Calcutta Cup

Scotland or England...

England are by no doubt the favourites, and rightly. They have the forwards to out mussel the Scottish 8, and although many pundits are criticising the English backs, I think as the 6 Nations progress they will find the confidence needed to attack the opponents and score tries.

However, the long range weather forecast is not good. High winds, rain, b!oody cold. These are conditions that will favour the Scots and hinder the English.

If the unpredictable weather changes and we see a nice dry winters day, I'd find it difficult to see past an English win. However, the weather as it is, and the Braveheart ethos makes me think, this game could be one of the upsets of this years 6 Nations.

So, although I'll let the form book dictate my prediction in the "prediction competition", for this poll, I'm going to say Scotland to take the Calcutta Cup this year...

Anyone else...

I reckon Scotland will raise their game a lot for this one. They will need to improve their lineout a lot though to give themselves some sort of platform.

Scotland and rubbish - have no clear direction - have players seemingly undropable and have 3 eights in the back row

England by a land slide

Riskysports wrote:Scotland and rubbish - have no clear direction - have players seemingly undropable and have 3 eights in the back row

England by a land slide

+1.

This one comes down to selection. SJ gets it right we'll be competative. Gets it wrong and we'll get thumped.

No9 wrote:Scotland or England...

England are by no doubt the favourites, and rightly. They have the forwards to out mussel the Scottish 8, and although many pundits are criticising the English backs, I think as the 6 Nations progress they will find the confidence needed to attack the opponents and score tries.

However, the long range weather forecast is not good. High winds, rain, b!oody cold. These are conditions that will favour the Scots and hinder the English.

If the unpredictable weather changes and we see a nice dry winters day, I'd find it difficult to see past an English win. However, the weather as it is, and the Braveheart ethos makes me think, this game could be one of the upsets of this years 6 Nations.

So, although I'll let the form book dictate my prediction in the "prediction competition", for this poll, I'm going to say Scotland to take the Calcutta Cup this year...

Anyone else...

Well Scotland tackled with all the effect of a mussel yesterday but I presume you mean out-muscle ?

Anyway Scotland are ill coached and ill prepared and will get an utter pumping on Saturday !     

Well it wouldn't be the first time we've gone into a Calcutta Cup game off the back of a string of disappointing defeats and turned things around. But as numerous others have said if we don't shore up the lineout & pick a proper backrow with a proper Frak openside then England will hammer us. Think I might do a rain dance on Saturday!

Scotland well get the wooden spoon this year, they have Italy away so will be starring down a barrel, in fact I would put Scotland as the weakest nation in the 6N these days, Italy for me have overtaken them. The thing is with Scotland though, they always seem to raise their game when they are at home and against supposedly better sides. It's away from home that they are truly cack.

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:

No9 wrote:Scotland or England...

England are by no doubt the favourites, and rightly. They have the forwards to out mussel the Scottish 8, and although many pundits are criticising the English backs, I think as the 6 Nations progress they will find the confidence needed to attack the opponents and score tries.

However, the long range weather forecast is not good. High winds, rain, b!oody cold. These are conditions that will favour the Scots and hinder the English.

If the unpredictable weather changes and we see a nice dry winters day, I'd find it difficult to see past an English win. However, the weather as it is, and the Braveheart ethos makes me think, this game could be one of the upsets of this years 6 Nations.

So, although I'll let the form book dictate my prediction in the "prediction competition", for this poll, I'm going to say Scotland to take the Calcutta Cup this year...

Anyone else...

Well Scotland tackled with all the effect of a mussel yesterday but I presume you mean out-muscle ?

Anyway Scotland are ill coached and ill prepared and will get an utter pumping on Saturday !     

 
   Freudian slip I think ...  

 

LordDowlais wrote:Scotland well get the wooden spoon this year, they have Italy away so will be starring down a barrel, in fact I would put Scotland as the weakest nation in the 6N these days, Italy for me have overtaken them. The thing is with Scotland though, they always seem to raise their game when they are at home and against supposedly better sides. It's away from home that they are truly cack.

Why do I worry here.... Oh yes, we face Scotland LAST in the MS. A game we should win, but it wont be the first time (or the last) that they spoil a party....   

How is the pitch in Murrayfield looking? Aparently the grass during the Nov internationals suffered a nemetode attack and as a result was fairly ripped up.

England should win this one at a canter. But lets not get to down on Scotland they all ways seem to raise their game against England. I just hope that England have a another 10 on the bench this week.

Will May be fit to start, or will we see Watson in his place?

GunsGerms wrote:How is the pitch in Murrayfield looking? Aparently the grass during the Nov internationals suffered a nemetode attack and as a result was fairly ripped up.

Even with a nemetode attack, I bet it holds together better than ours at the MS...   

Actually, joking aside... I thought a lot of pitches suffered last year, Paris (for the Wales game) was worse than a MS pitch... Wonder if theres a connection..

No9 wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:How is the pitch in Murrayfield looking? Aparently the grass during the Nov internationals suffered a nemetode attack and as a result was fairly ripped up.

Even with a nemetode attack, I bet it holds together better than ours at the MS...   

Actually, joking aside... I thought a lot of pitches suffered last year, Paris (for the Wales game) was worse than a MS pitch... Wonder if theres a connection..

Did you know that the groundsman in the MS paints the grass using a biodegradable paint so that it looks good on TV?

GunsGerms wrote:

No9 wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:How is the pitch in Murrayfield looking? Aparently the grass during the Nov internationals suffered a nemetode attack and as a result was fairly ripped up.

Even with a nemetode attack, I bet it holds together better than ours at the MS...   

Actually, joking aside... I thought a lot of pitches suffered last year, Paris (for the Wales game) was worse than a MS pitch... Wonder if theres a connection..

Did you know that the groundsman in the MS paints the grass using a biodegradable paint so that it looks good on TV?

 
What... every blade individually... Now who says the WRU aren't investing in rugby's "grass roots"...  

Probably every blade collectively. I actually emailed Majella Smith head groundsman at the Aviva for details on the pitch in Landsdowne and she sent me a link to this article.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/the-grounds-staff-pitching-for-the-perfect-surface-1.1669728#.Uu63GOWfEtI.email

Page 3 of the article talks about the MS. Head groundsman at the MS is called Lee Evans.

It's hard to see Scotland on the receiving end quite as much as the second half yesterday. They'll be determined to improve, are at home and playing the auld enemy, not saying all those factors are enough for them to win but I'd be very surprised if they don't at least play with passion.

As has been mentioned constantly on another thread, Ford must be dropped however. You don't reward a gaping weakness like that with another start the following week.

Knowsit17 wrote:It's hard to see Scotland on the receiving end quite as much as the second half yesterday. They'll be determined to improve, are at home and playing the auld enemy, not saying all those factors are enough for them to win but I'd be very surprised if they don't at least play with passion.

As has been mentioned constantly on another thread, Ford must be dropped however. You don't reward a gaping weakness like that with another start the following week.

Who will take Fords place if he is dropped?

Knowsit17 wrote:It's hard to see Scotland on the receiving end quite as much as the second half yesterday. They'll be determined to improve, are at home and playing the auld enemy, not saying all those factors are enough for them to win but I'd be very surprised if they don't at least play with passion.

As has been mentioned constantly on another thread, Ford must be dropped however. You don't reward a gaping weakness like that with another start the following week.

Well a succession of dud coaches have done it....  ... erm lets see 71 times !

Madge, my guess would be MacArthur as he's next in line but Scottish posters will know more about it than I do.

Schizoid, surely Ford hasn't been playing this badly in every one of his 71 caps?? Some if not all will have been merited, although on current form Ford really shouldn't be adding to them unless options at hooker are that short.

A lot of those 71 caps were back in the days were he didn't actually have to hook the ball... just sayin'

Knowsit17 wrote:Madge, my guess would be MacArthur as he's next in line but Scottish posters will know more about it than I do.

Schizoid, surely Ford hasn't been playing this badly in every one of his 71 caps?? Some if not all will have been merited, although on current form Ford really shouldn't be adding to them unless options at hooker are that short.

Ford was at one time not a bad player - he has never been the best thrower (or hooker) but being 6 2 and 18 stn he put himself about in the loose. Now one bad throw an he visibly wilts - this has been probably since Mrs Robinson was coach. Dud coaches (the set up we have now and have had since Jim Telfer and Iain McGeechan left) have destroyed Ford - Robinson laughably thought giving him the Captaincy would help his confidence. He needs time away from Int rugby to learn to throw, learn to hook a ball or change to prop - he could be a bloody devastating prop.