Another 4 Called Up.

[Tuco Ramirez]

Graham, Sutherland and Ashman, plus Irish prop Clarkson. WTAF

[BaldiePete]

Graham should have been in the squad from the beginning, so pleased to see him finally called up. I don’t think Sutherland has even been first choice at Glasgow for much of the season. Ashman is one of the worst lineout throwers in professional rugby BUT he is fantastic in the loose. He should convert to open side.

From a purely Scottish perspective this is a nightmare. They will get one game, perhaps only a partial game, and Scotland have a test match with ranking points to play for against Samoa on Friday. With recent results we are down to 8th in the rankings and need to stay in the top 8 before the RWC draw and having 11 players with the Lions (something I never thought I’d write) is going to make a difficult task harder. Thankfully it’s in NZ not Samoa which will make things easier but our shallow squad depth is being sorely tested.

[Cameo]

Graham should have been in the squad from the beginning, so pleased to see him finally called up. I don’t think Sutherland has even been first choice at Glasgow for much of the season. Ashman is one of the worst lineout throwers in professional rugby BUT he is fantastic in the loose. He should convert to open side.

From a purely Scottish perspective this is a nightmare. They will get one game, perhaps only a partial game, and Scotland have a test match with ranking points to play for against Samoa on Friday. With recent results we are down to 8th in the rankings and need to stay in the top 8 before the RWC draw and having 11 players with the Lions (something I never thought I’d write) is going to make a difficult task harder. Thankfully it’s in NZ not Samoa which will make things easier but our shallow squad depth is being sorely tested.

Think we need to be in the top 6 this time, so we are screwed anyway!

Call ups are a little strange but I wonder if they were effectively pre planned (maybe not the precise names, but the idea that they would bring a few in).

From a pure sporting preparation perspective, the Lions would probably rather not have this game (or half the others really). They want some bodies so they can rest the others, but they don't want this many from the beginning as otherwise there is pressure to play them and give them a fair chance.

[Banquo]

Wasn’t Graham sent off?

[Lizard]

Graham should have been in the squad from the beginning, so pleased to see him finally called up. I don’t think Sutherland has even been first choice at Glasgow for much of the season. Ashman is one of the worst lineout throwers in professional rugby BUT he is fantastic in the loose. He should convert to open side.

From a purely Scottish perspective this is a nightmare. They will get one game, perhaps only a partial game, and Scotland have a test match with ranking points to play for against Samoa on Friday. With recent results we are down to 8th in the rankings and need to stay in the top 8 before the RWC draw and having 11 players with the Lions (something I never thought I’d write) is going to make a difficult task harder. Thankfully it’s in NZ not Samoa which will make things easier but our shallow squad depth is being sorely tested.

Should be a good match. They are pretty much giving tickets away, so I reckon there’ll be a good crowd. I’ll be there for sure.

[Big D]

Wasn’t Graham sent off?

Two yellows usually don't get a ban.

[Banquo]

Wasn’t Graham sent off?

Two yellows usually don't get a ban.

Cool, didn’t know the details. How is he under the high ball?

[BaldiePete]

Wasn’t Graham sent off?

Two yellows usually don't get a ban.

Cool, didn’t know the details. How is he under the high ball?

For a short guy he’s OK but you wouldn’t consider it one of his strengths. Better than DVDM though.

[Puja]

Graham should have been in the squad from the beginning, so pleased to see him finally called up. I don’t think Sutherland has even been first choice at Glasgow for much of the season. Ashman is one of the worst lineout throwers in professional rugby BUT he is fantastic in the loose. He should convert to open side.

From a purely Scottish perspective this is a nightmare. They will get one game, perhaps only a partial game, and Scotland have a test match with ranking points to play for against Samoa on Friday. With recent results we are down to 8th in the rankings and need to stay in the top 8 before the RWC draw and having 11 players with the Lions (something I never thought I’d write) is going to make a difficult task harder. Thankfully it’s in NZ not Samoa which will make things easier but our shallow squad depth is being sorely tested.

Think we need to be in the top 6 this time, so we are screwed anyway!

Top 6 is still doable, as you, Arg, and Aus are all on broadly the same number of points and competing for that 6th place. They could be out of sight by the end of the Rugby Championship, of course, but could be still level pegging by the AIs.

Mind, you'll be top 12 guaranteed, so you'll be a second seed regardless.

Puja

[Banquo]

Two yellows usually don't get a ban.

Cool, didn’t know the details. How is he under the high ball?

For a short guy he’s OK but you wouldn’t consider it one of his strengths. Better than DVDM though.

Low bar unfortunately. Backfield will get targeted for sure

[SixAndAHalf]

The same as with the “Geography 6” the best way to do this would have been:

- Announce the plan pre-tour
- If you aren’t calling up the best available then call up potential “future / apprentice Lions” so young players with high potential - think people can get behind that more as the apprentice concept is used by a lot of teams

[Numbers]

Graham should have been in the squad from the beginning, so pleased to see him finally called up. I don’t think Sutherland has even been first choice at Glasgow for much of the season. Ashman is one of the worst lineout throwers in professional rugby BUT he is fantastic in the loose. He should convert to open side.

From a purely Scottish perspective this is a nightmare. They will get one game, perhaps only a partial game, and Scotland have a test match with ranking points to play for against Samoa on Friday. With recent results we are down to 8th in the rankings and need to stay in the top 8 before the RWC draw and having 11 players with the Lions (something I never thought I’d write) is going to make a difficult task harder. Thankfully it’s in NZ not Samoa which will make things easier but our shallow squad depth is being sorely tested.

He used to play in the backrow

[Puja]

The same as with the “Geography 6” the best way to do this would have been:

- Announce the plan pre-tour
- If you aren’t calling up the best available then call up potential “future / apprentice Lions” so young players with high potential - think people can get behind that more as the apprentice concept is used by a lot of teams

This is a very sensible idea and I endorse it. I also would be in favour of just picking a bigger squad in the first place. Makes a mockery of all of those social media videos of players watching the announcement nervously and then being leapt on by the teammates as their name is announced when players are called up randomly and meaninglessly.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

I’m not sure why there’s quite so many (without knowing the specifics of injury concerns) but I don’t get the uproar about it.

I don’t think Graham (for instance) getting a call up now remotely compared to if he’d been named initially. He knows he’s very unlikely to get near the test squad unless there are further injuries. There is no possible midweek performance he can put in where he jumps ahead of the current wingers, if fit.

I think a huge squad from the off would really dilute things and be much harder to build a cohesive team from. The Woodward approach with enough for 2 full squads seems universally hated.

[morepork]

Graham should have been in the squad from the beginning, so pleased to see him finally called up. I don’t think Sutherland has even been first choice at Glasgow for much of the season. Ashman is one of the worst lineout throwers in professional rugby BUT he is fantastic in the loose. He should convert to open side.

From a purely Scottish perspective this is a nightmare. They will get one game, perhaps only a partial game, and Scotland have a test match with ranking points to play for against Samoa on Friday. With recent results we are down to 8th in the rankings and need to stay in the top 8 before the RWC draw and having 11 players with the Lions (something I never thought I’d write) is going to make a difficult task harder. Thankfully it’s in NZ not Samoa which will make things easier but our shallow squad depth is being sorely tested.

Eden Park will practically be a home game for Samoa. A lot of Pasifika culture in Auckland. Like, a lot.

[BaldiePete]

Reports are that Hansen is injured, neither him or Kinghorn trained on Tuesday. That means Freeman and Lowe will start the 1st test with Graham and VDM playing on Tuesday. Graham left for Oz from NZ immediately but Sutherland and Ashman aren’t going until after Scotland’s Friday match against Samoa so are unlikely to be starting on Tuesday.

[Big D]

Wasn’t Graham sent off?

Two yellows usually don't get a ban.

Cool, didn’t know the details. How is he under the high ball?

Should have said two yellows that are technical fouls don't usually get a ban.