can scotland take there club form into the six nations?

both edinburgh and glasgow are playing well, scoring a decent amount of trys, and getting some really good results,

do scotland need to bring in these younger players and try to take this try scoring form into the six nations?

what do you think scotland can achieve in this years six nations and can they get some good results?

hi poddy. let me say welcome.

edinburgh and glasgow have looked good recently. edinburgh have a good squad and their win over the blues was deserved. a good number of tries in the derby draw is a good sign that the scots can at last score trys again.

i hope the scotish national team can bring this form to the 6 nations. a strong scotland will only make the tournament much more exciting.

Club form? A try-scoring, defence-ignoring Edinburgh going well in the Heino, but poorly in the Rabo, combined with a territory-playing, 80-minute-game Glasgow doing well in the Rabo and second in their Heino pool, plus a handful of selected outsiders? Could gel nicely for the 6Ns, but equally might not all come together in time. Plus Robbo is inherently conservative and I can't see him trying out more than 2-3 new faces (maybe Laidlaw off the bench, Weir, and possibly Hogg) this coming tournament. However, I hope that all the youngster get their shot on the summer our

Is the club form really all that good?

Looking purely at results - the Scottish teams have lost more than they have won in Rabo. HC results have been better though arguably Edinburgh are in the weakest pool while best glasgow can probably hope for is an Amlin 1/4 final.

I have not seen a great deal of Edinburgh - but the two matches I saw Glasgow play in HC, they were pretty poor. However good things are definitely being said about th eEdinburgh offense.

Scotland are heading in a good direction. Today Scott Johnson was announced as AR's senior assistant coach..

"Former US Eagles coach Johnson will also be involved in the process of indentifying Scottish qualified talent... In addition to working with Andy and the national management team, we are finalising an important wider role for Scott in helping us to better identify Scottish qualified talent around the world." BBC

So I feel AR is creating a very positive and constructive platform for Scotland to progress on. New players will no doubt be blooded this year during 6Ns and Summer tour.

Realistically I see this years 6Ns as a year for introducing some new with the old. All i'd like to see is better support for break away runners, playing for the full 80 minutes, solid restarts, less spilled balls in tackles and more time spent going through the phases. It would be great to see the killer B's back in action too.

My rough ideal starting 15 for 2012

1.Low
2.Ford
3.Murray
4.Hamilton
5.Gray
6.Denton or Brown
7.Barclay
8.Beattie
9.Cusiter
10.Weir (replace by Jackson, Leonard or Parks later in match)
11.S Lamont or Visser (when eligible)
12.Ansbro
13.Evans
14.R Lamont
15.Cuthbert or Hogg

Ansbro at 12!?!

Parks has done nothing to warrant a call up this year. Not when you have so many better flyhalfs than him.

No Parks - we have Weir, Jackson and Laidlaw. Forwards look about right, Cusiter and Weir at halfback

De Luca is playing a blinder in the centre right now so should get a place. So
11 evans,
12 Slong
13 ansbro
14 ramont
15 Hogg
Maybe?

As usual most Scottish fans will have cautious optimism, without genuinely expecting very much!

I agree that the form isn't as good as you might think - Glasgow have been winning games yes (which I suppose is all that matters) but they haven't really been playing particularly well.

Edinburgh are standing out as a fantastic attacking team but their defence is truly shocking - the 3 tries Glasgow scored were just horrendous defence.

So if we can combine Edinburgh's attacking flair with Glasgow's defence and ability to ground out games then we're on to a winner!

TJ wrote:No Parks - we have Weir, Jackson and Laidlaw. Forwards look about right, Cusiter and Weir at halfback

De Luca is playing a blinder in the centre right now so should get a place. So
11 evans,
12 Slong
13 ansbro
14 ramont
15 Hogg
Maybe?

I almost can't believe that I'm writing this, but I agree that the form Scottish 13 right now has to be De Luca and if you put King with him at 12, I wouldn't be too upset. Ansbro has scored a couple recently though and has been looking sharper after a slow start to the season.

Max Evans has NOT been dynamite for Castres - he's in a team that's not really firing at the moment and it hasn't helped him (although he was the only one of the XV who kept his place the following week after getting tonked by Munster). He certainly shouldn't just be 'given' a wing berth when we have Schlong, Jones and Rory who are all playing better at the moment (on average).

If I am praying for one new face in the starting slot then it's a toss up between Weir and Hogg.
Can Robinson, Cautious Cautiouson himself, really ignore them?

I almost can't believe that I'm writing this, but I agree that the form Scottish 13 right now has to be De Luca

I know - its scary isn't it.

If I am praying for one new face in the starting slot then it's a toss up between Weir and Hogg.
Can Robinson, Cautious Cautiouson himself, really ignore them?

If he does he will be on his way out - same as if he puts parks in the squad. Weir and Laidlaw were almost ready to go to the world cup - they have to be in the 6N squad. Hogg looks good as well.

My rough ideal starting 15 for 2012

1.Low 2.Ford 3.Murray 4.Hamilton 5.Gray 6.Denton or Brown 7.Barclay 8.Beattie 9.Cusiter 10.Weir (replace by Jackson, Leonard or Parks later in match) 11.S Lamont or Visser (when eligible) 12.Ansbro 13.Evans 14.R Lamont 15.Cuthbert or Hogg

Not sure about this.
Low - not starting for Glasgow atm, tho looked good when he came on in 1872. Has to be Chunk.
Beattie - still looks a shadow of his former self.
Barclay - not playing well just now. I think a Brown, Rennie, Denton backrow would work.

12/13 - King, NDL for me, but Robbo will pick Schlong, NDL
Back 3 - Evans, R Lamont, Hogg (see my user name for bias here). Would like to see Jones, but he looks too fragile in defence and can't bear Danielli again. If we pick King, NDL then can give Schlong a wing spot.

Low is a tighthead, and will be competing with Murray and Cross for that role, altho given that he is behind Mike Cusack at Glasgow, I don't see him starting. Chunk will be loosehead, backed up hopefully either by Ryan Grant or Jon Welsh who scrummaged very well in the 1872 cup game. Beattie is up against McInally and Ryan Wilson for the No8 berth, possibly also with Denton or Brown being moved from their club blindside roles too. Also don't think we'll see Ansbro at 12, I'm expecting Schlong there for the 6Ns, altho I'd also look closely at James King and Matt Scott

I genuinely hope that Scotland can become competitive again.You have been missed.Wales v Scotland was always my second favourite game after Wales v France.