Six Nations 2016 Wales vs Scotland

First topic message reminder :

Wales v Scotland

4:50pm - Saturday the 13th of February 2016

Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Teams

Wales
15 Liam Williams
14 George North
13 Jonathan Davies
12 Jamie Roberts
11 Tom James
10 Dan Biggar
9 Gareth Davies
1 Rob Evans
2 Scott Baldwin
3 Samson Lee
4 Luke Charteris
5 Alun Wyn Jones
6 Sam Warburton (c)
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Taulupe Faletau

Reps: Ken Owens, Gethin Jenkins, Tomas Francis, Bradley Davies, Dan Lydiate, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Priestland, Gareth Anscombe

Scotland

15. Stuart Hogg
14. Sean Maitland
13. Mark Bennett
12. Dunc Taylor
11. Tommy Seymour
10. Finn Russell
09. Greig Laidlaw (c)

01. Alasdair Dickinson
02. Ross Ford
03. Willem Nel
04. Richie Gray
05. Jonny Gray
06. John Barclay
07. John Hardie
08. David Denton

Reps: McInally, Reid, Fagerson, Swinson, Cowan, Hidalgo-Clyne, Weir, Lamont



Referee is unfortunately George Clancy (IRFU) which ruins the game generally.

Touch judges: John Lacey (IRFU) & Federico Anselmi (UAR)

TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

Hogg is in. I have four from both teams (I think).

RiscaGame wrote:I worry that now I've taken out Seymour from my fantasy team, he'll score a few. I am always concerned by Hogg.

I am intrigued by the front five battle. I think Scotland might get a bit of joy here.

I am worried that Russell will have a big game now, to make up for last week.

I think I'll use my fantasy team to hedge my emotions. I'll pick as many Welsh backs as I can!

The key threats in the Scotland side are Bennett, Seymour and Hogg. That's the extent of the Scottish "cutting edge" and if we are to cause Wales a scare those three need to be heavily involved. I think Laidlaw needs to up his game, as does Russell. The Gatland/Edwards defence is extremely effective against teams with slow ball.

They're the three I had FES. Bennett and Hogg are still in.

That's kind of my hope always. Wales win, great. Or otherwise I get some consolation if some opposing players score. I only had Best and Heaslip last week, so no joy.

RiscaGame wrote:They're the three I had FES. Bennett and Hogg are still in.

That's kind of my hope always. Wales win, great. Or otherwise I get some consolation if some opposing players score. I only had Best and Heaslip last week, so no joy.

Better than me. I picked a provisional team on the Monday just to register, then forgot to change it once the line-ups were announced. Half my backline didn't even play (Fofana, Kearney and Spedding), so much catching up to do!!

maestegmafia wrote:

munkian wrote:We need our centers running at their 10 - Sexton made a massive 2 tackles last game

O thought the general consensus was that we wanted the Welsh team to run round the opposition not through them?

Exploit the 2 on 1s and overlaps etc...!

I can hear the cry now, "N U M B E R S....!!!!"

Gatland said we were too lateral last week

RubyGuby wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:I worry that now I've taken out Seymour from my fantasy team, he'll score a few. I am always concerned by Hogg.

I am intrigued by the front five battle. I think Scotland might get a bit of joy here.

I am worried that Russell will have a big game now, to make up for last week.

Just put Hogg in your fantasy team to balance the books! I also think our front 5 are hugely underestimated

I think your front five has big potential to cause problems. Didn't fire as well as I expected last week and I am hoping they won't quite get it right this Saturday...

I hope they have an improved performance.


Gatland selected the people's choice front row. One for the future. Both pros are 23 years old, Balders is a bit older, 28 I think... But all the experience in the front five is held in the caps of the second row.

They did well against Ireland last week. Seemed to generally have the upper hand in all facets...

Ireland were without a number of players but we're still very good considering.

munkian wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

munkian wrote:We need our centers running at their 10 - Sexton made a massive 2 tackles last game

O thought the general consensus was that we wanted the Welsh team to run round the opposition not through them?

Exploit the 2 on 1s and overlaps etc...!

I can hear the cry now, "N U M B E R S....!!!!"

Gatland said we were too lateral last week

Didn't see that interview.

maestegmafia wrote:

munkian wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

munkian wrote:We need our centers running at their 10 - Sexton made a massive 2 tackles last game

O thought the general consensus was that we wanted the Welsh team to run round the opposition not through them?

Exploit the 2 on 1s and overlaps etc...!

I can hear the cry now, "N U M B E R S....!!!!"

Gatland said we were too lateral last week

Didn't see that interview.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/warren-gatland-tells-players-passed-10878100

munkian wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

munkian wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

munkian wrote:We need our centers running at their 10 - Sexton made a massive 2 tackles last game

O thought the general consensus was that we wanted the Welsh team to run round the opposition not through them?

Exploit the 2 on 1s and overlaps etc...!

I can hear the cry now, "N U M B E R S....!!!!"

Gatland said we were too lateral last week

Didn't see that interview.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/warren-gatland-tells-players-passed-10878100

The context in which he said lateral was rather different to just saying we were too lateral though wasn't it!

Here is the quote;


“We went out last weekend to play a little bit in the wider channels and try and develop our game a little bit,” he said.

“We didn’t execute that well enough. If you look at the stats, we would probably have been a little bit more direct.

“Jonny Sexton made two tackles in the game and both of them were covering tackles on George North.

“If we had been much more direct with Jamie (Roberts) or Jonathan (Davies), his tackle count would have been probably 10 or 12.

“It’s just us trying to get the balance right. We have looked at the game closely. I think we made over 200 passes and put two of them down. I thought the handling of both teams was pretty good in the conditions.

“We have identified that by trying to be a bit more expansive, you have still got to be a bit more accurate and a bit squarer.

“We were probably a little bit lateral in some of our running across the field and didn’t pick off and execute some three on twos as well."


He is not alluding to playing a narrower game, he is referring to tying in defenders to create space.

Tim Visser is starting for 'quins tomorrow which is good news - puts more pressure on Seymour and Maitland to perform.

I think he would have been starting if he hadn't picked up an injury.

Well I'm comfortable with Wales being a bit more direct. There's nothing wrong with Russell and Taylor in defence - it's out wide where we've tended to struggle defensively. I trust Maitland in defence but Seymour is a different matter. Fine attacking player and he doesn't lack commitment but in terms of positioning and that tendency to rush off his mark, he can be quickly exposed (but equally poses an interception threat).

Fair point on Seymour. If we play like we did last week (passing along the line without committing defenders), he might have some joy with intercepts.

Wales should target the scots back three. Seymour in particular, that said they need to play a very good kicking game to not get caught out by Hogg who has serious pace and a great step.

But Visser is the alternative to Seymour!

maestegmafia wrote:Wales should target the scots back three. Seymour in particular, that said they need to play a very good kicking game to not get caught out by Hogg who has serious pace and a great step.

this could well be an interesting battle. If Wales do this I want the scots backs to run the ball back not kick it away - do that and we should boss the possession. all of the scots back 3 are very good at running the ball back. So if wales kick well they might get some joy - but if the kick poorly then the scotland back 3 should ensure scotland gain the advantage

Heres the list of things scotland will no doubt do, as they always do ad infinitum ;-

1. poorly weighted up and unders with insufficient numbers of half hearted chasers allowing for less than 25 pc success rate and little yardage
2. ditto on oppositions kicks only with 75pc loss rate compounded by schoolboy level technique and laughable needless knockons.
3. 4 times more knock ons than the opposition across the park.
4. repeated butchering of opportunites in opposition 22.
5. squint throw each and every critical lineout, namely in opposition 22 and own 22.
6. laidlaw telegraphing who he is passing and doing so at half the speed of any other international standard scrum half.
7. no go forward in the forwards due to laidlaws speed bumped delivery, followed later in the match by aimless  kicking brought on by fortified frustration
8. with the game gone coach forced to empty third rate bench with crazed wolverine ensuring yellow cards and abject defeat to follow
9. rinse repeat

I posted this before, but I think this will be 15-20 point wales victory.

As we all know, Wales first and foremost try and build momentum by generating front foot ball, using their strike runners in midfield to drag them over the advantage line. This is exactly the type of game that Scotland struggle with. Look at the world cup and against England - South Africa and Samoa tore us to shreds by big guys running hard and fast, our defence crumpled like a cheap suit. Allied to this, unless our forwards produce quicker ball and Laidlaw actually passes it with any sort of alacrity, we have no chance of our dangerous runners getting behind Wales.

I know this all sounds terribly depressing, but i’m a Scottish rugby fan - so its allowed.

On an unrelated/related interesting note for Scots fans, this is why Adam Hastings wasn't involved in the Scotland U20 side against Wales

http://www.bathrugby.com/news/century-for-mercer-at-sixways/

If he can make an impact at Bath it can only be good news for Scotland over the next year or two. I think he could easily be pushing Finn Russell come 2018.

That said Hutchinson isn't exactly shabby either.

NeilyBroon wrote:On an unrelated/related interesting note for Scots fans, this is why Adam Hastings wasn't involved in the Scotland U20 side against Wales

http://www.bathrugby.com/news/century-for-mercer-at-sixways/

If he can make an impact at Bath it can only be good news for Scotland over the next year or two. I think he could easily be pushing Finn Russell come 2018.

That said Hutchinson isn't exactly shabby either.

he could get a full cap within a year at this rate. still 19 too..

TJ wrote:But Visser is the alternative to Seymour!

I'd expect Visser to take the left wing slot with Seymour moving across to the right wing (which is his preferred side anyway). Maitland would drop to the bench covering the back three.

alive555 wrote:

NeilyBroon wrote:On an unrelated/related interesting note for Scots fans, this is why Adam Hastings wasn't involved in the Scotland U20 side against Wales

http://www.bathrugby.com/news/century-for-mercer-at-sixways/

If he can make an impact at Bath it can only be good news for Scotland over the next year or two. I think he could easily be pushing Finn Russell come 2018.

That said Hutchinson isn't exactly shabby either.

he could get a full cap within a year at this rate. still 19 too..

The future for Scottish rugby looks good. Some tidy players coming through at the moment.

Should be a tough game for the under 20s tonight

RDW_Scotland wrote:So anyway....


Welsh fans - where are you most concerned about the Scotland team tomorrow?

Scottish fans - where are you most concerned about the Welsh team? Apart from everywhere...

Roberts and JD2 worry me the most. Ireland's defence was significantly more intense than what I think we can muster tomorrow.

We really need to stop Wales getting any momentum and that will primarily fall to Taylor trying to stop Roberts. If he can achieve that, we have a chance tomorrow.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:So anyway....


Welsh fans - where are you most concerned about the Scotland team tomorrow?

Scottish fans - where are you most concerned about the Welsh team? Apart from everywhere...

Roberts and JD2 worry me the most. Ireland's defence was significantly more intense than what I think we can muster tomorrow.

We really need to stop Wales getting any momentum and that will primarily fall to Taylor trying to stop Roberts. If he can achieve that,  we have a chance tomorrow.

It's all about nel tomorrow. I'm confident our defence can hold off the Scottish backs but if nel gains penalties at scrums then laidlaw will knock over the points. I think the score will be close until nel goes off then we should have the ability to pull away and win

Under 20s

Wales 10 - Scotland 1$

We minutes to go

First carry I saw the Wales (and Dragons) lock Bryce Morgan do, I was buzzing. Then I've watched him since and he seems to jog everywhere and hasn't done much else. So maybe he won't break through too soon, after all.

They're definitely missing Adam beard tonight. No idea how this Scotland team beat England though, they can't catch the ball

If only we had a kicker.

I am not sure why that was taking a man in the air, yet when we took a lineout after our last scrum pen, it wasn't. Our jumper hadn't fully hit the ground (by the looks), judging by the way he was hit by Scotland's drive.

Not overly convinced by this ref.

Wish we had Watkin too. Particularly now he's only benching.

Did Dan Jones just bottle that kick?!?

Wales won 18-15.

Baws.

Shame for the young un's after such an encouraging end to the first half. Could you ever imagine the senior team turning down as easy 3 with a minute on the clock to go for a try!?

Had the winning of that game, but getting pinged twice in the last 10 for accidental offside at the lineout was a real shooting yourself in the foot stuff

Bit surprised they got done twice for the same thing. Hate that law anyway.

Fair play to McBryde's boy nailing that kick.

Dan Jones left too many points out there, and he kicked away possession too much. A poor game from him. It was a tough game for our U20s but I felt as soon as we nullified their driving lineout we would have enough to get the win. Like last week it took until the second half to figure out how to stop the opposition lineout. Scrum went well again and we look fast out wide. They'll need Beard and Watkin back for France and England. I'd also think about starting McBryde.

Yep, defo need those two back and after that kick mcbryde should start. Backs looked ok really, on the whole though.

Hearing that Maitland might be out?

Which means Lamont starts with A N Other joining the bench. Which poor unfortunate can big Vern drag in? Visser is due to start for Quins tomorrow and both scottish pro teams have just played games on Friday night. Not looking forward to this one.

Apparently Hart is the 24h man.
Heard a weird rumour that Maits was spotted getting a train home this evening...

Hart played for Glasgow in Belfast last night. Surely it won't be him. More likely to take an Edinburgh player, at least they are in Wales.

Otherwise I would imagine Jackson or Visser will be told to get on a train quick!

I really hope this isnt true Glove, but on the other hand ol shlongster does have a solidity in defence and the lightning pace to urine on the welsh chips.

Prothero wrote:I really hope this isnt true Glove, but on the other hand ol shlongster does have a solidity in defence and the lightning pace to urine on the welsh chips.

I was looking forward to those chips

Apparently Scotland haven't received 7 cards in the last 5 games in Cardiff (2 reds) - keeping 15 players on the pitch would be a good start!

So was buggers ankle just bruised?

Bigger not Bugger

Anymore on the Maitland rumour? Haven't seen anything confirmed anywhere

Carpet baboon biggar said his ankle was just sore and the scans showed no damage.

The journalists on twitter have now picked up the Maitland story

Lamont has replaced Maitland with Jackson on the bench.

Rdw is that the fly half Jackson? So both teams have two fly halves on the bench

He's been considered as a 15 for Scotland of late, but he hardly ever plays there for Wasps

Let's bloody do it!!!!!!
https://vine.co/v/invtJg1iFiP