Game 3 : Scotland v Romania

[BaldiePete]

We are obviously expecting to get 5 points for this match so what team do we select? I think we have to rest many first choice players, but which ones?
My team:

Smith
Graham
Harris
Redpath
Steyn
Healy
Horne
Sutherland
Ashman (he needs some game time to work on his lineouts)
Sebastian
Gilchrist
Skinner
Crosbie
Watson
Fagerson

Matthews
Bhatti
Fagerson
Cummings
Dempsey
Price
Kinghorn
Tuipolotu

[Cameo]

It's a tricky one. There is an (very) outside chance that:

- South Africa screw up against Tonga and don't get a bonus point.

- Scotland and Ireland both get bonus points in their game.

In either case, I think Scotland end up on 15 points with South Africa and Ireland. That would mean points difference matters and we need to have put 100 on Romania. Is that worth worrying about?

That said, I think the team above is not far off. Maybe with Jones at 13 as he didn't play too much today.

[Big D]

I think we should go relatively strong especially in the backs. We haven't looked as smooth in attacking play as we perhaps should for this stage of the WC and it needs to be clicking v Ireland or there is zero chance we pull it off. Get in, pay 45-50 min high quality rugby and then get the subs on.

Ashman is on the promotional material so likely starts:
Schoeman
Ashman
Sebastian
GG
Skinner
Crosbie
Watson
Fagerson
White
Russell
Graham
Huwipolotu
VdM
Kinghorn

Turner
Bhatti
Nel
Cummings
Darge
Horne
Healy
Redpath

[Donny osmond]

love the implications there BigD, "play 45 - 50 mins high quality rugby then get the subs on"

I'm jesting, I know what you mean. Russell has taken a few painful hits the last couple of games, are we going to keep playing him?
I understand why you've put ST and HJ in the centres but I feel like this would be a good game to try a Healy Redpath combo.

[septic 9]

Reality time. The Boks are not going to screw up against Tonga. We are not going to screw up against the Oaks - nor are we going to score 100 points against them. And don't need to to.
We need to beat Ireland by 8 IIRC.
We also don't need to see our own Dupont or Ntmack crocked v Romania. So Russell gets a seat in the stand.

Think it would have been the plan to start Healey, I'm personally tempted to play Kinghorn at 10 for 2 reasons. First he can get more practice improving his diabolically poor passing. Second To give Smith a full match and the chance to make a claim to start v Ireland .

Gilco to captain the side
Smith
Graham
Harris
Red path
DVDM*
Kinghorn
White
Sutherland
Ashman*
Sebastian
Skinner
Gilchrist
Crosbie
Fagerson
Watson

* wouldn't be too surprised to see Mathews start but Asman like Kinghorn has been showing poor basic skills, practice makes perfect hopefully. Also if Kinghorn stays at 15, Smith replaces Duhan on the wing. I am keeping our best most consistent wing for Ireland

[Mikey Brown]

Yep. It’s nice the idea that playing the first team will get them all running at 100% efficiency but there are a number of players we can’t risk and the points difference is really unlikely to matter.

I’d go very similar to the team in the first post.

1. Sutherland
2. Ashman
3. Sebastian
4. Skinner
5. Gilchrist (c)
6. Crosbie
7. Watson
8. Fagerson

9. Horne
10. Healy
11. Steyn
12. Redpath
13. Jones
14. Graham
15. Smith

That whole front row should be looking to earn/retain a spot in the 23. Good to see Sutherland look a bit more like his old self. Maybe Nel is still up to it if the game is just scrums but I’m doubtful I’d want to risk him coming on for much more than 20 minutes.

Maybe Harris at 13 again, but it feels like Jones hasn’t played as much and would be great to get him on the ball a bit more.

[Big D]

love the implications there BigD, "play 45 - 50 mins high quality rugby then get the subs on"

I'm jesting, I know what you mean. Russell has taken a few painful hits the last couple of games, are we going to keep playing him?
I understand why you've put ST and HJ in the centres but I feel like this would be a good game to try a Healy Redpath combo.

Thinking back to 2019 which was a very similar position but swapping Samoa, Russia and Japan for Tonga, Romania and Ireland, there were 12 personal plus one position change between Russia and Japan and two weeks between second and forth pool games. We were average v Samoa, saw off a poor Russia and then crap v Japan. We need to find away to be up a level or three from yesterday. For me that is trying to getting some fluency in our play.

Playing Finn would be a risk, but the bigger risk for me is a repeat of 2019 where we just don't show anywhere near our best in the last game.

If Healy isn't in the plans to bench v Ireland then there is no need to try the Healy/Redpath combo.

[BaldiePete]

Pretty close

[Mikey Brown]

I like the side mostly. Really trying to actually just enjoy watching this game rather than thinking about impending doom vs Ireland.

Will be interesting how such a… pragmatic (?) midfield selection goes in a game where we’d hope to be racking up some points.

[Mikey Brown]

Although had Horne actually had a start? Really seems like he should have done. Will Townsend revert to Price on the bench? He never seems convinced by small Horne, but he’s been playing well for a while now.

[BaldiePete]

I’d like to have seen how Horne goes from the start but I think Toony sees him as a bench player to bring something different late in the game. There’s certainly some dynamism in the backs replacements. I’m hoping Darcy can get a bit closer to Hogg’s try record here.

[Cameo]

I’d like to have seen how Horne goes from the start but I think Toony sees him as a bench player to bring something different late in the game. There’s certainly some dynamism in the backs replacements. I’m hoping Darcy can get a bit closer to Hogg’s try record here.

I wouldn't completely rule out him matching it here.

Mikey - I wouldn't call Redpath unusually "pragmatic". I also suspect Harris will do okay in attack and it will be used to show that he isn't as defensive as people think (see also previous cameos vs smaller nations).

Team should be fine. Would like to see us putting a massive score on (would need to be 100 plus) just in case pd becomes relevant (e.g. if both us and Ireland get a bonus point), but it's unlikely. Romania should be better for a two week break after two such big games. You would have thought they have a bit more of an idea how to cope with the pace and physicality of it all.

[Mikey Brown]

I’d like to have seen how Horne goes from the start but I think Toony sees him as a bench player to bring something different late in the game. There’s certainly some dynamism in the backs replacements. I’m hoping Darcy can get a bit closer to Hogg’s try record here.

I wouldn't completely rule out him matching it here.

Mikey - I wouldn't call Redpath unusually "pragmatic". I also suspect Harris will do okay in attack and it will be used to show that he isn't as defensive as people think (see also previous cameos vs smaller nations).

Team should be fine. Would like to see us putting a massive score on (would need to be 100 plus) just in case pd becomes relevant (e.g. if both us and Ireland get a bonus point), but it's unlikely. Romania should be better for a two week break after two such big games. You would have thought they have a bit more of an idea how to cope with the pace and physicality of it all.

I wasn’t singling out Redpath, just overall. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they gel in fact. Redpath has looked like he might be able to draw a bit more out of runners outside him on a few occasions but not sure he’s ever had more than 1 or 2 appearances in a row.

[Cameo]

Yeah, after that debut against England I think we all assumed he would be a key cog by now. Injuries and how good Tuipolotu has turned out changed all that.

[Lizard]

If you don’t put 70 on them, it’s a poor result.

[BaldiePete]

So what score do we expect? I don’t think anyone doesn’t think we’ll get a BP win, but also we won’t get a 90 pointer like the ABs did last night. I would like at least a higher score than we got against Tonga, so breaking 50 and hopefully more. Also, I want them to play the full 80 and not slow down and drop the intensity when well ahead.

[BaldiePete]

So what score do we expect? I don’t think anyone doesn’t think we’ll get a BP win, but also we won’t get a 90 pointer like the ABs did last night. I would like at least a higher score than we got against Tonga, so breaking 50 and hopefully more. Also, I want them to play the full 80 and not slow down and drop the intensity when well ahead.

I hope this isn’t going to turn out to be an egregious example of hubris.

[Mikey Brown]

So what score do we expect? I don’t think anyone doesn’t think we’ll get a BP win, but also we won’t get a 90 pointer like the ABs did last night. I would like at least a higher score than we got against Tonga, so breaking 50 and hopefully more. Also, I want them to play the full 80 and not slow down and drop the intensity when well ahead.

I hope this isn’t going to turn out to be an egregious example of hubris.

Haha. That’s the spirit.

Has anybody actually broken 100 yet?

[switchskier]

So what score do we expect? I don’t think anyone doesn’t think we’ll get a BP win, but also we won’t get a 90 pointer like the ABs did last night. I would like at least a higher score than we got against Tonga, so breaking 50 and hopefully more. Also, I want them to play the full 80 and not slow down and drop the intensity when well ahead.

I hope this isn’t going to turn out to be an egregious example of hubris.

Haha. That’s the spirit.

Has anybody actually broken 100 yet?

Not expecting anything. Never happens when I actually go

Lovely stadium though.

[General Zod]

Gregor Townsend seems to de one of those people who sets his watch 5 minutes fast. Most disappointing.

[paddy no 11]

Darcy should be 1st name on team sheet v Ireland

[Got some sleep]

Take the f****** scrum

[canta_brian]

I know it’s been a long time since Cardiff in 2007, but I still can’t stand Wayne Barnes as a ref.

[paddy no 11]

Darcy should be 1st name on team sheet v Ireland

Take him off at half time and wrap him up till next week

[canta_brian]

Darcy should be 1st name on team sheet v Ireland

Take him off at half time and wrap him up till next week

Scotland need the points difference