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Scotland RWC 2011

Melhor Time

Bench Player
Joined
May 5, 2007
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I predict a first round exit for the Scot´s.

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My Squad:
15 Chris Paterson (Edinburgh)
14 Rory Lamont (Toulon, France)
13 Sean Lamont (Scarlets, Wales)
12 Graeme Morrison (Glasgow)
11 Max Evans (Glasgow)
10 Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow)
9 Mike Blair (Edinburgh)
8 John Beattie (Glasgow)
7 John Barclay (Glasgow)
6 Kelly Brown (Saracens, England)
5 Alistair Kellock captain (Glasgow)
4 Richie Grey (Glasgow)
3 Euan Murray (Newcastle, England)
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh)
1 Allan Jacobson (Edinburgh)

Reserves: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Geoff Cross, 18 Nathan Hines, 19 Richie Vernon, 20 Chris Cuisiter, 21 Phil Godman e 22 Nick de Luca

Additional squad members: 23 Dougie Hall, 24 Moray Low, 25 Scott MacLeod, 26 Alasdair Strokosch, 27 Ross Rennie, 28 Dan Parks, 29 Rory Lawson, 30 Hugo Southwell

Star Players - John Barclay, Kelly Brown, Mike Blair, Max Evans, Sean Lamont e Chris Paterson

Others who who stand out: Euan Murray, Richie Grey, Ross Ford e Alistair Kellock

Key Points in brief

- History says Scotland are elite with Quarter Finals finish or better at every RWC. But never a finalist.

- But Scotland has, until 2011, always had easy pool opposition. i.e. 1987 vs France, Romania and Zimbabwe. 1991 vs Ireland, Japan and Zimbabwe. 1995 vs France, Tonga and Ivory Coast. In 1999 vs South Africa, Spain and Uruguay. In 2003 vs Franca, Fiji, USA and Japan. In 2007 vs New Zealand, Italy, Romania and Portugal. SUperior teams were eliminated due to harder pools. i.e. Argentina in 2003 and Ireland in 2007.

- 2011 is pool of death. Scotland will defeat Romania and Georgia beforew going down to Argentina and England and thus being eliminated.

- Since Frabce 2007, Scotland has played 33 internationals for 12 win, 20 loses and one draw. i.e. 37,87% success. Not sufficient to say Scotland can go far in New Zealand 2011.

- Scotland has defeated Argenina durting this time but Argentina has never been at full strength. In 2008, the teams won a game each in the matchjes played during the Top 14 play-offs which meant the Pumas were depleted.

- In 2009 Scotland defeqated Australia without scoring a try. They did the same vs South Africa a year latter and also vs Argentina. All three wins, hihgly impressive as they were, involved no tries for the Scot´s. All were played in cold to freezing conditions involving rain and a sodden pitch. These conditions will not be found in Wellington or Auckland in September when the country is not in winter and there is more sun.

- vs England since France 2007 Scoltand has onw victory and, again, it was without scoring a try. In 2008 England lost 15-12 at Murrayfield. Again, conditions in February and March in England and Scotland are cold and will not be like those of Wellington and Auckland come RWC 2011.

- Clearly Scotland likes to play with its forwards and to go for drops and penalties rather than play expansive. This won´t work in New Zealand as the warmer conditions will simply not work for this style of game. Looking back to Scotland vs Italy in 2010. Italy won in warm sunny conditions. In 2011, Scotland won on a cold Murrayfield. On week after losing to Italy in 2010, Scotland drew 15-15 vs England in a cold game with no tries. Scotland´s try vs Italy this year was the first Scottish try at Murrayfield since 2009 vs Fiji. Curiously, Scotland eliminated Italy from France 2007 in wet contidions in St Etienne. Italy score the only try!

- Low try scoring record = tough matches vs England and Argentina.

- Outstanding forwards. Great backrow, mayeb Europe´s best secondrow.

- Average backs or so with the strategy that Scotland use they are not flash. Scotland needs to drop Dan Parks for good.

 
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Another really interesting preview - keep it up!

Looks like Robinson is set to name a 40-man preliminary squad sometime today (or tomorrow, depending on where you live...), so we should get a better idea who exactly is in the selection frame. By the sounds of it Phil Godman may miss out on this squad, which would not surprise me, as they probably don't need three specialist first-fives in the squad, as Chris Paterson is more than capable of covering 10.

I'm not a big follower of Scottish rugby (and don't watch much, if any, Northern Hemisphere club ruby) so don't really know the form of the players. However, I would have thought Jim Hamilton might be pretty close to the squad (perhaps at the expense of MacLeod?). In the backs I think Joe Ansbro might make it as a centre, and wouldn't be surprised to see one off their big wings, Nikki Walker or Simon Danielli, make the squad.
 
Yes the pool the Scots are in is the Pool of the Death.. Its quite hard to actually pick who may go through.

Scotland may beat Argentina... But who knows they could lose to Georgia too!?
 
Personally I'd be very happy for Scotland to bow out in the 1st round as they have a knack of upsetting the Springboks (not so the Pumas who have never beaten us). I have learned not to underestimate them (even if the weather is fair) and their opponents would be wise to do the same.

That said, SA isn't the most expansive team and play into Scotlands' strengths while others might be better suited to deal with them.
 

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