6N Round 1: France v Scotland, 7 February

by **George Carlin** Mon 26 Jan 2015, 10:27 am

First topic message reminder :

FRANCE v SCOTLAND
Saturday 7 February 2015
KO 17:00 (GMT)/18:00 (local)
Stade de France, Paris

Live on BBC1.

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
Touch Judge 1: Glen Jackson (NZR)
Touch Judge 2: Mike Fraser (NZR)
TMO: George Ayoub (ARU)

A. Teams:

1. France
6N Round 1: France v Scotland, 7 February - Page 2 Laetit10

6N Round 1: France v Scotland, 7 February - Page 2 Laetit10

15 Scott Spedding (Bayonne)
14 Yoann Huget (Toulouse)
13 Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon)
12 Wesley Fofana (Clermont)
11 Teddy Thomas (Racing Metro)
10 Camille Lopez (Clermont)
09 Rory Kockott (Castres)

01 Alexandre Menini (Toulon)
02 Guilhem Guirado (Toulon)
03 Rabah Slimani (Stade Francais)
04 Pascal Papé (Stade Francais)
05 Yoann Maestri (Toulouse)
06 Thierry Dusautoir (c) (Toulouse)
07 Bernard Le Roux (Racing Metro)
08 Damien Chouly (Clermont )

16 Benjamin Kayser (Clermont)
17 Uini Atonio (La Rochelle)
18 Eddy Ben Arous (Racing Metro)
19 Romain Taofifenua (Toulon)
20 Loann Goujon (La Rochelle)
21 Morgan Parra (Clermont)
22 Rémi Talès (Castres)
23 Rémi Lamerat (Castres)

2. Scotland
6N Round 1: France v Scotland, 7 February - Page 2 Gisell10

6N Round 1: France v Scotland, 7 February - Page 2 Gisell10

15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors)
14 Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors)
13 Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors)
12 Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors)
11 Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby)
10 Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors)
9 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester)

1 Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby)
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby)
3 Euan Murray (Glasgow Warriors)
4 Richie Gray (Castres)
5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors)
6 Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors)
7 Blair Cowan (London Irish)
8 Johnnie Beattie (Castres)

16 Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors)
17 Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors)
18 Geoff Cross (London Irish)
19 Jim Hamilton (Saracens)
20 Alasdair Strokosch (USA Perpignan)
21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby)
22 Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors)
23 Dougie Fife (Edinburgh Rugby)

B. Tournament Form (last 3 games):

1. France

15/3/14 - France 20 - 22 Ireland

8/3/14 - Scotland 17 - 19 France

21/2/14 - Wales 27 - 6 France

2. Scotland

15/3/14 - Wales 51 - 3 Scotland

8/3/14 - Scotland 17 - 19 France

22/2/14 - Italy 20 - 21 Scotland

C. Head to Head:

87 Played 87
50 Wins 34
34 Losses 50
3 Draws 3
153 Tries 132
78 Conversions 70
119 Penalties 127
28 Drop Goals 15
1,228 Points 1,049

by teh_Dingmeister Mon 26 Jan 2015, 5:44 pm

Riskysports wrote:Really do not rate Hogg that much - so would prefer Maitland at Full Back

Hogg has been fairly shocking under the high ball when he has been tested. Can only hope that he makes it a priority to work on in training as that is the major weakness in his game from a technical view. His temperament is still in question but I don't think we'll be seeing anything like the Biggar incident in the future.

by whocares Mon 26 Jan 2015, 5:51 pm

demosthenes wrote:
whocares wrote:looking at the squads , I would guess that :
- front row : advantage for Scotland till the 60th minutes then comes our 150kg prop (Atonio) who means business
- 2nd row : clear advantage to Scotland
- backrow : I would go with France on that one, we dont have a real N8 though.
- half back : even . havent seen much of laidlaw recently but would put russel and lopez on similar level
- centres : Fofana form is ok but whoever plays outside him have been average recently so would go for Scotland specially if dumbar+bennett are paired.
- back 3 : would go for france

Says something that no-one has taken umbrage at the thought that our most exciting back three for years might be bested. I would say that if the backs inside them can provide good ball, we should at least be on par.

just about better in my himble opinion because am only familiar with Maitland, hogg and Visser from the scotland. Huget seem above that lot while Thomas is similar to Visser with the same flaws in defense. Spedding is a bit med though. havent see a lot of this Glasgow fella Seymour?

by 123456789 Mon 26 Jan 2015, 5:55 pm

His attitude this season has been outstanding compared to last year when he needed a punch, fortunately had that been necessary turns out he was in the right place Whistle

by teh_Dingmeister Mon 26 Jan 2015, 5:56 pm

whocares wrote:
demosthenes wrote:
whocares wrote:looking at the squads , I would guess that :
- front row : advantage for Scotland till the 60th minutes then comes our 150kg prop (Atonio) who means business
- 2nd row : clear advantage to Scotland
- backrow : I would go with France on that one, we dont have a real N8 though.
- half back : even . havent seen much of laidlaw recently but would put russel and lopez on similar level
- centres : Fofana form is ok but whoever plays outside him have been average recently so would go for Scotland specially if dumbar+bennett are paired.
- back 3 : would go for france

Says something that no-one has taken umbrage at the thought that our most exciting back three for years might be bested. I would say that if the backs inside them can provide good ball, we should at least be on par.

just about better in my himble opinion because am only familiar with Maitland, hogg and Visser from the scotland. Huget seem above that lot while Thomas is similar to Visser with the same flaws in defense. Spedding is a bit med though. havent see a lot of this Glasgow fella Seymour?

Seymour scored against France last year and is on good form internationally? Scored a try in each of the autumn tests. What do you expect the French back 3 to be? Thomas, Spedding and Huget?

by teh_Dingmeister Mon 26 Jan 2015, 6:00 pm

teh_Dingmeister wrote:
whocares wrote:
demosthenes wrote:
whocares wrote:looking at the squads , I would guess that :
- front row : advantage for Scotland till the 60th minutes then comes our 150kg prop (Atonio) who means business
- 2nd row : clear advantage to Scotland
- backrow : I would go with France on that one, we dont have a real N8 though.
- half back : even . havent seen much of laidlaw recently but would put russel and lopez on similar level
- centres : Fofana form is ok but whoever plays outside him have been average recently so would go for Scotland specially if dumbar+bennett are paired.
- back 3 : would go for france

Says something that no-one has taken umbrage at the thought that our most exciting back three for years might be bested. I would say that if the backs inside them can provide good ball, we should at least be on par.

just about better in my himble opinion because am only familiar with Maitland, hogg and Visser from the scotland. Huget seem above that lot while Thomas is similar to Visser with the same flaws in defense. Spedding is a bit med though. havent see a lot of this Glasgow fella Seymour?

Seymour scored against France last year and is on good form internationally. Has good all round skills, great under the high ball and breaks tackles unexpectedly. Scored a try in each of the autumn tests. What do you expect the French back 3 to be? Thomas, Spedding and Huget?

by Gwlad Mon 26 Jan 2015, 6:06 pm

Scotland can do this, if they go out and do the basics they way they did V NZ then the collective tete de France will go down. There is always a shock each 6 Nations, it will either be this or Wales will lose their opener.

by 123456789 Mon 26 Jan 2015, 6:20 pm

I think you're lulling us into a false sense of security with the front row thing, second row I'm confident, back row depends on whether or not Vern thinks things through very carefully. Is Fofana and Fickou not your first choice? In which case I'd think you'd at least reach parity.

by whocares Mon 26 Jan 2015, 8:37 pm

Fickou is not even in the squad so will either be Dumoulin who hasnt played since December or Bastareaud who has been over played recently. Not too confindent with them. Nakaitaci could also play 13 (from the bench).
And yes PSA should use the same back 3 than in the AIs so thomas-spedding and huget are the likely men. Spedding is nothing spectacular for a FB but is safe option. I suppose it depends if hogg hits his pre-Lions form as well.

by Prothero Mon 26 Jan 2015, 10:09 pm

Hogg needs to play if fit, he has a big game mentality and pace to burn also the sort of reputation as a try scorer that defenses are going to gamble on him getting the ball allowing others space.

He is also the player that young Scottish lads watching rugby will identify with and pretend to be in the playground that shouldn't be ignored completely, one of the functions of the national team is to promote the game in Scotland.

He brings a feel good factor that i for one wouldn't trade for a player who is perhaps more solid under the highball but lacks his spark in attack and reputation (Not to mention his Howitzer return kicks which are genuinely excellent .

by funnyExiledScot Mon 26 Jan 2015, 10:30 pm

Agree with Prothero. Hogg starts if fit. I think Maitland should either play wing or bench. One half decent game at 15 isn't enough. He's been at 15 before for Scotland, and was completely average. Hogg offers more in attack, which is where this Scotland side appears to be focusing.

by cakeordeath Mon 26 Jan 2015, 11:15 pm

Battenburg, I like a bit of marzipan.

by reallybored Tue 27 Jan 2015, 12:50 am

Hoggy has to start, looks like he's put last season behind him and has been in fine form, especially for Scotland with 4 tries in last 7. Looked a bit shaky under the high-ball recently but the rest of his game has been good. His kicking game is better, ability to come in at first-receiver gives our attack another dimension plus he can do something special.

Would probably stick with Maitland despite his indifferent form on the wing, there's plenty of attacking threat anyway and he's a better defender than Visser.

by **George Carlin** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 6:11 am

cakeordeath wrote:Battenburg, I like a bit of marzipan.

by **George Carlin** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 6:33 am

Couple of issues having surfaced here.

1. Wing - I really think we have run out of reasons to start with Maitland. He is terrific defensively and a great link man, as we all know - but Seymour is nailed on and Visser is the paradigm of a rifleman who will back himself in a bolt for the line and runs great tracking-support lines.

To put it another way:
- Tommy Seymour - 13 caps, 6 tries
- Tim Visser - 15 caps, 7 tries
- Everyone's Favourite Kiwi Punchbag At The Moment - 15 caps, 2 tries

2. How will we do? Well, let's look at last year. Scotland 17 - 19 France

These were the teams:

Scotland: S. Hogg, T Seymour, A Dunbar, M Scott, S Lamont, D Weir, G Laidlaw; R Grant, S Lawson, G Cross, R Gray, J Hamilton, J Beattie, K Brown (captain), D Denton

Replacements: Wilson for Beattie (17), Evans for Lamont (29), Ford for Lawson (51), Swinson for Hamilton (68)

France: B Dulin, Y Huget, M Bastareaud, M Mermoz, M Medard, J Plisson, M Machenaud; T Domingo, B Mach, 3-N Mas, P Pape (captain), Y Maestri, S Vahaamahina, A Lapandry, D Chouly

Replacements: Tales for Plisson (46), Guirado for Mach (47), Flanquart for Maestri (59), Slimani for Mas (59), Claassen for Vahaamahina (66), Fickou for Bastareaud (68), Debaty for Domingo (68), Doussain for Machenaud (74)

With my relatively limited knowledge of the current form of the likely French starters, I think that the current France side is no better than the one above, but I think that the current Scotland squad is much better.

- Visser a far better option that Lamont
- Russell a better attacking 10 than the mighty Meatball
- Ford on current form a hundred times better (and larger) than Lawson
- Jonny Gray so far ahead of the Tattooed Penalty Magnet that I think I just peed a little
- Maitland, Bennett or Scott on the bench as backline cover miles ahead of the Squashed Goblin

I know that we're away from home this year, but doesn't the above, plus the reasonable current form of both Glasgow and Edinburgh suggest that we'll do at least as well?

This is the point at which WhoCares politely tells me that I don't really have any idea what I'm talking about... Crying or Very sad

by **RDW** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 8:18 am

George Carlin wrote:

I know that we're away from home this year, but doesn't the above, plus the reasonable current form of both Glasgow and Edinburgh suggest that we'll do at least as well?

Stop it, stop it, stop it! warning

You're just going to get everyone excited and optimistic like every year, then just like every year we're probably going to do rubbish again.

I'm also pretty sure every year we look at the previous year's team and think that the current one is much better!

Problem is, you are right - this year's team is better than last year's, and are mostly on better form too. Very Happy

by **George Carlin** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 8:25 am

Incidentally, why the hell do we always seem to play France first?

by **RDW** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 8:27 am

George Carlin wrote:Incidentally, why the hell do we always seem to play France first?

I know time goes faster when you get older, but we haven't since 2011... laughing

by jimbopip Tue 27 Jan 2015, 8:49 am

George Carlin wrote:Absolutely - topics to be discussed in the intervening two weeks surely have to include:

- what Alive555 really gets up to living in Bangkok;
- whether GLove really does get sunburned watching fireworks;
- why Numbers has been ignoring us all recently;
- whether we can convince Asbo and Schiz to re-join the group for this tournament;
- why MacKnocked-on chose that as a user name;
- how big BigGee actually is;
- why teh_Dingmeister cannot correct the spelling mistake in his user name;
- where Nematode is now that he's been forced to move from Edinburgh's pitch;
- how much tigertattie likes BVC;
- why EWT Spoons is called EWT Spoons and WTF that actually means;
- what cakeordeath's favourite cake is;
- whether there is any truth to the rumour that highland_scot cannot post more frequently due to the sporadic nature of internet connection in the Highlands;
- what jimbopip thinks about DevoMax;
- how young Bru's stones are currently getting on;
- whether who cares is French, actually Scottish or a hard drinking hybrid of the two;
- whether Bsando has worked through his complicated heritage issues and decided whether to be an Aussie or a Jock;
- what the riskiest sport is that Riskysports has ever tried;
- why lostinwales doesn't just use the satnav on his phone to get out of Wales;
- what Radge thinks is the best thing about Dunfermline;
- whether madmaccas has punched an old woman, urinated in a shop's cash register or done anything properly, certifiably mad;
- whether CP10 lives in Stockbridge or somewhere that, well, just isn't as good as Stockbridge;
- what Miss Dotty Mantooth thinks about life;
- how Maj knows so freakishly much about Scots players and whether, in fact, he uses his brainpower for anything else;
- whether Baby FES has already asked her dad if her formula milk is organic;
- why Prothero chose to live in Salisbury;
- why TheMildlyFranticLlama doesn't already have 3 pubs named after him;
- why RDW cannot stop making fun of Sean Maitland;
- whether TattieScones believes that Frankie Boyle really should have been banned from television.

That should tide us over.

Discuss.

Frak Frak, listen sonny I've been carrying these supposedly intelligent political parasites on my shoulders since before you were a Frak gleam in your cirrhotic father's spongiformed liver. You little gobshite. Frak Frak, you wouldn't know what to do with it if it got up and bit you in the arse you infantile Kumquat. How old are you sonny? Frak what would they do with it? The moronic imbeciles spent £50 billion commissioning a team of limp wristed wanna be proctoloigists to choose the Frak wallpaper in their wannabee parliament. And they still haven't figured out where to put the big key to wind up their Frak Mickey Mouse tram set so that it actually runs. Frak! Frak me. This is what happens when you give the work experience plooky adolescents the keys to the Cabinet. Just Frak off back to your "internship" at Stagecoach and let the grown ups get on with running the country.

by whocares Tue 27 Jan 2015, 9:02 am

George Carlin wrote: 2. How will we do? Well, let's look at last year. Scotland 17 - 19 France

These were the teams:

Scotland: S. Hogg, T Seymour, A Dunbar, M Scott, S Lamont, D Weir, G Laidlaw; R Grant, S Lawson, G Cross, R Gray, J Hamilton, J Beattie, K Brown (captain), D Denton

Replacements: Wilson for Beattie (17), Evans for Lamont (29), Ford for Lawson (51), Swinson for Hamilton (68)

France: B Dulin, Y Huget, M Bastareaud, M Mermoz, M Medard, J Plisson, M Machenaud; T Domingo, B Mach, 3-N Mas, P Pape (captain), Y Maestri, S Vahaamahina, A Lapandry, D Chouly

Replacements: Tales for Plisson (46), Guirado for Mach (47), Flanquart for Maestri (59), Slimani for Mas (59), Claassen for Vahaamahina (66), Fickou for Bastareaud (68), Debaty for Domingo (68), Doussain for Machenaud (74)

With my relatively limited knowledge of the current form of the likely French starters, I think that the current France side is no better than the one above, but I think that the current Scotland squad is much better.

- Visser a far better option that Lamont
- Russell a better attacking 10 than the mighty Meatball
- Ford on current form a hundred times better (and larger) than Lawson
- Jonny Gray so far ahead of the Tattooed Penalty Magnet that I think I just peed a little
- Maitland, Bennett or Scott on the bench as backline cover miles ahead of the Squashed Goblin

I know that we're away from home this year, but doesn't the above, plus the reasonable current form of both Glasgow and Edinburgh suggest that we'll do at least as well?

This is the point at which WhoCares politely tells me that I don't really have any idea what I'm talking about...

well to be honest GC I did a good job erasring that game from my memory but now that you mention it ... PSA wild selections come back to haunt me... this was probably the worst game France played in the history of the 6N tournament. Not sure how we won that but it was down to some scottish centre gifting Huget an undeserved try I think.
Anyway, in "that" team you had :
- Brice "throws likes a pizzaoilo" mach at hooker
- the "Vahaamahina" experiment in the back row - remember that big slow lump of a lock who's a yelow card magnet playing flanker? yeah it didnt really work out well

the rest of team was a bit meh and still probably is but I think they want to make an impression at least in their first home game. will be a close (and hopefully open) game.

by **RDW** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 9:07 am

whocares wrote:

well to be honest GC I did a good job erasring that game from my memory but now that you mention it ... PSA wild selections come back to haunt me... this was probably the worst game France played in the history of the 6N tournament. Not sure how we won that but it was down to some scottish centre gifting Huget an undeserved try I think.

This goes back to my earlier point - Scotland played really well that day, probably the best of the tournament, and France were awful, yet we still lost. OK we probably lost due to Weir's wild interception pass, but we still lost.

Scotland just don't do well in the 6N, and if we did well this year (3 wins) it would be one of Scotland's greatest achievements in the last 10 yeas I reckon. Not that there has been many of those...

by yappysnap Tue 27 Jan 2015, 9:29 am

How many times have Scotland beaten France away in the past?

by tigertattie Tue 27 Jan 2015, 9:29 am

jimbopip wrote:
George Carlin wrote:Absolutely - topics to be discussed in the intervening two weeks surely have to include:

- what Alive555 really gets up to living in Bangkok;
- whether GLove really does get sunburned watching fireworks;
- why Numbers has been ignoring us all recently;
- whether we can convince Asbo and Schiz to re-join the group for this tournament;
- why MacKnocked-on chose that as a user name;
- how big BigGee actually is;
- why teh_Dingmeister cannot correct the spelling mistake in his user name;
- where Nematode is now that he's been forced to move from Edinburgh's pitch;
- how much tigertattie likes BVC;
- why EWT Spoons is called EWT Spoons and WTF that actually means;
- what cakeordeath's favourite cake is;
- whether there is any truth to the rumour that highland_scot cannot post more frequently due to the sporadic nature of internet connection in the Highlands;
- what jimbopip thinks about DevoMax;
- how young Bru's stones are currently getting on;
- whether who cares is French, actually Scottish or a hard drinking hybrid of the two;
- whether Bsando has worked through his complicated heritage issues and decided whether to be an Aussie or a Jock;
- what the riskiest sport is that Riskysports has ever tried;
- why lostinwales doesn't just use the satnav on his phone to get out of Wales;
- what Radge thinks is the best thing about Dunfermline;
- whether madmaccas has punched an old woman, urinated in a shop's cash register or done anything properly, certifiably mad;
- whether CP10 lives in Stockbridge or somewhere that, well, just isn't as good as Stockbridge;
- what Miss Dotty Mantooth thinks about life;
- how Maj knows so freakishly much about Scots players and whether, in fact, he uses his brainpower for anything else;
- whether Baby FES has already asked her dad if her formula milk is organic;
- why Prothero chose to live in Salisbury;
- why TheMildlyFranticLlama doesn't already have 3 pubs named after him;
- why RDW cannot stop making fun of Sean Maitland;
- whether TattieScones believes that Frankie Boyle really should have been banned from television.

That should tide us over.

Discuss.

Frak Frak, listen sonny I've been carrying these supposedly intelligent political parasites on my shoulders since before you were a Frak gleam in your cirrhotic father's spongiformed liver. You little gobshite. Frak Frak, you wouldn't know what to do with it if it got up and bit you in the arse you infantile Kumquat. How old are you sonny? Frak what would they do with it? The moronic imbeciles spent £50 billion commissioning a team of limp wristed wanna be proctoloigists to choose the Frak wallpaper in their wannabee parliament. And they still haven't figured out where to put the big key to wind up their Frak Mickey Mouse tram set so that it actually runs. Frak! Frak me. This is what happens when you give the work experience plooky adolescents the keys to the Cabinet. Just Frak off back to your "internship" at Stagecoach and let the grown ups get on with running the country.

I dunno whether Jimbo is being serious here or pulling GC's leg!!!

by **RDW** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 9:32 am

yappysnap wrote:How many times have Scotland beaten France away in the past?

Couldn't tell you the number of times, but we've not won in France since 1999...

by reallybored Tue 27 Jan 2015, 9:58 am

Denton and Maitland to miss the opener, not clear when they're expected back.

Happy to see Beattie and Visser come straight in.

With Harley, Strokosch and Denton all carrying injuries surely it's time to give Kelly Brows a call. Would be very frustrated if they went for Low instead.

by **RDW** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 10:03 am

Real shame about Denton - he has been strong for Edinburgh since returning from injury.

Beattie has admitted himself his form hasn't been good for Castres.

Technically they don't need to call anyone else up, but if ever there was the need to call up Brown this would be it.

So if Hogg is fit I guess we'll see

11 Visser
14 Seymour
15 Hogg

If not then

11 Visser
14 Seymour
15 Tonks?

by reallybored Tue 27 Jan 2015, 10:56 am

Denton has had a tough run with injuries, always seems to pick up injuries before test windows and time is running out for him to book his ticket for RWC.

Seriously need Hogg to be fit, people like to get on his back but he's a huge player for us.

by jimbopip Tue 27 Jan 2015, 11:03 am

Riskysports wrote:When will Funny Exiled Scot update his name to take into account he now is is Scotland - or does his Chateau technically class as a separate county?

I've been calling His Festiness Neither-Nor for some time now.

by jimbopip Tue 27 Jan 2015, 11:14 am

With Harley, Strokes, Dozer, Fozzie, Arthur Ashe all injured and Wilson "pre-occupied" , Kellybrows either gets the call up or he gets the pipe and slippers. John Barclay has already been measured for his smoking jacket. The SRU are sparing no expense and getting him the deluxe model with wrap round sleeves and buttons up the back.

by **George Carlin** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 11:47 am

tigertattie wrote:
jimbopip wrote:
George Carlin wrote:Absolutely - topics to be discussed in the intervening two weeks surely have to include:

- what Alive555 really gets up to living in Bangkok;
- whether GLove really does get sunburned watching fireworks;
- why Numbers has been ignoring us all recently;
- whether we can convince Asbo and Schiz to re-join the group for this tournament;
- why MacKnocked-on chose that as a user name;
- how big BigGee actually is;
- why teh_Dingmeister cannot correct the spelling mistake in his user name;
- where Nematode is now that he's been forced to move from Edinburgh's pitch;
- how much tigertattie likes BVC;
- why EWT Spoons is called EWT Spoons and WTF that actually means;
- what cakeordeath's favourite cake is;
- whether there is any truth to the rumour that highland_scot cannot post more frequently due to the sporadic nature of internet connection in the Highlands;
- what jimbopip thinks about DevoMax;
- how young Bru's stones are currently getting on;
- whether who cares is French, actually Scottish or a hard drinking hybrid of the two;
- whether Bsando has worked through his complicated heritage issues and decided whether to be an Aussie or a Jock;
- what the riskiest sport is that Riskysports has ever tried;
- why lostinwales doesn't just use the satnav on his phone to get out of Wales;
- what Radge thinks is the best thing about Dunfermline;
- whether madmaccas has punched an old woman, urinated in a shop's cash register or done anything properly, certifiably mad;
- whether CP10 lives in Stockbridge or somewhere that, well, just isn't as good as Stockbridge;
- what Miss Dotty Mantooth thinks about life;
- how Maj knows so freakishly much about Scots players and whether, in fact, he uses his brainpower for anything else;
- whether Baby FES has already asked her dad if her formula milk is organic;
- why Prothero chose to live in Salisbury;
- why TheMildlyFranticLlama doesn't already have 3 pubs named after him;
- why RDW cannot stop making fun of Sean Maitland;
- whether TattieScones believes that Frankie Boyle really should have been banned from television.

That should tide us over.

Discuss.

Frak Frak, listen sonny I've been carrying these supposedly intelligent political parasites on my shoulders since before you were a Frak gleam in your cirrhotic father's spongiformed liver. You little gobshite. Frak Frak, you wouldn't know what to do with it if it got up and bit you in the arse you infantile Kumquat. How old are you sonny? Frak what would they do with it? The moronic imbeciles spent £50 billion commissioning a team of limp wristed wanna be proctoloigists to choose the Frak wallpaper in their wannabee parliament. And they still haven't figured out where to put the big key to wind up their Frak Mickey Mouse tram set so that it actually runs. Frak! Frak me. This is what happens when you give the work experience plooky adolescents the keys to the Cabinet. Just Frak off back to your "internship" at Stagecoach and let the grown ups get on with running the country.

I dunno whether Jimbo is being serious here or pulling GC's leg!!!

Either way, I quite literally asked for that.

by **George Carlin** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 11:48 am

RDW_Scotland wrote:
whocares wrote:

well to be honest GC I did a good job erasring that game from my memory but now that you mention it ... PSA wild selections come back to haunt me... this was probably the worst game France played in the history of the 6N tournament. Not sure how we won that but it was down to some scottish centre gifting Huget an undeserved try I think.

This goes back to my earlier point - Scotland played really well that day, probably the best of the tournament, and France were awful, yet we still lost. OK we probably lost due to Weir's wild interception pass, but we still lost.

That's actually correct. Okay. Now I'm really depressed. Crying or Very sad

by tigertattie Tue 27 Jan 2015, 12:03 pm

What are the chances of:

Brown gets called into the sqaud
Harley is deemed not fit enough to play against France.
Stroks starts, Brown benches.
Brown comes on after 60 mins and puts in more tackles and gets more turnovers in the last 20 than Stroks did all game.
in the 79th min, Brown crashes over the line to score the game winning try
The folllowing game, Brown starts as Captain!

by lostinwales Tue 27 Jan 2015, 12:09 pm

That would be great.

Brown seems to be the type of guy who gets respect from everyone and you know he'd give his all for Scotland. Seems sad that (possibly) because of a personality clash with an certain muppet that he has been hung out to dry.

by **RDW** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 12:10 pm

Tell you what, I've got some real concerns about 6/8.

Beattie says him and Gray have to go back to France this weekend for a must-win game against Toulouse. This means that at best he's going to arrive completely beat up, at worst he's going to be injured.

Given that Harley is surely a doubt for France, and will definitely not match fit, that would leave us with Strokosh as the only fit 6/8.

Even if Brown gets called back in he might end up having to play at 8, which isn't ideal.

So there really is a good chance we might end up with

6 Strokosh
7 Cowan
8 Brown

Or if Brown isn't called up

6 Strokosh
7 Watson
8 Cowan

Neither of which would be great and would put us at a real disadvantage.

by tigertattie Tue 27 Jan 2015, 12:19 pm

Erm, isn't this weekend an IRB "rest" weekend meaning clubs should be releasing thier players for international teams???

With Denton out, Harley doubtful and Beattie only half firing, surely to goodness his Kellybrows needs to be called into the squad????

by **RDW** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 12:20 pm

Beattie and Gray obviously don't have that in their contracts.

The French Top 14 have a full set of fixtures on. The French national team nominates 25 players to be rested from their clubs this weekend, but foreign players don't have such luxuries unless it is in their contract.

by whocares Tue 27 Jan 2015, 12:39 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Beattie and Gray obviously don't have that in their contracts.

The French Top 14 have a full set of fixtures on. The French national team nominates 25 players to be rested from their clubs this weekend, but foreign players don't have such luxuries unless it is in their contract.

There is a list of 30 protected players (max 30 games per season) but only 6 are in this squad I think!

by jimbopip Tue 27 Jan 2015, 12:56 pm

George Carlin wrote:
tigertattie wrote:
jimbopip wrote:
George Carlin wrote:Absolutely - topics to be discussed in the intervening two weeks surely have to include:

- what Alive555 really gets up to living in Bangkok;
- whether GLove really does get sunburned watching fireworks;
- why Numbers has been ignoring us all recently;
- whether we can convince Asbo and Schiz to re-join the group for this tournament;
- why MacKnocked-on chose that as a user name;
- how big BigGee actually is;
- why teh_Dingmeister cannot correct the spelling mistake in his user name;
- where Nematode is now that he's been forced to move from Edinburgh's pitch;
- how much tigertattie likes BVC;
- why EWT Spoons is called EWT Spoons and WTF that actually means;
- what cakeordeath's favourite cake is;
- whether there is any truth to the rumour that highland_scot cannot post more frequently due to the sporadic nature of internet connection in the Highlands;
- what jimbopip thinks about DevoMax;
- how young Bru's stones are currently getting on;
- whether who cares is French, actually Scottish or a hard drinking hybrid of the two;
- whether Bsando has worked through his complicated heritage issues and decided whether to be an Aussie or a Jock;
- what the riskiest sport is that Riskysports has ever tried;
- why lostinwales doesn't just use the satnav on his phone to get out of Wales;
- what Radge thinks is the best thing about Dunfermline;
- whether madmaccas has punched an old woman, urinated in a shop's cash register or done anything properly, certifiably mad;
- whether CP10 lives in Stockbridge or somewhere that, well, just isn't as good as Stockbridge;
- what Miss Dotty Mantooth thinks about life;
- how Maj knows so freakishly much about Scots players and whether, in fact, he uses his brainpower for anything else;
- whether Baby FES has already asked her dad if her formula milk is organic;
- why Prothero chose to live in Salisbury;
- why TheMildlyFranticLlama doesn't already have 3 pubs named after him;
- why RDW cannot stop making fun of Sean Maitland;
- whether TattieScones believes that Frankie Boyle really should have been banned from television.

That should tide us over.

Discuss.

Feccin Devo feccin Max, listen sonny I've been carrying these supposedly intelligent political parasites on my shoulders since before you were a Feccin gleam in your cirrhotic father's spongiformed liver. You little gobshite rhyming with punt. Feccin Devo feccin Max , you wouldn't know what to do with it if it got up and bit you in the arse you infantile Festering sore on the erse of Arthur's Seat. How old are you sonny? Devo feccin Max what would they feccin do with it? The moronic imbeciles spent £50 billion commissioning a team of limp wristed wanna be proctoloigists to choose the Feccin wallpaper in their wannabee parliament. And they still haven't figured out where to put the big key to wind up their Feccin Mickey Mouse tram set so that it actually runs. Devo feccin Max! Frak me. This is what happens when you give the work experience plooky adolescents the keys to the Cabinet. Just Frak off back to your "internship" at Stagecoach and let the grown ups get on with running the country.

I dunno whether Jimbo is being serious here or pulling GC's leg!!!
Either way, I quite literally asked for that.

by IanBru Tue 27 Jan 2015, 1:15 pm

George Carlin wrote:Absolutely - topics to be discussed in the intervening two weeks surely have to include:
- how young Bru's stones are currently getting on;

As ever, just an inch or two from greatness.

I'm having a lovely lunchtime here, having a little watch of this:

Enjoy!

by tigertattie Tue 27 Jan 2015, 1:51 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Beattie and Gray obviously don't have that in their contracts.

The French Top 14 have a full set of fixtures on. The French national team nominates 25 players to be rested from their clubs this weekend, but foreign players don't have such luxuries unless it is in their contract.

Suppose its the price you pay for playing outside your home union!

by funnyExiledScot Tue 27 Jan 2015, 1:54 pm

An injury to Beattie at the weekend would put us in a bit of a pickle. We do need a ball carrier at number 8, particularly with Harley and Cowan on the flanks. Even if Cotter were to swallow humble pie and call up Kelly Brown, I wouldn't be particularly happen with him at 8.

I wonder if Batman could be lured from his Bat Cave? Or Ali Hogg?

by jimbopip Tue 27 Jan 2015, 2:20 pm

The frightening thing is that you know Rab C is whispering in his ear, " Jamesie, the French will play above the ground. Let's not play into their hands by playing 6, 7 and 8. I've got a cunning plan..."

by **George Carlin** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 2:46 pm

IanBru wrote:
George Carlin wrote:Absolutely - topics to be discussed in the intervening two weeks surely have to include:
- how young Bru's stones are currently getting on;
As ever, just an inch or two from greatness.

I'm having a lovely lunchtime here, having a little watch of this:

Enjoy!

The best opening 20 minutes of any match, ever.

by highland_scot Tue 27 Jan 2015, 3:42 pm

How ironic would it be to go from last year trying to play with a team of 8s, to playing without a single specialist 8 this year?

by EWT Spoons Tue 27 Jan 2015, 3:46 pm

highland_scot wrote:How ironic would it be to go from last year trying to play with a team of 8s, to playing without a single specialist 8 this year?

I can only assume Scott Johnson will be tearing his hair out at the prospect....he may be some time.

by lostinwales Tue 27 Jan 2015, 3:57 pm

EWT Spoons wrote:
highland_scot wrote:How ironic would it be to go from last year trying to play with a team of 8s, to playing without a single specialist 8 this year?

I can only assume Scott Johnson will be tearing his hair out at the prospect....he may be some time.

Can we watch?

by **George Carlin** Tue 27 Jan 2015, 4:01 pm

lostinwales wrote:
EWT Spoons wrote:
highland_scot wrote:How ironic would it be to go from last year trying to play with a team of 8s, to playing without a single specialist 8 this year?

I can only assume Scott Johnson will be tearing his hair out at the prospect....he may be some time.

Can we watch?

6N Round 1: France v Scotland, 7 February - Page 2 Scott211

by jimbopip Tue 27 Jan 2015, 4:08 pm

What are the chances of The Manslaughter B's?
Brown-Beattie-Blake?

by highland_scot Tue 27 Jan 2015, 4:26 pm

lostinwales wrote:
EWT Spoons wrote:
highland_scot wrote:How ironic would it be to go from last year trying to play with a team of 8s, to playing without a single specialist 8 this year?

I can only assume Scott Johnson will be tearing his hair out at the prospect....he may be some time.

Can we watch?

Can we help?!

by highland_scot Tue 27 Jan 2015, 4:29 pm

jimbopip wrote:What are the chances of The Manslaughter B's?
Brown-Beattie-Blake?

But we're Scots. So it would have to be the Culpable Homicide B's Sorry

by jimbopip Tue 27 Jan 2015, 4:56 pm

highland_scot wrote:
jimbopip wrote:What are the chances of The Manslaughter B's?
Brown-Beattie-Blake?

But we're Scots. So it would have to be the Culpable Homicide B's

Lived in Essex too long.

And to all you new and expectant fathers out there, here's one for you to look forward to...

I'm taking young Pipetto to Scotland- Wales , his first ever match. Yahoo

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