Comments on: Rugby World Cup 2019 Contenders: Scotland

By: Don P

Don P — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 19:41:38 +0000

The pt was that yr comment reffed to the Scots & their wallets Stresco. It’s stereotypical with no evidence to back its bias.

By: Stesco

Stesco — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 11:14:26 +0000

If that was directed @ me Don just how much have you stuck on them ? btw my team play at the Principality Stadium and I think we did ok against Scotland at Murrayfield !!.

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 23:01:13 +0000

No prejudice then? The Scots may or may not win the WC, but yr sentiments are as unimpressive as yr team’s display was agin them @ HQ.

By: Stesco

Stesco — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 11:30:05 +0000

Knowing the Scots reputation for being loathe to open their wallets I wonder how many have a few quid on Scotland winning it ?? Err not too many I would guess.

By: niall

niall — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 08:46:50 +0000

Cowan was on loan at Sarries for a bit, but been at irish for a while. Was called up while they were still in Premiership.

SHC fell out of favour at pretty much every club he’s been at, so hasn’t played regularly at club level for a few years. doesn’t offer the control of Laidlaw or Pyrgos (who’s essentially 4th choice atm) or the utter bat-shit craziness of Price and George Horne!

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 08:00:57 +0000

Ok, thanks Niall, although Cowan was always @ L Irish I think. Presume Sam Hidalgo-Clyne isn’t good enough either? Agree, Maitland scored tries wherever he went.

By: niall

niall — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 07:29:49 +0000

Richie Gray was asked to join the squad but turned it down as his partner has just had their first child.

Blair Cowan was good, but we’ve got better players now (also, he’s playing for Irish in the Championship).

John Hardie is a strange one, had some off field issues and some enforced time out the game. I suspect there are other issues between him and the SRU that might prevent further caps.

Huw Jones is out of form, so didn’t really deserve the squad place.

Maitland scored for fun while at Glasgow too!

By: niall

niall — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 07:22:46 +0000

Jones has been left out because he’s woefully out of form. Hutchinson should’ve gone ahead of Harris.

By: Don P

Don P — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 13:25:23 +0000

Thought mention of Jones, Hutchinson was in the main article.
No wonder I couldn’t find it again! Anyway, what you state about these 2 makes some sort of sense to me @ least, if not to GT. So chars, Leon.

By: Don P

Don P — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 13:18:49 +0000

Have to admit that I don’t the Scottish squad that well, apart from some guys like the mentioned Gray, Barclay, Russell, Hogg etc. And whilst a team shouldn’t be underestimated; England should know after Twickenham, they just seem perennially under gunned up front. Without tight dominance, they’ll struggle, so they @ least need to hold their own in the loose. However, I think even here they may also struggle. Given ball, they can look sharp, albeit with Russell over doing the miracle kick, bounce etc & being a mite too erratic for me. Without it though? They’re just defenders. Since Townsend took over from Cotter (was that such a good move?), even during Cotter’s reign, there seem to have been squadrons whom have gone through their ranks. What happened to the other Gray brother? What of the Kiwi pair Blair Cowan & John Hardie? All canned? Weren’t they any good? Why were they 1st picked then? Point is that, although the team seems settled, up to a point, there are seemingly skilled players, like Huw jones, who’ve also been discarded. Hope Townsend knew what he was doing with selection, because I don’t. Anyway, be good to see Scotland make a fist of the WC, but’ll we’ll have to see. BTW, maybe Saracens whom benefitted from Maitland’s finishing, rather than the other way round. He did score a few for Canter prior, don’t you know?

By: Leon

Leon — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 09:42:48 +0000

The lack of cover in the midfield is entirely of Townsend’s own making he has two wonderful talented players full of flair and ambition in Huw Jones and Rory Hutchinson but decided not to take them in favour of journeymen like Harris and Horne.
As stated a lot will rely on the team staying injury free and keeping the intensity up at the breakdown as they have a habit of drifting in and out of games which get punished against stronger opposition

By: q

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 09:40:39 +0000

I’m sorry I really do not see this happening personally, looking at the route to the final the QF final onward it suggests three bruising encounters against the Souths big boys and if South Africa bloody the nose, Australia will make the knees go wobbly and New Zealand will knock them out.

For me Gregor Townsend has been found out and if we can’t read anything into England/Wales/Ireland’s warm up games then surely the jumping and hollering coming from North of the border about beating a misfiring French side at home and (tier 1!?!?) Georgia home and away can be taken with a Polish mine load of salt.

The Scottish world cup hinges on the Ireland game and yes its been said time and time again the short turnaround into the Japan game.

I think Scotland will finish second in the group then be knocked out in the QF.