Dan, a few incidents worthy of another look, sadly.

The SA headbutt

Nowell’s lifting tackle

The NZ deliberate knock on, while on the ground, while offside

Kearney was a lucky boy as well.

The Tongan with the very borderline high hit off the ball on Wainwright was lucky too.

did Scotland not also score a try from running it out of their 22

Jones made a good run out if defence, not sure if itvended in a try or not but it was against an unorganized defence the one after the try was just plain dumb, a couple of passes then kick is fair enough but not what they did.

I know there were 3 points in the game at the time but Russell’s 50m drop goal attempt when there was momentum with Scotland and broken play is another classic. Too many freebies to let the other side off the hook

Guess the IRFU will want to hang on to Joe after the WC.

My money is on him being the next NZ coach after the World Cup.

@danw yes it was indeed a big achievement by ireland not just on the field but tactically too.

The ABs undoubtedly do not want to peak too early with a world cup round the corner. Yet they have the expectation to win every game. It is a problem which has always plagued them and as shrewd as Hanson is I think the ABs may now be on a downward slope going into the world cup. I thought England chucked it against them last week.

Crucially Ireland have found a gameplan to contain the ABs which the other teams will replicate. But i think that cagey way of playing can always be beaten in a world cup by a very expansive style of play which is why i think Scotland could win it if the ABs are knocked out by someone else. Apologies for the essay

.

Crucially Ireland have found a gameplan to contain the ABs which the other teams will replicate

With the greatest respect to Irelands victory, it was found during the Lions tour by Gatland, replicated badly by England and superbly by Ireland.

They werent particularly smashed in the set piece by either of the NH team, but they were contained and denied the ball which nullifys thier magic loose play.

Plenty of skullduggery from NZ yesterday as well – a fair bit of blocking in front of the runner in the 2nd half.

On another note, Mercer had a shocker yesterday, looked like the least likely international on the pitch for a while.  And clearly Farrell has surpassed George as a starter.  I think Farrells stint at 12 forces the oppo to worry about him.running through, Georgie boy rarely offers that (for England)

Crucially Ireland have found a gameplan to contain the ABs which the other teams will replicate.

Wales for one dont have the players to do it.

With the greatest respect to Irelands victory, it was found during the Lions tour by Gatland,

I’m glad somone has mentioned this as Gatland took endless abuse on her for playing a conservative style but when Schmidt does itvhe’s the next All Blacks coach.

You won’t beat NZ playing like NZ.

My worry for Ireland is they have come to the fore early enough for people to find a way to beat them.

Scotlnd don’t have the players either to contain a team as good as the all blacks.  We pushed NZ close playing the NZ way 😉

What did England get the yellow card?  Can’t find out anywhere.

Too early for next weekend’s predictions? Hope not, so mine are:

Italy v NZ 6:52

Scot v Argentina 26:20

Eng v Aus 16:16

Wales v SA 18:15 (with a sprinkle of wishful thinking)

Ireland v USA 60:3

France v Fiji 33:12

Brizzle with another good sized crowd today.

TJ it was George for cynically killing Japan’s momentum after an interception

Starts at around 29s here: https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/rugby-union/11556778/england-35-15-japan

Scotland will either spank Argentina or be beaten.  Will not be a narrow win

I don’t see anything other than an English win TBH.

Arg vs Sco could be a cracker. Argentina I reckon

I’ll be behind the sofa for the Wales game as normal 🙂

You won’t beat NZ playing like NZ.

Wales wouldnt beat NZ playing like 8 legged 10foot tall Martians 🙁

I think Wales have a reasonable chance V SA, not a favourites chance but I’ll be hopeful.

If 1/2p is out I wonder if they’ll be tempted to bring Biggar back for his kicking. I’d like to see

Loopy

North

Davies

Parkes

Adams

Anscombe

Williams

Moriarty

Tips

Lydiate

Ball

AWJ

Francis

Owens

Evans

Wales wouldnt beat NZ playing like 8 legged 10foot tall Martians

Rofl!

Is Evans completely fit? I guess his fitness determines if he or Smith start. I’m glad Ball seemed to be back firing too.

Absolutely agree with your backs too even is 1/2p is out. If he’s fit then it makes selection easier

I can see Biggar being picked for points off the tee as much as anything if 1/2p is not fit and I’m sure that will be a huge dilemma, but it feels like a backwards step and I think Anscombe needs to continue. I’d even have Patchell on the bench rather than Biggar. Gareth Davies would be very unfortunate to miss out and I see him as a bench option rather than starter. Not necessarily for going forwards but for this match in light of Williams starting already and doing a lot right and being better for the experience

Is Evans completely fit?

I presume so or he wouldnt have benched in the last few games. Francis is a fat knacker but is our strongest scrumaging tighthead with Lee injured. The SA ginger 1 looked a beast v Nel so Lewis will have to bench I think despite his work in the loose.  Smith Dee and Lewis off the bench will be a handy change.

Wales wouldnt beat NZ playing like 8 legged 10foot tall Martians 🙁

a_a the other extreme to Tj? ; )

Whilst NZ are little doubt the better team, at the moment I live in hope. A lot of the 6nations games are hard to call right now and it is not impossible that Wales could win. Then having seen Ireland beat NZ yesterday, NZ under huge pressure, Wales pull off a miracle.

Or Scotland beat NZ in the quarter finals. Wales play Scotland in the semis and Ireland in the final.

With the greatest respect to Irelands victory, it was found during the Lions tour by Gatland, replicated badly by England and superbly by Ireland.

I think you will find we beat them in 2016 long before Gatland drew in NZ 😜

And we did beat them playing the NZ way scoring 5 tries in the process.

Irelands keep ball tactics are different from Gatlands Lions who played more like Wales just with better players. Wales play a high pressure defence with lots of ling kicks. Ireland just get the ball and grind the opposition down.

Kryton – the danger is that Farrell is so crucial to us that he gets broken we’re royally we f*cked. Ford from the Argentina tour was actually quiet good the Ford we are stuck with is shit but still gets picked.

Some of the new boys have gone well this autumn (e.g Wilson and Moon) whilst others have work to do. Hopefully the Daly at FB experiment will end once Watson is fit again. It looks like Brown’s days are done.

Kryton – the danger is that Farrell is so crucial to us that he gets broken we’re royally we f*cked. Ford from the Argentina tour was actually quiet good the Ford we are stuck with is shit but still gets picked.

You know what I’m about to say…  right?   🙂

From Scotland game, I mentioned it whilst watching. Video ref obviously not been to specsavers. Again….

https://mobile.twitter.com/twitter/status/1063854662204428288

World Rugby say mitigating factors were behind the decision not to cite Kolisi.

They include Horne “illegally preventing Kolisi rejoining play” and the “moderate force of the strike to the head”.

**** idiots!!

The citing commissioner said he only did a gentle headbutt (acknowledging making contact with the head) so it was ok. Don’t get it myself but there you are.

edit: beat me to it

North fit but 1/2p out.

England seem to have gone back to the tactic of giving the visitors dodgy meals to set them up for the weekend 🙂

While it has been three years, the head was considered worse than the fist at a disciplinary hearing. But hey-ho; retaliation is ok as well now it would seem.

Ashton likely to be broken for the weekend and Manu is apparently not 100% so probably won’t feature.

Even with the Aussies having the squips we’ll probably make bloody hard work of Saturday giving away 5,000 brainless penalties away.

While it has been three years, the head was considered worse than the fist at a disciplinary hearing. But hey-ho; retaliation is ok as well now it would seem.

Its a **** disgrace, meanwhile 1/2p still concussed two weeks after a “fair” chargedown. The people in charge just look like morons I’m afraid.

I need to mention my hatred for these stupid slogans that are appearing everywhere. “Will makes us family” Really, what about Dave? “Whatever it’s takes.” Glasgow giving away their intention to cheat shamelessly? Do they add anything at all to the game?

#crappyrugbymarketingbullshithashtaggery

Scotland players ranked as food!  Written by a Bok fan but one who clearly has spent loads of time in Edinburgh!
thought you might enjoy it – I did

Gordon Reid had to scrum against Frans Malherbe. Basically, it was a case of sheep’s pluck minced with salt, oatmeal, suet and onion inside a lining of intestines. Reid needs more marrow.

Stuart McInally was a lively hooker. He was like neeps and tatties, with butter and chives. The problem was he was up against High Veld ribs and chilli biltong.

Tighthead WP Nel had to deal with the Gingerman, the Ginga Ninja from Somerset-West. Nel ended up looking like salty Highland porridge, the kind you can pick up with your hands. Some might call it cold mielie pap, too.

Jonny Gray is the smaller of the Gray brothers. They both seem like strong salmon, with their colouring and flopping about and high energy and fresh young faces, without being that aggressive. The junior Gray was monumental in one mammoth maul drive by the Scots, which may have suckered them into going back to it one too many time, at the death.

The Scottish loose trio was supposed to be a full breakfast, with black pudding, lorne sausage, beans, brown sauce, and tattie scones, but in the end it was just bangers and mash, too easily cleaned off the plate, as the home team lost 13 turnovers, many of them to Thor and Mad Marx.

Greig Laidlaw is shortbread. That’s it. He’s been around since 1736. He’s the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea. And he won’t surprise you or let you down.

In contrast, Finn Russell is a very modern fusion dish. He is a schizo-sushi roll with a quail egg on top, with goat cheese, basil, pecans, spinach and jalapeños on a bed of Antojito slow cooked shoulder and a pulled pork chilli burrito on the side, with coleslaw, homemade chilli jam and beetroot chutney. He looks like a talented footballer who could play four or five sports, but might need to focus on rugby fundamentals first.

Huw Jones is ‘tablet:’ sugar, condensed milk and butter cooked together until crystalised, with a shot of whisky. He’s a baby-faced killer, with sweet offloads, and delectable lines.

His midfield partner, Horne, is just a vinegar-doused fish mixed with fluffy chips and brown sauce. Punching above his weight; a good man to have in the squad—a bit like Ryan Crotty?

Sean Maitland held off Papier long enough to set Jones and Horne free on their miracle gallop. He’s an Landamp;P drink, taller than you think, and a bit more sour, but effervescent and easy to down.

Tommy Seymour is a Scotch Pie, served hot or cold, it makes no difference. He’s double-crusted, and full of mutton. Ready to eat, carry, throw, or save for later.

Hogg is a battered Mars Bar, which is for some reason all the rage in Edinburgh. Stick a chocolate bar in the deep fryer. Bite it and all of the melted stuff oozes out and sparks a rush of endorphins.

<h3 class=”sp-story-body__cross-head”>Scotland team:</h3>
Stuart Hogg; Sean Maitland, Huw Jones, Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn; Adam Hastings Greig Laidlaw (capt); Alan Dell, Fraser Brown, Simon Berghan; Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray; Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Josh Strauss.

<b>Replacements:</b> Stuart McInally, Alex Allan, Willem Nel, Sam Skinner, Ryan Wilson, George Horne, Alex Dunbar, Byron McGuigan.

The Toonbola strikes again!

Hastings at 1o and Russell at 12  Kinghorn on the wing. Surprised Gary Graham is not on the bench for a 5 min cameo to confirm him as a Scotland player

Otherwise pretty much our best team I think

Nothing to see here, no citings, no cards.

Cipriani must be **** fuming!

Im willing to put £10 on the fact well see Cips in the 6n.

I would be very, very surprised unless there are a lot of injuries between now and then. If he does feature it will be in a very Ej way like as a replacement at the end of a dicking so Jones can say “told you he was rubbish, look how much we lost by now stop mentioning his name every two seconds!”

Is that really the ‘Scotland ‘ team? Pichot doesn’t think so

https://rugby365.com/countries/argentina/world-rugby-vice-chairmans-tweet-causes-uproar/

He does have a point.  the other thing I would like to see is players who have played for tier one nations being able to play for a tier two nation after they are no longer being capped for that tier one nation – so Visser for example could now go and play for the netherlands

Some of the “scots” would be very angry to be told they are not scots – Hamish Watson for example. Denton says he was always taught he was of scots descent and always wanted to play for Scotland not SA.

Strauss?  Nel?  Both have made Scotland their home but are they scots?

Others are a bit too mercenary for my liking.

Doesn’t Strauss live in Manchester?!?! I met him after a match last season……sweet frigging lord he’s a beast! His hands are genuinely like shovels!