6 Nations round 5 - Ireland v Scotland

[Paddington Bear]

I understand what he is saying, but I also think there is a little bit of unconscious belittling going on.

Celebrating winning a single game as if it were a fantastic achievement is not a good look. Unless winning a game is something you rarely do, in which case it is. See italy against Wales two years ago.

Winning a single game in Wales is no big deal. Unless it is something that has not been achieved for decades.

If someone plays for a team whose currency is championships and Grand Slams, merely winning a game is nothing to celebrate. For a less successful team it is much more important, especially if it is something that is in itself a rare achievement.

Scotland players celebrating things other teams take for granted is not necessarily a bad thing where such success is rare for them. However I do think there is an element of breaking some hoodoo or other, then resting on their laurels rather than using that as a platform to kick on from.

Scotland should be well, well beyond celebrating one off wins by now. Wales got past this far more quickly in the mid 2000s, and the difference in results speaks for itself

Maybe when we win more we’ll be beyond celebrating one off wins. The team don’t expect to beat anyone in the 6N or big three from the SH.

Which is why I cannot fathom how Townsend keeps his job. Scotland have a limited window with a very talented side and he’s wasting it.

[Slick]

Tbf the Italians won the game 2 years ago after scoring the match winning try at the end, with the conversion needed to win it (I think), while this year they conceded a try at the very end.

So at least in my head, the tempered celebrations this year makes sense given the different contexts.

Agree with this. I'd imagine after years of getting pumped, and then quite often losing late on, the overwhelming emotion at the whistle was relief that they hadn't blown it.

[Slick]

Scotland should be well, well beyond celebrating one off wins by now. Wales got past this far more quickly in the mid 2000s, and the difference in results speaks for itself

Maybe when we win more we’ll be beyond celebrating one off wins. The team don’t expect to beat anyone in the 6N or big three from the SH.

Which is why I cannot fathom how Townsend keeps his job. Scotland have a limited window with a very talented side and he’s wasting it.

Because, although we haven't won anything in terms of championships, he still has the best win % of any Scotland coach ever, we have a team that we think can beat anyone on their day, and we are playing a style of rugby that we love and has earnt the respect of teams and supporters around the world. The team has won in Cardiff, Twickenham and Paris after years of not doing so.

We have won 3 GS in 150 years and I think older supporters have a bit of perspective on what we are doing, this is a golden era for us. It's fucking frustrating as I think we are good enough to win championships, but we also know that shortly we are going to have a decade of being utterly shite again.

[clydecloggie]

Maybe when we win more we’ll be beyond celebrating one off wins. The team don’t expect to beat anyone in the 6N or big three from the SH.

Which is why I cannot fathom how Townsend keeps his job. Scotland have a limited window with a very talented side and he’s wasting it.

Because, although we haven't won anything in terms of championships, he still has the best win % of any Scotland coach ever, we have a team that we think can beat anyone on their day, and we are playing a style of rugby that we love and has earnt the respect of teams and supporters around the world. The team has won in Cardiff, Twickenham and Paris after years of not doing so.

We have won 3 GS in 150 years and I think older supporters have a bit of perspective on what we are doing, this is a golden era for us. It's fucking frustrating as I think we are good enough to win championships, but we also know that shortly we are going to have a decade of being utterly shite again.

That's the problem. Our age group teams are honkingly bad while Italy's for instance are mixing it with the best. Only a total implosion of the Welsh rugby infrastructure might save us from being serial wooden spooners once our generational talents sign off.

[Paddington Bear]

Maybe when we win more we’ll be beyond celebrating one off wins. The team don’t expect to beat anyone in the 6N or big three from the SH.

Which is why I cannot fathom how Townsend keeps his job. Scotland have a limited window with a very talented side and he’s wasting it.

Because, although we haven't won anything in terms of championships, he still has the best win % of any Scotland coach ever, we have a team that we think can beat anyone on their day, and we are playing a style of rugby that we love and has earnt the respect of teams and supporters around the world. The team has won in Cardiff, Twickenham and Paris after years of not doing so.

We have won 3 GS in 150 years and I think older supporters have a bit of perspective on what we are doing, this is a golden era for us. It's fucking frustrating as I think we are good enough to win championships, but we also know that shortly we are going to have a decade of being utterly shite again.

I completely get this perspective from a few years ago.

Scotland have a lack of resources, but this was also true when Ireland started rapidly improving and is always true with Wales. Both moved beyond big occasional performances and dominated for periods. More than that, Wales in particular won championships with some pretty whiffy teams, that 2021 side talent wise isn’t a patch on your side.

It’s your team, but I suspect when you do have a fallow period more of you will come around to my way of thinking on this, and that as much as he’s given you some good days, he’s squandered your best chance to win trophies

[Jock42]

Hes also the only coach not to have progressed past the group stages in the WC. I'd have binned him years ago.

[Jock42]

And maybe he has got them playing beyond their talents (I don't think so) but we'll not know until we try someone else. It's been 7 years of false dawns.


Oh and congrats Ireland.

[Slick]

And maybe he has got them playing beyond their talents (I don't think so) but we'll not know until we try someone else. It's been 7 years of false dawns.


Oh and congrats Ireland.

I think our talents are overrated. I think Hogg, Finn, Huw Jones, Sione and possibly Vdm would be at home in any team in the 6N, but which of our forwards in that period would get anywhere near another team?

[SaintK]

Hes also the only coach not to have progressed past the group stages in the WC. I'd have binned him years ago.

Where are the next generation of Scots coaches currently learning their trade?

[Slick]

Hes also the only coach not to have progressed past the group stages in the WC. I'd have binned him years ago.

Where are the next generation of Scots coaches currently learning their trade?

It was meant to be Super6, but we've just binned that

[Jock42]

Hes also the only coach not to have progressed past the group stages in the WC. I'd have binned him years ago.

Where are the next generation of Scots coaches currently learning their trade?

The Highlanders

[Tichtheid]

Hes also the only coach not to have progressed past the group stages in the WC. I'd have binned him years ago.

Where are the next generation of Scots coaches currently learning their trade?

The Highlanders

cough, 'Canes, cough

[Jock42]

Where are the next generation of Scots coaches currently learning their trade?

The Highlanders

cough, 'Canes, cough

ah bollocks.

[Yr Alban]

And maybe he has got them playing beyond their talents (I don't think so) but we'll not know until we try someone else. It's been 7 years of false dawns.


Oh and congrats Ireland.

I think our talents are overrated. I think Hogg, Finn, Huw Jones, Sione and possibly Vdm would be at home in any team in the 6N, but which of our forwards in that period would get anywhere near another team?

This is the great irony. We used to have decent forwards and hopeless backs. We now have a set of backs as good as we’ve ever had, but disappointing forwards. It’s not that they aren’t good players individually, but they have no mental toughness when the chips are down, and we don’t have a single properly hard gnarly bastard among them.

[clydecloggie]

And maybe he has got them playing beyond their talents (I don't think so) but we'll not know until we try someone else. It's been 7 years of false dawns.


Oh and congrats Ireland.

I think our talents are overrated. I think Hogg, Finn, Huw Jones, Sione and possibly Vdm would be at home in any team in the 6N, but which of our forwards in that period would get anywhere near another team?

This is the great irony. We used to have decent forwards and hopeless backs. We now have a set of backs as good as we’ve ever had, but disappointing forwards. It’s not that they aren’t good players individually, but they have no mental toughness when the chips are down, and we don’t have a single properly hard gnarly bastard among them.

Schoeman and Fagerson would probably be in the mix for prop spots in any other team.