It's all about the turnover, but it's not apple

Interesting article in the Herald this morning, focusing for the most part on the two most hotly contested selection areas - the battle at scrum half (Blair vs Cusiter vs Laidlaw vs Lawson) and in the back row (likely glean 5 from Barclay, Beattie, Brown, Denton, Harley, Rennie, Strokosch & Vernon): Scottish progress in training. Some interesting comments from Robbo too about the importance of the breakdown contest.

Decent wee article As,

The Scrum Half choices in my opinion are easier to make than the back row choices.

For a long time I have been one of Mike Blair’s strongest supporters here on the old 606 and on this board too.

However even I can see his position is not just under threat at Edinburgh but at Scotland too. Laidlaw is a younger and at this moment a far more accomplished scrum half, with a speedy pass, high lingering box kick and he can kick Penalties too. Couple that with the fact that he had a reasonable stint at fly-half for Edinburgh shows there is much more to come from him.

Mike Blair is just not the same person who was nominated for the IRB player of the year nearly 3 years ago, he has lost something of his former self. His pass is slow and sloppy and he seems to make poor decisions, he is still very solid in defence though.

If Cusiter is training well and seems to have recovered from his long layoff and looks sharp, he'll be travelling too.

Lawson is arguably the man in possession after having a great season at Glaws and a solid if unspectacular 6N.

Scrum Halves on the Plane : Cusiter, Lawson and Laidlaw.

The backrow is a different kettle of fish. I also think Robbo himself has not made his mind up about this. I would have only one request, we have 2 fantastic blind side flankers in the form of Strokosch and Brown, for the love of god Robbo pick one of them and not Wagga at 6!

Barclay and Brown for me are almost certain to go to the world cup. Beattie too if in training he has displayed even a glimmer of his rampaging form from 2010 will be sure to go too.

I personally would add Denton into the mix, his form for Edinburgh at the close of last season demands it IMO. He seemed to be a bigger, stronger and faster version of Beattie if that is at all possible.

As for Rennie and Harley I could toss a coin between them, I really rate Strockosch but I also feel with Robbo thinking Hines can do a job at 6, big Stroks is likely to be left behind. Vernon again is a very good number 8 but his biggest strength is his mobility, Al Kellock and Richie Gray are very mobile locks however and I can't really see the need for a mobile number 8. Scotland will need a bruising ball carrier at the base of the scrum so I could probably rule him out too.

so my backrow pick : Barclay, Brown, Beattie, Denton and............ Harley.

Harley gets the nod for versatility, I think I'm right in saying he has played lock? There is every chance Robbo will be looking at players who can perform in other positions if the situation calls for it. So Harley gets the nod for me.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:Decent wee article As,

The Scrum Half choices in my opinion are easier to make than the back row choices.

For a long time I have been one of Mike Blair’s strongest supporters here on the old 606 and on this board too.

However even I can see his position is not just under threat at Edinburgh but at Scotland too. Laidlaw is a younger and at this moment a far more accomplished scrum half, with a speedy pass, high lingering box kick and he can kick Penalties too. Couple that with the fact that he had a reasonable stint at fly-half for Edinburgh shows there is much more to come from him.

Mike Blair is just not the same person who was nominated for the IRB player of the year nearly 3 years ago, he has lost something of his former self. His pass is slow and sloppy and he seems to make poor decisions, he is still very solid in defence though.

If Cusiter is training well and seems to have recovered from his long layoff and looks sharp, he'll be travelling too.

Lawson is arguably the man in possession after having a great season at Glaws and a solid if unspectacular 6N.

Scrum Halves on the Plane : Cusiter, Lawson and Laidlaw.

The backrow is a different kettle of fish. I also think Robbo himself has not made his mind up about this. I would have only one request, we have 2 fantastic blind side flankers in the form of Strokosch and Brown, for the love of god Robbo pick one of them and not Wagga at 6!

Barclay and Brown for me are almost certain to go to the world cup. Beattie too if in training he has displayed even a glimmer of his rampaging form from 2010 will be sure to go too.

I personally would add Denton into the mix, his form for Edinburgh at the close of last season demands it IMO. He seemed to be a bigger, stronger and faster version of Beattie if that is at all possible.

As for Rennie and Harley I could toss a coin between them, I really rate Strockosch but I also feel with Robbo thinking Hines can do a job at 6, big Stroks is likely to be left behind. Vernon again is a very good number 8 but his biggest strength is his mobility, Al Kellock and Richie Gray are very mobile locks however and I can't really see the need for a mobile number 8. Scotland will need a bruising ball carrier at the base of the scrum so I could probably rule him out too.

so my backrow pick : Barclay, Brown, Beattie, Denton and............ Harley.

Harley gets the nod for versatility, I think I'm right in saying he has played lock? There is every chance Robbo will be looking at players who can perform in other positions if the situation calls for it. So Harley gets the nod for me.

+1, Radge.

You're right that Harley played lock at West and a wee bit at Glasgow on occasion last season. The only differ I can see with your logic is that Robbo will see Hines as cover at 6, Denton at 8, so I reckon the coin toss will go to Rennie to provide cover at 7

Your starting backrow should be the Killer Bs. They work well together and cut the right balance.

I think your backrow and it's depth is your biggest strength. It's the bit I am most worried about as an England fan.

I agree that the scrum half decision is an easy one. Laidlaw over Blair on form, and Cusiter and Lawson the front runners to start.

The back row is very hard to call. Brown and Barclay are two certainties I think, but beyond that it's anyone's guess really. If fit, Beattie should join, and I'd want proper back-up to Barclay at 7, which means Ross Rennie should go as well.

That leaves one place for Strokosch, Harley or Denton. If there are still question marks over Beattie, then I think Denton should go. If Beattie satisfies us in the warm-ups that he's back to his best, then I'd take Strokosch.

I think Harley's one for the future. He's had a long hard breakthrough season and he faded towards the end of it. Making the squad and being involved at this stage is a big plus. Strokosch is more experienced, and finished the season at Glaws playing some great stuff. Brown is capable of covering 8 against Romania and Georgia if we need to give Beattie a game off.

what is the situation on Beattie - hear he has a bit of an attitude problem - will this affect his selection, or have I heard that wrong

Not sure that he's got an attitude problem, just that when he came back from 8 months out with injury I think he thought that it would be a tad easier than it turned out to be and perhaps his expectations were a wee bit awry

Did Johnnie Beattie not have problems training in 2008/2009. I think he basicly lost his drive and determination to play the game but his dad come down on him like a ton of bricks and he came back stronger and more determined.

That put him in the form we saw in 2009/2010. But yeah I think risky is onto something with his attitude in the past but as As says I think he was anticipating coming back from Injury quicker and more effectively than he has. Lets just hope he stays positive and focused because there is going to be some serious competition in that berth over the next season. We don't have a big enough player pool for a player of Beattie's caliber to drop off the radar.

Certainly would love to have our backline running things like they did in 2009/2010, although a lot of that depends on how our scrum holds out.

Was pitiful last year and needs to be solid to give any of these players a platform

I must say, didn't realise there was an attitude issue with Beattie. Hopefully whatever is going on can be resolved, because he's our best 8 by some distance when he plays well.

Agreed on the scrum, we can't have it misfiring against Argentina and England in the same way that it did against France and Wales in the 6 Nations. Give them a week with Jim Telfer I say! He'll get Euan Murray back on track.

I have gone for this squad chaps:

Jacobsen
Ford
Low
Kellock
R Gray
Brown
Barclay
Beattie
Cusiter
Parks
M Evans
Morrison
J Ansbro
S Lamont
Paterson

Hall
Cross
Hines
Rennie
R Lawson
Jackson
R Lamont

S Lawson
Dickinson
Hamilton
Denton
Strokosh
Laidlaw
De Luca
Danielli

If Murray goes, Denton or Stroks miss out.

It's too hard to call for me at the moment. I think the summer tests will give us an Idea of who will go. However if I'm getting press ganged into a prediction, here is mine.

Props :
Murray, Jacobsen, Cross, Low, Dickinson

Hooker :
Ford, Lawson, Hall (sigh)

Lock :
Kellock, Gray, Hines, Hamilton

Backrow :
Barclay, Brown, Beattie, Denton, Harley

Scrum Half :
Cusiter, Lawson, Laidlaw

Fly Half :
Jackson, "Desperate" Dan

Centre :
S.Lamont, Morrison, Ansbro, Cairns

Full Back / Wing :
Mossy, R.Lamont, Danielli, Evans (Or Cuthbert if Evans is going for a 3 month stay at the grey bar hotel)

17-13 split as anticipated, i would also be happy to see Hall left behind but much to my chargrin 3 hookers will probably be neccesary. We really miss Fergie Thomson too.

Ford is basicly a one man army for the world cup and even he has been off form internationaly recently, Case and point when he got turned into road kill by the Human Turnstyle Ronan O'Gara.

Our other options at hooker are a Violent penalty magnet or a man who's line out throws are akin to a blind one armed buffoon throwing a sack of excrament.

Radge - switch Harley for Rennie and we're on the same page.

At least with Dougie Hall going there's no debate as to who carries the bags in the airport.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Radge - switch Harley for Rennie and we're on the same page.

At least with Dougie Hall going there's no debate as to who carries the bags in the airport.

+1

So we all agree on the 13 /17 split, the 9's and 4 out of 5 back rows.

Only question is the final centre. De Luca or Cairns.

I'd love Cairns to go but De Luca is the man in possession of the bench place.

nickj wrote:So we all agree on the 13 /17 split, the 9's and 4 out of 5 back rows.

Only question is the final centre. De Luca or Cairns.

I'd love Cairns to go but De Luca is the man in possession of the bench place.

True, Nick, and probably the way that Robbo will go

D'ya know I kind of fancy the look of our squad guys... No, I'm not getting carried away again. I just like the options and the flexbility we've got.

Gotta say, it appears to me that we have more flexibility than a lot of our 6n competitors. Dare I say it the English?

You might argue its the quality of the 15 on the pitch that matters, but you have got to agree the squad looks quite healthy and the competition has, and will continue to be, fierce for those remaining seats on the plane.

Back up doesnt look bad but obviously, not as strong. Fingers crossed there aren't any injuries. Especially in the pack.

R Grant
Murray?
A Kelly
Harley
Denton?
Vernon
M Blair
Cairns
Walker
Southwell
Cuthbert

The Scotsman today also has an article on the Scrum Half battle entitled :

Outsider Greig Laidlaw knocking hard on World Cup door

According to the article Cusiter has been training at full tilt and Mike Blair has been struggling with an ankle injury. I wonder if Blair not being fully fit will sway Robbo into leaving him behind in place of the 3 scrum halves this board seems to suggest taking.

Radge, reckon it might well be enough to swing Robbo. Succession wise, Lawson and Blair are 30, Cusiter is 29, Laidlaw is 25, then after them we've got young Sean Kennedy who played in the U20 JWC - anyone else with the required talent?

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Radge, reckon it might well be enough to swing Robbo. Succession wise, Lawson and Blair are 30, Cusiter is 29, Laidlaw is 25, then after them we've got young Sean Kennedy who played in the U20 JWC - anyone else with the required talent?

see how samson gets on at london irish, we never saw enough of him at edinburgh to make long term judgements

Good shout, IBD

Alex Black, the man from The Old Forge, mainland Britain’s remotest pub, looks like a tough cookie. He'd have to be growing up in Knoydart.

nick, good point,had forgotten about him, think he's moved to Edinburgh from Leeds Carnegie to replace Samson? He played U20s two years ago?

Moving to Edinburgh is probably not the best move for him though. Unless Laidlaw makes a permanent switch to fly half to replace (good) Godman.

Or if Blair's downward spiral continues he might find the Scrum half berth opening up a wee bit.

Agreed. Pyrgos looks good too. Scots qualified excile, bit of nip around the base and a good quick pass

nickj wrote:Alex Black, the man from The Old Forge, mainland Britain’s remotest pub, looks like a tough cookie. He'd have to be growing up in Knoydart.

The SRU website had a photo of him until recently which was very unflattering. It will only serve to prepetuate the myth that brother and sister still get married to each other in that part of the world.
What we miss in the backrow is a certified loony ball-carrier. England have Easter, Ireland and France have countless options and we have a number 8 who has a bit of an attitude. In addition, noe of Vernon, Harley or Denton are particularly big so I do worry about that position.
SH must be Rory Lawson with Mike Blair having to watch the WC on the TV I'm afraid. A brilliant player in his day but he let himself down a bit in the Lions tour and has never really scaled the heights again.

InjuredYetAgain wrote:

nickj wrote:Alex Black, the man from The Old Forge, mainland Britain’s remotest pub, looks like a tough cookie. He'd have to be growing up in Knoydart.

The SRU website had a photo of him until recently which was very unflattering. It will only serve to prepetuate the myth that brother and sister still get married to each other in that part of the world.
What we miss in the backrow is a certified loony ball-carrier. England have Easter, Ireland and France have countless options and we have a number 8 who has a bit of an attitude. In addition, noe of Vernon, Harley or Denton are particularly big so I do worry about that position.
SH must be Rory Lawson with Mike Blair having to watch the WC on the TV I'm afraid. A brilliant player in his day but he let himself down a bit in the Lions tour and has never really scaled the heights again.

Dentons big enough. Harleys an out and out 6 for me, not an 8, though I have to agree with you re. Vernon. Hopefully hes bulked up a wee bit during the prep.