Scotland v Fiji: Autumn Nations Series 2022, Match Preview pt I

62 responses

1. My own personal ‘hands in the ruck’, but there’s an unwholesome dark side of me that thinks we’re going to blow this game as well. Could GT survive an Autumn whitewash?

   1. I have that feeling also Andy. However the Fijian team have had a huge amount of disruption in the build up to this game which might save us… and not sure they have all their best players available? I see a lot of the big names from Top 14/Premiership seem to be missing?

      1. Who do you think is missing? Only a 31 man squad but looks like plenty of players from Top14 and English league to me. Big cohort of Fijian Drua maybe has supplanted some more household NH names?

2. Really not too sure what to expect from this game. Hopefully we will play a bit. I expect we will try and play it tight and controlled and Fiji will play it like a Barbarians team that’s only been together for a few days and wants to enjoy themselves. Should be an entertaining watch.

3. It was the way they put out to the press, It makes no difference to the team whether Finn is in or out of the team. management closing ranks, not very successfully.

4. GT will be picking BK from way management speak has going.

5. When is the team announced?

6. Why does GT always leave announcing the team until last??
   Such a wind up, is it all mind games, if so, he’s loathsome.

   1. Toony is a Smart Man, very smart, Lions coach and he will not think much of you being so critical. He needs a break.

      1. Intelligent and articulate; clueless when it comes to people and EQ, as far as I can tell

7. Just seen the team; fairly predictable and at least Redpath at 12 (though would like to have seen Hutchinson there as he’s had far more game time recently and arguably, maybe even better and can readily cover 13 too) but seems harsh on Bennett as he had so little ball to use last Saturday. Shame Cherry injured and would prefer Ashman starting as Turner’s throws have been suspect (but line out foul ups not necessarily the thrower’s fault)

   1. Not that impressed with the selection.
      Don’t know what Hogg does to deserve automatic selection ahead of Smith who played very well and Fiji seems a good match for further development.

      Same thoughts with either Watson or Fagerson, as neither played that well. Surely give Dempsey a start at 8 and Crosbie at 6 or 7.

      Turner?…urgh…can’t throw a ball. Why not give Ashman a start?

      Gilchrist? Urgh!…Meek ‘lots a tackles’ Jonny..urgh!

      Would rather Horne instead of Price?…constantly looks for channels to open up and run into…Price a far more predictable outcome.

      We’ll likely win….but not without looking mince at times. If the selections dont improve we could be in for a humiliation against NZ.

      Good to see Hastings selected, someone who can actually kick the ball. Ditto Redpath… an actual 12 yay!…who plays for his club at 12..and who is a good distributer and 10 link

      Looks like Russell wont be back in a Scotland shirt under GT.

      1. Hogg was always going to play against New Zealand so it makes sense to give him a game to get back up to international level.

   2. New team yet again. The guys dropped have done nothing wrong. Toony has the power.

8. I appreciate that things tend to work in cycles and that more coaches will be available after the RWC but if we lose three or more AI’s I would ask Mike Blair to take the reigns in a caretaker capacity through the 6N and RWC. He knows the players and has been involved in the set up before. I doubt it will happen as Dodson seems to have Toonie’s back.

9. Really like the look of this team although need to dominate teams not for intervals but large periods of the match. Personally feel M Fagerson has been a standout back row for past 12 months and lineout more secure with R Gray so can have a more dynamic hooker. Back line is potentially very exciting. Appreciate my optimism needs to produce a convincing performance followed by a selection that if tweaked makes sense for the AB’s. Certainly not as pessimistic as most as really feel this is the moment we kick on!!!! Oh what it is to be Scottish!

10. The biggest inevitability is likely to be Hastings and R Gray playing well on Saturday and then being dropped from the 23 for the All Blacks game. That’s how Toonie rolls.

    1. Let’s please not already start the pessimism for next week.

11. GT loves Harris.

    Not my team of choice, Dempsey and Crosbie in back row, Someone else at 13 and hooker.

    Alas it will very likely be a pyrrhic bictory for Scotland

12. I wonder how Ross Thompson feels about the way he’s been treated.

    He should have got on against Australia (we’d probably have won if it was he and not Kinghorn who took that final shot at goal) and certainly should have got some Test time against Fiji. Alas, Toony has decreed otherwise.

    It’s highly unlikely that Thompson will make the 23 for the Test against the ABs, which leaves only the Test against Argentina in which to give him some Test match experience this autumn. I have my doubts that he’ll get it.

    Colour me unimpressed.

    1. Can you explain how he has been treated for the sake of context?

       He is a country mile behind the other options in the squad and not in an exclusive club who won’t see much game time.

       It tends to be how a squad works, not all players play

       A strange post.

13. Well this is Hastings’ big chance. If he plays well, kicks his points and Townsend doesn’t pick him for NZ then he is really putting his job on the line.
    I would have had Bennett in the 23, I’m not sure what Tuipulotu brings off the bench.
    I would have also started Dempsey to give him a chance to stake his claim for NZ.
    All in though, happy with this. It’s not a B team and gives a strong indication what team he plans to start the week after.

    1. SRB on Twitter saying Russell back for NZ game. Seems a wild rumour but we’ll see.

       Excited to see if Redpath can a) remain uninjured for consecutive Scotland games and b) live up to the the now considerable expectation

       1. Hastings will do for the All Blacks. We have Stuart Hogg, Super Hoggy, he will yet again take the ball into three of them hoping to break through in the closing moments and etch his name in history. But he will botch it again.

       2. I’d say there was 0% chance that Russell will play for Scotland again under GT…unless everyone else is injured.
          GT doesn’t even mention him anymore when asked about 1st choice 10 competition. He talks about Kinghorn and Hastings as the competing players for 2023. It’s also been reported he has been in talks with Finn Smith this week or so about playing for Scotland…if true ..Russell is well off his radar.

    2. The Hastings Toony dropped in the 6Nations, as he was promoting Kinghorn. I do hope he asked Adam nicely to rejoin the squad and admitted he was a tad rash. Lets see what this weekend brings. All ways drama being a Scotland fan. Watch the cards fly this weekend. Neither of these sides are low on penalty counts.

14. It will be a joy to see Redpath back in a Scotland jersey. Hastings will hopefully show his worth along with Ritchie Grays recent club work rate. Role on Saturday.

    1. There is a Tam hiding in here , somewhere, I will work it out. Sandy : Do you think Redpath is ready or are we just putting him under pressure? I dont think he is ready. How will he play with Harris an untried partnership. I think this is a weak centre combination. If they get moving , it could be carnage. I suspect this game will be tighter than we think.

       1. Hay Tam!good questions. Redpath and Harris are great communicators so defensively we should be strong in midfield. If the back 3 can also link well we’ll hopefully see some great attacking rugby. What makes you think Redpaths not yet ready?

       2. Hey Sandy hey man, Hey: Injury prone, not much rugby, dropped consistent guys playing every week for Redpath on a graduated return to service at his club , they are looking after him ,but Toony goes straight for the big game, starter. Of Course he is not ready and the FiJians will run. If the Fijians get through that pair of tacklers they are over the white line as Hogg will be hiding under the couch as usual. Toony also belongs to an era where the best players in Scotland were alleged to be borderers . It is his old school tie.

       3. Sandy: whit makes you think he is ready and what makes you so joyful about a one cap wonder stepping into someones jersey. Did you not feel joy with the others like Bennett, Tuipolotu. As you can tell, I dont agree and do not warm to anyone who thinks overlooking guys who have been nothing but faithfull as a means of building team morale is good. I really do not feel joy at watching this soap opera.

       4. Sandy : Good communicators: Where did you get that ? When did they last communicate with each other. That is just babble and nonsense. You remind me of someone with another name.

       5. Wow a lot of vitriol to Sandy here – why?

          Redpath played a blinder for bath last week, he is ready having several games under his belt.

          As for this weird argument that he is somehow diplacing “faithful” or “dependable” previous No 12 incumbents, who are they? Tuipuloti who is normally a 13? Sam Johnson who is injured? Stafford mcDowell who somehow got into the squad ahead of Rory Hutch?

          Not sure what the beef is here, it’s not Redpath’s fault he’s been injured, and a game against Fiji is a perfect opportunity to see how he’s shaping up.

          He’s the best 12 option we have for now and the future if he can stay fit.

          I’d also have kept Bennett in the 13 or 23 shirt.

       6. Hey Brizz I think this might be frustration at another pairing in the centre. Some just need to get used to the revolving door, nothing we can do about it, sit back, chill, enjoy the party. Ican see Toony is building to the All Blacks and all will be forgotten if we show progress on that day.

15. cant see how Hsatings cant be better than Kinghorn at fly half. BK seems perfect backline sub as he offers something in each position other than scrum half – sadly for him he isnt number one in any position for me

    1. Hastings is a Fly Half that is why. Man just kicked a drop goal from own half. That was all we needed on Saturday. But Townsend player a Taylors Mannequin he bought in the Jenners Closing down sale , goes by the name of Kinghorn, he was transfixed in the closing moment, so wooden he couldn’t even get it over when everyone stood still and watched let alone in the middle of battle like Hastings. That is why ok .

       1. Again. Hastings couldn’t play last week.

          Hastings is looking sharp, but there’s question marks on his defence. This is actually a really good test for him, Fiji will be firing Botia and Big Bill into his channel all day. If he comes out well on that front, we’ve got a real successor to Finn on our hands. But if not, that’s almost as big an achilles heel for a test level fly half as goalkicking. As always, I’m hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

    2. I like Hastings, but in terms of base fly half play he will actually do pretty well to perform better than Kinghorn did v Australia, the actual “Rugby” from Kinghorn in the game was for the most part very decent.

       His kicking isn’t ideal, but that isn’t an exclusive condition of playing fly half.

       1. I agree it he looked decent in open play.

          But the very few touches that Darcy and Duhan got are on the halfbacks. The centres were not much in it either. Kinghorn’s distribution is a weakness and not a strength – is this what we were seeing?

       2. Is that a Kinghorn exclusive issue in recent years? I would argue not,

          While the level is of course different at Pro level v International Kinghorn at 10 and Edinburgh do tend to get the backs involved more often, easier levels, possibly easier to do.

          For all some of those in the back weren’t involved Kinghorn had a decent hand in the try Smith scored and a wonder pass which should have put in Tuipulotu, both would have been You Tube highlights that had most waxing lyrical had other 10s had the same involvement.

       3. Kinghorn is not an international fly half. He has a better than most skill set but basically he is a yard of pipewater and a nearly man in every position he is given.

       4. You have just said he isn’t an International fly half, yet we are a week removed from a perfectly acceptable fly half performance by him at International level.

16. I for one will always make Vern Cotter welcome at Murrayfield , he was a great coach. Inspired this crowd. If I could order a guard of Honour for his arrival, I would do it. Thanks for comparing them, the one win Cotter got over Ireland is something Toony will never emulate. I may be wrong but there are other sides they both played like Tonga, Romania , Georgia which make up the win percentages. Toony has a few of them helping his numbers. It may be tighter than we think.

17. They played a side called England as well, hopefully Toony doesn’t emulate the results Cotter got against them either!!

    1. Three little letters U S A. Toony played them and gave them their 1st win agaist us.You happy now? Feeling better , Cotter never got London enough to try again with England but Townsend will always be the coach who lost to England and managed to put us out of the rwc at opening round. Probably twice to be honest . Hope you feel better now. The day for honesty is coming.

       1. “never got London enough” what does that even mean? your post doesn’t read like that of an educated mind

       2. Excuse me read the posting rules Max. Spelling errors are not a reason for abuse. London was meant to be long enough and I don’t need your endorsmeant of my intelligence level. I notice you never tried to rewrite history. Townsend did lose to the USA and only managed to beat Wales at an empty stadium.

       3. It is an evidence based observation, you might want to research what abuse means!

          Would time have meant a win v England or in particular away to England? who is to know. I was only speaking about what did take place rather than a possible imagined win against England in a game that never took place, now that would be rewrite!

          Yes, that is correct, Rugby was played in empty stadiums for a while, a term accepted by all participants prior to the start of the competition.

          Would you have rather games were played in full stadia during a global pandemic? I am at a loss as to why you would mention who was or wasn’t in the stadium given the driver behind that

       4. I woukd rather Townsend had beaten the USA. If he had equalled Cotter by getting a win against Ireland I might give your comment some consideration, but I just do not agree. But he didn’t, he has not even come close.His brand of super rugby got us rejected from the first round of the rwc . Cotter got to quarters and was close enough to a semi final . The quarter saw Scotland beaten in a match which was won on a wrong referee decision which was incredulously enough independently verified by world rugby as an error.

          Townsend will leave eventually however he will never have won hearts and minds the way Cotter did .

       5. The facts are the facts and both sides of the love / no love Townsend argument see them differently.

          As far as I am concerned Townsend has divided fans and is unlikely to leave the post with the warmth of affection Vern Cotter receives. Cotter bar a dreadful referring decision would have got Scotland to the Semis of the RWC, Townsend did not. In terms of the 6 nations they have both finished as high as the other in terms of placings. So if you think the RWC is your criteria for success , you have an answer. If you think , 6Nations is success you have an answer. If you think beating England is the goal, you have an answer. Either way , you are right.

       6. It would appear the US Eagles are in a 4 team play off to qualify for next years RWC. No question, we lost to them. It would appear someone has worse problems than us, however I cannot see a way we will not end up being that 3 side selected in a pool unless we dramatically improve our world ranking. I am with the conspiracy theorists, it suits World Rugby for Japan to progress.

       7. This is explosive. The facts are that on the 16th June 2018 the US Eagles beat Scotland. Townsend never learns to quote the Times ‘The win was never inevitable. It was Blair Kinghorn’s missed conversion of Dougie Fife’s late try that sealed it.’

          History repeats it’s self ,

       8. Oh dear, drunk again!

18. I quite like having the idea of two centre pairings. Either Redpath/Harris or Johnson/Bennett. Either pair looks well balanced. I don’t see Tuipulotu as a starter, unfortunately, but on the bench for impact and can cover both 12 and 13, he certainly has a role to play. It seems we have a glut of centres who can step up (hopefully). Hutchison and Dean are on the fringes, IMO. And don’t forget Huw Jones.

    For those saying Redpath/Harris is an untried partnership look up the 2021 Calcutta Cup.

19. Quick PSA for people going to the match. This is the kids for a quid game, which means that the atmosphere will be slightly different. I know for the die-hards things like Mexican waves are annoying, but kids genuinely love them. And getting kids excited about the whole day is our best bet for cheering on successful team in 20 years time. So please join in. Cheers!

    1. Some of the most dispiriting experiences at Murrayfield in recent years have been have been Mexican waves, a sign that people are bored with the activity on the pitch.

       1. In normal circumstances, I totally agree. Disrespectful and a sign of a bad game. But when the stadium is 50% under 12s, it’s different.

20. I would expect you would see Mexican Waves at games attended by kids even if the game in front of them was a thrilling 34-34 all with minutes to go.

    As a spectator sport a lot of live attendance of Rugby is boring due to the time a lot of activity takes which is a problem far greater than solely what is happening on the green stuff at Murrayfield.

    All that being said most aren’t thinking about it with that level of depth and just want to have a bit of fun

21. The more I read Townsend’s commentary in the press and witness his inconsistent team selections the stronger my thoughts are that he needs to be relieved of his duties asap.
    An extremely poor last world cup and a team that has gone backwards over the last 12-18 months in terms of discipline, performance and results is more than ample evidence. His tenure can now be summarised by inconsistent team selection and a consequent loss of direction and a failure to manage our talent eg Russell, Hogg, Thomson. If we are to have any chance of a decent 6N and getting out of our world cup group we need a fresh coach in position asap

22. It’s a team that will likely beat Fiji handsomely, if Turner cannot produce a 95% accuracy with R.Gray and GG to aim at then he should really have a word with himself.
    Ultimately I fear GT has been/is stifling/ruining several of the best players we have had in my 30+ years of rugby watching

23. Aye it was Kinghorn that missed the Conversion to allow the US Eagles to beat us as well. Just like last week. Is there anymore we need to say ? Why is Toony not being pinged.

    1. Cas hic Roc :Try again TC or wee sam . Did you have a point ? or just having a quiet night in .