6N 2018: Wales v Scotland, 3 February

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WALES v SCOTLAND
3 February 2018
KO: 14:15 GMT
Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Live on [ITV, RTE, SC4, FR2, DMAX / BBC (H)]

Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France)
Assistant 1: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant 2: Matthew Carley (England)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)

A. Head to Head

122 Played 122
70 Won 49
3 Drawn 3
49 Lost 70
1,624 Points 1,263

B. Recent Form

9 March 2013
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
18–28 to Wales

15 March 2014
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
51–3 to Wales

15 February 2015
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
23–26 to Wales

13 February 2016
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
27–23 to Wales

25 February 2017
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
29–13 to Scotland

C. Teams

WALES 

Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets); Josh Adams (Worcester), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets), Steff Evans (Scarlets); Rhys Patchell (Scarlets), Gareth Davies (Scarlets); Rob Evans (Scarlets), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Cory Hill (Dragons), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, capt), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester).

Replacements: Elliot Dee (Dragons), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Bradley Davies (Ospreys), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Aled Davies (Scarlets), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Owen Watkin (Ospreys).

SCOTLAND

Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks); Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors); Gordon Reid (London Irish), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), Jonny Gray, John Barclay (Scarlets, captain), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Cornell du Preez (Edinburgh).

Replacements: Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors), Murray McCallum (Edinburgh), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne), Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Maitland (Saracens).

That would be some statement if Josh Adams was handed a debut. Personally I wouldn't and would go with Patchell at 15 (to act as another receiver too), with Halfpenny and Evans on the wings. So backline would like very Scarlet with one ex-scarlet.

Davies, O Williams, Evans, Parkes, S Williams, Halfpenny, Patchell.
Tomos Williams, Anscombe and Watkin on the bench - I think that is the strongest we can put out for this match IE lack of weak points, which is why I have excluded Cuthbert and Aled Davies

Are Taylor and Dunbar both really out?? First time I've seen that - terrible, if true. 

It will be Horne and Jones most probably then, although I would love to see Mark Bennett with Jones. Crazy footballing skills those two.

George Carlin wrote:Are Taylor and Dunbar both really out?? First time I've seen that - terrible, if true. 

It will be Horne and Jones most probably then, although I would love to see Mark Bennett with Jones. Crazy footballing skills those two.

Both are on return to play protocol for concussion - Dunbar only had his last week and Taylor has had repeat head knocks lately.

RDW_Scotland wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Are Taylor and Dunbar both really out?? First time I've seen that - terrible, if true. 

It will be Horne and Jones most probably then, although I would love to see Mark Bennett with Jones. Crazy footballing skills those two.

Both are on return to play protocol for concussion - Dunbar only had his last week and Taylor has had repeat head knocks lately.

But he's a Northampton lad, so it totally didn't hurt.

I’d be very surprised if North has dropped out because he’s injured. Stinks of tactical withdrawal to me.

I wouldn’t start him anyway. Even the much maligned Cuthbert has shown more form than him recently. Steff Evans and Josh Adams should start, as they’re the form wingers. If Gatland wants an attacking team (which he probably doesn’t), he could work on their defensive weaknesses with the alleged specialists and let them have a go without being hindered.

I've said it before, although it's not what the Welsh fans want, if you create a fast open game that will play into Scotland's hands. Your record against us has been so good lately because you have battered us into submission. Australia for example play a fast flowing game and have came up short in the last 2 encounters.

Our weakness is when teams take the direct and abrasive approach and start bullying us physically. I'd be surprised if that hasn't been noticed by Gatland and he picks a physical team.

France and England smashed us physically last year as did Fiji and Samoa, although we just held on against Samoa. The rest beat us very convincingly.

Scotland should win this in a canter

Wales are an underwhelming team

ebop wrote:Scotland should win this in a canter

Wales are an underwhelming team

I don't think that's true, especially when looking at how the Scarlets have been playing. However they are a team in transition, that, combined with their brutal injury list does suggest a Scotland win. However home advantage counts for a lot too. I do think we will win the match with a bit to spare.

Laidlaw played the entire game for Clermont. Made his tackles and was generally quicker with the pass than I remembered.

Bench 9 is now sorted for Scotland

His kicking is just as good - 7 out of 7

I dont think there is any doubt that Wales will win at home. Scotland flatter to deceive. One win and they think they've righted years of seriously bad defeats at the hands of Wales. We've been putting them away for years and will continue to do so this year. 1 defeat in 14 years is an outlier, Scots can't win in Cardiff.

Gwlad wrote:I dont think there is any doubt that Wales will win at home. Scotland flatter to deceive. One win and they think they've righted years of seriously bad defeats at the hands of Wales. We've been putting them away for years and will continue to do so this year. 1 defeat in 14 years is an outlier, Scots can't win in Cardiff.

For the last 14 years we were beaten before we got on the plane down to Barry Island. Different now I think, you don't have the muscle to put us under pressure the way England or Samoa did and you don't have the ball playing skills of Australia.

Scotland by 15.

Evans,Owens, Lee, Davies, Alun Wyn, Moriarty, Tipuric Navidi or Shingler

Plenty of muscle ta much.

I accept you have better outside backs but Wales will definitely bring it up front this weekend.

Gatland will leverage the Scarlets force multiplier effect in this game and Scotland will choke in Cardiff

Wales by 9

Back row is going to be key.

Do wales counter Scotland by adding another ball carrier?

I agree on Nalvidi Moriarty and Tipuric.

Maybe Shingler as back up lock so we can put James Davies on the bench.

I agree Shingler could be back up lock but I'm not sure this is the game to blood Cubby. Id start with Shingler Navidi and Tipuric and have Moriarty for impact in the last 30.

I think our pack looks pretty strong except for the loss of Faletau.

Gwlad wrote:I agree Shingler could be back up lock but I'm not sure this is the game to blood Cubby. Id start with Shingler Navidi and Tipuric and have Moriarty for impact in the last 30.

I think our pack looks pretty strong except for the loss of Faletau.

We should have a decent front five. We don’t have a back row who have had game time together. I think james Davies has shown enough talent for his inclusion to be an asset rather than a risk

The front row and by extension the scrum will be a potent weapon for Wales next weekend. However in the 2nd row and backrow the contest in the forwards will be won or lost, for what it's worth I think Barclay and Watson will have the edge over the Welsh backrow. I'd give the 2nd row advantage as evens with Gray and AWJ balancing each other out and not much to draw between who makes up the numbers on either side.

Into the backs it's kind of one way traffic, Scotland have the advantage and form, from 9 to 15.

Also guys like Barclay, Watson, Gray, Russell will all have a point to prove to Mr Gatland. I can see this one being a feisty affair.

Scotland have more fit backs than us but I think some wee boys up north (the real north) are underestimating how well Parkes and Williams have been playing together. Thank fec Williams’ form actually came back, slowly but surely. Last year he was gash.

Wales definitely need to try and bully Scotland up front but I hope there’s a plan B for when Townsend works his way around it.

mikey_dragon wrote:Scotland have more fit backs than us but I think some wee boys up north (the real north) are underestimating how well Parkes and Williams have been playing together. Thank fec Williams’ form actually came back, slowly but surely. Last year he was gash.

Wales definitely need to try and bully Scotland up front but I hope there’s a plan B for when Townsend works his way around it.

They're two powerful centres, all the more reason why we desperately need one of Dunbar or Taylor fit. If we play Horne at 12 Wales will have free reign to batter over the gainline.

Gents

If anyone is looking for a ticket, I've a spare one going at face value.

Have pm ed you Tattie

Just replied mate

Gwlad wrote:I dont think there is any doubt that Wales will win at home. Scotland flatter to deceive. One win and they think they've righted years of seriously bad defeats at the hands of Wales. We've been putting them away for years and will continue to do so this year. 1 defeat in 14 years is an outlier, Scots can't win in Cardiff.

'Scotland haven't won in Cardiff for a while, therefore they will never again win in Cardiff.'

Good grief.

Gwlad wrote:Evans,Owens, Lee, Davies, Alun Wyn, Moriarty, Tipuric Navidi or Shingler

Plenty of muscle ta much.

That's really not the juggernaut pack you think it is.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

Gwlad wrote:I dont think there is any doubt that Wales will win at home. Scotland flatter to deceive. One win and they think they've righted years of seriously bad defeats at the hands of Wales. We've been putting them away for years and will continue to do so this year. 1 defeat in 14 years is an outlier, Scots can't win in Cardiff.

'Scotland haven't won in Cardiff for a while, therefore they will never again win in Cardiff.'

Good grief.

Yeah, I do always laugh at that kind of reasoning. "Yis never won the World Cup before and yis think you might have a chance of winning it next time??? Wot idiots. Sure like...............yous haven't won it before even!"

The world is a long time...at least that's what I got learned about at SKoole.....

Unfortunately about 60% of the Welsh posters on this site are unbearable trolls. 'The English' get called arrogant, but who makes statements like that about teams above us in the rankings and who beat us the year before?

Scottrf, what is your problem with Wales/Welsh ? Did somebody from Wales hurt you ?

Also, Gwlad does not make up 60% of us Welsh on here.

LordDowlais wrote:Scottrf, what is your problem with Wales/Welsh ? Did somebody from Wales hurt you ?

Also, Gwlad does not make up 60% of us Welsh on here.

Nothing with Welsh, just some of their posters here. Have you missed Mikey's posts?

Some Welsh like to put a target on their backs. It’s only fair to shoot that target although it’s kinda like shooting fish in a barrel.

So it's only the Welsh members on here who behave like this ?

SecretFly wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

Gwlad wrote:I dont think there is any doubt that Wales will win at home. Scotland flatter to deceive. One win and they think they've righted years of seriously bad defeats at the hands of Wales. We've been putting them away for years and will continue to do so this year. 1 defeat in 14 years is an outlier, Scots can't win in Cardiff.

'Scotland haven't won in Cardiff for a while, therefore they will never again win in Cardiff.'

Good grief.

Yeah, I do always laugh at that kind of reasoning.  "Yis never won the World Cup before and yis think you might have a chance of winning it next time??? Wot idiots.  Sure like...............yous haven't won it before even!"

The world is a long time...at least that's what I got learned about at SKoole.....

It's great logic, isn't it?

Wales hadn't won at Twickenham in 20 years when they turned up in 2008. Scotland winning in Cardiff on Saturday would be less of a shock than that win was.

Scottrf wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Scottrf, what is your problem with Wales/Welsh ? Did somebody from Wales hurt you ?

Also, Gwlad does not make up 60% of us Welsh on here.

Nothing with Welsh, just some of their posters here. Have you missed Mikey's posts?

We have had these conversations before, you know we have, you seem to have a real underlying issue with Wales/Welsh, you love twisting the knife.

LordDowlais wrote:

Scottrf wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Scottrf, what is your problem with Wales/Welsh ? Did somebody from Wales hurt you ?

Also, Gwlad does not make up 60% of us Welsh on here.

Nothing with Welsh, just some of their posters here. Have you missed Mikey's posts?

We have had these conversations before, you know we have, you seem to have a real underlying issue with Wales/Welsh, you love twisting the knife.

Yeah I have voodoo dolls set up in my house. Anyway I was only commenting on the proportion, some are fine

I am not sure why you would read a thread that doesn’t really concern you anyway, if you find 60% of one of the team’s supporters unbearable trolls. Each to their own, I guess.

RiscaGame wrote:I am not sure why you would read a thread that doesn’t really concern you anyway, if you find 60% of one of the team’s supporters unbearable trolls. Each to their own, I guess.

6 Nations games all concern me but thanks for the advice. Maybe direct the anger at the people who make the troll comments though.

I will be immensely disappointed if we don't win at the weekend.

Appreciate that Wales have home advantage but we beat Australia last year away and shouldn't be intimidated, plus there'll be plenty of edge to this game due to Gat's Lions.

Obviously the form of Scarlets is a concern but there's been no indication from Gats & Co that they're capable of getting a team to play that style successfully.  And anyway, plenty of our players are in good form, especially McInally, Toolis, Gilco, Gray, Watson, Price, Russell, Kinghorn, Hogg.

We've been the better team for the past 12 months; played better rugby, scored more points and won more games.

If you both open up and go for each other could be the game of the tournament. I think Gatland would be mad rondo anything other than try to grind you down and play in your own half though.

I think being the underdogs will suit Wales. It usually suits them better than being the favourites. Gats might be able to use some of it as ammunition in terms of being written off, etc. Might not be enough to get them the win, but might bring a bit extra to Wales.

reallybored wrote: there'll be plenty of edge to this game due to Gat's Lions.

Good point.  With Scotland being so good at this point as a team in its own right, that Lions snub thing is maybe understandably overlooked (too many other details to talk about).  Had Scotland less real stake in the contest to come then the media might have tried to talk that one up more.

So, it might not be central in the minds of either coach or either set of fans now, but it's bound to be an extra incentive for already hungry and greedy Scottish players when it comes to 'point making' performances.

No 7&1/2 wrote:If you both open up and go for each other could be the game of the tournament.  I think Gatland would be mad rondo anything other than try to grind you down and play in your own half though.

Agreed.

Gatland seems a pretty smart bloke (certainly from a coaching point of view) so I would be amazed if he hasn't realised our biggest weakness has been when we are dragged into an arm wrestle. Cockerill has improved that side of things at Edinburgh and there is a chance it might carry over to the national team, but it's probably Wales' best chance of a win. That's not to say they can't win if they open up and try to outplay us, as they do have a lot of quality in the team, but the chances of that working are far lower than a tight physical game.

EWT Spoons wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:If you both open up and go for each other could be the game of the tournament.  I think Gatland would be mad rondo anything other than try to grind you down and play in your own half though.

Agreed.

Gatland seems a pretty smart bloke (certainly from a coaching point of view) so I would be amazed if he hasn't realised our biggest weakness has been when we are dragged into an arm wrestle.  Cockerill has improved that side of things at Edinburgh and there is a chance it might carry over to the national team, but it's probably Wales' best chance of a win.  That's not to say they can't win if they open up and try to outplay us, as they do have a lot of quality in the team, but the chances of that working are far lower than a tight physical game.

This 100%.

Last year's competition is the best example of it, England dominated up front and exploited our defensive system, but it was the pressure at the set piece where they scored most of their tries of 1st phase.

France too, absolutely bludgeoned us into submission, far to physical for us to compete and they didn't tire as quickly as I thought they might.

In the first half against Ireland we had free reign to play as we pleased, built up enough of a lead that when Ireland came out in the second half and tightened the game up we were far enough ahead to win.

The Wales game last year, the men in red played the 1st half well, but Watson coming on for the injured Hardie upped the tempo and the way we scored repeated turnovers in the 2nd half sped the game up and caught Wales out entirely and stopped them scoring any points.

This is Gregor Townsends 1st 6N, and I expect him to make a big impact, he hasn't drastically changed what Cotter had done, but he has certainly sharpened the cutting edge.



I really hope Wales play a Scarlets style expansive game, it will make for cracking viewing but diminish the chances of a Wales win significantly, however I don't know if that Welsh pack can bully us the way France, Ireland or England might.

Richie Gray has been ruled out of this game. Not a huge blow given we've been without him for a while anyway and Toolis and Gilchrist are in good form.

Don't think he would have necessarily started this weekend, but a decent bench option. Would have been nice to have him, but like you say not a huge blow

Johnny G, Gilchrist and Toolis definitely the form picks.

Losing Ritchie is not a disaster. We would not have said that a few years ago!

Strange, you lot were saying that Richie Gray should have been a Lion a few months ago, instead of AWJ. Now all of a sudden he is not much of a loss. Oh well.

LordDowlais wrote:Strange, you lot were saying that Richie Gray should have been a Lion a few months ago, instead of AWJ. Now all of a sudden he is not much of a loss. Oh well.

That was Jonny Gray

RDW_Scotland wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Strange, you lot were saying that Richie Gray should have been a Lion a few months ago, instead of AWJ. Now all of a sudden he is not much of a loss. Oh well.

That was Jonny Gray

I think you will find that they were both touted as potential better choices, until it was pointed out that they were both injured.

Slightly off topic but I am so bloody excited now, I’m like a kid at Christmas. This is going to be a long week.

If January was dry (it wasn’t) February is going to be very moist indeed.

LordDowlais wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Strange, you lot were saying that Richie Gray should have been a Lion a few months ago, instead of AWJ. Now all of a sudden he is not much of a loss. Oh well.

That was Jonny Gray

I think you will find that they were both touted as potential better choices, until it was pointed out that they were both injured.

That's how much better they were. Even injured, they were better options

Eejit wrote:Slightly off topic but I am so bloody excited now, I’m like a kid at Christmas. This is going to be a long week.

If January was dry (it wasn’t) February is going to be very moist indeed.

??? Are you getting married? What's on?