[Closed] Rugby 2019 - 2020 Season

So Lomu on one wing with Robinson/Williams on the other, does this mean scotland will win a game this year?

does this mean scotland will win a game this year?

They should do.
They have quite a few decent players - tj can tell us more, but - Watson, Russell,..., Graham, Duhan and Hogg.
They also have a few favourable games coming up: Georgia, Wales, Italy, France and Fiji. They could arguably win all of those games.

Put their names down for the Lions!

Damn, I genuinely forgot that Russell doesn’t play for them. He’s apparently on fire at the moment too.

Will Russell be back?

Who knows? It might help if we had some centres

We have what should be a very good team. somewhere the soft underbelly still appears tho see Edinburghs last 2 games.

We have a couple of proven world class players - Russell and Hogg. We have quite a few who have the ability to become world class but have yet to prove it - Duhan, Graham, Horne junior, Zander Fagerson. We have a core of international standard forwards.
We have some guys who enjoy a punchup - step forward Mr Fagerson who is taking over the "wind folk up till they get carded" role previously held by Ryan Wilson
But - we have a few gaping holes - like at centre. We keep developing good centres then breaking them mentally and physically
We have second rows who are top class at some aspects but poor at others.

Back row balance is also an issue. We seem to be able to produce and endless stream of good 7s but no number 8. Can you win playing 3 x 7?

But we have a coach who despite being a daring maverick as a player seems to have turned into Mr Conservative. His selections for the world cup were frankly shit and the display against ireland in the WC was spineless and despite better players with more experience we have gone backwards over the last 3 years.

Russell will be back no question. He and Toonie have kissed and made up and Toonie knows that Russell is the best player we have produced since 1872. he is also looking fit and keen and playing really well

he is also looking fit

He's no Henson 😜😜😜😜

I actually though he looked a bit chubby in that vid.

Talking of Henson!!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/sport/amp/rugby-league/54214450

I watched the Racing / Clermont game - he has trimmed right down again - the flab has gone. In the early summer he looked bloated from too much beer but he has lost most of it again.

Nah he's a chubster this is trimmed down

Possible big squad. some folk most countries would be glad to have, some no one has ever heard of

LH - Sutherland, Kebble, Dell, Bhattie
H- McInally, Brown, Turner
TH - Nel, Fagerson, Berghan, Rae
L - J Gray, R Gray, Gilchrist, Cummings, Toolis, Skinner
6/8 - Ritchie, Bradbury, Haining, Thomson (if he's fit), Wilson (for some reason)
7 - Watson, Crosbie, Gordon

9 - Price, Horne, SHC, Dobbie
10 - Russell, Hastings, VDW
C - Johnson, Jones, Harris, Scott, Hutchinson, Bennett
W - VDM, Graham, Maitland, McGuigan
FB - Hogg, Kinghorn

We have also run out of blue paint to turn orange south africans into blue scots - Willemse and Schoeman are waiting for the next delivery

Note Scotlands 3rd and 4th teams did well. ( sarries and exeter - as many scots as Edinburgh!)

LH, 2, 8 and 9 look like weaknesses to me but I dont watch much scottish rugby.

Wales are currently lacking any centres too. If Jiffy not so Junior anymore doesnt get back to his best we are stuffed. Would like to some younger 15's coming through too. What happens when AWJ retires I'm trying not to think about. Front row looks solid if unspectacular, backrow could do with another 8 to back up Faletau, would like to see Patchful fulfill his promise, Priestland may get a call if Biggar goes down even if he doesnt have 60 caps. Its looking more worrying for Anscombe, he might not play again 😟

hooker is not a weakness - McInally and Brown are fantastic players

9 is an interesting one - Price has been back to good form, Horne is a fantastic player but prone to getting over excited No one tho with laidlaws game management and authority

LH - sutherland looks very good this year - the rest pretty meh

Lock - the Grey brothers if both on form make a pretty good pairing but behind them is a mix of children and underpowered penalty magnets. gilcrest is worth 6 pts to the opposition every game

We do not have a number 8. Someone forgot how to count.

AA - this is how good Darcy Graham is 🙂 Beats half the welsh team on his own

Scotland have consistently produced players who can do that. When they find one who can get over the tryline they'll be a team to fear 😂😂

Random try:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U0iQs8NXSsE

He beat 10 wales defenders in 10 minutes or something daft really reminds me of Shane Williams - same dancing feet and real speed
a few tries here

He is no doubt fast on his feet, but for me he does that thing that Hogg does, where they dance about from left to right then run straight into another player. He's good when he's the last in the line and just runs down the touchline. That last video is 26 minutes long! With a large number of the clips going "here's the magical Darcy Graham - oops he's tackled"

I've been impressed in what I've seen of Ruaridh McConnochie.

I have been watching him play for Edinburgh - he really is very exciting but I agree thats a crap video, His first 7 internationals he scored 5 tries. He regularly beats opponents with his dancing feet and also makes turnovers - once I aw him take down Basteraud, took the ball off him and ran in for a try.

He is the best winger I have ever seen in Scotland the real deal with everything. Even decent in the air for someone of his size

Saffercens v racing on c4 now

Sarries / Racing on channel 4 right now.

bets?

I can't call it. Finn MOTM tho

I hate Saracens so..... Go Fin!!

If Fin doesnt kick goals or appear to kick pens to touch can he be Lions 10?

Nige wants to be the star again!!

or appear to kick pens to touch

Ok just using 9's left foot?

Finn not Fin!

Finn does not take the line kicks for Scotland either. In France 9 is usually the goal kicker. Strangely Finns goal kicking record is actually very good - better than Farrel ( or was last time I looked)

Sarries are going to have to show a bit more than "kick the ball and wait for mistakes"

Finn not Fin

He's in France!!

Flynn having a shocker!!

Sarries are going to have to show a bit more than “kick the ball and wait for mistakes”

I am keeping up my usual standard of pundity! Kick and wait for errors seems to be working but by heck its dull rugby

by heck its dull rugby

Pretty dreadful.

Somone needs to tell Flinn to boot it down the other end!

Jeez I am glad I'm not a Scot, it must be so frustrating!!

Finn has always been a bit " two sprats to catch a mackerel" When it works he is a genius, when it doesn't he is a goat

Jeez I am glad I’m not a Scot, it must be so frustrating

I wouldn't be rushing to get him back in the team on today's display.

Maitland does that jinky-jinky run straight at him thing too.

When Danny Care (is it him?) said Racing92 can't win by just kicking goals, the game was almost inevitably going to go that way!

Vinn to score the winning try!! 😆😆😆

Seen a lot of the rips given the other way recently

Told you Phinn is shit 😆😆😆😜😜

🙂

His two sprats did catch him a mackerel! One moment of finsanity wins the match

Russell has been in superb form for Racing this year. Sarries neutralised him well but given he is one of the very few top class players we have he has to play for Scotland

given he is one of the very few top class players we have he has to play for Scotland

For sure, I am not seeing a Lions in SA 10 though. He needed Machenaud to come on at 9 and do the obviously needed kicking.

I would agree about the lions - unless the team is built around him and familiar players around him he is more of a liability than an asset. For the lions I would have Biggar because he is a superb kicker from hand and plays a very solid conventional game.

Because of the way Finn plays he needs players around him that are used to him. You do not get that time on a lions tour

You must remember tho AA in france its always the 9 who does the kicking. Only In England and Wales is there this fixation that your 10 must do all the kicking.

Hastings does not take always take the line kicks and When laidlaw was playing he always took the place kicks. for Scotland we have Hogg who is one of the longest kickers available - so he takes the line kicks. When Laidlaw was not there Finn took the place kicks

Actually I think the scots should all refuse lions places. No point in going to hold tackle bags

given he is one of the very few top class players we have he has to play for Scotland

For sure, I am not seeing a Lions in SA 10 though.

The Lions tour is a good way off, so a lot can happen before then; but I would be shocked if Finn Russell gets chosen at 10. I think Garland needs to trust a player to do what he dictates within tight restrictions - I cannot see him allowing Russell to play the way he does. Although who else there is to choose is difficult.

Russel with Tuilagi outside him would be great to watch though!!

Finn is not a Gatland style player thats for sure.

A lot of what looks off the cuff of first phase especially is actually scripted tho

Tuilagi out for 6months, he really does have no luck does he!!

Wow Ospreys actually looked competent last night.

Gorgeous Gavin Henson has posted something on Twitter about a chip being able to control DNA 🙄 oh I hope he is being ironic but not sure.

Wow Ospreys actually looked competent last night.

Good job reall all the others looked shit!! H TAF did scarlets manage to lose?

Tuilagi out for 6months, he really does have no luck does he!!

Whilst I feed bad for him, I feel his is better for England.  Too much awaiting and dependence on him for England to date, IMO, England should be finding and developing a new pair of centres for the next RWC. This should be the catalyst.

Easy enough to look competent when you are facing pure mince AA

Agree on Tuilagi, time to move on and develop the next RWC squad, think there'll be more heavy weight competition by 2023 too. In other news, WTAF are Prem Rugby doing wrt to Sale and COVID. The rules they all signed up to should have meant a forfeit for Sale and a 20-0 win for Wuss. Stuffed Glaws and Saints and now have two bites are their top 4 spot.

WALES SQUAD
Forwards: Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Sam Parry (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Leon Brown (Dragons), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Will Rowlands (Wasps), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Seb Davies (Cardiff Blues), Cory Hill (Cardiff Blues), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons), Ross Moriarty (Dragons), Taulupe Faletau (Bath), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Josh Macleod (Scarlets).

Backs: Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Kieran Hardy (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Northampton), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets), Callum Sheedy (Bristol), Owen Watkin (Ospreys), Nick Tompkins (Dragons), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Johnny Williams (Scarlets), George North (Ospreys), Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues), Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester), Jonah Holmes (Dragons), Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets), Ioan Lloyd (Bristol), Liam Williams (Scarlets)
(Northampton), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets), Callum Sheedy (Bristol), Owen Watkin (Ospreys), Nick Tompkins (Dragons), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Johnny Williams (Scarlets), George North (Ospreys), Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues), Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester), Jonah Holmes (Dragons), Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets), Ioan Lloyd (Bristol), Liam Williams (Scarlets)

Callum Sheedy steps into the light!!

Really looking forward to seeing these new, young, Wales players play. Not confident we’ll win any games mind 😀

Some opposing tactics.  Wales an established experienced squad, England full of international newbies.

Actually quite tough to pick the best 15.

Liam If fit if not 1/2p
North/ God Dammit
Davies
Thmopkins
Adams
Biggar
Webb/Davies (Tomos Williams injured)
Faletau
Tipuric
Wainwright/Navidi/Moriarty
AWJ
Hill/Ball/Rowlands
Francis
Owens
Jones

Also announced that Anscombe out for this season too, had another op, the poor ****er 😥😥

New thread time?

New thread time?

Why not, go ahead...

Some opposing tactics. Wales an established experienced squad,

Wales have just picked the players they've got, I cant think of any young players missing out.

Lloyd
Rees Zammit
Williams
Tompkins
Adams
Sheedy
Hardy
Moriarty
Wainwright
Macleod
Seb Davies
AN Other like Beard
Brown
Elias
Carre

Very young 15, just because wales caps players younger than england doesnt mean those players are old Lloyd and Ress Zammit are both 19. Moriarty is only 26.

Some opposing tactics. Wales an established experienced squad, England full of international newbies.

I’ve not seen the England team, has it been announced? I’d be keen to see Marcus Smith play for them.

Also announced that Anscombe out for this season too, had another op, the poor **** 😥😥

Indeed, utterly shitty for Anscombe. He was playing so well just before his injury and getting better every game. Had to be a strong contender for the upcoming Lions tour.

Good Lions squad that AA.

Good Lions squad that AA.

Too many Scots!!!

I’ve not seen the England team, has it been announced? I’d be keen to see Marcus Smith play for them.

He’s not in the training squad but much is being made of the fact that some players are being left to finish their league games.  <span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">At least Dombrant is in.  </span>

In other news Piers Francis has been sent home to self isolate.

So Bath to play Exeter after Sale Worcester is cancelled.

Right outcome, should have been made on the weekend. Health first for those concerned.

Great Bledsoe Cup game, how did he not score that try, won’t make that mistake again.

Exeter roll on

Ospreys lose but better than last few years.

Wow what a Bledisloe cup game - just watched it on youtube.

As for nearer to home. Edinburgh contrive to lose again but at least this time they turned up.

European cup final tomorrow. Will Scotlands 3rd pro team triumph? Or wil the parisien wizards win?

I'd like Exeter to win given how they have been diddled by Saracens cheating over the years and I love the honesty with which the club operates and their hard but fair style

However I would also like to see Finn enhance his reputation with some magic!

Lets just hope for a great game and no injuries to the scots playing ( or anyone else)

Team Russell, all the way!

OK, I'm never going to be able to tell those strips apart.

GET IN CHIEFS!!!

Well done to Exeter Racists, I guess.

Owens is a disgrace.

The last Racing try was a bit iffy.

Owens is a disgrace.

Why? Not a big follower of the game, what did he do wrong? Calling time up because the clock hadn't reached 80? Because it should have but for a TV error.

He changes the rules and changes his mind in an incredibly inconsistent way in the interests of keeping the game flowing but also in the interest of keeping the attention firmly on himself.

Too many glaring errors to list in this game but the Sam Hidalgo Clyne penalty that wasn't and attempting to play time keeper when it's not his ****ing job are the two most obvious examples.

Bow to your better knowledge on application of the rules but the right result was reached for the wrong reasons on the timing, surely.

I have no idea whether the right result was reached or not and neither does anyone else. He decided to stick his oar in where it didn't belong, thoroughly confused everyone, asked for a decision from the TMO, was given the technically correct decision, said he didn't want the 'technically correct' decision, made the decision he wanted to make, and everyone gets to go home frustrated.

But the most important thing is that Nige was the centre of attention throughout.

I have no idea whether the right result was reached or not and neither does anyone else.

Sorry, but that's rubbish. It's pretty obvious.

He stopped the clock because he wasn't getting a clear answer what they were doing with the kick. That was at 37, he asked for it to go back to 32 to allow for the delay.

Then when that was a problem, when he ask for the restart of the clock he added those 5 back on by his count. But it still didn't restart yet even allowing for the delay the ball crossed the posts at 57.

It was clear if the clock had started as per his instruction that time would have expired, as the TMO told him despite what the clock said.

He might have created the problem in the first place but managed the right answer out. I wondered if Racing were going to kick up, but they know it was right too.

You seem to have a problem with him, which might be right in general but you're playing the man not the ball in this case.

Agreed , the time judgement in the end was correct.
Rugby is about playing the averages, and on average Chiefs were better, if one ref decision means you lose, then you probably deserved to lose.

He might have created the problem in the first place but managed the right answer out.

The reason no one has any idea is because rugby is governed by rules that cover most eventualities but not every one. In big games the referee delegates the duty of timekeeping to a timekeeper and trusts that they are up to the task.

Nigel doesn't subscribe to that idea and decided to take back the authority that he had already delegated. Is it in the laws for a referee to undelegate the timekeeping duties? I have no idea because it's such a stupid position to be put in that this has never had to be questioned in the laws before.

Nigel had to have the attention on him. You might think it's an obvious no brainer but the laws of rugby don't clarify it. Therefore we ended up unsure whether the biggest game of the year was over or not.

And it wasn't his biggest **** up of the game. Bottling the Slade YC and the SHC penalty that wasn't won the game for the Racists.