Squad for Wales & England

[Wylie Coyote]

I'm not sure mass change would see the team that weakened in some areas to be honest.

Gray Snr and Skinner in the second row, Berghan to start, I'd far rather see Rory Hutchinson parachuted in than see Grigg at 13 again (although he did nothing really wrong at the weekend).

that could just as well have read "he did nothing at the weekend". He simply is not an international 13. Horne & Grigg are just far too lightweight, look at every other 6N team's centre pairing and these two are way, way below them, they are essentially a blank space in the middle of our back division, in attack and defence.

[Big D]

I'm not sure mass change would see the team that weakened in some areas to be honest.

Gray Snr and Skinner in the second row, Berghan to start, I'd far rather see Rory Hutchinson parachuted in than see Grigg at 13 again (although he did nothing really wrong at the weekend).

that could just as well have read "he did nothing at the weekend". He simply is not an international 13. Horne & Grigg are just far too lightweight, look at every other 6N team's centre pairing and these two are way, way below them, they are essentially a blank space in the middle of our back division, in attack and defence.

I've long said he isn't. I was simply being fair in that he was far from the main issue at the weekend. I would have started several different players ahead of him.

[Mikey Brown]

Jackson and Steyn called into the squad for Seymour and Kinghorn. Not really seen Steyn, looks feisty at least.

I'm hoping no other immediate call-ups might mean we're okay on the injury front outside those two.

If thats the case I guess I'd go;

11. Graham
12. Johnson
13. Harris
14. McGuigan
15. Maitland

Yeah. What a mess.

[morepork]

Jesus, Maitland at fullback could get fucking messy.

[Mikey Brown]

I think we're past the point of questioning whether it will be messy. Swap 14 and 15, I don't know that it would make much difference.

I think I'm basically on my own on here in thinking it, and maybe I haven't been paying close enough attention, but the best I've seen Maitland play is when he's been at fullback. I was kind of surprised to find that too.

[Mikey Brown]

Does anyone even care anymore?

[AL.]

Looks weak.

[AL.]

15. Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 39 caps

14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh) – 3 caps
13. Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors) – 8 caps
12. Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps
11. Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks) – 7 caps

10. Finn Russell VICE CAPTAIN (Racing 92) – 43 caps
9. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 23 caps

1. Allan Dell (Edinburgh) – 21 caps
2. Stuart McInally CAPTAIN (Edinburgh) – 26 caps
3. Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 28 caps
4. Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 17 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist VICE CAPTAIN (Edinburgh) – 32 caps
6. Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) – 4 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 24 caps
8. Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh) – 6 caps

Substitutes
16. Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 41 caps
17. Gordon Reid (London Irish) – 33 caps
18. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 18 caps
19. Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 50 caps
20. Josh Strauss (Sale Sharks) – 21 caps
21. Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne) – 70 caps
22. Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 10 caps
23. Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons) – 7 caps

[switchskier]

I've decided the only way to get through this will be to focus on individual battles. So Curry against Watson/Ritchie should be fun and worth watching. Similarly I want to see how McInally measures up against George and Graham against Nowell.

[AL.]

Just wrote a reply to that and it vanished, weird.

Abridged version, cant see how we can win this but would love to be wrong.

[whatisthejava]

Im a bit more confident that we wont get totally smashed

There is not one walter softie forward for once and Gilchrist, Bradbury, Skinner and Nel can stand their ground

Grigg has a hell of a job dealing with Slade but its possible that forward pack might be able to generate some ball

[switchskier]

Our team. Harris is a weird one for me as I don't really want him on the 23 but would rather he was starting.

Good to see Skinner back but very harsh on Ritchie to be dropped entirely. He's been our player of the tournament and I'd have been tempted by Skinner at 8 with the two openside option if we want to play a high paced game.

Also, Reid?

Maitland
Graham
Grigg
Johnson
McGuigan
Russell
Price

Dell
McInally (capt)
Nel
Toolis
Gilchrist
Skinner
Watson
Bradbury.

Replacements: Brown, Reid, Berghan, J Gray, Strauss, Laidlaw, Hastings, Harris

[Mikey Brown]

Agree on Harris, what's the point in having him in and out of the team so much, we have no idea whether he can offer more or not. Some versatility on the bench would be sensible given the rate we go down with injuries.

I don't think Skinner has ever played 8.

Reid at least gives another abrasive option off the bench.

I'm guessing we're just giving Ritchie a rest or he's taken a knock, he's been absolutely everywhere, but I agree you couldn't leave him out of a full side on form.

[whatisthejava]

I'd have been tempted by Skinner at 8 with the two openside option if we want to play a high paced game.

When has that ever worked at HQ

Im not a fan of a huge pack and would prefer we try to out play them but the only answer is to go and match them

[General Zod]

The more I think about it, the more I think that first 10 is close to first choice for me, minus a couple of characters. Outside there is where I feel we may have a problem, particularly given our backs have not exactly been brilliant this term.

We may well surprise them and play 10-Man rugby. See if we can out-england england!

[Mikey Brown]

The more I think about it, the more I think that first 10 is close to first choice for me, minus a couple of characters. Outside there is where I feel we may have a problem, particularly given our backs have not exactly been brilliant this term.

We may well surprise them and play 10-Man rugby. See if we can out-england england!

I don’t know how pretty or effective it would be but that would at least be an interesting/progressive move. I’d at least think GT is serious about having some alternative tactics if we saw how the pack goes trying to front up against a big England side with a very strong set-piece.

It’s not a surprise we’re weak outside when 13 outwards are all at least 2nd/3rd choice. Though I hope Graham in particular can keep pushing to be a starter.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Awful team and only one outcome. Genuinely considering t skipping this one, it’ll be the first game I’ve not seen in real time in 14 years I think.

Toony’s delusional comments about where we are are not helping things either. This is Hadden era level stuff.

[switchskier]

I'd have been tempted by Skinner at 8 with the two openside option if we want to play a high paced game.

When has that ever worked at HQ

Im not a fan of a huge pack and would prefer we try to out play them but the only answer is to go and match them

Well nothing has worked at HQ for 36 years but last year we won the game by turning them over again and again.

Interesting to compare the teams from last year. 10 changes to the starting Scottish line up, plus one positional change. However what's amazing is that only Farrell (at ten, not 12) and May survive for England. It's an entirely different team.

Scotland: Hogg, Seymour, Jones, Horne, Maitland, Russell, Laidlaw; Reid, McInally, Berghan, Gilchrist, J Gray, Barclay (capt), Watson, Wilson.

Replacements: Lawson, J Bhatti (for Reid, 56), WP Nel (for Berghan, 69), Swinson (for Gilchrist, 56), Denton (for Wilson, 69), Price (for Laidlaw, 62), Grigg (for Horne, 72), Kinghorn (for Seymour, 65).

England: Brown, Watson, Joseph, Farrell, May, Ford, Care; M Vunipola, Hartley (capt), Cole, Launchbury, Itoje, Lawes, Robshaw, Hughes.

Replacements: George (for Hartley, 56), Marler (for Vunipola, 69), Williams (for Cole, 65), G Kruis (for Launchbury, 71), Underhill (for Hughes, 56), Wigglesworth (for Care, 71), B Te'o (for Ford, 65), Nowell (for Brown, 56

[switchskier]

Flower of Scotland is not a good song but that was abysmal. Who knew that Farrell had such a high voice?

[Big D]

Abysmal.

Some cunt better get sacked after this 6N. Taylor 1st.

[Mikey Brown]

Wow.

[Adder]

It's quite telling that our defensive "structure" disappears after 1st phase ..

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[Big D]

Great ball by Finn.

[Adder]

Wow

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[Mikey Brown]

What a mad game.