Rugby Union

[ajwffc]

Just now, IrishBhoy said:

Sorry if I’m coming across as a complete Rugby noob here, but if kicking the ball ends the advantage why didn’t Scotland immediately ask for the penalty when the referee called ‘advantage’. Surely a kick to touch or put in at a scrum would leave us in a better position than just kicking away the advantage into French hands?

it was not a penalty advantage but a scrum advantage. So clearing the lines with the kick can work out better than a scrum in your own 22 

[Mark Connolly]

8 minutes ago, Northsea80 said:

Russell gives a 3 week ban after his red card on Friday.

Great news for Edinburgh

[IrishBhoy]

7 minutes ago, ajwffc said:

it was not a penalty advantage but a scrum advantage. So clearing the lines with the kick can work out better than a scrum in your own 22 

Ah right, that makes more sense. Got there in the end  

[ajwffc]

11 minutes ago, IrishBhoy said:

Ah right, that makes more sense. Got there in the end  

this might help https://www.world.rugby/the-game/laws/signals/primary

[peasy23]

With the discussion on advantage calls, I'm still mystified at the one from Saturday when France knocked on well inside their own half, yet Barnes calls advantage over when Scotland had the ball inside their own 10 metre line, losing about 30 metres of territory. Shocking call.

[Left Back]

19 hours ago, peasy23 said:

With the discussion on advantage calls, I'm still mystified at the one from Saturday when France knocked on well inside their own half, yet Barnes calls advantage over when Scotland had the ball inside their own 10 metre line, losing about 30 metres of territory. Shocking call.
 

That’s easy to explain.....

 

....Barnesy is a bell-end

[GAD]

I'm seeing DVM is the latest getting a lot of stick on social media as undeserving of a Lion's call up. I know we are pretty biased on here, but wondering what P&B thinks? I think it's actually hard to deny that he isn't the most skillful player, and he is a bit weak in defence, but I don't think that's unique to him in the Lions contenders, and I also think back three is a tough position where you are always going to miss tackles because you'll be one on one against another speed merchant with acres of space far more often than in any other position.

On the other hand, top scorer, beat 30 defenders, way more than anyone else, and brings a physical edge in that position that nobody else has. Personally, I'd have an absolute try machine with slightly dodgy defence in my team every time, especially if you can cover him with two good defenders, like Scotland do with Maitland/Hogg. I actually think Gatland will take him. I just can't see him turning down that power.

 

[honestly united]

To be fair his tackling leaves a lot to be desired - see first French try, for someone his size he should have been putting him in the stand never mind letting him score, but the other wingers are hardly great, ie Johnny May getting roasted by Earls for the try off the lineout. But from memory the SA are all fairly small, so you can see them being more worried about VDM, than use worrying about them.

its this sort of talk is another reason why I dont like the Lions as it feeds into our NH mindset that the SH are so much better than us. Scotland alone have beaten SA and Oz in recent years and came within a score of NZ- we alone should be going into games against them looking to win. We should be able to draw lots from the starting teams of each country and be beating SA, but being able to pick the best players from 4 of the top 10 countries in the world there is something seriously wrong if people are worried that a winger might miss a tackle.

You could pick a team form the tier 2 nations and with a proper coaching team and the 2 months training and 4 or 5 warm up games before the first test beat SA

[GAD]

1 hour ago, honestly united said:

To be fair his tackling leaves a lot to be desired - see first French try, for someone his size he should have been putting him in the stand never mind letting him score, but the other wingers are hardly great, ie Johnny May getting roasted by Earls for the try off the lineout. But from memory the SA are all fairly small, so you can see them being more worried about VDM, than use worrying about them.

its this sort of talk is another reason why I dont like the Lions as it feeds into our NH mindset that the SH are so much better than us. Scotland alone have beaten SA and Oz in recent years and came within a score of NZ- we alone should be going into games against them looking to win. We should be able to draw lots from the starting teams of each country and be beating SA, but being able to pick the best players from 4 of the top 10 countries in the world there is something seriously wrong if people are worried that a winger might miss a tackle.

You could pick a team form the tier 2 nations and with a proper coaching team and the 2 months training and 4 or 5 warm up games before the first test beat SA

Yeah, totally agree. I seem to be in a minority of the British rugby public who didn't see a draw with New Zealand in the last tour as a particularly good result, especially as it came down to a pretty shitebag refereeing call at the end, and the Australian tour came down to a guy slipping while taking a kick he'd score 99/100.

[John Lambies Doos]

Despite Gatland being a fud, I genuinely think that H Watson, DVM & Hogg, if fit, will start first test.
I also think Sutherland, Russell, Price, Harris and Fagerson will be on plane.

Real outside chance of Gray, Turner & Johnson making it (but unlikely as Gatland)

[honestly united]

Im pretty sure last time the squad was something like 49 players, 3 players for every position plus additional hooker, SH, FH and another welsh player to make up the difference so we really should be looking at 10-12 players. I think Hogg, Russell, Watson and DVM are on the plane, Fagerson, Sutherland, Price, Gray, and Maitland are all with a shout and guys like Brown, Skinner, Redpath, and Harris would be outside bets. I also wouldn't rule out Ritchie, Johnson or Jones

There has been quite a bit of chat about Brown still having a chance of making it as none of the other hookers are up to much - on the recent lions poll, scots and irish fans picked George as hooker, the English though picked Cowan- Dickie shows what the fans think that no one is preforming. Redpath if he wasn't injured and had kept the performance levels as per England game would be a shoe in, still think he has time if he comes back quickly enough. If Exeter go well and Skinner plays hes got an outside chance also.

[aDONisSheep]

My bolter is Chris Harris.

I know lots don't like him, but I do.  I think he's a terrific player, hard-as-nails, terrific tackler and the best defender in that 13 channel in the competition.

The centre positions will be tough, tough, tough decisions (even if you leave Farrell behind, which won't happen).

Yours

aDONis

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by aDONisSheep

[GAD]

1 hour ago, honestly united said:

Im pretty sure last time the squad was something like 49 players, 3 players for every position plus additional hooker, SH, FH and another welsh player to make up the difference so we really should be looking at 10-12 players. I think Hogg, Russell, Watson and DVM are on the plane, Fagerson, Sutherland, Price, Gray, and Maitland are all with a shout and guys like Brown, Skinner, Redpath, and Harris would be outside bets. I also wouldn't rule out Ritchie, Johnson or Jones

There has been quite a bit of chat about Brown still having a chance of making it as none of the other hookers are up to much - on the recent lions poll, scots and irish fans picked George as hooker, the English though picked Cowan- Dickie shows what the fans think that no one is preforming. Redpath if he wasn't injured and had kept the performance levels as per England game would be a shoe in, still think he has time if he comes back quickly enough. If Exeter go well and Skinner plays hes got an outside chance also.

Pretty sure they've already said it's going to be a "slimmed down" squad this year. 36 players or something.

[peasy23]

Im pretty sure last time the squad was something like 49 players, 3 players for every position plus additional hooker, SH, FH and another welsh player to make up the difference so we really should be looking at 10-12 players. I think Hogg, Russell, Watson and DVM are on the plane, Fagerson, Sutherland, Price, Gray, and Maitland are all with a shout and guys like Brown, Skinner, Redpath, and Harris would be outside bets. I also wouldn't rule out Ritchie, Johnson or Jones
There has been quite a bit of chat about Brown still having a chance of making it as none of the other hookers are up to much - on the recent lions poll, scots and irish fans picked George as hooker, the English though picked Cowan- Dickie shows what the fans think that no one is preforming. Redpath if he wasn't injured and had kept the performance levels as per England game would be a shoe in, still think he has time if he comes back quickly enough. If Exeter go well and Skinner plays hes got an outside chance also.

The 2017 tour had 41 players in the initial squad, 2 dropped out before they had travelled, and 6 more were called up to provide cover for the midweek games. I'd love there to be a load of Scots in the squad, but I'll be stunned if there are any more than a handful.

Rumours are that the squad is only going to have 36 players in it. I think there are only 2 Scots nailed on to be in the squad, Watson & Hogg. Versatility (or lack of) could be the difference for others. Gatland likes a good defence, no centre in the 6 nations was better defensively than Harris. If Farrell goes as a 12 then Russell maybe goes as 3rd choice 10 behind Sexton and Biggar, if Gatland fancies Farrell at 10 then Russell doesn't go imo. DVM has a chance, while Johnny Gray is also brilliant defensively. I can't see any others having a chance if it is such a small squad.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/lions-hopefuls-now-brink-missing-20284404

[honestly united]

36 doesn't seem a lot given there are 2 midweek games - you would assume then 2 for each position plus extra scrum half, front row and fly half? so they are not having to play every game

[John Lambies Doos]

The 2017 tour had 41 players in the initial squad, 2 dropped out before they had travelled, and 6 more were called up to provide cover for the midweek games. I'd love there to be a load of Scots in the squad, but I'll be stunned if there are any more than a handful.

Rumours are that the squad is only going to have 36 players in it. I think there are only 2 Scots nailed on to be in the squad, Watson & Hogg. Versatility (or lack of) could be the difference for others. Gatland likes a good defence, no centre in the 6 nations was better defensively than Harris. If Farrell goes as a 12 then Russell maybe goes as 3rd choice 10 behind Sexton and Biggar, if Gatland fancies Farrell at 10 then Russell doesn't go imo. DVM has a chance, while Johnny Gray is also brilliant defensively. I can't see any others having a chance if it is such a small squad.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/lions-hopefuls-now-brink-missing-20284404

Read that Welsh on line, what a load of biased shite

[peasy23]

36 doesn't seem a lot given there are 2 midweek games - you would assume then 2 for each position plus extra scrum half, front row and fly half? so they are not having to play every game

There's a full blank week between the last warm up match and the first test, and no midweek games once the Tests start, but there's no way that a squad of 36 players are going to make it to the first test unscathed. 6 warm ups including the Japan match at Murrayfield, it will be like the last tour imo in that a few extra bodies will be drafted in later to bolster the midweek team.

[John Lambies Doos]

There's a full blank week between the last warm up match and the first test, and no midweek games once the Tests start, but there's no way that a squad of 36 players are going to make it to the first test unscathed. 6 warm ups including the Japan match at Murrayfield, it will be like the last tour imo in that a few extra bodies will be drafted in later to hold the bags..

Ftfy

[Left Back]

I never understood why Scottish players left our tour during the last Lions series to go sit on the bench for the midweek team.  I’d rather have picked up a test cap for Scotland tbh.

[Distant Doonhamer]

I never understood why Scottish players left our tour during the last Lions series to go sit on the bench for the midweek team.  I’d rather have picked up a test cap for Scotland tbh.

Agreed to an extent but it’s a big deal to have been a Lion. Our own Andy Nicol is a good example having been a late replacement and on two tours, one of which when he was on holiday in Australia, but still has being a British Lion on his CV. He played 6 minutes for the Lions on the first tour but is a Lion nonetheless.
I’d certainly leave a Scottish tour to be a Lion if offered the chance.
Edit to add I’ve no idea if Nicol did leave a Scottish tour to join the Lions just using him as an example of the opportunity that might arise.