AI Coming

[Billyfish]

Just caught up on catch up, a delightful way to start the day. Most pleased for Barclay for some reason. 50 points on Oz, magic stuff.

[Mikey Brown]

Barclays reaction when he went over for his try was fucking gold. I only managed to see drinks and drabs of the game. Can’t wait to watch the whole thing.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

The stats make grim reading from Seymour's perspective.

3 turnovers conceded. More than anyone else.

6 runs for 14 metres. A million miles off Maitland's 14 for 166, McGuigan's 10 for 101 and Jones 9 for 69.

0 defenders beaten. Compared to 4, 5 and 6 respectively for the same players.

1 clean break compared to 3, 2 and 5 for the same again.

I wonder how much bigger that scoreline could have been with Jones/Hogg in the back 3 instead of Tommy. Hogg would have had a lot of fun with that unstructured defence when they were a man down.

[Big D]

I'm not sure what's up with him. Lions hangover? Carrying an injury? Not a long enough break?

[Mikey Brown]

Yup. As I said he had two fantastic intervention late in the NZ game but was fucking terrible otherwise, and I’m an enormous fan. Maybe needs a bit of a break.

Can’t imagine the Lions did a whole lot of good for his confidence though. I mean Jack fucking Nowell?

[no sleep]

One thing I really liked about the AIs was that even missing some first-choice players, we were still able to put out a team that could play well against good teams (thinking mainly about Oz an NZ, but also Samoa, I like them).

Got me thinking about who we're actually missing. The front row of Dickinson, Ford, Nel is from - what, almost two years ago? I really can't remember the last time I saw Dickinson or Sutherland play (well ok, apart from Friday) and I can't imagine bringing either of them in for the 6N unless they have quite a few good games between then and now, and if Dickinson's back in December, that's cutting it pretty tight.

The centres are frustrating: we've had a crap midfield since last millenium, then 6 or 7 decent options spring up - but 3 or 4 are always injured, and we've never had the chance to develop an established pairing. I thought Scott would be the 12 we needed, and don't really get why he's been overlooked. We have more options at 13, but how do you choose between, say, Jones and Taylor unless you know who the IC is?

Anyway, assuming everyone recovers or stays fit, who would we have lining up in Cardiff for the first game of the 6N? I'd (hesitantly) go for:

1 Marfo (he has the shirt, and it's so long since Dickinson played)
2 Brown
3 Nel
4 R Gray
5 J Gray
6 Barclay (skipper)
7 Watson
8 Wilson (we need an 8, this is a weak position for us)
9 Price
10 Russell
11 Maitland
12 Taylor (I think he could do this)
13 Jones
14 Seymour (get your mojo back son, we need you)
15 Hogg

16 MacInally
17 Dell (I guess...)
18 Fagerson
19 Gilchrist (tough on Toolis, tough too on Swinson)
20 du Preez (because we need an 8, and fingers crossed...)
21 Laidlaw (to close out the games after the starters have built the lead!)
22 Horne
23 Bennett

[Adder]

I believe Richie Gray will have to fight back for his spot.

Quite liked Bhatti's impact from the bench.

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[OptimisticJock]

Brown and too tall have to play out their skins as things currently stand to start for me. Giving Seymour the benefit he'll recapture his form.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Assuming (big assumption, I know) that everyone is fit and firing - we're going to have a hell of a squad come 6N time.

Toolis starts for me. He was unreal against the ABs and Aus. Gilchrist really stepped up as well.

Comical that we didn't get a single lock on the lions tour. Only a couple of the English locks would improve our choice IMO.

Wales up first will be a real banana skin but if we pick up a win there they will be very confident for the rest of the tournament. Murrayfield is becoming an intimidating and difficult place to visit now. Glad we're facing the two big packs at home although still worried that Wales, despite their regression, have enough forward power to strangle us in the tight and keep the game structured in an attempt to grind out a win.

[whatisthejava]

Assuming (big assumption, I know) that everyone is fit and firing - we're going to have a hell of a squad come 6N time.

Toolis starts for me. He was unreal against the ABs and Aus. Gilchrist really stepped up as well.

Comical that we didn't get a single lock on the lions tour. Only a couple of the English locks would improve our choice IMO.

Come on AWJ would walk into our team

My oppinionson Gatland are so low that even if we win 4/5 games in the 6N he would still pick more welsh if the lions were this year, i actually think Gatland knows the game is up and they have to play wide, from his point of view Gatball doesnt work with the current laws so he has to change, no matter how shit wales have been you can still see some quality through that team and if their forwards can get some clean balll i think they can cause problems although i am glad we are playing them at the start and not the end because by the end of the 6N I think they will have adjusted to the new structure, its still to early

Glad we're facing the two big packs at home although still worried that Wales, despite their regression, have enough forward power to strangle us in the tight and keep the game structured in an attempt to grind out a win.

Unless Glasgow can demonstrate some ability to deal with a big pack i think we will slip up against Ireland or England, another french ref who thinks that turnovers are for players who stay on their feet for a week after the tackle and we will struggle.

France for me are going backwards, they will be all blunt and bluster but if we can make that big pack run for 60 - 70 mins and keep them out our 22 then I think we will do fine.


On a final note, i think the reason we suddenly have a tonne of top class players is down to Toonie, he wants to play rugby the way we all grow up wanting to play rugby, its a simple game plan of playing in the park with your mates so it fills the guys with confidence and they get well rewarded for positive play, i kinda feel when Toonie loses he almost doubles down on his style, wanting more fluidity and looseness from his team, he expects front rows to look to pass, but this has been coming for 5 years because he wouldnt have got here without building the solid base in Glasgow over the last 5 years

[hugh_woatmeigh]

It isn't sudden and I don't think you can attribute it all to Toony.

The academies are starting to pay off.

Plus SJ's poaching/scottish granny locating is top notch - Maitland, Seymour, McGuigan, H Jones, Taylor, Burleigh, Pyrgos, Price, CDP, Strauss, Hamilton, Nel, Marfo, Dell and potentially others fall under that umbrella.

I do take your point though. The biggest frustration of VC's reign is that I knew the boys were capable of playing like this but through him & Laidlaw they opted for another game plan. I can't wait to see where Laidlaw fits into Toony's plans.

[whatisthejava]

It isn't sudden and I don't think you can attribute it all to Toony.

The academies are starting to pay off.

Plus SJ's poaching/scottish granny locating is top notch - Maitland, Seymour, McGuigan, H Jones, Taylor, Burleigh, Pyrgos, Price, CDP, Strauss, Hamilton, Nel, Marfo, Dell and potentially others fall under that umbrella.

Ive said somewhere else SJ deserves a fair amount of credit in recognising problems early and implementing strategies but I also think Dodson and the SRU deserve some credit, it was their strategy to invest the 23 million in the academies and the improved coaching, although this isnt directly related scottish rugby has a clear strategy from 5 years old about how to coach, what to coach and what our values and goals are, although it has had very little effect on most of he players it has added to a culture around scottish rugby that cant be ignored.

[Big D]

One interesting thing is that probably 4 of our outstanding performers in the AIs: Hogg, Gray, HJones and Rambo have all had significant time off in the last 6 months or so. That can't be a coincidence and perhaps something worth looking at for next summer's tour.

After next summer it is pretty full on until summer 2020. I would be considering leaving key guys at home for North America and letting them rest up.

[whatisthejava]

One interesting thing is that probably 4 of our outstanding performers in the AIs: Hogg, Gray, HJones and Rambo have all had significant time off in the last 6 months or so. That can't be a coincidence and perhaps something worth looking at for next summer's tour.

After next summer it is pretty full on until summer 2020. I would be considering leaving key guys at home for North America and letting them rest up.

I agree, where before we needed ot flog the 18 or so guys we trusted so they would go into the AI with a win now i think you can almost use it as an oppertunity for fringe players to play their way into the team

Although i dont really rate guys like Tonks, Fife, Hoyland there are only so many oppertunities to make sure your 35 - 38 are nailed on for the World Cup (33 and 5 replacements)

[hugh_woatmeigh]

One interesting thing is that probably 4 of our outstanding performers in the AIs: Hogg, Gray, HJones and Rambo have all had significant time off in the last 6 months or so. That can't be a coincidence and perhaps something worth looking at for next summer's tour.

After next summer it is pretty full on until summer 2020. I would be considering leaving key guys at home for North America and letting them rest up.

Agreed. For example - Fraser Brown's future game time needs serious consideration. He's breaking at an alarming rate the last few months - some of them are head injuries too.

NA tour is a perfect chance to test if the fringe players like Turner, Jackson, Hamilton, Cummings, etc can step up.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

It's also something the boys should consider when weighing up England/France vs Scotland. They are incredibly well looked after in Scotland.

[Big D]

It's also something the boys should consider when weighing up England/France vs Scotland. They are incredibly well looked after in Scotland.

Are there stats on how many games our expats play? Gray when fit doesn't play every game for Toulouse IIRC.

I think the same as you but wonder if the stats back it up?

[hugh_woatmeigh]

It's also something the boys should consider when weighing up England/France vs Scotland. They are incredibly well looked after in Scotland.

Are there stats on how many games our expats play? Gray when fit doesn't play every game for Toulouse IIRC.

I think the same as you but wonder if the stats back it up?

I don't have anything to hand but i'm sure the Scottish clubs and the SRU have an agreement in place. I don't recall what it is though but I remember Bhatti randomly losing his shirt for one game and then retaining it again as a result of it. 5/6 games in a row or something?

[Stones of granite]

Team of the week from the Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union ... zsxnt.html

1. Rob Evans (Wales)
2. Codie Taylor (New Zealand)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
5. Jonny Gray (Scotland)
6. John Barclay (Scotland)
7. Sam Cane (New Zealand)
8. Taulupe Faletau (Wales)
9. Ali Price (Scotland)
10. Finn Russell (Scotland)
11. Rieko Ioane (New Zealand)
12. Owen Williams (Wales)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (New Zealand)
14. Elliot Daly (England)
15. Rob Kearney (Ireland)

Talking points:
Only one from England
Two from Ireland
Three from Wales
Four from Scotland
I have to confess, not having seen the Ireland v Argentina match, to being a little surprised to see Rob Kearney there. Has he had a dramatic recovery in form?

[whatisthejava]

Kerney must have had a superb game as he made several teams of the week

Other guys i have seen in other teams are

Byron M, Maitland, H Jones and mcInally

[Croft_No.5]

The very good John Barclay column

[Big D]

The very good John Barclay column

I wonder if there is something going on with Seymour. Hopefully he finds a resolution and gets back to his best. On form he'll be dynamite in that team.

[Big D]

Apparently Hamilton is back running which is great to hear.

[Mikey Brown]

Wow. Thought that would be a long one.

[General Zod]

Heard that too on the thistle. Pleasantly surprised.