NPR

Dogbert wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:22 am Well. Thats a statement

Told you Ben White would start, with Horne benching

Dogbert wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:19 am My only real issue - and it's pretty minor is I would have prefered Skinner over Gilchrist

Hopefully we can heep the stupid penalty count down ( Ritchie & Gilchrist - lookimg at you both ) , then this is set up for one hell of a match.

A hurting England , at home , with a full crowd , with a new coach , and a point to prove.

If Scotland pulls this one off ..... It's the hope that kills you

Tichtheid wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:47 am

Dogbert wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:19 am My only real issue - and it's pretty minor is I would have prefered Skinner over Gilchrist

Hopefully we can heep the stupid penalty count down ( Ritchie & Gilchrist - lookimg at you both ) , then this is set up for one hell of a match.

A hurting England , at home , with a full crowd , with a new coach , and a point to prove.

If Scotland pulls this one off ..... It's the hope that kills you

Nah, Gilcho is worth the shirt, he's been playing very well for over two years now. Big Richie has also been playing well, I'd have picked Skinner on the pine.

It will be an interesting selection for the World Cup if everyone is fit, Cummings will have a part to play, certainly.

dkm57 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:59 am Going to very interesting to see how this 23 works out. 12/13 is intriguing now we know Tuipulotu can pass, he's really come on over the last year. Would have been nice to have Darcy available. Hope the hookers can hit the jumpers consistently. Other than that not a bad looking team at all.

Glad White and Horne at 9 means the ball has a chance to get to the backs before the defenders, Price has been glacial recently.

dkm57 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:59 am Hope the hookers can hit the jumpers consistently. Other than that not a bad looking team at all.

westport wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 12:50 pm Another here that thinks Sam should have been picked over Jonny for the bench

Big D wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 1:12 pm In terms of the expectations for the championship, I think 4 wins would be above expectations, 2 or 3 wins about expected, 1 win below expectations and 0 a very poor return. 5 is obviously fantasy land stuff and not happening.

In terms of performance, we need to cut out stupid penalties and I would like to see something that suggests we have an approach to playing teams the more physical teams given who we have in the WC.

The world cup aside if we are to offer Townsend a new deal it would be beneficial to know he could coach a win over Gatland or Farrell led teams.

clydecloggie wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:05 pm

Big D wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 1:12 pm In terms of the expectations for the championship, I think 4 wins would be above expectations, 2 or 3 wins about expected, 1 win below expectations and 0 a very poor return. 5 is obviously fantasy land stuff and not happening.

In terms of performance, we need to cut out stupid penalties and I would like to see something that suggests we have an approach to playing teams the more physical teams given who we have in the WC.

The world cup aside if we are to offer Townsend a new deal it would be beneficial to know he could coach a win over Gatland or Farrell led teams.

Wales and Italy are must-wins. We especially need to get the Gatland monkey off our backs. So two wins is the minimum return. Anything on top of that is a bonus - we won't have the bookies on our side for any of those three games.

I like neeps wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:35 am

clydecloggie wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:26 am

charltom wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:11 am I was excited by the possibility of Huwipulotu, and now that GT has put them both in the team I find that he's sadly gone for Siones instead. I hope the numbers on their backs don't mean much.

That's a hell of a bench.

The biggest surprise of all is that the team was released early!

Siones instead of Huwipolotou is interesting - they're both essentially 13s so Toonie going for to opposite solution to Franco Smith. In attack, those numbers shouldn't mean much. Will be interesting to see if Jones can make us forget Harris' defence though.

I don't think England will be very attack focused to be fair as it's the hardest install. Borthwick's England is going to be fix the defence and kick the leather aff it and kick chase kick chase kick chase, target the breakdown after the kick chase. Townsend will know this so maybe Jones is in there as the game breaker.

Also I think Graham has been our best attacking weapon the last year so with him out adding some threat is a good plan.

SaintK wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 6:35 pm If Scotland can replicate the intensity that Edinburgh bought to the Saracens match then I think they can shade it particularly as England appear to have gone for mobility with their starting pack
The first 10 minutes will be very interesting

Slick wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:31 pm Anyone to particularly look out for in the U20’s tonight?

I like neeps wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 5:00 pm

Slick wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:31 pm Anyone to particularly look out for in the U20’s tonight?

Liam McConnell at 6 is very highly rated and played super6 at age 18, Rudi Brown at 7 has played for Edinburgh- an unstoppable 8 at school but struggled to find his position starting lock for the Knights, Richie Simpson at 10 was amazing for the Bulls beating out Townsend and the Aussie they signed at 10 to be starter, Corey Tait has been excellent in the super 6 for boroughmuir at hooker, Norrie at TH played a good bit last year at 18 so a lot of potential there for the SRU to waste by favouring NSQ journeymen, Kerr Yule at 12 is only 18 so picked a year early and Munn his partner in the centres has flashed in the past, I'm excited to see Caqescau the son of a Fijian army officer whose been good for the age grades and his wing partner Robinson who has started for Caldy in the English championship.

England's 7 and 8 have both played pro so should be really good.

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:10 pm

I like neeps wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 5:00 pm

Slick wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:31 pm Anyone to particularly look out for in the U20’s tonight?

Liam McConnell at 6 is very highly rated and played super6 at age 18, Rudi Brown at 7 has played for Edinburgh- an unstoppable 8 at school but struggled to find his position starting lock for the Knights, Richie Simpson at 10 was amazing for the Bulls beating out Townsend and the Aussie they signed at 10 to be starter, Corey Tait has been excellent in the super 6 for boroughmuir at hooker, Norrie at TH played a good bit last year at 18 so a lot of potential there for the SRU to waste by favouring NSQ journeymen, Kerr Yule at 12 is only 18 so picked a year early and Munn his partner in the centres has flashed in the past, I'm excited to see Caqescau the son of a Fijian army officer whose been good for the age grades and his wing partner Robinson who has started for Caldy in the English championship.

England's 7 and 8 have both played pro so should be really good.

Is the match being shown live anywhere?

Jock42 wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:11 pm

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:10 pm

I like neeps wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 5:00 pm

Liam McConnell at 6 is very highly rated and played super6 at age 18, Rudi Brown at 7 has played for Edinburgh- an unstoppable 8 at school but struggled to find his position starting lock for the Knights, Richie Simpson at 10 was amazing for the Bulls beating out Townsend and the Aussie they signed at 10 to be starter, Corey Tait has been excellent in the super 6 for boroughmuir at hooker, Norrie at TH played a good bit last year at 18 so a lot of potential there for the SRU to waste by favouring NSQ journeymen, Kerr Yule at 12 is only 18 so picked a year early and Munn his partner in the centres has flashed in the past, I'm excited to see Caqescau the son of a Fijian army officer whose been good for the age grades and his wing partner Robinson who has started for Caldy in the English championship.

England's 7 and 8 have both played pro so should be really good.

Is the match being shown live anywhere?

Iplayer

I like neeps wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 5:00 pm

Slick wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:31 pm Anyone to particularly look out for in the U20’s tonight?

Liam McConnell at 6 is very highly rated and played super6 at age 18, Rudi Brown at 7 has played for Edinburgh- an unstoppable 8 at school but struggled to find his position starting lock for the Knights, Richie Simpson at 10 was amazing for the Bulls beating out Townsend and the Aussie they signed at 10 to be starter, Corey Tait has been excellent in the super 6 for boroughmuir at hooker, Norrie at TH played a good bit last year at 18 so a lot of potential there for the SRU to waste by favouring NSQ journeymen, Kerr Yule at 12 is only 18 so picked a year early and Munn his partner in the centres has flashed in the past, I'm excited to see Caqescau the son of a Fijian army officer whose been good for the age grades and his wing partner Robinson who has started for Caldy in the English championship.

England's 7 and 8 have both played pro so should be really good.

Slick wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:59 pm Anyone else getting “technical difficulties”

Simian wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:11 pm

Slick wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:59 pm Anyone else getting “technical difficulties”

Working fine for me on iplayer

Dogbert wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:50 pm Scotland could have won that - Great Second half - Back row were very effective

JM2K6 wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 9:30 pm We've kinda trashed our U20s setup in recent years so it's not the same as the titles-winning behemoth of the early/mid 2010s, but yeah. I didn't see all the game but aside from the obvious mismatch of Cunningham Chandler-South - who's been bullying internationals in the Premiership - I didn't think there was that much between the sides. Quite a few of the guys from last year I'd expect to see in the team weren't even in the squad (largely the Quins players, i.e. the ones I actually bother to pay attention to) and I have no idea if that's based on form or what.

Frankly I see U20s usually as a great watch and both sides gave it a lash, playing some really smart attacking rugby.

Slick wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:16 pm Was quite interesting to hear how many of the lads had been playing Super6. No idea how much of an impact that may have had but it can’t have done any harm I guess