Scotland RWC Warm-up Matches

First topic message reminder :

Previous RWC related nonsense:
https://www.606v2.com/t58234p1000-scotland-world-cup-look-ahead-and-squad

Game 1:

  
IRELAND v SCOTLAND
15 August 2015
KO: 17:00 local
Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Game 2:


ITALY v SCOTLAND
22 August 2015
KO: 15:00 local
Stadio Olimpico di Torino, Turin

Game 3:

  
SCOTLAND v ITALY
29 August 2015
KO: 15:15 local
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh

Game 4:

 
FRANCE v SCOTLAND
05 September 2015
KO: 21:00 local
Stade de France, Saint-Denis

jimbopip wrote:Highland, you are of course correct. I am muddling my hairy toed, badly dressed, cake munching halflings.

However, Bilbo the burglar could go "there and back again" and have all the requisite adventures (adventures? No, no we'll have none of that here thank you) before Laidlaw got the ball away from the base of a ruck. (passes? No, no we'll have none of that here thank you)

I thought he was called frodo because every time he plays for Scotland he gets his ring destroyed!

I do think the Laidlaw bashing is a wee bit OTT. He isn't a bad player at all, a very good goal kicker and a real competitor. I agree that his box kicking and service have limited our wider players in the past, but he's been at the very heart of some good Scotland, Edinburgh and Glaws performances.

That all said, Hidalgo-Clyne has more pace.

funnyExiledScot wrote:I do think the Laidlaw bashing is a wee bit OTT. He isn't a bad player at all, a very good goal kicker and a real competitor. I agree that his box kicking and service have limited our wider players in the past, but he's been at the very heart of some good Scotland, Edinburgh and Glaws performances.

That all said,  Hidalgo-Clyne has more pace.

I fully agree. At the start of the 6N he was the right choice for captain and at Scrum Half. His performances in the Autumn and for Glaws meant he was in there on merit.

However I do agree SHC should be starting with Russel.

Laidlaw's issue is that his service is slow and that should be the main point of a No 9s game!

He box kicked ad nausium but i think this was more following orders than doing this for his own enjoyment!

If Laidlaw doesn;t box kick all the time and just speeds up his service a bit, he's still an assest to have!

Laidlaw provided quick ball in the Autumn. It's down to how quickly a) the ball gets secured at the breakdown b) the next phase is setup c) how much forward momentum the forwards produced. 6 Nations we were poor at c) which impacted on a) and b). Laidlaw had to play a controlled game which makes him appear slow.

I believe if we have 2 of Ashe, Denton, Struass and R. Gray we'll see more forward momentum and a better Laidlaw.

Cotter won't play SHC and Russell together as none have depths of experience they believe is required to run a game.

Playing the devil's advocate here, it could be argued that Laidlaw's controlling game set up a cycle of points a) and b).

However a box kick is a potent weapon. Our back 3 though seemed to get the stuffing knocked out of them after Finn Russel's yellow and basically refused to compete for 50-50 aerial balls making Laidlaw's box kicking futile.

Scotland's poor 6N wasn't just Laidlaw's blame. Guys like Harley who were immense in the Autumn just didn't turn up in the 6N, however never seem to get any criticism.

cp, true but the best scrum halves are also unpredictable. Defending against someone like Gary Armstrong would mean constantly watching for the sniping run up the channels. With Frodo it's a long wait till (b) then a pass. This is pretty straightforward to defend against. I agree with , Laidlaw had to play a controlled game which makes him appear slow. but I would argue that he is slow and unimaginative to start with.

FEs, yes Frodo puts his body on the line and gives it his all, which is great at the level we play at...but surely you expect a little bit more at international level?

The Weir conundrum isn't a difficult one as far as I'm concerned, the whole idea of him not being able to meet his potential now is just silly. Jonny Sexton was 24 when he made his big break through for Leinster, Weir is 24 now. If coached properly and played regularly there is absolutely no reason for him not to meet his potential. The difference is that Sexton played a lot of club rugby prior to joining the pro setup, incidentally as did Russell. Fly-half is one of those positions that I don't believe hot housing works in, you need a natural feel for the game rather than a predetermined plan in your head and it's this natural feel that Weir seems not to have or to have lost since the 2012 game. The way I see it Weir is behind Russell for Scotland and for Glasgow, there is no obvious way for him to get game time as a result it seems prudent that he should not go to the World Cup and rather get 6-7 weeks uniterrupted game time with Glasgow. Rather than questioning whether he's better than Jackson (which I believe he is) it might be better looking into what is better long term, we all know who will be starting, and probably playing the whole game, against Samoa and the Boks, so rather than taking an undercooked Weir along to the World Cup and leaving him on the bench to contemplate how a younger, more talented player is everywhere he looks, why not let him play with Glasgow for the start of the year. If anything happens to Russell Weir can be called up and in Newcastle within 3 hours by train from Glagow.

Jackson to me is a non event as a player, Scotland had been Poopie for years and rather than blame the actually Scottish players like Morrison, Lamont, Danielli and Paterson (who deserves no blame as he was in many, many ways the Moses to Bennett's messiah) we decided to blame Parks, because he was Australian and De Luca, because he was dreadful. As a result Jackson got selected pretty much because he wasn't Dan Parks, but if you look at the back line Dan Parks was working with it had about as much subtlety and panache as Scott Johnson's hairdresser, since then Jackson has done feck all except grow an irritating beard but quite frankly we're not going to win this world cup and neither Jackson or Weir will play the big games and if we can't beat the USA and/or Japan with our third best fly-half we might as well not bother going at all. I'd rather Weir got a good run of games in the Pro12 so he was fresh and on form for the Six Nations so we can make a good fist of winning what will be a very achievable six nations due to injuries and fatigue in all of the teams.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:Playing the devil's advocate here, it could be argued that Laidlaw's controlling game set up a cycle of points a) and b).

They keep doing the cycle of a) and b) in the hope of creating c) which doesn't happen if you don't have the correct personnel at the time. e.g. R Gray injured and a poor J Beattie.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:However a box kick is a potent weapon. Our back 3 though seemed to get the stuffing knocked out of them after Finn Russel's yellow and basically refused to compete for 50-50 aerial balls making Laidlaw's box kicking futile.

I went to a coaches talk being lead by Chris Patterson. It was how effective kicking can create chaos and break up the best defences in the world. And guess which team kicks the most - the All Blacks. But, again this then comes down to a) the defence line coming up as a line fast* so b) the opposition has to kick back which in turn c) creates a second wave of attack through broken down play.

*this can't just be a lone runner sprinting up it needs to be a group of players. If it's just a lone runner the opposition has an option to counter themselves.

Numbers one of your funnier posts. Thank you. Just to be clear; are you saying jackson is keech but we should take him to the World Cup anyway?

cp10, yes it's not the kicking that's at fault but the reasoning behind it. Frodo kicks when (a) and (b) have exhausted our numbers and left the defence intact: as such he just gives the ball away.

I received an e-mail yesterday from RWC telling me that Scotland-Boks tickets in £50-75 bracket would be available from 12:00 today. So at 12:00 I used the link to find myself in a queue. Half an hour later I was timed out. So I went to the official site and logged in. No tickets in that price range have been amde available apparently. Whit the fecc? as my dear old grandmother was wont to say.

jimbopip wrote:but I would argue that he is slow and unimaginative to start with.

He did appear to be slower than other players in the 6 nations especially SHC. Though, it is as much about the correct (if unimaginative) decisions he makes than his apparent speed.

cp10 wrote:

jimbopip wrote:but I would argue that he is slow and unimaginative to start with.

He did appear to be slower than other players in the 6 nations especially SHC. Though, it is as much about the predictable (and strangely unimaginative) decisions he makes than his apparent speed.

fixed that for you

Matt Scott looks like he'll definitely be ready for the warm ups!

https://vine.co/v/eXwvnAIBPL6

The RWC site actually released tickets. I asked for 3 (Bru, Caz the noisy Bok and self) I got ONE. Category D tickets have now disappeared.

If anyone has any they are not able to use.....

jimbopip wrote:

cp10 wrote:

jimbopip wrote:but I would argue that he is slow and unimaginative to start with.

He did appear to be slower than other players in the 6 nations especially SHC. Though, it is as much about the predictable (and strangely unimaginative) decisions he makes than his apparent speed.

fixed that for you

I'm not going to say they were correct. Vern and his coaches will.

I was reading something about Hardie on SRBlog. I'm thinking he'll be at Edinburgh after the world cup.

Reading the article when Roddy Grant signed a years extension I got the feeling he was going to be off but was persuaded to stay on a World Cup cover. And with Hardie turning up it makes sense why.

Scotsman wrote:
He said: "I've agreed to stay on for a year because I strongly believe in Alan [Solomons] and Stevie [Scott] and going forward with this great group of players at the club."

Strange phrase to use.

jimbopip wrote:Numbers one of your funnier posts. Thank you. Just to be clear; are you saying jackson is keech but we should take him to the World Cup anyway?

cp10, yes it's not the kicking that's at fault but the reasoning behind it. Frodo kicks when (a) and (b) have exhausted our numbers and left the defence intact: as such he just gives the ball away.

Basically Jackson is bad, Weir is also bad. Weir might not always be bad, Jackson probably will. His club have signed Jimmy Gopperth to replace Goode. When you are at a club that has to sign a player to replace Andy Goode when you play the same position it says a lot. We might as well take a gamble and give Weir game time.

Strange, on another thread they're putting Denton in the same sentence with Heaslip, Morgan, Faleteu, Vunipola and some here are talking about not selecting him in their 31.

I read the other threads less often recently. Mostly they seem to descend into an Ireland v Wales bore-off

On Denton though, I think it will come down to between him and Ashe. I suspect he might be the one who makes it.

I read the other threads less often recently. Mostly they seem to descend into an Ireland v Wales bore-off

On Denton though, I think it will come down to between him and Ashe. I suspect Denton will be the one who makes it.

Weegie Wizard wrote:I read the other threads less often recently. Mostly they seem to descend into an Ireland v Wales bore-off

On Denton though, I think it will come down to between him and Ashe. I suspect he might be the one who makes it.

The bit I read was SA vs ENG and whether Billy Vunipola is a top 5 No8 or just a barrel of fat/muscle and nothing more.

All of Denton, Ashe and Struass will go to the World Cup. All excellent ball carrier and will contest the 6 and 8 shirts. Just the type of player we were missing in the 6N.

cp10 wrote:
Cotter won't play SHC and Russell together as none have depths of experience they believe is required to run a game.

So what are the odds on Henners starting with Dancer? If we are looking to emulate the Scotstoun style then Henners would make more sense than Frodo. Actually, Schiz would make more sense, andhow often do you get to say that?

madmaccas wrote:Matt Scott looks like he'll definitely be ready for the warm ups!

https://vine.co/v/eXwvnAIBPL6

Gilchrist too which is pleasing.

Maitland was touch judge, so not so positive!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

madmaccas wrote:Matt Scott looks like he'll definitely be ready for the warm ups!

https://vine.co/v/eXwvnAIBPL6

Gilchrist too which is pleasing.

Maitland was touch judge, so not so positive!

Running up and down the touchline not scoring tries??? Most unlike him.

cp10 wrote:I was reading something about Hardie on SRBlog. I'm thinking he'll be at Edinburgh after the world cup.

Reading the article when Roddy Grant signed a years extension I got the feeling he was going to be off but was persuaded to stay on a World Cup cover. And with Hardie turning up it makes sense why.

Scotsman wrote:
He said: "I've agreed to stay on for a year because I strongly believe in Alan [Solomons] and Stevie [Scott] and going forward with this great group of players at the club."

Strange phrase to use.

Well that's clearly a press office quote, but ignoring that I do know Roddy is keento head back to family in S Africa / Botswana,(not sure where they're based these days) to bring up his family. So not surprising it's a one year deal. That does back up the Hardie to Edinburgh theory though.

Gilchrist needs plenty of game time to show what he can bring to the party. Im sure big Vern will give him ample opportunity to show if he is ready after a long lay off.
The Herald on Wednesday suggested that Cotter should made Laidlaw and Gilchrist joint captains as they are both "senior players" in a young squad.
Scary that a man with 8 caps, only 6 as a starter ,could ever be considered a "senior player" by anyone who claims to be a reputable rugby journalist.

jimbopip wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

madmaccas wrote:Matt Scott looks like he'll definitely be ready for the warm ups!

https://vine.co/v/eXwvnAIBPL6

Gilchrist too which is pleasing.

Maitland was touch judge, so not so positive!

Running up and down the touchline not scoring tries??? Most unlike him.

Gilchrist's return is important for us. Grayx2 will presumably play together in one of the first two games meaning that a different combination will be needed in the other. I think Hamilton will probably go, meaning that whoever pairs with him needs to be fully fit and put in a heck of a shift, particularly during the inevitable sin bin. We need Gilchrist fully fit and firing, plus he's the best impact sub we have at lock.

No one mention Harley please. This post is about locks.

Good morning gentlemen. I have just logged into Facenovel on the interweb and lo! A very good friend of mine from Glasgow, the dear green place, who plays guitar in a rock n roll band (none of your hippity hoppity nonsense here thank you) is playing the Central Bar in Gateshead on Saturday 3rd October.
Now two things occurred to me ; first that's the date of the Scotland Bokkie match and I'll be in the Toon that day , and secondly Gateshead is Noocassel's equivalent of Morningside so Fes and RDW will feel right at home there .

I have a feeling the stars are aligning and it will be a weekend to remember. Oh yes it will.

p.s. Rob Harley6 nowhere else....ever.

p.p.s. As part of Princess Daughter's wedding preparations I am babysitting two Americans today who desperately want to "visit a real old style English pub and try some of that real ale beer, you know". Ah well, as John Wayne said, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

Jimbo - will this be like that scene in Trainspotting when the jovial, pacomac-wearing yanks get the sh¡t kicked out of them by a moustacheoed lunatic in a Leith pub toilet?

I don't have a moustache, and neither does MrsPip anymore. Mind you she gets to stay at home icing the cake while I have to go to the pub. Life can be so unfair.

Anyway, I'm struggling for material for the speech so if any of you shower have any little witticisms to share....feel free.

Interesting piece in The Times today. Scott and Bennett both taking a full part in a 60 minute all out warm up game, Dunbar still positive about fitness. Maybe we'll have some centres after all.

I'm back! Gutted to have been away for so long but back fresh and eager for the warm-up games.

So I've seen a fair bit of the highlights from the USA, Samoa & Japan games (PNC Cup) and SA's games in the Rugby Championship and I thought I'd give my thoughts.

South Africa: If they can get a decent scrum-half and remember that they can use their wingers, I think they could at least get to the RWC final. Kriel is superb talent, and their pack looks very decent. I think if we had our best XV possible we could maybe finish the match in touching distance although I'm not convinced we could beat them (even NZ found it tough). I'd look to protect our centres and Finn, but otherwise I'd go with a good XV to avoid a losing mindset.

Samoa: Hard to tell really as they haven't been playing their best XV. Along with USA their discipline is not great but A. Tuilagi (winger) is on great form. With Nani-Williams, Pisi's and Fotuali they will be a different proposition but I expected a bit more from them in the PNC. Winnable match, but it's going to be close and physical. I think we should consider Lamont at 14 if Samoa play Tuilagi.

USA: The back line looks disjoint and not at all in unison. Also the new Glasgow SR Peterson (?) didn't look anything special. If we come against the PNC USA team, we should win it with a few players rested.

Japan: Good scrum and pace. Still a bit in the dark about their abilities and I'd be surprised to lose to them. I'd still go with a good team (maybe Horne at centre though) just in case.

Lamont wouldn't make the cut for my squad, and I don't think we should tailor our backs to simply negate Samoa (plus Lamont now offers nothing in attack). Maitland should play 14 against Samoa, he's a big lad and I have every confidence that he'll take down Tuilagi when the time comes. He's also much quicker than both Lamont and Tuilagi and offers so much more in attack.

Seymour and Maitland would be my wingers for the two big games, and I'd let Visser romp in some tries against USA and Japan.

Yes the size of the squad means we'll probably have four players covering the back three; Hogg, Seymour, Maitland and either Schlong or McMisser. Or cover for full back ; Tonks or Horne. It looks as if someone will be playing every game which is not good.
Horn could be in because can play 10, 12 and 15, Jackson/Tonks as a 10/15. Schlong as 13/15. McMisser could miss out.

p.s. Just returned from a training with Pippetto's team. He has a lovely black eye. Should look good in the wedding photos.

p.p.s. It wasn't me.

It would be a mistake to leave out Visser. He's a good flat track bully and could do well against the USA and Japan. Picking Lamont is only helpful if we need cover at centre, and with Horne very likely to make the cut covering 10 and 12, I see no need for Lamont.

I know it's become deeply unfashionable to like Visser, but he is the best attacking back we have by a country mile. That's not my opinion, the tries over multiple seasons speak for themselves. Now he hasn't flourished under Solomon's reign (which attacking back would?!) but he suits Cotter's style to a tee, and with a couple of months under this new style I think we'll see the player of old (form's temporary, class is permanent after all!).

Now we all know he's not a big defensive player, but he scores far more tries than he lets in, so it's a no-brainer in my book.

Maitland has barely scored for a couple of seasons now (despite being at the free-flowing Warriors) so the question is whether we pick an attacking player or a defensive one? Ultimately I think both should be in the match squad with one or other starting. If we fall behind and need some magic then bring Visser off the bench Mata style, if we need to tighten up in the last 20 bring Maitland on.

It wasn't so long ago we were begging for a player of his try scoring ability.

jimbopip wrote:I don't have a moustache, and neither does MrsPip anymore. Mind you she gets to stay at home icing the cake while I have to go to the pub. Life can be so unfair.

Anyway, I'm struggling for material for the speech so if any of you shower have any little witticisms to share....feel free.

my old favourite

"Ladies and Gentlemen - Traditition dictates that my speech should last as long as the Groom does in bed. So, thanks for coming"

tigertattie wrote:

jimbopip wrote:I don't have a moustache, and neither does MrsPip anymore. Mind you she gets to stay at home icing the cake while I have to go to the pub. Life can be so unfair.

Anyway, I'm struggling for material for the speech so if any of you shower have any little witticisms to share....feel free.

my old favourite

"Ladies and Gentlemen - Traditition dictates that my speech should last as long as the Groom does in bed. So, thanks for coming"

Exactly the kind of joke the father of the bride would want to make...

RDW_Scotland wrote:

tigertattie wrote:

jimbopip wrote:I don't have a moustache, and neither does MrsPip anymore. Mind you she gets to stay at home icing the cake while I have to go to the pub. Life can be so unfair.

Anyway, I'm struggling for material for the speech so if any of you shower have any little witticisms to share....feel free.

my old favourite

"Ladies and Gentlemen - Traditition dictates that my speech should last as long as the Groom does in bed. So, thanks for coming"

Exactly the kind of joke the father of the bride would want to make...

if yer gonna do sh1t, go all in I say

"To be honest I never thought the day would come when I had to give a father of the bride speech, but thanks to a minor gender reassignment operation for [insert name of daughter] several weeks before you young love birds met, it brings me great pleasure to be speaking with you all today".

Perhaps not.

Apparently witnessed by Brian Moore this week (via Twitter) in the groom's speech:
[to the bride's mother] "Sheryl, you've done such a wonderful job helping with the planning for today that we wanted to get you something, which was difficult as we found out that Dignitas don't offer vouchers."

I'm starting to think of my groom speech. The fact that my future father and brother in law's were cleaning shotguns on their kitchen table the first time I met them will no doubt feature prominently!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

I'm starting to think of my groom speech. The fact that my future father and brother in law's were cleaning shotguns on their kitchen table the first time I met them will no doubt feature prominently!

May I suggest not Wee weeing them off!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

tigertattie wrote:

jimbopip wrote:I don't have a moustache, and neither does MrsPip anymore. Mind you she gets to stay at home icing the cake while I have to go to the pub. Life can be so unfair.

Anyway, I'm struggling for material for the speech so if any of you shower have any little witticisms to share....feel free.

my old favourite

"Ladies and Gentlemen - Traditition dictates that my speech should last as long as the Groom does in bed. So, thanks for coming"

Exactly the kind of joke the father of the bride would want to make...

I may want to but MrsPip has told me her opinion of Tiger's material. I liked it though.

On a connected theme; Caz the loud Bokkie has just got his ticket for the game. Mr Bru you are in for a treat.

I suspect the good people of Newcastle are in for a treat, mate.

I should say that I went to Pleased To Meet You on Thursday, and it really was hipstertastic, but the espresso martinis (not normally my tipple du choix) were pretty damned good!

I managed to leave before the live beat poetry reading.

Espresso martinins?? That's a bit too Scotstoun gym hall for my tastes!

Bars like that make me feel very old indeed.