Scotland 2022 summer tour

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Scotland 2022 Six Nations Lookahead

A place to discuss the rollercoaster of dark horse conversation and sheer despair. Somewhere in-between, someone will go off on a mild tangent.

Schedule
5th Feb - England (H)
12th Feb - Wales (A)
26th Feb - France (H)
12th March - Italy (A)
19th March - Ireland (A)

Scotland's recent performances
2021: 4th (3 wins, same as 2nd)
2020: 4th (3 wins, same points as 3rd)
2019: 5th (1 win, 1 draw)
2018: 3rd (3 wins, same as 2nd)
2017: 4th (3 wins, same points as 2nd)

So...

What an awful tournament from Scotland. Abject. Error strewn. Meh. Just meh.

My positives and negatives from the tournament:

positives

1. D'Arcy Graham has found his mojo at international level
2. Darge. Good lad, will only get better.
3. Schoeman was like a duck to water.
4. Matt Fagerson looks to be finding his feet
5. Turner

Negatives

1. Hogg
2. Dancer
3. Our centres
4. Our backline play
5. Our defence
6. Our discipline
7. Fagerson snr
8. Blarehorn at 10 (he needs 2 seasons minimum playing every week at 10 at club level)
9. We don't have any dynamic locks.
10. Our backrow lacks go forward oomph. We don't have a gnarly barstard (currently)
11. Fitness (this one has been playing on my mind, we are constantly being pinged for being offside, often a sign Our players aren't fit enough to work hard enough to get onside. Also dancers)
12. Toonies selections in the backline

Well summarised, not much more to be said.

The banner is out again. Toonie oot!

On number 9, I think Cummings has been a huge loss. he's the best carrying forward we have.

Aye agreed, we've really missed his carrying off wider 9 ball, he always picks a good line from there

Craig looks good if he can stay injury free. CHH too but again, I think he's injured. Skinner hasn't looked the dynamic same since he got injured.

We just need to get our best players on the pitch, and an axis of Kinghorn, SJ and Harris is frankly for a Scotland C team.

I'm out of patience with Harris. His hands are awful and he has no pace. Time to move on. Price was also poor today. One great game against Italy is masking a fairly average tournament. Also, and perhaps an unpopular one: is Hamish Watson good enough for the team at the moment? I honest think Darge is on better form and more influential at the breakdown. I'd go with Ritchie and Darge at 6 and 7 to be brutally honest.

Not a great tournament from Toonie. I'm realistic enough to know that Ireland and France are better than us at the moment, but we should have taken Wales. I don't feel like the team is progressing.

I don't really see us loosing Toonie this side of the WC, for better or worse.

To me the question is more what we can do to make any sense of this mess we have ended up in. The team has regressed, no doubt and it is our big players, our Lions (that we were very proud of last season) who have just not performed this season.

Is it just a Lions hangover? These things have happened before.

Are some of them past their best and I would include Harris, Russell and Hogg in that category, Price maybe in the former.


I would like a real clean slate this summer. Leave the old stagers out and bring in some of these fringe players, who are just not getting their opportunities. If they play well, they come back in the autumn and it is up to the old stagers to show us that they still have the desire and ability to play for Scotland. At the moment, i am not sure that some of them do.

I think you're right biggee, we won't see toonie go unless he does of his own volition.

I think it'll be much the same, some young players played this summer then the big boys when it comes to the tests even if they're having circles run around them by the yougn's. Look at this autumn. No good form was rewarded. Look at vellacott this 6Ns, opportunity wasted.

I don't think anything is going to truly change until Toonie goes unfortunately, when we're out at the group stages for the second WC in a row.

Our issues in a nutshell

Finn has been rotten and we build everything around him. When he’s not on form we nosedive.

Our penalty count has been atrocious

Big game players like price and hogg have been inconsistent to say the least

Our team lacks a number 8

Our team lacks a centre pairing that con do more than run straight

Our ability to get across the gain line in close quarters has been negligible

Gregor won’t go before the World Cup. Nor should he. It’s not the time. I also don’t think it’s entirely his fault. The players really need to have a look at themselves

I agree. I'd give Toonie the WC, I just think he's got a bit wrong this 6 Nations. Clearly the players have to shoulder their fair share of that.

The midfield is clearly a big issue, and it's clear that Toonie is also grappling with it given the volume of tested combinations. For me the big one is getting Cameron Redpath fit and firing at 12, and ditching the nonsense of anyone other than Russell or Hastings wearing the 10 jersey. I'm also starting the AOTH Society (Anyone Other Than Harris). I've tried to see the plus side in him, I really have, but with Jones Bennett, Scott, Hutchinson, Taylor, Steyn and Currie all potemtially in contention, we simply have to put a better player in the 13 jersey.

I don’t rate Toonie at all, I think he’s the most overrated coach in rugby, and even I wouldn’t sack him right now. After the World Cup unless he exceeds his targets, not just matches them, then he needs to be moved on. Between now and then the SRU need to be seriously working on contingency plans.

But he really needs to start addressing his selection and man management failings to give us a chance of not seeing a second WC embarrassment on the trot.

I've never really seen the point in a team like Scotland basing our development cycle on a world cup that we have almost 0 chance of winning, not least because we have Ireland and SA in our group this time.

I am still very unclear what Russell's future is with the Scotland team.

We do need alternatives as it is unacceptable for him to be as poor. both in performance and attitude for the team as he has been this 6N and yet to keep picking him. I think Toonie knows this and is one of the reasons he is so keen for BK to transition.

My current feeling is just to move on from him, he may be causing more harm to the team than benefits atm. I will likely mellow on that view in time and especially if he shows some form, but I have got big doubts now and i really do believe we can't rely on him and need some other options.

The big mystery is what has happened with Hastings. Surely he will be back for the summer tour though. Let BK keep on racking up time with Edinburgh as a FH and lets see how he progresses.

I think for me it depends if any contracts are coming up for renewal or decent coaches on the market. I don't think we're going to have a good world cup with or without toonie so I think that point is moot now, it's more longer term damage I'm concerned about.

I agree with llama and definitely think he's one of the most overrated coaches. A lot of the good that Scotland has done could arguably be attributed to his recruitment of assistant coaches, such as McFarland, Tandy (although the wheels have rapidly fallen off with that one!).

If toonie has (and I think he has) lost the changing room, then we need the change now rather than when it reaches Gloucester-level problem. He had a pass to fix things after 2019. He did but seemingly at the expense of other things, you need only look at harris' attack to see what we've lost. He's taken a leaf from Gatlands book and become very dogmatic but the difference is that Gatland was dogmatic and annoyingly proven right a lot more than he was proven wrong. Toonie gets it wrong then repeats. One of the good things that he did at Glasgow was play form players. He's now gone so far the other way it's going to cause a problem as our younger players come through and older retire.

Yes it's late world cup cycle, but we're hardly in a great position anyway and I'm struggling to see how Toonie will fix this time. I don't envy him but he put himself forward for the job so at some point needs to actually take the buck.

Also re Russell, we'd be daft just to forget about him completely but agree that in the immediate future he needs to stay out in the cold.

Hastings has been good at club, just isn't Russell or BK. I think BK should be considered at fullback/wing. Develop Thompson or Chamberlain or both. Hastings has played our first choice fly half before and did a very respectable job. I can see why he'd be pissed off if a FB convert gets picked instead.

Thanks Tramptastic, you've saved me a job of starting an "inquest or review if the 6N" thread :P

As I wrote on my own Facebook status, I hope the SRU take their time in reviewing this tournament and don't make any knee jerk decisions (despite what fans on Facebook and Twitter plus one of two here want!) but I still get the sense that Gregor may resign once he's had time to reflect too because he will feel let down by the 6 idiots that broke team rules last week, it has the feel of how Cockers left his position at Edinburgh.

To me, certain players need to have a long look at themselves because they are letting us all down and tbh we've had enough of these inept/inexcusable performances!

Something needs to change and fast but, are we that far off being a good team would you say?

It's going to be interesting to see what the squad is for the July tests that's for sure, I can see lots of changes and possibly a use of the new eligibility rule.

At least we beat Italy, unlike Wales but then we have to question why we didn't beat that Wales team, jeez they are awful!


I was also going to use the thread to discuss the summer tour so does anyone fancy picking the team they'd pick for the tour or players they'd like to see, so far I've seen Callum Hunter-Hill, Ben Muncaster and Connor Boyle mentioned .

Feel free to contribute: anything to get away fromtheridiculous questions regarding GT and whetherhe's lost the dressing room

For me the key thing is "are our players playing to their potential" and again to me the answer is no, thats a coaching failure and for that Townsend should carry the can. Its the coaches job to prepare the players we have to play to their best and he has failed in that.

I have supported Scotland for 45years. this is ( in relation to the other 6N teams) the best group of players we have had with the 1990 team running them close. the results do not reflect this

I don't think it is ridiculous to consider Toonies position and whether he still has the players on board seeing as this type of player behaviour has become a trend under his leadership Shaun!

There's plenty of players I'd like to see get a chance this summer, hopefully Dobie gets a good run, I'd like to see him and vellacott interchange and price get some well needed rest and reflection time. I think the key thing this summer is to find a tighthead who can do the job if fagerson is unavailable and who isn't 36 years old! Any takers??

Agreed. Full review needed by the SRU. These players are talented but somethings rotten in that camp.

Boyd is out of contract and our director of rugby has Northampton links... Just putting that out there!

There definitely shouldn't be any knee jerk reactions here but a full review definitely needs done. Unless Toonie has completely lost the dressing room I think he stays for the WC and once again gets the chance to show he can learn from his mistakes. There's no obvious contenders and there will likely be plenty coaches looking for jobs after the WC.

That review should certainly extend to the players too.

If I was Toonie I'd address the squad saying they as management are going to have a good hard look at themselves, how the team is going on and off the pitch and how the group is working together, including its leadership. In terms of selection going forwards it's who is on form and who is a good fit for the group.

Let the players stew on that.

The problem is we know that won't happen. The prima Donnas of the player group are in charge and I can't imagine anyone really challenging them on that.

A first positive step would be changing captaincy and leadership group. That's an immediate fix and makes Hogg droppable. As you said RDW rewarding form is the next step. Whether toonie says "f**k it" and actually selects on form is another question. Not just to show our "undroppables" that they are droppable but to show that if you play well and are selected for the squad you get a chance to play which I believe is actually more important for the long term success of Scotland.

There's also unfortunate intermediates like Harris who seems like a decent lad but toonie favours for toeing the line when we have far more dynamic options. They need to be dropped too unfortunately but it may make them add new much needed aspects to their game.

I feel bad for Harris because he gets a lot of justified stick for his mediocre ability to attack the line

But... he's not a prima Donna and he clearly works harder than anyone else in that backline in defense

sigh I miss Alex Dunbar

I still think we've missed a trick in not exploring Hutchinson. He's very much in the mould of a modern centre that fits our style. He's big, can break the line, good distributer and has a kicking game.

I'm not saying he's the answer to all our problems, but another example who just doesn't seem to fit the mould for whatever reason. He regularly stands out for Northampton in what is a tough league.

Redpath is seen as the heir apparent at 12 but he's only played one game, and seems to be getting better and better with every game he's not involved in!

So I think there is a place for Harris at 13 if we have more of a threat at 12.

Tramptastic wrote:I feel bad for Harris because he gets a lot of justified stick for his mediocre ability to attack the line

But... he's not a prima Donna and he clearly works harder than anyone else in that backline in defense

sigh I miss Alex Dunbar

Aye there's a lot to like about Harris but he's just not the answer, especially given how porous our defense is now. I want Bennett to be given a proper crack at it now but again we know that's not going to happen. Even if on summer tour he absolutely tears it up it'll be back to selection form in the autumn. Yet to see any evidence otherwise!

Shug is also quietly improving his game at quins and would be worth another look.

RDW wrote:I still think we've missed a trick in not exploring Hutchinson. He's very much in the mould of a modern centre that fits our style. He's big, can break the line, good distributer and has a kicking game.

I'm not saying he's the answer to all our problems, but another example who just doesn't seem to fit the mould for whatever reason.

Redpath is seen as the heir apparent at 12 but he's only played one game, and seems to be getting better and better with every game he's not involved in!

So I think there is a place for Harris at 13 if we have more of a threat at 12.

This is what I mean, hutch has really been messed around. All these players toonie calls up and are on great form then just don't get a look in. I know we've tried a lot of centre pairings but I think it's time again to take a fresh look. I'd rather keep Johnson in than Harris as he adds more in attack and still makes line breaks.

Is it worth calling Fraser dingwall? If he was paired with Hutchinson that could work nicely.

Harris needs a summer off.

He is 32 now and played a Lions tour last summer and just seems half a yard slower than last season.

He was never the fastest guy but previously showed enough zip to get him into the Lions squad ahead of players like Ringrose.

It may be age, or just jadedness from the Lions tour but either way the summer tour gives the chance to try other options.

We are likely sufferring a lot from missing those summer games last year, when some of these plsyers could have put down a marker.

It is easy to bash Harris atm, but we may have lost some of our games by a whole lot more if he had not been playing. Whoever comes in at 13 also needs to be very good defensively and Hutch and Shuggy have both had questions asked about them in that regard.

It's a funny thing the 6N table as we finished the same position as last year! Last year was pretty much a resounding success where we were whiskers away from another win that could have got us the championship. This year is major doom and gloom, and rightly so.

I've changed the thread to 'post mortem' which is very apt.

Ah the annual post mortem and wound licking... We should just cut the middle man and set up a pre mortem next year.

IMO the game we should have won was the wales game. Its been an odd six nations in that we were beaten by wales who finish below us, we beat England who finished above us

this year Ireland and France are simply better teams 3rd would have been a decent result

The problem is the players are not playing to their potential, we look like a collective of individuals not a team and as above its Townsend that must carry the can for an ill prepared team

Yes Russell is a difficult character but other coaches can get the best out of him. Hogg is just trying too hard as an individual

Selection is confused, the team do not believe in the tactics,

TJ wrote:IMO the game we should have won was the wales game.  Its been an odd six nations in that we were beaten by wales who finish below us, we beat England who finished above us

this year Ireland and France are simply better teams  3rd would have been a decent result

The problem is the players are not playing to their potential, we look like a collective of individuals not a team and as above its Townsend that must carry the can for an ill prepared team

Yes Russell is a difficult character but other coaches can get the best out of him.  Hogg is just trying too hard as an individual

Selection is confused, the team do not believe in the tactics,

Right!

I'd have no problem with losing if we actually played well. Italy managed to turn over Wales at home with a younger and far more inexperienced squad. Why couldn't we?

As for France, yes they were eventual very deserved winners but we could have given them a harder time at murrayfield.

Ireland was just dire. I actually think that was worse than the Wales game and showed us that Hogg is what we originally thought when he was first announced as Captain. Not a Captain.

So who captains the summer tour then

Surely Hogg needs a rest, both physically and psychologically - let's see what his appetite for the fray is when he has had that.

Ritchie not going to be fit - said on Friday night (leg still in a brace) he is hoping to be back for pre season.


Of the senior players:

Price - also needs a rest
Russell - you are having a laugh!
Harris - needs a rest
Zander- penalty magnet
Watson - needs a rest
Gilchrist - an option
Sam Johnson - did captain Glasgow recently
McInally - an option but not guarenteed to play


No-one else really leaping off the page at me.

Any left field choices I may have missed?

BigGee wrote:So who captains the summer tour then

Surely Hogg needs a rest, both physically and psychologically - let's see what his appetite for the fray is when he has had that.

Ritchie not going to be fit - said on Friday night (leg still in a brace) he is hoping to be back for pre season.


Of the senior players:

Price - also needs a rest
Russell - you are having a laugh!
Harris - needs a rest
Zander- penalty magnet
Watson - needs a rest
Gilchrist - an option
Sam Johnson - did captain Glasgow recently
McInally - an option but not guarenteed to play


No-one else really leaping off the page at me.

Any left field choices I may have missed?

I actually think M Fagerson could, he certainly seems to throw himself in and it could be the making of him as a player. I'm a much bigger fan of a forward as captain than a back.

Or even Darge. He did captain the u20s and it will be a lot younger squad presumably this summer.

Ah, the warm waters of self abuse. I mean the different kind to usual with less Kleenex required.

What a horrible, narky, irritating tournament. There's a lot that's worrying about our performances if you spin back up to 20,000 feet. Yet again, we see adoption of the classic rule that after a Lions Tour, the Scots contingent gets a hangover which lasts for a year.

For the past 2 years we defined ourselves by our low penalty count and our solid defence - essentially the best in this tournament. This is the first step in the building process for any team wishing to become excellent - you make yourself difficult to beat first.

That has now been completely reversed. Highest penalty count and a lot of missed tackles. So take away those 2 x key pillars and what is the team really all about?

The issue is really the unsettled nature of the team. My theory about why the Welsh reasons have been completely gash over the past 10 years (the Scarlets championship side excepted) but the national team has remained very good is because within that national team structure, each player knows exactly (a) what the game plan was and (b) what his role is within it. It must have been like like pulling on a pair of slippers coming back into camp.

I cannot believe that our gameplan is settled. Some games we spend the whole time booting the ball away and others seem rabidly invested in keeping it on the field of play. The other obvious point is that players need a series of games in settled positions for the combinations to work. That has not happened here and I genuinely think Townsend's selection policy is capable of being criticised to that end.

The other thing that stood out a mile is our high number of brainless mistakes and failure to execute basic skills under pressure. Again, that is a coaching issue a percentage of the time.

Graham, Darge and Schoeman are about the only players who have created or enhanced their reputations in this tournament.

We now have a summer tour where all of our youngsters have to figure that they have a real chance to make a push for the national team. I pray to JC and all of his staff that somewhere out there we have some huge, nasty, dynamic tight five players and a number 8 whose mum ate prime sirloin and growth hormones every day of her pregnancy to produce someone who may be able to make Ayr even better. The extent to which we still seem to be underpowered against most opposition is horrible to watch and I'm getting tired of looking at it.

BigGee wrote:So who captains the summer tour then

come on- it has to be Russell. Imagine what fun and high jinks they would have and how good a team building and bonding exercise all the hi jinks and beer would be. It could be the making of the man and the team.

and yes - I have been on the sherry this early

Morning gentlepeeps, I have been following the wailing and the weeping and the gnashing of teeth but so far have been too scunnered to actually join in.

I think for the summer tour we really need to rest....well most of the established first team. Seriously.
Next season's 6 Nations will be that weird "it's important but it's not the World Cup" tournament. Ireland would happily take the wooden spoon if it provided the answer they need to getting beyond the quarter finals in the World Cup. Similarly, a second France Slam will be meaningless if they exit after the group stage.
So, take LOTS of fringe players on the summer tour. Tell them if they show up well they will keep their places in the Autumn Internationals. Give the players who let themselves down this spring a long rest. A loooong rest. Either to recharge the batteries or to sit on the naughty step and reflect on their attitude.
The best possible outcome is that by next February players like Boyle, Dobie, Walker, CHH, McDowall will be banging on Toonie's door and demanding to be in the 6 Nations squad. The worst possible outcome is we have the same squad as we had this year.

It's not even being underpowered that's the key issue, we just don't play to our strengths. Look at NZ. They're hardly the biggest side in world rugby but they just run with it (literally and figuratively). Even France with their monster pack mainly won it through turnovers, something that Scotland can and have done this tournament, and a quick scrum half who actually whips the ball out with urgency rather than like a barge trying to do a three point turn in the Suez canal. It's not like we're not capable of standing up to the big boys.

**Disclaimer - throwback to the halcyon days of BVC and his rabbit hunting exploits**

When Cotter was in charge he got it. He went from coming in relatively blind, to understanding Scottish rugby and where we could cause teams trouble. That is the difference with a proper coach. We were trying to play simple heads up rugby with quick ball off of turnovers and just generally making a nuisance of ourselves. Toonie decided he wanted in on the fun and decided to rebrand it the "fastest rugby in the world" which lasted for all of one game. Why? Because he tried to overcomplicate it. The players were told to run everything and anything and just give it to Finn and see what whacky japes he'd produce next.

A serious back to basics approach is required. If it's toonie or another coach, I don't care but they need to focus on what has worked for Scotland, and what style suits Scotland and not just base their gameplans around the stars or the future best flyhalf in the world.

Stats don’t lie people.

Look at yesterdays stats and even a non international coach can spot the difference.

We conceded more penalties and Ireland made more metre gains that we did. Other than that (except the score) we’re pretty much 50/50 across the board.

Possession was much 50/50. Territory wasnt that much in their favour. Hell we even beat more defenders than Ireland did.

Ireland we’re more clinical (such as not missing a 3 on 1). When Ireland made a break they made it count more. Their number 8 made twice the metres ours did.

Shoe made metres but other then that our forwards just didn’t make metres. When they beat the first defender, a second Irish defender just chopped them down. Our gain line success was woeful

One shining light. Along with shoe, darge and Darcy keeping or making their reps, big up again to watson with another clean sheet of 21 tackles and not a single one missed. How anyone can think he’s not been good for us this year is delusional.

Agree with Tattie, Watson was good, he always is.

Note that he was not part of the Prima Donnas night out last weekend.

I am not sure playing Darge and Wstson together is the right approach and probably had Ritchie been fit, we would not have done it anyway.

Darge is getting good international experience though and more will surely come over the summer and he will gradually morph into our number one OS over the course of the next few seasons.

What we gain with 2 OSs though, we lose in terms of heft and ruck clearing. It would not be my preferred option going forward, a better balance is needed. I think you only get away with ghst if you hsve a bulldozer at No.8 and we don't.

It's a conundrum sure enough. Matt F has played his heart out and , to me, escapes criticism. Finding the right balance in the back row is crucial, but maybe a dynamic ball carrying second row may mean that Fagerson is running at gaps rather than set defences.

It is true, Gilchrist and Gray just don't carry with any venom, though other aspects of their game are very good. We almost certainly need a workhorse paired with someone a bit more athletic who can get a big frame up to speed in a short space of time. Cummings is the nearest we have had to that for a while, but injury seems to have held him back this season.

Do any of the up and coming youngsters fit that description?

jimbopip wrote:It's a conundrum sure enough.  Matt F has played his heart out and , to me, escapes criticism. Finding the right balance in the back row is crucial, but maybe a dynamic ball carrying second row may mean that Fagerson is running at gaps rather than set defences.

I'd like to see bayliss/muncaster, fagerson and Darge play this summer. I think that'd provide better balance than we currently have!

BigGee wrote:It is true, Gilchrist and Gray just don't carry with any venom, though other aspects of their game are very good. We almost certainly need a workhorse paired with someone a bit more athletic who can get a big frame up to speed in a short space of time. Cummings is the nearest we have had to that for a while, but injury seems to have held him back this season.

Do any of the up and coming youngsters fit that description?

Craig is probably closest I'd say but also dogged with injury. CHH too.

NeilyBroon wrote:

jimbopip wrote:It's a conundrum sure enough.  Matt F has played his heart out and , to me, escapes criticism. Finding the right balance in the back row is crucial, but maybe a dynamic ball carrying second row may mean that Fagerson is running at gaps rather than set defences.

I'd like to see bayliss/muncaster, fagerson and Darge play this summer. I think that'd provide better balance than we currently have!

Richardson will likely come back into the equation as well and Christie, who has been holding down a spot in the Sarries team is also worth another look. Connor Boyle is looking better game by game as well. We are not short of young talent to choose from.

NeilyBroon wrote:

BigGee wrote:It is true, Gilchrist and Gray just don't carry with any venom, though other aspects of their game are very good. We almost certainly need a workhorse paired with someone a bit more athletic who can get a big frame up to speed in a short space of time. Cummings is the nearest we have had to that for a while, but injury seems to have held him back this season.

Do any of the up and coming youngsters fit that description?

Craig is probably closest I'd say but also dogged with injury. CHH too.

Craig looked good when he got his opportunities, CHH still seems to blow hot and cold and Swinson still seems to get picked for Sarries more than he does. Henderson was looking very promising as well before his knee injury. I do wonder if he will need to come back to Scotland to really get the game time he needs to develop, he will always struggle for that at Leicester.

https://twitter.com/neil_treacy/status/1505291943273717761

Hoggy performance in the press conference catching some more flack.


If he has not worked it out already, he might reflect that the best way to avoid having to answer lots of questions about going out on the lash whilst preparing for an international game is simply not to go out on the lash prior to an international game.


It does sound like he has had a bucket full of it.


In other reports of the press conference, to me it seemed that Toonie was very protective about those players. He had every right to chuck them under the bus but he did not. He should get some respect from them for that. In most other international camps, those players would have gone home on monday morning.

Our under 20s getting absolutely humped by Ireland

The future is not strong...

RDW wrote:Our under 20s getting absolutely humped by Ireland

The future is not strong...

It’s this I look at. Our under 20s regularly get pumped. If we want a strong rugby team then we need proper structure from the bottom up.

Your average pro player must get 10 years of coaching before they appear on the pro scene. Surely to goodness Toonie or whoever is in charge can’t undo all that coaching when they get their hands on the players.

I had some truly shocking coaches in my time from the coach who set up a team so his son could get the ball all the time to occasionally score. To a coach that would ignore perfectly good players who turned up and gave their all in every training session to play his favourites on a Saturday after they missed training most weekday evenings. That same coach used to go mental at me for running into gaps or passing the ball. I was a forward and my job was to batter into to opposition apparently.

We need proper coaching so our players are taught to offload, run at space, pass when you have a 2 on 1, etc