Fans satisfied that form players have been rewarded by Scotland
Gregor Townsend has named his Scotland side to face Ireland this weekend at the Aviva Stadium and the starting XV only contains five players that started in their last outing versus Japan at the World Cup.
Retirements and injuries in the wake of the RWC have forced Townsend’s hand when making this selection, not to mention Finn Russell’s recent misdemeanour which has seen him banned.
With that being said, many players that will start in Dublin are being rewarded for their good form over the past few months.
Edinburgh’s summer signing Nick Haining, who joined from Premiership outfit Bristol, is a surprising call at No8, but one that equally warrants a start which will be his first cap for Scotland.
The 29-year-old is slightly fortuitous with injuries to Magnus Bradbury, Blade Thomson and Matt Fagerson, but there would still be a compelling case for him to start, which many Scotland fans have said.
(Continue reading below…)
Jamie Joseph is desperate to avoid a club versus country conflict in Japan
The Australian-born loose forward has competed with Bill Mata for the eight shirt this season in Edinburgh, which is a good indication of where his game is at the moment as he has been able to hold the Fijian back.
Although his age may concern some, particularly at the beginning of a new RWC cycle, Scotland supporters have highlighted that form players should play, regardless of the circumstances.
I missed he was injured. Haining deserves his chance, let's hope he is the big carrying number 8 we have lacked in many games
— Martin welsh 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@accts_cowboy) January 30, 2020
I like it.
There are obviously a few names missing but this is a good squad.
Good to see Haining and Sutherland get a start. Same with Hutch on the bench.
Two years ago I thought Cornell’s career was over so it’s nice to see him back. https://t.co/ZQibcUMIOI
— Alex (@Atholl1844) January 30, 2020
If all three no.8s were available for Edinburgh right now I'd be picking Haining.
For Scotland well, let's rule out BBM, and Cockerill doesn't even pick Bradbury at 8 very often. He is the future but he's also injured. CDP has never done quite enough consistently enough for me— The Burgh Watch (@theburghwatch) January 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/RugbyMccaw/status/1222849617156616192?s=20
In the backs, Huw Jones has also been praised for bouncing back after the disappointment of missing out on the RWC. The outside centre is starting to produce the kind of performances for Glasgow Warriors that he showed when he first arrived at Scotstoun.
Good looking team👍🏴👍
Delighted to see Huw Jones back…he’s really on form again!
Great opportunity for Adam Hastings to shine!
Disappointed that Duncan Weir didn’t make the bench.
Curious about WP Nel…injured maybe?
All in all though…a good team🏴
GO SCOTLAND!!#ASONE— Alan Carroll (@AlanWantsIndy) January 30, 2020
That’s a great looking team! A really strong pack that should have plenty of bite and aggression. Talented set of backs! Great to see the back on form Huw Jones starting and great to see Hutchinson in there.
— Winedown (@winedownpreston) January 30, 2020
Jones is starting ahead of Rory Hutchinson, who is yet another player that has been spurred on after missing out on the RWC.
He is also having an impressive campaign with Northampton Saints and will have a fascinating battle with Jones to see who will start throughout the tournament and indeed the coming years.
With a lot of disruptions leading into the Six Nations for Scotland, chiefly the Russell debacle, pressure has mounted on Townsend. But he can now hope that his players bring the form they have shown for their clubs this season to the national team.
WATCH: World Rugby have added pressure on teams to improve their results in 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to comments