2024 Autumn Internationals

[BaldiePete]

WTF - Ali Price. Rest of team pretty much as expected.

[Big D]

Honestly only know a couple of names in that side.

Any idea when we're announcing ours? Not that there's much room for wild selections.

With the greatest respect that is a mid table Super Rugby side. The whole 23 is from the Drua squad.

Our starting 15 is as close to full noise as it can get given constraints. Little excuse not to win well.

[Big D]

I am hoping we start to see Darge ascend to be what we hope he can be at international level which is top class. For whatever reason I don't think we have consistently seen him hit the heights at international level yet. Not a criticism at all, just hoping to see him take that next step that we have seen Russell, Hogg, Tuipulotu and one or two others take over the years.

[Cameo]

Honestly only know a couple of names in that side.

Any idea when we're announcing ours? Not that there's much room for wild selections.

With the greatest respect that is a mid table Super Rugby side. The whole 23 is from the Drua squad.

Our starting 15 is as close to full noise as it can get given constraints. Little excuse not to win well.

Mid table based solely on an amazing home record. The one advantage they will have is that they have been together for a while.

As you say, given we haven't experimented at all, we should be looking at a good win.

Team isn't wildly different than I expected but it's a bit underwhelming/unexciting. With the way the fixtures are, they don't really need to rest anyone for this game, but I'd be a bit more excited about the game if we had Williamson and Dobie or Horne in it. Gilchrist in particular is lucky. I get he has experience and he's not a bad player. But we need more from our second rows and need to be fast tracking th3 next generation a bit.

[Cameo]

I'd also have liked Jordan to start (and I rate Hastings higher than many).

[BaldiePete]

I'd also have liked Jordan to start (and I rate Hastings higher than many).

He’ll come on when Hastings gets flattened by an enormous Fijian. Again.

[BaldiePete]

Townsend does speak a lot of pish sometimes.

Ali Price will make his first Scotland start in over a year against Fiji on Saturday, with head coach Gregor Townsend saying he is "in the best form" of the available scrum-half options.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-unio ... 7xd935en2o

[Cameo]

I love Horne as a player and wanred Dobie to start this match BUT hand on heart if we were playing a six nations decider this weekend, I think I might pick Price.

Dobie would obviously be a risk and I'm afraid Horne slightly blew his last big international start against a decent team. The answer to that might be to give him more proper chances but I can kind of see why those who had doubts haven't got over them. Not sure what he can do though other than nail all his bix kicks for Glasgow. His speed of pass has maybe improved this year too.

Anyway, against Fiji I think we should have been more forward looking.

Although looked at their Pacific Nations Cup results again with, I think, a similar squad, and maybe they won't be too bad after all.

[Mikey Brown]

What’s the deal with Dobie then? He looks class to me but the word seems to be his kicking simply isn’t good enough for test level. Is there more to it? Can he get there?

[septic 9]

Zander did not train yesterday. Doubtful for tomorrow. Partner expecting twins imminently apparently

[BaldiePete]

Zander did not train yesterday. Doubtful for tomorrow. Partner expecting twins imminently apparently

Oh shit. There’s only Rae available if that’s the case. Who can we call up from Glasgow or Edinburgh? Are we looking at academy players?

[septic 9]

Zander did not train yesterday. Doubtful for tomorrow. Partner expecting twins imminently apparently

Oh shit. There’s only Rae available if that’s the case. Who can we call up from Glasgow or Edinburgh? Are we looking at academy players?

ex U20 cap Finn Richardson is with the squad. Not an academy player. Signed for Glasgow this season from Exeter but had played a fair bit of championship rugby I think with Cornish Pirates

[Cameo]

What’s the deal with Dobie then? He looks class to me but the word seems to be his kicking simply isn’t good enough for test level. Is there more to it? Can he get there?

I don't think there is a big issue with Dobie, just the usual issue that because of the logjam in certain key positions he hasn't got the experience a player of his age with his talent would ideally have. I'd like this to be his breakout year, and think it might. My comment was just that it'd be a stretch to say he has shown he's the best option.

[BaldiePete]

I was up in the back row of West 2, which is just about as far away from the action as you can get so I can’t comment on any small details of the match, although I might watch my recording of it back. General thoughts, a good win against a limited Fiji team. After a flying start, I thought we might be doing the same as we did against Wales this year, go completely off the boil, let them back in to it and be hanging on at the end. Happily that wasn’t the case and in the second half our substitutes did a great job, especially Jordan, and in particular Dobie. Surely we’ve see the last of Price now. Graham got POTM which was inevitable after scoring four tries but really Hastings was probably our best player, that behind the back pass in the lead up to DVDM’s try was sublime.

[Donny osmond]

On the train back westwards ho! now. Great day out in Embra. Hard to say from the stands without replays etc but it looked like Huw Jones played an absolute blinder. Who is the 23 who came on in the backs? He made Duhan look small, absolute unit. Fiji were disappointing tbh, but a good win and if the first half scores were moments of individual brilliance and/or luck, some of the play in the 2nd half looked sublime.

[BaldiePete]

23 was Stafford McDowall.

[Cameo]

Ultimately a very good win. I'm still not used to our backs being able to score from anywhere even though it has been about 10 years now.

Hastings' flick was just great and he was good all game.

Jordan was also very impressive and would be a great bench option going forward. With him and Dobie on the bench we would be about as well set up for a 6 2 split as you can be (though I still hope we keep three backs there).

Thought Dobie was good too. The length of his pass was noticeable, really took out defenders and created space.

[switchskier]

Can't really argue with 57 points against a top ten team. Strange sort of game though.

Delighted for Graham. He finishes the ones you expect him to but I thought he looked lively throughout. His try record is unbelievable and he gets overshadowed (literally) by big Duhan, unfairly at times I think. There's loads of good wings out there and I don't expect him to tour with the Lions, but I think he'd thrive if he did get the chance.

[Cameo]

Can't really argue with 57 points against a top ten team. Strange sort of game though.

Delighted for Graham. He finishes the ones you expect him to but I thought he looked lively throughout. His try record is unbelievable and he gets overshadowed (literally) by big Duhan, unfairly at times I think. There's loads of good wings out there and I don't expect him to tour with the Lions, but I think he'd thrive if he did get the chance.

I actually think he has a good chance of touring. When fit, never fails to impress.

What will we do if him and Rowe (and Steyn) are all out this weekend? Play Jordan or Hastings at full back and Kinghorn on the wing? Bring in Paterson? Muck around with Jones or McDowell?

[septic 9]

What will we do if him and Rowe (and Steyn) are all out this weekend? Play Jordan or Hastings at full back and Kinghorn on the wing? Bring in Paterson? Muck around with Jones or McDowell?

Reed on the wing? Or Dobie?

Paterson has been poor since his return, McDowell a great player but not really a wing - never seen him play there (occasional cameos at 15 though I think). Jones moved to 15 for Glasgow before moving to Quins, where he also played 15 mainly - and played really really well there

Not a fan of Hastings at full back. He defended well this week in the line, not convinced he has it as a last line. Jordan after coming on at 15 is a reasonable option at 15

[Mikey Brown]

Based on that France game I'd love to see more of Paterson, but dropping him straight in vs SA feels like a big move. Has he been playing much for Edinburgh?

I was impressed with Jordan at fullback, I wasn't sure if he's ever played there before, but I don't think he was really tested much either. I had assumed Hastings would go to 15, where he has also been impressive before in an emergency.

I don't think Jones/McDowell have played there recently enough to be real options, as nice as it would be to fit them both on the pitch.

[Mikey Brown]

What will we do if him and Rowe (and Steyn) are all out this weekend? Play Jordan or Hastings at full back and Kinghorn on the wing? Bring in Paterson? Muck around with Jones or McDowell?

Reed on the wing? Or Dobie?

Paterson has been poor since his return, McDowell a great player but not really a wing - never seen him play there (occasional cameos at 15 though I think). Jones moved to 15 for Glasgow before moving to Quins, where he also played 15 mainly - and played really really well there

Not a fan of Hastings at full back. He defended well this week in the line, not convinced he has it as a last line. Jordan after coming on at 15 is a reasonable option at 15

That's a shame re Paterson. I'd forgotten about Reed to be honest. He's certainly rapid but I'm not sold on his all round game.

If Jones could pick up his form at fullback from a couple of years ago that would be great, but can't imagine he's been training there an awful lot.

[BaldiePete]

Based on that France game I'd love to see more of Paterson, but dropping him straight in vs SA feels like a big move. Has he been playing much for Edinburgh?

I think he’s had just one game this season (he’s been injured). That was in last weeks loss to the Ospreys which was an appalling game. IIRC from the half of the match I watched he was poor under the high ball which isn’t encouraging when you’re about to play the Boks. I’d rather play Jordan there, he’s much more physical than Paterson. Hopefully all this speculation is moot and Darcy is fine to play and Kinghorn can play 15.

[Cameo]

Yeah, I'd be reluctant to move Jones too. His combo with Tuipuloto is priceless.

[septic 9]

Darcy failed his HIA 2 and 3, confirmed out for minimum 12 days

Rowe may just be fit enough, scan very positive, injury nothing like was feared