Scotland 6N 2021 thread

[Highland Shaun]

First topic message reminder :

As requested by RDW in the Scotland 2020 thread, I have taken on the job of starting the 2021 6N thread as I want to contribute to the forum as much as I can .

First things first, here are the games and starting times for Scotland 6N 2021 matches :

Game 1: A daunting opener against reigning 6N and ANC champions, England (at a bogey round) on Feb 6th, KO: 1645hrs
Game 2: Our first home game of 6N 2021, against a team in transition or a rebuilding process, Wales on Feb 13th, KO: 1645hrs.
Game 3: Another daunting prospect, this time in the Stade De France, against the very entertaining French team, KO: 1500hrs on Feb 28th.
Game 4: Our second home match, this time against our bogey Celtic cousins Ireland on March 14th, KO: 1500hrs.
Game 5: We end our 2021 campaign at home against Italy, usually seen as a Wooden Spoon decider and one Italy always target as a winnable game, even though its been a few years since they have actually beaten us. This game is on March 20th with a KO time of 1415hrs.

I think most fans would be happy with 3 wins from 5 and Tbh, that is easily achievable if we play to our potential. I know that we have a poor record v Ireland but we know that records are breakable, we are at home so should be aiming for a win in that. I, as most Scotland fans no doubt, would LOVE a win at Twickenham to break the only never ending hoodoo left to beat but I think we all know how tough it will be. It may be good to get them first up but tbh, I don't see it make a difference unless England totally underestimate us or get massively hit by Covid etc.

I also think Gregor Townsend has to deliver positive results etc in order to win over the doubters (I am not one by the way, I am probably the only one on this forum that backs his new contract) once and for all, he will have a tough job picking his squad for the 6N, some players are and will, over the next few weeks, be putting up their hands regarding selection (Rory Hutchinson and Huw Jones fall into this category) and some will be hoping to retain their places on the back of good ANC performances (van der Walt and Duncy Weir for example).

So now comes the bit where you guys can contribute to the thread, who would you pick as the pool of players (is it 26 names?) for the 6N, have you got any left field choices that nobody would expect to see in it, Finlay Christie (as an example because I know a lot would love to see him in the Scotland blue) perhaps?

Hopefully this thread satisfies RDW .

[NeilyBroon]

Can I bring my Brewdog IPA and party poppers onto this thread without accusations of gloating on the match thread?

You're in a safe space here GC. Where we know Scotland played well and we'll win the 2023 WC with Duncy Weir

[RDW]

It is particularly pleasing with all this chat about England's electric backline and much better front row that none of that came to pass.

Waiting for Mrs RDW to wake up so I can watch the game!

[Mcsweens]

Good win, but one almost entirely marred by those Tennents Lager-branded Laptops in the Scotland technical area. Complete disgrace.

[jimbopip]

It is particularly pleasing with all this chat about England's electric backline and much better front row that none of that came to pass.

Waiting for Mrs RDW to wake up so I can watch the game! Is that a metaphor?

Flounder, purely as a scientific experiment could you sleep through Scotland's next four matches? We may have stumbled onto something here.

[jimbopip]

On a serious note;
Dancer and Hogg were far too casual dealing with a kick at the end of the first half and we were fortunate not to concede a try.
The drop goal attempt was incredibly stupid, or poorly executed, or both. Don't be surprised if Gatland has already decided that Dancer will not be a Lion.
I thought Matt F had a good game (understatement...everyone had a great game) I can't see that GG added anything when he came on; after some of the comments on here I was a little bit underwhelmed to be honest.

[RDW]

It is particularly pleasing with all this chat about England's electric backline and much better front row that none of that came to pass.

Waiting for Mrs RDW to wake up so I can watch the game!  Is that a metaphor?

Flounder, purely as a scientific experiment could you sleep through Scotland's next four matches? We may have stumbled onto something here.

To be honest that's probably going to happen even despite this win!

[Mcsweens]

On a serious note;
Dancer and Hogg were far too casual dealing with a kick at the end of the first half and we were fortunate not to concede a try.
The drop goal attempt was incredibly stupid, or poorly executed, or both. Don't be surprised if Gatland has already decided that Dancer will not be a Lion.
I thought Matt F had a good game (understatement...everyone had a great game) I can't see that GG added anything when he came on; after some of the comments on here I was a little bit underwhelmed to be honest.

M Fagerson and Cummings were outstanding.
Jimbo - I agree it's completely in the balance if Russel tours

[Gooseberry]

On a serious note;

The drop goal attempt was incredibly stupid, or poorly executed, or both.

Glad Im not alone in noting that, WTF were they thinking? Aside from "well even if we cough up the ball England are that sh1ite it wont matter"

[tigertattie]

Jonny and Cummings were superb. Turner played better that either of our other hookers have in 12 months. Watson was a pain all game.

Redpath was solid. Looks to be real potential there.

Hogg was tactically spot on

Finn had a decent kicking from hand game

Price was pish but we can’t have it all

For me the biggest plus point was that Russell wasn’t at his electrifying best but the team still won. Maybe England put too much focus on him and not enough on the rest of the team???

[Highland Shaun]

What a start to the 6N and it wasn't just a win, it was a battering as the stats show.

Poor Price must have been nervous after those 2 charge downs but tbh, I think he settled afterwards.

Imho, every player deserves pass marks but Finn has to be careful, that trip was silly and could have been costly.

Also, great touch by Hoggy to let Cameron Redpath and David Cherry (as ITV called him) hoist the trophy aloft.

Lets hope its the start of something special .

[funnyExiledScot]

On a serious note;
Dancer and Hogg were far too casual dealing with a kick at the end of the first half and we were fortunate not to concede a try.
The drop goal attempt was incredibly stupid, or poorly executed, or both. Don't be surprised if Gatland has already decided that Dancer will not be a Lion.
I thought Matt F had a good game (understatement...everyone had a great game) I can't see that GG added anything when he came on; after some of the comments on here I was a little bit underwhelmed to be honest.

I agree on GG. Even Bradbury would have brought more.

As for Russell, if Gatland doesn't take him then fair enough, so long as Farrell and Ford also don't tour. The best 10 today was Russell. Easy. Farrell must surely be running short of credit in the bank. He had one decent touch finder today. That's it.

[Hazel Sapling]

Gary Graham was fine. There was a drop off from M Fagerson but he was immense over 60 minutes and it is hard to be noticeable when you are coming on for someone having a stormer.

There were a few headscratching decisions and it was not Russell's finest game. We had the ball under control on the England 22 having controlled the ball for 2+ minutes and we decided to go for a drop goal in horrible conditions?

Still, got to enjoy the victory. The next challenge is getting used to being favourites with a potential difficult game against Wales next week.

[EST]

I actually thought Russell had a pretty decent game - was instrumental in our try, nearly created another and generally pinned back England with really sensible kicking.

Obviously the yellow was a bit stupid, but it wasn’t malicious and looked instinctive more than anything. He was a bit causal with Hoggy dealing with a kick just before half time, but he wasn’t the only person at fault there - can’t think of many more glaring errors. He outplayed Farrell by some margin.

[RDW]

My player ratings:

Sutherland - 7
Carrying on his usual high standards with strong scrummaging and plenty action around the park.

Turner - 8
Flawless lineout and everywhere on the pitch. We're incredibly lucky to have him to call upon when we lose two experienced international class hookers!

Fagerson - 7
Similar to Sutherland. Both props established first choice.

Gray - 9
Immense. Looks like a move to Exeter is exactly what he needed to take his game to the next level.

Cummings - 7
Played his part in a huge pack performance.

Ritchie - 6.5
A quiet game by his standards. Not sure he was completely fit.

Watson - 7.5
Never had a bad game. The turnover at the end saved our bacon when we could have been in trouble.

Fagerson - 7.5
Probably his best Scotland performance. Really abrasive in his carrying which is exactly what we need from him.

Price - 6.5
Too many chargedowns! Other than that he controlled things well and his kicks kept England pinned back.

Russell - 6.5
His kicking game in the 2nd half kept the pressure on England but he made a few trademark mistakes too. His trip was probably an instinctive reaction but he'd got himself out of position so was always going yo be in trouble. Some lovely passes as you always get with him.

VDM - 7
Given how much he does with so little ball you wonder what he can do if we bring him into the game more! An absolute freak of nature and a very well taken try.

Redpath - 8
Welcome to Scotland Mr Redpath! You were very welcome. Good runs, kicks and even a key turnover - a very assured debut

Harris - 6.5
A classic Harris performance - didn't overly notice him but he seems to be the glue that holds it all together!

Maitland - 7
I was questioning if he still had it at this level and he clearly does. Shows what I know!

Hogg - 8.5
A mature performance - made the correct decision when to run and when to kick. When he did either he did them incredibly well!

Subs - no real standouts but they each made a contribution. Cherry had a crucial wrestle with Itoje where he came out with the ball. I thought R Gray looked a bit leggy and off the pace actually, but the runout would have done him good.

[Pal Joey]

It is particularly pleasing with all this chat about England's electric backline and much better front row that none of that came to pass.

Waiting for Mrs RDW to wake up so I can watch the game!  Is that a metaphor?

Flounder, purely as a scientific experiment could you sleep through Scotland's next four matches? We may have stumbled onto something here.

To be honest that's probably going to happen even despite this win!

Did exactly the same thing, RDW. Set the recording then went to sleep expecting 'the usual' result. Just finished watching it. Great win!

The key is not to fast-forward the match even when there is a stoppage in play. Just let it play out in the background with the commentators babbling away whilst appearing to be pre-occupied with minor Sunday chores. That worked a treat.

Enjoy the win... and of course all of you Scotland fans as well.  

Can't believe it has been their first Calcutta Cup win at Twickenham since 1983. Think I must have been anticipating the upcoming birth of Raquel Nazzerena Alessi at around that time.

Spoiler:

[bsando]

After dismantling France in a similar way last six nations I was disappointed Scotland didn’t kick on in the autumn. But that same gnarl and defensive aggression that was there against France was back against England. Watching England go backwards in attack most of the time was huge credit to Steve Tandy and PDV. They’ve made Scotland a difficult beast to tame.

Can Scotland keep this momentum going? It would be a shame to waste the best chance of 6N title in decades by not backing up this win.

[RDW]

After dismantling France in a similar way last six nations I was disappointed Scotland didn’t kick on in the autumn. But that same gnarl and defensive aggression that was there against France was back against England. Watching England go backwards in attack most of the time was huge credit to Steve Tandy and PDV. They’ve made Scotland a difficult beast to tame.

Can Scotland keep this momentum going? It would be a shame to waste the best chance of 6N title in decades by not backing up this win.

Whilst I think we need more time to bask in the glow of a historic win, that is the impending question. Whatever happens in Ireland today we're going to be favourites at home to Wales and expected to deliver. The Scottish sporting psyche does not cope well with the favourites tag!

[bsando]

Yeah that’s true and a concern I and others on here most likely have. Still buzzing over yesterday’s win as you quite rightly say we all should be. It was the sort of performance from Scotland I think all of us have dreamed of for years. After seeing each of Wales, Ireland and England have their day and totally dominate each other occasionally it’s nice to see Scotland so that. At twickenham. With Gatland in the stands. Abolishing a dismal record and seeing two débutants lifting the Calcutta cup

[George Carlin]

I think that the only person who needs to be worried about his place next week is Harris.

The idea of Redpath-Saint Shug or Redpath-Hutchison is very appealing. I don't think that Toonie will change the team though - he'll want to reward the collective.

I also agree that for all of the fuss about Russell, he had at best a mixed bag. The trip was a silly petulant thing and will be exactly the sort of thing that Gatland will point to as a reason to keep Russell as an 'in case of emergency, break glass' option. That sort of nonsense can cost you test matches. Not that Farrell can't lose his sh!t in his own right, but I do get the sense that he is Mr Dependable for Gatland whereas Russell is not.

Jaysus, England were bad though. Oof.

[jimbopip]

I actually thought Russell had a pretty decent game - was instrumental in our try, nearly created another and generally pinned back England with really sensible kicking. Agree, agree, agree.

Obviously the yellow was a bit stupid, but it wasn’t malicious and looked instinctive more than anything.Agree He was a bit causal with Hoggy dealing with a kick just before half time, but he wasn’t the only person at fault thereAgree, he and Hogg looked too casual/overconfident/cocky - can’t think of many more glaring errors.  He outplayed Farrell by some margin.Agree

The thing is EST 7 points for England would have won them the game. If we had gifted them a try just before half time and went in on a negative note (yes I know they stayed out on the pitch but you know) after being so dominant would it have undermined the collective focus? If England had regathered the "foolish" drop goal attempt and scored there would have been no time for us to score again and we would have lost. That is all the ammunition/justification Gatland needs. I think Dancer is the best 10 I have seen in a Scotland jersey....but Dan parks would not have made those two mistakes at, potentially, crucial times in a match. Just in case I have not been as clear as I might; Dancer should start every time for Scotland as he is a genius. Gatland won't pick him for the Lions because he doesn't fit into Gatland's way of playing.

[RDW]

I hadn't realised that Fagerson the younger was still only 22. That's still very young for the international back row.

He's taken his time to get up to speed, but there are signs he's not far from being exactly what we're after.

[NeilyBroon]

I hadn't realised that Fagerson the younger was still only 22. That's still very young for the international back row.

He's taken his time to get up to speed, but there are signs he's not far from being exactly what we're after.

I think he was one of the highlights of the game for me. Looked very assured and made impact with his carries.

Think others here have been harsh on Graham. He came on during a relatively defensive period and didn't let anyone down and made a nuisance of himself. I still think he's a very handy player to have on the bench, or if Ritchie is a bit groggy next week, at 6. He's certainly a better option than Thomson imo.

[tigertattie]

Yuck. I agree with Jimbo

Finn is not a Gatland 10. Finns issue is that of you chart a 10s quality throughout a game, 0 being jade te rue and 100 being Dan Carter on amphetamines then Ford floats between 60% and 85% through the game. Finn though goes from 40% to 95% and sadly the 95% level isn’t consistently maintained in the match.

It’s that reason that Ford type players will be picked for lions jerseys.

Also there’s a few in danger of jumping on the glove hype train here. Fagerson Jnr had his best game for Scotland but let’s not forget the other 8 caps where he was utterly anonymous. Let’s hope this is him starting to come good at this level and it wasn’t just him riding the wave of a team performance

[bsando]

Ford is a much better ten than Farrell at the moment. Farrell has been an inside centre for too long and needs more game time (full stop) at ten.

Russell had a very good kicking game yesterday as did Hogg. Look at the difference that made! Had Hogg and Russell booted half their their kicks on the full we'd have lost yesterday. It wasn't a stellar performance from Russell but all up, a very good one. He'll only improve as the tournament progresses you feel.

[bsando]

Did a quick calculation on Toonies stats.

41 games as head coach

23 Wins

1 Draw

17 Losses

That is not a bad return and, fingers crossed, will be much better by the end of the tournament.

[EST]

I actually thought Russell had a pretty decent game - was instrumental in our try, nearly created another and generally pinned back England with really sensible kicking. Agree, agree, agree.

Obviously the yellow was a bit stupid, but it wasn’t malicious and looked instinctive more than anything.Agree He was a bit causal with Hoggy dealing with a kick just before half time, but he wasn’t the only person at fault thereAgree, he and Hogg looked too casual/overconfident/cocky - can’t think of many more glaring errors.  He outplayed Farrell by some margin.Agree

The thing is EST 7 points for England would have won them the game. If we had gifted them a try just before half time and went in on a negative note (yes I know they stayed out on the pitch but you know) after being so dominant would it have undermined the collective focus? If England had regathered the "foolish" drop goal attempt and scored there would have been no time for us to score again and we would have lost. That is all the ammunition/justification Gatland needs. I think Dancer is the best 10 I have seen in a Scotland jersey....but Dan parks would not have made those two mistakes at, potentially, crucial times in a match. Just in case I have not been as clear as I might; Dancer should start every time for Scotland as he is a genius. Gatland won't pick him for the Lions because he doesn't fit into Gatland's way of playing.

I do see where you are coming from Jimbo, but I think with certain players a narrative is built up to such an extent that it pushes a stereotype and effects the judgement of a performance and the reality of what happens on the field.  I'm guilty of this with Harris - I generally don't want him to start for Scotland as I think he is slow and one dimensional, but then I see the stats and he is regularly one of our most effective players.  Ditto with Farrell, he is seen as a one-dimensional winning robot - but look at his performance yesterday, or when he gifted Finn that intercept in 2019, or the numerous examples of walking a yellow/red card tight rope with his tackling - a great player, but he is certainly fallible in some situations - shouldn't they be given equal weight when discussing a Lions selection?

With Finn, I think his mistakes are over-examined and put down to his 'maverick' style of play, proof that he can't be trusted in the big games.  But yesterday for the vast majority of the game he played sensible, pragmatic rugby - sprinkled with some really good attacking kicks and link play. He certainly made some mistakes, including the glaring one with the trip, but he is a ten at international level - he's making 100+ decisions a game.  I think he was probably a 7/10 yesterday, certainly not at his best but pretty solid overall and definitely not enough for Gatland to preclude him.

[bsando]

I revisited my pre match comments and it gave me a lot of happiness to see all my hopes and expectations come to fruition  

Good points both of you. When NZ play I always enjoy it because they’re so good at pulling off set piece moves when they could do with a score. If Scotland can get their set piece right and add a dash of creativity from some of the backline players I’d hope that would result in a good game. They nailed set piece and a dash of creativity from the backs was added

Cherry has a big game ahead of him for his debut. I think he could do quite well, I like how he goes at Edinburgh. He did

If it’s a total disaster then we’ll probably be wracking our brains a bit afterwards. On paper we have a good side, even the most critical of pundits are coming out with quotes of praise for the Scottish team sheet They were Right, especially with redpath. This is the first six nations I’ve seen Scotland predicted to finish 4th at worst. Disclaimer: That’s largely due Wales and their poor start under Pivac.

The bookies have England as strong favourites but Scotland have low odds for their remaining fixtures in the 6N. So there is actually some logic in being quietly confident this year, where as in previous campaigns it was more out of hope. Yes yes yes!

Crucial factors for me are will our star players show up and perform? They did but the whole team did too
Sutherland, Fagerson, Gray, Ritchie, Watson, Russell, DVDM, Redpath, Hogg. If all these players have a strong game that will greatly increase our chances of winning away They did. On their day they’re all world class or close to it They were . I just want to see a really good team performance. It Actually Happened!!!

Discipline was very poor against Ireland so that too is something I’ll be hoping is much improved. That was the cherry on the cake, much much better

[doctor_grey]

I wonder how the game would have changed if Jonny Hill actually won the ruck instead of committing the penalty after Itoje blocked Price's first clearing kick early in the match. Likely, Scotland would still have dominated, especially since we have no evidence England had a clue how to play them, but with a close score anything may have happened.

[Heaf]

Given we somehow only lost by 5 it could have made a big difference ...

[takethelongroad]

For me a big difference was having Finn in the pitch. Coaches don’t like seeing him on the opposite side as he makes it near impossible to defend all his options. Even if he doesn’t do that miracle pass or kick, him being there ties the back row, keeps backfield in two minds with short and long kicks and dogleg defences get nervous. This leaves space that others benefit from with defensive uncertainty and it won’t be obvious to many that Finn was the originator of that space. Finns last 4ganes against england - WWDW. Pack played with steel and sense, looked well conditioned and I was very impressed with turners throwing. Maitlands wise old head was a big boost and Redpath looked like a seasoned international. More of the same please. Also and rarely for me I felt the ref had a good performance overall, there are always mistakes but this time no major injustice to either team.

[majesticimperialman]

The difference yesterday was that Scotland came to win the game, England Thought all they had to do wad turn up and the game was theirs, afterall England are 6ns champions arent they? they did not look any thing like champions.

Scotland in my opinion demolished England yesterday, never mind what the score board says England just could not cope.

[123456789.]

Given we somehow only lost by 5 it could have made a big difference ...

My feeling all along - I think this will be backed up by my pre-match comments - was that the team that won the first 20 minutes would win the game. England's players were undercooked, if they'd had a settler or been allowed to settle then they would perhaps have won the game. Scotland did very well not to let them have it.

I think back to our last game when we looked by far the better team in the first 30 minutes against Ireland and then imploded - Finn's yellow card could and would in the past have been that moment. As Scotland fans we probably don't ask for much. We're up against it in most games. I think I speak for everyone when I say that the thing that gets to us is when we see the same stupid, suicidal acts repeated again and again. The fact that didn't happen is buzzing.

[bsando]

https://www.scottishrugby.org/fanzone/redpath-buzzing-after-first-cap

That is great leadership right there by Hogg and Russell, on and off the pitch. End result? A dream debut for Redpath.

[RDW]

Yuck. I agree with Jimbo

Finn is not a Gatland 10. Finns issue is that of you chart a 10s quality throughout a game, 0 being jade te rue and 100 being Dan Carter on amphetamines then Ford floats between 60% and 85% through the game. Finn though goes from 40% to 95% and sadly the 95% level isn’t consistently maintained in the match.

It’s that reason that Ford type players will be picked for lions jerseys.

Also there’s a few in danger of jumping on the glove hype train here. Fagerson Jnr had his best game for Scotland but let’s not forget the other 8 caps where he was utterly anonymous. Let’s hope this is him starting to come good at this level and it wasn’t just him riding the wave of a team performance

I've been one of M Fagersons harshest critics on here, but there's no doubt he's been improving of late. That performance should set the standard for him to build on going forwards.

[RDW]

Thoughts turn to the Wales game now (a match thread would be good from someone).

Should we make any changes? No one deserves to be dropped, and from a team morale point of view it would be good to keep the same squad. Saying that, it is often hard to back up such an emotional win and Toonie may want to freshen things up a little bit to keep people on their toes, although it may just be on the bench.

As I said previously, given what happened at Twickers we're going to inevitably be favourites for this one. Wales are no mugs though even with the recent slump in form and will take confidence from beating Ireland - although given the comments on that match thread the Wales fans still weren't overly enthusiastic with the performance.

One things for sure though I expect Wales will be able to get a couple of tries out of us, so we really need to improve on converting the chances we do get into tries. I can't see us having as much success with the kicking game either with Biggar and the Wales back 3 outstanding with this.

[George Carlin]

Hell of a game for Wales. How will they be feeling? Any victory over Ireland is valuable and a huge fillup - will it weigh on them that they did it against a side with 14 men?

More worrying for Wales is that Dan Lydiate, Jon Davies, Johnny Williams, Hallam Amos and Tomos Williams are all out with injury. Josh Adams is still suspended. I also read that Nick Thompkins nearly dislocated his shoulder and George North may have cracked an eye socket. 6 day turnaround on the back of all that? It will be tough for them.

[NeilyBroon]

It's the hope that kills you GC!

[bsando]

Thoughts turn to the Wales game now (a match thread would be good from someone). DONE

Should we make any changes? No one deserves to be dropped, and from a team morale point of view it would be good to keep the same squad. Saying that, it is often hard to back up such an emotional win and Toonie may want to freshen things up a little bit to keep people on their toes, although it may just be on the bench.

As I said previously, given what happened at Twickers we're going to inevitably be favourites for this one. Wales are no mugs though even with the recent slump in form and will take confidence from beating Ireland - although given the comments on that match thread the Wales fans still weren't overly enthusiastic with the performance.

One things for sure though I expect Wales will be able to get a couple of tries out of us, so we really need to improve on converting the chances we do get into tries. I can't see us having as much success with the kicking game either with Biggar and the Wales back 3 outstanding with this.

[RDW]

https://www.606v2.com/t69974-scotland-vs-wales-13th-feb-4-45pm-ko

[BigGee]

Mark Palmer, waxing lyrical about the Scotland performance!



Scotland have finally awoken from their 38-year Twickenham nightmare, and what a rousing way to do it. There was very little of the champagne rugby which brought about that incredible second half comeback in the 2019 draw. Instead, the Scots bossed the game with real conviction, maturity and good sense, pushing on the accelerator when the time was right but rarely inclined to force things.

It was a triumph of strategy and execution, from the brilliant kicking from hand of Stuart Hogg, through the endless midfield industry of debutant Cameron Redpath to the collective excellence of a pack — starters and replacements — who met England head on and drove them back, both literally and figuratively.

In the throes of a tight affair, we worried about the eight points the Scots had left on the table (Hogg and Finn Russell each missed a penalty and the stand-off a conversion), but take a step back and this was a rare gem of a performance. Not remotely shiny, but full of minerals. For the growth and self-worth of this Scotland side, it could prove absolutely priceless. To man, they did what had been asked of them with skill, patience and conviction. For we lucky few fortunate enough to have made it from north of the border to inside the stadium, the privilege was real. That knowledge will stay with us as long as the quality of what we witnessed.

So often on recent visits to these parts, Scotland have appeared to be working to a different kick-off time to everyone else. A series of shockingly slow starts has established a pattern of them being well up against it before they’ve even get out of the blocks. Tries, penalties, momentum: they’ve given away the lot in spades.

Here, finally, a different script and outcome. It was the visitors who set the pace, the tone and the standard with a first half hour that, if not faultless, was about as good as Gregor Townsend could have hoped for.

Scotland were, of course, helped by England’s shocking indiscipline but they both applied and absorbed pressure in intelligent, confident fashion. As ever, Russell was at the heart of it, that beautifully nuanced short kicking game showcased in Technicolor. But there was just as much to like in that other vastly improved area — the Scottish scrum. And then we had the ball-in-hand belligerence of George Turner, the third choice hooker, the usual breakdown snarl from Jamie Ritchie and Hamish Watson, and a clear desire to take the game to England in all facets, not least the lineout.

It made for a compelling mix, but, crucially, one that did not deliver a massive impact on the scoreboard, for all that Duhan van der Merwe’s try was cleverly constructed and even more impressively finished off by the dextrous big South African.

The momentum shift in the period immediately before half-time came from nowhere, yet it was hard to avoid the temptation to flick through the big book of glorious failure as Scotland looked back on 30 minutes of brilliantly controlled chaos that had somehow led to them being only two points ahead at the break, and with their main man in the sin bin after a ludicrous, ugly brainfart.

It will have pleased Townsend no end to see his charges not only negotiate the yellow card period without any serious harm but then nudge themselves further in front within seconds of Russell’s return. Those three points, kicked by the stand-off himself, were just reward for another passage of crisp, composed intent from the Scots, who must have had a serious case of mixed emotions at the interval.

They — and we — surely anticipated a big third-quarter statement from the English, but it never materialised. Indeed, it was Scotland who continued to play with purpose and variety, and did so for long spells in the home 22. By this stage, the battle between hope and expectation among their supporters back home will have been reaching fever pitch: trust is not something that comes easy when you have been through the mill so many times, and in so many different ways, before.

But somehow, this felt different. Not just in the lack of noise and urgency from the stands, but in the manner that Scotland were performing — despite the continued slenderness of their lead, they looked in control: of both the match and themselves.

Townsend did not go to his bench until the 64th minute, when a trio of fresh beef arrived in the form of Oli Kebble, Willem Nel and Gary Graham, and shortly after came 2013 Lions tourist Richie Gray, winning his first cap in almost three years.

Rarely have Scotland come to Twickenham and been able to replace one batch of high-performing forwards with deputies of such fine calibre. Just as infrequently have they looked at ease from pretty much first to last. We do indeed live in interesting times, and now we dare to dream.

[tigertattie]

Still plenty folk on the high of the win. Let’s not forget the last time we won there, jimbo wasn’t withdrawing his pension and Gee was in a fledgling NHS career.

Now that time to digest has been given, looking back at the win our set piece was solid and this was the big difference to other games. Our scrum while not dominant didn’t retreat either but our lineout was perfect. Never lost one and pinched a couple. Could the return of big Gray at training have helped us here? I know he didn’t get much game time but maybe he had a fair bit to say, even if just to his brother, about the lineout on the training pitch?

[Hazel Sapling]

J Gray always plays better when R Gray is next to him. In this case, it may be the mere spectre of his brother on the bench. The Welsh and Irish lineouts were equally poor making it difficult to know if it was two high level operators matching each other or two bald men fighting over a comb.

Before the tournament, I said three wins was the criteria for an okay Six Nations with wins against Wales and Italy plus another against one of England, Ireland and France. We have the away victory to meet that criteria and a win against Wales should give us hope of something more with France likely to be the decider (Ireland and England are not going to win the next four games based on the last year of performances). Can't look ahead of Wales though....

[tigertattie]

I’m wayyyyy more confident of a win over wales that over Ireland. Both at home would normally give us a bit more chance but we’re almost playing games in neutral venues.

Ireland still have our card marked, wales not so much

[George Carlin]

Mark Palmer, waxing lyrical about the Scotland performance!



Scotland have finally awoken from their 38-year Twickenham nightmare, and what a rousing way to do it. There was very little of the champagne rugby which brought about that incredible second half comeback in the 2019 draw. Instead, the Scots bossed the game with real conviction, maturity and good sense, pushing on the accelerator when the time was right but rarely inclined to force things.

It was a triumph of strategy and execution, from the brilliant kicking from hand of Stuart Hogg, through the endless midfield industry of debutant Cameron Redpath to the collective excellence of a pack — starters and replacements — who met England head on and drove them back, both literally and figuratively.

In the throes of a tight affair, we worried about the eight points the Scots had left on the table (Hogg and Finn Russell each missed a penalty and the stand-off a conversion), but take a step back and this was a rare gem of a performance. Not remotely shiny, but full of minerals. For the growth and self-worth of this Scotland side, it could prove absolutely priceless. To man, they did what had been asked of them with skill, patience and conviction. For we lucky few fortunate enough to have made it from north of the border to inside the stadium, the privilege was real. That knowledge will stay with us as long as the quality of what we witnessed.

So often on recent visits to these parts, Scotland have appeared to be working to a different kick-off time to everyone else. A series of shockingly slow starts has established a pattern of them being well up against it before they’ve even get out of the blocks. Tries, penalties, momentum: they’ve given away the lot in spades.

Here, finally, a different script and outcome. It was the visitors who set the pace, the tone and the standard with a first half hour that, if not faultless, was about as good as Gregor Townsend could have hoped for.

Scotland were, of course, helped by England’s shocking indiscipline but they both applied and absorbed pressure in intelligent, confident fashion. As ever, Russell was at the heart of it, that beautifully nuanced short kicking game showcased in Technicolor. But there was just as much to like in that other vastly improved area — the Scottish scrum. And then we had the ball-in-hand belligerence of George Turner, the third choice hooker, the usual breakdown snarl from Jamie Ritchie and Hamish Watson, and a clear desire to take the game to England in all facets, not least the lineout.

It made for a compelling mix, but, crucially, one that did not deliver a massive impact on the scoreboard, for all that Duhan van der Merwe’s try was cleverly constructed and even more impressively finished off by the dextrous big South African.

The momentum shift in the period immediately before half-time came from nowhere, yet it was hard to avoid the temptation to flick through the big book of glorious failure as Scotland looked back on 30 minutes of brilliantly controlled chaos that had somehow led to them being only two points ahead at the break, and with their main man in the sin bin after a ludicrous, ugly brainfart.

It will have pleased Townsend no end to see his charges not only negotiate the yellow card period without any serious harm but then nudge themselves further in front within seconds of Russell’s return. Those three points, kicked by the stand-off himself, were just reward for another passage of crisp, composed intent from the Scots, who must have had a serious case of mixed emotions at the interval.

They — and we — surely anticipated a big third-quarter statement from the English, but it never materialised. Indeed, it was Scotland who continued to play with purpose and variety, and did so for long spells in the home 22. By this stage, the battle between hope and expectation among their supporters back home will have been reaching fever pitch: trust is not something that comes easy when you have been through the mill so many times, and in so many different ways, before.

But somehow, this felt different. Not just in the lack of noise and urgency from the stands, but in the manner that Scotland were performing — despite the continued slenderness of their lead, they looked in control: of both the match and themselves.

Townsend did not go to his bench until the 64th minute, when a trio of fresh beef arrived in the form of Oli Kebble, Willem Nel and Gary Graham, and shortly after came 2013 Lions tourist Richie Gray, winning his first cap in almost three years.

Rarely have Scotland come to Twickenham and been able to replace one batch of high-performing forwards with deputies of such fine calibre. Just as infrequently have they looked at ease from pretty much first to last. We do indeed live in interesting times, and now we dare to dream.

"This was a rare gem of a performance. Not remotely shiny, but full of minerals."

I'm going to steal that one.

[BigGee]

A few changes to the squad for this week.

Dobie, Mclean, Ashman and Kinghorn go back to their clubs, Sheil, Rae and Taylor come into the squad.

I don't think we will see any of those three anywhere near the match squad, Taylor definitely not as he is suspended. Unfortunately for them, they are there to make up the training numbers and probably because the pro teams won't be wanting them this weekend.

Ashman played for sale off the bench last weekend and hopefully will get some more game time this week, he may still be our next hooker if one of Cherry or turner goes down.

Dobie, who was 24th man on saturday and Mclean will hopefully feature for Glasgow this week as well. we could still see the house elf make his debut this 6N.

Not to sure if Kinghorn is injured or not, but either way, he needs to rediscover his mojo as he has slipped down the pecking order a little bit.

[NeilyBroon]

Charlie sheil, George Taylor and Darcy Rae have joined up with the squad. Good for Shiel, hard to see any of them involved on Saturday though!

[NeilyBroon]

A few changes to the squad for this week.

Dobie, Mclean, Ashman and Kinghorn go back to their clubs, Sheil, Rae and Taylor come into the squad.

I don't think we will see any of those three anywhere near the match squad, Taylor definitely not as he is suspended. Unfortunately for them, they are there to make up the training numbers and probably because the pro teams won't be wanting them this weekend.

Ashman played for sale off the bench last weekend and hopefully will get some more game time this week, he may still be our next hooker if one of Cherry or turner goes down.

Dobie, who was 24th man on saturday and Mclean will hopefully feature for Glasgow this week as well. we could still see the house elf make his debut this 6N.

Not to sure if Kinghorn is injured or not, but either way, he needs to rediscover his mojo as he has slipped down the pecking order a little bit.

Beat me to it!

[Hazel Sapling]

Ashman got 25 minutes against Bristol last weekend and needs to be getting gametime at his stage in development (as do Dobie and McLean). Stewart can cover if Turner or Cherry are not ready to go.

Bit concerning to have Rae called up though. Why do we need a fourth TH in the training squad unless we have an injury?

[majesticimperialman]

Does any one think that with Scotland winning first the first time in 38years at twickers they ( Scotland ) could possibly win the Grand Slam this year?

[BigGee]

Does any one think that with Scotland winning first the first time in 38years at twickers they ( Scotland ) could possibly win the Grand Slam this year?

To soon, I think!


One game at a time

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