[2015 Six Nations] Scotland vs Italy (Round 3)

[Tony Manx]

Although I think you'll find it is in 2 weeks time...

HaHa....was only repeating what they said on TV about the match being next week!! Good to hear though as means I will be back for the next round!!

 

[Feicarsinn]

Totally agree with you, my friend. Which is what we've done with Mirko Bergamasco few years ago and eventually we beat France for the first time thank to his kicks.
I don't understand why we aren't doing the same thing now.

Yeah, Mirco was a pretty good kicker. I'd have thought they might do the same with McClean.

Anyway, I enjoyed the game. Very scrappy with no one really taking control of it, but entertaining nonetheless. The Italian rolling maul was excellent to watch. Congrats Italy.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

This for any rugby fan must be one off the worst match's ever. But against france i blamed the lost on silly mistakes, Last week blamed the ref. But today I will say that we just simply played awful. Sorry but vern cotter's work has been a waste and it even confused me in how on earth a Scott Johnston can hammer Italy when a Vern cotter's scotland and better looking Scotland lost. Peter Horne is clearly not a kicking 10 so why cant we just let Hogg kick ?. Peter Horne was fine on attack but kicking really let him down but I guess thats what you get when you dont have a natural 10 on the pitch.

So by this Finn Russell is really big part off Scottish rugby now and with him on i reckon things would have been alot different so out off nowhere when we seem less likely and we somehow look like now to get the wooden spoon and i am really not looking forward to playing England if we lost at home to Italy when England smashed them.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I don't think coaches make that much of a difference for Scotland unfortunately. That's just a veneer. They simply don't have the players to compete for championships and will end up scrapping it out at the bottom until they can do something about it.

 

[Irishkid]

Sooooooooooo, do we still have your permission to play next 6 Nation, dear sirs?
Just joking, let me cheer for once in a year

If only we had a fly-half, or just a kicker.......

Parisse could do it he isn't human.

 

[Hap]

Yeah, Mirco was a pretty good kicker. I'd have thought they might do the same with McClean.

Anyway, I enjoyed the game. Very scrappy with no one really taking control of it, but entertaining nonetheless. The Italian rolling maul was excellent to watch. Congrats Italy.

McLean kicked only few times, at the beginning of his international appearence. And he wasn't really that bad but suddenly he stopped, don't ask me why.

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Anyway I want to highlight Venditti's game. In my opinion he's the MoM and not only for the try, which was unpredictable and he has been excellent to protect the ball, rotate around the post and touch down. No, to me he's been amazing because he has been involved in almost every italian turnover and personally I think he forced 2 turnovers.
And Favaro, Glasgow friends, enjoy of him next year.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

I don't think coaches make that much of a difference for Scotland unfortunately. That's just a veneer. They simply don't have the players to compete for championships and will end up scrapping it out at the bottom until they can do something about it.

na its more off like, When we get a new coach it will look like they change alot on the first like 5 - 6 games then after they slack, But i do disagree with your point off when you say we dont have a player that can play in the championship. Have you seen the first two games ? yes we lost but we were much more in the game and had the chance to win instead off embarrassing ourself's with 30+ points scored against us which off-course today was one off those days.

Anyway i feel very bad for Tollis and Watson who got they're first cap which was deserved through they're form for Edinburgh to finish today's game with a sinbin. But Scotland has always struggles with mauls for some reason and that hasn't changed. So I think we need a new forward's coach assigned because we do have good and strong pack but always struggled with defending mauls.

 

[oldprussians]

I forgot that Horne can play 10, But is interesting to see him being the backup choice to be honest. But overall i'm really happy that Swinson starts ahead off Hamilton and I am also very happy to see Toolis and Watson getting a chance, which i think is well deserved and i'm looking forward to seeing them in the scotland jersey!

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yes we will...

We did see...

 

[Feicarsinn]

na its more off like, When we get a new coach it will look like they change alot on the first like 5 - 6 games then after they slack, But i do disagree with your point off when you say we dont have a player that can play in the championship. Have you seen the first two games ? yes we lost but we were much more in the game and had the chance to win instead off embarrassing ourself's with 30+ points scored against us which off-course today was one off those days.

Anyway i feel very bad for Tollis and Watson who got they're first cap which was deserved through they're form for Edinburgh to finish today's game with a sinbin. But Scotland has always struggles with mauls for some reason and that hasn't changed. So I think we need a new forward's coach assigned because we do have good and strong pack but always struggled with defending mauls.

Two losses is what I saw in the first game. The difference between losing by a few points and winning is huge. Scotland are still miles away from being competitive imo. It's hard to see any real progress from where they were last year. We're 3 games and they have nothing to show for it. Managing to blow a 10 point lead at home to the Italians (who would have been far more comfortable if that had a semi decent 10) is something no other side in the competition would do.

It's another era of brave defeats for Scotland and their next championship looks as far away as ever.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Two losses is what I saw in the first game. The difference between losing by a few points and winning is huge. Scotland are still miles away from being competitive imo. It's hard to see any real progress from where they were last year. We're 3 games and they have nothing to show for it. Managing to blow a 10 point lead at home to the Italians (who would have been far more comfortable if that had a semi decent 10) is something no other side in the competition would do.

It's another era of brave defeats for Scotland and their next championship looks as far away as ever.

Yes, winning is alot better than minor loses but what i was saying is that these little margin loses are better then the big ones, like Wales we got demolished and its been nearly 3 years since we scored a try against Wales, If that doesn't show that much improvement to you then ok then. Little steps will help us be better and be more competitive in the six nations, Yes today was a big step back. But from today as i mentioned it show's that Cotter's plan's to make Scotland a better clearly relied on Finn Russell.

But anyway for the next game against England i would like to see Sam Hidalgo-Clyne start i prefer him more than Laidlaw atm and someone like Ross Ford to captain.

 

[smartcooky]

Anyone enjoying this match?

I expected better even though it is for the wooden spoon.....................

Just watched the replay.

You would be hard pressed to find a better example of Crap v Sh¡te

 

[psychic duck]

At this stage it might be worth just paying one of their wingers and extra couple of grand to stay a few hours after training and do some kicking. They're set up to play 10 man rugby but can't bank on a reliable kicker.


ROG + Italy would have been a lovely marriage

Be tough work hiding a player like that within some of those huge tackle counts they've notched up against sides like England and Ireland of late. Orquera was often exposed for being a defensive weakling when he was in the side.

 

[Peat]

Be tough work hiding a player like that within some of those huge tackle counts they've notched up against sides like England and Ireland of late. Orquera was often exposed for being a defensive weakling when he was in the side.

Perhaps a kicker and general of ROG's quality would have made for less of those huge tackle counts.

Feel heartbroken for Scotland, overjoyed for Italy. I just wish both sides could kick on.

 

[psychic duck]

Perhaps a kicker and general of ROG's quality would have made for less of those huge tackle counts.

Feel heartbroken for Scotland, overjoyed for Italy. I just wish both sides could kick on.

Better teams than Italy struggled to hide a non tackling 10 like O'Gara. There's little to no place for weak links to that degree in modern day rugby, and especially not for weaker sides that have that much defending to do. Look at the way Sexton, Farrell and Biggar put their body on the line against the likes of Bastareaud. It's a different position now.

 

[Hap]

Well, @psychic duck, we tried almost any kind of 10 we could put our jersey on, you've seen the results. Even Haimona, who's huge and strong, is one of the worst defenders I've ever seen at flyhalf. So let's consider acceptable, from our side, to have a weak defending 10. But, in the name of God, you couldn't even imagine what we would trade in to have a 10 with solid kicking game and who can put some points for us on the scoreboard.

 

[Draggs]

Every Six Nations we lament how Italy could use another Dominguez.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Better teams than Italy struggled to hide a non tackling 10 like O'Gara. There's little to no place for weak links to that degree in modern day rugby, and especially not for weaker sides that have that much defending to do. Look at the way Sexton, Farrell and Biggar put their body on the line against the likes of Bastareaud. It's a different position now.

They could just hide them like they do Haimona? He literally does **** all. Absolutely ridiculous to say that ROG in his prime wouldn't have improved this side.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

A very uninspiring game if I'm honest, although I had epected Scotland to edge it. [arrogance]I think Ireland and England are simply in a class seperate to the other 4 nations at the moment.[/arrogance] Italy NEED to get a 10 that can kick before anything else, it is costing them so much both in terms of points and position.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Be tough work hiding a player like that within some of those huge tackle counts they've notched up against sides like England and Ireland of late. Orquera was often exposed for being a defensive weakling when he was in the side.

They'd have probably built their team around him. Give him a defensively solid 12 and get the openside flanker to cover for him a lot like David Wallace did for Munster and Ireland.

Rog has a lot of flaws absolutely, but if you want to play attritional, pack based rugby there are very few better.

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Perhaps a kicker and general of ROG's quality would have made for less of those huge tackle counts.

Feel heartbroken for Scotland, overjoyed for Italy. I just wish both sides could kick on.

I find it hard to feel that bad for Scotland. They blew a 10 point head start at home to Italy. You've got to kick on with that kind of lead.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Considering how often he goes to first reciever, maybe Italy should look to use McLean as a 10 and find a new fullback.
Half the Italy Rugby League team are Australian, so surely not that hard to find an outside back in Australia/the NRL who wouldn't mind a crack at international Union.