Scots Abroad VIII (or let's spot the new messiah)

[Jps]

Carmichael played really well for the Force, he was even called out by the announcers as having a very good game at the point he went off.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Grant has been released by Worcester.

WTF has happened. He's only 31 years old and was a Lion.

[Big D]

Grant has been released by Worcester.

WTF has happened. He's only 31 years old and was a Lion.

New scrum laws seemed to hamper him. But arguably he hit a purple patch of about 18months that was the anomaly in his career. Wasn't great at Borders or Edinburgh then hit that purple patch and then dropped off again. I am sure the injuries didn't help though.

[Mikey Brown]

Grant has been released by Worcester.

WTF has happened. He's only 31 years old and was a Lion.

New scrum laws seemed to hamper him. But arguably he hit a purple patch of about 18months that was the anomaly in his career. Wasn't great at Borders or Edinburgh then hit that purple patch and then dropped off again. I am sure the injuries didn't help though.

Plenty of players have patches like you say but this one does seem pretty extreme. I suddenly thought we had a world class loosehead on our hands.

[Adder]

Grant has been released by Worcester.

WTF has happened. He's only 31 years old and was a Lion.

Has he played a game with them?

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[Chunks Baws]

Grant has been released by Worcester.

WTF has happened. He's only 31 years old and was a Lion.

I've always wondered if its his attitude. I've heard it said a few places that he's an arrogant prick.

[Tobylerone]

I am sure the injuries didn't help though.

..

[Big D]

Looking at the article about Grant and I see Vuna was released too. Wouldn't be a terrible pick up on the right terms.

[Big D]

Hamilton remaining coy on his future but Nigel Wray has said he'll be working in corporate for Sarries.

Given his mrs is expecting twins he may want to play on to keep out the house

[Big D]

Hamilton confirmed as retiring.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

So he was on the wind up about a move all along.

Superb club career and can bow out on a high. Can't help but feel a bit meh about his Scotland career though - I'm not sure he'd fit into the style of play these days anyway.

[switchskier]

One of my favourite rugby memories will always be being sat in the East stand as Scotland played France on french line-out ball. Big Jim Hamilton put more effort into shouting at the French hooker to hurry up and throw him the ball than anything else he did that day and his throwing duly collapsed. What I liked was that the hooker clearly had no idea what he was saying and got so perplexed by it all.

Kloz will be dissapointed though.

[General Zod]

I mind he pulled a similar trick v Ireland when we won a few years ago. Was quite funny. Could hear him from near the back of the north east corner!

[Jps]

Interesting little note in the Scotsman today about Bryan Redpath retiring from coaching:

"His father may have led his country with distinction but after a season with Scotland U16s, Cameron Redpath captained England U17s throughout the year and featured in every England 18s match, either starting or off the bench, including a 45-24 win over Scotland, when he even claimed one of the English tries...

In all, three exiles from the Scotland U16 squad of last season found themselves sporting England’s red rose on their chest this season, Andy Christie and Fraser Dingwell the other two. This is partly down to the funding requirements of premiership academies but also because the RFU’s youth development is exceptional."

Read more at: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-uni ... -1-4444946

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Interesting little note in the Scotsman today about Bryan Redpath retiring from coaching:

"His father may have led his country with distinction but after a season with Scotland U16s, Cameron Redpath captained England U17s throughout the year and featured in every England 18s match, either starting or off the bench, including a 45-24 win over Scotland, when he even claimed one of the English tries...

In all, three exiles from the Scotland U16 squad of last season found themselves sporting England’s red rose on their chest this season, Andy Christie and Fraser Dingwell the other two. This is partly down to the funding requirements of premiership academies but also because the RFU’s youth development is exceptional."

Read more at: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-uni ... -1-4444946

None other than a fly half. You have to assume he feels he is an Englishman - we cannot be so naive as to think we have better in our age group ranks. Bryan mentions he sings both anthems so who knows.

[whatisthejava]

I know this isnt a popular view but feel that if you have less than 3 caps for a country you should be able to switch countries to another,

Feel some countries (us included) cap players to stop anyone else getting them, the list is endless but from the top of my head

Regan king - could have played for wales (1 caps for NZ)
Ryan lamb - 5 caps for England A - could have played for Scotland
Steven Shingler - 1 relevant cap for Wales U20 - could have played for us

The habit of coaches now is to throw caps around, see who has a good game or 2 and dump the rest

[Jps]

I happen to agree that one cap, especially for the second team, shouldn't tie you in, but given the fact that they've just made it harder to represent a country via residency, I doubt that will happen.

[OptimisticJock]

Nope. You've made your choice.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Nope. You've made your choice.

I don't think Shingler was aware he'd actually done that though...

Although I do contest Java's claim that the unions were deliberately chucking caps out to tie-in as many players as possible. Lamb used to be a bright, young talent & was rightfully given Saxons games for experience. He just never made the step further & competition got more and more intense.

[Which Tyler]

I know this isnt a popular view but feel that if you have less than 3 caps for a country you should be able to switch countries to another...

I kinda agree; but I'd only allow it for those dropping a "tier" to do so - so a Tongan picking up a cap, before being rejected by Scotland, for example.w ould be fair game - though I'd make it 3 years from that cap before he could re-qualify.
In essence, the 7s loophole does exactly this.

[Jps]

I know this isnt a popular view but feel that if you have less than 3 caps for a country you should be able to switch countries to another...

I kinda agree; but I'd only allow it for those dropping a "tier" to do so - so a Tongan picking up a cap, before being rejected by Scotland, for example.w ould be fair game - though I'd make it 3 years from that cap before he could re-qualify.
In essence, the 7s loophole does exactly this.

There seems to be some sort of re-classificiation loop hole through 7s that I just don't understand. Robbie Fruean is talking about wanting to play for Samoa at the 2019 RWC, but he has a JAB cap? Or maybe I misunderstood, but anyway he's talking about wanting to play 7s for Samoa so he can represent them at the RWC. Maybe I've misunderstood, and he's just looking to get their attention that way, I dunno.

[Big D]

Kelly Brown had some 7 years as a Saracen, 3 league titles, 2 European Cups (ok he didn't play in final), 1 league play offrunner up and a euro runner up. Not bad at all. If he sticks in as Academy coach I reckon he'll go far in coaching too. Apparently he's a very decent coach.

2 Euro and 2 league playoff wins for big Jim too.

Nae bad boys nae bad.

[Which Tyler]

I know this isnt a popular view but feel that if you have less than 3 caps for a country you should be able to switch countries to another...

I kinda agree; but I'd only allow it for those dropping a "tier" to do so - so a Tongan picking up a cap, before being rejected by Scotland, for example.w ould be fair game - though I'd make it 3 years from that cap before he could re-qualify.
In essence, the 7s loophole does exactly this.

There seems to be some sort of re-classificiation loop hole through 7s that I just don't understand. Robbie Fruean is talking about wanting to play for Samoa at the 2019 RWC, but he has a JAB cap? Or maybe I misunderstood, but anyway he's talking about wanting to play 7s for Samoa so he can represent them at the RWC. Maybe I've misunderstood, and he's just looking to get their attention that way, I dunno.

Correct.
As part of the requirements for rugby to be admitted into the olympics there had to be a pathway for people to change national allegiance.
Going by recollection the requirement was that [1] you held nationality for your "new" country, and [2] it had been more than 3 years since your last cap; then you could requalify by playing an "active" role in 4 tournaments on the 7s circuit.


The likes of Lamb, King and Shingler could already requalify if they wanted to... and the Scottish/Welsh 7s coaches were willing to be pawns to this... and their clubs willing to release them... and the player wants it enough to be potentially humiliated publicly on the 7s pitch (has to be an "active" role, can't just stay on the bench)


Steffon Armitage looked at requalifying for France using the loophole; and was happy to take an active role in 1 tournament; but not 4. IIRC someone did use the loophole to requaulify for the 2016 olympics, but I can't for the life of me remember who - I having a feeling it was one of the ladies.

[Big D]

Realistically 2 of the 4 would be Paris and London which wont impact Edinburgh at all next year.

[Which Tyler]

Realistically 2 of the 4 would be Paris and London which wont impact Edinburgh at all next year.

Confident of the play offs then? (even the EPRCC repechage)

Of course, it then depends on how seriously the player wants to not be embarrassed on the 7s circuit, and sacrifice strength for cardio - which would depend on the player's pride, and how cynically they're using the loop-hole. But yeah, I'd agree that those 2 tournies seem like obvious candidates - though I could see clubs getting VERY upset if the player commits to those, and then the club does end up at the sharp end of the season.

For Scotland specifically, you guys take 7s reasonably seriously; so I'm not convinced you'd be happy to be exploited just for the sake of converting someone, especially someone like Sinkler or Lamb who'd be lucky to earn caps after converting anyway.