NPR

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 8:17 am**

C T wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 8:14 am Woke up this morning without the air of crushing disappointment that I was expecting.

Really enjoyed that game, result aside. Especially the first half. Despite early errors I felt we dealt with SA quite well. The errors will happen, you want to minimise them for sure but it's really about how you deal with errors when they happen.

When we finally found some space and had Darcy tearing away with a beautiful dummy, Kinghorn and IrnDhu to his left, perfect situation. It was at this point that my wife had to gently remind me that we had everything bar the front door open, and that our neighbours have young kids, and that me shouting "Graham you greedy ****" was perhaps not nice.

Those 2 scrums towards the end of the half switched me right into excited and optimistic. At half time, as I was crapping on about how it was knockout level stuff and that Scotland get better in 2nd halves, that the wife (as English as they come but supports Scotland at rugby) decided it was time to head upstairs and do something else. Sensing the inevitable fall, something she has come to know so well and yet somehow I don't. So now it was just me and the dog, who at this point was also giving me some questionable looks.

We just couldn't live with them as they found another gear in Q3. Quite an even contest really, that 15-20mins after half time aside.

Perhaps my expectations are too low, but I'm not unhappy with the performance.

It's a bit harsh of me to pick out Finn, who I though had a very good game, but I did think he might have some more answers to the Boks plan for him. Even as I write this though I do think that I'm making an unfair comment.

enjoyed that, as it all rings so true.

I was fine about it last night, I'm pissed off about it all now.

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:59 am**

at half-time I said to an inquisitive friend that this was possibly the best defensive game I'd ever seen in my life, with two world-class defences completely negating each others' attacks. And that it would be decided by one or two slick attacks. So it proved, such a shame the genius cross-kick came from Libbok.

All in all a pretty good performance by Scotland but it did show there is still a gap with the world's very best playing at the top of their game.

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 10:34 am**

Well, the first weekend of the WC went mostly as expected, with a couple of notable exceptions.

As expected:
Scotland were smothered by SA and never got enough ball to really give them a game - but the overall effort was impressive and the scoreline was not as bad as I had honestly expected in our first game (I'm still haunted by 2019).
Wales were lucky again and won a game they didn't deserve (I'm convinced they have done a deal with the devil, or WR or something).
The wee teams got put away pretty easily (although Georgia was a bit closer than I thought).
ITV commentary is horrible. I wish there was an option to choose just the crowd noise, or the ref's mic. Watching on mute is weird, but still better than the commentary.

Not expected:
France beat the ABs much more easily than I thought they would - I know NZ were awful a couple of weeks ago, but I expected them to have been better than that.
England were much more solid (although still very limited with no attack).
Argentina were way worse than everyone thought they were going to be, which makes pool D more interesting.

So the only upset really was Argentina losing to England.

It's going to feel like a long 2 weeks before Scotland play again. Although a couple of tasty fixtures next Sunday with Australia vs Fiji and England vs Japan.

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 6:24 pm**

C T wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 8:14 am Woke up this morning without the air of crushing disappointment that I was expecting.

Really enjoyed that game, result aside. Especially the first half. Despite early errors I felt we dealt with SA quite well. The errors will happen, you want to minimise them for sure but it's really about how you deal with errors when they happen.

When we finally found some space and had Darcy tearing away with a beautiful dummy, Kinghorn and IrnDhu to his left, perfect situation. It was at this point that my wife had to gently remind me that we had everything bar the front door open, and that our neighbours have young kids, and that me shouting "Graham you greedy ****" was perhaps not nice.

Those 2 scrums towards the end of the half switched me right into excited and optimistic. At half time, as I was crapping on about how it was knockout level stuff and that Scotland get better in 2nd halves, that the wife (as English as they come but supports Scotland at rugby) decided it was time to head upstairs and do something else. Sensing the inevitable fall, something she has come to know so well and yet somehow I don't. So now it was just me and the dog, who at this point was also giving me some questionable looks.

We just couldn't live with them as they found another gear in Q3. Quite an even contest really, that 15-20mins after half time aside.

Perhaps my expectations are too low, but I'm not unhappy with the performance.

It's a bit harsh of me to pick out Finn, who I though had a very good game, but I did think he might have some more answers to the Boks plan for him. Even as I write this though I do think that I'm making an unfair comment.

As Tom English said, it doesn’t get harder than playing the Springboks in a RWC. They aren’t world champions by accident. We know we struggle with teams who can dominate us physically, and we know we can’t keep our intensity up for 80 minutes. We can get away with the latter against many teams, but against teams as ruthless as SA and Ireland, it kills us. It is incredibly frustrating that we seem unable to come up with any solutions to these problems, but I guess we’re not alone in that.

The game panned out as most of us expected. Not a thrashing, but we just weren’t quite good enough.

Posted: **Tue Sep 12, 2023 7:51 am**

Agreed. Keeping with the best Huge Boks for 3/4 game is what we expected (and they delivered on that so well done) and we knew that for the other 1/4 unless their was a prevailing win and all the the ducks decided to line up smartish like, we would struggle. We could dream, and did of a win, but we did not get thumped ... I remember an awful day at Murrayfield when Percy Montgomery and Co just blew us away.

One thing that should be noted as the commitment of the players. We could not have asked for more. And in recent years, that might not have been the case. Not sure we had any MIA on Sunday.

Posted: **Wed Sep 13, 2023 9:52 am**

Biffer wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 8:41 pm Worst problem was losing our own line out.

Cherry should start against Ireland as we will have the same paucity of ball, so we need to hold on to it. The fact someone is brilliant in the loose is fucking pointless when we don’t have any ball - and the guy who’s meant to be brilliant in the loose is responsible for losing half the decent ball we have!

This is the main thing I came away with. I thought we fronted up reasonably well but repeated lineout blunders just killed any opportunity to apply pressure. In addition to a couple of over throws or contested jumps there were a few where no one jumped at all, I struggle to understand what happened there. I consider the Irish lineout the best in the world, they'll be licking their lips at that.

The other area was our breakdown, which always seems to a be a problem against bigger packs - SA, France, Ire, the ball was soooo slow, there is no surprise that the backs didn't show what they could do with ball like that. It just panned out almost exactly as feared/expected, lots of effort, full commitment, but inexplicable brain farts killing any chance of an against the odds snatching of victory.

Posted: **Wed Sep 13, 2023 10:11 am**

Wylie Coyote wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 9:52 am
Biffer wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 8:41 pm Worst problem was losing our own line out.

Cherry should start against Ireland as we will have the same paucity of ball, so we need to hold on to it. The fact someone is brilliant in the loose is fucking pointless when we don’t have any ball - and the guy who’s meant to be brilliant in the loose is responsible for losing half the decent ball we have!
This is the main thing I came away with. I thought we fronted up reasonably well but repeated lineout blunders just killed any opportunity to apply pressure. In addition to a couple of over throws or contested jumps there were a few where no one jumped at all, I struggle to understand what happened there. I consider the Irish lineout the best in the world, they'll be licking their lips at that.

The other area was our breakdown, which always seems to a be a problem against bigger packs - SA, France, Ire, the ball was soooo slow, there is no surprise that the backs didn't show what they could do with ball like that. It just panned out almost exactly as feared/expected, lots of effort, full commitment, but inexplicable brain farts killing any chance of an against the odds snatching of victory.

I don't know anything about the lineout, but surely we are better just to throw 90% to the front and just make sure we win it? OK, some of our attacking moves will suffer, but it won't have as much impact as constantly losing lineouts.

I've said elsewhere that one of problems to me at the breakdown was that SA were constantly getting someone on the floor beyond the ball who either then jumped over to his own side, or slowly rolled back to our side pretending to get out the way - both not allowed but neither picked up. Not much we can do about that. But also, I was screaming at the TV on several occasions where players were going in to contact and the support was miles away so SA could easily and legitimately slow it down. We could do something about that.

As I also said, that game has strangely made me a bit more optimistic about Ireland, so lets see, but if the lineout fucks up again we have no chance.

Posted: **Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:08 am**

Biffer wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 8:41 pm Worst problem was losing our own line out.

Cherry should start against Ireland as we will have the same paucity of ball, so we need to hold on to it. The fact someone is brilliant in the loose is fucking pointless when we don’t have any ball - and the guy who’s meant to be brilliant in the loose is responsible for losing half the decent ball we have!

How many lost were actually Turners fault though?

Posted: **Wed Sep 13, 2023 12:53 pm**

I just want the next game to come now and move on from this. What should have been fairly straight forward, given that we got exactly what we expected, has just turned unpleasant. Let them be someone else's problem.

Posted: **Wed Sep 13, 2023 1:33 pm**

Slick wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 12:53 pm I just want the next game to come now and move on from this. What should have been fairly straight forward, given that we got exactly what we expected, has just turned unpleasant. Let them be someone else's problem.

Social media after their game v Ireland is going to be blockbuster stuff.

Posted: **Wed Sep 13, 2023 6:54 pm**

In other news ......

https://glasgowwarriors.org/smith-exten ... 01t-XmNTDA

Lets see if Franco can push the warriors 1 step further

Smith also led his team to 13 wins from a possible 14 at Scotstoun across the course of his first season with the club, going unbeaten across the regular season in both the BKT URC and Challenge Cup; indeed, only eventual BKT URC champions Munster were able to overcome Smith’s Glasgow in front of the Warrior Nation.

On the pitch, the Warriors flourished, lifting the Scottish-Italian Shield for the first time and doing the double over cross-country rivals Edinburgh Rugby to comprehensively reclaim the 1872 Cup.

Posted: **Thu Sep 14, 2023 9:07 am**

Cherry on way home. Rambo called up in his place.

Posted: **Thu Sep 14, 2023 9:11 am**

Cherry slipped on concrete and got a concussion apparently.

Posted: **Thu Sep 14, 2023 9:13 am**

Big D wrote: ↑Thu Sep 14, 2023 9:11 am Cherry slipped on concrete and got a concussion apparently.

Jesus. What a way to miss out on a world cup.

Posted: **Thu Sep 14, 2023 9:41 am**

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Thu Sep 14, 2023 9:13 am
Big D wrote: ↑Thu Sep 14, 2023 9:11 am Cherry slipped on concrete and got a concussion apparently.
Jesus. What a way to miss out on a world cup.

Bizarre

Posted: **Thu Sep 14, 2023 10:22 am**

Such bad luck for Cherry, I hope he has a speedy recovery.

Rambo isn't a step down, by any means

Posted: **Thu Sep 14, 2023 11:20 am**

Sorry for Dave leaving like that but also delighted for Rambo, 50th cap please.

Posted: **Thu Sep 14, 2023 11:53 am**

I like Rambo and hope he gets his 50th cap, but it’s a bit of a shame that we are losing the only hooker we have who can throw in.

Posted: **Thu Sep 14, 2023 1:03 pm**

Yr Alban wrote: ↑Thu Sep 14, 2023 11:53 am I like Rambo and hope he gets his 50th cap, but it’s a bit of a shame that we are losing the only hooker we have who can throw in.

Well, Ashman is also an actual Hooker rather than a converted back row, so there's still hope.

Posted: **Wed Sep 20, 2023 8:09 pm**

Match preview part 1 for Scotland v Tonga:

https://www.scottishrugbyblog.co.uk/202 ... view-pt-i/

Posted: **Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:21 am**

Got to say, I'm feeling pretty flat with this tournament at the moment.

Disappointing match with SA, a long wait for the next game and an air of inevitability about what comes now.

Not to mention that the tournament so far has been largely rubbish and dominated by cards.

Really need Sunday to lift it for me.

Posted: **Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:53 am**

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:21 am Got to say, I'm feeling pretty flat with this tournament at the moment.

Disappointing match with SA, a long wait for the next game and an air of inevitability about what comes now.

Not to mention that the tournament so far has been largely rubbish and dominated by cards.

Really need Sunday to lift it for me.

I've enjoyed both Uruguay games and Fiji-Australia, but in the negatives column is Wales-Fiji and pretty much every other match. It doesn't help that World Rugby has issued a fatwa on anyone who dares to include match footage in their analysis on YouTube or wherever.

Lots of talk and very little pretty rugby so far. And our World Cup is effectively already over, so all we can hope for is good games to enjoy as a neutral and it's not really happening.

Posted: **Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:53 am**

We fly to Jo'burg tomorrow and then onwards for a short safari. Not sure the lodge has any sort of digital connections but would be great to see SA v Ire match on Saturday night with some locals. Happy to cheer on SA to beat the bog trotters.
And if I can watch that, might even watch Scotland match on Sunday night. Might watch it.

Posted: **Thu Sep 21, 2023 12:40 pm**

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:21 am Got to say, I'm feeling pretty flat with this tournament at the moment.

Disappointing match with SA, a long wait for the next game and an air of inevitability about what comes now.

Not to mention that the tournament so far has been largely rubbish and dominated by cards.

Really need Sunday to lift it for me.

Scotland and Fiji are the only teams who try anything that isn't purely kick kick kick kick kick kick maul kick kick kick kick scrum kick kick kick maul kick.

Booooring.

Posted: **Thu Sep 21, 2023 12:47 pm**

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:21 am Got to say, I'm feeling pretty flat with this tournament at the moment.

Disappointing match with SA, a long wait for the next game and an air of inevitability about what comes now.

Not to mention that the tournament so far has been largely rubbish and dominated by cards.

Really need Sunday to lift it for me.

I've been enjoying. Chile and Uruguay have to been fun to watch. Both Fiji games were great, despite them being fucked over v Wales. Still hopeful/confident about bearing Ireland and I'm looking forward to their match this weekend. Come on Slick, they can do this. QF v France in a few weeks

Posted: **Thu Sep 21, 2023 1:05 pm**

Slick wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:21 am Got to say, I'm feeling pretty flat with this tournament at the moment.

Disappointing match with SA, a long wait for the next game and an air of inevitability about what comes now.

Not to mention that the tournament so far has been largely rubbish and dominated by cards.

Really need Sunday to lift it for me.

The schedule is ridiculous. To be honest almost everything about the tournament so far-scheduling, TV coverage, stupid anthems (just do away with anthems altogether), refereeing, 80 point margins-has made RU look amateurish and tinpot. Should make it 16 teams, that would be a start.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 6:31 am**

Mostly full strength team Vs Tonga, no idea really what GT trying with not just going whole hog but having DG/HJ/PS on bench

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:39 am**

I would say Toonie thinks the principal threat Tonga carry is in their size punching holes in our midfield or around the wide channels. Not sure I agree to be honest but that's what his team selection suggests to me.

If we don't secure a heavy (probably bonus point) win then all our moaning about the draw will look pretty stupid, so I really hope they don't shit the bed on this one.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:43 am**

Concerned Harris will stifle the attack a bit, hope I'm wrong but the need to be smashing Tonga. Would also have started Graham but less concerned about that as Steyn likes a try too.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:47 am**

Wee Darcy hasn't been quite on it since he got nobbled by Munster, Steyn deserves his place.

I wonder what the deal is with Gilchrist? Hopefully just being rested.

I don't have the same concerns as others do with Harris, I feel there is a lot of confirmation bias goes on with him.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:50 am**

We should be picking our best team available.

We have left our best LHP, best winger (best finisher too) and best 13 on the bench. Don't like it. I am guessing GG is injured rather than bombed out?

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:51 am**

Big D wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:50 am We should be picking our best team available.

We have left our best LHP, best winger (best finisher too) and best 13 on the bench. Don't like it. I am guessing GG is injured rather than bombed out?

I guess the logic is keep it tight for 60 then open up later. Maybe don't want to go toe to toe with fast rugby.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:54 am**

Pessimistic thought of the week, just to get it out the way. Lose this and we likely need to qualify for the next WC.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:55 am**

Big D wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:54 am Pessimistic thought of the week, just to get it out the way. Lose this and we likely need to qualify for the next WC.

You're not wrong but they're not going to lose. Not winning by enough might be a problem though.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:56 am**

I like neeps wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:51 am
Big D wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:50 am We should be picking our best team available.

We have left our best LHP, best winger (best finisher too) and best 13 on the bench. Don't like it. I am guessing GG is injured rather than bombed out?
I guess the logic is keep it tight for 60 then open up later. Maybe don't want to go toe to toe with fast rugby.

It's our biggest backline available, bar swapping Healy for Finn and no one would do that. I agree with KB above, the selection is probably to counter the Tongan threat through the middle with some heavy duty carriers and strong defenders of our own

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 8:00 am**

If we lose to Tonga we bloody well deserve to go through qualifying for the next World Cup - the last time we met a couple of years ago we beat them 60 - 14.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 8:05 am**

I like neeps wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:51 am
Big D wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:50 am We should be picking our best team available.

We have left our best LHP, best winger (best finisher too) and best 13 on the bench. Don't like it. I am guessing GG is injured rather than bombed out?
I guess the logic is keep it tight for 60 then open up later. Maybe don't want to go toe to toe with fast rugby.

We should be playing to our preferred playing style, with all due respect to them, it is Tonga we are playing who aren't a top 12 team in the world. It is odd to change the team due to a perceived physical threat having just played SA and not changed it. My biggest concern is that we got heehaw ball v SA, we have swapped our centres v Tonga, will probably do so v Romania then are heading into the Ireland game hoping the Russell, Huwipulotu axis clicks?

Graham is the best defensive winger we have too and it takes a lot of pace out the backline removing him and Jones.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:17 am**

Big D wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 7:50 am We should be picking our best team available.

We have left our best LHP, best winger (best finisher too) and best 13 on the bench. Don't like it. I am guessing GG is injured rather than bombed out?

I guess the counter to that is that we should be beating Tonga so why risk those players when it's basically all about the Ireland game. They are our game breakers.

Although, then shouldn't we be keeping Finn under wraps. Last night is a lesson.

I'm not worried about Harris being there, he is a quality player with different skillsets to Jones. His brainfarts in attack mean Jones is rightly number one, but it's not a huge drop off by any means.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:55 am**

I agree that there is an air of inevitability. We knew we would lose to SA just as we know we will lose to Ireland. We are a dead team walking. The risk is that the players think that too, and then this game might be an issue.

It’s so frustrating. We have a genuinely very good team and all I can feel is despondent.

Posted: **Fri Sep 22, 2023 2:33 pm**

From the POV of what happens if we lose, this might be one of the biggest games of Townsends tenure. Quickly followed by the Ireland game which will be from the POV of potentially knocking one of the top 2 teams in the world out the WC.

NPR

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