Scotland v Ireland (Men's)

[Donny osmond]

Scottish mistakes gift wrap it for the opposition. Every. Single. Time.

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[Big D]

There are some positives but still many of the same issues; daft penalties, no cutting edge in the red zone and men getting isolated on the ground easily either by poor body position and ball placement or isolated runners.

[Tobylerone]

Scottish mistakes gift wrap it for the opposition. Every. Single. Time.

No additional comment required.

[ARM]

There are some positives but still many of the same issues; daft penalties, no cutting edge in the red zone and men getting isolated on the ground easily either by poor body position and ball placement or isolated runners.

Yep, Some truth there...however a big step forward in physicality and defensively after the first 30mins.

We have the making of a proper Test pack there. Ritchie, Watson, Sutherland and Fagerson were good. The scrum was excellent.

Finn Russell may have made a difference going forward.

[Mikey Brown]

A LBP in Dublin is a decent result but that was there for the taking. We were so, so, so wasteful and it's another result we could have swung our way.

If Hoggy had just plopped over the line that's a tournament defining win.

Lots of positives to take out of that but still very much the same old, same old dumb shit.

Yep. We don’t tend to get that many games in a tournament that are there for the taking in that fashion. Same old shit.

[Big D]

There are some positives but still many of the same issues; daft penalties, no cutting edge in the red zone and men getting isolated on the ground easily either by poor body position and ball placement or isolated runners.

Yep, Some truth there...however a big step forward in physicality and defensively after the first 30mins.

We have the making of a proper Test pack there. Ritchie, Watson, Sutherland and Fagerson were good. The scrum was excellent.

Finn Russell may have made a difference going forward.

No doubt there are some positives but that's a game we should have won and it is partly the same issues we have had for a long time.

Very pleased for Sutherland

[Mikey Brown]

Yep. Sutherland and Cummings look right at home, which is something.

[Big D]

We spent nearly 6min in their 22 and got pretty much fuck all from it. Pretty telling stat.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

We spent nearly 6min in their 22 and got pretty much fuck all from it. Pretty telling stat.

Wasn't it 6 visits? Felt like it at least.

[Big D]

We spent nearly 6min in their 22 and got pretty much fuck all from it. Pretty telling stat.

Wasn't it 6 visits? Felt like it at least.

[Mikey Brown]

I can't even see what it is we're trying to do once we get in the 22. We just tend to slow it down and stop committing any numbers at all to the ruck, which is an odd combination. There was a moment either when Price made the run through the middle or the phase after, you could see that there was no support several seconds before the player even hit the deck yet nobody arrived and Ireland were able to win the penalty. It was like we go into slow-motion.

Either the ghost of Laidlaw is haunting us or this really is Gregor's plan.

[Chunks Baws]

It feels like it's been an issue forever. I think Wales at Murrayfield last year was similar. We were camped on their line for ages and eventually coughed up possession. Although the ref did bottle out of binning one of them despite numerous warnings.

[switchskier]

If only we had a creative fly half who could conjour something when in the red zone.

[paddy no 11]

Its worth repeating how lamentable maitland was

14 pens some amongst the dullest ever seen and a ball dropped just over the line

Zero composure in opponents 22

Its shit walking off a field knowing you pissed away a win

[Cameo]

Aaaah very frustrating but decent performance I think. Hard to appreciate it now but losing to Ireland in a different way (i.e. not letting their pack bully us) probably shows some lessons have been learnt - as long as we don't capitulate up front in our next games.

Main problem (yeah, apart from Hogg's drop) was that we didn't compete much in the ruck, and therefore didn't get many turnovers, but still have away lots of penalties. Ireland competed and got lots of turnovers but didn't give away many penalties.

I thought H Jones was decent. Midfield defence was a problem at first but way it was fixed made me think it might have been a system issue. He had some spark in attack (strange Harris rather than Hutchinson came on for him.

I'd keep basically the same team for next week apart from Graham and Bradbury if fit. Obviously, it'd be nice if Russell came into the conversation too.

[Big D]

My biggest concern is that our good stuff is a result of Ireland being a bit worse than we are used to rather than us improving.

[Tobylerone]

Every time Hogg closes his eyes, he`s going to relive that one.

Hopefully for him, some redemption next weekend.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

If only we had a creative fly half who could conjour something when in the red zone.

You can blame him for that one then can't you? It's nobody's fault but his own that he wasn't on the pitch.

[Cameo]

Okay, some kind of player ratings but with the massive caveat that it is almost impossibly to judge everyone fairly by watching just once on TV.

Forwards first:

1. Sutherland - 7 - some might go higher but I didn't actually see that much of him. Scrum was good though and for that I am very grateful to him.
2. Brown - 6 - similar but add some big tackles and a stupid penalty - blocking goes on all the time but don't look at the man! Also wasn't as influential around the breakdown as I hoped.
3. Fagerson - 7 - Had the better of Healy and played over 70 mins. Carried a bit too.
4. Gray - 6/7 - thought it might be a very big day for him after his early offload out the tackle and had a few more aggressive carried but generally a standard J Gray day.
5. Cummings - 6/7 - brings good energy. Some good carries early on and sure I saw him back to make a great cover tackle on one of the early Ireland breaks. Timing on later runs wasn't quite as good as everyone tired.
6. Ritchie - 7 - I'm happy with him there long term. Our bag row didn't get much change over the ball but he is a good mix of menace and carrying
7. Watson - 7 - Much the same as above
8. Haining - Very impressive early on and liked them using him and Watson quite wide. Did fade but apparently had been ill.

Forward subs - Didn't see a whole load of them to change views apart from McInally. Neck and neck between him and Brown. Still hunk we could do with someone with more impact than Tools but Skinner will be back soon

[Cameo]

Sorry, looks like this is a very 6/7 day. I thought the improvements were largely team related and that no one had a shocker but feel free to disagree.

Backs -

9. Price - 7 - Would have given him an 8 other than that stupid penalty. I thought he was sharp.
10. Hastings - 7 - I think they took a bit of responsibility off his shoulders but coped well with the pressure and a few nice touches. Didn't do much of our kicking from hand but the ones he did do were good.
11. Maitland - 6 - I don't think he had a shocker but just doesn't do enough for me. I have him as our third choice winger.
12. Johnson - 8 - 8 might be high but he seems sharp on his feet while also hitting good lines. I'd stick with this partnership with Hutchinson on the bench.
13. Jones - 7 - May have been to blame for an early line break but I think possibly a bit of a system thing as seemed outnumbered. Looked sharp in attack though didn't quite come off for him.
14. Kinghorn - 6/7 - One great clearance kick, decent hands for Hogg's "try" and a few short runs gets him to a 7 but I wish he could use his height to be dominant in the air!
15. Hogg - 7 - would have been an 8 or a 9 but for you know what. Showed great feet in tight spots a few times and good hands. His cover defence seemed good today too. Who knows about leadership from the sidelines but ref didn't seem to want much chat.

Subs - all did okay but actually think Horne didn't quite make the impact he will have wanted. Bit of a hospital pass to Dell to end it. Harris was okay but I don't understand why he came on first. Hutchinson did nothing but had no time.

[Cameo]

Oh and I don't think Ireland were as bad as some reports have made out. Amazing discipline in defence but less clinical with the ball than sometimes. Showed slightly more invention but sometimes also showed the risks of showing more invention!

[Mikey Brown]

Sutherland looked quite aggressive in contact too which is a massive plus point for any Scottish forward. Let’s see if he can keep it up.

Haining was ill and looked like he was going to throw up about 5 minutes into the second half but we kept him ok until 74 minutes for some reason?

Wasn’t it Johnson who gave away that blocking penalty?

Horne’s passing does concern me sometimes, and that thing where he dummies and goes without seeming to check if anybody has bought it. I’d definitely keep Price at 9.

Graham to come back in and Maitland dropped from the 23 / told he’s finished if he ever plays like that again.

On the face of it a LBP in Ireland isn’t so bad, but some of the improvements were horribly nullified by making the same dull mistakes and our execution still being worse than Italy’s.

6s and 7s mostly on the pitch is probably fair but it’s upstairs that in concerned. If this was step number 1 then fantastic, but I fear that was our big performance of the tournament and we just failed to make anything of it.

I really don’t know how much longer I can keep following a team so set on using static 1 out runners, or doing our 1 backs move that puts us 25 metres behind the gain-line, on the far side of the pitch, with no support from any of our forwards. It works maybe 2% of the time?

[Big D]

Okay, some kind of player ratings but with the massive caveat that it is almost impossibly to judge everyone fairly by watching just once on TV.

Forwards first:

1. Sutherland - 7 - some might go higher but I didn't actually see that much of him. Scrum was good though and for that I am very grateful to him.
2. Brown - 6 - similar but add some big tackles and a stupid penalty - blocking goes on all the time but don't look at the man! Also wasn't as influential around the breakdown as I hoped.
3. Fagerson - 7 - Had the better of Healy and played over 70 mins. Carried a bit too.
4. Gray - 6/7 - thought it might be a very big day for him after his early offload out the tackle and had a few more aggressive carried but generally a standard J Gray day.
5. Cummings - 6/7 - brings good energy. Some good carries early on and sure I saw him back to make a great cover tackle on one of the early Ireland breaks. Timing on later runs wasn't quite as good as everyone tired.
6. Ritchie - 7 - I'm happy with him there long term. Our bag row didn't get much change over the ball but he is a good mix of menace and carrying
7. Watson - 7 - Much the same as above
8. Haining - Very impressive early on and liked them using him and Watson quite wide. Did fade but apparently had been ill.

Forward subs - Didn't see a whole load of them to change views apart from McInally. Neck and neck between him and Brown. Still hunk we could do with someone with more impact than Tools but Skinner will be back soon

Browns penalty was for diving over/through a ruck wasn't it? He does love a dumb penalty.

I thought Sutherland carried aggressively and well.

Thought our scrum looked like they had done a lot of work on it. Body positions were pretty much universally at the same height. Long may it continue.

[Big D]

Sorry, looks like this is a very 6/7 day. I thought the improvements were largely team related and that no one had a shocker but feel free to disagree.

Backs -

9. Price - 7 - Would have given him an 8 other than that stupid penalty. I thought he was sharp.
10. Hastings - 7 - I think they took a bit of responsibility off his shoulders but coped well with the pressure and a few nice touches. Didn't do much of our kicking from hand but the ones he did do were good.
11. Maitland - 6 - I don't think he had a shocker but just doesn't do enough for me. I have him as our third choice winger.
12. Johnson - 8 - 8 might be high but he seems sharp on his feet while also hitting good lines. I'd stick with this partnership with Hutchinson on the bench.
13. Jones - 7 - May have been to blame for an early line break but I think possibly a bit of a system thing as seemed outnumbered. Looked sharp in attack though didn't quite come off for him.
14. Kinghorn - 6/7 - One great clearance kick, decent hands for Hogg's "try" and a few short runs gets him to a 7 but I wish he could use his height to be dominant in the air!
15. Hogg - 7 - would have been an 8 or a 9 but for you know what. Showed great feet in tight spots a few times and good hands. His cover defence seemed good today too. Who knows about leadership from the sidelines but ref didn't seem to want much chat.

Subs - all did okay but actually think Horne didn't quite make the impact he will have wanted. Bit of a hospital pass to Dell to end it. Harris was okay but I don't understand why he came on first. Hutchinson did nothing but had no time.

I think the centres are 1 too high each. Both missed tackles and let Ireland make big gains and most of SJs yards were made on the intercept where he should have done better. He never looked at Maitland who was there for a pass or kick.

[Mikey Brown]

Oh Jesus I’d forgotten about that moment. That’s was fucking criminal that we didn’t manage to score then.