Wales v Scotland 6N Super Saturday 31st Oct 2020

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Wales v Scotland

6 Nations Championship
Saturday 31st Oct
Parc y Scarlets

KO 14.15


Well Wales and Scotland kick off Super saturday, only 7 months late, but a game we are all happy to see being played at long last.

Scotland started the new session of internationals in much the same vein as they finnished, albeit was against Georgia, who were even more rusty than the rest of the teams and did not put up a great opposition.

Wales, by their own high standards, did not have a great tournament so far, the transition from Gatland to Pivac was always going to be a little tricky and so it has proved. They came up against a French side who were up for it at home and got comfortably beaten last week, for whatever reason, they just don't seem to have quite clicked yet.

One thing is for sure though, they will not relish the prospect of being beaten by Scotland at home, it is a long time since that has happened! They will also be battle hardened by the game last weekend and you can only expect them to improve.

So are Scotland feeling confident?

Well they do seem to be playing to a decent standard atm, but we have been there before and left the principality with our trails trailing between our legs on many occasions. It is and always will be a very hard place to come and win a game.

It will be odd playing in an empty stadium though and you wonder how it might effect both teams. Wales are used to having that very passionate crowd behind them playing at home and no doubt it has helped get them accross the line on more than one occasion.

Scotland have to feel that they have a good chance here, but also have to manage that pressure, something that they have not been very good at in recent times.

It should be a cracking game.

I am hoping for a Scotland team along these lines:

1. Sutherland
2. Brown
3. Fagerson Z
4. Cummings
5. Gray J
6. Ritchie
7. Watson
8. Haining
9. Price
10. Russell
11. VDM
12. Johnson
13. Harris
14. Graham
15. Hogg - Capt

Subs:

Keeble
McInally
Berghan
Toolis
Cowan
Horne G
Hastings
Jones H

Time for brown to come off. Awful awful game he’s had

Stupid penalty from Fraser Brown

Time for the bench I think. we are in need of an injection of energy

The way it's going you could copy and paste any post from after a narrow Scotland defeat and it would accurately tell the story here.
I'd be taking Sutherland off for Kebble as he seems to be running out of puff. Brown's having one of his poor games. Perhaps Du Preez, Van Der Merwe and MacInally to add some impetus in attack. In short, Scotland don't look all too likely to win this so we may as well let the Springboks have a shot.

I'm also struggling with Scott Cummings playing, every time he gets the ball I think of his distant relative's misdemeanours.

Oh man, this ref. What an absolute joker.

rugby racing and beer wrote:Oh man, this ref. What an absolute joker.

I dont rate him. But that was sealing off from Rowlands.

Ffs price when he says use it, bloody use it

If only we had George Horne for impact....

123456789. wrote:The way it's going you could copy and paste any post from after a narrow Scotland defeat and it would accurately tell the story here.
I'd be taking Sutherland off for Kebble as he seems to be running out of puff. Brown's having one of his poor games. Perhaps Du Preez, Van Der Merwe and MacInally to add some impetus in attack. In short, Scotland don't look all too likely to win this so we may as well let the Springboks have a shot.

I'm also struggling with Scott Cummings playing, every time he gets the ball I think of his distant relative's misdemeanours.

Scotland need more power. Plain and simple. It's been that way for years. You can't play rugby on the back foot unless you want the 'moral victory'.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

rugby racing and beer wrote:Oh man, this ref. What an absolute joker.

I dont rate him. But that was sealing off from Rowlands.

It's the inconsistency, FES. It's arbitrary and inconsistent. He misses so much yet gives such marginal calls. Weak referee, he never looks or sounds comfortable.

Some shocking decisions from Brace today.

Ritchie has been influential today.

Case in point - the way he's allowing Scotland to lie all over the ball at the breakdown while penalising Wales is a joke. Price is just holding the ball there while spooning Adams.

WHAT A JOKE...

The ref deciding to stand right next to the scrum, as Faletau picks it up. Giving Wales 15 metres. Someone ought to remind him there's a rugby game going on around him. He seems to be blowing his whistle like a junky at a rave rather than a rugby referee.

I thought all the rugby today would cheer me during my self-isolation...... How bad is this?

Oh this ref. Oh my life. He is a joke. He's actually unreal.

Why is Price slowing down the ball every time?

That pass is a mile forward. How has no one seen it. Unreal. Shocking game, ruined by Brace. Not unexpected, sadly.

Not sure how we've got the scrum there. Seemed a fairly blatant forward pass beforehand. With any luck the ref will open up nice pick and go channel for us this time.

123456789. wrote:Why is Price slowing down the ball every time?

Because he’s been useless since his one good season 3 years ago.

The advantage is there, why did Price not play??

Yes, here we go!!!!

Yer not stopping that maul

Get in

Very good maul, straight off the training field.

That was good, not sure I'd be too happy if it was my team conceding from that lineout mind.

Poor maul defence, but good try from Scotland. Rolled it well and kept the momentum going and that was enough.

123456789. wrote:The advantage is there, why did Price not play??

Cos Hogg was wanting the rolling maul of course. And he wasnt allowed to play adva stage as there was a hand in the scrum.

Wales need to play a bit of rugby now. 20 mins to go, time to actually do something with the ball.

Well done Scotland, deserved lead. Rewarded for taking risk. That maul advantage has been huge all game.

Hastings misses the kick

I hope that does not come back to haunt us

Duplicate.

I don't think Brace has given one "not straight " in the second half.

Utterly cretinous from McInally.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Utterly cretinous from McInally.

Hookers. Strange strange bunch

whatever happens, rugby has been the real winner here.

I'm starting to think our hookers spend more time practising gratuitous acts of stupidity than lineout throwing.

Halfpenny. What a man.

jimbopip wrote:I don't think Brace has given one "not straight " in the second half.

It's clearly deliberate. He probably had a word with the two sides at half time. "I'll let them go unless they're ridiculous."

Hogg can moan, but he needed his team mates to clear Halfpenny out there.

11-10 Scotland

Really not much in this game

funnyExiledScot wrote:Hogg can moan, but he needed his team mates to clear Halfpenny out there.

He might moan if Brace's refereeing of the breakdown is because the SRU paid him off beforehand. It might explain something.

It's tense, there's that much to say for it.

Disappointing thing for Scotland is that all 10 of Wales' points have been gifted. They haven't needed to work for them at all.

Well played Welsh defence. Brace is allowing Scotland to seal off every single ruck. It's a farce.

What a take from Liam Williams!!

funnyExiledScot wrote:What a take from Liam Williams!!

Classy player

Hastings has gone off as well

Presumably Lang to FH

I thought Harris was pretty good in the first 20-30 minutes. Since that half-chance he butchered he's been absent.

Man I wish we had George Horne. He'd be perfect for this as the game is opening up.

Debut cap for Scott Steele

Scotland just edging this now for the first time in the game. It looks like they're now working the Welsh defence and with the help of a useless ref, are stringing phases together.

Wales need to man up and grab the game by the scruff. You're looking at your half backs to do something important. Or someone from the bench. Don't just the let game slip away.

Steele goes to the wing

Hoggy is at FH