6N Round 3: Scotland v Italy, 28 February

First topic message reminder :

  
SCOTLAND v ITALY
Saturday 28 February 2015
KO 14:30 (GMT)
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Live on BBC1

Referee: George Clancy (IRFU)
AR1: Romain Poite (FFR)
AR2: Leighton Hodges (WRU)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

A. Teams:

1. SCOTLAND

15 Stuart Hogg
14 Tommy Seymour
13 Mark Bennett
12 Alex Dunbar
11 Sean Lamont
10 Peter Horne
09 Greig Laidlaw (capt)

01 Alasdair Dickinson
02 Ross Ford
03 Euan Murray
04 Tim Swinson
05 Jonny Gray
06 Rob Harley
07 Blair Cowan
08 Johnnie Beattie

16 Fraser Brown
17 Ryan Grant
18 Geoff Cross
19 Ben Toolis
20 Hamish Watson
21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne
22 Greig Tonks
23 Matt Scott

2. ITALY

15 Luke McLean
14 Michele Visentin
13 Luca Morisi
12 Enrico Bacchin
11 Giovambattista Venditti
10 Kelly Haimona
09 Edoardo Gori

01 Matias Aguero
02 Leonardo Ghiraldini
03 Dario Chistolini
04 George Fabio Biagi
05 Joshua Furno
06 Francesco Minto
07 Simone Favaro
08 Sergio Parisse (capt)

16 Andrea Manici
17 Alberto De Marchi
18 Lorenzo Cittadini
19 Marco Fuser
20 Samuela Vunisa
21 Guglielmo Palazzani
22 Tommaso Allan
23 Giulio Bisegni.

B. Form (last 4 games):

1. SCOTLAND

15/02/15 - Scotland 23 - 26 Wales

07/02/15 - France 15 - 8 Scotland

22/11/14 - Scotland 37 - 12 Tonga

15/11/14 - Scotland 16 - 24 New Zealand

2. ITALY

14/02/15 - England 47 - 17 Italy

07/02/15 - Italy 3 - 26 Ireland

22/11/14 - Italy 6–22 South Africa

14/11/14 - Italy 18–20 Argentina

C. Head to Head:

21 Played 21

14 Wins 7

7 Losses 14

0 Draws 0

40 Tries 28

30 Conversions 23

58 Penalties 50

5 Drop Goals 6

475 Points 365

RDW_Scotland wrote:

IanBru wrote:When I was 16, I had major facial surgery.

You didn't go into a pub in Glasgow and ask for a soft drink did you??

Nah mate, I went into the Edinburgh Rugby Supporters Club's AGM and tabled a motion that "A face cloth and a bit of elbow grease are the only requirements for a successful skin regime". The Clinique, Nivea, and Clarins sales reps all pulled broadswords.

Sparkly broadswords.

BUT this is no different than it has been for several years - and for several years the decision would have been the same (In fact often a red would have been given) - so I am not sure why it suddenly becomes such a huge issue all of a sudden

[/quote]

Don't agree that a red would have been given regularly for that set of circumstances. Yellow defo though. Most progressive teams are trying to develop an offloading open running style mimicking the super 15. This is one that a majority of rugby enthusiasts love to watch and play. It has even caught on in the AP this season which is normally all about that bosh.
As I see it , world rugby have endorsed a negative tactic with the interpretation of the laws,making it pay to be reckless. It needs to be resolved, as it is very one sided at the moment.

It costs a lot of money to follow a national side and I don't believe anyone really wants to watch 80 mins of aerial
assisted suicide.

[/quote]

Don't agree that a red would have been given regularly for that set of circumstances. Yellow defo though. Most progressive teams are trying to develop an offloading open running style mimicking the super 15. This is one that a majority of rugby enthusiasts love to watch and play. It has even caught on in the AP this season which is normally all about that bosh.
As I see it , world rugby have endorsed a negative tactic with the interpretation of the laws,making it pay to be reckless. It needs to be resolved, as it is very one sided at the moment.

It costs a lot of money to follow a national side and I don't believe anyone really wants to watch 80 mins of Ariel assisted suicide.[/quote]

Ariel? What's this got to do with The Tempest, or for younger posters The Little Mermaid?

Arse! Undone by predictive text.

IanBru wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

IanBru wrote:When I was 16, I had major facial surgery.

You didn't go into a pub in Glasgow and ask for a soft drink did you??

Nah mate, I went into the Edinburgh Rugby Supporters Club's AGM and tabled a motion that "A face cloth and a bit of elbow grease are the only requirements for a successful skin regime". The Clinique, Nivea, and Clarins sales reps all pulled broadswords.

Sparkly broadswords.

The man pictured here only went into the Edinburgh Supporters Club to have a p!ss:

Looks like Russell might be out for more than 2 weeks...

GLove39 wrote:Looks like Russell might be out for more than 2 weeks...

The only area we have a problem on Saturday (only.....) is at 10.
I think the options are:
1. Play Tonks, see how he goes. With the option to move Laidlaw there and put SHC at 9.
2. Start Laidlaw at 10, SHC at 9.
3. Start Horne at 10, with GL or SHC at 9.
4. Start Scott at 10.

I think it will be option 3, with Tonks on the bench, but I'd like to see option 2, as that could be potent in a humpa lumpa sort of fashion.

Glasgow will be sorely short though if Horne is in the squad.

The Mail is saying it's Tonks and Visser dropped for Seymour.

GLove39 wrote:Looks like Russell might be out for more than 2 weeks...

Brilliant!

The Mail seems to have the scoop on the starting team

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-2969652/Greig-Tonks-replace-Finn-Russell-Scotland-s-win-showdown-against-Italy.html

WIll be pretty disappointed if Swinson is starting. He's never going to be big enough to be an International lock, and he's lacking match fitness too.

Swinson over Hamilton and Toolis would be a strange call. I'd have thought we'd see Hamilton start, with Toolis snr on the bench. Swinno leapfrogging them just seems odd. I think our pack looks far more solid with Hamilton in there and the Italians are lacking a bit of experience in their front five. Hamilton gives us that but perhaps Cotter deemed the ongoing pens and 'that' fight as being the last straw?

Probable Scotland: Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors) (or Dougie Fife (Edinburgh Rugby)); Greig Tonks (Edinburgh Rugby), Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester); Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby), Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby), Euan Murray (Glasgow Warriors); Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors); Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Cowan (London Irish), Johnnie Beattie (Castres).

From the Mail.

I don't know - keeping Beattie seems puzzling - also to include Toolis in the squad from the start, then start someone you've brought in halfway through seems odd. It might not be right, but given Hamilton was benching then he'd surely be the one to start?

I think that team will be enough to beat Italy but that would be dissapointing.

I would prefer Toolis starting with hamilton on the bench. I presume Denton, Ashe and Maitland are not deemed to be fit as they should all be in the 23 if they are.

You know I am so disappointed. We could and should have beaten Wales, we have broken or had banned a couple of crucial players. this is setting up to be another disappointing 6N. *grump*

I'd like to see Toolis in the team. Pick on form!

tonks at 10 for me.

subs v Italy: 16 Brown 17 Grant 18 Cross 19 Toolis (uncapped) 20 Watson (uncapped) 21 Hidalgo-Clyne 22 Tonks 23 Scott

Tonks on the bench

Not looking like I hoped

Back-row trio Rob Harley, Blair Cowan & Johnnie Beattie

Locks v Italy: Tim Swinson replaces R.Gray, to partner club-mate Jonny Gray in the boiler house

Swinson starting?!

Now for the interesting bit

Front-row v Italy: Euan Murray returns at tighthead alongside everpresents Al Dickinson &Ross Ford

HORNE IS FH

Half-backs v Italy: Stand-off Peter Horne given the keys to number ten alongside captain Laidlaw.

Must be Horne at 10 then...no bad thing.

Centres v Italy: Exciting Glasgow Warriors duo Alex Dunbar & Mark Bennett are back in the midfield

Get on with it SRU...

Back-three v Italy: Seymour returns from injury to partner Stuart Hogg and Sean Lamont.

Well, I suppose Swinson starting was slightly unexpected, but I suppose for a must win game he's already capped.

Surprised not to see Denton feature though.

So the Daily Fail lives up to its name. Horne instead of Tonks.

I'd be pretty annoyed if I was Tonks - kept back from the Edinburgh squad last week surely with one eye on this game, Horne is released, plays well for Glasgow and gets his starting spot!

I'm thoroughly annoyed with Laidlaw starting, I know it will be said that his experience will help out Horne, but his 'experience' lost us the game against Wales and I think its utterly unfair on SHC that he hasn't been rewarded for his excellent form

Also Horne up against Pie-moaner, the big Italian prop they play at 10? Eek. Will Horne be standing at 10 in defence or will they look to protect him?

Strongest bench we've had in a while, mind you.

- Horne - makes sense if we keep playing the running style that we seem to have adopted. Tonks to come on if we need to play the terrorial game using his howitzer left peg.
- Beattie - thank Bill McLaren you're the only 8 who can currently walk upright, because that's the only reason you're there.
- Watson instead of Strokosch - delighted with that.
- Toolis instead of Hamilton - see above.
- Schlong instead of Visser - again, justifiable on past 2 games.

So Cotter does react to player's form. Like an Anti-Gatland, if you will.

All in all, I'm surprisingly positive about that selection.

What must Peter Horne be thinking? One game to stake his international future on?

I'm not concerned at all by this. Scotland still have way too much for the Italians and all the forwards need to do is secure quick ball for the backs and it'll be game over by the 60 minute mark.

I'd say that's when the likes of SHC, Tonks, Toolis etc. will start making an appearance.

It's possible we'll see a game like the Argentina one, except the Italians won't get back into it.

I like the team. Bar Beattie, all of our weakest players from the first two games have been jettisoned, the bench is stronger, and by choosing Horne at FH Vern has stuck with the same running game.

Totally agree about the bench, and hopefully SHC will get a decent amount of gametime (and isn't only brought on should we, and I'm not as confident on this as some of you seem to be, manage to find ourselves with a strong lead already built up).

We must surely have seen Strockosh in a Scotland shirt for the last time. If so its a real shame his final few apperances were so utterly forgettable as he's given us a lot over his career, but in all honesty he shouldn't have been in this squad. Beattie is incredibly lucky to get another chance and I hope he does something with it. He's so very long overdue a good performance in a Scotland shirt.

Heres hoping Laidlaw trusts Horne enough to let him touch the ball every now and then....

I note that all of our backline either are currently, or have been, World Class.

Except one Greig David Laidlaw, that is.

George Carlin wrote:I note that all of our backline either are currently, or have been, World Class.

Except one Greig David Laidlaw, that is.

I can't get riled by Laidlaw's inclusion. Vern was never going to drop his captain.

Indeed & lets be honest we wouldn't want to rely on Horne's goal kicking!

Captain_Sensible wrote:

George Carlin wrote:I note that all of our backline either are currently, or have been, World Class.

Except one Greig David Laidlaw, that is.

I can't get riled by Laidlaw's inclusion. Vern was never going to drop his captain.

Of course not. I really don't mind anyway as I have just noticed that Tommy Seymour is back.
A piano could fall on my head right now and I would still be happy.

GLove39 wrote:Indeed & lets be honest we wouldn't want to rely on Horne's goal kicking!

Would be more than happy relying on Sam Clyne's though

Anyone else worried about the Horne vs Haimona in the midfield?

I'm assuming Dozer isn't 100% yet or this is Beattie's very last chance?

Delighted to see Seymore back in and Watson on the bench.

Never been a fan of Lamont especially on the wing at international level but based on Visser's last few games I'm totally cool with it.

Not a bad side - slightly surprised about Horne instead of Tonks and my views on Lamont at 11 are well known.

Pleased for Toolis and Watson - both deserve a chance.

Last chance Mr Johnnie Beattie, time to deliver.

well that looks a pretty good and exciting starting xv with some good options to come from the bench.
Biggest surprise for me is that Hamilton is out the squad completely with Swinson jumping the pecking order. Surprised but pleased Hamilton isn't involved.
Not totally surprised Beattie starts, think a lack of game time will have cost Denton and Ashe the chance to jump above him, think both of them will play for Glasgow/Edinburgh this week and for the next game if Beattie has another shocker will start.
Backs look pretty good and could be quite an exciting back division with Horne at 10.
Impact from the bench should be good, only slight surprise is matt scott still sitting on the bench as he looked well down on match fitness and sharpness against wales, thought Visser may have been retained as a sub. Looking forward to seeing what Toolis, Watson, SHC and Tonks bring from the bench as they should offer a lot of mobility and intensity coming on later in the game, same with Fraser Brown who I have been v impressed by.

nickj wrote:Swinson over Hamilton and Toolis would be a strange call. I'd have thought we'd see Hamilton start, with Toolis snr on the bench. Swinno leapfrogging them just seems odd. I think our pack looks far more solid with Hamilton in there and the Italians are lacking a bit of experience in their front five. Hamilton gives us that butt. Perhaps Cotter deemed the ongoing pens and 'that' fight as being the last straw?

Fixed that for you.