NPR

Wtf Russell

Forgot to say. I couldn;t understand why Jonny Gray was pinged for offside in the first half. Did Dickson just think "how did he get there so fast?" He never seems to have the same thought about the off-sider Italian backline.

Finn is definitely Italy's MotM so far BTW.

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 3:20 pm Wtf Russell

Looks lost without Seone

Punter15 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 2:47 pm Finn being a bit Finn today

As I was saying

Here we go. Ah well, was fun while it lasted

Kinghorn has been superb under the high ones today

Would like to see him run with a bit more purpose from the back though

We really never fail to disappoint in these styles of games. Absolute shitshow from the half backs so far.

That turnover was a joke

I’m not sure if it’s the team not trusting McDowall or if it’s him losing concentration but he keeps popping up in really odd positions and ending up out of position

The predictable bed shitting. Fuckin tedious.

Keep the heid lads, 25 mins to go here and Italy, despite the popular narrative, are not shit.

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 3:30 pm Keep the heid lads, 25 mins to go here and Italy, despite the popular narrative, are not shit.

Right. Screw the nut and put this to bed.

Got to love a Darcy Graham clean break.

Slick wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 3:22 pm Kinghorn has been superb under the high ones today

He really has.

Kinghorn has been great under the high ball.

charltom wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 3:42 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 3:22 pm Kinghorn has been superb under the high ones today

He really has.

He’s such a big man, and so athletic. Combined that with good technique and he should be very hard to beat.

By my count that try puts jones level with Chris Paterson.

Christ. It's like we were playing touch for that initial Italian attack. Just fell off tackle after tackle.

During our worst period Scotland seemed often to suffer from thinking they couldn’t win. This team seem to suffer from thinking they’ve already won.

Jordan has been very good since he came on.

A bit shoogly at times but it was a 12 point 5 tries to one victory. And the 1 was a stupid freebee. Italy didn’t look like scoring to me until the final 10 minutes, and we still kept them out. Job done for me.

Zander, Cherry, Darge, Jones, Graham and Kinghorn outstanding. Gray, Duhan and Gilchrist decent.
Horne and Jordan a huge improvement over White and Stafford. Good to see Dempsey back.
Russell just had one of those games.

Slick wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:00 pm Jordan has been very good since he came on.

I'd be happy to see him start next week. McDowall was solid in defence in the first half, but didn't seem to add much in attack - Jordan offers more for me

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:03 pm A bit shoogly at times but it was a 12 point 5 tries to one victory. And the 1 was a stupid freebee. Italy didn’t look like scoring to me until the final 10 minutes, and we still kept them out. Job done for me.

Very obviously missed Seone and Finn had an off day. Forwards did well against a very decent pack. It all got very Scottish for a while but a win and move on

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:08 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:00 pm Jordan has been very good since he came on.

I'd be happy to see him start next week. McDowall was solid in defence in the first half, but didn't seem to add much in attack - Jordan offers more for me

Definitely. With Hutch on the bench perhaps.

S/Lt_Phillips wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:08 pm

Slick wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:00 pm Jordan has been very good since he came on.

I'd be happy to see him start next week. McDowall was solid in defence in the first half, but didn't seem to add much in attack - Jordan offers more for me

McDowall just looked a bit lost. Not sure if it was just not clicking with Finn or this is just too much of a step up. I think probably a bit of both

FFS Scotland, this is why I have trust issues!

I haven’t watched it yet, but how Scotland is it to make a start like that and then fall off and let the opposition back into the game?

At the end of the day, solid BP win. Italy really aren’t whipping boys any more - lest we forget, last season they beat us, beat Wales away, drew with France in Paris (missing a kick for the win at the death) and lost to England by 3.

Italy are a proper side, do not judge this result by the same yardstick we've used for Italy games in the past. apart from the first 15 after the break, that was a mature performance in both defence and attack.

Those 15 minutes need to go when the Irish come next week, though.

Jordan for McDowall would make sense to me; the way Jordan played as a second distributor and kicker worked really well I thought.

Actually quite a positive performance. Finn was shocking throughout but we cut Italy to shreds anyway. Defence was superb.

Discipline, awful.

McDowell isn't a test player, Jordan must start. Cherry, the backrow, Jones, Kinghorn and White superb.

I like neeps wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:52 pm

McDowell isn't a test player,

I don’t disagree with your conclusion (Jordan to start next week) but I do disagree with this. McDowall has shown his class plenty times before. He wasn’t great but he was playing outside White and Russell, both of whom were well below their usual standards. It was a tough gig.

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:58 pm

I like neeps wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:52 pm

McDowell isn't a test player,

I don’t disagree with your conclusion (Jordan to start next week) but I do disagree with this. McDowall has shown his class plenty times before. He wasn’t great but he was playing outside White and Russell, both of whom were well below their usual standards. It was a tough gig.

Not at test level he hasn't, good club player, not a test match animal. Not a dynamic enough carrier, sharp skills but not quite international class skills.

White played well, his kicking was superb. His service was fine baring one shocker.

I like neeps wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:52 pm Actually quite a positive performance. Finn was shocking throughout but we cut Italy to shreds anyway. Defence was superb.

Discipline, awful.

McDowell isn't a test player, Jordan must start. Cherry, the backrow, Jones, Kinghorn and White superb.

I thought White had his poorest game. Kicking was poor and threw a number of slack/high passes that put the receiver on the back foot.

Not sure what to make of Ritchie's performance. He barely registered with me.

I like neeps wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 5:06 pm

KingBlairhorn wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:58 pm

I like neeps wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:52 pm

McDowell isn't a test player,

I don’t disagree with your conclusion (Jordan to start next week) but I do disagree with this. McDowall has shown his class plenty times before. He wasn’t great but he was playing outside White and Russell, both of whom were well below their usual standards. It was a tough gig.

Not at test level he hasn't, good club player, not a test match animal. Not a dynamic enough carrier, sharp skills but not quite international class skills.

White played well, his kicking was superb. His service was fine baring one shocker.

Yes he has. He was very good against Ireland last year for instance.

Sione says on the Big Jim interview that he wants to be back playing in 12 weeks, others are saying it could be longer.

You know already that the jammy bonus point at the end there is going to be the difference between us in the final table

Slick wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 6:43 pm You know already that the jammy bonus point at the end there is going to be the difference between us in the final table

yup. just said the same.

In two oddly mediocre games I think the positive is that Shoey, Zander, Darge, Jones, Graham and Kinghorn did more to advance their Lions claim than any other player. Only impressive individual performances in the other game were Lawrence and Beirne.

Blackmac wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 6:54 pm In two oddly mediocre games I think the positive is that Shoey, Zander, Darge, Jones, Graham and Kinghorn did more to advance their Lions claim than any other player. Only impressive individual performances in the other game were Lawrence and Beirne.

Dan Sheehan says hi!
Great cameo off the bench on his first game back

SaintK wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 6:58 pm

Blackmac wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 6:54 pm In two oddly mediocre games I think the positive is that Shoey, Zander, Darge, Jones, Graham and Kinghorn did more to advance their Lions claim than any other player. Only impressive individual performances in the other game were Lawrence and Beirne.

Dan Sheehan says hi!
Great cameo off the bench on his first game back

Yeah, good shout. A lot of the Irish pack still in the hot seats but I think Shoey and especially Fagerson are now looking strong.

Tom Stoltman on the pitch at Murrayfield was a sense of a missed opportunity.

Give it to Big Tam, let him trundle 50m up the park, pinging tiddly wee 17 stone backrowers off like toddlers and let loose the backs

Tichtheid wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 7:29 pm Tom Stoltman on the pitch at Murrayfield was a sense of a missed opportunity.

Give it to Big Tam, let him trundle 50m up the park, pinging tiddly wee 17 stone backrowers off like toddlers and let loose the backs

I said that at the time. Just tell him when the weight of the ten tacklers hanging on gets too much for him to make sure he presents the ball on the correct side.