Stuart Hogg, Duncan Weir, Rob Harley, Dave Denton and Lee Jones need to play in the six nations!

On the basis of this weekend in the Heineken cup, the young Scottish players need to play for Scotland they are far better than the world cup players. Although Rory Lamont, Chris Cusiter and Nick De Luca are also playing very well at the moment

Tend to agree. Duncan weir needs a running game tho. Need a bit of experience in the backs

9 Cussiter,
10 Weir
11Ramont
12 S. lamont
13 De luca
14 max evans
15 Hogg

Maybe?

Rory Lamont looked good today and apparently Ansbro is playing well too, I think Paterson should be on the bench because of his experience and goal kicking if nerves get to Weir, that way you can keep Weir on and take some pressure off.

You can't play someone just as a kicker. Weirs nerve looks good anyway

Sadly I doubt that we'll see much change from Andy Pandy, I mean how could he ignore Dan Park's 20 point haul against Edinburgh...

I didn't mean play Paterson as a kicker just there because he's a good player who can play a variety of positions, is experienced and one of the most reliable goal kickers in the game; there's no chance of him playing at the next world cup and so to rely on him like we've done for ten years would be suicidal so if he's on the bench then he's there just in case.

Pattersons day is over. We have plenty of young players

123456789 wrote:On the basis of this weekend in the Heineken cup, the young Scottish players need to play for Scotland they are far better than the world cup players. Although Rory Lamont, Chris Cusiter and Nick De Luca are also playing very well at the moment

It's not clear to me which players you are suggesting. What's your team?

TJ wrote:Tend to agree. Duncan weir needs a running game tho. Need a bit of experience in the backs

9 Cussiter,
10 Weir
11Ramont
12 S. lamont
13 De luca
14 max evans
15 Hogg

Maybe?

The only one I'd query (meaning I'd like to see more of him before making up my mind) here is Rory Lamont, and only because he's only one game into his season (the alternative would be Lee Jones or Joe Ansbro), otherwise completely agree.

Laidlaw, Jackson and Ansbro would be on the bench.

Rory looked good in the glasgow game But Jones has as well. needs a few more experienced guys in the backs tho

Add to that James King and/or Matt Scott to finally oust that donkey Morrison from the 12 shirt and weve got the makings of a good backline.

Oh and Laidlaw can cover kicking duties from Weir. paterson doesnt deserve to be in the team on current form.

Surely:

9 - Cusiter
10 - Weir

11 - Ramont
12 - Schlong
13 - Ansbro
14 - Jones
15 - Hogg

is the way to go?

First choice of backs on the bench would be Laidlaw, Jackson, De Luca, Evans.

Its certainly nice to have some competition and some exciting runners available. No place for KIng?

Weir is not the complete 10 - and may never be. But he is as good as anyone else we have and has the potential to improve. I think the rest of them we know what we get.

GC - not sure we can have 4 backs on the bench. Jones ahead of Evans is bold, but having said that Evans has yet to score for Castres in 8/9 games and in the two I've seen him he hasn't been at his best. I still think Jones could do more generally in matches but he's playing well at the moment and deserves to be considered.

TJ - the 10 debate is a tricky one but assuming you take 3 in the main squad, I think Weir and Jackson have to be the first two picks. The question over the 3rd pick is problematic. On merit and form you pick Parks (absolutely no question about that), but as a 3rd choice selection I'm not sure we gain much from that, so personally I'd go with Leonard purely because he's unlikely to feature as 3rd choice but the experience of being involved with the squad will do him good.

Imperialbigdave - Scott looks very promising, hopefully he can be fit in time to make the 6 Nations squad. I'm not really sold on King to be honest, solid but unspectacular. I don't see King as an improvement on Morrison.

No parks please! can laidlaw not cover 9 and 10 from the bench?

I think we'll see something like the below. No, there aren't too many new faces but its the back divison I've certainly been waiting to see for a while.

Jackson got the Glasgow backs firing in the second half yesterday, so Weir misses out.

Laidlaw is the ideal bench man as he covers 9 and 10. It also looks like he'll be playing 10 for a few games now as Leonard looked shakely vs Cardiff.

9 - Cusiter
10 - Jackson

11 - Ansbro
12 - Schlong
13 - De Luca
14 - Evans
15 - Hogg / Thompson

Bench
Laidlaw
Morrison
Hogg / Thompson

I'm going to have a mull on the pack, but I've got a feeling Brown will be named captain. Denton or Rambo may come in at 8 too.

I think we'll see something like the below. No, there aren't too many new faces but its the back divison I've certainly been waiting to see for a while.

Jackson got the Glasgow backs firing in the second half yesterday, so Weir misses out.

Laidlaw is the ideal bench man as he covers 9 and 10. It also looks like he'll be playing 10 for a few games now as Leonard looked shakely vs Cardiff.

9 - Cusiter
10 - Jackson

11 - Ansbro
12 - Schlong
13 - De Luca
14 - Evans
15 - Hogg / Thompson

Bench
Laidlaw
Morrison
Hogg / Thompson

I'm going to have a mull on the pack, but I've got a feeling Brown will be named captain. Denton or Rambo may come in at 8 too.

How about this pack?

Jacobsen
Ford
Murray
Gray
Kellock
Barclay
Brown
Macinally / Denton

Lawrie / MacArthur
Cross
Hamilton
Harley / Veron / Rennie

Again not too many new faces but a fair smattering. Like a few people I think we'll see loads more new faces on the summer tour.

Not sure I'd drop Weir just because of one half of rugby, and neither would I dismiss Leonard because of one shaky performance.

My squad for the England game:

1.Jacobsen 2.Ford 3.Murray 4.Hamilton 5.Gray 6.Brown (c) 7.Barclay 8.McInally 9.Cusiter 10.Weir 11.R Lamont 12.S Lamont 13.NDL 14.Evans 15.Hogg

16.Cross 17.S Lawson 18.Kellock 19.Strokosch 20.Laidlaw 21.Jackson 22.Ansbro

Scotland A

1.Dickinson 2.MacArthur 3.Low 4.Gilchrist 5.MacKenzie 6.Harley (c) 7.Rennie 8.Denton 9.Blair 10.Leonard 11.Danielli 12.Scott 13.Grove 14.Jones 15.CP

16.Grant 17.Hall 18.Turnbull 19.Vernon 20.R Lawson 21.Parks 22.Thompson

I think that's as good a two sides as we've been able to put out for some time.

I agree FES. Also absolutely agree on not dropping the guys after one or two iffy performances.

However those calls were made with Robbo's record for going with 'tried and tested' in mind.

I'd love to see McInally, Weir and Hogg come in but personally I doubt Robbo will pick 3 debutants in such key positions against the Auld Enemy.

I like your teams though and I'm chuffed we seem to have so many options at the moment.

Of the three you mention I think you might be right about McInally, but I can see no case for not selecting Hogg, and to pick Jackson over Weir would to me be a strange call if based on experience, given that Jackson is a relative rookie as well.

First of all if Mossy isn't in the main squad there is absolutely no point in putting him in the A team - JT, Alex Cuthburt or Hogg would benefit a lot more from the game time.

Secondly, I am still not convinced by Rambo as an International 8. Yes he stands out well for Edinburgh but that is because the game is fast and loose (the best way! ) and his athleticism shows up well in the space that is created. International rugby requires grunt as well as athleticism and I just think he lacks the size for an international 8. Denton on the other hand has both power and athleticism and, I've said it many times before, he reminds me of a young Simon Taylor - which is one of the biggest compliments you can give.

So for what it is worth, I think the 6N is definitely too early for Hogg, Rambo, Leonard and Scott and the like os Lee Jones and Harley probably won't get into the matchday 22 either.

I think he'll go with:

1 - Chunk
2 - Ford
3 - Traynor (lol - joke, Murray of course! It actually made me die a little inside to even joke about that)
4 - Hamilton
5 - Gray
6 - Brown (capt)
7 - Rennie
8 - Denton
9 - Cusitor
10 - Weir
11 - Mevans
12 - Shlong
13 - De Luca
14 - Asbo (and not aslongas - I don't mean you)
15 - Ramont

With a bench of Cross, Lawson, Kellock, Strokosh, Laidlaw, Jackson, Jt/Hogg

And what is most promising with that team is that most will be young enough for the next world cup.

funnyExiledScot wrote:GC - not sure we can have 4 backs on the bench. Jones ahead of Evans is bold, but having said that Evans has yet to score for Castres in 8/9 games and in the two I've seen him he hasn't been at his best. I still think Jones could do more generally in matches but he's playing well at the moment and deserves to be considered.

Good lord, I know that - I was just stating my order of preference for those that do make it.
I have also heard that Evans has been disappointing.

I still think Kings a better option than Morrison in every aspect going forward. He has better hands, hes faster, better awareness of the players around him, and heck watching the cardiff game on friday, hes stronger in contact aswell. there were multiple occasions when he took the ball through the defence and made tons of ground. It was pretty impressive considering hes half the size of Morrison aswell.

In defence, I think hes been fine. pound for pound hes a big hitter, and doesnt slip off tackles easily. Ive even seen him pinch balls in the ruck every now and again.

With gradual exposure, id like to see the team resemble something like this by then end of 2012:

chunk
ford
Murray
Gray
Hamilton/Gilchrist/Mackenzie
Brown
Rennie
Denton/Mcinally (agree Mcinally might lack a bit of grunt)
Ladilaw/Cussiter
Jackson/Weir
Jones
King/Scott/Slamont
Ansnbro/De Luca
Ramont/Brown/McVisser/Slamont
Hogg/Brown/Ramont/JT

Lawrie/Kelly(I know hes not getting a game, but one can hope)/Thompson
Grant/Welsh/Sheills
Cross
Hamilton/Mackenzie/Gilchrist
Grant/Denton/Mcinally/Beattie/Stroks/Harley(but he needs to be a bigger ball carrier)
laidlaw/Cussiter/maybe Blair
Any one of the outside backs mentioned above thats not starting.

GC - I know you know, just thought I point I'd point it out, I'm a lawyer, it's a curse.

RDW - surprised you think Denton is ready and Hogg is not. Hogg's performances this season have been pretty assured, certainly more assured than anything I've ever seen from Rory Lamont (whose reputation as a full back is far greater than his prior performances for Scotland deserve).

Agreed on Leonard though. I'd like him to play for Scotland A alongside Matt Scott, but I think the 6 Nations will come too fast for them.

FES - Hogg has only really just started the professional game whereas Denton played half of last season and has been playing all this season.

I'm not saying I wouldn't like to see him given a chance - would love to! Just think it is a bit optimistic to think that Robinson will pick him for the 6N.

Give him a first full season as a pro, a summer tour and AI's under his belt and take it from there.

Schlong?

Also full back is significantly more exposed compared to the backrow - if he has a total mare it will probably lead to tries lost or opportunities butcherd, wouldn't want his confidence to be destroyed because he was brought in to the International scene too soon - like Tait was with England.

My argument for McInally incidentally is that if you look at the rest of the pack I picked, it's a bit of a hefty unit. Think there's probably room there for a faster paced option at 8, and from what I've seen this season, McInally has proved that he's a good ball player from the base and narrowly ahead of Denton as an 8, and out performing Vernon who isn't playing badly, but is being used at 6 by Sale.

IBD - sorry but you're not going to convince me on King. The odd nice touch but nothing more special than Allan Bulloch, Jamie Mayer, Andy Craig, Ben Hinshelwood, Ronnie Eriksson and the rest of the criminally mediocre array of centres to have worn the thistle in the last 15 years or so. He's a solid club player, nothing more. I'd far far rather have Sean Lamont at 12.

JDandfries wrote:Schlong?

Sean Lamont - he posed in that naked French calender and lets just say not everything was covered up.

Come to think of it - bit weird that we're all calling him a name that implies that we were impressed with what we saw!

I though that was who was meant, cant say i have seen 'it' though.

For me, as well as De Luca is playing, I have seen enough of him at International level to know it won't work, so he cant be given more chances, ditto Morrision.

Weir has looked good, but Jackson also has lloked promising in a blue jersey since ousting Parks, I have always liked Cuisitor, so I would go,

Cuisitor
Jackson
S Lamont
Ansbro
Evans
Danielli
R Lamont

Danielli???????????????????

And you say De Luca has had too many chances in a Scotland jersey??

RDW_Scotland wrote:Also full back is significantly more exposed compared to the backrow - if he has a total mare it will probably lead to tries lost or opportunities butcherd, wouldn't want his confidence to be destroyed because he was brought in to the International scene too soon - like Tait was with England.

Well Rory Lamont has always been an error prone option at 15 for Scotland, as has Southwell. The safe bet would be CP if you really didn't think Hogg was ready, but given Hogg's performances in the HC this season and at the JWC in the summer, I'd be willing to take a chance on him, and believe me I'm not a big risk-taker when it comes to international rugby.

The confidence point is a fair one though. Not just Tait, but NDL also suffered by having a nightmare debut. I guess you never know how a player will cope until you try, but based on merit, Hogg deserves to play, and on that basis I'd pick him.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Danielli???????????????????

And you say De Luca has had too many chances in a Scotland jersey??

Ulster have used Danielli at 15 this season, and it has been nothing short of a disaster. I've always been a fan of Danielli as a winger, a smart player who knows how to score tries, but he's playing complete rubbish at the moment and for me should be relegated to the A side on current form.

He's also 31 or something so shouldn't be near the A team if there's a younger guy like Jones or Hogg who could play instead.

Well as above I'd play Hogg in the 1st XV, and use Jones on the other wing for the A side, but yes, if you making a choice between Danielli and Jones to play for the A side, then you'd go with Jones, not just on form but also on potential and the need for him to get experience.

We haven't talked about Nikki Walker yet.....

Danielli cant even make the Uslter 23 at the moment and rightly so

JDandfries wrote:
Cuisitor
Jackson
S Lamont
Ansbro
Evans
Danielli
R Lamont

Ansbro at 12? What’s your reasoning for that one?

And please not Danielli, anyone but him. I mean literally anyone!

The youngsters have really played themselves into contention for the 6N. At the moment I think Robbo is too conservative to give rush them into the squad. Certainly not when it’s England first up. He’ll want to go with players who have experience playing in the tournament as it’s vital we get off to a winning start. For the first game I can see him going with something like this

9 Cusiter
10 Jackson
11 Ansbro
12 S Lamont
13 N De Luca
14 Evans
15 R Lamont

20 Blair/Lawson
21 Parks/Laidlaw
22 Hogg

Either Blair or Lawson will miss out on the 6N squad. I’m more inclined to say Lawson because Blair and Laidlaw and Cusiter and Jackson/Weir play together regularly. Parks will be in the squad whether we like it or not. I’m hoping he doesn’t make it to the match 22. I fully expect Weir, Hogg, JT, McInally, Denton, Harley and Jones to all be included in the 30 man training squad for the 6N and I think they’ll all get some game time.

If Robinson doesn't play some of these young guys its anothe nail in his coffin. He must select on form. Hogg is the most likely IMO then Weir. Parks must not be anywhere near the squad

Word on lee Jones - his defence is pretty poor tbh. Quite often you see him only sgragging people or not getting them down at all. Needs to work on that to be an international winger.

Lightening in attack though!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Word on lee Jones - his defence is pretty poor tbh. Quite often you see him only sgragging people or not getting them down at all. Needs to work on that to be an international winger.

Lightening in attack though!

I would say that friday night was out of the ordinary, and hes usually better than that. The whole team was shellshocked by Cardiffs power in the forwards, and tbf he kept cuthbert under wraps.

TJ wrote:If Robinson doesn't play some of these young guys its anothe nail in his coffin. He must select on form. Hogg is the most likely IMO then Weir. Parks must not be anywhere near the squad

Please tell me you see the irony in that statement. I dont want parks to ever pull on a scotland shirt again, but not because hes not on form. he is playing his game (albeit unforgiveably limited) very well atm. Just to be clear, I am not advocating parks, just pointing out that you contradict yourself with that statement.

Hmmmmmm sort of but you get what I mean

On Lee Jones. They said Shane Williams needed to work on his defence when he started. I love it that another 'good small un' has been given his chance over a hulk. Lee's got plenty of time. This 6 N's is not it. If he stays fit he'll be on the summer tour.

Whether we like it or not Morrison or S Lamont will start at 12. Ansbro is never going to be a 12, irrespective of how much we'd like him to be. The 6 N's have come too early for Matt Scott too.

It was only a passing comment regarding LJ's defence - his ability in attack far outweighs his slight frailty in defence in my opinion!

He was sensational in the 7's at Murrayfield and scored a cracking try against the Scarlets earlier in this season - form his own 22 skinning several players.

Would love to see him for Scotland but it would be him or Max Evans - don't think you could play both of the wings as we could do with a big carrier out wide like Shlong or Walker. Even Ansbro.

Some excellent posts with well-reasoned choices on here imo, man, it's good to be able to make choices for once!

Don't think my teams would be too far from fES's:

1.Jacobsen 2.Ford 3.Murray 4.Hamilton 5.Gray 6.Brown (c) 7.Barclay 8.McInally 9.Cusiter 10.Weir 11.R Lamont 12.S Lamont 13.NDL 14.Evans 15.Hogg

16.Cross 17.S Lawson 18.Kellock 19.Strokosch 20.Laidlaw 21.Jackson 22.Ansbro

Hamilton is playing very well at the mo for Glaws and gets the nod ahead of big Al, but any 2 from 3 (incl Gray) and I'm happy. McInally or Dozer at 8, happy with either, points noted about relative merits of both. More comfortable with Schlong at 11 than I am at 12, but the problem is who to play at IC - Robbo will likely go with Morrison, but I might give Scott a try, even tho that's another youngster. Might plump for Ansbro ahead of wee Maxie on the other wing tho.

Scotland A

1.Grant 2.MacArthur 3.Low 4.Gilchrist 5.MacKenzie 6.Harley (c) 7.Rennie 8.Denton 9.Blair 10.Leonard 11.Danielli 12.Scott 13.Grove 14.Jones 15.CP

16.Shiells 17.Hall 18.Turnbull/Ryder 19.Vernon 20.R Lawson 21.My granny 22.Thompson

No more Dickinson pls, he's simply gash. I've also selected my granny at bench flyhalf - either one would be better than Dan, even tho both have been deid for quite a while

I've also selected my granny at bench flyhalf - either one would be better than Dan, even tho both have been deid for quite a while

Harsh. true mind you but harsh :-)

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:
Scotland A

1.Grant 2.MacArthur 3.Low 4.Gilchrist 5.MacKenzie 6.Harley (c) 7.Rennie 8.Denton 9.Blair 10.Leonard 11.Danielli 12.Scott 13.Grove 14.Jones 15.CP

16.Shiells 17.Hall 18.Turnbull/Ryder 19.Vernon 20.R Lawson 21.My granny 22.Thompson

Again what's with putting CP in the A team?? Especially over the like of JT. As I said - if CP isn't in the main squad there is absolutely no point putting him in the A team at his stage of his career.

We all seem to be forgetting Cuthbert, who AR seems to be a fan of (for some reason I cannot fathom).

My rationale for Mossy ahead of JT is simply the calming presence that he would offer to the youngsters - not sure that JT can do that yet. Cuthbert can't make it into the Bath team, so he's not on form and isn't selected

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:My rationale for Mossy ahead of JT is simply the calming presence that he would offer to the youngsters - not sure that JT can do that yet. Cuthbert can't make it into the Bath team, so he's not on form and isn't selected

Well the only way JT will learn is to play these kind of games! And what's the worst that can happen - it is only an A game after all.