Scotland squad for SH tour

First topic message reminder :

Backs - Ansbro, Blair, Brown, Cusiter, De Luca, Evans,Grove, Hogg, Laidlaw, S Lamont, Scott, Visser and Weir.

Forwards - Barclay, Cross, Ford(c), Grant, Gray, Hall, Harley,Kellock, S Lawson, Murray, Rennie, Ryder, Strokosch, Vernon and Welsh

RDW_Scotland wrote:Changing the subject....So who is on Twitter and who on the Scotland team do you think is the best banter?

NDL?

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote: Now we've got a thread in which WE're talking about Wales without a Welshman/woman in sight!! Is it catching?

Inception by the Wales supporters

Imperialbigdave wrote:
Its a bit like planet rugby where every thread gets irished.

Re: Evans. Sure hes got quick feet and an eye for a gap, but hasnt got a braincell devoted to rugby in his body. Runs up blind alleys far too often because he tries to do it all himself and ignores the players around him. IF, and thats a strong if, he is in the team, then it should be winger only.

Sometimes Evans comes good, his chip against England was a lovely piece of skill and he produced another a couple of weeks ago where he broke through the middle and played a chip with the outside of his foot into the path of the supporting winger, that eventually led to a try. Then you have situations like the weekend where it was harder not to score but he still managed it. All credit to Clerc for turning him over and I think Evans let go of the ball as soon as he saw his teammate supporting him, rather than try to ground it. It’s still not excusable. I’d rather see Ansbro at 13 but I’d probably have him on the wing over Evans. If Visser is on the other wing then the question is who would make the biggest impact off the bench, Brown or Evans?

TBH I don't rate Evans that much anymore. Bit too greedy and only the occasional flash of brilliance. Like Morrison, he should give way to younger guys.

Wingers against Fiji should be one-eye Ansbro and Visser.

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:TBH I don't rate Evans that much anymore. Bit too greedy and only the occasional flash of brilliance. Like Morrison, he should give way to younger guys.

Wingers against Fiji should be one-eye Ansbro and Visser.

Evans is only 28!!! We hardly have the depth of squad to start disregarding players for younger guys at that age. I don't think he would be in my starting XV at the moment, but he is still a good back in Scottish terms.

I'd have him on the bench - can change the game if things aren't going our way. Shame to put him there instead of Tom Brown though - we know exactly what Evans can do at this level.

He must be decent if he's starting in a top 14 semi final!

Dorothy_Mantooth wrote:

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:TBH I don't rate Evans that much anymore. Bit too greedy and only the occasional flash of brilliance. Like Morrison, he should give way to younger guys.

Wingers against Fiji should be one-eye Ansbro and Visser.

Evans is only 28!!! We hardly have the depth of squad to start disregarding players for younger guys at that age. I don't think he would be in my starting XV at the moment, but he is still a good back in Scottish terms.

He may well be only 28 but, assuming Visser replicated his club form, he'd be behind Visser, Brown, Lamont and Jones in my book.

I'll admit, if we were down to the bare bones then yeah but he's never really impressed me.

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:

Dorothy_Mantooth wrote:

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:TBH I don't rate Evans that much anymore. Bit too greedy and only the occasional flash of brilliance. Like Morrison, he should give way to younger guys.

Wingers against Fiji should be one-eye Ansbro and Visser.

Evans is only 28!!! We hardly have the depth of squad to start disregarding players for younger guys at that age. I don't think he would be in my starting XV at the moment, but he is still a good back in Scottish terms.

He may well be only 28 but, assuming Visser replicated his club form, he'd be behind Visser, Brown, Lamont and Jones in my book.

I'll admit, if we were down to the bare bones then yeah but he's never really impressed me.

It would be a shame if young Brown was left out of the squad next week. He played really well on Saturday. But this is international rugby and the Fiji game is hugely important. We need our best 22 on the pitch and Max Evans has shown enough to date to keep his place in the squad. Saturday's mistake was just that, a mistake. He has been our most creative and threatening back for about 3 seasons. Could anyone else have tried and pulled off that try against the English?

Tom Brown is the only cover we have for fullback. Ergo, he should be on the bench at least. Visser and Ansbro for the starting wing slots, no place for Evans or S Lamont.

I'm not so sure Capt.

Would the SRU really fly Evans out for one game?

nickj wrote:I'm not so sure Capt.

Would the SRU really fly Evans out for one game?

Then they probably have in mind someone else for him to replace. Lamont, maybe? or just as general injury cover, as they did with McInally.

nickj wrote:I'm not so sure Capt.

Would the SRU really fly Evans out for one game?

Or Dunbar, for possibly none? Robinson is on record saying that he might not cap all the newbies, so I think it is possible

Dunbar was already in Oz , it could've been a case of 'come on over son, but ye'll be getting your own flight back won't ye'.

Re Evans; he was named in the official squad and has done nothing to warrant getting dropped, other than his team making the semis and refusing to release him. Which could and should have been avoided in the first place.

Anyway thats by the by I stand by my original shout of him making the bench.

Same 22 as the Oz game for me, bar Vernon and Visser coming in and Max coming onto the bench.

Evans will be injury cover only. He's had a longer-ish season than the others and will only be called upon if absolutely necessary.

Hopefully AR has learned his lesson by arsing about with the squad too much. Continuity is key for this tour to be a success.

Is one of you lot now following me on Twitter?? Just so I know who it is!

P.s. radge I already know about you!

nickj wrote:Dunbar was already in Oz , it could've been a case of 'come on over son, but ye'll be getting your own flight back won't ye'.

Re Evans; he was named in the official squad and has done nothing to warrant getting dropped, other than his team making the semis and refusing to release him. Which could and should have been avoided in the first place.

Anyway thats by the by I stand by my original shout of him making the bench.

Same 22 as the Oz game for me, bar Vernon and Visser coming in and Max coming onto the bench.

So then who moves to fullback if (God forbid), Hogg is taken off injured in the 7th minute? Excluding Brown from the 22 would be utterly asinine.

Now that they have revealed themselves on twitter, ill be able to stalk them at games next season...

Bit controversial, but he could drop cusiter and have brown and Evans of the bench..

I must admit when the Evans brothers first started playing I always rated Thom over Max, a much sharper footballer with a bit more pace and nimbility, its just a shame he had that terrible injury.

I would say Max Evans should start being used as a power substitute, we saw what that did for Lamont a while back, and it seems to work wonders. He always strikes me as somewhat arrogant, but I think if you stoke his fire a bit by keeping him off the squad/on the bench competing with the young guys, his game should improve.

I always thought of Max as the better footballer and Thom the pace man.

RDW - I certainly wouldn't drop Cusiter from the bench, not after his cameo against Fiji. He made a big difference when he came on.

I'd stick with Brown on the bench. Evans can play wing in place of Ansbro against Samoa.

Changes? Bring in visser, Weir should get at least a half ( but robinson has made it cler he doesn't rate so I bet he doesn't get a minute unless laidlaw in jinjured) maybe give vernon a run

funnyExiledScot wrote:Ah yes, Rory Baldwin again. I don't think rugby is his sport.

It is true, Bennett would have looked better in an Aussie shirt (as would all the Scotland players), and his break for the Farndale try was outstanding, but my goodness his tackling and defensive alignment were poor. His opposite number dominated him, his second try basically just picking a line through the defense untouched.

Still, the whole team was utterly dreadful. Rory says Scotland battled hard. Not really. Totally dominated in every department physically. The body positions were dreadful and the defensive alignment all over the shop. Missed first up tackles everywhere, poor scrambling and bad rucking technique.

Didn't think Hislop showed up much, and I'd say Leonard had a game to forget.

I think Rory is just naming the players he's heard of. Truth is Scotland were dreadful to a man. Trying to find positives is frankly pathetic.

OK, have now watched the game a couple of times, and I think you're being pretty harsh on Bennett to be fair, fES. For me he was the pick of our backs, the only one capable of making things happen in attack (2 or 3 excellent breaks) - slipped a couple of tackles, but in the course of Scotland slipping north of 400-odd, that's to be expected. Poor Harry Leonard looked utterly bereft. In the forwards, I thought Matt Scott's little brother, Fergus, put in a credible shift at hooker, but it was backs-against-the-wall stuff, or should that be backs-rammed-against-the-wall stuff, so tough times for the pack tbh. The physicality difference was completely telling - I hope our youngsters pick themselves up from the experience and move on - reckon maybe up to 5 (being generous) will make it in the pro-game - Bennett, Farndale, Leonard (if he gets his head strait after this train crash), and maybe a couple from the forwards (much bulking out to be done)

Poor old Welsh is out. Low called up as a replacement. http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/story/165411.html

What was wrong with Leonard’s performance? Doesn’t sound like he got much of the ball to do anything with.

Low has just come back from his holidays - can't see him being very match fit! Cross will be on the bench then with Low providing backup.

Captain_Sensible wrote:What was wrong with Leonard’s performance? Doesn’t sound like he got much of the ball to do anything with.

The few times he did get it his decision-making wasn't of the highest order - generally dithering between hoofing it or simply shipping it on with only occasional glimpses of invention

BTW - Did anyone see NDL almost have his usual brain fart?

He is in a ruck being pushed back (cleared out) and as he was lying on the top, looked down at the ball and booted it while falling backwards (he was off his feet the whole time)

If I give him the benefit of the doubt his foot moved and caught the ball while falling backwards

If I give him the NDL of doubt - was a yellow card

Will look at it again, but I think it was another deliberate one as his eyes was watching the ball as he went backwards

Dorothy mantooth took the hit with the Welshies!


https://www.606v2.com/t30512p250-new-zealand-under-20s-v-wales-under-20s-teams-match-thread#1291194

Scot Abroad wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:I think I'll keep out of that one.....!

If Wales win on Saturday go on about how it is the worst Australian team in a generation etc and see how they like it....

Bingo! I think I'll wade in with the classic "congratulations to Wales for winning, but lets not get too carried away. That wasn't the strongest Aus team......". Que furious Welsh fans who can give it but not take it.

Australia 27 Wales 19