Team vs Scotland

[Banquo]

Slade’s defence at 12 not being questioned? I think the 10/12 channel will be targeted.

Pretty much always is, in most games. Who is 12 for Scotland?

But it was a issue v SA when he switched into 12 effectively in attack but ceded yards in defence.... which got overlooked as their centres defence was even worse.

[Oakboy]

Slade’s defence at 12 not being questioned? I think the 10/12 channel will be targeted.

Slade saw off the juggernaut for the shirt. Is that damning with faint praise?

[Puja]

And Scotland have named:

15. Stuart Hogg - Exeter Chiefs - (Captain) - 88 caps
14. Darcy Graham - Edinburgh Rugby - 22 caps
13. Chris Harris – Gloucester Rugby - 31 caps
12. Sam Johnson - Glasgow Warriors - 21 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe - Worcester Warriors - 13 caps

10. Finn Russell – Racing 92 - (Vice-Captain) - 58 caps
9. Ali Price – Glasgow Warriors - 46 caps

1. Rory Sutherland - Worcester Warriors - 16 caps
2. George Turner - Glasgow Warriors - 20 caps
3. Zander Fagerson - Glasgow Warriors - 42 caps
4. Jonny Gray – Exeter Chiefs – 64 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist - Edinburgh Rugby - 48 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie - Edinburgh Rugby - (Vice-Captain) – 31 caps
7. Hamish Watson - Edinburgh Rugby - 45 caps
8. Matt Fagerson - Glasgow Warriors - 17 caps

Replacements

16. Stuart McInally - Edinburgh Rugby - 43 caps
17. Pierre Schoeman - Edinburgh Rugby - 4 caps
18. WP Nel - Edinburgh Rugby - 43 caps
19. Sam Skinner - Exeter Chiefs - 15 caps
20. Magnus Bradbury - Edinburgh Rugby - 14 caps
21. Ben White - London Irish - Uncapped
22 Blair Kinghorn - Edinburgh Rugby - 28 caps
23 Sione Tuipulotu - Glasgow Warriors - 1 cap


Surely Scotland must have more than one scrum-half better than Ben White?!

My major concern with that is DVDM and Johnson being sent to run into our centres. If Scotland ask for a full lineout, it might be worthwhile putting a back in at 9 and hooker so that Ludlam can stand in the centres.

Puja

[Stom]

The backrow isn’t great, they’re all in the wrong position. We should have gone with 6.Curry 7.Simmonds 8.Ludlam. We need Simmons attack and linking play from 7. Curry isn’t a good enough attacker.

…

Seriously now, that’s about as good a team as we could have hoped to see. Honestly, though, I don’t see what Ludlam brings over, say, Shields.

Smith will have a lot to play with, but if it’s sodden, it might not be the best time for him to use them.

[Banquo]

The backrow isn’t great, they’re all in the wrong position. We should have gone with 6.Curry 7.Simmonds 8.Ludlam. We need Simmons attack and linking play from 7. Curry isn’t a good enough attacker.

…

Seriously now, that’s about as good a team as we could have hoped to see. Honestly, though, I don’t see what Ludlam brings over, say, Shields.

Smith will have a lot to play with, but if it’s sodden, it might not be the best time for him to use them.

Ludlam is a very different player to Shields, but might have preferred someone like Shields for this game.

[Puja]

The backrow isn’t great, they’re all in the wrong position. We should have gone with 6.Curry 7.Simmonds 8.Ludlam. We need Simmons attack and linking play from 7. Curry isn’t a good enough attacker.

…

Seriously now, that’s about as good a team as we could have hoped to see. Honestly, though, I don’t see what Ludlam brings over, say, Shields.

Smith will have a lot to play with, but if it’s sodden, it might not be the best time for him to use them.

People have been banned for less

I think, even with the wind and rain, it could be a good game to run with the ball. Obviously we won't be chucking 30m passes, but it's a good surface to run on. Short and accurate play could see us do far better than just belting the ball in the air and hoping they make more mistakes than we do, especially as it will then draw the Scotland defence up and give us room to play for territory.

Puja

[Oakboy]

The backrow isn’t great, they’re all in the wrong position. We should have gone with 6.Curry 7.Simmonds 8.Ludlam. We need Simmons attack and linking play from 7. Curry isn’t a good enough attacker.

…

Seriously now, that’s about as good a team as we could have hoped to see. Honestly, though, I don’t see what Ludlam brings over, say, Shields.

Smith will have a lot to play with, but if it’s sodden, it might not be the best time for him to use them.

Ludlam is a very different player to Shields, but might have preferred someone like Shields for this game.

I wonder if Isiekwe would have been at 6 had Launchbury been ready.

[Oakboy]

I think, even with the wind and rain, it could be a good game to run with the ball. Obviously we won't be chucking 30m passes, but it's a good surface to run on. Short and accurate play could see us do far better than just belting the ball in the air and hoping they make more mistakes than we do, especially as it will then draw the Scotland defence up and give us room to play for territory.

Puja

This!!!!!!

With our attacking players why would we give the ball away? We just have to be good enough for multi-phase stuff for significant periods.

[Banquo]

The backrow isn’t great, they’re all in the wrong position. We should have gone with 6.Curry 7.Simmonds 8.Ludlam. We need Simmons attack and linking play from 7. Curry isn’t a good enough attacker.

…

Seriously now, that’s about as good a team as we could have hoped to see. Honestly, though, I don’t see what Ludlam brings over, say, Shields.

Smith will have a lot to play with, but if it’s sodden, it might not be the best time for him to use them.

People have been banned for less

I think, even with the wind and rain, it could be a good game to run with the ball. Obviously we won't be chucking 30m passes, but it's a good surface to run on. Short and accurate play could see us do far better than just belting the ball in the air and hoping they make more mistakes than we do, especially as it will then draw the Scotland defence up and give us room to play for territory.

Puja

Definitely keep ball into the wind. But if the wind is behind you and its pi55ing with rain, territory all the way. More intelligent kicking would do for me with the wind (a- assuming there is, and b- that its strong )- another way of looking at the selection is that it should be an excellent kick chase outfit, to rain on both your parades

And for all Duhan is good going forward, not so great when turning or catching.

[Mellsblue]

Ooh, that’s an exciting team. Not necessarily the one I’d choose for a storm at Murrayfield but it’s good to see some ambition. It could go horribly wrong, though.

[Mikey Brown]

Yep, turning VDM with kicks behind or dropping the ball between Hogg/Graham with Marchant/Malins/Daly chasing could be worth quite a bit.

[Banquo]

Yep, turning VDM with kicks behind or dropping the ball between Hogg/Graham with Marchant/Malins/Daly chasing could be worth quite a bit.

I'm less worried about boshing up from Scotland than the centres biting in on Finn Russell and his skill in distribution, assuming long passing is on (conditions etc)

Though before all that, the set piece needs to hold up....and the breakdown as always will be a battle v scotland and one where we have to hold our discipline; hopefully Ludlam can control his inner puppy dog and Itoje will continue to show restraint; Genge will be fired up too........

[francoisfou]

For the first time in gawd knows how long, Eddie’s picked a team that meets with my approval - more or less. I honestly don’t know enough about Ludlum to comment, but I’d like to think that Chessum will get his chance during the tournament either at lock or 6.

[Stom]

Ooh, that’s a good point. Slade, Daly, Marchant, Malins and steward have all played 15 before and are all good* under the high ball. We could be going all Ireland…

[Puja]

Ooh, that’s a good point. Slade, Daly, Marchant, Malins and steward have all played 15 before and are all good* under the high ball. We could be going all Ireland…

That's the first time anyone's ever called Daly good under the high ball. Also, I don't believe Marchant's played 15, although he is very decent in his position and aerial game.

Puja

[Stom]

Ooh, that’s a good point. Slade, Daly, Marchant, Malins and steward have all played 15 before and are all good* under the high ball. We could be going all Ireland…

That's the first time anyone's ever called Daly good under the high ball. Also, I don't believe Marchant's played 15, although he is very decent in his position and aerial game.

Puja

Hence the asterisk. He’s good for a 13, good for a wing, not so good at 15. So we should see the best of him chasing rather than mopping up - it was more his positioning that let him down, followed by a lack of application once he was rushing things.

Of course on Marchant. Though I think he may have covered there before.

[Spiffy]

I really, really dont like Daly at 13. Marchant's defence is far more trustworthy and i'm struggling to see why they have been named that way around.
Surprised there's no Nowell in the starting XV and thatIsiekwe comes in after not being in the original squad. I have my doubts about him as a starting lock but Ewels has hardly made himself indispensible.
Simmonds ahead of Dombrandt i didnt see coming but i'm happy enough with it.
I like Curry as the skipper.
Lots of good ball players throughout, plenty of mobility up front and some good bench options to either consolidate or chase the game.
Can the front 5 deliver?

This is Isiekwe's big chance to crack the squad. I think he will be well up for it and could well have a blinder, though he's really more of a 6 these days.

[Galfon]

Good to see TC getting chance as skip - his FEC credentials were
discussed on an Eng tour in SA some years back on this organ I recall.He will be less abrasive with his ref. management than some predecessors.

[badback]

I really, really dont like Daly at 13. Marchant's defence is far more trustworthy and i'm struggling to see why they have been named that way around.
Surprised there's no Nowell in the starting XV and that Isiekwe comes in after not being in the original squad. I have my doubts about him as a starting lock but Ewels has hardly made himself indispensible.
Simmonds ahead of Dombrandt i didnt see coming but i'm happy enough with it.
I like Curry as the skipper.
Lots of good ball players throughout, plenty of mobility up front and some good bench options to either consolidate or chase the game.
Can the front 5 deliver?

Agreed. As regards your last question, if he's fit and available I'd always start Marler. Scrum solidity just seems to matter with setting the tone from the off. Genge coming on after 60, fresh and charged up, looks more of a threat if the game breaks up a bit later.

agree re starting Marler.

[ckeyn]

Where has he been playing? Whenever I've seen their team sheets he seems to be at 11/15.

IMO, Daly has only looked a top notch international as a winger.

To be fair, he's only had one partial outing at 13.

[El Tigre]

Well for the first time (team) in a while I don't have any real concerns with EJs team selection. Would have preferred to see Marchant in centre and Daley on the wing but it kinda makes sense. Daley has always been far more effective / dangerous on the wing at international level and never looked like a liability under a high ball like he has at 15.

Usual Ben Youngs complaints but this may be another of those games that keeps him in credit for a while longer.

[Banquo]

I really, really dont like Daly at 13. Marchant's defence is far more trustworthy and i'm struggling to see why they have been named that way around.
Surprised there's no Nowell in the starting XV and that Isiekwe comes in after not being in the original squad. I have my doubts about him as a starting lock but Ewels has hardly made himself indispensible.
Simmonds ahead of Dombrandt i didnt see coming but i'm happy enough with it.
I like Curry as the skipper.
Lots of good ball players throughout, plenty of mobility up front and some good bench options to either consolidate or chase the game.
Can the front 5 deliver?

Agreed. As regards your last question, if he's fit and available I'd always start Marler. Scrum solidity just seems to matter with setting the tone from the off. Genge coming on after 60, fresh and charged up, looks more of a threat if the game breaks up a bit later.

agree re starting Marler.

Think its about carrying more than anything else

[Banquo]

Well for the first time (team) in a while I don't have any real concerns with EJs team selection. Would have preferred to see Marchant in centre and Daley on the wing but it kinda makes sense. Daley has always been far more effective / dangerous on the wing at international level and never looked like a liability under a high ball like he has at 15.

Usual Ben Youngs complaints but this may be another of those games that keeps him in credit for a while longer.

Yup, but I've been informed by the same journo who said Daly was playing 13 that Marchant will defend there from 1st phase ie Eddie jiggery pokery. Lets see.

[jngf]

Isiekwe ahead of Ewels is great news. Marchant and Daly wearing the wrong shirts is bizarre, but could be far worse. Very surprised Nowell's not starting, as I'd've thought he was the ideal Eddie player.

Puja


ETA: As an aside, if Jngf comes in and says that the back row are wearing the wrong numbers for optimal performance, let's just agree to disagree, huh? We have plenty of threads where that conversation has been had and is being had, let's not on this one.

Censorship

[jngf]

Having had a few minutes to think about that, I'm generally pretty pleased with that side. Probably about the best that we could pick, given the constraints. Simmonds is an excellent pick for a windy and wet day in Scotland, as his ability to make ground in the tight is much better than Dombrandt's, and Marchant/Malins/Steward are all very good under the high ball that'll no doubt be coming.

My major concern is Daly's defence at 13. I've lost track of who Scotland are likely to pick against him - is it going to be Chris Harris? If so, that'll limit the danger. Hutchinson would be very worrying.

Shame that Chessum's not going to get a cap but, for all of the excitement about his frame, he's in his breakout season and hasn't fully established himself as guaranteed starter for Leicester yet. He's got potential, but if he hasn't impressed enough in training to make the XXIII, then I trust the coaches' judgement. And also, that's no shame on him at this stage in his development.

Puja

I’m surprised you think Simmonds’ a better tight carrier than Dombrandt and not sure I agree - I think they both have the X factor out wide though so what’s not to like ( possibly the first time I’ve said that in relation to a Jones selection - with Slade at 12 and Ludlum at 6 Christmas has come early )