Wales v Scotland

[An Tarbh]

<div align="center">

Wales v Scotland

</div>

So Gatland's side return home from Twickenham with a first win in 20 years and regardless of the manner of victory confidence will be through the roof which doesn't bode well for the visiting Scots who will certainly be looking for a massive improvement following their match with the French.

What changes if any can we expect to see from Gatland, will the 13 Ospreys take to the pitch yet again or will Gatland make a few tweeks to the side.

How will Hadden react to today's defeat, more bitter considering expectations were so high heading into it.

Will Saturday prove to be another false dawn for the Welsh or can they seize the momentum with back to back victories ahead of a tricky run-in or can Scotland keep their Triple crown hopes alive with a victory?

 

[Vambo]

Hard to see anything but a Welsh win.
The longer this comp goes on the better I would expect Wales to get as the players take on board more of what Gatland, Edwards & Howley have to offer.

 

[sean43]

I expect Shanklin and Gethin Jenkins to start, the two players who should have started initially.

I think we will win this one, I predicted a Wales win yesterday and after Scotlands performance today I think a Welsh win. Not a hammering, but just enough.

 

[Incredible Schalk]

Will probably be a poor game but with Scotlands shocking performance and Wales with their tales up they should win by 10-15 points.

 

[Sir Speedy]

I think Gatland should start Jenkins and Shanklin, and Peel aswell. He'll need to test out his best half-backs before going into the crunch game against Ireland (and Eoin Reddan and O'Gara). For me, Hook is a certainty for the whole tournament at 10 now, but I think Peel deserves at least one chance to prove his worth under Gatland, as we need the best combination at half-back possible if we want to contain the Irish 9 + 10.
As for this match, Wales to win by 21 pt's.

 

[loratadine]

i think on thr whole wales and scotland over the years have provided good attacking entertaining games for us, and i expect sat to be no difference

im expecting a huge improvement from the scots, although i just think that with this euphoria in wales at the moment, i cant see past a welsh win

id expect it to be something like 18-6 at half time with wales perhaps running out 36-14 winners.

 

[kingwilko]

This is the kind of game that Scotland might actually win! Wales are on a high, Scotland on a low, it's in Cardiff...
Just when expectations are nil Scotland usually manage to pull their finger out.

 

[PinkP1977]

I think we're going to see a very much evolving welh squad over the next few matches. I think Gatland is trying to find out who he can get teh best out of.

I think the reasoning behind the 13 ospreys this week was simple. He had 2 weeks with the players and he wanted to have some sense of continuity so he went for exisiting combinations. Having seen the way that Shanks and Geth made an impact coming in off teh bench then they'll probably be in teh starting line up for next week. Hopefully Peel will be better cos lets face it Phillips isn't savvy enough.

Next weeks gonna be interesting. We're gonna come up against a Scotland who is hurting. can't wait should be a great game.

 

[An Tarbh]

You're right about Phillips, time and time again he kept going for pop passes to the forwards at the end of the game rather than setting up the drop, now it didn't cost Wales yesterday but you kill off a game when you have the chance.

 

[Macsen]

Just when expectations are nil Scotland usually manage to pull their finger out. [/b]

Sadly I think today was their finger out performance. They just seem to lose confidence too easily when they go behind - you can see it happen on their faces. It's a pity in a way that they faced their toughest challenge first. But they were in pretty much the same situation as Wales were yesterday half time and their reaction was the opposite. Cardiff is going to be in very jovial mood next week and I can't see Scotland taking their finger out again - it might be firmly stuck in there for the rest of the tournament.

Even that year when Scotland beat France and England they didn't win at Cardiff. Just hope there are no red cards this time!

 

[schismatic]

the boys have set the bar high it seems this season...........a loss to the quite frankly appalling scots at home would be devastating..........i can't see it happening though. then again we have a habit of cocking things up.

 

[RC]

*Matt tries to forget last year's game against Scotland in Murrayfield (one of the worst welsh performances in a long time) when the big Scots suffocated the shite Welsh of any posession, left the glamour-boy backs playing with themselves, and the idiotic donkeys in the forwards to keep giving away penalty after penalty for Patterson to slot with ease in what was such a boring game.

I think we may win, but boy oh boy, we're still that **** team that turned up in the RWC...luckily England didn't capitalise on our form.
We have to turn up at kick-off not at the start of the second half like we have consistently done for the past few months. Otherwise this Scottish team who had a poor performance against France will do what what they did last year...make Wales look like incompetent schoolboys (moreso than they already are.)

 

[polonius]

I'm of the view that the Welsh got lucky at Twickenham and that the Scots were very unlucky on Sunday. The French tries were two lucky bounces and a forward pass and Scotland's chances were an unlucky bounce for Patterson and a lucky knee to deprive Cusiter.

Others may well disagree, but that's the way I saw the two games.

So for the game in Cardiff I ask myself Can Wales get lucky twice in a row and the Scots unlucky twice in a row?

Unlikely. So it'll be a close game with the Scots just edging it.

 

[dullonien]

Up front I'd expect the following changes: Popham to take the 8 shirt as Jon Thomas will most likely miss this game, Delve to come onto the bench. Alun-Wyn Jones has been ruled out, so Ian Evans will replace him. I'm not sure what's gonna happen in the front row, I think Gething will come in, but where? Adam Jones had a mare last year against the Scots, so will Gethin start on the tight head? Also Mathew Rees for Huw Bennett.

In the backs I think Shanklin will come into midfield with Parker droping to the bench. I'd like to see Tom James to come onto the wing instad of Mark Jones and Jamie Roberts onto the bench.

Therefore my team would be:
01 Juncan Jones (Ospreys)
02 Mathew Rees (Scarlets)
03 Gethin Jenkins (Blues)
04 Ian Gough (Ospreys)
05 Ian Evans (Ospreys)
06 Ryan Jones (Ospreys)
07 Martyn Williams (Blues)
08 Alix Popham (Scarlets)

09 Mike Phillips (Ospreys)
10 James Hook (Ospreys)
11 Shane Williams (Ospreys)
12 Gavin Henson (Ospreys)
13 Tom Shanklin (Blues)
14 Tom James (Blues)
15 Lee Burne (Ospreys)

16 Adam Jones
17 Huw Bennett
18 Gareth Delve
19 Deiniol Jones
20 Dwayne Peel
21 Stephen Jones
22 Jamie Roberts

Edit/ Hmm I'm missing center cover, suppose Jamie Roberts will have to wait, or start ahead of Tom James with Parker filling the final bench slot.

Down to 9 O's starting?

 

[Prestwick]

I think this is where Shaun Edwards is going to come into his own. If he can somehow nullify the Scottish forwards and prevent the pitched battles and trench warfare of the last few years then Wales should be odds on to win. Actually considering that Scotland cracked under the incessant French flair, the Welsh coaches will know exactly what to do.

As for Scotland, Parks' positional kicking was spot on but he did nothing else. Patterson was far more mobile and eager to unlock the likes of Lamont and Webster but kicking from hand wasn't that good.

I hate to say this but to win this, Scotland need to lock down Wales and force them to dig the trenches on the mid way line again like last year. The Scots will want another Battle of the Somme not a Welsh blitzkrieg. For this they'll need a fly-half who is one dimensional but can kick to the corners accurately and will just leave the actual rough stuff to the forwards without getting involved too heavily himself.

If you can find him and you don't care how boring and sub-standard the play is, maybe you can hire: DAN PARKS.

 

[lineens weegie army]

OK, Frank Hadden HAS to change the team around for this one! last week all the talk was about competition for places being high - well that means Frank has to take a hard line and tell the team he isnt afraid to drop anyone.

First of all, Mossy should start at 10. Parks had a good first half on saturday, but had a shite second. If he wants the 10 jersey he has to prove he can play there for the entire game (or atleast for 60/70 minutes) Patterson will be looking to impress Frank and win back his place, so give him a chance and see what he can do.

However, anything else depends on injuries/suspentions. Lamont looks set to miss the game, so could Paterson be slotted in at 15? (personally I would rather see Cairns there, but no doubt it will be between mossy and southwell) And will Henderson be cited? (BTW, if he is the so should Traille - he punched him, nearly headbutted him first AND got away with stamping on him in Biarritz) If he is then who do we play at centre? Morrison played well for the A team - but then we have NO experience there!

TBH, i think this is going to be a long tournament for us scots - but maybe, just maybe, Wales will get cocky and we can sneak a win. I shalln't hold my breath though.

 

[Prestwick]

What about Phil Godman? He's been having a decent run with Edinburgh...

 

[Incredible Schalk]

Ugg, we have lost Lamont, one of our most talented players. Now it will be the likes of Southwell to come on :wah:

Were fooked!

What about Phil Godman? He's been having a decent run with Edinburgh...
[/b]

No no no no no no. He is utter crap, he was the muppet who helped the Italians to their 21-0 lead last year, never again.

 

[Prestwick]

No no no no no no. He is utter crap, he was the muppet who helped the Italians to their 21-0 lead last year, never again. [/b]

Actually, I think Chris Cusiter should shoulder a large portion of the blame for shipping 21 points to Italy last year.

Basically, if you want a wider, faster and more expansive game then go for Patterson. If you want to keep the ball tight and construct a pitched battle between the forwards with lots of kicking for touch then, by all means, choose Parks.

I've got a feeling Hadden will pick Parks at 10 and Patterson at 15 to at least gaurantee the scoreboard ticking over.

 

[Cymro]

Up front I'd expect the following changes: Popham to take the 8 shirt as Jon Thomas will most likely miss this game, Delve to come onto the bench. Alun-Wyn Jones has been ruled out, so Ian Evans will replace him. I'm not sure what's gonna happen in the front row, I think Gething will come in, but where? Adam Jones had a mare last year against the Scots, so will Gethin start on the tight head? Also Mathew Rees for Huw Bennett.

In the backs I think Shanklin will come into midfield with Parker droping to the bench. I'd like to see Tom James to come onto the wing instad of Mark Jones and Jamie Roberts onto the bench.

Therefore my team would be:
01 Juncan Jones (Ospreys)
02 Mathew Rees (Scarlets)
03 Gethin Jenkins (Blues)
04 Ian Gough (Ospreys)
05 Ian Evans (Ospreys)
06 Ryan Jones (Ospreys)
07 Martyn Williams (Blues)
08 Alix Popham (Scarlets)

09 Mike Phillips (Ospreys)
10 James Hook (Ospreys)
11 Shane Williams (Ospreys)
12 Gavin Henson (Ospreys)
13 Tom Shanklin (Blues)
14 Tom James (Blues)
15 Lee Burne (Ospreys)

16 Adam Jones
17 Huw Bennett
18 Gareth Delve
19 Deiniol Jones
20 Dwayne Peel
21 Stephen Jones
22 Jamie Roberts

Edit/ Hmm I'm missing center cover, suppose Jamie Roberts will have to wait, or start ahead of Tom James with Parker filling the final bench slot.

Down to 9 O's starting? [/b]

Bennett should stick as hooker as far as I am concerned, did nothing wrong in my eyes! Delve really should start in front of Popham, Popham is not good enough as he is one dimensional and can oly bosh the ball up the park.

I think Byrne and Parker will be dropped, Roberts and Shanklin to come in. The only thing Byrne did well was catch a highball and scored a try that all he ahd to do was run!