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Wow - thats an outrageous quote about North. Is he carrying a knock?
Is he carrying a knock?
Who knows. He has just come back from a long injury and is heading back home next season. Maybe he has been tipped a wink by Gatlandabout next week and has come up with a calf strain!!
Saints have tried to flog him into the ground rather
Scotland squad out. a big extended squad as no club games. Big Ritchie back, ~Fagerson the choirboy, Dunbar ( but will he be match fit?) couple of youngsters and Hardie headbanger
Plenty of choice for once in most positions makes for some tricky selections. Looking at the squad I am feeling more optimistic. Odd for a Scotland side to have more choice halfway thru the championship. One puzzle - asuming Seymour is out do we play Kinghorn on the wing - a very exciting attacking player but usually full back or 10 or a specialist winger who is not nearly so exciting in Lee Jones?
BTW - did you know our snarling beast of a young prop Zander Fagerson really was a choirboy and also scottish downhill MTB champ at age group level?
Full squad
FORWARDS (22)
John Barclay (Scarlets) CAPTAIN
Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby)
Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors)
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby)
Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors)
David Denton (Worcester Warriors)
Cornell du Preez (Edinburgh Rugby)
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors)
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby)
Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors)
Richie Gray (Toulouse)
Luke Hamilton (Leicester Tigers)
John Hardie (Edinburgh Rugby)
Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons)
Darryl Marfo (Edinburgh Rugby)
Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby)
Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby)
Gordon Reid (London Irish)
Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors)
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby)
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby)
Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors)
BACKS (18)
Mark Bennett (Edinburgh Rugby)
Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors)
Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors)
Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons)
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors)
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors)
Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors)
Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors)
Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors)
Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors)
Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby)
Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne)
Sean Maitland (Saracens)
Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks)
Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors)
Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors)
Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors)
Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors)
Surely that's not a squad. It looks more like every player eligible for Scotland 😀
Including the coke head!!
He needed that little pick me up as he leads with his head every tackle!
The North situation at the Saints is a bit odd - apparently he had an agreement with Mallinder that he would not need to play or be available on fallow weekends in the 6N which no one told Gaffney about...
Article on the BBC about the Welsh 'stealing' English born players... Apparently getting more organised through their 'Exiles' program
Seems a bit rich given the 'English' players fielded over the years (and indeed today!)
AA spot on about Eli Walker, fantastic talent. A real shame.
Article on the BBC about the Welsh ‘stealing’ English born players… Apparently getting more organised through their ‘Exiles’ program
Seems a bit rich given the ‘English’ players fielded over the years (and indeed today!)
Might be less of an issue if there was more chance that the same players didn't keep on getting picked despite not really performing...
No pro14 on beeb next season 😭
Varndell to Scarlets till end of season
Underhill and Nowell out of the match against France. Mercer is crooked too.
Hartley a doubt with Cowan-Dickie called up as cover. But no backrow cover called up, so I guess Lawes will continue at six with the Haskell good big to the bench?
Pro14 deal seems short sighted. They may have more money from this deal but viewing figures can only decline as a result, unless someone has a credible argument that PPV increases them..
i wonder what the position of Guinness as main sponsor will be? And the various on field sponsors at club grounds for that matter? Will they pay the same for reduced exposure?
the welsh and gaelic channels may stillhave them. ONly ever been very occasional pro14 matches in scotland on mainstream beeb
Hartley an injury doubt for Sat....Don't call me a cynic,but isn't that a cooncidence?
the welsh and gaelic channels may stillhave them. ONly ever been very occasional pro14 matches in scotland on mainstream beeb
Yeah but there's a game a week online. All that looks to have gone including Alba and S4C and BBC Wales. Real shame imo.
According to beeb wales to make 10 changes...including a TJ'esque backrow.
James Davies is expected to make his debut, with Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau returning to the side.
George North is expected to start on the wing after impressing from the bench against England and Ireland.
Williams could move to full-back instead of Leigh Halfpenny, with Ospreys centre Owen Watkin partnering Parkes, while Gareth Anscombe replaces Dan Biggar at fly-half.
The new front row could see Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee and Tomas Francis packing down, with Bradley Davies lining up as Hill's second-row partner.
And in other new Rhodri Jones back in Wales squad as a loose head
So after spending 4 years trying to be a tighthead and endig up as about 4th choice for Ospreys he plays a couple of games at 1 and he's an international again...odd, very very odd.
Hartley a doubt, Farrell may play 10, Nowell out, Hask in, Itoje has been nullified says Jones, as have England tactics says Scotland.
Challenges ahead for England? Having worked on their own game plan, have they now 12 months having to defend / change it up and surprise a few people in RWC or is that it - the oppo have 12 months to review the Scots game to come up with a counter?
IMO, with all thats happened England need to bludgeon France in what I suspect will be an up the jumper match and defeat Ireland at their own game to be seen as viable finalists. If that doesn't happen, could their be a decline ahead maybe...
BTW that 1014 site is a wealth of an education into modern rugby, thanks for posting.
CUBBY!
Wouldnt want to be Dee chucking in to the lineout at that pack. Obviously the game plan is centred around not winning lineouts!!!
I fear a Nov tier 2 nation shambles, the Italians will be looking to win this!
Kinghorn in for Scotland. Will they capitulate away from home again?
Jones finally gives us what we want? Jamie George starts, Daly in at 13 and Watson at full back. We just need Simmons to earn a regular place at 7 now and the back row will look a bit more dynamic.
Looking forward to watching this without the drudgery of Brown and Hartley on the pitch.
Farrell Capt - is that the first centre Captaincy since Carling?. Slight nervousness there, certainly needs a cool head and the French will spot that and try to rile him up for sure.
Daly is in on the wing.....Teo is in at 13, JJ dropped along with Brown.
We just need Simmons to earn a regular place at 7 now and the back row will look a bit more dynamic.
That's unlikely to happen with Exeter seeing him as an 8 and playing him there week in, week out - we need to stop playing people out of position.
Glad that Watson is getting a run out at full back - hopefully he can show Eddie that he can do it. Trouble is, it'll probably piss down with rain and be a day that would suit Brown.
I've got to make post no. 3000!!
it’ll probably piss down with rain
I believe that is the forecast.
I know Brown has a lot of haters, but I certainly aren't one of them.....I'd have dropped May for Daly (I think that we've really missed him) kept Watson on the other wing and Brown at 15. Still sticking with a 5.5, 6.5 and an unfit 8 that isn't great at international level as the backrows.. ...that massive French 7 has to be excited about this!
I agree - Brown is a limited player (he's not that quick, doesn't look to pass much and often seeks contact) but he is combatitive and very solid under the high ball with a pretty bog boot for clearing kicks. Looking at the weeken'd forecast, you can't help feeling that the conditions and type of game that we are likely to see would suit him better than Watson. I also don't think he's suited to being a bench player - he doesn't cover that many positions and isnt someone that you'd describe as a gamechanger (Wigglesworth lacks this too).
Care needs a bog game to prove that he an start, control a game as well as come on and inject pace as he has done for England.
Backrow is a concern again - the French are pretty good at the breakdown and having seen how Scotland dicked us there, will no doubt be eyeing that area big time.
I think Itoje is due a performance Sat. Pleased to see AW at fullback and Jamie George starting, with Cowan-dickie able to make an impact as a finisher - he was fantastic for Exeter at the weekend.
Definitely agree that Brown doesn't suit the EJ ''finisher" tag.....hard to see what he'll offer if it's a level game at 60 minutes....
Looking forward to the Ireland Scotland game mind, hopefully Scotland can find some form away from home. Scotland are becoming a bit like the French of a decade of so ago.....you never know whether they're going to be brilliant or shite!
Farrell Capt – is that the first centre Captaincy since Carling?
No - Philip de Glanville and Mike Tindall for a start.
No massive surprises for Ireland v Scotland. Thought maybe Henderson might start as soon as fit again but he’s on the bench and will provide good 2nd row cover. Happy to see Furlong back in the front row. Liking the look of Murphy and Larmour on the bench. A win and not losing any more centres will do nicely thanks 🙂
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The 1980's want their graphic back ^^
A win and not losing any more centres will do nicely thanks 🙂
How dare are you suggest that Ireland might beat the best side in the world. 😀
The 1980’s want their graphic back ^^
I thought something similar. 😀
i think it’s just the image put out for easy sharing on Twitter, etc. 😀
Ospreys keen to get North for rest of season.
I thought he was a Scarlets bound next but apparently thats still to be decided.
If you thought Ireland’s graphic was bad... 🙂
France team to play England. I see Trinh Duc’s back...again. For the 19th time.
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No, that’s really sophisticated compared to the Irish effort. 😛
WRU pushing the boat out in the graphics department...
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Scotland’s effort is a bit, err, busy.
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Wales - understated but effective.
And edit - Scotland, a world-beating effort, I’m sure we’ll all agree.
Busy and confusing to the opposition and their own fans - thats Scotland for you