Throughout the week, social media turned to what Scotland would need to cause an upset.
If Scotland could beat Ireland. If Scotland could win by 8 points, or take a bonus point and win by 5. If Scotland could put an 80-minute performance together. If Scotland could get into their stride and stay there.
A lot of ifs indeed.
In the end, Saturday night ended up being a grimly predictable affair: no ifs, no buts.
Ireland didn’t have long to wait before drawing first blood. Ringrose found (a definite case for obstruction aside) a gap in midfield between Grant Gilchrist and Zander Fagerson and the support was there to make it a simple finish. Sexton couldn’t find the centre of the posts with the conversion but it was 5-0 in the blink of an eye.
Scotland immediately worked their way back into the Irish half and found themselves with a fairly kickable penalty for a high tackle. The choice, as is so often the case for Scotland, was to kick for touch. Scotland found their man with the throw and tried to spread possession wide. It almost seemed as if they couldn’t keep up with their own decisions, Duhan Van Der Merwe getting isolated from his support and not-so-isolated from the Irish back row, who claimed a turnover with ease.
It wasn’t long until Scotland were back at that end though, with another kickable penalty just outside the Irish 22: another kick for touch.
A throw to the front of the lineout this time, and the all too familiar sight of Scotland losing their throw-in. The luck of the bounce gave Scotland a chance again and they found their man. They spread it wide, won another penalty, and chose again to kick for touch.
Wave after wave of Scottish attack followed, for negative gain line reward. Ireland looked as if they could defend their way back into the Scottish half without the ball. 18 phases of attack ended in a turnover for the men in green, Scotland had nothing to show for it and there was a palpable shift in confidence between the teams.
A thunderous tackle from Gilchrist regained possession, which Ollie Smith (on early for Kinghorn) sent deep into the Irish half for a 50-22. Some Michael Jackson-esque footwork from Hugo Keenan saw Smith denied, James Lowe instead returning the ball deep into the Scottish 22 and the pressure back on.
Fine margins.
The physicality of the game was starting to take its toll as Jamie Ritchie was forced from the field to join the desolate Blair Kinghorn in the dugout. Only 20 minutes in and only 5 points down, but the game was already slipping away: rugby is a game of momentum and Ireland had it all.
Scotland were denied another 50-22, coughing up another lineout soon after. It was another trip to the Irish half with zero additions to the scoreboard.
Scotland looked like they couldn’t keep this up for much longer and it wasn’t long before the Irish turned the screw, sending the ball wide through the hands and opening up the defence with ease for Keenan to finish in the corner. Sexton nailed his kick and it was 12-0.
It felt like more.
Another Scotland attack led to George Turner finding himself isolated, Andrew Porter took the turnover and Ireland headed straight back to the other end of the field. They took them left, then right, and in the end Iain Henderson went straight through the middle. By contrast, Ireland had four visits to the Scotland 22: 3 tries, 19-0.
The last ten minutes of the half saw penalty after penalty going against the Scots and waves of Irish attack, Referee Nic Berry even stepped in himself, to literally put his body on the line to prevent the bonus point score, but nevertheless, it arrived in the 39th minute, converted by Sexton again.
You’d be hard-pushed to say it wasn’t game over, save for the desperate hopes of a Twickenham-shaped miracle lingering in the memory.
Half-time: Ireland 26-0 Scotland
Scotland came out of the dressing room with some short-lived vigour, finally putting together some phases of attack before minor chaos descended.
Smith gave Sexton an ill-judged trip after play was past them, and it all kicked off. Peter O’Mahony was telling Duhan where he ranked in the grand pantheon of South African rugby players, Dan Sheehan was being suplexed over the advertising by Pierre Schoeman. Generally there was a glorious melee of shirt and collar tugging set to Martin Solveig & Dragonette’s dancefloor filler “Hello” on the stadium PA. Iconic stuff.
With Smith now in the bin, it didn’t take long for Ireland to take advantage of the extra man, Sheehan recovering from his scuffle to score in the left corner and seal Scotland’s fate. 31-0. Down a man and out of the World Cup.
They at least did a half-decent job of keeping their heads up, now unburdened by any shred of hope, but it was Ireland yet again who struck next, a deft crossfield kick finding Ringrose in acres of space. Jack Crowley clipped the post with the afters. 36-0.
Small consolation came when Sione Tuipolotu put Ewan Ashman away in the corner for his fourth Scotland try, and again moments later when Huw Jones found his feet to get away from the defense, releasing Smith inside, Ali Price finishing it off despite rapidly running out of gas.
There was to be no glorious comeback this time though.
Final score, Ireland 36 – Scotland 14.
SRBlog Player of the Match: It was another big shift from number 8 Jack Dempsey that saw him leading the way with most tackles (12) as well as leading the forward’s attacking stats with 64 metres made.
97 Responses
We’ve known since 14 December 2020 that we were in a World Cup Group containing South Africa and Ireland. So Toonie has had almost 3 years to prepare a game plan to combat the strengths of the top 2 teams in the World. Do something DIFFERENT – stretch a lineout and peel it round the front,; dink a chip over the blitz defence. Both SA and Ireland blitzed the guy 2 places outside Russell to stop his long passing game.
Ireland learned that Darcey Graham is suspect under a high ball, so he got as much as he wanted. Both SA and Ireland found out that DVDM tends to drift inside and follow the ball rather than stay on his wing.
The only thing that Scotland learned (and that was after the match) was “Don’t diss the Irish in the papers.” Motormouth Blair Kinghorne lasted 8 minutes.
We have failed 3 times to get past the Pool stages of the Rugby World Cup – in 2011, 2019 and 2023.
Gregor Townsend has been involved in all three – as attack coach in 2011, and Head Coach in 2019 and 2023.
Its time we learned from our mistakes. Toonie should have been sacked after Japan. He has got nothing left to offer….except his resignation
It was less Michael Jackson-esque footwork from Hugo Keenan to avoid 50 – 22 and more Johnny – I walk the line – Cash.
That sir is a good one!
I’m Irish, big fan of the rugby. Of course I’m glad we made it through, but, Keenan’s foot was in touch and Lowe’s try at the start of the game should not have been allowed.
Tadhg Beirne obstructed George Turner which left the gap.
Thanks for giving an honest assessment of those incidents. Fortunately they didn’t affect the result with Ireland thoroughly deserving the win. Good luck tomorrow.
What if anything can be done to stem the inevitable decline as Finn ages, the prop situation worsens, and we lose any ability compete in the second row or produce any ball carriers of note. To say nothing of the lineout. Ever lower player numbers, clubs unable to compete with the Irish and South Africans, a culture that was clearly again not spot on, psychological damage from yet another World Cup beat down – is this best it was ever going to get and all downhill from here over the next decade? Are there any silver linings?
– can Finn hold on or even improve for another cycle?
– build a team around Redpath and Darge
– uncover more international pathway players?
– third pro team (build it and they will come)?
– is there anyone of any promise coming through the youth ranks?
– does Eddie Jones fancy a crack with Scotland? what is Big Vern up to? surely there has to be a fresh start or does Toonie keep trying to string that spiderweb
Re Finn I reckon his 1st target is the Lions in 20months stay fit strong peak until then, then we’ll see if he can play onto next world cup.
I reckon with Darge, Crosbie, Muncaster, Harrison, Healy, Redpath, Tuipulotu, Dobie, Thompson, Hastings, McBeth, Ashman, Graham, VDM, Kinghorn, Ritchie, Tom Jordan. The Fagersons (ive likely missed loads out) all young ish we’re no too bad
The way things are going the Lions test team is likely to be 14 from Ireland plus Finn.
Cotter all day long.
What has Cotter achieved since he left Scotland that suggests he’d be the best coach for us now?
I think We should look for alternatives to Townsend but we need the highest calibre coach possible. Someone like Schmidt.
The strategy and culture in the Scotland camp is allegedly very player-led. I think our naive wide-wide approach isn’t imposed by Townsend but by Russell.
Sadly, we assembled a good squad this year but had a bleak group and failed to adopt a pragmatic strategy to try to upset our opponents at all. It’s one thing trying to play to our strengths, another to doggedly continue to pursue a failed approach.
Cotter did manage to get us out of the pool (fact) and we gave up on him when he was doing a decent job with what he was given IMO. His recent charges Fiji are still in France (another fact). If we give up on Toony when he has got us to a good place , that is not a great statement to the likes of Schmidt.
Why would you want to change out Toony now anyway. He is going fine IMO. We will not better 5th in the world or dare I say it 3rd in the 6N anytime soon. If and when we drop , that is the right time for a new coach, give him something to chase. No one wants to take a job and lose rankings and places which we will , as we know we do not have the infrastructure that sides like Ireland have developed.
I think Russell’s 1st target is to realise what a knob he’s been buying into these tactics.
Weren’t he and Townsend on the same page?I think so…and as a captain he’s getting off lightly.
I think Kinghorn would make a cracking 400m hurdler on the track..a lot safer too.We could do alright in the next commonwealth games actually,if VDM went along with him..200m obviously..as running straights an issue.To cut him some slack tho,playing on the left- wing is difficult for him..it’s plain to see.Not to try him on the right is one of the reasons what’s galling about Townsend.He’d play anybody out there but not the guy who needs it most.
Lost the faith before Japan when he kept on with laidlaw, I’ve never been scunnered since.Please take me on that high so I can be scunnered again.
Spindrift
Think back to us beating the French, English and Welsh in exhilarating performances. (the recent 2nd half performance v Wales when I was as happy as a rat with a gold tooth)
Think back to the quite remarkable 38-38 game.
What GT doesnt/didn’t do is adapt when playing teams who have worked us (& the expansive attacking game plan) out.
He didn’t adapt in Japan 2019 either
Ireland have surged ahead of the other home nations to the point where they are effectively the new All Blacks. I think a good barometer to see where we’re at is next year’s 6N. If we can beat England, Wales, Italy and France then we may look back at this RWC and realise things weren’t so bad. The game against a resurgent Wales under Gatland in Cardiff will be an interesting one. Four wins = great. Three wins = par. Two wins = Poor.
In terms of potential successors to GT I’d also be interested in Schmidt who laid some excellent foundations at Leinster and then Ireland who have kicked on since his departure. Would he be willing to move back to Europe? I’m not sure seeing as he claimed he wanted to return to NZ for family reasons. Another candidate is right under our noses in Franco Smith. I’m conscious of ‘recency bias’ and would like to see him at Glasgow for three years before considering him for the national team but he inherited a bit of a mess from Danny Wilson and has done an excellent job in his first season. He deserves credit for reviving Huw Jones career and forming the successful Huwpolotu partnership.
Great game NZ vs Ireland so far. NZ have managed to do what we couldn’t and have come with a game plan to beat Ireland. Barrett’s little chips in behind are exactly what we should have been trying last week. Time will tell if it works or not!!
It begs the question why we didn’t chip the ball over the onrushing Ireland and S.A. defences; it’s such an obvious (and effective, if properly executed) tactic.
Anyway, two good Tests today. Felt a bit sorry for Wales but delighted for NZ. Hopefully France can end South Africa’s RWC campaign tomorrow.
I wondered this – especially when Russell Vakatawa was such an iconic chip and chase combo. Surely Jones could have hit that sort of line.
Ireland fans were annoying drowning out the Haka…disrespectful and some of us watching wanted to hear it.
Interesting how better refereeing changes the outcome.
Porter immediately pinged in the scrum for what he did the entire time he played v Scotland. The Scotland V Ireland score would have been much closer had it ref’d properly and fairly. We had the game taken away from us before we got started really.
NZ have looked the better side….Ireland Rugby League was struggling a bit with 15 All Blacks.
3 times Porter pinged for what he is known to do regularly.
Go sit on that one O’Mahony & Sexton ….hows that fish frying going?…prefer it grilled myself.
World No1?…..nah! QF Chockers.
POM apparently told Sam Cane in a previous game that he’s just a **** Richie McCaw. He also told Duhan that he wasn’t good enough to play for the Boks. If this isn’t glorious karma then I don’t know what is.
I suspect that Sexton got some of his own medicine after the match, given that he was mouthing off at someone (presumably an AB) just out of frame.
As for O’Mahony, he was too busy eating his own words to say anything…
New Zealand heavily tailor their game plan to negate the blitz defense with box kicks, cross field kicks and chips over the top. How is it with a 10 with the capacity to execute all of these did we just spin the ball predictably wide into the jaws of the defense….TWICE!!
Gregor Townsends game plan made to amateurish and naive tonight.
Yes …for a coach that preaches attack variety in the media…he sent out a team with no variety. He just isn’t a top end coach. One dimensional. No plan B.
NZ figured out Ireland’s rugby league like systems and played the ball over the top and in different ways. We have a 10 that has proven he can do that …renowned worldly for being ‘a player with a bag of tricks’ why wasn’t he doing it?…along with a few others…bizarre…all we did was spray wide.
NZ trucked it , kicked it, passed it…and also showing how to play proper multiphase defense.
Correct sir, B.Barretts wee chip and chase was perfectly executed and shows exactly how to counter a blitz defence, I advocated Scotland play Hastings Healy at 15 to introduce such an option for Scotland.
It appears that if teams shut down Finn R we struggle
1000% – refer to my disappointed comments from last week wondering exactly how, with 3 years to plan, we didn’t come up with anything creative to beat a team who’s strengths we know so well. It’s utterly bizarre. We know Finn Russell is well-armoured in the tactical/creative kicking department, so I’ve no idea why we didn’t utilize it rather than just throwing ourselves into the green wall repeatedly. For two supposedly attacking/creative-minded individuals, that was bizarre by Finn and presumably/ultimately, Toony.
overwhelming thought is that there are 4 teams who are way ahead of the rest – NZ, Ire, SA and France – rest are fighting for scraps
Oh joy, what a lovely day. Wales and Gatland out. POM, Farrell and Sexton out. Could not happen to a nicer bunch. How does that feel?
LOL
Oh and Vive La France!
I mean Vive La NZ!
Yep….i was VERY happy to see Wales get done over, particularly with Gatland in charge. Happy for Argentina/Cheika, a much more likeable bunch. Ireland also good to see them get a kicking given the after-chat last week by POM. Not that we were any better before that match….BK
Great to watch the All Blacks triumph. Frustrating that we couldn’t see how to get through. Just goes to show that solid analysis and coaching are more important that individual brilliance. Cane was monumental in defence, so many great tackles. Frankly, I can’t see why we couldn’t have done something similar – we just need a Savea for the breakdown. Looking to 6 nations, we have a lot to prove – it’s slim margins between the top sides, all to play for, can our coaching be up to scratch…. I think stick with GT unless we can get a Schmidt, definitely don’t need a maverick like Jones.
Let’s not stick with Toony. As head coach, Scotland’s inability to find a way to overcome the South African and Irish defences is largely on him, in the same way that the 2019 debacle is also on him.
Any chance we could have thumbs up and down for comments? It would be interesting to see how many readers agree with comments, and how many are following the conversation. Someone often says exactly what I’m thinking, but expresses it so much better than I could!
…We should just reword our BS that GT and players keep trucking out in the media…. ‘We can beat anyone on our day’ …to…. ‘On our day we can beat anyone outside the top 4 ..if they aren’t very good.’
Fiji robbed there. Radio silence from the TMO when Jamie George tripped a Fijian at a crucial point in the game around 65 mins and then Farrell’s deliberate knock on at the end with a Fijian out wide on the wing waiting to receive the ball.
Guess World Rugby want England in the semi to keep those TV viewing figures up and keep the sponsors happy. Wayne Barnes was very good last night but the rest of the officiating has been inconsistent and appalling with clear bias towards WR’s favourites.
Fiji done by ref in 2 games now …. Wales and England.
Hastings senior may have missed that kick, but at least we’ve made it to the semi finals. Ireland, glorious world-beating… gobby, quarter-final choking Ireland!
Suddenly the Six Nations doesn’t look too bad. The Welsh are sh*te, the English are probably sh*te, half of Ireland will be retiring. Two horse race between France and Scotland.
Game on!
Don’t right Wales off. Garland back as coach
England truly play the most boring rugby in the world. Close QF match between 2 average sides…Fiji better to watch ..England did their usual plod. Simply a really poor half of the draw. England in the SF is just laughable.
Fortunately they are in for a very painful reality check next weekend when they face the winner of France/SA
England have long held the franchise on meat ‘n’ two veg rugby.
I agree that England play a tedious game of rugby (they have been for years – think back to the late Eddie Butler and his comments on ‘Boring old England’) but it has got them to 5th in the rugby world rankings. During the RWC we saw much more entertaining, skillful and creative games from the so called ‘lesser’ teams. An argument, I suggest, that rugby needs a root and branch overhaul. But you won’t get it from the current World Rugby establishment, who have their collective heads stuck in the sand – or stuck somewhere – and have no real interest in expanding the game.
SA beat France and again a non TMO intervention changed result. Clear SA using hand to take his weight prior to trying to overturn ball resulting in SA penalty. Should have been French penalty. Not first time Ben Whitehouse has been quiet and not flagging issue to ref.
It’s starting to feel like the whole thing is rigged….soo many critical errors and penalty plays have been ignored in this RWC. Pretty sad if its intentional…
We are away to Ireland next year. Seems to be a lot of optimism here but Ireland have won the last two under 20 grand slams and the 2019 also..so 3 from the last 4 if you exclude 2020 not completed. The also reached the final of
this years u20 world cup… so I would not be overly optimistic .We are mostly composed of Glasgow/Edinburgh players so I would like to see some favourable results against Leinster and Munster especially before the next 6 nations.
I for one…have little optimism we could beat Ireland on our own patch let alone on theirs. Their style of play will be no different…all their players are being groomed to play the same style of rugby. Our U20 is a shambles. We had a one dimensional attack against them and a passive defense. GT seems to have learned nothing at all in 8 or 9 straight losses against them. We will need a different outlook in coaching, tactics and squad selection ….as well as more positive club results against the Irish sides for me to have optimism going into the next 6N.
I want Mark Bennett back. He does what Jones does, he does what Harris does. Seems to be over his injuries. Russell-Redpath-Bennett-Kinghorn is a strong axis for the backs if you’re going to give Huwipulotu a rest.
Also, George Horne is good enough to start, he’s proved it constantly, he deserves to be more than just a perennial replacement. Get him on the pitch.
Kinghorn seems to have lost support in here recently. I think he is doing ok, has pros , has cons. Would it not be time to develop options at 15 including Blair Kinghorn and Ollie Smith.
BK is probably slightly ahead of Ollie Smith in the pecking order at 15. But even if that changes, his versatility means that he’s a very useful player to have on the bench, and his pace is a useful weapon against tiring defences. Barring injury or loss of form, he’ll be a feature of matchday squads for some time to come.
Another candidate for FB is Adam Hastings. He’s performed well in the role any time that I’ve seen him having to fill it, and he’s better with the boot than either BK or Ollie. But does he fancy the role, and does Toony fancy him for it?
I agree with Sam that George Horne is good enough to start but I feel that he’s probably more effective as a replacement. The sight of a buzzbomb like him being brought on after, say, 55 minutes wouldn’t be a welcome sight for tiring players on the other side.
Finally, Cameron Redpath needs a proper run at 12. He’s a talented player and, barring injuries, will be in his prime when the next RWC comes around.
I agree with Stripe – Redpath has to start, hes to good not to be in team (especially as he’ll be playing with Finn next season (and beyond) . Plenty to choose from for the 13 jersey..
Re 15 I reckon we have to copy NZ and play a 10 at 15 – Hastings – he has the all round game to create chances.
I’ve always thought Kinghorn, a good player but not to be trusted. Smith is a strong brave player but I do reckon we need better.
Bennett is a good player…I just think we should be looking to the future.
Id like to see Redpath at 12 Tui at 13. The Tui / Jones partnership was found lacking in the big matches in the RWC.
Id also Like to see McDowell get a run…I thought he was really unlucky to cut from the squad.
Kinghorn wouldn’t be in my 15…I just don’t think he is a good enough test level starter player at any position he has been mooted for…be it FB,Wing or 10. A good replacement option in the latter stages against certain opposition types. Id rather see Smith or Hastings get a starting run there…simply better all around players imo.
Im not sold on Horne as a starter… but Im not sold on any of our 9s as starters. We have depth but none really stands out either. It seems 9s are being used more and more as game controllers and not just 10s.
I want to see more of Healy at 10…I get what Russell does really well…but so do the top sides and they just know how to shut him out. I think Healy will emerge soon to offer something different that maybe gets us more competitive against the high pressure defense sides.
I really hope we give Henderson, Hunter-Hill, Craig a chance….R Gray played decent…but the rest just aren’t adding much we need something fresh to build on there.
The other thing is we really need a quality captain….Ritchie just hasn’t worked out imo….and im not even sure he keeps his place in the back row.
Not sure about McDowall. He’s a decent player but I just feel that he’s not quite of the standard we need. Perhaps he’ll prove me wrong; I hope so.
As for 10, I think it’s more of a case of our tactics being ineffective against rush defences than Finn having been ‘worked out’ by opposing teams. Toony (or whomever replaces him) needs to come up with a plan that doesn’t just revolve around getting the ball wide at every opportunity – rugby is a game played in three dimensions.
Our biggest challenge lies up front, with Nel, R. Gray, and Gilco approaching the end of their Test careers. New blood will be needed very soon, so I’d expect that next year’s AIs will see some fresh faces given their chance.
Ritchie suffers, I think, as a result of Scotland’s seemingly continuing status as World Rugby’s betes noires. It certainly seems to be the case that some referees give him very short shrift compared to, say, Farrell.
Next game is huge, away to Wales is seminal for Scotland – win and we’re continuing our improvement lose and the crushing disappointment (after the RWC) may put us back to square 1.
No pressure then…………..
It does not matter what backs we pick if they are not trained in line speed.We can’t keep having the same strategy for every opponent at all times(go wide). We can’t seem to change our strategy mid game or think on our feet. Defence is a crucial part of game strategy..we have been badly exposed..
several of our backs who are brilliant going forward are pathetic defending and show no signs of
improving. How often do we see some of our players playing well for half of the game and that’s it.
Being honest, our national team performs brilliantly in the face of the lack of resources, playing numbers etc.
If we had been in any other pool, we would have made the quarters, what right had we to expect better than that? To make the semis in a quartet that should have included Ireland, South Africa, NZ and France ? Well we’re never going to get to that standard. Ireland have got there but their set up is light years ahead of ours.
Going forward, our first game of the 6N against wales will be difficult. They have no flair and have lost talismanic figures in AWJ and Biggar, however Gatland builds teams that are hard to beat. They have a blanket defence that smothers the life out of teams and compete for the 80.
We have a team that serially goes wide wide and when the handling finally breaks down after multiple phases , cough up counter attacking tries.
With our world class attacking back 3 of Graham, Kinghorn and VDM unable to field high balls and our entire team struggling with receiving kick offs we know what’s coming.
All the top teams now (NZ apart);seem happy to kick possession away and blitz the opposition into making mistakes, we know it’s coming , what are we gonna do about it?
These players need to spend more time taking the high ball or ship out. Steyn and Smith are 2 players more secure than the other options under the hi ball, but not so dangerous as attackers. Glad I’m not the coach.
Gaffer, you make loads of interesting points
Have we hit the glass ceiling and kidding ourselves about becoming top 4?
Wales in Wales will be a difficult game, as you say Gatlands team are hard to beat and pragmatic but have they the back to carry Gatlands plan out? Biggar gone L.Willaims gone Anscombe injury prone.
It’s likely GT will still be the coach and surely he sees the folly of all out attack going wide ASAP can be flawed and we need a kicking (more all round) option at 15.
The fielding of kicks definitely needs work.
The kicking the ball long negates our biggest strength(s), we can kick cleverly but NZ have to be our role model.
IMO Hastings, Redpath, Crosbie, Skinner have to be more involved.
I’d like a new coach
I suspect 5th in world is the best we can ever get and Gaffer is right that we have reached a plateau. Our fate will probably be flirting between 5th and 10th in the world, and 6 nations will be flirting between 3rd and 5th. World cups will be losing quarter finalists at best (unless lucky with draw) and 3rd place in group stage at worst (if unlucky with draw).
Hope I am proven wrong!
Scotland are now ranked 6th behind SA, NZ, Ireland, France and England
Unless I’m mistaken double ranking points are up for grabs at RWC and so other nations with an easier draw were always going to make up ground on us. It just feels like we are constantly being punished for losing to Japan and Ireland at the last RWC while those teams that reached the SF and final in 2019 keep being rewarded four years later.
The onus is on us to cement our place in the top 5/6 after next year’s 6N. No excuses for not being in the second pot of seeds by the time the next draw comes around.
You’d like to think that in training, the game based scenarios they are practising involve defensive lines at least 2 metres in front of where they should be, constant stoppages every 5 minutes or whenever momentum has been generated and players lying on the wrong side without being required to move?
Then again, it’s not the first series of games after a long time in camp where we have been left wondering; “what have they been working on all this time?”
Interested to read that Hamish Watson is being given more rest time post WC by Edinburgh even though he played very little. Indications of an issue? Crosbie etc. are available for Edinburgh against Newport.
It’s a funny old game……England beating up the Boks is pretty funny I have to say. Terrible game of rugby but fair play England have done what they are good at and actually look like they have researched SA tactics, ways to counter them and look organized with a game plan…something GT and Scotland simply never did.
We really do need a new coaching setup…one that can actually look at the opposition, a devise a plan and coach a team to play it. Instead we just play it wide …..and if that doesnt work…erm…let’s just play it wide again…or just boot it back.
Well said ruggers. We just do not have that resilience and England got their tactics right. Horrible to watch but I admire their stick ability and dogged determination. Great drop goal, took their penalties and kept the scoreboard ticking, unlike us. Captaincy howler and we might as well say it, have we really found the ideal captain?
I don’t think we have found the right captain…I thought Ritchie was the right guy when he was appointed..but he just hasn’t matured into the role. He just doesnt seem to inspire his teammates, make the right decisions for the team or build a good relationship with referees. He hasn’t been playing great either ..and for Scotland …I think Crosbie/Bradbury/Christie/Bayliss(when fit) are all arguably more worthy of a run at back row positions.
I can see Healy not only becoming the better option at 10 …but being captain. The way he took control of the team when they played Romania …he looked the instant alpha of the team.
Seems to me that England are sealing off the ball illegally at every breakdown. But they’re certainly controlling the game.
with England and Wales getting a bit of their mojo back, or at least finding a style of play that they are comfortable with, we could be in for a tough 6 nations campaign.
Would like to think the six nations is wide open: Irish knocked off their perch, French sulking, Wales rubbish but Gatland, England who knows.
You would hope Scotland are keen to get out there and show everyone they are better than the losses to the Boks and Irish.
Feels like the right time for a coaching change. Super smart move signing him up longer pre-WC.
When we ousted BVC we really did not give him long enough IMO. A horrible timing dilema, Toony was ready for a change, a hard decision was made. Toony is getting a very good run at the job and it was never a short term task to get us to the top 6, we now have no fears over losing a player to injury , the options are many , credit is due to Toony. The SRU backed their man, that has got to be a tick in the box. There is a lot of positives in there . It is now time to see what can be done with that stability underpinning the side.
I wouldn’t have given GT a new contract on the back of last year’s 6N but Dodson caved for whatever reason. If we fail to get a minimum of 3 wins at next year’s 6N then I’d look to make a change. Joe Schmidt would be my choice if he was interested in the role. Really impressive how he masterminded Ireland’s downfall. Everyone knows that Foster is a passenger in that coaching set up.
Switching to the URC I think Glasgow have a great chance to upset Leinster today who will be lacking international players and a retired Sexton. Their coaches are also in transition with Lancaster gone and them awaiting the arrival of Nienabar as soon as the RWC is over.
Brilliant, Irish rugby going to be a bit rudderless all of a sudden. That’s the narrative.
Well played Glasgow, well played Jones, defence and attack.
Some really good resilient defense from Glasgow. Franco Smith had them at least organized and playing in a way that can compete and win against Irish sides. It’s pretty much how we should have played against Ireland….but I have no idea Scotlands coaching is doing…Im expecting us to make a pigs ear out of the next 6N with the current coaches. It’s clear to me that we have the players to compete but why we are not??…..has to be coaching or lack of.. imo.
It’s ridiculous we have GT signed up for so long….no significant side would have been seeking him out with any haste. This 6N is surely last chance saloon for him…..
If Franco Smith or Joe Schmidt would take the job now ..id give it too them now…why wait for another 2 years of GT torture.
Got to let Smith keep on the good work at Glasgow surely?
Have to say I’m inclined to agree with the comments about Ritchie.Is he currently guaranteed his place in the team? Not on recent performances. I know he’s injured and out for a few weeks but Crosbie and Christie must be knocking very hard on the door. When did we last ever see Ritchie going forward with ball in hand,for instance? And Bayliss would be up there but looks like he’s out for a few months.
So,and even if Ritchie were in the team candidates for captaincy are pretty thin. Finn seems to be comfortable with it. No one else readily suitable (Gilchrist?? Possibly Crosbie a better bet?)
Thoughts anyone?
Does a good captain need to be a star player? or last the full 80 ! I do not think Jamie Richie is playing well , however he doesnt need to as long as we make the right decisions at the right time.It may take a bit of time for him to settle. I would consider Grant Gilchrist and Kyle Steyn. They are not always starters , however they are in and around a match day 23. Gilco has loads of experience, Steyn, while not Darcy, always amazes me how he gets through traffic and is versatile. I think both would be good with refereees and that is becoming a bigger issue.
I think the role of captain is more than just being a figurehead around the squad nowadays. It is ever increasingly about referee management and Ritchie seems to continually get in their bad books.
The captain doesn’t have to be the start player IMO but they need to be a starter and a pretty nailed on one at that, they shouldn’t just be starting because they are the captain. I don’t think Jamie Ritchie is necessarily a nailed on starter in his current form but nor has he played badly enough to warrant dropping, but it’s his inability to get the referee on our side that concerns me.
I’m also of the maybe slightly old fashioned opinion that the captain needs to be a forward in the thick of the action, involved in the set pieces that get technical when it comes to managing the referee. SH or FH maybe, indeed there have been plenty of captains playing there but not an outside back.
Pre RWC Toonie said that Ritchie was the fittest he’d been in years. I didn’t see any evidence of that these past few weeks.
I think Crosbie was harshly dropped at the last 6N. Pretty sure he was starting when we won our first few games against England/Wales but was then dropped for Ireland which we lost. I believe he did a good job in protecting Finn and gave him an extra nanosecond after receiving the ball. I think Crosbie/Darge/Dempsey is worth a look with M Fagerson on the bench covering 6 and 8.
Ritchie still has plenty to offer but I’d like to see Finn given a run as captain as relationships with refs seems to be very important these days. I often see Finn having a joke with the ref pre kick off and so a bit of charm can go a long way. If the face doesn’t fit then we’re not getting any 50/50 calls and being marched back for backchat is inexcusable.
Ive advocated Crosbie for 18 months now, he adds a hardness to the backrow.
I think I’m right Saint when I recollect Crosbie not missing a single tackle in the 1st 2 games in the last 6 nations
John Martin I think you’re right about Crosbie’s lack of missed tackles in the first two games. He played very well as I recall and has a bit of dog in him which is much needed against the likes of Ireland. I really hope he gets a fair crack at the 6N.
Both Crosbie and Bradbury need to be given a fair crack at it imo…those 2 inform and healthy would add a fair bit more bite to the back row.
Don’t think Gilchrist is good enough International std let alone be captain. We need to give the younger 2nd rows a run in the team; not just one game and out you go
Yep …get some proper younger locks in there…Alex Craig , Cam Henderson and Hunter Hill…instead of locks as scary as Rodney Trotter.
No doubt GT will catapult meek Johnny Gray instead…who will as usual get bossed.
As an aside, I see WR have appointed an all English official team for the final. Normally they spread the officials across various countries
I would not trust anyone other than Wayne Barns to take charge, I think a good call by WR. Though a little surprised there is no French representation being both the hosts and neutrals.
Finn should be captain. He’s the first man on the team sheet and wears responsibility lightly. People like him, he has authority, he’s the next Lions ten in waiting, he’s played everywhere (Scotland, France, England, even NZ), won the Pro-12 and been to a European final. Take advantage while we have him. Back row is too competitive, and too green. Beyond that Johnny Gray isn’t back. Darge and Redpath for the future. 100% winning record as captain so far.
Johnny Gray ? a captain? ..not in a million years…you’ve got to be kidding. He couldn’t lead ducks to water.
Russell maybe….though lions 10 in waiting …might be a wait if Gatland is selecting..more like the midweek 10 knowing how much love Gatland has for Scottish players.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder ????♂️
What a joke Nic Berry and the officials were tonight. England gifted a bronze medal. Blatant forward pass by ARG in the first half granted but no TV replays of Dan petulantly striking the Arg 10 in the head after scoring his try (just because Dan missed a tackle minutes beforehand) and Earl’s high tackle which would have been replayed to death had it been the other way around.
Worst RWC in my lifetime and no mistake.
It’s not been a great tournament, thanks to an unbalanced draw (which saw it peak at the 1/4 final stage), poor officiating, and a curious lack of midweek games.
Portugal are my team of the tournament for playing with style and zest.
I agree about Portugal who were a breath of fresh air. I wonder how they’d do against Italy.
The officiating has been mostly awful. Too much confirmation bias from the refs favouring the higher ranked tier one teams not to mention TMOs who have been very selective with what gets replayed. Fiji were very hard done by against Wales and England and should have won against both had the officiating been up to scratch.
Hoping tonight’s final is a good one and that NZ show some of their skills to win it. Looks like SA are hoping to win ugly with the selection of Pollard and their 7-1 split.
Atrocious refereeing at this RWC….Completely ignoring or reduced yellow consistently throughout this RWC for in with the shoulder or head on head…and then red carding NZ Cane for what looked like less than many challenges throughout this RWC.
Just seems like World Rugby org have SA to win this comp from the start….or Erasmus at it as usual. I would like anyone but SA to win the RWC. They’re anti rugby and fair play BS.
The officiating has been a joke throughout the tournament, and the final was no exception. The ABs can feel very hard done by.
How many times was a supporting NZ player blatantly tackled off the ball and no warning or yellow given!
Worst game from Barnes for some time. Too scared to penalise anyone in the second half. Why did he let Faf get away with not putting in at the end? Blatant forearm smash from Etzebeth to Cane’s head missed by the ref and TMO. Should have been a red card to SA.
Poor RWC, poor officiating, poor organisation from World Rugby. Thank goodness it’s over.
Sorry, but if that’s modern rugby,count me out. Too many refereeing inconsistencies. One ref / TMO gives a yellow card,next ref / TMO sees nothing wrong. Too many rules and different interpretations from refereeing team. I know of no one that doesn’t already watch rugby showing any interest in the tournament. The most cynical team of rugby spoilers ,always have been always will be, allowed to manipulate and exploit the rules to win. Crap tournament, crap final
That is modern rugby. 4 officials and trial by TV. Did they really get it that wrong ! I do not agree, this is far better than one , often unsighted man/woman , making decisions. Was it that wrong ! Are the old ways really the best ways ?
It is still not perfect and as you have said, it is not for everyone Tee Cee.
I see that Duhan’s try against England this year was voted best International try of the year at awards ceremony on Sunday