Scotland vs All Blacks @ 2.30pm Sunday 11 Nov Murrayfield

Isn't it interesting how many relatively inexperienced players are in the team.
2 totally new boys in Coles and Kerr Barlow.
14 new this year boys or (been around but not many games) in Faumina, Crockett, Romano, Retallick, Cane, Messam, Vito, Smith, Barrett, Cruden, Ellison, Gear, Savea, Smith.

In fact that would make a pretty good NZ A team wouldn't it! Front row bit dodgy.

Slightly off topic but some interesting comments from Dodson at a press conference recently:

He has openly come out saying Edinburgh's performances are unacceptable and need to get better. Also said how the SRU missed out on a deal with Sky this season because Edinburgh's start to the season was so bad. That's fairly depressing news!

Sean Maitland was brought over outside of the Glasgow budget - i.e. the SRU are paying for him and it is not in Glasgow's budget. That means that he wasn't sent to Glasgow because Edinburgh had spent all their budget, and the SRU had decided that he was better suited for Glasgow.

Seems strange to me with the number of quality wingers at Glasgow compared to Edinburgh, but I would say that wouldn't I!

It is strange that he has gone to Glasgow, their books are stuffed with classy wingers and back 3 players, Hogg, DTH, Seymore, Rory & Sean Lamont etc.

I suppose Edinburgh aren't too shabby either with Visser, Jones, Tonks, Brown but after that we are looking a little thin on the ground.

Not sure I'm all that bothered about Edinburgh not getting a deal with Sky TV. I'm not a sky customer and to be honest I'm happy with watching the games I can't get too on BBC Alba.

Besides it's funny watching the games on BBC Alba. A penalty is called a penus. So the commentator is constantly shouting "Penus a Glasgow/Edinburgh". It makes me chuckle.

I'm not bothered about the Sky deal falling through because I wanted to watch it on TV - it's the investment that would have been good to get.

That's the cold hard reality of pro rugby that I hope the players now understand - if they perform badly Scottish rugby loses out in investment, meaning less money, meaning their contracts might not be renewed.

Read recently that Ben Atiga is on a one year deal - he definitely has a lot to do to persuade people that he's worth holding on to!

When is the captain announced?

Surely Brown will Captain?

beshocked wrote:When is the captain announced?

It will be Kelly B I hope, I also hope his Sarries winning mind set comes with him!

Ford was under no illusions he was just holding the torch untill Kelly Brown recovered.

Grant Shiells has been added to the training squad – apparently Ryan Grant, Jacobsen and Corss all have various injuries but are expected to be available to play vs NZ.

We really are struggling with props - watch out radge, you might get a call up soon!

RDW_Scotland wrote:We really are struggling with props - watch out radge, you might get a call up soon!

Well I am in the best shape of my life mate! Although it's been over 5 years since I have played a competative match. When I say competative I mean anything above the 2nd XV

To be fair, if chunk can pull on one of those skin tight jerseys and take the field I don't see why I can't!

Having said that though would I enjoy packing down against any of this lot?

Wyatt Crockett
Charlie Faumuina
Ben Franks
Owen Franks
Tony Woodcock

As the All Blacks finish their haka I would almost certainly need to pick something up from my car.

I'll take em on!

I'm no a feardie like radge!

They are all yours bud!

smuggle a sgian dubh in your socks and then give them a Glasgow kiss as a welcome to scotland gesture. Mr McCaw would be a lot more passive in the rucks from that point on...

edit: ive just realised how sinister this sounds. Its a joke. honest.

Captain will be announced tomorrow.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Captain will be announced tomorrow.

Thanks for answering the question

Oi!

Stop answering questions, get back to providing off topic nonsensical banter please!

OK, OK, sorry!

How about:

People who would stand as much chance against the ABs as Kyle Traynor?

I notice Sir Chris Hoy will be at the All Blacks game, he could probably prop better than some of our regular 'experts', bound to have stronger legs.

I'd suggest Andy Murray's Mum for the front row (I won't say which position). She is the most terrifying person in Scotland.

you suggesting as a lady of the night?

For shame FES, for shame!!!

I'd put Alec Salmond in as a crash ball inside centre. Although this would make me cheer for the other team each time he got dump tackled!

I like the General Salmond idea. Like it very much!

Imperialbigdave wrote:smuggle a sgian dubh in your socks and then give them a Glasgow kiss as a welcome to scotland gesture. Mr McCaw would be a lot more passive in the rucks from that point on...

edit: ive just realised how sinister this sounds. Its a joke. honest.

Dave, A few before you have thought of and tried that idea, But my curiosity gets me , What on earth is a sgian dubh?

RDW_Scotland wrote:Slightly off topic but some interesting comments from Dodson at a press conference recently:

He has openly come out saying Edinburgh's performances are unacceptable and need to get better. Also said how the SRU missed out on a deal with Sky this season because Edinburgh's start to the season was so bad. That's fairly depressing news!

Sean Maitland was brought over outside of the Glasgow budget - i.e. the SRU are paying for him and it is not in Glasgow's budget. That means that he wasn't sent to Glasgow because Edinburgh had spent all their budget, and the SRU had decided that he was better suited for Glasgow.

Seems strange to me with the number of quality wingers at Glasgow compared to Edinburgh, but I would say that wouldn't I!

I dont know if you guys know it but when a New Zealand players agent is trying to put together a contract for a New Zealand player in Scotland, much of the negotiations and agreed upon terms are between the player and the SRU as they are with the particular club (Glasgow, Edinburgh), Ireland operate in similar manner, personally I think its prudent on Scotlands part, as it controls the type/position of players coming into your squads, it can leave opportunity for your young Scottish players, and all parties get to have a chat with Sean Lineen.... I just dont know what happened when some one signed up Ben Atiga.

aucklandlaurie wrote:

Imperialbigdave wrote:smuggle a sgian dubh in your socks and then give them a Glasgow kiss as a welcome to scotland gesture. Mr McCaw would be a lot more passive in the rucks from that point on...

edit: ive just realised how sinister this sounds. Its a joke. honest.

Dave, A few before you have thought of and tried that idea, But my curiosity gets me , What on earth is a sgian dubh?

It's a wee knife you keep in your sock when wearing a kilt!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

aucklandlaurie wrote:

Imperialbigdave wrote:smuggle a sgian dubh in your socks and then give them a Glasgow kiss as a welcome to scotland gesture. Mr McCaw would be a lot more passive in the rucks from that point on...

edit: ive just realised how sinister this sounds. Its a joke. honest.

Dave, A few before you have thought of and tried that idea, But my curiosity gets me , What on earth is a sgian dubh?

It's a wee knife you keep in your sock when wearing a kilt!

Literally, small black knife, laurie

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

aucklandlaurie wrote:

Imperialbigdave wrote:smuggle a sgian dubh in your socks and then give them a Glasgow kiss as a welcome to scotland gesture. Mr McCaw would be a lot more passive in the rucks from that point on...

edit: ive just realised how sinister this sounds. Its a joke. honest.

Dave, A few before you have thought of and tried that idea, But my curiosity gets me , What on earth is a sgian dubh?

It's a wee knife you keep in your sock when wearing a kilt!

Literally, small black knife, laurie

The thing is about the sgian dubh, it is never to be drawn for trivial or mundane purposes and must taste blood before it can be re-sheathed, even if that means nicking one's own finger...

So are the socks you wear when youve got your sgian dubh and your wearing a kilt, are they anything like rugby socks?

Glad I found this thread just as it descended into the Bonkers Basement.

Nganboy - to answer your question, yes it is a relatively inexperienced ABs side but that's really just a comment about how long they kept their core team together over the past 5 years (with devastating results for whomever played against them).

I am quite certain that all of the new lads will get a run-out against Italy and most of them will against us. Surprising to see Weepu and Williams in there - coach's personal picks, no doubt - it's the only possible explanation as neither deserves to be there on form.

I don't understand what the fuss is about Kerr-Barlow travelling - I think that he's had a great season. I also poo myself when I see a back three comprising any of Jane, Gear, Savea and Dagg - just an astonishing amount of talent. Cannot believe how good Savea is for someone who's about 12 years old or something silly.

aucklandlaurie wrote:
So are the socks you wear when youve got your sgian dubh and your wearing a kilt, are they anything like rugby socks?

Laurie - it's an interesting one and the sgian dubh is actually an official exemption from the Knives Act which means that anyone in Scotland (I think ) is allowed to carry it as part of a full highland dress.

The big woolly knee length socks that you wear with a kilt are held up by elasticated flashes and you are supposed to tuck the knife into the sock so that the gemstone in the top of the handle shows. They're like rugby socks, but less partisan and a lot warmer and less suitable for getting sopping wet.

Wearing a sgian dubh there comes from the tradition that when you entered a friend's house, you would give up all your weapons apart from your stabbing dagger which was usually held in a sling under the armpit (the reference to 'black' in the name, in addition to the bog oak that the handle was made from, also refers to the fact that the knife was usually concealed). You weren't worried about the host - rather an intervention by someone else coming inside unexpectedly. As a mark of respect to your host, you kept this last weapon but tucked it into your sock so that you both could see it.

True.

another thought about the sgian dubh is that it was placed in your left sock. This was for devious antics where you would shake the hand of a foe (being all smiles and niceness) then you would draw said weapon and stab them in the exposed side where you would puncture a lung and cause death.

So, never shake hands with a man in a kilt!

It caught out many and englishman!

Right slightly off the current topic, but great news, SRU announces on Facebook that they've now sold over 62,000 tickets for the NZ game

Were we ever on topic??

Ok Ok Ok, if we are going back to actually talking about this match

Anyone heard anything about the captain yet?

ah, just saw

Broon

Good shout imo

Tattie - yes, his Kellybrows will be captain:
http://www.scottishrugby.org/content/view/3211/2/

Tremendous shout - hopefully that means a nice balanced backrow unit of Brown-Barclay/Rennie-Doze - good news. And Fordy can just concentrate on doing his hookery type things!

Cannot argue with this Kelly Brown is without a doubt Scotland's best player and fully deserves this.

He'll certainly lead by example.

Really chuffed. He is an inspirational guy. All credit to him. It takes balls to do interviews when you're recovering from a stutter like he is.

Well done Kelly. Next up, Lions Captaincy...

I told you all!

Robbo in making the right decision shocker

Re sgian dubh: when Mrs Pip went into purdah just before the wedding her last words were, "I've organised everything except the organist and the outfits for yourself and best man. Can I trust you to get that right? Anything but a kilt, OK?" Two minutes before she arrived to glide serenely down the aisle BM and self are standing there in full Royal Stewart regalia wondering what the feck happend to the keyboards chappie when thankfully he sauntered in "for a wee practice on the organ,father". At the reception MrsP, as she had become, told me that if I didn't start closing my legs when sitting in kilt she would show the assembled guests a whole new use for the sgian dubh. Happy days indeed.
P.S. when I finally got to see the AB's at Murrayfield I couldn't get over what cheating bandits they were. Lets hope for a referee with cojones next week.

Scot Abroad wrote:Robbo in making the right decision shocker

I know - quite remarkable really. In fact the whole selection process for these AIs has been relatively uncontroversial so far. Where are Nikki Walker and Hugo Southwell for heaven's sake?? Southwell has captaincy experience at Wasps - let's get him back at inside centre. He was awesome there..........

GLove39 wrote:Right slightly off the current topic, but great news, SRU announces on Facebook that they've now sold over 62,000 tickets for the NZ game

Geez that was quick...imagine what those 62,000 could be telling their grandkids about what happened that day in years to come...

Good Morning guys.

tigertattie, Jimbo, George C, Asbo, Slipperyas, RDW Scotland.

When you come from a "young" country like NZ, which has very little history or tradition from a European point of view, little snippets like the sgian dubh are utterly brilliant, you are so lucky.

Perhaps when the ABs do the Haka the Scots should be allowed to carry a sgian dubh, and just reply with a staunch stare at the Kiwis in the tone of "Have we got a surprise for you". or even better the front row could stand there with a caber and let it be suggested to the New Zealanders "So lets see how good you go with one of these up yer".

I learnt something here.

You're welcome Laurie.

If we were being really traditional, the Scots team would respond to the haka by draining a bottle of Buckfast, shout "seemepalseeyouah'mgonnaehuvyouyabass", vomit on their boots and promptly get poured into the back of a passing police car with Andy Robinson driving.

Maybe I was in Glasgow for too long.

Maybe the Scots should call an Armistice at HT.

Maybe we could have a halftime treaty,

We will swap you a tighthead prop, a first 5/8th, and an attacking coach for all the Drambuie that we can fit on the plane.

We will swap you Kyle Traynor for a Terry's Chocolate Orange.

Thats a serious bit of horse trading there George.