Heineken, Pool 4, Round 4: Castres Olympique v Glasgow Warriors

Didn't really want to make this thread after the dire performance last week but what the hell. Scheduled rest week for internationals so that should see Grant, Barclay, Pyrgos, Schlong and Hogg all rested, with Kellock out injured and Strauss away back to SA to get married.

15 Murchie
14 Maitland
13 Dunbar (if fit, if not DTH with Seymour to the wing)
12 Horne
11 DTH
10 Weir
9 Niko

8 Wilson
7 Fusaro
6 Harley
5 Ryder
4 Swinson
3 Coo
2 Hall
1 Reid

16 MacArthur
17 Ofa
18 Low
19 Campbell
20 Jedi
21 Kennedy
22 Wight
23 Seymour

What an actual real life, young and scottish second row on the bench? Have you lost your mind man? Toonie will never think that's a good idea. If only McDonald was fit he could continue with his wonderful ruse of selecting two back rowers for the bench.

If Glasgow get beaten this week then the pressure will really be on Townsend to get results over the following two weekends.

After leading the squad to their worst run of results in Europe for over 5 years, retaining the 1872 becomes a massive target for Mr T. If Glasgow lose their only piece of sliverware then realistically he would need to land the Rabo title to be able to say that the Weeg had made real progress this season, and IMHO that isnt a very likely outcome!

Will the SRU pull the plug on Toonie in the New Year if it all continues to go Pete Tong?
Again we all know the answer to that one, unfortunately.

Getting to the who cares stage really !

Maitland
Seymour
S Lamont
Horne
DTH

Jackson
Niko

Reid
McArthur
Low
Ryder
Swinson
Eddie
Barclay
Wilson

Hall
Grant
Hunter
Campbell
Harley
Kennedy
Morrison
McGugian

#10 Merry-go-round continues.

Dundee High
15. Brandyn LAURSEN
14. Andrew MCLEAN
13. Harry DUTHIE (c)
12. Jack STEELE
11. James FLEMING
10. Duncan WEIR
9. Robbie LAVERY

1. Steve LONGWELL
2. Darrel RUSSELL
3. Alan BROWN
4. Chris CUMMING
5. Richie HAWKINS
6. Andy REDMAYNE
7. Danny LEVISON
8. Richie MCIVER

Dot Weir out for Dundee

Dorothy_Mantooth wrote:
Maitland
Seymour
S Lamont
Horne
DTH

Jackson
Niko

Reid
McArthur
Low
Ryder
Swinson
Eddie
Barclay
Wilson

Hall
Grant
Hunter
Campbell
Harley - should be starting because Jedi has been useless this year
Kennedy
Morrison
McGugian

#10 Merry-go-round continues.

Why play Jackson and let Weir go to Dundee for the weekend? I struggle to understand the logic in this. Jackson has been terrible this season and surely we should be giving Weir as much game time as possible to get him back to his best. We can't continue to pick names out a hat each week. Yet again we have no 10 cover other than Horne.

Lamont will be in at 13 because the Horne-Hogg partnership was a bit too lightweight. Slim chance of either winger getting the ball when it goes wide. Why not play DTH who is actually able to play 13 and is just as solid as Lamont in the tackle.

I guess with a load of players getting rested there are no better options so Morrison makes the bench. McGuigan hasn't impressed me but he's not had much time on the field so far.

Good to see Hunter, Campbell and Kennedy in the team though. Likelihood of Toonie playing them, zero.

Toonie adopting the Robinson selection policy

I think Lamont is in at 13, not because Horne-Hogg is lightweight, but rather Nathan was excluded from the HC line-up. Thought that might come back to bite somebody.

Despite DTH playing 13 for Canada, he contributes most at 11 - and needs to stay there I think.

Jackson being the only 10 in the match day squad is a head scratcher

I generally dislike players being selected out of position. So when carToon says...

"We have some very dangerous runners in the backline, five of whom have played on the wing this season"

...I don't whether to laugh or cry

Yeah Manky I suspected as much... Although I'd expect them to interchange quite a bit throughout the match.

Scot Abroad - Bob has played quite a lot recently and I'd expect that he's being rested. Jedi isn't too bad and at least he'll give his all for the team. He'll tackle himself to a standstill and carry a lot of the crap ball that Al usually does, not more you can ask from him!

Also seen Al's arm from last week... Hit an artery! You could see the blood spurt from where I was sitting... Good old Gerry patched him up but can't play as he's rested by the player program...

Good to see Campbell finally in the squad. Also, glad Cusack is rested, he has played a lot this season.

Big, big game for Castres this. They win this and win it well- they've got a chance of taking it to the last weekend with Ulster at their home ground. And they love playing there as Glasgow will discover.

I really hope there's a way for Glasgow to win this. I really hope its not all hands focus on the league because an away win like this would be something to savour at the end of the season. It would be a scalp.

I wish you the best of luck. A team with enough quality in it like Glasgow can be doing better in the Heineken Cup, and if you could beat Ulster, Castres or Saints in this pool. You'll believe you can compete next year.

Manky-Flanker wrote:I generally dislike players being selected out of position. So when carToon says...

"We have some very dangerous runners in the backline, five of whom have played on the wing this season"

...I don't whether to laugh or cry

Yeah, both. Both. I really want Glasgow to beat Castres and Saints to give the English and French clubs something to think about at least.

But Gregor Townsend? Sometimes the SRU are asking to be given those kinds of strongarm tactics we're seeing in these ERC negotiations. I'm not on their side for a second. But with better management- not just coaching, upper management above that- Glasgow could be contenders.

I think Lamont is at 13 because he's the one player capable of making yards through brute force when things break down. In the last few games the passing has been static and ineffective, and no-one has had the power or direct running to get Glasgow on the front foot. Dunbar is injured, Morrison doesn't play anymore which leaves S Lamont. I can understand the decision.

Big game for James Eddie, he really needs to turn up. Similarly Jackson. He really needs a big game. Still, some real talent going on here. Matawalu is a handful at the best of times, and a back three of Maitland, Seymour and DTH is going to cause any side problems - provided they get the ball....

Scots sides sorely need a win in the HC, and I can't see the Edinburgh reserves delivering one against Racing Metro.

Where the hell is Chris Fusaro ? Thought Barclay was rested as an int too ?! If Jackson gets injured who goes to FH - Maitland ?

Peter Horne goes to 10 as he filled this slot for about 20 mins earlier in the season.
Or maybe Byron McGuigan could do a job? After all Toonie thought he was a better option for the HC squad with no game time, ever, for Glasgow that Troy Nathan with about 6 years European duty with Connacht and Glasgow.

I think Fusaro has a shoulder injury and is unavailable. Certainly given how badly Barclay is playing it would have been better to give him a break. Probably just as good to make him captain for Sunday so he has to cope with playing badly, making team decisions and dealing with the ref as well!

Why won't they give DTH a chance at 13?

Plays there for Canada and it'll mean he gets the ball more often plus there are plenty of good options in the back three.

Strange line up, but sadly strangeness in selection is no longer a novelty for Scottish sides. Toonie needs to decide what he's doing about Wight, whom I didn't realise is actually older than both RJ and the Meatball.

It's hard enough to maintain team continuity using two 10s, never mind three and we cannot have the same ludicrous revolving door policy that Flip Flop Bradley is making his hallmark.

We have enough people who are assigned to the centre slot and I'd rather not stifle DTH's space. Hogg is not at his best at 13 and should move back to 15. Schlong is perfectly capable of punching holes and draws people into rucks pretty well too. If our back three don't score at least once in this game, I'm going to be p!ssed.

On alumni news, lovely to see Beattie Jnr score the winner and get MoM against Cardiff at the weekend. I daren't write that on the actual Cardiff Blues thread - I wouldn't get out of here alive.

Apparently a tremendous performance by JB Jnr for Montpellier. Think that just shows how long players take to recover from shoulder injuries.

Back to the depressing day of reckoning in Castres. What must Scott Wight be thinking re his future. This guy is a good rugby player whose confidence must be shredded. Really poor management by Townsend et al - however he and the others are consistent - consistently awful. Take it Horne will kick for us today as RJ is way too wayward.

Glasgow camped on the Castres line after some nice interplay between Maitland and Lamont.

3-3 after 23 minutes

Sky commentators about ready to kneel down in front of the referee.

"Ooooooooh... goood decision from referee Andrew Small"

Ref keeps shouting "Laché bleu!!" Not sure which particular Glaswegian he's addressing...

TRY for Barclay!!!

Hmm, gone to TMO.

Good first half from Glasgow.

Try given - correct decision, but right to have gone to TMO.

Barclay looks to have done his hamstring. Fusaro for Scotland, I guess.

great line from Wilson for that try

Half time: 3-8 to Glasgow

Some nice skills from Maitland and Lamont, forwards fronting up, and Wilson having a bit of a stormer.

Come on Glasgow!

Castres repeatedly kicking penalties to the corner hoping for the maul, then concede the penalty - Glasgow clear

Castres driving for the line and again concede the penalty. If I was in the stands I'd be grabbing for the pointed sticks

Beautiful break from Niko, brought down just short of the castres line. Deemed to have knocked on (thought it was just well ripped) and Castres clear.

Glasgow really having to dig deep this half. They keep losing possesion when they get it

Cracking tackle there from Niko. Epic.

Ooh Ryder sin binned. Could be absolutely crucial.

Oh bloody hell.

How has the ref missed that stamp? Did the colour of his boots blind him? Tidy ban coming for that young man!

Your scrum half has got to be MOTM. I can't remember watching him before, what a find.

McGuigan you idiot

Castres crowd are really influencing ref decisions, pretty disgraceful if you ask me!

TWO yellow cards? We're trying our hardest to lost this one, it seems.

You can't exactly accuse the ref of favouring us, however.

Niko definitely MoM.

YEah, Ref is being coached by the crowd

Glasgow don't deserve to lose this game. Castre havnt looked like scoring and all the treats have been from the Fijian #9. I'd be gutted if Glasgow lost this game.

I dont know how we can claim the crowd influenced McGuigans card, it was pretty clear cut.

come on Glasgow, don't give up now!

Ahh I'll be so annoyed if Glasgow lose, they really don't deserve to lose.

Great crowd

Both yellow cards very dim witted but Glasgow have been a better team largely than this very niggly Castre.

Nice to have Morrison back to slow that midfield right down.

It was a game of two halves, first half was all glasgow, second half all castres

Jackson, you absolute codpiece

God Scottish rugby just gets more and more depressing! That has to be one of the worst crowds I have ever heard though. Bunch of soccer fans they were, not rugby fans. They should all be ashamed of themselves, dreadful behaviour!

Glasgow had their chances but all in all it just feels like they were ripped off big time despite stupid yellows.