Scotland v Romania thread (spoilers!)

[Guest]

First topic message reminder :

Well, here's the two line ups:

Scotland: Paterson, Evans, Ansbro, S Lamont, Danielli, Jackson, Blair, Jacobsen, Ford, Cross, Gray, Kellock (capt), Brown, Barclay, Vernon.
Replacements: Lawson, Dickinson, Hines, Rennie, Cusiter, Parks, R Lamont.

Romania: Dumitras, Ciuntu, Gal, Dimofte, Lemnaru, Dumbrava, Sirbu; Carpo, Tonita, Macovei, Petre, Ursache, Ion, Tincu (capt), Lazar.
Replacements: Suman, Florea, Poparlan, Burcea, Surugiu, Cazan, Vlaicu.

just settling into the anthems (not sure if I like what they've done to the Scottish one )

Anyone else watching this one?

[Pal Joey]

Great try Scotland!!

[RDW]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[flyhalffactory]

YOU BEAUTY

[Guest]

what a break by Vernon!!!

Good support from Danielli as well to go over for the try.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Blushes saved by lovely run frOM Vernon, good support from Danielli - I'll go clean ma pants now

[Guest]

I love Andy Robinson's reactions in the coaching area.

Get the kick.......ah no Paterson's missed (I just can't get used to typing that)

29-24, 5 mins to go, nervous times.....

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Great steal Rosco

[RDW]

Ross Rennie great turnover!

[flyhalffactory]

Rennie marvelous since he has come on

[Guest]

yes this is better from Scotland after a great turnover by Rennie!

Lovely offloading here, c'mon Scotland!

Danielli try!! Lovely, lovely rugby, why leave it so late?!

Bit of heartbreak for Romania though, they've been playing so so well.

[flyhalffactory]

COMNE ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

TBP, not pretty but I'll take it

[Pal Joey]

Danelli another... BP try!! Some great deft hands in those last few movements.

[Guest]

TBP, not pretty but I'll take it

It';s the groups, it's never going to be pretty really, and to get a TBP - job done.

[Guest]

ah Boo! just realised if Paterson had got that latest conversion I'd have had by 12 Scotland win bang on right on SG! boooger.

[RDW]

If someone told me bonus point win before the game I would have been delighted - but holy crap that was stressful!

Great effort Romania though!

[flyhalffactory]

Offside again ............... come on ref

[flyhalffactory]

KEEP THE FAITH

[Guest]

really, really enjoyed that match.

So impressed by Romania, so much passion and pride, with such a strong pack. Could easily have had an upset here.

Scotland great for the first 15 and last 10 of the match, worries for them at the scrum, and their lack of support at the breakdown at times,

they got the TBP win, but still lots to work on!

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Full credit to Romania for making that an exciting match - very good basics by them, strong team

[Guest]

I want to make the Welsh team watch replay after replay of the Romanian line out to show them how it's done. I honestly was just very impressed by them.

Ah man, I feel the RWC has finally come alive, brilliant.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Question marks for me:
1. Scottish scrum - pls can someone prove to Big Eugene that god is the stuff of fairy tales?
2. Boiler room combo - Wagga's grunt made a difference when he came on
3. Breakdown - Barclay looked a yard off the pace

Major plus - backline looked dangerous with ball in hand, especially from broken play. Even tho we blew a couple of try-scoring opps, we can get over the gain line and convert into tries

[Guest]

With regards to the breakdown As, often it was Barclay going in with the ball, and not having any support from the other forwards. Think the breakdown is an issue for all of them to look at, not just him, but I will agree he was far, far off his best.

[flyhalffactory]

Some players didn't stand up today, too many errors, dropped balls everywhere, scrum very poor we have to work on that. Jackson needs to crank it up, Barclay had a mare.

On the plus side, Lamont, Danielli, plus Rennie was very good

But a TBP has to be good.

Lets get another next game

[Majestic83]

Some changes definitely need to be made for georgia, forwards lacked some grunt. Need Hines to start and possibly even strokosh to 6 and brown to 8. Ross Rennie has to start at 7. Look exceptional when he came on. John Barclay was slow to breakdown and turned over zero ball.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

With regards to the breakdown As, often it was Barclay going in with the ball, and not having any support from the other forwards. Think the breakdown is an issue for all of them to look at, not just him, but I will agree he was far, far off his best.

True, dreamer, and I think that's why we'll miss Beattie, for the balance that he brings to the backrow. I certainly would have no objections to seeing Majestic's backrow against Georgia, with Kellock and Hines to start in the boiler room withHamilton to come off the bench. Murray must start cos Georgia will be even more powerful in the scrum. I'd stick with Jackson at 10 and maybe let Cusiter have a shot at partnering him

[Standulstermen]

Really worried for Scotland off the back of that. I said after they beat Ireland that i would be worried if i were a scottish fan and to be honest i see their preparation as mirroring Ireland of 4 years ago.

Really pleased for Danielli. He may not make the Ulster team when he returns but he has been a good servant to us. I truly hope they improve though and i think having England in the group will help them. I wouldnt put a bet on that game.

Best of luck lads!

[Biltong]

Haven't seen this game yet, needed some sleep, but from the scoreline and the fact that with 10 to go Scotland were under pressure, they can't be very happy.

Apparently the romanian scrum was rather good?

[Standulstermen]

Yeah biltong. Romania s last try came off the back of a rapidly retreating scotland scrum.

[Guest]

The romanian scrum was superb Biltong, all of their set pieces were actually.

[funnyExiledScot]

Question marks for me:
1. Scottish scrum - pls can someone prove to Big Eugene that god is the stuff of fairy tales?
2. Boiler room combo - Wagga's grunt made a difference when he came on
3. Breakdown - Barclay looked a yard off the pace

Major plus - backline looked dangerous with ball in hand, especially from broken play. Even tho we blew a couple of try-scoring opps, we can get over the gain line and convert into tries

1. Murray must come back against Georgia. Low on the bench. Cross worked hard, but I want to see Murray start the next one. We can't give anything away at the set piece.

2. Completely agree. For me I'd pick Hamilton and Hines against Georgia with Gray on the bench. We were badly bullied in the maul and on the pick and drive, we also weren't nasty enough clearing out the rucks. Those were the areas that caused us problems, and worryingly those are the areas where our next three opponents will really test us.

3. Agreed on Barclay, had a poor game by his high standards. He should still start against Georgia though, and Strokosch should be on the bench. Brown needs to raise his game. Vernon was probably the pick of the back row, with some classy and telling carries towards the end which ultimately made the difference. Good call by Robinson taking Vernon.

A couple of other points:

- Blair was very good, Cusiter looked off the pace. Blair now first choice - funny how things change in the space of a few weeks.

- Parks was disappointing when he came on. I looked to him to sort things out and sharpen up the distribution. His kicking wasn't great though, and that Romanian full back had an outstanding boot on him. Shame we didn't learn the lesson there, on about 10 occasions we kicked aimlessly and long to him, and he hammered the ball back. We need to change the plan during matches when that sort of things happens. Jackson to start again against Georgia, but I want to see him offering more of a running threat himself. Taking flat ball and the odd show and go. We need to offer more of a threat through the 10 channel, and it'll stop sides having numbers running wide so fast.

- We have to remember, however disappointed we may be with the performance over the 80 minutes, we picked up no injuries, we won the game, we got the 4 try bonus point and there's no risk of any sort of complacency. When we did spin the ball, we looked dangerous and made breaks. Let's see what Georgia have, they won't have had the benefit of a game before they face us, and that could be an issue for them.

Oh well, let's see how the English do...........

[RDW]

The positives:

Backs looked good and scored some tries
Ross Ford had his best game for a while
We got a bonus point win!
Ross Rennie almost single handedly turned the game with that turnover

The negatives:

Our forwards were absolutely taken to the cleaners
The scrum was pretty poor
Jackson is not an International 10 - he shy's away from contact at every opportunity and stands as deep as Parks to avoid contact
Parks wasn't much better
Barclay looked woefully off form

My team for Georgia:

1 - Chunk
2 - Ford
3 - Murray
4 - Hines
5 - Kellock
6 - Strokosh (we really need his grunt)
7 - Rennie (he deserves his place)
8 - Brown (still think Vernon is too lightweight
9 - Blair
10 - Parks (Jackson just isn't an international 10)
11 - Max
12 - Morrison
13 - Asbo
14 - Lamont
15 - Lamont

Bench - Low, Lawson, Gray, Vernon, Cusitor, Mossy, De Luca


Andy is known for giving 2nd chances though so I can see Barclay and Jackson still starting

[donkeyprop]

RDW - provided Jacobsen, Ford & Kellock didn't pick up any knocks that's not a bad call. I'd perhaps be tempted to start with Hamilton instead of Kellock though - after last night we might need the extra grunt.
Agree about Vernon, but thankfully the one good carry he had last night led to the third try. I'd also start with Parks - not because it's time to give up on Jackson (yet) but because I think his more controlling, territorial style will suit better against Georgia.

[RuggerRadge2611]

For me it was all about the Rossco's. Rennie and Ford had very good games. Vernon too had a good game when you consider his Scrum was going backwards all match. He made some fine carries and his run to put Danielli over was a beauty.

Georgia will pose much the same threat as Romania.

Scotland's problem is I don't think we commited enough to the breakdown. When we had the ball we caused the Romanian's problems. Rennie made a big impact when he came on winning critical turnovers.

Barclay had a disapointing game and Rennie will surely start against Georgia and if he performs well will be likley to start against Argentina.

Blair was excellent too. Glad he is starting to recapture his form of a couple of seasons to go.

A tough match but for once positives to take from the game IMO.

[Redrage]

I am not sure if the forward problems are about individuals, I know there are those that think Gray doesn't contribute well enough in the scrum. However, Hines came on we still got rinsed for the second Romanian try. There seems to be a collective problem.

I would try Hines and Hamilton against Georgia and keep Vernon at 8. His running will be useful against bigger, slower forwards. Brown wasn't good enough to justify retaining out of position, he should stay at 6 or Strokosch should play at 6. I thought Rennie did well enough to get the nod over Barclay. This will give us a good look at the back row and second row options.

The backs did a good job, Paterson was a little bit quiet though so perhaps Rory Lamont is worth a look at 15 (if Parks starts). It's important to use the squad in the pool stages, so a look at Lawson and De Luca might be worthwhile too.

[luvtotup]

As an aside- just watched Roy Laidlaw playing for Edinburgh against the Ospreys.
He won the man of the match award playing at scrum half then moving to no 10.
Flawless performance. Why he is not in NZ defeats me- he is twice the player that Jackson is plus his goal kicking was immaculate.

[Biltong]

Welcome luvtotup, I see you just made your first post.

[aucklandlaurie]

watching the Romanian front row,I couldn't help but get the feeling that Steve McDowell must have thought he had died and gone to Heaven when he was given the job of preparing those guys.

[RDW]

luvtotup - hate to be picky on your first post but it is Greig Laidlaw!

And I agree regarding Jackson - I have been saying on here for a long time that he is barely a Magners league standard never mind International standard!

[Dorothy_Mantooth]

Barclay looked way off the pace, but its hardly surprising since he has been wrapped in cotton wool since the 6 Nations and only played one game in five months prior to yesterdays game. Rennie must start during the week.

As a Glasgow fan I have said for long enough that Jackson is way over-rated. Most of the hype is based on his potential, problem is I don't see any improvement in his game, if anything parts of his game (kicking a big one of them) have regressed since he took over for Parks at Firill.

It was a scare but a BP win at the end of the day is a good result, however unless there is a massive improvement over the next 3 games we will be going home early.

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