The Official Scottish Rugby Thread

[Yr Alban]

I really like this move. We have our leader and future Lions captain (I am not getting off this bandwagon) stepping up to the most important position. This is going to be fun.

I've been really impressed with Hoggy this year as captain. I think it was slightly dragging him down last year but this year he has been great.

We hear about how good he is doing off the field, but on the field I really like how he is putting his own stamp on being captain. The way he talks to the team, it seems to be team decisions. Also thought he spoke very well to the ref vs Ireland.

100% agree with this. I’m really chuffed for him that he has been trusted with the captaincy and has embraced it. He had a couple of dodgy moments as a youth but has come through as, in my opinion, easily the best Scottish player of his generation and someone who obviously loves playing for Scotland. He will go down as one of our legends.

For his sake I really hope he gets a couple of Lions caps because he absolutely deserves it.

He’s basically the modern Andy Irvine. A mercurial rugby god who spent much of his career playing in mediocre Scotland teams.

[Caley_Red]

Was so depressed after the Ireland match that I've been avoiding here.

However, I had to come back when I saw the XV, could really do with one of those popcorn gifs to express my mix of intrepidation and excitement!

Personally, I think Hogg will do a better job than Jaco and could start cutting up the Italian defence if there is a decent bit of broken play in the match.

[KingBlairhorn]

There you go Caley, but this gif is for the news that the English clubs in particular have not agreed to release the Scotland players for the new France date and are apparently demanding compensation.

Here come the lawyers!

[Big D]

The English clubs are well within their rights to do so. They are usually strong on non England games outside international windows.

[SaintK]

There you go Caley, but this gif is for the news that the English clubs in particular have not agreed to release the Scotland players for the new France date and are apparently demanding compensation.

Here come the lawyers!

Prem clubs will be fined by PRL if they release any players outside the international window
Both Saints and Bath were fined £60k each for releasing a player a couple of years back.
I thought negotiations were still ongoing with the SRU

[Biffer]

Haven't seen anything on the official Scotland social media accounts.

Wonder if this is France and the six nations trying to just push it through without agreement?

[Begbie]

So there's no agreement to release players and Paris is going in to a 4 week lockdown

[Begbie]

In Scots abroad news, Hamilton Burr is captaining Waikato this weekend. He's carving himself a decent career down there, it seems.

[Jock42]

There you go Caley, but this gif is for the news that the English clubs in particular have not agreed to release the Scotland players for the new France date and are apparently demanding compensation.

Here come the lawyers!

FFS, I thought they'd agreed when the date was provisionally booked.

Fucking typical Scottish luck that another team fucks up and Scotland come out worse off.

[westport]

Having looked at this weeks tombola I don't know if it going to be a spectacular success or a spectacular failure. Hopefully the former.

[dkm57]

Having looked at this weeks tombola I don't know if it going to be a spectacular success or a spectacular failure. Hopefully the former.

Spectacular either way. I'm hopeful of a highly entertaining game with the right result but decades of bitter experience leads me expect otherwise. In my humble opinion the only one in that starting 15 that doesn't fill me with excitement/expectation is Gilchrist.

[Openside]

I've been really impressed with Hoggy this year as captain. I think it was slightly dragging him down last year but this year he has been great.

We hear about how good he is doing off the field, but on the field I really like how he is putting his own stamp on being captain. The way he talks to the team, it seems to be team decisions. Also thought he spoke very well to the ref vs Ireland.

100% agree with this. I’m really chuffed for him that he has been trusted with the captaincy and has embraced it. He had a couple of dodgy moments as a youth but has come through as, in my opinion, easily the best Scottish player of his generation and someone who obviously loves playing for Scotland. He will go down as one of our legends.

For his sake I really hope he gets a couple of Lions caps because he absolutely deserves it.

He’s basically the modern Andy Irvine. A mercurial rugby god who spent much of his career playing in mediocre Scotland teams.

He was my Idol growing up.

[Tichtheid]

100% agree with this. I’m really chuffed for him that he has been trusted with the captaincy and has embraced it. He had a couple of dodgy moments as a youth but has come through as, in my opinion, easily the best Scottish player of his generation and someone who obviously loves playing for Scotland. He will go down as one of our legends.

For his sake I really hope he gets a couple of Lions caps because he absolutely deserves it.

He’s basically the modern Andy Irvine. A mercurial rugby god who spent much of his career playing in mediocre Scotland teams.

He was my Idol growing up.

Name drop alert.

I played against the Nails 2nds once. They were a man short so this old grey haired geezer who was standing about got suited and booted and ran out on the wing for Heriots.

At one point they got the ball along the line to Irvine and I had him lined up, I was going to absolutely smash him into touch, he was centimetres away.

I have no idea what happened, but I ended up skidding face down along the turf on the wrong side of the touch line and when I turned around Irvine had already dotted down under the posts.

[Openside]

He’s basically the modern Andy Irvine. A mercurial rugby god who spent much of his career playing in mediocre Scotland teams.

He was my Idol growing up.

Name drop alert.

I played against the Nails 2nds once. They were a man short so this old grey haired geezer who was standing about got suited and booted and ran out on the wing for Heriots.

At one point they got the ball along the line to Irvine and I had him lined up, I was going to absolutely smash him into touch, he was centimetres away.

I have no idea what happened, but I ended up skidding face down along the turf on the wrong side of the touch line and when I turned around Irvine had already dotted down under the posts.

[Jock42]

He’s basically the modern Andy Irvine. A mercurial rugby god who spent much of his career playing in mediocre Scotland teams.

He was my Idol growing up.

Name drop alert.

I played against the Nails 2nds once. They were a man short so this old grey haired geezer who was standing about got suited and booted and ran out on the wing for Heriots.

At one point they got the ball along the line to Irvine and I had him lined up, I was going to absolutely smash him into touch, he was centimetres away.

I have no idea what happened, but I ended up skidding face down along the turf on the wrong side of the touch line and when I turned around Irvine had already dotted down under the posts.

[C T]

Think I've lost track of how bans work.

Wasn't expecting to see Hastings in the Glasgow team for Sun, or Fagerson in the Scotland team for Sat.

Brown is back for Glasgow which is great to see.

[Yr Alban]

There you go Caley, but this gif is for the news that the English clubs in particular have not agreed to release the Scotland players for the new France date and are apparently demanding compensation.

Here come the lawyers!

FFS, I thought they'd agreed when the date was provisionally booked.

Fucking typical Scottish luck that another team fucks up and Scotland come out worse off.

If the English teams refuse to release players, Scotland should refuse to play unless the FFR pays compensation. It’s not as if we’ll have anything left to play for anyway.

[Yr Alban]

In Scots abroad news, Hamilton Burr is captaining Waikato this weekend. He's carving himself a decent career down there, it seems.

I’ve been wondering for months now whether his parents were aware of the historical connection between his first name and his surname when they named him?

(If there’s anyone left who hasn’t seen ‘Hamilton’, Alexander Hamilton (half-Scottish) wrote most of the US Constitution, and Aaron Burr was the Vice-President who shot him dead in a duel)

[Slick]

He’s basically the modern Andy Irvine. A mercurial rugby god who spent much of his career playing in mediocre Scotland teams.

He was my Idol growing up.

Name drop alert.

I played against the Nails 2nds once. They were a man short so this old grey haired geezer who was standing about got suited and booted and ran out on the wing for Heriots.

At one point they got the ball along the line to Irvine and I had him lined up, I was going to absolutely smash him into touch, he was centimetres away.

I have no idea what happened, but I ended up skidding face down along the turf on the wrong side of the touch line and when I turned around Irvine had already dotted down under the posts.

[Yr Alban]

Now Scotland have decided to play Hogg at 10, Glasgow have apparently responded by naming Hastings at 15. (Not sure why he can play for Glasgow but not Scotland, but there you go)

[Jock42]

Now Scotland have decided to play Hogg at 10, Glasgow have apparently responded by naming Hastings at 15. (Not sure why he can play for Glasgow but not Scotland, but there you go)

Is it a 3 game ban rather than 3 weeks?

[Yr Alban]

Now Scotland have decided to play Hogg at 10, Glasgow have apparently responded by naming Hastings at 15. (Not sure why he can play for Glasgow but not Scotland, but there you go)

Is it a 3 game ban rather than 3 weeks?

Just checked. You’re right, it’s a 3 game ban, and the Glasgow game is on Sunday. So Scotland v Italy is game 3. Daft that it all comes down to scheduling...

[Jockaline]

Really looking forward to what should be three great games tomorrow.

In contrast to some I think Scotland have had a really good campaign a score away in two games from being in the hunt for a grand slam, yes not the wins hoped for and the records will have us potentially down the bottom of the table again, but we've never gone as so consistently well in recent memory,. Takes time to catch-up from so far back.

Tomorrow we are going to dominate, entertain and put in a big score, I'm certain I won't be eating my words

[KingBlairhorn]

Well that’s both surprising and disappointing. Ospreys beat Leinster and remove any slim chance Glasgow had of 3rd place and champions cup rugby.

[Slick]

Really looking forward to what should be three great games tomorrow.

In contrast to some I think Scotland have had a really good campaign a score away in two games from being in the hunt for a grand slam, yes not the wins hoped for and the records will have us potentially down the bottom of the table again, but we've never gone as so consistently well in recent memory,. Takes time to catch-up from so far back.

Tomorrow we are going to dominate, entertain and put in a big score, I'm certain I won't be eating my words

I’m erring on the side of agreeing with you now with a bit of distance from last weekend.

Actually really looking forward to the game today. That’s always a big risk mind you

Edit: however we have to absolutely smash Italy today for me to get fully onboard

[I like neeps]

Really looking forward to what should be three great games tomorrow.

In contrast to some I think Scotland have had a really good campaign a score away in two games from being in the hunt for a grand slam, yes not the wins hoped for and the records will have us potentially down the bottom of the table again, but we've never gone as so consistently well in recent memory,. Takes time to catch-up from so far back.

Tomorrow we are going to dominate, entertain and put in a big score, I'm certain I won't be eating my words

Two scores away from a "grand slam" only works if you look at the result in isolation of the performance. Both performances were poor. The Wales game especially. Should've won that 10x but the discipline was pish.

Scotland are a very very long way away from being a grandslam contender. Any pressure and they collapse.

[Yr Alban]

Really looking forward to what should be three great games tomorrow.

In contrast to some I think Scotland have had a really good campaign a score away in two games from being in the hunt for a grand slam, yes not the wins hoped for and the records will have us potentially down the bottom of the table again, but we've never gone as so consistently well in recent memory,. Takes time to catch-up from so far back.

Tomorrow we are going to dominate, entertain and put in a big score, I'm certain I won't be eating my words

Two scores away from a "grand slam" only works if you look at the result in isolation of the performance. Both performances were poor. The Wales game especially. Should've won that 10x but the discipline was pish.

Scotland are a very very long way away from being a grandslam contender. Any pressure and they collapse.

I would agree with you, except for the England game, where they were dominant, controlled and disciplined, and ground out the win in a tough game. Yes, they should have won by more, and yes, there was the horrible DG attempt at the end, but they really did seem to have turned a corner. Sadly our season turned on Fagerson’s red card.

[I like neeps]

Really looking forward to what should be three great games tomorrow.

In contrast to some I think Scotland have had a really good campaign a score away in two games from being in the hunt for a grand slam, yes not the wins hoped for and the records will have us potentially down the bottom of the table again, but we've never gone as so consistently well in recent memory,. Takes time to catch-up from so far back.

Tomorrow we are going to dominate, entertain and put in a big score, I'm certain I won't be eating my words

Two scores away from a "grand slam" only works if you look at the result in isolation of the performance. Both performances were poor. The Wales game especially. Should've won that 10x but the discipline was pish.

Scotland are a very very long way away from being a grandslam contender. Any pressure and they collapse.

I would agree with you, except for the England game, where they were dominant, controlled and disciplined, and ground out the win in a tough game. Yes, they should have won by more, and yes, there was the horrible DG attempt at the end, but they really did seem to have turned a corner. Sadly our season turned on Fagerson’s red card.

Okay but two points. England is one game, that's it. A grand slam is 5. You can't have one dominant performance and then maybe one good 80 in the next two games. That's not "almost a grand slam".

And Scotland lost to Wales between 30-50 minutes where we somehow (sloppy and extremely illdisciplined play) turned two entries in the welsh 22 into Wales scores. Fagerson's red card came at a point momentum had shifted. The ref card is irrelevant the game should've been over and we were crap.

We are nowhere near a grand slam. Nowhere near. Until we become ruthless, disciplined and mentally way stronger than we are now we'll always be "well if you squint at the scores it's actually good". Nah.

[Tichtheid]

Two scores away from a "grand slam" only works if you look at the result in isolation of the performance. Both performances were poor. The Wales game especially. Should've won that 10x but the discipline was pish.

Scotland are a very very long way away from being a grandslam contender. Any pressure and they collapse.

I would agree with you, except for the England game, where they were dominant, controlled and disciplined, and ground out the win in a tough game. Yes, they should have won by more, and yes, there was the horrible DG attempt at the end, but they really did seem to have turned a corner. Sadly our season turned on Fagerson’s red card.

Okay but two points. England is one game, that's it. A grand slam is 5. You can't have one dominant performance and then maybe one good 80 in the next two games. That's not "almost a grand slam".

And Scotland lost to Wales between 30-50 minutes where we somehow (sloppy and extremely illdisciplined play) turned two entries in the welsh 22 into Wales scores. Fagerson's red card came at a point momentum had shifted. The ref card is irrelevant the game should've been over and we were crap.

We are nowhere near a grand slam. Nowhere near. Until we become ruthless, disciplined and mentally way stronger than we are now we'll always be "well if you squint at the scores it's actually good". Nah.

I think we Scots have always over rated our players, all supporters do, we've had good players, the best are probably the equal of the guys who go on the Lions tours, but it's that winning environment and mental edge wot does it.

However, we currently have the best squad and depth since the beginning of the pro era. No one is going to wait for us to catch up, everyone is forging on so it's up to us to get that mental edge that carry the others over the line when it's all hitting the fan.

Your last paragraph is right on the money, neeps.

[Biffer]

Two scores away from a "grand slam" only works if you look at the result in isolation of the performance. Both performances were poor. The Wales game especially. Should've won that 10x but the discipline was pish.

Scotland are a very very long way away from being a grandslam contender. Any pressure and they collapse.

I would agree with you, except for the England game, where they were dominant, controlled and disciplined, and ground out the win in a tough game. Yes, they should have won by more, and yes, there was the horrible DG attempt at the end, but they really did seem to have turned a corner. Sadly our season turned on Fagerson’s red card.

Okay but two points. England is one game, that's it. A grand slam is 5. You can't have one dominant performance and then maybe one good 80 in the next two games. That's not "almost a grand slam".

And Scotland lost to Wales between 30-50 minutes where we somehow (sloppy and extremely illdisciplined play) turned two entries in the welsh 22 into Wales scores. Fagerson's red card came at a point momentum had shifted. The ref card is irrelevant the game should've been over and we were crap.

We are nowhere near a grand slam. Nowhere near. Until we become ruthless, disciplined and mentally way stronger than we are now we'll always be "well if you squint at the scores it's actually good". Nah.

To be completely fair, that sounds like a good description of how Wales have got to one game from a Grand Slam.

[Yr Alban]

Two scores away from a "grand slam" only works if you look at the result in isolation of the performance. Both performances were poor. The Wales game especially. Should've won that 10x but the discipline was pish.

Scotland are a very very long way away from being a grandslam contender. Any pressure and they collapse.

I would agree with you, except for the England game, where they were dominant, controlled and disciplined, and ground out the win in a tough game. Yes, they should have won by more, and yes, there was the horrible DG attempt at the end, but they really did seem to have turned a corner. Sadly our season turned on Fagerson’s red card.

Okay but two points. England is one game, that's it. A grand slam is 5. You can't have one dominant performance and then maybe one good 80 in the next two games. That's not "almost a grand slam".

And Scotland lost to Wales between 30-50 minutes where we somehow (sloppy and extremely illdisciplined play) turned two entries in the welsh 22 into Wales scores. Fagerson's red card came at a point momentum had shifted. The ref card is irrelevant the game should've been over and we were crap.

We are nowhere near a grand slam. Nowhere near. Until we become ruthless, disciplined and mentally way stronger than we are now we'll always be "well if you squint at the scores it's actually good". Nah.

Sorry, I wasn’t arguing that we are near a GS. I agree we’re totally not. First we have to make ourselves contenders, which we keep threatening to do, but then we screw up the next game and fall short.

It was more the last sentence I was taking issue with. The England game showed that we can perform under pressure, but for every game when we do it (the away game v Wales in the autumn was another) there are three where we don’t. Inconsistency - especially in our mindset - is our major weakness now.

Regarding the ‘momentum shifting’ at the time of the RC v Wales: if anything, the momentum actually shifted back our way after it. It was the 20 mins preceding it when the momentum was with Wales. But trying to close out a game in the final quarter is massively harder when you are a man short. Even with the handicap and our questionable performance, we still should have won, as Hogg was clearly impeded on the final play, so it’s not a huge stretch to say we’d have won with 15.

[Yr Alban]

Incidentally, I am working today, and the result of the Welsh game is likely to influence how the day goes. Not actually certain whether a win or a loss will be worse. Bound to be a bunch of drunk people either way.

[GogLais]

Incidentally, I am working today, and the result of the Welsh game is likely to influence how the day goes. Not actually certain whether a win or a loss will be worse. Bound to be a bunch of drunk people either way.

Aren’t you in N Wales where we’re not bothered?

[Begbie]

Incidentally, I am working today, and the result of the Welsh game is likely to influence how the day goes. Not actually certain whether a win or a loss will be worse. Bound to be a bunch of drunk people either way.

My mate is a cop in the Rhondda, he loathes rugby days. Brings out all the cretins.

[I like neeps]

I would agree with you, except for the England game, where they were dominant, controlled and disciplined, and ground out the win in a tough game. Yes, they should have won by more, and yes, there was the horrible DG attempt at the end, but they really did seem to have turned a corner. Sadly our season turned on Fagerson’s red card.

Okay but two points. England is one game, that's it. A grand slam is 5. You can't have one dominant performance and then maybe one good 80 in the next two games. That's not "almost a grand slam".

And Scotland lost to Wales between 30-50 minutes where we somehow (sloppy and extremely illdisciplined play) turned two entries in the welsh 22 into Wales scores. Fagerson's red card came at a point momentum had shifted. The ref card is irrelevant the game should've been over and we were crap.

We are nowhere near a grand slam. Nowhere near. Until we become ruthless, disciplined and mentally way stronger than we are now we'll always be "well if you squint at the scores it's actually good". Nah.

I think we Scots have always over rated our players, all supporters do, we've had good players, the best are probably the equal of the guys who go on the Lions tours, but it's that winning environment and mental edge wot does it.

However, we currently have the best squad and depth since the beginning of the pro era. No one is going to wait for us to catch up, everyone is forging on so it's up to us to get that mental edge that carry the others over the line when it's all hitting the fan.

Your last paragraph is right on the money, neeps.

We do have the best squad we've had in a decade + and it's being wasted by the same mistakes. That's why I'm an advocate for Gatland.

[I like neeps]

I would agree with you, except for the England game, where they were dominant, controlled and disciplined, and ground out the win in a tough game. Yes, they should have won by more, and yes, there was the horrible DG attempt at the end, but they really did seem to have turned a corner. Sadly our season turned on Fagerson’s red card.

Okay but two points. England is one game, that's it. A grand slam is 5. You can't have one dominant performance and then maybe one good 80 in the next two games. That's not "almost a grand slam".

And Scotland lost to Wales between 30-50 minutes where we somehow (sloppy and extremely illdisciplined play) turned two entries in the welsh 22 into Wales scores. Fagerson's red card came at a point momentum had shifted. The ref card is irrelevant the game should've been over and we were crap.

We are nowhere near a grand slam. Nowhere near. Until we become ruthless, disciplined and mentally way stronger than we are now we'll always be "well if you squint at the scores it's actually good". Nah.

To be completely fair, that sounds like a good description of how Wales have got to one game from a Grand Slam.

Yes exactly. Wales are the opposite of Scotland. Mentally strong, always in the game and take their chances. If you're mentally strong and take your chances you'll do well. If you sh*t the bed whenever the game gets close you won't. Scotland sh*t the bed.

[Biffer]

Guscott saying Scotland haven't progressed. When the stats are on screen saying Scotland's all time Six Nations win percentage is 30% and in the last five years its 48%.

To hsi credit Barclay called him out as an idiot for it.

[Slick]

Guscott saying Scotland haven't progressed. When the stats are on screen saying Scotland's all time Six Nations win percentage is 30% and in the last five years its 48%.

To hsi credit Barclay called him out as an idiot for it.

Yes, that was amusing.

Hogg looked a bit uncomfortable on that knee

[Openside]

IMO you shouldn’t be able to keep the ball in if you don’t start with your feet in play.

[I like neeps]

Oh look, not far from a grand slam Scotland losing to Italy.