Scotland team for Samoa!

First topic message reminder :

A youthful team selection for Samoa match:

Greig Tonks (Edinburgh),
Sean Lamont (Glasgow),
Alex Dunbar (Glasgow),
Matt Scott (Edinburgh),
Tim Visser (Edinburgh),
Tom Heathcote (Bath),
Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh),
Ryan Grant (Glasgow),
Pat MacArthur (Glasgow),
Euan Murray (Worcester),
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh),
Alastair Kellock (Glasgow),
Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan),
Kelly Brown (Saracens) (Captain),
Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier).

Replacements: Stevie Lawrie (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Sale), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow), Peter Horne (Glasgow), Duncan Taylor (Saracens).

Not a very dynamic second row pairing or a well balanced back row but nice to see MacArthur, Dunbar and Tonks getting their debuts.
Discuss

So they went with Corbisiero despite him not having played an international this year and only a handful of games for London Irish (read somewhere it was a few as 3)!?!?!?!?!?!? Really feel for Grant, don't think he could have done more to put his hand up for selection.

Still hoping that he and Brown can channel the disappointment of being overlooked and really tear into the Samoans on Saturday

The Scotland camp is a better place for both if them. Clearly Gatland and the lions coaches don't rate them, their mistake is our gain.

Get ready to get labelled as whingers again. Its an utter farce though that Grant is still getting overlooked.

Oh my god - that's absolutely ridiculous. I completely agree with you Radge - if Gats cannot see what's in front of his face, then I'd rather Grant contributed to the Scotland effort. It's him I feel sorry for - he cannot have done anything more this season - he's been outstanding.

That's a crazy decision in my opinion. I could have understood it had they gone with Sheridan, a proven menace to the Aussies and on great form this season with Toulon, but Corbisiero I can only assume is a Rowntree decision - pick who you know.

Not a good decision at all. Not a bad player at all Corbisiero, but he hasn't been fit this season. It should have been Grant (form) or Sheridan (power).

Had a good few rants about Grant this evening...feel better now.

Jesus that bit of news has demoralised me.

It might be the Calpol talking, but I can't help questioning the point of the Lions if they steadfastly refuse to pick the best players available.

At hooker, two inexplicable picks had to be proved to be unplayable and incompetent before the obvious choice (to anyone whose cauliflower ears grow outwards) was called up.

At blindside, two national captains with the golden trinity of form, experience and skill were ignored in favour of a guy who has played a handful of games this year for a third-rate club side.

Now, a prop who has played well in the past but has barely appeared out of Reading General Hospital maternity ward in over a year gets picked over the form loosehead in the British Isles. I can only assume it's because Rowntree equates a player's name's Scrabble score with how many penalties he'll win at Scrum time. I'm surprised he didn't try to call up Ofa Fainga'anuku.

Yeah, I have ranted and got it off my chest. I am generally quite pragmatic when a Scottish player is overlooked - you could justify the Gatland selections that ruled out the likes of Brown...just. This one though really annoys me. Grant has hardly missed a game for club or country in the last calendar year, he has been superb. I can't recall a TH getting the better of him, he virtually always delivers parity at scrum time, at the least - and he has been superb in the loose.

Maybe it's because he doesn't play for a fashionable club? Maybe it's because he arrived late in the scene? Maybe it's because Rowntree doesn't watch any Rabo games? Whatever the reason, he can feel rightly pi**ed of. I hope he has an absolute stormer over the summer.

Your last one above is the post of the day for me, IanBru.

I would like to say I would have expected better of Rowntree. But that would be a lie.

He gave an interview to the BBC immediately after the Lions squad selection was announced. He was asked about leaving out Robshaw and he said something alone the lines of "I like to think that if there's an injury he'll be the first person on the plane". Sod anyone else who might be in the reckoning, of course.

I also have lost some respect for Gatland who has obviously just said to Rowntree - "we need a prop as cover, you're the forwards coach, you pick him".

Well the silver lining is he stays with Scotland, I have had my rants and love the fact that I get told but the Welsh, we understand as it has happened to us once - 20 years ago lol

The lions is becoming more and more meaningless to me these days, which is such a shame - I loved my tour to NZ in 2005 (not for the rugby)

But when it becomes jobs for the boys, anything in life like that, does my goat in,

Risky - just caught up on the cian Healy thread and you fought a valiant battle, but we're never going to win on this one. If the boot was on the other foot with the Welsh or English you'd guarantee there'd be uproar.

the fact that Brian Moore, Greenwood, Chalmers and wright are publicly saying on Twitter it us a bad call says everything.

I think we should probably start a Cotter for Lions coach 2017 thread, that way we may get more than five players.

Samoa team:

15-James Sooialo, 14-Alapati Leiua, 13-Paul Williams (captain), 12-John Leota, 11-Alesana Tuilagi, 10-Tusiata Pisi, 9-Jeremy Sua, 8-Taiasina Tuifua, 7-Jack Lam, 6-Ofisa Treviranus, 5-Daniel Leo, 4-Teofilo Paulo, 3-Census Johnston, 2-Wayne Ole Avei, 1-Logovii Mulipola

Replacements: 16-Maatulimanu Leiataua, 17-Sakaria Taulafo, 18-James Johnston, 19-Faatiga Lemalu, 20-Junior Poluleuligaga, 21-Brando Vaaulu, 22-Seilala Mapusua, 23-Alafoti Faosiliva

Quite a few changes from the side humped by the Lions

Tuilagi V Lamont

Guys, I need a hug!

Where is Mrs Mantoosh?

I'm pig sick of our guys being left out for unproven entities! I fully agree with what has been said by you guys that had Grant/Brown missed out to a better option/player then I could get over it. But to loose out to what can only be considered a gamble just gets right on my man breasts!

I'm getting disillusioned by the whole affair. So much so that I may need to close my account with HSBC due to thier affiliation with such a poorly run tour!

tigertattie wrote:Guys, I need a hug!

Cencus Johnson starting and James Johnson on the bench?? I'll bet Ryan Grant now feels even more aggrieved about not being on a plane to Australia. That'll test him, and I don't fancy Ali Dickinson coming on as an impact sub against James Johnson! There's about 3-4 stones separating them!

Cheers RDW. It's not true what this lot say about you!

As for Grant vs Johnson(s) I'm really not worried about Grant as I think he is a better technical scrummager so will handle the Johnny Brothers fine! Plus the Samoa boys play rugby the right way, they will not look to bring the scrums down intentionally. Keep the scrum up, get the ball out and let the rugby play!

Where I am worried though is that our 2nd row look rather lightweight so this is where the scrum could be weak!

tigertattie wrote:Cheers RDW. It's not true what this lot say about you!

Trying to work out if that is a compliment or not....!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

tigertattie wrote:Cheers RDW. It's not true what this lot say about you!

Trying to work out if that is a compliment or not....!

What that he is a metrosexual back? Oh it's true. it's damn true. There are some big units in that Samoan team. As FES indicated Grant will have a stern test in this match.

tigertattie wrote:Cheers RDW. It's not true what this lot say about you!

As for Grant vs Johnson(s) I'm really not worried about Grant as I think he is a better technical scrummager so will handle the Johnny Brothers fine! Plus the Samoa boys play rugby the right way, they will not look to bring the scrums down intentionally. Keep the scrum up, get the ball out and let the rugby play!

Where I am worried though is that our 2nd row look rather lightweight so this is where the scrum could be weak!

I'm not too worried about the lack of power coming from Gilchrist and Kellock (with Hamilton in the bench). More worried about the lack of dog. Neither are known for smashing into rucks and hurting opponents, and I've seen both be a little "passive" during games. I think the set piece is fine, Kellock knows how to run a lineout. It's the rucks and contact area that concerns me with those two.

Of far more concern is the fact that BT disconnected my Sky Sports yesterday - something to do with my flat being 200 years old and only having an aerial rather than broadband. Am going to need to sit in the pub all day. These things happen to test us......

FES - I feel for you, no one wants to spend all day in a pub watching rugby and getting drunk.

Radge - you love it!

The Johnston brothers aren't exactly designed for altitude so Dickinson may be very effective

Although it seems the stadium is about 500 metres from the beach, so altitude might not be that big an issue!

Tim Visser is currently doing a Q&A on Twitter – I asked him if he was on the Lions reserve list and he said ‘I don’t know to be honest’. So either that means he didn’t get a letter so probably isn’t, or he did get a letter but doesn’t want to say anything after what happened to Ryan Grant!

I personally wouldn't have included Visser in the Lions party or the reserve list. His form in the second half of the season faded. You couldn't really justify putting Visser on the left wing ahead of Zebo or Wade.

funnyExiledScot wrote:I personally wouldn't have included Visser in the Lions party or the reserve list. His form in the second half of the season faded. You couldn't really justify putting Visser on the left wing ahead of Zebo or Wade.

+1

Faded is too generous – since before Christmas his form completely evaporated!

Incredible that he managed to be top try scorer in the Rabbo without scoring a single try for Edinburgh in 2013.

Thats not all Tim's fault though! He was on 6N's duty for most of it and when he was playing for Edin the rest of the team were utter knickers!

Now. Who said something about getting drunk?????????

funnyExiledScot wrote:I personally wouldn't have included Visser in the Lions party or the reserve list. His form in the second half of the season faded. You couldn't really justify putting Visser on the left wing ahead of Zebo or Wade.

In which case, following the Corbs precedent, he'll be on the next plane to Oz!

Were would you recommend in the Burgh for watching the game? Got a flat viewing on Saturday morning and looking to catch the game after. The Mrs won't condone the cost of Sky Sports (but is quite happy to pay through the nose for handbags, makeup etc).

I quite like The Standard for watching sport - it has about a million screens, and Teuchters is usually good for rugby, however I've been disappointed at times when they've opted to have the TV off to satify lunchtime or dinner trade.

I can probably say this quietly on this thread but I cannot help but shake the feeling that Zebo is one of the most overhyped players in the modern game. His strike rate for his club is pretty good and he always looks for work but he's just vanished in the internationals I've seen him in.

Would have Bowe and Trimble any day of the week and twice on the Lord's day. The most exciting wing in the UK/Ire has to be Christian Wade. I genuinely thought he was in with a shot of both the Lions and Babas.

But I can't push my luck with comments like this. I was pleasantly surprised to leave the last Lions thread alive when I suggested that AWJ might be the least good lock currently touring.

To be honest I've only seen Zebo in the HC and the 6 Nations and was really impressed. I haven't seen much of him for Munster in the Rabo.

Good runner, plenty pace with a huge left peg. Seems a decent finisher and a pretty good allround player.

Agree that Wade would be the frontrunner were a call-up winger be required. Such an exciting talent, and probably should have gone in place of Maitland really (albeit quite different players).

Maitland's defence will win games though, in the same way that Wade's would not. We need the Scots to put a really big showing in against the Reds though. I'd like to be talking on these boards about how good they are for a change.

Gray may well make the test team but Hogg and Maitland won't at present.

Indeed, big shifted needed by Gray & Hogg on Saturday. Really hope that Hogg gets over the tryline, when was the last time a Scot troubled the scoreboard attendant on a Lions tour?
Cause by my reckoning we didn't contribute a single point in either the 09 or 05 tour.

Scot? Can't contribute if you're not there

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Scot? Can contribute if you're not there

Auto correct, the bane of my life!
Indeed, obviously our lack of numbers on tours means the odds of us getting on the board are slim. Still just curious, always a fan of little facts like that.

Some interesting articles in the Scotsman this morning - Matt Taylor saying Ryan Grant should have been called up, and Johnnie beattie saying off the pitch the tour is a lot more fun, says that in the past the training camps have been really intense off the pitch and people haven't enjoyed it!

GLove39 wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Scot? Can contribute if you're not there

Auto correct, the bane of my life!
Indeed, obviously our lack of numbers on tours means the odds of us getting on the board are slim. Still just curious, always a fan of little facts like that.

Is it not Alan Tait in 1997? Horrible if that's true!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Some interesting articles in the Scotsman this morning - Matt Taylor saying Ryan Grant should have been called up, and Johnnie beattie saying off the pitch the tour is a lot more fun, says that in the past the training camps have been really intense off the pitch and people haven't enjoyed it!

I suspect that's Scott Johnson's impact on things. Strikes me as the sort of coach who likes his players to work hard play hard, and have some perspective on things.

Time will tell whether it's more successful than Andy Robinson's approach. Let's not forget that Robinson had a very good record on overseas tours.

Arghhhhhhh, News. Ryan Grant has finally be called up to the Lions! He files out to Aus today. Great for him.
Bad news from a Scotland point of view though as Dickinson starts V Samoa

Do you have a source GLove?

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat????

BBC news apparently, although I'm not glove I'm sure he wont mind me answering for him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22810884

George Carlin wrote:Do you have a source GLove?

It's all over the twittersphere. All the official accounts, Lions, SRU & Glaagow etc confirm it

Ali Dickinson vs Census Johnson

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Ali Dickinson vs Census Johnson

My thoughts exactly. Delighted for Grant but now we have been left woefully exposed.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:BBC news apparently, although I'm not glove I'm sure he wont mind me answering for him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22810884

Ahhh, even better. A quality source.

Great for Grant, but the scrum for the Samoan game will be badly effected.
Too late to jiggle the pack? Dickinson + a light weight, grunt lacking second row doesn't fill me with confidence...

Nah we are going to get wrecked up front now. It's not just the scrum but I can see the ferocity of the breakdown being effected by Grant's absence.

Could be a very tough test this one.