6N squad - starting team

[Ally]

Good team, with a real focus on getting a solid set piece. Harsh on Johnson, but Tuipolotu offers something different

I don't think this welsh side are anything like as poor as people are making them out to be. We've been down to Cardiff plenty of times in the past 20 years with wind in our sails, only to fall short (sometimes woefully).

Still, cautiously optimistic...

[whatisthejava]

If your not shitting yourself, your not proper Scottish.

We have them in the front row, half the second row, the back row, the half backs and centres and are equal in the back 3.

We have them in the subs. We have confidence, patience and an amazing defence and the ability to attack from anywhere.

And yet.

I just think we fuck it up.

[Mikey Brown]

Maybe he does it less now to be fair, but feels like the backup 9, tight head and wing spots rotate completely at random. I’d assumed he was completely done with Nel for instance.

I suppose Steyn and McClean’s recent appearances could fit in the category of seeing whether they can do a job as backup. Fair enough.

[Cameo]

If your not shitting yourself, your not proper Scottish.

We have them in the front row, half the second row, the back row, the half backs and centres and are equal in the back 3.

We have them in the subs. We have confidence, patience and an amazing defence and the ability to attack from anywhere.

And yet.

I just think we fuck it up.

Surely we have them in the back three too?? Not so sure about the centres.

[Big D]

Nel is our best scrummager and we have no TH depth. He was given the autumn off but he is a big part of why we won on Sunday.

Won a penalty and handled Marler trying all the tricks to buy a penalty at the end.

[Donny osmond]

If your not shitting yourself, your not proper Scottish.

We have them in the front row, half the second row, the back row, the half backs and centres and are equal in the back 3.

We have them in the subs. We have confidence, patience and an amazing defence and the ability to attack from anywhere.

And yet.

I just think we fuck it up.

Same.

Based on having watched Scotland since 1989, totally and completely... same.

There's faaaaaaar too much confidence on these here boards about this weekend.

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[General Zod]

If your not shitting yourself, your not proper Scottish.

We have them in the front row, half the second row, the back row, the half backs and centres and are equal in the back 3.

We have them in the subs. We have confidence, patience and an amazing defence and the ability to attack from anywhere.

And yet.

I just think we fuck it up.

Same.

Based on having watched Scotland since 1989, totally and completely... same.

There's faaaaaaar too much confidence on these here boards about this weekend.

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Cool - am an ‘89er too! What was your first game? Mine was Fiji in the October. Watched from the old west stand and remember getting a leaflet with the words to flower of Scotland printed on it so we could all practice!

[Donny osmond]

If your not shitting yourself, your not proper Scottish.

We have them in the front row, half the second row, the back row, the half backs and centres and are equal in the back 3.

We have them in the subs. We have confidence, patience and an amazing defence and the ability to attack from anywhere.

And yet.

I just think we fuck it up.

Same.

Based on having watched Scotland since 1989, totally and completely... same.

There's faaaaaaar too much confidence on these here boards about this weekend.

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Cool - am an ‘89er too! What was your first game? Mine was Fiji in the October. Watched from the old west stand and remember getting a leaflet with the words to flower of Scotland printed on it so we could all practice!

I think it was Wales in the 5 Nations. Me and my mate were Scottish but massive Ieuan Evans fan-boys. Him and Ellery Hanley were the first sports stars I really idolised.

I remember those leaflets but I don't think Flower of Scotland was officially sung before games at that point? I seem to remember hearing that it was going to be officially adopted a year or two after I started going to Murrayfield.

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[stevedog1980]

Nel is our best scrummager and we have no TH depth. He was given the autumn off but he is a big part of why we won on Sunday.

Won a penalty and handled Marler trying all the tricks to buy a penalty at the end.

It's probably harsh on Schoeman but I really liked the Edinburgh front row coming on as a unit. I think Nel is more of a 20 minute player than a 60 minute player so I'd probably have stuck with the front rows the way they were, so Schoeman would have been left on the bench as part of a team plan rather than any slight on him as a player.

I share most of the mentality others have mentioned. Should be confident but won't be surprised when we are pumped!!

[Tobylerone]

Welsh opposition managed SIX red cards last season..
Maintaining a full complement for eighty minutes could be an achievement in itself.

[septic 9]

Nel is our best scrummager and we have no TH depth. He was given the autumn off but he is a big part of why we won on Sunday.

Won a penalty and handled Marler trying all the tricks to buy a penalty at the end.

It's probably harsh on Schoeman but I really liked the Edinburgh front row coming on as a unit. I think Nel is more of a 20 minute player than a 60 minute player so I'd probably have stuck with the front rows the way they were, so Schoeman would have been left on the bench as part of a team plan rather than any slight on him as a player.

I share most of the mentality others have mentioned. Should be confident but won't be surprised when we are pumped!!

Welsh loose head has (IMHO undeserved) reputation as a very good scrummager. He cons refs a lot. Starting Nel against him, a man with a huge reputation as a scrummager, is I think smart.

[septic 9]

I think it was Wales in the 5 Nations. Me and my mate were Scottish but massive Ieuan Evans fan-boys. Him and Ellery Hanley were the first sports stars I really idolised.

I remember those leaflets but I don't think Flower of Scotland was officially sung before games at that point? I seem to remember hearing that it was going to be officially adopted a year or two after I started going to Murrayfield.

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Flower of Scotland was first sung at Murrayfield in 1990. Which was good. But the huge step up was when for whatever reason - and I have always been convinced it was a cock up with the PA or something - when the pipe band went silent for the 2nd verse. I was there when it happened, it caught us all by surprise by goodness me everyone immediately knew there would never be pipes with the 2nd verse again. And about the best last saturday ever, which is a high bar.

Ellery Hanley was one of the best rugby players I've ever seen, even though he was league. He could have played union at the highest level and been an absolute star. In almost any position he wanted

[af73]

Think the first time was against Fiji in 1989.
I was at that game and were all set for the traditional "good natured booing" - (c) Bill McLaren - of God Save the Queen when we realised a different tune had been struck. It wasn't well publicised and most folk around us, myself included, didn't know the words.

It was toe in the water stuff from the SRU back then who were ultra-resistant to any change at the best of times. Ditching the establishment anthem would have been a big step for them but after seeing the effect, the words were printed in the programme for a few years after that.

[paddy no 11]

Ye've got this

[switchskier]

Ye've got this

Shud-up!

[switchskier]

Thoughts on the Welsh team? This feels like a game where we need to get on the right side of the ref early and put the onus on a young Welsh backrow to stay clean. We also need to avoid getting into games of kicktennis as we lose that against this welshi side. Big game for Russell to show he can do everything Biggar can, plus more, and that he should have been the lions ten.

[septic 9]

Thoughts on the Welsh team? This feels like a game where we need to get on the right side of the ref early and put the onus on a young Welsh backrow to stay clean. We also need to avoid getting into games of kicktennis as we lose that against this welshi side. Big game for Russell to show he can do everything Biggar can, plus more, and that he should have been the lions ten.

wet and breezy, some degree of kick tennis is inevitable. All about putting pressure on the opponent, but knowing when to go for it

[switchskier]

Well this has started well...

If the bbc are changing the commentary teams why can't they punt Davies? The man is a one eyed smug embarrassment.

[Which Tyler]

Come on Scotlanders - you can do it!

[switchskier]

Feel that we've been poor and are letting wales play too much. Ref is going to reward the team that has possession, and we need more of it. Not feeling good about thevwecond half.

[Big D]

Embarrassingly poor.

[Donny osmond]

I am not in the slightest bit unhappy to have missed that

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[switchskier]

That was just rubbish. A piss poor Welsh side wanted it more. We lacked intensity and were duly punished. We need a heavy hitter. We'll get murdered by Ireland playing like that.

[Big D]

So, overreaction time for 5min.

We bought an attack coach out of his contract. What is he actually doing in training with them?

And while I'm at it. Their line out was shite last week yet we hardly competed. Even with 2 min to go we didn't compete. Inexcusable.

[switchskier]

So, overreaction time for 5min.

We bought an attack coach out of his contract. What is he actually doing in training with them?

And while I'm at it. Their line out was shite last week yet we hardly competed. Even with 2 min to go we didn't compete. Inexcusable.

All of this. Fine, it can be a tactic. But we picked three locks so go challenge the dammed ball.