Scotland 6N's Buildup Thread

[bsando]

First topic message reminder :

Scotland's 2019 6N Fixtures

Sat, 2 Feb, 14:15
Murrayfield Stadium
Scotland vs Italy

Sat, 9 Feb, 14:15
Murrayfield Stadium
Scotland vs Ireland

Sat, 23 Feb, 14:15
Stade de France
France vs Scotland

Sat, 9 Mar, 14:15
Murrayfield Stadium
Scotland vs Wales

Sat, 16 Mar, 17:00
Twickenham Stadium
England vs Scotland

2019 6N Squad


2019 6N Call ups

Matt Smith, Rob Harley, Alex Dunbar, Luke Crosbie, Henry Pyrgos, Stafford McDowall, Rory Hughes

2018 6N Squad

Scott Lawson, Stuart McInally, George Turner, Simon Berghan, Jamie Bhatti, Murray McCallum, Gordon Reid, D'Arcy Rae, Jon Welsh, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray, Richie Gray, Ben Toolis, John Barclay (c), Magnus Bradbury, Luke Hamilton, Rob Harley, Hamish Watson, David Denton, Cornell du Preez, Ryan Wilson,

Nathan Fowles, Greig Laidlaw, Ali Price, Henry Pyrgos, Peter Horne, Ruaridh Jackson, Finn Russell, Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, Nick Grigg, Chris Harris, Huw Jones, Duncan Taylor, Lee Jones, Sean Maitland, Byron McGuigan, Tommy Seymour, Stuart Hogg, Blair Kinghorn

2018 6N Call ups

Neil Cochrane, Fraser Brown, James Malcolm, Zander Fagerson, Darryl Marfo, WP Nel, Scott Cummings, Tim Swinson, Matt Fagerson, John Hardie, Josh Strauss, George Horne, Adam Hastings, Matt Scott, Richie Vernon, Tim Visser

Recent Final Placings

2018 3rd GT
2017 4th VC
2016 4th VC
2015 6th VC
2014 5th SJ

[BigGee]

Marfo actually did ok when he did get on the pitch a few games back, he may get a few more shots in the 6N window. There is a half decent player in there somewhere.

Don't pay to much attention to an international bring on the bench for a club game. Usually it just means he has not trained with them all week

With Dell away there may still be room for him at Edinburgh.

[RDW]

You know you're not wanting when a tighthead (McCallum) is picked at loosehead over you!

[BigGee]

Maybe the plan is to develop McCallam as LH from next year onwards

From a Scotland POV it is definitely our weaker side and is not likely to improve much until Keeble becomes SQ, another whole season away

At some stage he is going to have to pick, being an all rounder will eventually count against him

[Guest]

I don't understand how Lee Jones is an international player.

[BigGee]

Lee Jones is a decent winger, but no where near the Scotland team when everyone fit

Seymour, Maitland, Graham, Kinghorn and probably McGuigan all would be ahead of him

[funnyExiledScot]

Lee Jones is a decent winger, but no where near the Scotland team when everyone fit

Seymour, Maitland, Graham, Kinghorn and probably McGuigan all would be ahead of him

Agreed. I'd say McGuigan definitely ahead as well. Another solid showing from Graham tonight.

Pyrgos is probably unlucky not to make the squad, but I've little issue with the two Glasgow boys making it. If we want a 9 to take an age to pass the ball, we've got Laidlaw on hand.

[NeilyBroon]

Looks like we may be seeing the return of the hard horse. If Watsons injury is a fractured hand we may not see him until the England game, or indeed the summer!

If hardie proves to be half the player he was in 2015 then i don't have too much issue with it. Question is would it be worth calling up one of the youngns to train with the squad?

[RDW]

I wonder if we'll see Skinner at 6 and Ritchie at 7 instead. I actually think Ritchie is better at 7 and Skinner has been playing there a lot for Exeter recently.

Hardie has been doing well at Newcastle by all accounts but he's not long back from a serious injury so I'm not sure he should be thrust straight back into international duty and expected to perform how he used to.

[NeilyBroon]

Well it'd certainly give us a bit more weight with Skinner, assuming Wilson is at 8.

It does throw our options open as that means we have no definite starters in the backrow in any position. Though I'd argue in toonies eyes Wilson is always there so that rules out 8.

Has gary graham had a good season? He seemed to be in good form last year

[RDW]

More injury concerns with Wilson and Gray going off early for Glasgow.

[RDW]

I think Johnson went off for an HIA too.

[George Carlin]

Jeez - have we gone into a 6 Nations in the past 5 years where 80% of our first choice players were both fit and in form?

[NeilyBroon]

I would argue that this enforces a refresh in areas that need one.

Wilson has previously been undroppable, now this gives others a shot to claim the 8 shirt.

Johnson is a bugger but he'll be back and as I've said before, dean can do a job there. It may open up a place for Johnstone which would be a positive move imo or Lang who seems to have had a decent enough season so far.

Also To have nel showing form is great as that's one side of the scrum sorted.

Gray looks to have been utterly flogged, so an enforced break may do him good. Hopefully its nothing serious. Great chance for toolis and gilchrist to lay down a marker as they're on fire at the moment.

[RDW]

Gray might look like he's been flogged but he hasn't been - today was his first game of 2019!  He last played on 29th December against Edinburgh.

[RDW]

So I watched the Exeter game earlier and kept a close eye on Skinner, who had a solid game.

Thing is, to me he still looks very much like a 2nd row filling in at 6. He's very good in the tight - excellent set piece and a key part in probably the best rolling maul in Europe - but he's not a consistent, dynamic carrier like we need in our back row.  You also lose breakdown ability when you have a big lump like him over a natural flanker.

Looking back at the AIs our biggest concerns were lack of ball carriers and the breakdown. Given our injuries this is now an even bigger concern and I fear if we play Skinner at 6 that won't help the situation. Thing is though, we're not exactly blessed with fit alternative options!

[Guest]

I think Skinner just about fits the mould of a modern day 6/lock, but only just. He gets away with it in the Premiership, and particularly at the Chiefs as the style of rugby they play has very little to do with the number on the back of the shirt (Armand at 7, Kvesic at 8 etc.). It's more about the balance of units for them. He'll probably play more regularly at #5 as he gets older, but I'd still expect him to hold his own at 6 for the rest of his career. However, I'd say the difference between Skinner and Beirne was stark - Beirne really can play either very well without unbalancing the back 5. The difference when directly up against Skinner really showed.

[123456789.]

I think the days of an out and out 6 in the Lydiate Mould are over, I think teams in general have either a lock/ blindside, a blindside/ openside or a number 8/ blindside. I think Scotland's game plan works best with a blindside/ openside if possible. That means Jamie Ritchie or John Barclay (maybe Ryan Wilson who is a sort of all round back-row, jack of all trades perhaps master of none) for Scotland. We need fast ball, ideally a chaotic breakdown when the opposition have it. Beating England last year was made possible by Russell and Jones clicking in a big big way, but it was built on Barclay, Watson and Wilson (with help from McInally) utterly dominating the breakdown. Certainly, England playing with three second-rows made them look clunky and outdated, even if one of them was Saint Maro the blessed. I think Skinner and Gray will be an excellent lock partnership but Ritchie really ought to be starting at 6 for us, he's good enough at the breakdown (perhaps not enough to be Scotland's out and out 7 against the top teams), he's a lineout option and he, from what I have seen, makes very few mistakes plus that offload to Darcy Graham was world class. If we can get Watson back fit then he is nailed on, otherwise I'd like to see Hardie given a chance. If we can get him fit and firing again after what has been a difficult year for him then Scottish rugby sends a powerful message out to those who have struggled with drug abuse that there is a way back. Not that morals or ethics take precedent over rugby ability or talent, it is an athletic organisation (albeit one that once employed Allan Jacobsen) first and foremost. Eight is a problem but has been since Johnnie Beattie was at his best in 2010 maybe we should take a leaf out of Eddie Jones' new book and stick Lee Jones there.

[BigGee]

So what do we make of the weekend games from a Scotland point of view?

We took a few injuries in the Glasgow game at least. Gray, Wilson and Stewart all went off with shoulder problems. JG seem to have a little bit of an on-going issues with his, having not played because of it for the past few weeks and it does not look as if it was right this time around. Could he be a doubt for the first block of internationals?

We would have been soiling our pants at the prospect at the prospect of playing without JG normally, but you would have to say that the form of the Edinburgh pair in the second row has made this much less of an issue and that they should maybe be the starting pair on form. JG has not quite been his usual self this year, not to say he has played badly but just a touch off his normal standard of excellent. Maybe the injury has been bothering him for longer than we have known.

If Wilson, who it has to be said, did play well before going off injured, is out as well, that pretty much just leaves Ashe and Strauss as our only available No.8s. If Stewart is out as well, then it would be between Kerr and Cherry for the bench spot as the hooker. The Glasgow lineout had another poor day at the office, some of which will no doubt be Stewarts fault, though losing two of our main jumpers probably did not help much either.

Watson was the main casualty from the Edinburgh game and looks pretty likely to miss the first block of games at least if his hand is broken. Luckily we do at least have some other options to bring into play at OS. Hardie is the obvious cover, but Ritchie and Graham can also play there, so his loss might not be the disaster it might have been even last year.

Other Glasgow players who put up their hands were Sam Johnson, who also went off with a concussion, but hopefully not a bad one. I would like to see him start against Italy, he is a very good player and deserves his chance. That pass for Seymours try was just amazing.

Ali Price had his best game in a Glasgow shirt for quite some time and really looks like he has rediscovered himself. He really held the Sarries defence with his movement and slight delay of the pass. That looks like it might well be the blueprint to beating them when we come back down in march.

Tommy Seymour again showed his aerial excellence and his turn of pace. For all Darcy Graham's excellence this season, I am not sure if he is as good as TS under the high ball yet, that may still make the difference in selection, unless Maitland stays on the sick list.

For Edinburgh, it would be hard to pick out anyone who did not play well, though two of the standouts, Mata and Shoey are not going to be playing for Scotland. It was good to see Nelly right back to his very best. He could have a massive impact on the 6N if he maintains this kind of form.

I thought Henry P was worth a shout as well and probably had his best game in an Edinburgh shirt so far. He is really right back in international form now and is probably the most unlucky player not to have made the squad. Unfortunately for him, the other SHs are also bang in form. He will be a very able deputy if anyone cops an injury.

The main thing though, for all our international players is that they have been battled hardened by these Euro games, some of which have been played at a similar intensity and perhaps more importantly, we have been playing well and winning them.

I think that despite our injury list, we go into the 6N in good shape.

[RDW]

Head Coach Gregor Townsend today (Monday) added four players to the Scotland squad for the 2019 Guinness Six Nations.

Uncapped back-row forwards Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh) and Matt Smith (Glasgow Warriors) are joined by Glasgow Warriors pair Alex Dunbar (centre) and Rob Harley (second-row).

Edinburgh back-row Hamish Watson has dropped out of the squad while he recovers from the hand injury he sustained in his club’s win over Montpellier, while fellow squad members Sam Johnson (concussion), Jonny Gray (shoulder) and Ryan Wilson (shoulder) continue their rehabilitation in camp.
Uncapped additions
Former Stirling High School pupil Matt Smith is a product of the renowned Stirling County player production line, with his side lifting the National Youth Cup in 2013.

In Janaury 2017 he signed his first professional contract with Glasgow Warriors and was named in the starting lineup for the first time for the trip to play the Ospreys in February 2017, going on to make 24 appearances to date.

The openside back-row has been part of Scottish Rugby’s pathway and Fosroc Academy programmes since the age of 16.

Sport is clearly in the genes of the Smith family: Matthew’s great grandfather (Alex Smith) was a footballer for Rangers, his sister (Hannah) is a capped Scotland rugby internationalist, while Matthew himself is also certificated, advanced open water scuba diver.

A product of Livingston RFC, Luke Crosbie transferred to Currie as a teenager, where he progressed into the club’s first XV.

After impressing in the Tennet's Premiership – and improving his game as part of the Fosroc Scottish Rugby Academy - the back-row caught the attention of national selectors and was subsequently drafted into the Scotland U20 squad for the 2017 World Rugby U20 Championship in Georgia, where he played a major role in helping the age-grade side to its highest-ever finish of fifth.

The back-row made his debut for the club during October’s 16-15 Guinness PRO14 victory over Zebre at Myreside and has made 22 appearances for the club.

[BigGee]

Good to get some of these players into the squad, Smith and Crosbie in particular, but hard to see any of them featuring, unless we get a lot more injuries

[NeilyBroon]

Having only seen crosbie a couple of times, he strikes me as a very good ball carrier, has he ever played at 8? Could be worth pursuing?

[RDW]

He's a good carrier and has filled in the odd time for Edinburgh but is very much lacking bulk to play 8 IMO. Definitely better suited on the flank. He's quite similar in build to Jamie Ritchie, although a little taller.

[NeilyBroon]

Shame, we just don't seem to produce big lumps like other nations. We're so close to being a force with just that one position seriously lacking. Though the hooker situation gives me the heebie jeebies at the moment

[RDW]

His official stats are 6ft 4 and just over 16st. He would probably need to add on a stone to be a number 8 but that would reduce his athleticism which makes him the player he is.

[EWT Spoons]

According to Mark Palmer, last season the Edinburgh conditioners took Crosbie off all running and just told him to bulk up in the gym. He's always been a big lad, but I wonder if his official stats are slightly out of date now.

[RDW]

Given that official stats tend to over exaggerate (Tim Swinson being 6ft 5 and 18.5st for example), the two probably balance themselves out and the above is about right!

[EWT Spoons]

Fair point. To be fair though I've never seen him dominated by an opponent in contact and he seems to have a great attitude. If he's been able to bulk up a bit, then can only be a good thing.

[RDW]

Oh definitely - he's never looked under powered for Edinburgh, I was just saying that if he was going to be a number 8 (and particularly a long term option with Scotland) he'd probably need to put some bulk on. He's only 21 so plenty time to grow into his frame, and as I said I don't want him to lose his athleticism that makes him stand out.

[EWT Spoons]

Aye, my chat wasn't in anyway disagreeing with you, it was more just as an add on. Similar to your "he's only 21..." point.

I'd be surprised if he was involved in the 6n, this year, but, Edinburgh's performance wasn't negatively impacted when Watson went off and he came on, and he could be amazing in training. Would still be a outside chance though.

[bsando]

I think Crosbie is coming on really well for Edinburgh at 6 or 7. I really hope skinner remains a 2nd row for Scotland, he seems better suited there and we have so many good up and coming options for openside and blindside.

Sure we’ll see a lot of Ritchie this 6N, he’s been great for Edinburgh. Graham might get a chance via the bench or starting for Italy I reckon he must be chomping at the hit for a start now.

Assuming Watson and Wilson are out Rd 1 I’d go

6. Graham
7. Ritchie
8. Ashe

Bench: Hardie

[tigertattie]

I think Crosbie is coming on really well for Edinburgh at 6 or 7. I really hope skinner remains a 2nd row for Scotland, he seems better suited there and we have so many good up and coming options for openside and blindside.

Sure we’ll see a lot of Ritchie this 6N, he’s been great for Edinburgh. Graham might get a chance via the bench or starting for Italy I reckon he must be chomping at the hit for a start now.

Assuming Watson and Wilson are out Rd 1 I’d go

6. Graham
7. Ritchie
8. Ashe

Bench: Hardie

I'm going to argue with ya there just coz I'm a bit odd that way!

But I'd start Hardie at 7, Ritchie at 6 and have Graham on the bench to cover 6 and 7. Graham can cover both positions but Hardie is an out and out 7.

The big issue would be if Ashe is struggling (injury, pace, whatever), we're then lacking replacement. Its therefore likely that old Strauss would bench over graham. Ashe moving to 6 one of the other back rowers gets gubbed.

Or, out of the left field, we've seen Toolis and Gilcho can be 80 min men at second row. You could have Rob, the ginger that never lets you down, Harley on the bench covering 2nd row and 6.

I mean no disrespect to italy, but it's only Italy in our first game and we should be winning by a margin even if there's half a B team out there. I know you shouldnt take any team lightly, but Italy have not kicked on and have actually regressed in the absence of Parisse. The only thing to consider is (and this is pie in the sky stuff), but if we're looking to win the 6Ns, we may want to be looking at putting 40 passed Italy in the event thigs come down to points difference!

ahhhh the 6Ns. How I have missed thee

[Guest]

I mean no disrespect to italy, but it's only Italy in our first game and we should be winning by a margin even if there's half a B team out there. I know you shouldnt take any team lightly, but Italy have not kicked on and have actually regressed in the absence of Parisse. The only thing to consider is (and this is pie in the sky stuff), but if we're looking to win the 6Ns, we may want to be looking at putting 40 passed Italy in the event thigs come down to points difference!

ahhhh the 6Ns. How I have missed thee

If ever there was a case for bad karma/juju/pride before a fall - it's this. Scotland should wipe the floor with Italy. But counting eggs in the 6Ns can up with...well, not egg on your face as such...but something similar.

I can't believe Italy will be as poor as they have done for much longer. This is probably the longest period since they entered the 6Ns that they've been truly non-competitive - it was 2015 since they were last picking off the odd result (came close against you in 2014) but that was sort of a flash in the pan. It was 2012/13ish when they were dreadful, but still winning one game per tournament. That's now stopped. If they don't show marked improvement in this 6Ns and the RWC, O'Shea will be gone, surely? In which case - watch out Scotland. They might not win, but expect them to do something sneaky first up.

[EST]

I'm actually quite worried about the Italy game, the pro teams have been playing well and O'Shea has got everybody pulling in the right direction - they also have some really good players in that pack, like Negri, Steyn and Polledri (although he is potentially inured). We should, and I think will, win, but I don't think it's gonna be easy.

[EWT Spoons]

Yeah I wouldn't be underestimating the Italian team. Benetton's league form is showing the players are currently doing well.

As you say EST, we should win, but it's not going to be easy, or something we should take for granted.

If we had a full strength team/squad to pick from we might have reason to be more confident, but there are a number of question marks in some key positions.

[BigGee]

When does a Scotland team who are clear favourites to win ever inspire any of us with confidence?

A first up game in the 6N, when sides are rusty and not really firing yet. It is probably italy's best shot at a win over the whole tournament, they will be up for it. look how we struggled to put them away in Rome last spring.

We need to go into this fully focused and with out best available team, concentrate on winning the match and not worry about BPs unless they present themselves.

[NeilyBroon]

Agree with this, given our own inconsistency we're hardly in a position to brag pre game. We should beat Italy but doesn't mean we will. Barring further injuries, I'd go with:

Dell
McInally
Nel
Gilchrist
Toolis
Ritchie
Hardie
Ashe

Laidlaw
Russell
Maitland
Dean
Jones
Seymour (Graham is very close though)
Hogg

Bench
Kerr (let's hope McInally doesnt get crocked)
Rae/bhatti/a n other
Berghan (provided he doesn't do anything stupid )
Skinner
Crosbie (i would rather see him in action than strauss)
Horne jr (if we're up or desperate for a score)
Hastings (he's lucky that we aren't blessed with fly halves, been a bit hit and miss recently)
Kinghorn (I'd squeeze in graham were it not for fly half cover)

[tigertattie]

Why do you need fly half cover from Kinghorn?

You have Hastings on the bench and if he falls, Frodo would step in or Hogg.

I'd probably still have Kinghorn on the bench to cover 15 and wing but drop Hastings out and have a centre in there - Probs Dunbar to be honest.

[George Carlin]

I honestly wonder if we shouldn't go 6-2 on the bench, given the rate at which we tend to lose forwards throughout this tournament.

Am absolutely gutted that Barclay and Watson may miss this whole tournament. I really would be tempted to start Hardie at 7 - were were very vulnerable at the breakdown last year and quick ball is what we're about. I hate hybrid 7s. Either you're an invisibility cloak wearing McCaw wannabe or you're Ryan Wilson not.

[BigGee]

I honestly wonder if we shouldn't go 6-2 on the bench, given the rate at which we tend to lose forwards throughout this tournament.

Am absolutely gutted that Barclay and Watson may miss this whole tournament. I really would be tempted to start Hardie at 7 - were were very vulnerable at the breakdown last year and quick ball is what we're about. I hate hybrid 7s. Either you're an invisibility cloak wearing McCaw wannabe or you're Ryan Wilson not.

I'd be surprised if watson misses the whole series

[George Carlin]

I honestly wonder if we shouldn't go 6-2 on the bench, given the rate at which we tend to lose forwards throughout this tournament.

Am absolutely gutted that Barclay and Watson may miss this whole tournament. I really would be tempted to start Hardie at 7 - were were very vulnerable at the breakdown last year and quick ball is what we're about. I hate hybrid 7s. Either you're an invisibility cloak wearing McCaw wannabe or you're Ryan Wilson not.

I'd be surprised if watson misses the whole series

Mike Blair was saying that he will definitely be out for the first two games and that they're still waiting for the medical report to confirm whether it's actually broken or not. I think that we're all ignoring the main issue which is that opening a packet of Monster Munch must be a real bugger for him.

[NeilyBroon]

Sorry i didn't mean it to read that way, i meant id have graham on the bench if we didnt have to have FH cover, kinghorn is too good to leave out. Hastings is lucky that we dont have better options tbh, his form hasn't been great.

[BigGee]

Hastings may well struggle to bench as Horne P offers a bit more flexibility and I think he will take that role.

Finn is unlikely to be subbed unless he is injured or having one of those days!

[Hazel Sapling]

Hastings was pretty good against Sarries. He seems to be a reluctant tackler at times though which he needs to get out the habit of.

If you are going to have a lock covering BS, Harley has been in good form, really revitilised him to have committed to lock and putting on the extra weight, however Skinner has been doing solid work for Exeter and probably keeps the jersey. As long as we don't see Swinson there...

Doesn't Skinner also play 8 every now and then? Allows us to have a choice of G Graham or Hardie

[tigertattie]

Hastings may well struggle to bench as Horne P offers a bit more flexibility and I think he will take that role.

Finn is unlikely to be subbed unless he is injured or having one of those days!

The latter is a 50/50 possibility though

Isnt Horne still a bit of an injury doubt too though?

The issue for Graham is that Kinghorn is (and has) covered wing from the bench so it's even more of a struggle for Darcy to Break through. His time will come though as Seymour and Maitland are both 30 and realistically this will be thier last world cup so unless they have the tesicular fortitude of Sean "I'll play anywhere if it means I don't need to retire" Lamont.

All this is of course depending on if Maitland and Seymour are able to retain thier places over Kinghorn and Graham who are both playing very well at the moment.

[EST]

I'm still really pondering the BR, currently thinking the following would be best:

6. Ritchie - Playing the best rugby of his life, he gets in even if he did look a bit under powered playing at at blindside in the autumn
7. Hardie - A class above Graham and somebody with a point to prove, he could be a huge player for us this 6N if he can keep fit
8. Ashe - His early season form and extra bulk gets him in front of Wilson (who did play well against Sarries).  Thought about Strauss, but i've reluctantly come to the conclusion that int rugby is probably a step too far for Strauss at this stage in his career.

20. Wilson - Covers 6, 7 & 8 and is a Toonie favorite, he also looked a lot more effective against Sarries.

[RDW]

Anyone else worried we're going to see a Toonie Tombala selection of something like

6 Swinson
7 Wilson
8 Skinner

?

[tigertattie]

Well, here's a laugh for you. Scotland vs ireland in the world cup warm up match of August 2011

15 Chris Paterson (Edinburgh)
14 Nikki Walker (Ospreys)
13 Joe Ansbro (London Irish)
12 Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors)
11 Sean Lamont (Scarlets)
10 Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors)
9 Rory Lawson (Gloucester) (C)

1 Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh)
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh)
3 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh)
4 Jim Hamilton (Gloucester)
5 Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors)
6 Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester)
8 Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow Warriors)
7 Ross Rennie (Edinburgh)

Substitutes

16 Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors)
17 Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks)
18 Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors)
19 David Denton (Edinburgh)
20 Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh)
21 Nick De Luca (Edinburgh)
22 Jack Cuthbert (Bath)

Now there's a few there who sadly were gubbed before their prime, but there's also some absolute knikcers in there too!

But what a backrow

[IanBru]

Well, here's a laugh for you. Scotland vs ireland in the world cup warm up match of August 2011

I'll remember that game as the first match I watched with John Beattie commentating. When Ansbro burst through for the winning try at the very end, Mr Beattie described it as "a wonderful training ground move!".

I remember thinking how interesting that was, that Beattie could remember particular moves from when he'd been watching Scotland train the previous week. Of course what I know now, what we all know, is that with Mr Beattie...

EVERYTHING IS A TRAINING GROUND MOVE.

[RDW]

That's all 3 games sold out, meaning 14 games in a row sold out at Murrayfield. Incredible!

[George Carlin]

Well, here's a laugh for you. Scotland vs ireland in the world cup warm up match of August 2011

I'll remember that game as the first match I watched with John Beattie commentating. When Ansbro burst through for the winning try at the very end, Mr Beattie described it as "a wonderful training ground move!".

I remember thinking how interesting that was, that Beattie could remember particular moves from when he'd been watching Scotland train the previous week. Of course what I know now, what we all know, is that with Mr Beattie...

EVERYTHING IS A TRAINING GROUND MOVE.

Fact. Reminds me of my favourite Mitch Hedberg joke:

My friend showed me a photograph and said 'this is a picture of me when I was younger'.
I said 'all pictures are of you when you were younger'.

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