Planet Rugby Forum

Doc Rob wrote:

slick wrote:I don't know if I'm impressed with Townsend holding his hands up and saying "I got it wrong last week" or annoyed that he did, so badly. Even with hindsight, that looks a much better squad.

Anyway, onwards and upwards.

First comment on the squad on Facebook: ‘Oh look! The team that should have played Wales!’

It’s not that I don’t like Laidlaw as a player. I do - or at least I used to. The trouble is that this has the potential to be another Dan Parks situation. Many of us were desperate to find an alternative to Laidlaw, because we had all these dangerous backs and they weren’t getting any service at all. It was like buying a Ferrari and then using it to tow a caravan. So we brought in someone else. Now they have had a nightmare, and we’re bringing back the first guy, who will doubtless play just the same way that drive us all nuts before.

Lorthern Nights wrote:

Alba wrote:

dpedin wrote:

Alba wrote:Now I'm not normally one for unsubstantiated twitter rumours, but this is quite a good one so why not?

https://twitter.com/edinbos/status/961157085860855808

According to this guy, he was at Murrayfield on Saturday and he noticed there was a sign up (i.e. a sign on a door for the purpose of finding the correct room) for an Edinburgh Investor Due Dilligence meeting in the hospitality suite. Perhaps the SRU have had some bites for their investment proposal?

Potentially they have a physical data room or are holding valuation meetings or similar?

I'd heard a rumour a wee while ago that the Skyscanner guy(s) were being heavily courted. Given the mega bucks they coined in they might be a good catch?

I heard that rumour too. At the time I thought it was more wishful thinking than anything else - I've never seen anything to add substance to the rumour. Given the number of extremely wealthy people in Edinburgh, I remain hopeful they'll find someone stupid committed enough to gift money to invest in Scottish club rugby.

It’s the extreme wealth bit that there isn’t as many out there as they will be looking at losing millions per year for shits and giggles. Be great if the Skyscanner dudes are daft enough to blow serious wedge on this.

Know Martin Gilbert had a look at a 3rd pro team and he ran away when he saw the numbers

clydecloggie wrote:

Big D wrote:Townsend has made a rod for his back there. Price has by and large been a positive upgrade on Laidlaw in his time. If Laidlaw is pish on Sunday does he get dropped too?

Except that Laidlaw's strengths are exactly where Price showed unacceptable weakness last week.

Yes, Price is the future but this is a 5-week tournament that is the most important on the calendar bar the World Cup - he messed up, we have a proven guy who's pretty much incapable of messing up in that fashion and was the shirt holder before he got injured, and might provide the balance in the attacking play that was so badly exposed as missing in Cardiff.

Big D wrote:

clydecloggie wrote:

Big D wrote:Townsend has made a rod for his back there. Price has by and large been a positive upgrade on Laidlaw in his time. If Laidlaw is pish on Sunday does he get dropped too?

Except that Laidlaw's strengths are exactly where Price showed unacceptable weakness last week.

Yes, Price is the future but this is a 5-week tournament that is the most important on the calendar bar the World Cup - he messed up, we have a proven guy who's pretty much incapable of messing up in that fashion and was the shirt holder before he got injured, and might provide the balance in the attacking play that was so badly exposed as missing in Cardiff.

He was on the way to losing the shirt to Price before his injury imo. Price was poor last week, but to immediately bin him when he's been good since he became the starter, during which we have a good record, is very harsh imo.

Edinburgh01 wrote:

Big D wrote:

clydecloggie wrote:

Big D wrote:Townsend has made a rod for his back there. Price has by and large been a positive upgrade on Laidlaw in his time. If Laidlaw is pish on Sunday does he get dropped too?

Except that Laidlaw's strengths are exactly where Price showed unacceptable weakness last week.

Yes, Price is the future but this is a 5-week tournament that is the most important on the calendar bar the World Cup - he messed up, we have a proven guy who's pretty much incapable of messing up in that fashion and was the shirt holder before he got injured, and might provide the balance in the attacking play that was so badly exposed as missing in Cardiff.

He was on the way to losing the shirt to Price before his injury imo. Price was poor last week, but to immediately bin him when he's been good since he became the starter, during which we have a good record, is very harsh imo.

I very much doubt it.

Apart from being the captain and kicker, Laidlaw, despite what all the gainsayers would have you believe, can play a fast game. Laidlaw does not have the running threat Price has, but he does make breaks. He can change his game according to what the coach wants, and what's in front of him in a way Price has shown little sign of being able to do. At his best, Price is probably better at a fast game, but that is all he gives you. If the opposition do not co-operate and let him play fast, he loses massive amounts of effectiveness. Laidlaw on the other hand just changes his style to suit what is in front of him. But Price has not been at his best for a while for Glasgow, so last week was not exactly an aberration.

Edinburgh01 wrote:

Big D wrote:

clydecloggie wrote:

Big D wrote:Townsend has made a rod for his back there. Price has by and large been a positive upgrade on Laidlaw in his time. If Laidlaw is pish on Sunday does he get dropped too?

Except that Laidlaw's strengths are exactly where Price showed unacceptable weakness last week.

Yes, Price is the future but this is a 5-week tournament that is the most important on the calendar bar the World Cup - he messed up, we have a proven guy who's pretty much incapable of messing up in that fashion and was the shirt holder before he got injured, and might provide the balance in the attacking play that was so badly exposed as missing in Cardiff.

He was on the way to losing the shirt to Price before his injury imo. Price was poor last week, but to immediately bin him when he's been good since he became the starter, during which we have a good record, is very harsh imo.

I very much doubt it.

Apart from being the captain and kicker, Laidlaw, despite what all the gainsayers would have you believe, can play a fast game. Laidlaw does not have the running threat Price has, but he does make breaks. He can change his game according to what the coach wants, and what's in front of him in a way Price has shown little sign of being able to do. At his best, Price is probably better at a fast game, but that is all he gives you. If the opposition do not co-operate and let him play fast, he loses massive amounts of effectiveness. Laidlaw on the other hand just changes his style to suit what is in front of him. But Price has not been at his best for a while for Glasgow, so last week was not exactly an aberration.

Steamin Beamin wrote:Meatball away to Worcester on a short term loan.

http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/18/0 ... -loan-move

Doc Rob wrote:

Steamin Beamin wrote:Meatball away to Worcester on a short term loan.

http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/18/0 ... -loan-move

The curse of Scottish rugby at the moment is 'has not developed'. How many players has this been said of in the last decade? Seems like dozens. Jonny Gray is the one currently in the gunsights. It was said of Richie before. It has been said of SHC. Russell needs to pull his metaphorical socks up or it'll be him next, and possibly Price too. Not all young players fully deliver on their early promise, but we don't have enough on the production line for this to happen too often.

Weir must be the worst one, though. He was the answer at 10 before Russell came on the scene. He still could be - his game is quite different, but he could be the ROG to Russell's Sexton. But somewhere along the line it all went wrong for him - he was moved on from Glasgow, and now Embra are farming him out.

slick wrote:

Doc Rob wrote:

Steamin Beamin wrote:Meatball away to Worcester on a short term loan.

http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/18/0 ... -loan-move

The curse of Scottish rugby at the moment is 'has not developed'. How many players has this been said of in the last decade? Seems like dozens. Jonny Gray is the one currently in the gunsights. It was said of Richie before. It has been said of SHC. Russell needs to pull his metaphorical socks up or it'll be him next, and possibly Price too. Not all young players fully deliver on their early promise, but we don't have enough on the production line for this to happen too often.

Weir must be the worst one, though. He was the answer at 10 before Russell came on the scene. He still could be - his game is quite different, but he could be the ROG to Russell's Sexton. But somewhere along the line it all went wrong for him - he was moved on from Glasgow, and now Embra are farming him out.

Weir has never been the answer to anything, dreadful player.

Edinburgh01 wrote:Just noticed Adam Hastings has been training with the Scotland squad. Now I know almost everyone left standing was there, but I was surprised by that as he's not getting much game time at Glasgow.

dargotronV.1 wrote:Edinburgh

Really ground that one out, playing to the death

Doc Rob wrote:

dargotronV.1 wrote:Edinburgh

Really ground that one out, playing to the death

Wow! That’s a solid result for Edinburgh, even with both sides depleted. My mum will be pleased (she was there, hopefully)

Lorthern Nights wrote:Thought Barclay was poor again today and Russell needs dropped his head is up his arse. Not convinced we should play a full 80 with Laidlaw at 10 though so don’t know who we do draft in.

Laidlaw deserved motm, one of his best games for us

BlackMac wrote:

Lorthern Nights wrote:Thought Barclay was poor again today and Russell needs dropped his head is up his arse. Not convinced we should play a full 80 with Laidlaw at 10 though so don’t know who we do draft in.

Laidlaw deserved motm, one of his best games for us

Yeah, not impressed with Barclay at all and Russell's display was just astonishingly bad. Very impressed with the front row and Berghan in particular.

Lorthern Nights wrote:Yeah, he stepped up v well, thought Bhatti did well when he came on too.

All in all an ugly win against a poor French team but I’ll take that every day of the week

Lorthern Nights wrote:

BlackMac wrote:

Lorthern Nights wrote:Thought Barclay was poor again today and Russell needs dropped his head is up his arse. Not convinced we should play a full 80 with Laidlaw at 10 though so don’t know who we do draft in.

Laidlaw deserved motm, one of his best games for us

Yeah, not impressed with Barclay at all and Russell's display was just astonishingly bad. Very impressed with the front row and Berghan in particular.

Yeah, he stepped up v well, thought Bhatti did well when he came on too.

All in all an ugly win against a poor French team but I’ll take that every day of the week

Lorthern Nights wrote:Thought Barclay was poor again today and Russell needs dropped his head is up his arse. Not convinced we should play a full 80 with Laidlaw at 10 though so don’t know who we do draft in.

Laidlaw deserved motm, one of his best games for us

Troll wrote:

Lorthern Nights wrote:Thought Barclay was poor again today and Russell needs dropped his head is up his arse. Not convinced we should play a full 80 with Laidlaw at 10 though so don’t know who we do draft in.

Laidlaw deserved motm, one of his best games for us

Watson aside back-row were invisible. A mountain of work done by Gilchrist and the front-row - Jonny was there but so often seemed ineffective.

Price much better in his cameo this week, but Laidlaw to start and perhaps roll the dice at 10. I think Laidlaw/Horne is perhaps the best we can manage - any combo we choose without Finn will see Hogg at receiver a bit. Would be great if Hastings/Kinghorn had had some grand games at 10 this season.

With that we avoid the Horne playing crashball 12 that he did today - we would've been stripped every play against non-French/Italian teams. He did it well but by god how have we regressed so quick to revert to that?

Knee-jerk wouldn't mind seeing something like

Bhatti McInally Stampy Gray (with a word) Gilchrist Barclay (with a word) Watson Denton (No pick and goes) Laidlaw Horne Maitland Dunbar Jones Seymour Hogg.

Not a great team team tbh

Big D wrote:I am not fully convinced Barclay is over his concussion issues. O can't help but wonder if that is part of his problem.

Felt that he and Wilson were leaving Watson as a 1 man back row at times. May be harsh on Wilson so will try and watch again.

slick wrote:

Chuckles1188 wrote:Away wins in a competitive year are gold in the 6 Nations. Scotland a few years ago were pish because they couldn't win at home except against Italy (and not even always then), the "resurgence" has been based on overturning that trend. It will take a while, even assuming everything else goes right, for winning away from home against top tier opposition to be something Scottish fans can expect to happen. Focus on turning Murrayfield into a fortress first before getting despondent because you can't win in a hostile atmosphere. If Scotland can hold a home record this year then that would represent an achievement compared to last year, based on the fixture list

You're right Chuckles, but it was the manner of the defeat rather than the defeat itself. Most of us have been around long enough to know that a win in Cardiff was probably not going to happen but I thought there was a chance we might sneak it, or at least prgress with our game plan. What we got was a dreadful display with many of our top players being exposed, I wasn't expecting that.

I suppose I could almost be quite sanguine about that as well, but there are so many people waiting to knock us down for some reason and now they can really get stuck in. All I was reading yesterday was that the Autumn internationals are not as intense so it was no wonder we did OK in them, but we are not up to the intensity of the 6N. So is Wales getting beaten every year in the AI's becase there is no intensity? Or Irelands dodgy record because the games are not intense? Or is it just Scotland?

Regarding Finn, I'm beginning to think the France move might be a good thing. He is currently undroppable in Glasgow and for Scotland, and I wouldn't accuse him or arrogance, but he knows this. Maybe a bit of competition over there, playing a different game and having to keep a close eye on what is happening over here might focus him. I would love him to get a bollocking this week and dropped to the bench, not out of spite, just as a message that his game at the moment isn't good enough.

I like haggis wrote:

Big D wrote:I am not fully convinced Barclay is over his concussion issues. O can't help but wonder if that is part of his problem.

Felt that he and Wilson were leaving Watson as a 1 man back row at times. May be harsh on Wilson so will try and watch again.

Yeah with Laidlaw back in the side I would like to see Denton start at 8 with Wilson at 8.

OptimisticJock wrote:

I like haggis wrote:

Big D wrote:I am not fully convinced Barclay is over his concussion issues. O can't help but wonder if that is part of his problem.

Felt that he and Wilson were leaving Watson as a 1 man back row at times. May be harsh on Wilson so will try and watch again.

Yeah with Laidlaw back in the side I would like to see Denton start at 8 with Wilson at 8.

2 8s would definitely solve the carrying issues right enough.

I like haggis wrote:

OptimisticJock wrote:

I like haggis wrote:

Big D wrote:I am not fully convinced Barclay is over his concussion issues. O can't help but wonder if that is part of his problem.

Felt that he and Wilson were leaving Watson as a 1 man back row at times. May be harsh on Wilson so will try and watch again.

Yeah with Laidlaw back in the side I would like to see Denton start at 8 with Wilson at 8.

2 8s would definitely solve the carrying issues right enough.

Yeah and both big bodies to absorb England's attack. Denton was a terrific maul defender when he was a Scotland regular which is important vs England who will maul all day if they can.

Don't really need Barclay in there as a spoiler. England aren't going to be all that interested in quick ball. Will be round the corner bosh bosh bosh, Teo on the crash and Farrell with the boot to suffocate.

Chuckles1188 wrote:

I like haggis wrote:

OptimisticJock wrote:

I like haggis wrote:
Yeah with Laidlaw back in the side I would like to see Denton start at 8 with Wilson at 8.

2 8s would definitely solve the carrying issues right enough.

Yeah and both big bodies to absorb England's attack. Denton was a terrific maul defender when he was a Scotland regular which is important vs England who will maul all day if they can.

Don't really need Barclay in there as a spoiler. England aren't going to be all that interested in quick ball. Will be round the corner bosh bosh bosh, Teo on the crash and Farrell with the boot to suffocate.

Given the state of your fringe defence I'd be astonished if Ford and Faz weren't planning to suck you in with the tight 5 and then spin it out to May and Watson.

Lorthern Nights wrote:I think both Wales and France have shown how porous our defence is, that should be the clue to what teams will do against us. No one will try and maul us to victory when they can sling it out and score for fun, the frogs just ran out of breath.

Lorthern Nights wrote:I would like to see Hamilton involved, Dents at 6 with him at 8. Watson on the flank, Wilson only seems to perform against weaker opposition.

Ritchie Gray might be back for the sassenachs and I would tempted to with him and Gilchrist.

I do agree with haggis as shit as Russell has been we need him on song against them and he does have it in him to be mercurial, hopefully getting pulled today will be enough of a lesson but I suspect not.