The Official Scottish Rugby Thread

[Tichtheid]

At the moment he’d have to be as good as or better than Schoeman, Bhatti, Sutherland, Hepburn and McBeth. Venter qualifies in Feb ‘26 when he’ll be a bit younger than Schoeman is now. All of these guys will be around for the next world cup

Yeah, there is significantly better depth at loosehead than tighthead. The likes of Hislop, McCallum and Murphy Walker are all kicking around too. I'm not suggesting they are better than Carre but they are already in the system. A few of the 20s looked pretty promising too, notably Smyth and Deans.

Isn’t Murphy Walker a tighthead?

He can play both sides (as can MM), but I think we have greater need at tighthead - "we" being Scotland but Glasgow too, probably

[topofthemoon]

Match preview part 2:

- head to heads;
- players born in the 2000s;
- Italian scrum half inconsistency.

https://www.scotlandrugbynews.com/news/ ... ad-battle/

[KingBlairhorn]

Haha, a success for homer tv directors in the u20 match. As far as I can tell avoided showing the angle the TMO was requesting and then ‘wasn’t able’ to show it in slow mo after a long delay so despite the TMO saying it definitely wasn’t a try the ref gives it anyway. I despair.

[Jock42]

Haha, a success for homer tv directors in the u20 match. As far as I can tell avoided showing the angle the TMO was requesting and then ‘wasn’t able’ to show it in slow mo after a long delay so despite the TMO saying it definitely wasn’t a try the ref gives it anyway. I despair.

Fuck knows how that 3rd try was just given too. At least without any replay.

[Jock42]

They've fucking given up now. Might be time for MOTA.

[Blackmac]

Haha, a success for homer tv directors in the u20 match. As far as I can tell avoided showing the angle the TMO was requesting and then ‘wasn’t able’ to show it in slow mo after a long delay so despite the TMO saying it definitely wasn’t a try the ref gives it anyway. I despair.

Absolute joke shop stuff and really knocked the stuffing out of them. It was clear as day.

[Tichtheid]

Haha, a success for homer tv directors in the u20 match. As far as I can tell avoided showing the angle the TMO was requesting and then ‘wasn’t able’ to show it in slow mo after a long delay so despite the TMO saying it definitely wasn’t a try the ref gives it anyway. I despair.

Absolute joke shop stuff and really knocked the stuffing out of them. It was clear as day.

The following try was just as bad with Italians pinning Scottish players in the ruck, as per the first one, from which they got the penalty which led to the try to take them ahead. We never recovered from that.


btw, I started Snowfall after reading your recommendation on the tv thread, I'm on episode 6 of series 1, it's really good.

[Blackmac]

Haha, a success for homer tv directors in the u20 match. As far as I can tell avoided showing the angle the TMO was requesting and then ‘wasn’t able’ to show it in slow mo after a long delay so despite the TMO saying it definitely wasn’t a try the ref gives it anyway. I despair.

Absolute joke shop stuff and really knocked the stuffing out of them. It was clear as day.

The following try was just as bad with Italians pinning Scottish players in the ruck, as per the first one, from which they got the penalty which led to the try to take them ahead. We never recovered from that.


btw, I started Snowfall after reading your recommendation on the tv thread, I'm on episode 6 of series 1, it's really good.

I had bizarrely never heard of it but then caught it on BBC player. I think it suffered from being in direct competition to a few great shows. By the end you will be astonished to hear that the actor playing the lead character didn't get a shedload of awards.

[charltom]

Really pleased for George Horne getting a start today. I used to advocate for him massively but have been happy with Ben White lately. Great for Hornito to get his chance.

Sad for Stafford that the 6-2 means he misses out. He is likely to be a future star centre, so I hope he gets a chance to show that this summer.

[Begbie]

Really pleased for George Horne getting a start today. I used to advocate for him massively but have been happy with Ben White lately. Great for Hornito to get his chance.

Sad for Stafford that the 6-2 means he misses out. He is likely to be a future star centre, so I hope he gets a chance to show that this summer.

He hasn't done himself any favours in that half.

[Big D]

Really pleased for George Horne getting a start today. I used to advocate for him massively but have been happy with Ben White lately. Great for Hornito to get his chance.

Sad for Stafford that the 6-2 means he misses out. He is likely to be a future star centre, so I hope he gets a chance to show that this summer.

He hasn't done himself any favours in that half.

He's needing subbed.

Passing has been rank and two tries from kicks where it could be reasonably expected the 9 to be covering.

[Big D]

Can we stop fucking about with Horne and Steyn and get the back subs off now.

That came from Steyn being turned inside out in the defensive line. Pathetic.

[Big D]

Not calling for the coaches head or anything but some of this lies squarely on his shoulders.

6/2 bench then waits 70min before using them.

Horne starting which has failed. Steyn continues to be a defensive liability.

We continually give away silly penalties and aren't scoring 60-80 minutes

[Tichtheid]

Well that was shite from us

[Big D]

They fed off our mistakes. All 3 of their tries were avoidable yet we contrived to let them in.

[KingBlairhorn]

Sake

[Begbie]

We're getting pumped next week.

[Big D]

We're getting pumped next week.

Indeed.

[KingBlairhorn]

We're getting pumped next week.

Indeed.

That was always inevitable. At least now we can go into the game without worrying about what’s at stake. Our only hope now is that Ireland win the tournament this afternoon and spend the next week on the sauce.

[Big D]

We can still finish last in this 6N. We won't but it shouldn't be on the table.

[Begbie]

Not calling for the coaches head or anything but some of this lies squarely on his shoulders.

6/2 bench then waits 70min before using them.

Horne starting which has failed. Steyn continues to be a defensive liability.

We continually give away silly penalties and aren't scoring 60-80 minutes

I think it's time for some fresh thinking. I wouldn't be upset if t he goes after this tournament.

[Slick]

I’m done for a while. Got to find something else to do with my time, energy and money

[Begbie]

I’m done for a while. Got to find something else to do with my time, energy and money

Aye, it's kind of hard to give a fuck at the moment. Hearing Toony blaming ill discipline again is beyond tedious. It's not a new problem Gregor. We're a 20-30 minute team at best.

[topofthemoon]

We can still finish last in this 6N. We won't but it shouldn't be on the table.

Not quite. Worst case we go into the last weekend with Wales on 8 and Italy on 7. They can’t both overtake us with result from their match against each other.

[charltom]

I was extremely distracted by my children this afternoon, so my focus wasn't on the match (on a small phone screen in the car) as it ought to have been.

Can anyone tell me: was it as it looked to me, a lot of unpenalised offside in defence from Italy? Was it really a case of particularly poor discipline from Scotland as opposed to Italy?

Please don't lose to England, Ireland, because I know what you'll do to Scotland if you do... oh dear.

[Big D]

Other teams getting stronger and developing new players. We are in real danger of being miles behind by this time in 2026.

[Slick]

Over the moon that Ireland got beat.

But, FFS

[Begbie]

Other teams getting stronger and developing new players. We are in real danger of being miles behind by this time in 2026.

We're a stick on for the spoon next year. And I don't mean that as a reaction to today, more about what you've highlighted here.

[topofthemoon]

Get the job done today and we all get to enjoy the buildup to a match where a win would most likely be enough for a Six Nations' title and at least shoot our shot against Ireland.

Shafted ourselves out of one of the biggest weeks in Scottish rugby for years.

[Yr Alban]

In Australia. Just woke up to this. Fuck sake. You could
see it coming, but fuck sake. We could literallly have been playing for the title next week.

[Big D]

And another thing seeing as I'm still fizzing. Co-captains just isn't a thing and doesn't allow a leader to emerge and I think it's no more than indecision from Townsend.

He isn't being seem in the best of lights but we miss Hoggs leadership.

[Soapy]

The team is the epitome of GT as a player - very occasionally brilliant, consistently inconsistent and often feckless. After 7 years of opportunity it is resoundingly clear that Townsend doesn't have the capabilities to be an international coach. Time for him to go.

[KingBlairhorn]

I think there are a few knee jerk reactions in here that I understand but don’t agree with.

Firstly, if we all stopped supporting Scottish sports teams when they lose we would run out of sports to watch pretty quickly.

Secondly, Italy aren’t mugs. We are sounding pretty arrogant right now as we pontificate on Scotland's failings while we should really reflect on the fabulous journey Italian rugby has been on the last few years. They’ve really turned things around and deserved their victory. Scotland didn’t shit the bed, Italy won through excellent rugby.

Third, the tournament is exactly what we all said it is before it began. 5 teams of similar ability and one who is streets ahead of the rest. Everyone has beaten someone, except wales who are obviously utterly gash (sorry wales).

Finally, for all that, it is probably time for a coaching change soon. Townsend is our (statistically) best ever coach, but he hasn’t won anything. Any coach who fails to win anything for 7 years has probably reached the end of the road if for nothing else that to freshen things up and bring in some new ideas. It’s been a hell of a ride, but he should go work in club rugby for a while and maybe come back towards the end of his coaching career, hopefully as a better coach.

[Biffer]

Not calling for the coaches head or anything but some of this lies squarely on his shoulders.

6/2 bench then waits 70min before using them.

Horne starting which has failed. Steyn continues to be a defensive liability.

We continually give away silly penalties and aren't scoring 60-80 minutes

Fuck it, I'm calling for his head.

I'm done with Townsend.

He has the best generation of players we've had in the professional era.

He's under achieved with them. If Cotter had had the last eight years, we would have won the six nations.

[Slick]

We can still finish last in this 6N. We won't but it shouldn't be on the table.

We are also the only team that can win the Triple Crown.

I suppose

[Slick]

Not calling for the coaches head or anything but some of this lies squarely on his shoulders.

6/2 bench then waits 70min before using them.

Horne starting which has failed. Steyn continues to be a defensive liability.

We continually give away silly penalties and aren't scoring 60-80 minutes

Fuck it, I'm calling for his head.

I'm done with Townsend.

He has the best generation of players we've had in the professional era.

He's under achieved with them. If Cotter had had the last eight years, we would have won the six nations.

I’m a big Townsend fan, and I definitely don’t think Cotter would have done much more, but it’s time for a change

[Blackmac]

Not calling for the coaches head or anything but some of this lies squarely on his shoulders.

6/2 bench then waits 70min before using them.

Horne starting which has failed. Steyn continues to be a defensive liability.

We continually give away silly penalties and aren't scoring 60-80 minutes

Fuck it, I'm calling for his head.

I'm done with Townsend.

He has the best generation of players we've had in the professional era.

He's under achieved with them. If Cotter had had the last eight years, we would have won the six nations.

Not sure it's easy to coach stupidity and panic out of players. Absolutely sick of seeing this crowd implode under the slightest of pressure.

[Slick]

I don’t know what happened to the back 3 today, they looked like they had just been introduced before the match, left exposed time and time again.

[Biffer]

Not calling for the coaches head or anything but some of this lies squarely on his shoulders.

6/2 bench then waits 70min before using them.

Horne starting which has failed. Steyn continues to be a defensive liability.

We continually give away silly penalties and aren't scoring 60-80 minutes

Fuck it, I'm calling for his head.

I'm done with Townsend.

He has the best generation of players we've had in the professional era.

He's under achieved with them. If Cotter had had the last eight years, we would have won the six nations.

Not sure it's easy to coach stupidity and panic out of players. Absolutely sick of seeing this crowd implode under the slightest of pressure.

Gatland coached it out of the Welsh. In less time than Townshende has had. Let's not forget get how shite they were in the nineties

[I like neeps]

The time to remove Townsend was after Japan when we were frankly abysmal but had the players to maybe compete for a title.

Now, we're on the decline, and look at the age grades the last 5 years - it's only going to get worse.