1
Scotland made 14 changes to the XV which started against Samoa last week. Only Darcy Graham, who switches wings, remained. It was the most changes Scotland have ever made between matches at a Rugby World Cup.
ADVERTISEMENT
Despite the mass changes, it was an excellent and convincing performance.
The opening 22-minutes were as close to perfect from this Townsend’s side as any Scottish fan could hope, although ratings must be tempered against the quality of the opposition, or lack there of. Scotland ran riot, and if it wasn’t for a few questionable forward pass calls would have doubled Ireland’s score against the same opposition.
1. GORDON REID
The slimmed-down prop has now started at loose-head prop in 13 of his last 19 test appearances. Got about the park well and even made himself useful in a few attacking moves.
7
(Continue reading below…)
2. GEORGE TURNER
He’s the only hooker to score a hat-trick while representing a Tier 1 nation in a test match this century and grabbed the Scottish bonus point with a clever break off a rolling maul.
7.5
3. ZANDER FAGERSON
Looked bullish in the loose. Taken off at halftime, which hopefully isn’t an injury concern.
7
4. SCOTT CUMMINGS
One of eight players to have made their test debut for Scotland in 2019 and one of three to have been
included in their RWC 2019 squad. A solid outing.
ADVERTISEMENT
7
FULL TIME | Scotland run in nine tries to defeat Russia at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa! #AsOne pic.twitter.com/xpdEWVScBu
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) October 9, 2019
5. BEN TOOLIS
Not in the match-day 23 in Scotland’s opening round defeat against Ireland at RWC 2019, or for their second match against Samoa. Part of a dominant pack here.
7
6. JOHN BARCLAY (CAPT.)
The last time John Barclay captained Scotland was in the 2018 Six Nations against Italy. A solid shift for the talisman. Strolled in unopposed for a try with five minutes to spare.
7.5
7. FRASER BROWN
Smiled when taken off after 30 minutes. It’s hard to rate a player playing out of position, even if it is one that he’s familiar with. David Pocock won’t be losing sleep but it was a solid impersonation of an openside none-the-less, his first appearance for Scotland in the position.
ADVERTISEMENT
6
8. RYAN WILSON
Technically excellent at the base of the scrum, making those around him look great. Industrious.
7
9. GEORGE HORNE
Took an opportunistic try in the 22nd minute. Picked up a second after benefitting from a superb run from Graham. Scampered in for a third in the 59th minute. Attacked the line with a menace too often lacking in a number 9 jersey. Doesn’t look like a third choice scrumhalf. An outstanding performance.
9
58' | TRY! George Horne races home for his hat trick! Conversion missed, 47 -0.
📲 Follow the action at https://t.co/O7NKvJgNPg #SCOvRUS #AsOne pic.twitter.com/JD05dH2pKX
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) October 9, 2019
10. ADAM HASTINGS
Scored two tries in under 20 minutes, Hasting has shown himself to be a realistic rival for the 10 jersey, and not just an able stand-in. Cruelly denied a hattrick by Warne Barnes’ odd interpretation of what constitutes a forward pass.
9
11. DARCY GRAHAM
Was too often asked to make metres in traffic in the first half, which is a flagrant misuse of the Edinburgh tyro. Finally cut loose early in the second half with a 70 metre run from his own 22 – setting up Horne.
8
12. PETE HORNE
He and his brother were starting their first Rugby World Cup match together. Made metres with every carry, albeit against an at times disinterested Russian defence. Unselfishly put those around him into space with some savvy passing.
7.5
13. DUNCAN TAYLOR
Played a key role in Hasting’s first try, the Saracen was as busy off the ball as on it. Kicked intelligently. A real return to form.
8
14. TOMMY SEYMOUR
Got his first try of the tournament, a well-taken chase down of a grubber. Why do we still feel we continue to await the arrival of the 2017 Seymour?
6.5
15. BLAIR KINGHORN
The powerful fullback was eager to take the ball to line but did the more subtle stuff too. Great decision making in attack and a proverbial rock at the back too.
8
A decision is likely by Thursday on whether England and France can go ahead as scheduled in Yokohama or will be beaten by a typhoonhttps://t.co/GcZjGcfPyp
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 9, 2019
16. STUART MCINALLY
Came on the second half. Spilled the ball once. Took a late try well even if he did let the ball bounce. Other than that, a forgettable personal performance on this occasion for Scotland’s first-choice hooker.
5.5
17. SIMON BERGHAN
Came on after halftime. Lovely soft hands for Barclay’s try.
7.5
18. WILLEM NEL
Carried like a wild boar in the second half. Looks in the shape of his life too.
7
19. GRANT GILCHRIST
Started in Scotland’s opening round defeat against Ireland at RWC 2019, as well as in their second match against Samoa. Had little more than a cameo role here.
6
20. MAGNUS BRADBURY
With Hamish Watson gone, Bradbury is one of the few Scottish forwards that can be depended upon to make the gain line (and then some in his case). His bullocking runs and his ability to put others into space make him a standout whenever he’s on the pitch. You wonder why he didn’t make the original RWC squad.
7.5
21. JAMIE RITCHIE
NA
22. HENRY PYRGOS
Not in the original 31-man squad, but called up as an injury replacement for Ali Price. Linked up for one Scottish try and looked useful.
7
23. CHRIS HARRIS
Spilled his first ball and looked a bit over-eager to impress.
5
Comments on RugbyPass
It will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
1 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to comments