Tag Archives: Scotland National Team

Argentina Talk The Talk

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“I’m really looking forward to this game – I think it’s going to be very close and hard to predict. Argentina have played well in both their first two games, and it was very pleasing to show against Romania that there’s more to our game than power and a strong set-piece. We will need to play well in all these areas against Scotland, because they are tough up front and have a number of good strike runners behind the scrum. It should be a very absorbing game.”

 Glasgow utility back Federico Aramburu

RWC Build-Up: The Squad

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Italy were dispatched with a mixture of ease and lacklustre shape and Scotland have completed their pre-tournament run outs and home based marketing obligations. The flurry of speculation is over and the media pestering will probably cease for a few weeks.

Scotland have named their World Cup squad.

RWC Build-Up: Al For One, One For All

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With rugby, as with all competitive sport, you see players have to deal with setbacks. Sometimes these setbacks can define a player’s career. Sometimes, just sometimes though, a player can define his career by using those setbacks as opportunities.

The key is setting goals and being realistic about what you can, and importantly, need to achieve.

So when Dundonian Alasdair Dickinson told me “The shoulder’s OK so far!” I couldn’t help but feel a little relief for him.

RWC Build-Up: Team for Italy, Omissions For New Zealand

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Just when I thought I had figured out the Axis of Anticipated that is Robinson and Townsend they go and mix things up! Here is the Scotland team to face the Italians at Murrayfield on Saturday, 5pm:

15  Rory Lamont (Toulon) 24 caps

14  Max Evans (Castres) 19 caps
13  Nick De Luca (Edinburgh) 25 caps
12  Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors) 29 caps
11  Simon Danielli (Ulster) 27 caps

10  Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues) 61 caps
9  Mike Blair (Edinburgh) VICE-CAPTAIN 71 caps

1  Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks) 20 caps
2  Scott Lawson (Gloucester) 27 caps
3  Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors) 14 caps
4  Nathan Hines (Clermont Ferrand) 72 caps
5  Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors) CAPTAIN 33 caps
6  Kelly Brown (Saracens) 45 caps
8  Richie Vernon (Sale Sharks) 11 caps
7  John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors) 28 caps

Substitutes

16  Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors) 35 caps
17  Euan Murray (Newcastle Falcons) 38 caps
18  Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 11 caps
19  Ross Rennie (Edinburgh) 7 caps
20  Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors) 52 caps
21  Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) 7 caps
22  Nikki Walker (Ospreys) 23 caps

RWC Build-Up: Cometh The Hour, Cometh The Men

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Despite the Scottish cessation of activity at the weekend there was still plenty of rugby being played. We saw Australia show how antiquated South Africa’s rugby may have become in just a few short years. We saw Wales expose England’s lack of skills throughout an entire XV. We saw the French recline and accept gifts from Ireland.

Watching these games will be invaluable to Scotland because they framed some obtrusive issues that many in sport -particularly in England- have danced around. These issues give us cause, not only to look at our future opponents, but to assess ourselves as well.

RWC Build-Up: Longing For Los Pumas

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I don’t think I would like to play cards with Andy Robinson.

Sure, when we see the glass box on TV, filled with what looks like all the shiny-headed men in Scottish rugby, it always appears like Robinson is losing the plot. Probably about a breakdown.

Behind the eyes, though, I see cool calculation. I bet he’s the gambler who only plays when he has the hand.

RWC Build-Up: Looking At The Game, And Only The Game

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At the moment I am beset on all sides with the reality, the spin coming out of Murrayfield and probably some early onset moaning from supposed experts. I have purposely not read any newspapers this morning, but I have watched the game again, re-read some stuff that went out live during the game and have endeavoured to see most of the official comments. So let’s look at the coverage of Scotland 10-6 Ireland.

RWC Build-up: Selecting The ‘Home’ Nations

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When I was much younger I remember being excited by watching the Scotland team play with its ‘exotic’ stars. I knew very little about the politics or any assumed insult to purists. All I knew was that the ‘Kilted Kiwis’ had a cool nickname and they all seemed to be that little bit sui generis.