The official 6N squad for Scotland.

by **RDW** Thu 05 Jan 2012, 9:27 am

First topic message reminder :

Scotland squad (sponsor RBS) for the matches against England (4 February) and Wales (12 February) in the 2012 RBS 6 Nations Championship:

Backs: Joe Ansbro (London Irish), Mike Blair (Edinburgh Rugby), Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh Rugby), Max Evans (Castres), Stuart Hogg, Ruaridh Jackson (both Glasgow Warriors), Lee Jones, Greig Laidlaw (both Edinburgh Rugby), Rory Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues), Steven Shingler (London Irish) and Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors)

Forwards: John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Geoff Cross, David Denton (both Edinburgh Rugby), Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks), Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby), Richie Gray, Dougie Hall (both Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Robert Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh Rugby), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Gloucester), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Fraser McKenzie (Sale Sharks), Euan Murray (Newcastle Falcons), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh Rugby), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester) and Richie Vernon (Sale Sharks).

SIX UNCAPPED PLAYERS IN SCOTLAND SQUAD
Thursday, 05 January 2012

Head coach Andy Robinson has selected six uncapped players in Scotland’s 36-man squad for the opening two matches of the 2012 RBS 6 Nations Championship. They are Lee Jones, the 23-year-old Edinburgh Rugby wing; Stuart Hogg, the 19-year-old Glasgow Warriors full-back; his team-mates, stand-off Duncan Weir, 20 and flanker/lock Robert Harley, 21; Sale Sharks’ former Edinburgh and Dunfermline flanker/lock, 23-year-old Fraser McKenzie; and 20-year-old London Irish centre Steven Shingler.
All 28 available players from last year’s Rugby World Cup squad are included – Chris Paterson and Nathan Hines have now retired – while potential Six Nations debuts could lie ahead for the Edinburgh duo, Greig Laidlaw and David Denton, both of whom have been capped in the EMC Test windows.

Jones, a product of Selkirk has graduated from both Scotland 7s and Scotland A team and has scored six tries in 28 appearances for Edinburgh since making his debut in a pre-season friendly against London Irish in 2010.

Hogg – whose father John was a championship winning full-back and top-notch referee from Hawick, and brother Graham played both age-grade and 7s for Scotland – has won promotion from the Scotland under-20 squad. He made his Glasgow debut last February against the Dragons and has now played 17 times for the Warriors, scoring two tries. Last week Hogg signed a contract that will keep with Glasgow Warriors until at least May 2015.
Weir is currently the top-scorer in the RaboDirect PRO 12 league (145 points) and has represented Scotland at A, 7s and age-grade levels, while both Harley and McKenzie have been part of Scotland squads in the recent past and made a considerable impact in the Scotland A team.
Shingler, born in Swansea and who joined London Irish from Scarlets at the start of this season, qualifies for Scotland through his Dumfries born mum, Jeanette.

He told www.scotlandrugbyteam.org: “I would be massively proud to play for Scotland. My upbringing from my mother means I’ve always known about Scotland.

“I’ve got my gran, auntie, two uncles and two cousins in Langholm and other than the past year I’ve been up 15 years on the bounce to see them around the time of the Common Riding and I’ve competed in the Games as well.”

Robinson said: “I am pleased to reflect on the winning displays we have seen from both Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors over the last two months and the contribution a number of our uncapped players have made to them.

“I think what’s also encouraging is that a number of players who have forced their way into contention in that period and who have not made the squad this time, are really knocking on the door and that competition for places can only raise our standards, so this Scotland squad can be very much a work in progress over the coming months.

“We said after the Rugby World Cup that the challenge the Scotland squad must confront is to get on with the business of winning international rugby matches. Potential counts for nothing if you don’t deliver results.”

The squad will gather at St Andrews on the week beginning Monday 23 January before it is trimmed for match specific preparations for Scotland’s opening game of the championship against England at Murrayfield on Saturday 4 February.

Tickets for that match are sold-out, however you can still buy tickets for the Scotland v France game at Murrayfield on Sunday 26 February, kick-off 3pm via the website www.scottishrugby.org.

http://www.scotlandrugbyteam.org/content/view/2731/2/

Note, the Steve Shingler eligibility question is being debated here https://www.606v2.com/t21307-another-concerning-issue-for-the-wru-over-steven-shingler#822705 - KRD

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Fri 06 Jan 2012, 10:18 am

Pete, thanks bud - didn't mean for you to have to go to such lengths, was hoping we could manage it ourselves, but again, thanks

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Fri 06 Jan 2012, 10:20 am

Interesting to note that this is only the squad for the first 2 6Ns games so doesn't preclude additions for the remaining 3 games - I live in hope!! Braveheart

by funnyExiledScot Fri 06 Jan 2012, 10:20 am

ASBO - Lee Jones is in the squad to be fair, but I agree, Danielli's inclusion demonstrates the complete lack of options we seem to have on the wing. I'd have far rather treated Ansbro as a wing option and included Scott (or King) in the squad than simply picked Danielli because he always gets picked.

He is so badly out of form that Ulster aren't using him for anything now. He isn't picked to play Edinburgh and won't be picked to play Leicester. How on earth is he going to get into the team!?

Whilst I don't see Shaw as an international quality player, he has a fair grievance at being omitted in favour of Danielli.

by funnyExiledScot Fri 06 Jan 2012, 10:21 am

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Interesting to note that this is only the squad for the first 2 6Ns games so doesn't preclude additions for the remaining 3 games - I live in hope!!

There's time for Godman to make the squad yet Sad

by Glas a du Fri 06 Jan 2012, 10:33 am

Can we debate whether Shingler would be Scotland's saviour as a third 15/16th (or whatever) on here?

by funnyExiledScot Fri 06 Jan 2012, 10:49 am

I haven't seen enough of him to make up my mind.

He looks pretty physical so I'd say that 12 would be the best fit for us given our extremely limited options in that regard.

It does send a pretty negative message to James King and Matt Scott though. I don't know enough about Shingler to determine whether he's a better player or deserves to be there on merit, but King has been playing well (despite my reservations) and Scott has talent. It's a shame Robinson couldn't make room for those guys. I don't think we need Rory Lawson and Simon Danielli.

by Glas a du Fri 06 Jan 2012, 11:14 am

I think he should go to play for a Scottish region if he is serious about representing Scotland, at least until he establishes himself as an international player.

Scott Johnson cant get up there quick enough in my view. AR is good but too conservative, especially as to the backs.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Fri 06 Jan 2012, 11:23 am

funnyExiledScot wrote:ASBO - Lee Jones is in the squad to be fair, but I agree, Danielli's inclusion demonstrates the complete lack of options we seem to have on the wing. I'd have far rather treated Ansbro as a wing option and included Scott (or King) in the squad than simply picked Danielli because he always gets picked.

He is so badly out of form that Ulster aren't using him for anything now. He isn't picked to play Edinburgh and won't be picked to play Leicester. How on earth is he going to get into the team!?

Whilst I don't see Shaw as an international quality player, he has a fair grievance at being omitted in favour of Danielli.

fES, fair point, my bad on Jones, but you are absolutely right about Scott/King

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Fri 06 Jan 2012, 11:25 am

Glas a du wrote:Can we debate whether Shingler would be Scotland's saviour as a third 15/16th (or whatever) on here?

I'm not sure that he will be, Glas, but I'm more than happy to see him compete with Matt Scott, James King, poss Harry Leonard or Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, and whomever else surfaces, for the 12 shirt in years to come - nothing wrong with options! No need for him to switch to one of the Scottish pro-district sides tho, he's perfectly fine where he is at LI and can be monitored there

by funnyExiledScot Fri 06 Jan 2012, 11:47 am

Plus at LI he can play alongside Ansbro - familiarity is always helpful.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Fri 06 Jan 2012, 12:20 pm

I think it's interesting that we are developing quite a bit of congestion in a number of positions with all the youngsters shoving up their hands. For example:

Blindside flanker: incumbent = Kelly Brown; traditional pretender = Ali Strokosch; up&coming = Rob Harley; hasbeengoingwellforhisclub@6 = Dave Denton

No8: incumbent = ?; previous holder = Johnnie Beattie; temporary holder = Richie Vernon; hasfilledinat8butisn'tanatural: Kelly Brown; up&coming = Stu McInally & Ryan Wilson; up&comingbutcurrentlyplayingoutofposition = Dave Denton

I hope that the youngsters are patient and are prepared to battle it out for the jersey over the coming years. I also hope that Robbo is able to balance consistency in selection and giving players a fair run with picking based on form and not past glories

Braveheart

by Pat_Mustard Fri 06 Jan 2012, 12:29 pm

The only benefit of having Shingler at a Scottish pro side (apart from giving Glasgow a ball-playing alternative to Morrison) would be that we could play him at 12 if that is the position we want him in for Scotland. London Irish seem to be playing him as a stand off.

by Pat_Mustard Fri 06 Jan 2012, 12:39 pm

Am I the only one who thinks Stuart Hogg should continue at full-back? He might have played outside centre with Hawick but he's made the Glasgow 15 shirt his own, he's built his reputation at full-back, he's won a place in the Scotland squad on the strength of his performances at full-back and full-back is where Scotland will need him.

At outside centre we have De Luca, Ansbro, Evans, S Lamont if needed and Ben Cairns (who Robinson will never pick), and in a year or two hopefully Bennett.

At full-back we have R Lamont (always broken), Southwell (mediocre at best), Thompson (who Robinson will never pick) and in a year or two Tom Brown. Stuart Hogg could really carve out a Scotland career here.

Why do we in Scotland always see a player in great form in one position and immediately start talking about moving him away from it?

(by the way this is based on comments from Sean Lineen and others about his best position being in midfield, probably 13)

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Fri 06 Jan 2012, 12:52 pm

Pat, definitely not alone, I also think he should stick to fullback

by Glas a du Fri 06 Jan 2012, 12:58 pm

Was that you in the sex shop Indian head dress I saw on the ITV4 highlights show ASBO?

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Fri 06 Jan 2012, 1:06 pm

Couldn't possibly comment!! Wink

by funnyExiledScot Fri 06 Jan 2012, 1:56 pm

I'm with you too Pat. Fullback is becoming a problem position whilst we're well stocked at 13.

Rory Lamont is always broken, Hugo very rarely delivers anything but bad news at international level, CP has retired, Jim Thompson can't get a game and the more I see of Jack Cuthbert, the clumsier he looks.

The best Scottish 15 this season has been Stuart Hogg, so he's the guy I'd start at 15 against England. Good tackler, good pace and old head on young shoulders. His kicking from hand needs work and I'm sure his positional play probably does as well, but we have no-one better.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Fri 06 Jan 2012, 2:09 pm

Don't forget we've got young Tom Brown coming thru too, just not at the same pace as Hogg

by funnyExiledScot Fri 06 Jan 2012, 2:12 pm

True - he's an option, but he seems to be being used on the wing at the moment.

Murchie is an option as well, just not a very good one.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Sat 07 Jan 2012, 1:39 pm

I've included this article from the Herald in this thread, cos it's not so much about the eligbility row but rather whether he is worth his selection as a player. From today's Herald:

"Is Steven Shingler worth the trouble?

While the Welsh and Scottish Unions prepare for a fight at the International Rugby Board over Steve Shingler, there is a debate to be had about whether the London Irish back is worth the legal fees.

Before the contractual niceties of a verbal warning or a signed document get pored over in the greatest possible detail, is he a good enough rugby player to make it at international level for either Scotland or Wales?

The answer is that he is worth the fight, maybe not for this year, but for two to three years down the line. He is a very similar player to his fellow Llanelli product, Rhys Priestland, who has now made the international No.10 jersey his own, but was unheralded in Wales until given the chance to show what he could do.

Certainly that is the view of someone who knows both well in the former Wales prop Anthony Buchanan, who was team manager of Llanelli when they were one of the best sides in Europe and still fulfils that role for the club side that feeds into the Scarlets regional set-up.

Priestland played regularly for Llanelli until moving up over the last two seasons, when Shingler came into the club side before getting the chance to shine for the Scarlets against London Irish and earn the contract which took him out of Wales with a flawless goal-kicking display.

"He is from the same mould as Rhys Priestland, the same characteristics as a player. He is certainly a talented youngster, a good all round sportsman," said Buchanan.

"He is a really nice boy, there is potential there for him to go far and he has the ambition to do it. He came through the local rugby club at Hendy and showed immense talent, he was picked up to be part of the Scarlets set up as someone who showed the potential which could be of international standard.

"Obviously we wanted him to stay in our region, but the offer from London Irish far exceeded anything we could offer. We have a lot of young talent coming through the system at the moment."

You can see why Shingler feels his route forward in Wales could be blocked. At the Scarlets he was behind Priestland and Stephen Jones, while Jordan Williams the next great hope as the West Wales outside half factory shows signs of being back in full production.

Shingler was voted the most promising player in the Principality Premiership two years ago, the highest level below the regions, as a 19-year-old.

However at Wales Under-20s level last season he found himself playing second string at outside half to Matthew Morgan who is now beginning to make his mark for the Ospreys. Shingler played most of his games at full-back to get both talented players on to the pitch, including that fateful game against France U20 which may have committed him to Wales.

Ironically, it was Shingler who was picked to start at No.10 against New Zealand in the Junior World Championship last summer, his better defence and game control being the deciding factors. Wales were humiliated 92-0, though of course the finger of blame for that could not be pointed at the outside-half selection.

There is a precedent for players being able to change their allegiance after playing for Wales U20, with his predecessor at outside half, Matthew Jarvis, allowed to join Connacht along with wing James Loxton – both taking advantage of Irish qualifications.

There was some sympathy for Jarvis and Loxton, who were being given a chance of a professional rugby career in Ireland which they were unlikely to get in Wales. Neither was likely to win international honours for anyone, so the dispute was muted.

The player of that era Wales were very keen to keep hold of was the No.8 Toby Faletau, so the Jarvis/Loxton affair just over a year ago did act as a warning shot that procedures needed to be tightened up in order to stop players going elsewhere.

It is that tightening up which is now under dispute once again, but Wales are likely to fight more strongly this time.

The unfortunate thing for Shingler is that he has been given a chance for Scotland which may not come with Wales.

At the moment the No.10 jersey seems a straight battle between Priestland and James Hook while, looking forward, Morgan is the darling for all those who hanker back to the romantic ideal of a jinking Wales outside-half.

There are plenty of centres in Wales, too. Jamie Roberts is firmly ensconced in the 12 jersey where Shingler has been playing mostly with London Irish, with Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams or Hook beside him. The returning Gavin Henson is among the back-up options alongside the Ospreys Ashley Beck.

So we may never know if Steve Shingler is the next Rhys Priestland, but there is certainly a rugby argument that he may be. Over to the lawyers . . ."

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Sun 08 Jan 2012, 3:00 pm

And Iain Morrison from today's SoS:

"As the Steven Shingler row rumbles on, what are the prospects for the uncapped players in Andy Robinson’s Scotland squad?

Published on Sunday 8 January 2012 00:00

LIKE Oscar Wilde’s response to the death of Charles Dickens’ fictional character Little Nell, it is difficult not to laugh out loud at the latest shenanigans over the eligibility or otherwise of Welsh under-20 cap Steven Shingler.

You can bet the additional two or three other Scottish-qualified players that Andy Robinson has admitted he is also talking to will now be vetted as closely as the president of the USA.

With the Welsh union insisting Shingler’s under-20 outing against France ties him to them, his Scottish mum and his stated determination to keep his eligibility open (he’s also potentially English due to his dad) mean the Scottish Rugby Union are confident they’ve got their man.

Incidentally, one Langholm RFC stalwart insists that he informed the appropriate authorities of Shingler’s heritage five years ago, having been schooled with his mother. If the SRU had acted sooner, Scotland might have nabbed the older Shingler brother, flanker Aaron, who is a live prospect for Wales’ own Six Nations squad, as well as midfielder Steven, pictured below.

The brouhaha has rather distracted everyone from the composition of Robinson’s initial Six Nations squad, which he insisted was just for the opener against England, and he admitted getting off to a good start was vital after Scotland’s last two tournament wins, against Ireland and Italy, both arrived on the last weekend of competition.

“I believe this is a must-win match,” said the coach. “We’ve not got a foothold in the tournament previously and I think it’s an opportunity to get a foothold. That’s why it’s a big game for us. I think this England team that we will play against will be very good, that’s one of the concerns that I have. They won ten out of 13 games [last season], they’ll have a point to prove and they’ve got a squad that can do that.”

Robinson admitted that he had his starting XV all but fixed in his head but the coach insisted that any of the squad could still put their hands up for a place on the bench come 4 February. With one proviso – they have to be playing.

“If someone is not playing then I can’t pick him,” said the coach with blunt logic, which means that time is running out for winger Simon Danielli, who was not used by Ulster in their 42-20 Murrayfield win over Edinburgh on Friday.

While England are due to announce a 32-man squad this week, the Scots have already posted 36 names, which is not necessarily a good thing. The three and a half scrum-halves may be a sign of a strength but the three and a half stand-offs are not (Greig Laidlaw has a foot in both camps).

Other than Shingler, the squad was much as expected with one or two oddities. There is only one specialist full-back and even Stuart Hogg last appeared on the Glasgow teamsheet at outside centre. The teenager is uncapped and likely to remain so when England arrive in Edinburgh, so Robinson is doubtless hoping Rory Lamont will get some much-needed game time in the No.15 shirt following his painful collision with Ross Rennie at Murrayfield in the first derby match. That was one head-to-head encounter he lost badly.

The other problem positions are the back row of the scrum and the midfield, which is why Robinson went after Shingler in the first place.

The coach’s biggest call is still at stand-off, a problem position since the start of the millennium (this one rather than the last, although you sometimes wonder).

With his 34th birthday coming up in May, Dan Parks looks like safe pair of reserve hands rather than a first choice No.10. Robinson sees Laidlaw primarily as a scrum-half so that would leave him a straight choice between the Glasgow rivals Duncan Weir and Ruaridh Jackson, with the latter favourite if only because he has 11 caps to his name while Weir has yet to be tested in the international game. Robinson insisted that he’d have no issue capping one or two new players in the Calcutta Cup but handing a debut to a 20-year-old playmaker in such a high-profile match is asking for trouble.

One position further out, Robinson has the option of going with someone to get the side over the gain line in Sean Lamont or Graeme Morrison. Alternatively he could pick a more creative character with distribution skills who will act as more like a Kiwi second five-eighth. This is the role he may have pencilled Shingler in for, even if the Welsh-born Scot playing for London Irish in England (insert your own joke here) has to wait until the summer tour.

One of the reasons Edinburgh’s attack has been so effective this season is that they have generally fielded two stand-offs in the midfield. Either Matt Scott or James King regularly appears at inside centre but both men have played most of their rugby at No.10 and they bring all the skills and vision which that requires to the No.12 shirt. If Robinson goes down this route then Nick De Luca is his only real option against England, leaving Joe Ansbro to fight it out with Max Evans for the No.13 shirt.

Up front Robinson must find someone to partner Richie Gray in the second row, with Jim Hamilton, Al Kellock and Fraser Mackenzie, who has impressed since moving from Edinburgh to Sale, giving the coach the sort of three-into-one headache he likes. But, in the back row, Robinson has a different sort of problem. He only has one specialist No.8 in Richie Vernon.

Kelly Brown can do a shift there but blindside remains his best role.

After a few weeks sidelined with injury, Vernon has a chance to put his hand up for Sale in their match against London Irish this afternoon, albeit at No.6 rather than eight. Assuming he comes through today’s game unscathed that would leave Brown at No.6 and John Barclay or Ross Rennie at seven.

It’s still difficult to see past Brown for captain, although Robinson explained that he hadn’t announced the skipper because, after anointing Jonny Wilkinson as his chosen one in his England days, the World Cup-winning stand-off never once acually played for him.

And, on that note, England players are falling like flies ahead of the Calcutta Cup and Six Nations, with Danny Care’s disciplinary issues compounded by injuries to Toby Flood, Courtney Lawes, Louis Deacon and Manu Tuilagi."

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Sun 08 Jan 2012, 3:07 pm

Reckon Morrison is wrong on quite a few counts:
* RLamont over Hogg at fullback - just don't see how that can be justified, the youngster has been in stand-out form, whereas the latter has played about 100mins of club rugby since coming back from the RWC
* NdL at 12 - why would you move the form OC to 12, makes no sense to me whatsoever? If you want to find a slot for Ansbro, then he's played enough rugby at 11 and 14 with both Saints and LI, and we could do with his finishing skills out wide
* Vernon at 8 - lightweight and never quite lived up to his billing, no idea why Robbo would choose him over the ball-carrying, tackle-breaking skills of 'dozer Denton - the young Zimbabwean-born lad is just the player to compliment Barclay and Brown, and give the kind of balance we need in the backrow

With Jackson likely out for 5 or so weeks, I think we have to go with Weir at flyhalf, with Laidlaw available on the bench as cover. Bring Matt Scott into the squad as Jacko's replacement, particularly with the doubts over Shingler's eligibility

Braveheart

by justified sinner Sun 08 Jan 2012, 3:10 pm

by justified sinner Sun 08 Jan 2012, 5:34 pm

Looks like Ansbro might be out injured now as well. We're running out of centre / wing options. As an Edinburgh supporter hate to say it, but time to get Scott into the squad, AR will never pick King, and he picked up a knock on Friday as well, not sure how bad.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Sun 08 Jan 2012, 7:41 pm

From www.scottishrugbyblog.co.uk"

"Rumours, Rumblings And Some Rare Robinson Speculation

Posted by Alan Dymock at 10.54am

You’ve heard of yin and yang, right? The Taoist notions that polar opposites give rise to one another through their mere existence, in the natural world at least? Well I never thought I’d accuse Andy Robinson of being a Taoist, but in yesterday’s squad announcement he displayed his need for yin and yang; the light and the dark; the positive and the negative; the real and the fictional. In effect he has given with one hand and taken away with the other.

There were positives there. Robinson has rewarded fine form and has even opened the door for some still finding their feet in professional rugby. For example when Paterson retired he did not revert back to the likes of Southwell or Danielli but called up Lee Jones and Stuart Hogg to flesh out his back three. He also made sure that the cult figures like Rob Harley, Greig Laidlaw and Duncan Weir got their call up. His bloated 36-man squad is one that includes players the regional fans have taken to.

Beneath the topsoil of these decisions, though, is Robinson’s grounding in uncertainty. He is a man fabled for his poor selections and whilst he has been bold here he has afforded himself that gallantness by making his squad big enough to contain contingency plans.

It is a completely negative move to have four prospective scrum-halves and four prospective stand-offs in one Six Nations squad.

It shows that he is unsure of the merits of each player and that he is prepared to play several different game plans during one circumscribed campaign. He makes a positive move by calling up both Weir and Laidlaw, the two 10s playing well for Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively. He then calls up Jackson who is publicly accepted as Robinson’s favourite project. Fair enough. However, to then call up Parks as well suggests that he is entirely prepared to regress, to shrink away from such bold new moves and play the same slow, constricted game that has served Scotland so poorly in the past.

As for his scrum-halves: the negativity of selection here could hamper Scotland’s rhythm if he does not declare one his favourite. Laidlaw is counted as the fourth in this scenario, too, but by having four scrum-halves Robinson ensures that the squad is lumbered with some competition in training but different styles during games. Perhaps this is seen as a good thing, but each 9 plays better with a different 10 and the two are tied. Pick Parks, you need a 9 who is prepared to pass behind himself and chase kicks. Pick Weir, you have to pick Cusiter. Pick Jackson, you could have a range of passes, but you are going to have to box kick. Blair and Laidlaw work well in tandem.

In short, Robinson is using up squad spaces because he won’t fully commit to a style of play. This is also why the selection of so many new faces will be good for training, and it will do those youngsters a world of good to experience that, but he is already thinking of what he wants to achieve with the group by using familiar players. It is fantastic that he has recognised form and some exciting young talents, but he wouldn’t promote without support.

With the exception of Weir, look at where the new faces have come in. Before the squad was announced the rumours being circulated were that Jones was due to get his chance and that the constant talk of a scouting network was to lay the foundation for some surprise selections. In Steve Shingler’s selection Robinson certainly shocked his support.

Now the SRU are caught bandying words with the Welsh Rugby Union over whether or not Shingler is even eligible to play for Scotland. According to the SRU the player signed no paperwork declaring himself a one Union man, but the Welsh have screamed out that this is irrelevant because Wales have no ‘A’ team and Shingler has already represented Wales’ second most prestigious team, their under20s. This will go before the IRB, and one feels that this will run and run. Yet it is impossible to shake the feeling that it is all just window dressing anyway.

Shingler is a good young player and is touted as a fantastic goal-kicker. He can play 10 or he can play 12. He is a versatile and capricious option. He is also a luxury. I have already heard that Robinson has a match day squad in mind for the opening game against the Auld Enemy. There are some surprising selections in the team I was told, which of course makes me question its authenticity, but I can understand why someone like Shingler would not be named in it.

He is a luxury because two days ago no one in Scotland would have assumed his selection. No one knew he was eligible. He is also a player with few ties to the current Scotland player pool and one unaccustomed with the style or personnel inherent to a good Scottish performance. Robinson wants to have more options and deepen that player pool. That is understandable. Of course if Shingler is declared eligible after IRB involvement then it would be fantastic, but it is doubtful that he would be thrown straight in against England. It is more likely that he would play in the Scotland ‘A’ fixture that same week, thus tying him to Scotland forever.

The Shingler affair will drag on for the next few weeks. Robinson, in his boldness, has created a distraction he may well regret as he tries to mould a slightly different squad. In the meantime he still has to name a captain, and if it is not one of his scrum-halves alone then we will be no closer to knowing how that squad will play game in, game out.

I’m heartily enthused, but I cannot help but acknowledge the lashing of yang Robinson has served up.

A Rumoured Scotland XV for the England game:

Hogg

Evans
De Luca
S. Lamont
Ansbro

Jackson
Cusiter

Denton
Brown
Strokosch
Gray
Hamilton
Murray
Ford
Jacobsen
"

Quite like the look of that backline, well, I could live with it, let's put it that way, would prefer not to play Schlong at 12 but suspect it's inevitable. With Jackson and Ansbro injured, chances are that we end up with Weir at 10 and RLamont at 11, which could just about work. But the backrow is a dog's breakfast - Denton at 8 works for me, 'doxer is a big, ball-carrying machine that makes yards; Brown at openside is bonkers, especially when we have the luxury of choosing between Barclay and Rennie (and to a lesser extent Grant), all quality 7s in their own right; Stroks over Brown at 8 is just silly too, the form of the former nowhere nears that of the latter. Pls tell me this is just silly speculation?

by Glas a du Sun 08 Jan 2012, 7:44 pm

White looks a handy outside half. Three Glasgow boys look international class.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Mon 09 Jan 2012, 9:34 am

Glas a du wrote:White looks a handy outside half. Three Glasgow boys look international class.

Wight's a bit of a late developer, Glas, has been happily guiding Melrose in the Premiership for the last umpty-tumpt years, not sure I'd go as far as to describe him as international class tho, but am happy that he and Nathan will be there to guide Glesgae during the 6Ns

by RuggerRadge2611 Mon 09 Jan 2012, 10:10 am

That 1st XV worries me. If Jackson is injured, Laidlaw has to start at 10. I know there are arguments about him being kept at Scrum Half since Cusiter Blair and Lawson are all getting on a bit, but it's not as if he'll forget what he is doing at 9.

my 1st XV for England :

1. Chunk - Who else?

2. Ford - See Above.

3. Murray - Best Tighthead at our disposal.

4. Gray - Not done much wrong for Scotland in his short career.

5. Hamilton - The Abrasive, Aggresive, ball carrying edge we will need to best England up front.

6. Brown (C) - Keep Kelly in his prefered position of 6, especialy if we are giving him the captaincy.

7. Rennie - Playing well for Edinburgh, Barclay just hs not done enough for me to suggest his form has improved over the last wee while.

8. Denton- We need a bruising ball carrier. In the absence of Beattie jnr again he is the best option at 8. I have no Idea why Beattie was not considered after some bright performances as of late.

9. Cusiter - He and Laidlaw both playing well.

10. Laidlaw - I hate to sound like Frank Hadden but we have to play him somewhere. Laidlaw has been solid as a rock for Edinburgh this season and has barely put a foot wrong. He is also a more reliable kicker than Jackson. If Jackson is Injured I think it's too much of an ask to give Weir his first full international cap in a sold out Murrayfield against the auld enemy.

Laidlaw to me seems like he would be able to handle the occasion better. Parks can cover the Scotland A games. His time has come and gone for Scotland and now we need to build for the future.

11. R.Lamont - I have seen little of Max Evans this year and I am led to belive he has not made as big an impact at Castres as we would have hoped. Despite not having a great deal of game time Scotland's own Mr Glass seems like the sensible choice. Lets face it, his arm will probably fall off 2 minutes into the game anyway.

12. S.Lamont (or Shingler if this mess gets sorted out) - I don't like it any more than anyone else but it's him or Morrison if this shingler mess does not get sorted out. I still think not including Matt Scott or Jim King will be a mistake Robbo will have to admit to once the 6N is finished.

S. Lamont is not a 12 and I'll say the same thing I have always said, we are kidding ourselves by thinking he is. Robbo has the chance to pick from 2 exciting young options at 12, both playing well at Edinburgh in the form of Matt Scott and James King but yet Morrison's name appears on the Squad sheet. Should Scotland struggle to score tries again (almost a certainty with either Lamont or Morrison at 12) Robbinson / Townsend have to go. This has been tried, tested and has not worked for a long time.

13. NDL - The form of his life at Club level, can he bring this form to the Navy Blue?

14. Ansbro - Playing well for LI.

15. Hogg - Playing well for Glasgow.

I could live with Sean Lamont at 12, he never disgraces himself and his heart is never in question. However he cannot effectively distribute to the Scorers outside him. What worries me is if Shingler doesn't get to play we have no plan B to the innefective plan A of a big crash ball merchant at 12.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Mon 09 Jan 2012, 10:16 am

With Ansbro likely out injured, Radge, would you bring in Maxy? I'd be happy with your XV, even if I would go for Weir at 10

by RuggerRadge2611 Mon 09 Jan 2012, 10:27 am

To be honest I might even be tempted to go with Lee Jones under those circumstances. To be honest I'll be happy if Parks, Morrison and Sean Lamont (at 12) are not on the team sheet.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Mon 09 Jan 2012, 10:30 am

Unfortunately i think we are guaranteed to see at least one of those, my friend Sad

by funnyExiledScot Mon 09 Jan 2012, 10:32 am

Most people seem to be on the same page which is positive. Jackson's injury narrows the choice at 10 to either Weir or Laidlaw, and Ansbro's injury should now open up a slot for either King or Scott to join the squad.

I don't like the suggestion above of using Brown and Strokosch as the two flankers. I watched the Glaws game on Saturday and saw nothing from Strokosch that would make me move away from using a proper openside. My preference is Barclay, but I'd lose no sleep over Rennie playing 7.

Hopefully the HC matches will bring us some positive news. I saw the highlights of the Scarlets vs Glasgow game and was yet again impressed by the organisation and spirit of the Warriors. Sadly Edinburgh's defence is a complete mess in comparison.

The HC games should be a last chance for players to impress. Fingers crossed for some big performances.

by RuggerRadge2611 Mon 09 Jan 2012, 10:37 am

I know, as I said if we still struggle to Score tries the question of improvement under AR needs to be answered. Where is the brand of running rugby he had the Burgh playing in 2009? Where it it?

Sure he has made Scotland hard to beat, we don't under the circumstances leak many tries. However the ones we do leak are back breakers. England & the Argies in the RWC, England in the 6N, France and Ireland in the 6N, the list goes on.

I would rather leak a few more tries in the hope we can Score a few more. Mainly because the brand of rugby we play is the same tripe England gor criticised for a few seasons ago.

We have some good runners and distributers. Lets give them a chance. As I have said before I would rather lose trying soemthing new than lose trying the same thing that has never worked for us before.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Mon 09 Jan 2012, 10:41 am

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:I know, as I said if we still struggle to Score tries the question of improvement under AR needs to be answered. Where is the brand of running rugby he had the Burgh playing in 2009? Where it it?

Sure he has made Scotland hard to beat, we don't under the circumstances leak many tries. However the ones we do leak are back breakers. England & the Argies in the RWC, England in the 6N, France and Ireland in the 6N, the list goes on.

I would rather leak a few more tries in the hope we can Score a few more. Mainly because the brand of rugby we play is the same tripe England gor criticised for a few seasons ago.

We have some good runners and distributers. Lets give them a chance. As I have said before I would rather lose trying soemthing new than lose trying the same thing that has never worked for us before.

+1

by funnyExiledScot Mon 09 Jan 2012, 10:51 am

To be fair to Andy Robinson he's hardly been spoilt for choice in terms of options when it comes to exciting flair players.

He selected Jackson pretty much out of the blue, well before Jackson had demonstrated anything like sufficient consistency to be an international 10. He converted Sean Lamont into a 12 which all things considered has been a pretty big success, certainly more than I expected. He did that because (a) Morrison was on ropey form, and (b) the clubs/exiles produced zero alternatives. He's picked Stuart Hogg and Lee Jones for his squad as soon as possible.

I've not agreed with all his selections, particularly his bench selections, but I don't think we can expect Andy Robinson to create some amazing exciting brand of rugby from the extremely limited resources he's had at his disposal over the last few years. All in all I think he's done a decent job.

Yes, Edinburgh played some good stuff under him, but if you remember that was with an on-form Mike Blair and Phil Godman half back partnership (both have dipped dramatically since then), a De Luca and Cairns centre partnership (NDL has since shown himself a 13 and not a 12, and Cairns shares the "Rory Lamont" crown for being permanently injured). Now Edinburgh play some nice stuff but much of it comes from the individual brilliance and finishing of Tim Visser. They also leak tries for fun. If those tactics were deployed in the 6 Nations we'd be shipping 40-50 points each match.

Yes, Robinson could be more adventurous, and I do hope we don't see a Parks/Morrison combination in the 6 Nations, but it's really only in the last year that he's started to have some proper options to choose from, with players like Laidlaw, Weir, Leonard, Scott and Jones actually playing regular professional rugby. I agree with the article above that suggests that the 36 man squad slightly hedges his bets, but from that squad you can select a pretty young and promising XV. Fingers crossed.

by RuggerRadge2611 Mon 09 Jan 2012, 11:04 am

funnyExiledScot wrote:
He selected Jackson pretty much out of the blue, well before Jackson had demonstrated anything like sufficient consistency to be an international 10. He converted Sean Lamont into a 12 which all things considered has been a pretty big success, certainly more than I expected. He did that because (a) Morrison was on ropey form, and (b) the clubs/exiles produced zero alternatives. He's picked Stuart Hogg and Lee Jones for his squad as soon as possible.

In what way could you describe Sean Lamont at 12 as a Success? He has not embarrased himself is about all I could say about it. You could also argue he has played better than Morrioson but again that's hardly a badge of honour.

"A pretty big success" is a pretty big stretch of the imagination mate! Lamont is not a 12 and to be honest never will be. 12s need soft hands and to either be Big and powerful to break tackles or agile and light to eveade them. Lamont is big and powerful but lacks the handling skills to bring his outside backs into the game.

I'm not a fan of exposing players defencive frailties and yes Edinburgh leak a lot of tries. However King is not a bad tackler and Edinburgh are guilt of giving away very soft tries rather than the victims of brilliance, a by product of age. However thinking back to the Ireland and Wales games at Murrayfield last year Scotland were hardly the defencive stalwarts we know and have become accustomed to.

The less said about the game against the all blacks in November 2010 the better tomato

by RuggerRadge2611 Mon 09 Jan 2012, 11:14 am

funnyExiledScot wrote:
Hopefully the HC matches will bring us some positive news. I saw the highlights of the Scarlets vs Glasgow game and was yet again impressed by the organisation and spirit of the Warriors. Sadly Edinburgh's defence is a complete mess in comparison.

Also worthy of note is that the Glasgow centre pairing that impressed in defence was Morrison and Dewey censored

by funnyExiledScot Mon 09 Jan 2012, 11:17 am

He was named in the Guardian 6 Nations team of the last 6 Nations, at 12. Considering he had never played 12 before, I'd say that's a pretty big success. I thought he'd be awful at 12, for all the reasons you suggest, and I wanted him to play on the wing as I much prefer his interventions from out wide, but truth be told, he's wasn't bad at 12 at all.

Not my idea of a 12, but given that Robinson had NO OTHER OPTIONS LAST SEASON, he did well to convert Lamont to 12 rather than use an out of form Morrison.

King deserves a chance, and certainly deserves to be in the squad, but mark my words, he is not an international standard 12.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/mar/23/six-nations-your-team-of-tournament

by RuggerRadge2611 Mon 09 Jan 2012, 11:26 am

He certainly made the cut but as you pointed out he is noones Idea of a 12. I'm just pointing out the obviousness of our lack of tries and a lack of a distrbuting 12.

Walker, Evans, Ansbro, NDL and sometimes Danielli are prolific club scorers, mostly because they get good ball in space or favourable matches to score tries. This lack of tries for Scotland has to be attributed to the poor options we have at 10/12. these proven try scorers can't do it for Scotland because they get poor ball.

AR in the past has not had the luxuary of alternatives playing well in these positions. This year we do and they have not been picked, a critical error in my book and one that could/should cost him his job if yet again we are in an arm wrestle for the wooden spoon with the Italians.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Mon 09 Jan 2012, 11:27 am

funnyExiledScot wrote:He was named in the Guardian 6 Nations team of the last 6 Nations, at 12. Considering he had never played 12 before, I'd say that's a pretty big success. I thought he'd be awful at 12, for all the reasons you suggest, and I wanted him to play on the wing as I much prefer his interventions from out wide, but truth be told, he's wasn't bad at 12 at all.

Not my idea of a 12, but given that Robinson had NO OTHER OPTIONS LAST SEASON, he did well to convert Lamont to 12 rather than use an out of form Morrison.

King deserves a chance, and certainly deserves to be in the squad, but mark my words, he is not an international standard 12.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/mar/23/six-nations-your-team-of-tournament

I'm somewhere in between the pair of you - Schlong is certainly a much better option than Morrison, but I wouldn't describe his tenure in the 12 shirt as a 'success', Grauniad Team of the Century or no! However, I still think our problems are more about finishing chances than creating them - we're not too bad at the latter, just woeful at the former

by funnyExiledScot Mon 09 Jan 2012, 11:44 am

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:AR in the past has not had the luxuary of alternatives playing well in these positions. This year we do and they have not been picked, a critical error in my book and one that could/should cost him his job if yet again we are in an arm wrestle for the wooden spoon with the Italians.

I still think you're being harsh. Is Matt Scott playing well at 12? He isn't starting there, and now gets used as a rotation 13 by Bradley. When was the last game in which he played well at 12? I think probably last September. He's hardly banging down the door.

I'll give you King (who has now picked up a knock), on the front foot he's a good player and played some nice stuff for Edinburgh before the turn of the year. The fact that the Edinburgh defence is a complete mess bothers me though, and the idea of Laidlaw, King, NDL and Jones lining up against England doesn't inspire confidence.

by RuggerRadge2611 Mon 09 Jan 2012, 11:51 am

funnyExiledScot wrote:
RuggerRadge2611 wrote:AR in the past has not had the luxuary of alternatives playing well in these positions. This year we do and they have not been picked, a critical error in my book and one that could/should cost him his job if yet again we are in an arm wrestle for the wooden spoon with the Italians.

I still think you're being harsh. Is Matt Scott playing well at 12? He isn't starting there, and now gets used as a rotation 13 by Bradley. When was the last game in which he played well at 12? I think probably last September. He's hardly banging down the door.

I'll give you King (who has now picked up a knock), on the front foot he's a good player and played some nice stuff for Edinburgh before the turn of the year. The fact that the Edinburgh defence is a complete mess bothers me though, and the idea of Laidlaw, King, NDL and Jones lining up against England doesn't inspire confidence.

I know it's not an effective measure of a team but Blair, Leonard, Scott and NDL fronted up well against London Irish. A team that included Hape who despite not being brilliant is a possible contender to start against Scotland.

I concede Lamont is not brilliant but he is the most sensible choice. I just don't like having an alternative to Morrison and Lamont if the plan A that has never worked, doen't work this time around. I wouldnt hold my breath for the U20 Welshaman with a Scottish mum and English dad either.

by funnyExiledScot Mon 09 Jan 2012, 12:05 pm

I agree with the last point, having to choose between S Lamont and Morrison doesn't make sense. Personally I'd have taken a punt on Matt Scott in the squad. I'd go with S Lamont to start outside Weir, but Matt Scott would have been my plan B, with Laidlaw also on the bench.

Leonard made a very bright start to the season but Bradley clearly thinks Godman is a better bet. My patience with Bradley is fast running out. He really needs a good result in France to redeem his recent selections and tactics.

by RuggerRadge2611 Mon 09 Jan 2012, 3:05 pm

He is on thin Ice at the moment. I like how well we are doing in the HC but he is kind of putting all his eggs in one basket. We are doing carp in the rabo and if he cant take at least 8 points from our last 2 HC games our qualification is far from assured.

Mind you a few bonus point wins in the Rabo will see us move up the table quite far.

Back on topic, Scotland for the 1st time ever have some decent options aside from the aforementioned gym monkeys. Robbo just needs to show some guts and pick the guys who have been performing. King should rightly be agitated to have been ommited.

by funnyExiledScot Mon 09 Jan 2012, 3:29 pm

I'm actually quite confident in the 1st XV selections. I don't often wildly disagree with Robbo on those. Where he most often strays from sense is the bench.

Here's my hunch as to what AR will pick, including awful bench selections:

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

16.Dickinson 17.Lawson 18.Kellock 19.Rennie 20.Blair 21.Parks 22.Morrison

That's what I predict will happen. A 1st XV most are broadly ok with but a screaming horrible bench.

by Majestic83 Mon 09 Jan 2012, 3:32 pm

I agree Scotland actually has some very good 10 and 12s coming through that are creative but are solid in defence as well. Robinson needs to trust these guys who have been performing well at club level and give them a chance instead of sticking with morrison at 12 who hasn't been performing for glasgow and I can't really recall a game for scotland where i was impressed by him.
I think long term matt scott is going to be a great 12 for scotland, he has the all round and is very good in defence, possibly him not being included in the 6 nations squad could be down to him finishing his law degree at the moment but definitely going to be a great player. The other 10/12 i think could be a great asset to scotland in the near future is robbie ferguson at ayr. He looks a great player and is still only 18 i think but has had 2 seasons now of playing in the b&i cup winning a few man of the match awards.

by funnyExiledScot Mon 09 Jan 2012, 3:38 pm

I'm not aware of Robbie Ferguson at Ayr but I'll keep a look out. Hopefully he's on Glasgow's radar and can make the step up to professional rugby in the next couple of years. I'd quite like Morrison to be snapped up by an Aviva Premiership side looking for a crashball merchant to organise their defence, thus leaving an opening at Glasgow for someone like Wight, Hunter, Jackson/Weir or Nathan to play 12.

by R!skysports Mon 09 Jan 2012, 3:39 pm

[quote="RuggerRadge2611"]

funnyExiledScot wrote:

In what way could you describe Sean Lamont at 12 as a Success?

Actually I thought he was a great success at 12 - he was proberbly the best 12 in the last 6 nations

What I found great was his skill set (and lack of skill set) actually suits 12 very well

he always makes it over the gain line, makes lots of half breaks and breaks, brings in defenders and opens space for others - he has a fantastic pop pass out of the tackle, and very soft hands

What he can not do - as people are pointing out, is pass across distance - well so what - (Jamie Roberts can't and he is thought of as world class) - he does not need to, as he breaks the line and pop passes to support and takes out defenders

Not saying he is the future for Scotland at 12, but I would prefer him at 12 than the wing now, as he has lost a little bit of gas

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Mon 09 Jan 2012, 3:44 pm

funnyExiledScot wrote:I'm actually quite confident in the 1st XV selections. I don't often wildly disagree with Robbo on those. Where he most often strays from sense is the bench.

Here's my hunch as to what AR will pick, including awful bench selections:

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

16.Dickinson 17.Lawson 18.Kellock 19.Rennie 20.Blair 21.Parks 22.Morrison

That's what I predict will happen. A 1st XV most are broadly ok with but a screaming horrible bench.

I don't see how Vernon's selection is merited - he's on OK form at Sale, is playing out of position, doesn't work that well with Barclay and Brown, and isn't the big, dynamic, ball-carrying threat that we need; Denton on the other hand ticks 3 out of 4 of those boxes, and is close to the Beattie of old as we've currently got - time for him to get the nod. Also Laidlaw, if not starting (and I accept he's never going to pick an entirely new halfback combo), must be on the bench. As for the other two backs you have on the bench - JUST SAY NO - they're like drugs, just bad for you

PS fES, you probably need to swap Ramont and wee Maxy

by funnyExiledScot Mon 09 Jan 2012, 3:52 pm

I wouldn't pick Vernon, but I think Robinson will. I agree, Denton would be a far better pick based on the balance with Brown and Barclay.

Parks and Morrison are nothing like drugs - they represent the pain without the pleasure!

Not sure it makes a big difference which wing those two play - a fullback and a converted 13.....

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