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[RWC19 Warm-Up] - Scotland vs France

Saltire Caley fan

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Venue: BT Murrayfield Stadium
Time: 14:10 CAT (SA, GMT+2)







Well, I think it's safe to say that both teams will look different to last night but the question is, who gets dropped for Scotland because they should all be dropped imho, especially in defence.

I do believe Finn Russell will come in which would be a boost. I also think Blade Thomson will get in too.
 
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As for France we can probably expect 10+ changes. I wouldn't be suprised if a whole new backline is fielded, depends if Huget is fit and if Galthié and Brunel want to give Belleau a chance at 10 and shift Ntamack to 12 - I personally don't see the point because I don't think that Belleau is an international-level player. Really impatient to see Guitoune and Rattez in action though. Still quite unexciting overall because the backline that started on Saturday will start against Argentina I think (save for Raka maybe).

As for the forwards, the front row should be completely changed too, with Guirado, Priso and Setiano coming in. Lambey will probably come in for Gabrillagues. Vahaamahina might actually start again. In the back row, Picamoles and Iturria will start I think, and one of the three who played the first game might start if Camara and Lauret haven't recovered from their minor injuries. (Seems that Camara will make it though.) There's a lot of players still with a lot to prove. The great performance of our backrow really makes things more uncertain - especially since François Cros and Charles Ollivon are "reserve players" and they're not guaranteed to make the trip the Japan.
 
Well, I think it's safe to say that both teams will look different to last night but the question is, who gets dropped for Scotland because they should all be dropped imho, especially in defence.

I do believe Finn Russell will come in which would be a boost. I also think Blade Thomson will get in too.
I'd give J Bhatti another chance, on the bench this time, because he's usually much better than he was in Paris, but the weaknesses displayed by J Strauss, A Hastings and B McGuigan were all too typical of their usual play, so they should be out of the game and out of the RWC squad.

M Fagerson, B Thomson, G Stewart, S Johnson and R Hutchinson should all play, because they need more experience against Tier One opposition.

If we want to win the game, we'll also need F Russell, S Hogg, S Maitland, H Watson and D Taylor. But do we want to risk injuries to them?

The big problem is that G Townsend seems to prefer an exciting team to a winning team. I'd suggest R Gray and H Pyrgos to start, with D Weir on the bench, but they'd have to be allowed into the extended RWC squad first.
 
Scotland team;

15. Stuart Hogg VICE CAPTAIN (Exeter Chiefs) – 68 caps

14. Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 50 caps
13. Chris Harris (Gloucester) – 8 caps
12. Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 41 caps
11. Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 40 caps

10. Finn Russell (Racing 92) – 44 caps
9. Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Clermont Auvergne) – 71 caps

1. Gordon Reid (Ayrshire Bulls) – 35 caps
2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 6 caps
3. Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 29 caps
4. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap
5. Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) – 5 caps
6. Ryan Wilson VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 43 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 25 caps
8. Blade Thomson (Scarlets) – uncapped

Substitutes:
16. Grant Stewart (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped
17. Allan Dell (London Irish) – 22 caps
18. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh)– 20 caps
19. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 34 caps
20. John Barclay (Edinburgh) – 72 caps
21. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 5 caps
22. Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints) – 1 cap
23. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 12 caps

Another mix of first and second choice XV players it seems.
 
Scottish pack needs to front up this week

There were taken to the Woodshed last week in Nice and abused

ATM Scots have worst pack of any Tier 1 Team

Only guys I rate with mongrel in their pack are McInally Watson Bradbury & Fagerson bros
 
It seems every year people say 'Scotland have a chance..............as long as the pack doesn't get smashed.' They seem to be struggling to bring the right players through to try and sort the problem. I'm sure they will be a lot better this week, they always are at home, but they really need to get some consistency going away from home.
 
Scottish pack needs to front up this week

There were taken to the Woodshed last week in Nice and abused

ATM Scots have worst pack of any Tier 1 Team

Only guys I rate with mongrel in their pack are McInally Watson Bradbury & Fagerson bros
McInally is great i rate him, so is hamish watson. But for me you missed off sam skinner, he has played well in the few caps he has for scotland and always turns up for the Chiefs. Good carrier, good workrate and a all round good player who can also cover back row.
 
Agreed. Skinner is a very good player. He's not a menacing type of lock, but he's very physical and athletic.
 
My prediction : Scotland 15 - 17 France.
I think that we have to win this one, simply because we're fielding our starting XV and Scotland isn't. Versus what still is an experimental side, especially when looking at the forward pack or the centres, we have to be able to control the game and get the win.

However, we may have looked like a seemingly-cohesive team last week but one game doesn't make 6-7 years of terrible and structure-less rugby simply go away.
The players might revert to their old habits, you never know. The last fews years have taught us not to be optimistic at to this French team, sadly.
 
My prediction : Scotland 15 - 17 France.
I bet Scotland win. The Murrayfield effect ;-))

I think that we have to win this one, simply because we're fielding our starting XV and Scotland isn't. Versus what still is an experimental side, especially when looking at the forward pack or the centres, we have to be able to control the game and get the win.

However, we may have looked like a seemingly-cohesive team last week but one game doesn't make 6-7 years of terrible and structure-less rugby simply go away.
The players might revert to their old habits, you never know. The last fews years have taught us not to be optimistic at to this French team, sadly

do we have a starting XV?? haven't seen one since the 2011 final

Chat is better than Guirado all day any day - Camille stays on his feet and can run like a centre - Guirado goes to ground at the first blade of grass he sees. Camille does everything else better.
Ollivon is a reserve player yet for me he's the best 7
Cros should be a first starter at 6 IMO but is out of group

I would move Iturria back to the 2nd row. He's not needed in the backrow not with Cros Ollivon Picamoles and Alldritt

Jacques doesn't know his first XV from his elbow. This is what it comes down to. Other nations are rotating their squad with each game to give everyone a run. The staff is talking of 'continuity'-trying not to laugh- and fielding what they think maybe their first team buttheyrenotsosure...Every leading nation knows its best XV at this stage.

My first XV - Frame it because you won't see it
_______________________
Baille Chat Slimani
Lambey Iturria
Cros Alldritt Ollivon
Dupont Lopez
Raka Fofana Fickou Penaud
Ramos
____________________
Bench: Bamba Poirot Guirado Vahaamahina Picamoles Bézy N'Tamack (10 or 12) Vakatawa (centre or wing)

COACHES: Guy Noves, William Servat, Frank Azéma - Daniel Dubroca as mentor to tuck the kids in bed with a story

François Cros is in for his ability in rucks his tackling and proven leadership at Toulouse (alongside Julien Marchand). The other 6 I would have is Sekou Macalou who should def have been in the 31 group.
Lopez is only good for one half. His game management is good but he's not an 80min test 10. I'd bring on N'Tamack at half time. Great to finally see Virimi Vakatawa in the group. He gets in just ahead of Guitoune on his ability to cover centre and wing. I would leave at home the likes of Leroux, Lauret etc. Great athletes but no more than good league players.
 
Looking forward to seeing the second and back rows for Scotland today. Sam Skinnner partnering the promising Scott Cummings who had a great season at Glasgow.

Will be interesting and Blade Thomson making his debut alongside Owen Farrell's mate Ryan Wilson and in particular Hamish Watson. Could be a good balance with Watson an absolute menace at the breakdown with Thomson and Wilson providing a bit of grunt. Thomson looks fairly mobile for a 6 ft 6 beast. Guess Scarlets fans will have seen him close up.
 
Looking forward to seeing the second and back rows for Scotland today. Sam Skinnner partnering the promising Scott Cummings who had a great season at Glasgow.

Will be interesting and Blade Thomson making his debut alongside Owen Farrell's mate Ryan Wilson and in particular Hamish Watson. Could be a good balance with Watson an absolute menace at the breakdown with Thomson and Wilson providing a bit of grunt. Thomson looks fairly mobile for a 6 ft 6 beast. Guess Scarlets fans will have seen him close up.

They didn't see a great deal of him last year to be fair but what was on show looked very good... shame he hasn't got a Welsh granny really (though I'm sure the WRU could hook him up :D).
 
They didn't see a great deal of him last year to be fair but what was on show looked very good... shame he hasn't got a Welsh granny really (though I'm sure the WRU could hook him up :D).

I'm surprised the WRU didn't look into Huw Jones' family tree with a name like that :D
 
I bet Scotland win. The Murrayfield effect ;-))

My first XV - Frame it because you won't see it
_______________________
Baille Chat Slimani
Lambey Iturria
Cros Alldritt Ollivon
Dupont Lopez
Raka Fofana Fickou Penaud
Ramos
____________________
Bench: Bamba Poirot Guirado Vahaamahina Picamoles Bézy N'Tamack (10 or 12) Vakatawa (centre or wing)
.



Matchday 23 is decent but I'd have a few alterations

Chat can not start Guy can't throw for toffee
If J Marchand was fit he would be on the bench
Chat would be 3rd choice hooker

Ramos I'm sure about very flaky Irish embarrassed him in Dublin during 6 Nations
Medard at #15 for me

Bench is fine bunch you're having a laugh with Bezy

I know you're a ST man but I'll take Machenaud at reserve #9
Serin is so overrated Only reason he's in squad for me is that he covers #9 + #10
so starts vs Tonga & USA

French have a much better chance that I'd thought 2 months ago

Los Pumas squad was a joke & shocked the rugby world with exclusion of
Isa & Cordero to name 2 egregious errors Ledesma being a clown gives Les Bleus hope
 
Rugby is so hard to actually watch, I swear.

Wish we could get RugbyPass legitimately here (without VPNs etc) - I'd happily pay a single monthly fee to get access to rugby but I'm not getting BT AND Sky AND Premier Sports (who I didn't know existed until an hour ago).
 

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