutive Saturdays (3 and 10 October) at St James Park, Newcastle

“He has a massive desire to play for Scotland. Although he had had a couple of beers when we let him know that he would be involved [following Saturday’s Pro12 final win over Munster in Belfast], you could tell it really meant something to him.

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Nematode wrote:anyone know why 'the pen' twitter account is down/locked?

The account appears to have become protected - i.e. they have to approve you following them.

madmaccas wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Nematode wrote:anyone know why 'the pen' twitter account is down/locked?

The account appears to have become protected - i.e. they have to approve you following them.

Isn't that just a fan boy account?

funnyExiledScot wrote:Not a big fan of the two captains idea. Just pick someone good and get on with it.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Cowan is fine, but I think Barclay and Watson could both be better.

I don't think the squad captain/match day captain thing really works at international level. The 1st XV are likely to play at least 3 of the 4 group games, and for me the captain needs to be an integral part of that group.

If Gilchrist is to be picked as captain, then it means Richie Gray isn't in the 1st XV (dropping Jonny Gray is inconceivable). I'm not sure, after all the injuries, that's the right way to go.

Similarly Laidlaw - Pyrgos and H-C have strong cases to oust him from the starting line-up.

Strauss - no having ever played international rugby must surely count against.

The answer is Hogg. No doubt in my book. Full of confidence in his abilities, and for me with the right sort of attitude problem - second best does not sit easily with him. He'd drive the team on the pitch, and is unquestionably a nailed on starter.

George Carlin wrote:I think we all know whom it makes sense to give the captaincy to.

But it's not going to be palatable to a lot of people here.

Rather then hexing the whole thing by saying his name, I will represent him pictorially instead:

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:A good leader, and all the attributes that comes with being a good leader, will not be picked up by playing International rugby. Playing international rugby gives you experience of the increase in pace/skills/intensity etc etc but being a leader is more natural than anything.

Strauss is a tremendous player. I'm sure he'll be absolutely fine playing for Scotland.

I wouldn't be overly fussed if he was made captain or not.

My pick would be JG. His attitude, effort and ability is something the rest of the team should aspire to.

Manky-Flanker wrote:For purely rugby reasons, I would have Strauss as captain.

George Carlin wrote:Just for the sake of balance and without any notion of wummuing, some stuff:

- Can someone explain to me what the relevance is of Strauss never having played internationally before? Is the ball a different shape to the domestic game? Is the pitch a different length? Are the rules different? Why is this a significant thing that would prevent him being captain?

- We have chopped and changed captains throughout the international series and for most of last year. Laidlaw, Gilchrist, Brown. Why is it terrible now to change captains again?

- I'm sorry but Strauss has captained Glasgow a number of times this season when the ruck inspection talents of one world class lock were considered surplus to requirements for those 80 minutes.

George Carlin wrote:Just for the sake of balance and without any notion of wummuing, some stuff:

- Can someone explain to me what the relevance is of Strauss never having played internationally before? Is the ball a different shape to the domestic game? Is the pitch a different length? Are the rules different? Why is this a significant thing that would prevent him being captain?

- We have chopped and changed captains throughout the international series and for most of last year. Laidlaw, Gilchrist, Brown. Why is it terrible now to change captains again?

- I'm sorry but Strauss has captained Glasgow a number of times this season when the ruck inspection talents of one world class lock were considered surplus to requirements for those 80 minutes.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Just for the sake of balance and without any notion of wummuing, some stuff:

- Can someone explain to me what the relevance is of Strauss never having played internationally before? Is the ball a different shape to the domestic game? Is the pitch a different length? Are the rules different? Why is this a significant thing that would prevent him being captain?

- We have chopped and changed captains throughout the international series and for most of last year. Laidlaw, Gilchrist, Brown. Why is it terrible now to change captains again?

- I'm sorry but Strauss has captained Glasgow a number of times this season when the ruck inspection talents of one world class lock were considered surplus to requirements for those 80 minutes.

The difference in intensity between a club match and an international test match World Cup Test Match is massive. You just need to look at our games against the Pumas, Georgia and England in the RWC last year to understand the gulf in intensity.

Sure Strauss has performed very well in the pro12 (being in the team of the season) rampaging through tackles and contacts it's easy to see why he was included. Glasgow deservedly won the league. Strauss was a huge part in the win and was IMO one of the best number 8s in the league. However I think we are kidding ourselves if we think he'll be able to rampage around at the world cup in the same way. He'll be up against guys like Eben Etzebeth, Duane Vermeulen and Marcell Coetzee et al.

I'm not saying any of our current crop of backrowers will do any better but I'd be surprised if Strauss can take to international rugby and play the same way.

When the Warriors came up against a really classy backrow (Toulouse) the backrow and Strauss struggled to impose themselves on the match. That match is the only match I can recall where Glasgow came up against an "international class" backrow. To quote the match report directly:

"But Glasgow failed to find their usual rhythm against the suffocating defence of Toulouse that was spearheaded by their experienced No8 Louis Picamoles."

"Glasgow had the better of the early exchanges but it was clear they were in for a long day against European rugby's biggest pack."

http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/29699.php

http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/29805.php


Having typed all this I do feel like I am convincing myself that Strauss is the answer at number 8, esepcially after considering our alternatives. Against the Springbok names I mentioned he is the only real choice, that doesn't mean it sits right with me. However the captaincy IMO for Strauss is a bridge too far at the moment.

The whole thing with residency and project players is the SRU were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Laidlaw ticks a lot of boxes for me, but there are two major issues

cakeordeath wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Laidlaw ticks a lot of boxes for me, but there are two major issues

No.1 he is a s h i t e captain.
No.2 See No.1