Scotland Autumn Fixtures

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Scotland Autumn 2024 Fixtures

Moving on from the Summer development tour, here are this years AI fixtures which will include a Scotland A vs Chile fixture on the final weekend. Plenty to be excited about as the new club season begins this weekend and depth is steadily improving.

Week 1
Scotland v Fiji
Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Saturday 2nd November 2024
Kick-off: 5:40pm

Week 2
Scotland v South Africa
Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Sunday 10th November 2024
Kick-off: 4:10pm

Week 3
Scotland v Portugal
Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Saturday 16th November 2024
Kick-off: 3:10pm

Week 4
Scotland A vs Chile
Hive Stadium Edinburgh
Saturday 23rd November 2024
Kick-off: 6:00pm

Scotland v Australia
Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Sunday 24th November 2024
Kick-off: 1:40pm

Scrappy AF. Tom English’s comment that the first half looked like a bad game of basketball was correct. All lateral and very little varied play.

Our line out was comically bad. How long are we going to ignore that?

Bayliss was very good and looked a cut above his colleagues. Jordan and Dobie looked sharp. Darcy the Tached Pixie did his usual stuff and will definitely start against the Wallabies.

I didn’t rate that performance at all. Set piece was a mess and we let Portugal score 3 tries.

There’s a few players who think played those way out of any possible start next week and only bayliss id say may have played his way onto the bench. Yes it was the B team but what did we learn from playing Portugal? Bit of a waste of an international week other than to give Portugal a learning experience

tigertattie wrote:I didn’t rate that performance at all. Set piece was a mess and we let Portugal score 3 tries.

There’s a few players who think played those way out of any possible start next week and only bayliss id say may have played his way onto the bench. Yes it was the B team but what did we learn from playing Portugal? Bit of a waste of an international week other than to give Portugal a learning experience

Well we nearly filled Murray field and put some coin in the coffers. All a necessary part of professional sport for better or worse.

It is also good for the likes of Boy Wonder, Muncaster and Samuels to get broken into the international environment in a more gentle manner.

Is also good to give countries like Portugal their day in the sun (or whatever Edinburgh had to offer)
. They certainly turned up and did not dissapoint.

So in summary, our A team got a rest, we made a few quid and some promising youngsters got a run out while doing our bir for world rugby

Anybody still think that it's a travesty that Johnny Matthews was left out of the original AI Squad?
He looked pretty average today IMO

I thought Patrick Harrison showed up well in the loose, but the lineout malfunctioned and our scrum got hammered at times.
Ewan Ashman was good last week, I think him and Dylan Richardson should be the first choice hookers.

Agreed on Bayliss today, he was good all round. I also thought that Jordan, Hastings, Hutchison and Muncaster showed up well.

Darcy looks iffy in defence at times and is too frenetic on every single play. He needs to stop trying to force the wonder score on every play.

Disappointed to say that George Horne was a bit poor, I thought his kicking was poorly executed and aimless. His passing service wasn't to his usual standard. He seems a bit off his game.
Dobie looked on better form than Horne, for his short cameo.

Matt Curry and Freddy Douglas showed up well too

I only saw a bit of the game but was wondering how Hutchinson fared. He has always been a brilliant attacking player, but his defense was always a bit of a question mark. I know he has been working hard on it this season and last and have seen him do well on both sides of the ball recently. But that was him playing at 12 and at fullback.

I have never seen him line up at OC at Saints so in particular wondering how he did overall. Outside centre is difficult defensively and if he can cover there, it will mark a big improvement.

doctor_grey wrote:I only saw a bit of the game but was wondering how Hutchinson fared.  He has always been a brilliant attacking player, but his defense was always a bit of a question mark.  I know he has been working hard on it this season and last and have seen him do well on both sides of the ball recently.  But that was him playing at 12 and at fullback.  

I have never seen him line up at OC at Saints so in particular wondering how he did overall.  Outside centre is difficult defensively and if he can cover there, it will mark a big improvement.  

I feel sorry for Hutch. He has never been given a fair run at making the shirt his own and yesterday the whole team had seemingly no structure as to how the backline attacked - there were literally no first phase training ground moves to speak of. He risks always being the Nearly Man if Sione and Huw stay fit. The irony isn't lost on any Scotland fans that Hutchinson would have been a first choice centre for a decade in the dark days of Graham Morrison & Co (the excrement at the bottom of the slurry pit under the burning rubbish bin on which the bottom of the barrel sits).

MOTM for Tom Jordan - he's definitely a 'test match animal'. He'll be a great bench option for Scotland, covering 10,12 and 15. Maybe even a long-term successor to Finn? He's such a good ball player.

Big decision for Toonie against Australia - go for Kinghorn or Jordan at 15! Id go for Kinghorn - he's got the international experience and pedigree,and is much better suited at 15 than 11.

RDW wrote:MOTM for Tom Jordan - he's definitely a 'test match animal'. He'll be a great bench option for Scotland, covering 10,12 and 15. Maybe even a long-term successor to Finn? He's such a good ball player.

Big decision for Toonie against Australia - go for Kinghorn or Jordan at 15! Id go for Kinghorn - he's got the international experience and pedigree,and is much better suited at 15 than 11.

Yes, Blairhorn to start and Jordan to bench seems the obvious way to go.

He had better play well though as TJ is going to provide some genuine competition for him going forward.

It would not surprise me to see TJ get some gametime at Glasgow at FB as this season goes on, especially as it seems Hastings will be our FH going forward.

doctor_grey wrote:

I have never seen him line up at OC at Saints so in particular wondering how he did overall.  Outside centre is difficult defensively and if he can cover there, it will mark a big improvement.  

Hutch play well, always seemed to have time on the ball and gave an eye catching offload for Bayliss try.

Hard to judge him defensively against a team like Portugal who were very game but not particularly sophisticated in their attack. He certainly was not found wanting though

Was great to see so many Portuguese fans at the game yesterday. The family next to us had travelled from Portugal for the game.

Very flat atmosphere at Murrayfield apart from the Portuguese fans who were occasionally singing and shouting. Then when Scotland made a break the crowd woke up a bit.

I thought Portugal played really well but gifted a few tries via risky passes/offloads. The Scottish defence pressed really well and there were some great individual moments.

Portugal will gain some great experience from that one and I hope they’ve won a few new fans back home and over here in Scotland.

We stuck around after the game and the players were chatting with their fans and getting some pics. Friendly team with some talented players.

I think it is really kind of amazing that Portugal showed no nerves even though they were playing a tier 1 nation in front of 50k - 60k fans. For a team with semi-professionals that is really something.

doctor_grey wrote:I think it is really kind of amazing that Portugal showed no nerves even though they were playing a tier 1 nation in front of 50k - 60k fans.  For a team with semi-professionals that is really something.

Some of them are not even semi pro

The captain is a dentist and I heard someone else being referred to as an insurance broker

Quite a few of them are French with Portuguese heritage and play in the lower French leagues, which by reputation are a tough old school. They certainly looked like they could handle themselves

bsando wrote:So is Freddy Douglas the new messiah Jimbo?

It occurs to me that John Barclay was called up to train with the full Scotland squad before he'd finished Primary school. Or puberty. Or was old enough to get served in a Govan wine shop.
So Son Of John: as opposed to the Son Of God.

On a serious note gentlepeeps, I have been lurgified for most of this week.
Accordingly, at just before three o'clock yesterday I sprawled on the sofa to watch the action.
At about three forty I was struggling to maintain interest and feeling cold and shivery. I grabbed one of MrsPip's latest purchases. She has invested in two extra large and furry "throws" for the sofas. Which means the central heating won't get fired up until February. How best to describe these "throws"? When John Snow ventured North Of The Wall he slept under one of them.
At three forty one I was begging to feel slightly warmer.
A blinked and the game clock in the corner of the screen said 79:34.
So....if anyone wants to tell me what happened in the second half I would be very grateful.

Concerned by the Aussie game.

Given they've looked good - very good so far against tier 1 opposition (despite the struggles England and Wales have had), and we've looked patchy, I suspect they might have the beating of us on Sunday.

Taking a punt at the team, I think it'll look something like:

Shoeman
Ashman
Fagerson
Gilco
Cummings
Ritchie*
Darge
Fagerson
White
Finn
Duhan
Tuipolutu
Jones
Darcy
Kinghorn

Sutherland
Richardson
Miller-Mills
Craig
Bayliss
Dobie**
Jordon
Rowe

* If Dempsey is fit, then Fagerson moves back to 6, Ritchie moves to the bench and Dempsey comes back in at 8
**I think Horne failed his HIA, so is likely to be unavailable for this game, but if he is then I think he might come onto the bench ahead of Dobie.

Well the A team is out early, which will likely make speculation about the team to play Australia a bit easier!



Scotland A team to face Chile at Hive Stadium on Saturday (kick off 6pm)

15. Arron Reed (Sale Sharks)
14. Matt Currie (Edinburgh Rugby)
13. Mosese Tuipulotu (Edinburgh Rugby)
12. Stafford McDowall CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors)
11. Ross McCann (Edinburgh Rugby)

10. Ross Thompson (Edinburgh Rugby)
9. Jamie Dobie VICE-CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors

1. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors)
2. Gregor Hiddleston (Glasgow Warriors)
3. D’Arcy Rae (Edinburgh Rugby)
4. Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh Rugby)
5. Ewan Johnson (Oyannax)
6.Tom Dodd VICE-CAPTAIN (Edinburgh Rugby)
7. Freddy Douglas (Edinburgh Rugby)
8. Ben Muncaster (Edinburgh Rugby)

Replacements

16. Harri Morris (Edinburgh Rugby)
17. Mikey Jones (Edinburgh Rugby)
18. Fin Richardson (Glasgow Warriors)
19. Jare Oguntibeju (Glasgow Warriors)
20. Liam McConnell (Edinburgh Rugby)
21. Ben Afshar (Glasgow Warriors)
22. Ben Healy (Edinburgh Rugby)
23. Jack Brown (Edinburgh Rugby)

Of that team, probably only Muncaster, Dobie, Bhatti and Lord Stafford where in with a shout of a full cap.

A little bit surprised to see Dobie dropped back down, but it would have been a bit odd to see Price or Horne in there and maybe another start at SH will be good for him anyway.

Suggests White to start against Os with Price on the bench id rumours of Horne being ruled out through a HIA on saturday are true.

An interesting bench for Scotland A though with a few others featuring who have not had any club showings yet.

McConnell has always been highly rated and Oguntibeju seems to be rated by Franco and certainly has the physical attributes.

I really don't have a clue about Jack Brown though, but I guess someone must rate him.

jimbopip wrote:On a serious note gentlepeeps, I have been lurgified for most of this week.
Accordingly, at just before three o'clock yesterday I sprawled on the sofa to watch the action.
At about three forty I was struggling to maintain interest and feeling cold and shivery. I grabbed one of MrsPip's latest purchases. She has invested in two extra large and furry "throws" for the sofas. Which means the central heating won't get fired up until February. How best to describe these "throws"? When John Snow ventured North Of The Wall he slept under one of them.
At three forty one I was begging to feel slightly warmer.
A blinked and the game clock in the corner of the screen said 79:34.    
So....if anyone wants to tell me what happened in the second half I would be very grateful.

Yesterday? The wales game? Or do you mean to Scotland game on Saturday?

If you mean Scotland, Johnny Matthew’s came on and showed everyone why Toonie hadn’t selected him in the first place by wasting an attacking lineout with a squint throw followed up with a missed tackle to let Portugal score.

If you mean the wales game, wales showed either Gat’s half time tactical chats are either honkingly poor or they ain’t listening to him. Gats could be sacked before the saffas even rock up to Cardiff.

Right peeps this fan needs help with getting to know the new unknown guys . I know a bit about the ones that played on Saturday and was certainly impressed by a few of them so hopefully the others can help us grow our player pool in future??

Also I saw on the offside line that Burkey from BBC Radio Scotland pod says game available on BBC Scotland iPlayer .

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/one-of-the-toughest-guys-ive-ever-met-pete-horne-on-his-scotland-a-squad/

This article will help! Really good interview with Horne.