Scotland vs Australia (and predictions)

[Big D]

And so it ever was.

[Mikey Brown]

I hate to say it, but can Horne really be an option at this level? He just cannot tackle.

[Donny osmond]

For. Fucks. Sake.

[switchskier]

Good on Keith Wood for the Leonard Cohen reference.

Still. FECK

[Big D]

I hate to say it, but can Horne really be an option at this level? He just cannot tackle.

Yes. He missed that tackle and it sucks. But he was one of the reasons we won v France.

[Chunks Baws]

Are they going to show that last ruck again?

Did something happen? Other than Scotland fucking it up?

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Horne knows that's his fault. I know that centre is enormous but you've got to make them.

Loads of positives to take from that today though. Fagerson, Watson and Jones with barely any caps between them did not look out of place today. Fagerson is still just a 20 year old tighthead. The other two were superb.

VC made some serious mistakes himself. No ball carrier on the bench. Strauss, CDP, anyone. As good as the three of them were you just cannot have three 7s in a 23. Maitland & Visser (especially Visser). Not using Price - we need to keep aus on the back foot.

I'm really looking forward to the start of the toonie reign. I don't think VC is getting the best out of this generation of players. His selections and use of the bench are baffling.

[Adder]

Considering injuries in the forwards and that it was our first game, not too bad a result. Scottish forwards really put in a decent shift. The only player who slightly pissed me off was Reid. Russell also made a few poor decisions which added pressure on our defence.

Still is really painful to lose at the end of the game.

[Matt Ha]

Are they going to show that last ruck again?

Did something happen? Other than Scotland fucking it up?

I wanted them to. Thought there may have been an Aussie hand in the ruck. Anyway, if you're on the back foot, defending hard why replace Dunbar, granite-like in tackling, with Horne? Pretty sure Dunbar would have nailed that tackle. Maybe Alex had picked up a knock. Lots of positives but one fxxxing point again...

[twitchy]

Really unlucky lads I thought you were the better team.

[switchskier]

I've got to admit I loved that game, so much that I'm not that despondent at the loss. We looked so dangerous with the ball that it was like watching Australia. Vern said before that they'd kept thing simple in training and maybe that was what we needed, let the players get their hands on the ball and just play.

Special mentions for two players. Barclay was superb i thought. He's not Pocock but then no-one is and he's a pretty good secondary version.

Russell is just so much fun to watch. He's never going to be perfect but take those things away and you'd lose that player that makes us dangerous.

[hp18]

I hate to say it, but can Horne really be an option at this level? He just cannot tackle.

Grand, we can bin Visser, Hogg, Laidlaw, Scott, Ford, a fair few others and that useless shite Paterson should never have been let in the team.

[Mikey Brown]

Russell did some very odd, very Russell things but was a real threat. That offload to Maitland at the end could have been magic. His workrate in defence really impressed me.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I've got to admit I loved that game, so much that I'm not that despondent at the loss. We looked so dangerous with the ball that it was like watching Australia. Vern said before that they'd kept thing simple in training and maybe that was what we needed, let the players get their hands on the ball and just play.

Special mentions for two players. Barclay was superb i thought. He's not Pocock but then no-one is and he's a pretty good secondary version.

Russell is just so much fun to watch. He's never going to be perfect but take those things away and you'd lose that player that makes us dangerous.

Russell is your second mention today? You're completely right but it's his job to calculate the risk and he takes some when the play is just not on, never will be on and there's no advantage being played to fall back on and the inevitable failure/turnover puts the rest of the team under some serious pressure.

Him and Hogg are just so, so close to being world class players. A couple of issues in their game that need to be worked on and ironed out but season after season I see no change. And tbh it really frustrates me.

I would give plaudits to Fagerson, x2 Gray, Watson, Jones and even Laidlaw before reaching Russell.

[Edinburgh in Exile]

Good game of rugby that. Brutal one point loss again, felt like we were in this one more that the RWC game.

Still, thems the breaks in international rugby.

[switchskier]

I've got to admit I loved that game, so much that I'm not that despondent at the loss. We looked so dangerous with the ball that it was like watching Australia. Vern said before that they'd kept thing simple in training and maybe that was what we needed, let the players get their hands on the ball and just play.

Special mentions for two players. Barclay was superb i thought. He's not Pocock but then no-one is and he's a pretty good secondary version.

Russell is just so much fun to watch. He's never going to be perfect but take those things away and you'd lose that player that makes us dangerous.

Russell is your second mention today? You're completely right but it's his job to calculate the risk and he takes some when the play is just not on, never will be on and there's no advantage being played to fall back on and the inevitable failure/turnover puts the rest of the team under some serious pressure.

Him and Hogg are just so, so close to being world class players. A couple of issues in their game that need to be worked on and ironed out but season after season I see no change. And tbh it really frustrates me.

I would give plaudits to Fagerson, x2 Gray, Watson, Jones and even Laidlaw before reaching Russell.

Russell has only been playing international rugby for two seasons before this but I have to admit I don't think he'll change. The difference I reckon is that I'm happy to accept the rough with the smooth because I think he makes the entire team better. With him in the side we go forwards, forwards have targets to hit and players get their chance to show their skills. The multiplier effect is worth a lot.

[Big D]

I need to watch it again but didn't think Dell did too badly either for his debut. I need to watch it again when I don't have two weeanes creating havoc.

Barclay had his best 40 min in a blue shirt and was good in 2nd.

Both Grays work rate was off the charts. I wouldn't be surprised to see them well well clear in the tackle stats.

Think Dunbar and Jones need to iron out a bit on defense but will be a good pairing.

Russell was decent today. Think in general he suffers a bit from lack of real competition for the shirt though.

[Adder]

Laidlaw missed two kicks, that is 5 points left on the way.

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[hugh_woatmeigh]

I've got to admit I loved that game, so much that I'm not that despondent at the loss. We looked so dangerous with the ball that it was like watching Australia. Vern said before that they'd kept thing simple in training and maybe that was what we needed, let the players get their hands on the ball and just play.

Special mentions for two players. Barclay was superb i thought. He's not Pocock but then no-one is and he's a pretty good secondary version.

Russell is just so much fun to watch. He's never going to be perfect but take those things away and you'd lose that player that makes us dangerous.

Russell is your second mention today? You're completely right but it's his job to calculate the risk and he takes some when the play is just not on, never will be on and there's no advantage being played to fall back on and the inevitable failure/turnover puts the rest of the team under some serious pressure.

Him and Hogg are just so, so close to being world class players. A couple of issues in their game that need to be worked on and ironed out but season after season I see no change. And tbh it really frustrates me.

I would give plaudits to Fagerson, x2 Gray, Watson, Jones and even Laidlaw before reaching Russell.

Russell has only been playing international rugby for two seasons before this but I have to admit I don't think he'll change. The difference I reckon is that I'm happy to accept the rough with the smooth because I think he makes the entire team better. With him in the side we go forwards, forwards have targets to hit and players get their chance to show their skills. The multiplier effect is worth a lot.

I agree with most of your post but you are implying you don't think Russell's flaws can be ironed out. I completely disagree. He's got two things stopping him from being well on the way to world class - his place kicking and his decision making. Place kicking will come with practice and the correct coaching. As for the decision making every player should want constructive feedback - if he is not being given it then it is the fault of the coaching set up. He makes too many honkers that should never have been attempted for both Glasgow & Scotland. Glasgow win a lot and often very well - does this mean he isn't being told xyz was not the correct decision so he can improve? I certainly hope not.

I am still optimistic he will kick on. He has the potential to be much, much better than this.

[Cameo]

I think Russel had a good game. I'd say his decision making is improving too although there's more to go but an attacking ten is always gonna make some bad decisions.

Generally was gutting but was quite impressed especially with the defence. Few too many penalties but considering how much ball they had I thought we stopped them making ground well

[af73]

Laidlaw missed two kicks, that is 5 points left on the way.

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Coming up short by forcing a kick at the extreme edge of your range is inexcusable with Hogg available.
I also think the team are capable and now more comfortable of playing at a high tempo for sustained periods and Laidlaw's game no longer facilitates this.

Scrum-halfs often dictate the pace of play and I think we've reached, or even past the point where his is holding the team back. No zip to his pass and no break either, other than goal kicking (when either of the two misses were the points differential today) I don't think his play or captaincy warrants a guaranteed 80- minutes anymore. Time to look at Price against Georgia and Pyrgos if the backs are going to play with Glasgow personnel and style - we learn nothing with either sitting on the bench.

Definitely missed Seymour today and while Maitland beat a few here and there Visser should have been wearing the pink jerseys the football team had on the other night. Hughes would have been worth 30 minutes for the aggression and "crazy-bas**rd-ness" that might have got the team over the finish line.

Forwards were excellent collectively and individually given the injuries and inexperience. It was a bit like watching Scotland packs of 20-30 years ago - a bit lightweight if we're honest but making the best of anything they could get their hands on.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I thought Laidlaw had one of his better games today actually. Having said that, I agree on the kicking front. But there will be stodgy teams you just cannot break down and we will need to kick the threes. This is why Finn really needs to crack down, work hard at it and become an 80% + kicker. I'm not asking for a Paterson or a Halfpenny.. but he does need to be a lot better.

[Cameo]

Yeah I thought he was a bit quicker

[Adder]

Was Dunbar very slow or is it just me?
I thought Gilchrist wasn't too bad coming on and Low didn't feck up.

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[Mikey Brown]

I think we reached that point with Laidlaw a little while ago. I don't know if I asked this already or it just got lost in the ether, but what happened with his penalty before Jones's second? I went to put the kettle on when we won the penalty, did he miss and we scored from that position? Harsh to criticise him too much for a missed kick in that instance, though he needs to be absolutely nailing his kicks to be remotely worth a spot.

He is just too slow at absolutely pivotal moments, time and time again. It's as if he is too obsessed with taking all the responsibility. There were short passes to forwards in that closing passage that simply weren't near good enough, most only needed to go 4 feet.

I thought Dunbar looked a bit sluggish too but was so brutal in contact.