NPR

Yr Alban wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:14 pm

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:42 am

dpedin wrote: ↑Tue Feb 07, 2023 4:38 pm

I would have McDowell at 12 and Jones at 13 but apart from that not a bad home grown team!

Yer average pundit/punter would still call it South Africa A or United Nations XV, would point at Huw Jones developing in Cape Town and Russell coming of age in Paris. Once a narrative sets in, facts don't matter anymore.

Oh, I know. When they analyse the World Cup squads then it’s all about how many players were born in the country. But some people want to discount players even when they were, on the basis of ‘where they learned their rugby’. Strangely, this only works one way round - if a player like Ali Price graduates from the Scottish Rugby Academy, all that matters is where he was born.

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:02 am This time last week I was bouncing off the walls with excitement and anticipation.

This week I’m just filled with fear and loathing hoping Saturday just passes without too much pain

Deveron Boy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:14 am

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:02 am This time last week I was bouncing off the walls with excitement and anticipation.

This week I’m just filled with fear and loathing hoping Saturday just passes without too much pain

+1 with Gatland back it feels like the 'hex' is well in...

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:27 am

Deveron Boy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:14 am

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:02 am This time last week I was bouncing off the walls with excitement and anticipation.

This week I’m just filled with fear and loathing hoping Saturday just passes without too much pain

+1 with Gatland back it feels like the 'hex' is well in...

I'm torn. We've been here a number of times in the last six years and it never went well. But this time does feel different - pretty much the first thing Jamie Ritchie said after the Calcutta Cup was about the next game. He wasn't wearing a tie around his head drunkenly singing Flower of Scotland while ripping his shirt to pieces (still the best Scottish rugby video ever, of course, but nevertheless) . It might be that the maturity has finally kicked in.

Scotland should beat Wales on Saturday. They're clearly the better team, playing at home. Bookies have us as favourites. Algorithms have us as favourites. Not a single poster here has backed Wales on the prediction thread so far.

But there's just so many ways it could go wrong, I must admit I've got a big dose of The Fear too.

But I want to believe, and up to a point, I do. I don't think Saturday will be another immature performance with the team showing up expecting to win, I think this team is beyond that now. Yet all it takes is a head contact red card, knock on at the exact wrong moment, injury to a key player and it still feels like it could unravel at a rate of knots.

Big D wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 10:52 am Lets be blunt. Not winning on Saturday is a massive failure (except for very specific circumstances).

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:27 am

Deveron Boy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:14 am

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:02 am This time last week I was bouncing off the walls with excitement and anticipation.

This week I’m just filled with fear and loathing hoping Saturday just passes without too much pain

+1 with Gatland back it feels like the 'hex' is well in...

I'm torn. We've been here a number of times in the last six years and it never went well. But this time does feel different - pretty much the first thing Jamie Ritchie said after the Calcutta Cup was about the next game. He wasn't wearing a tie around his head drunkenly singing Flower of Scotland while ripping his shirt to pieces (still the best Scottish rugby video ever, of course, but nevertheless) . It might be that the maturity has finally kicked in.

Scotland should beat Wales on Saturday. They're clearly the better team, playing at home. Bookies have us as favourites. Algorithms have us as favourites. Not a single poster here has backed Wales on the prediction thread so far.

But there's just so many ways it could go wrong, I must admit I've got a big dose of The Fear too.

But I want to believe, and up to a point, I do. I don't think Saturday will be another immature performance with the team showing up expecting to win, I think this team is beyond that now. Yet all it takes is a head contact red card, knock on at the exact wrong moment, injury to a key player and it still feels like it could unravel at a rate of knots.

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 11:28 am

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:27 am

Deveron Boy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:14 am

+1 with Gatland back it feels like the 'hex' is well in...

I'm torn. We've been here a number of times in the last six years and it never went well. But this time does feel different - pretty much the first thing Jamie Ritchie said after the Calcutta Cup was about the next game. He wasn't wearing a tie around his head drunkenly singing Flower of Scotland while ripping his shirt to pieces (still the best Scottish rugby video ever, of course, but nevertheless) . It might be that the maturity has finally kicked in.

Scotland should beat Wales on Saturday. They're clearly the better team, playing at home. Bookies have us as favourites. Algorithms have us as favourites. Not a single poster here has backed Wales on the prediction thread so far.

But there's just so many ways it could go wrong, I must admit I've got a big dose of The Fear too.

But I want to believe, and up to a point, I do. I don't think Saturday will be another immature performance with the team showing up expecting to win, I think this team is beyond that now. Yet all it takes is a head contact red card, knock on at the exact wrong moment, injury to a key player and it still feels like it could unravel at a rate of knots.

I'd really like to think that the final monkey off the back was beating England at Twickenham with a full crowd. Despite the dreadful record against Wales I can't bring myself to believe that they have an inferiority complex about playing them. But.

clydecloggie wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 12:11 pm

Saturday's bad guys.

charltom wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 1:19 pm Good... but oddly I think it lower risk to start with Nel and finish with Zander.

PS police are searching for a missing tombola machine.

charltom wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 1:19 pm Good... but oddly I think it lower risk to start with Nel and finish with Zander.

PS police are searching for a missing tombola machine.

Biffer wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:15 pm Was Gatland all really his doing or was it Shaun Edwards?

Very nervous about this. Hope we fuck them sideways.

I like neeps wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:20 pm

charltom wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 1:19 pm Good... but oddly I think it lower risk to start with Nel and finish with Zander.

PS police are searching for a missing tombola machine.

Absolutely the right decision to play the same team after a good win. There was no need for changes. I'm a bit more positive Toonie has kept his nerve and not tried anything 'clever'

Blackmac wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 1:32 pm

charltom wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 1:19 pm Good... but oddly I think it lower risk to start with Nel and finish with Zander.

PS police are searching for a missing tombola machine.

I'm the same. Would rather have had WP in to start and present a rock solid scrum. I think Zander would make more of an impact off the bench.

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:26 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:15 pm Was Gatland all really his doing or was it Shaun Edwards?

Very nervous about this. Hope we fuck them sideways.

Beautifully poetic, Biffer.

Blackmac wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 7:39 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 7:36 pm

Blackmac wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 7:33 pm

I can only presume the breakdown tactics were a way of tightening up on the discipline and it largely worked so it's nice not seeing us get whistled off the park.

I get so pissed off at refs giving nonsense scrum penalties. The one against Nel in the first half was just nonsense and the one where Cole's head popped up virtually facing backwards was equally as bad.

The one with Cole really annoyed me. He'd quite clearly had his arse handed to Jim, standing sideways, first man up, and that penalty led to a try.

He's a relic of the England front row that used to stand up and walk forward as a way of showing some faux scrum dominance. Got away with that crap for years.

Hellraiser wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 10:10 pm

Blackmac wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 7:39 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 7:36 pm

The one with Cole really annoyed me. He'd quite clearly had his arse handed to Jim, standing sideways, first man up, and that penalty led to a try.

He's a relic of the England front row that used to stand up and walk forward as a way of showing some faux scrum dominance. Got away with that crap for years.

Also known as the Dylan Hartley Special.

Biffer wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 7:06 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:26 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:15 pm Was Gatland all really his doing or was it Shaun Edwards?

Very nervous about this. Hope we fuck them sideways.

Beautifully poetic, Biffer.

Thank you. I work very hard at my art.

Blackmac wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:37 am Coming on here this morning is like the first time out in the hills after lockdown and all the chavs were there, pissing in the streams and leaving their rubbish about, because they couldn't go to the football or fly to Benidorm.

Blackmac wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:37 am Coming on here this morning is like the first time out in the hills after lockdown and all the chavs were there, pissing in the streams and leaving their rubbish about, because they couldn't go to the football or fly to Benidorm.

Ovals wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 3:04 pm It's always far more nerve wracking when you have expectations of your side, and feel that they 'should' win - but also know that there's so things that could go pear shaped.

I don't think the Weslh defence will give you as much space as we did last Saturday - but you should get more dominance up front and possession/territory

Anyway, good luck guys.

Slick wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 4:55 pm

Ovals wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 3:04 pm It's always far more nerve wracking when you have expectations of your side, and feel that they 'should' win - but also know that there's so things that could go pear shaped.

I don't think the Weslh defence will give you as much space as we did last Saturday - but you should get more dominance up front and possession/territory

Anyway, good luck guys.

Cheers, Ovals. Have a lovely 6N weekend!

Must say I’m a little calmer than earlier in the week

dpedin wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 5:17 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 4:55 pm

Ovals wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 3:04 pm It's always far more nerve wracking when you have expectations of your side, and feel that they 'should' win - but also know that there's so things that could go pear shaped.

I don't think the Weslh defence will give you as much space as we did last Saturday - but you should get more dominance up front and possession/territory

Anyway, good luck guys.

Cheers, Ovals. Have a lovely 6N weekend!

Must say I’m a little calmer than earlier in the week

The Welsh will make the game a street fight and set out to slow down the game and create a mess of the breakdown. It might not be pretty and to be honest it will be more difficult than the game against England.