Scotland - the bound to contain detail breakdown

[Digby]

Minute 15

Scotland win the lineout and maul, Ludlam and Itoje end up on Scotland's side and Ludlam looks wrong (though I don't think he was) before then yes changing his bind when the ref might not have liked the picture anyway. Penalty to Scotland. Ref then says he was swimming up the side which didn't look to be the case, but whatever.

Scots elect to kick for touch not points. Maybe they figure even what looks a makable kick is too much of a lottery. And then bleeding into the next minute there's a 5m lineout for Blue

[Banquo]

Yes, but nothing like as much as he used to in the pre-Jones era. It just would have been good to see it as a possibility in that wind. After all, the 6/2 bench split had to have had wearing down the opposition as an original thought, presumably? I'm still baffled as to why Jones would pick that set-up and then leave two of them on the bench.

Not sure about that, he's also likely slowed down since then. Normally I'd agree keep ball into the wind is a good plan, but conditions were so crap I can't really criticise the tactics overly- I have a problem with execution tho.

Burt used to talk about us running other teams off their feet, Eddie doesn't seem to rate our fitness levels and rarely even suggests trying to run teams off their feet.

For sure we're missing a bit with a lack of running options at 9 and 10 though, and our current 9 and 10 have both shown they can run even if Youngs is likely slower than once was the case

Eddie has often been banging on about fitness I thought and has made a point of trying to keep line speed up in defence.

[Timbo]

I think Eddie has improved our fitness plenty. Maybe not in absolute terms, but functionally to suit our game plan. I think he’s helped by the fact that Prem teams like Saracens and Exeter, and latterly Saints and Glos are much better physically prepared than they were. We certainly looked well conditioned for the style we were playing in the World Cup.

Burts efforts always seemed a bit muddled, one minute wanting us to be a big, heavy setpiece team, then wanting us to play like prime All Blacks.

[p/d]

I think Eddie has improved our fitness plenty. Maybe not in absolute terms, but functionally to suit our game plan. I think he’s helped by the fact that Prem teams like Saracens and Exeter, and latterly Saints and Glos are much better physically prepared than they were

Agree. Though it still kills me that Mako looks f**ked walking down the tunnel

[Digby]

I think Eddie has improved our fitness plenty. Maybe not in absolute terms, but functionally to suit our game plan. I think he’s helped by the fact that Prem teams like Saracens and Exeter, and latterly Saints and Glos are much better physically prepared than they were. We certainly looked well conditioned for the style we were playing in the World Cup.

Burts efforts always seemed a bit muddled, one minute wanting us to be a big, heavy setpiece team, then wanting us to play like prime All Blacks.

Eddie has improved us, but not to the point the 9 can just tap and go and we can respond to that. We seem to spend the energy we do have on defence more than attack, and so far we're much better without the ball

[Banquo]

I think Eddie has improved our fitness plenty. Maybe not in absolute terms, but functionally to suit our game plan. I think he’s helped by the fact that Prem teams like Saracens and Exeter, and latterly Saints and Glos are much better physically prepared than they were. We certainly looked well conditioned for the style we were playing in the World Cup.

Burts efforts always seemed a bit muddled, one minute wanting us to be a big, heavy setpiece team, then wanting us to play like prime All Blacks.

yep.

[Digby]

Minute 16


Outstanding lineout defence from England. Scotland win the lineout at the front and then shift the ball to the next pod down the line. I'm pretty sure this must have come up in video analysis as whilst Ritchie is signalling what's coming (or just very low to stop selling his man is a lineout option) England read the call really quickly and get stuck into the Scottish maul and forcing a scrum turnover

[Digby]

Minute 17

As is often the case after a scrum is awarded nothing happens

[Digby]

Minute 18

Almost nothing happens but in the last seconds of the minute England get the ball in and there's a free kick to England. It's taken 135 seconds following the awarding of the scrum for feck all to happen

[Digby]

Minute 19

It's Ford who kicks the free kick to touch. Scotland get pinged for not straight throw at the lineout.

A third thrilling minute on the bounce

[Digby]

Minute 20

England just about get the ball back on their side, Heinz doesn't call for Curry to pick up and looks to take control himself, and just about gets his kick away under pressure from Bradbury. The entire Scotland backrow had disengaged from the scrum, so too had Underhill but he's on the side of the scrum the ball doesn't get played towards, Curry is busy at the base after Heinz has just grabbed the ball from his feet, and Ludlam isn't doing enough to protect Heinz from Bradbury. Heinz does though get away a grubber and the ball goes out for a Scotland lineout almost up to halfway

England didn't exactly shine in this minute but did get away with their play

[Digby]

Minute 21

England don't shine at the start of this minute either giving away a penalty for closing the gap, and it's Sinckler again, somebody needs to have a word with him. I bet on balance though they're happy with the pressure they put on the Scotland lineout even at the cost of free kicks like this.

Fagerson carries well into contact bar losing the ball forwards, but that's not seen, also not seen or heeded is England retreated maybe 5-6m. Scotland have a bit of momentum from the free kick and the Fagerson carry which is ended at the next tackle which sees Underhill shunt (I think) Bradbury back a few metres in contact

Price sends the ball back to Hastings who puts up a bomb which Maitland contests but knocks on and JJ gathers the loose ball. JJ offloads to Heinz who carries back into our 22 and tries to kick down into the Scotland half, but by halfway the wind has the ball and is driving it sideways where Kinghorn gathers on the full.

Decent run from Kinghorn actually. Kinghorn steps inside the tacklers ahead of him (May and Sinckler) and because Farrell has turned his shoulders right inward on Kinghorn looking to help May and Sincks he's bested too and Kinghord runs into the gap where Farrell should be, next up Kinghorn steps inside Kruis and makes a few more metres. Sadly for Scotland none of the forwards near Kinghorn back the winger, they're all (Sutherland, Watson and Cummings) assuming he'll be put down by Kruis and don't respond either to the line break allowing Curry to get over the ball after Kinghorn is tackled by Mako coming across and it's a turnover for England. Tough to keep being ready to support line breaks that don't normally arrive, but this was a chance blown by the Scots.

Farrell gets a pass from the base and just boots the ball into Scotland's half.

[Digby]

Minute 22

Hastings catches the ball on the full and drills is back into England's 22, Curry gathers and drops the ball back to Farrell who launches a terrific kick down into touch halfway between Scotland's 22 and 10m line. Hogg takes the lineout quickly and Price doesn't have time to get the ball on his left foot to clear so runs and then chips ahead. I'm pretty sure Price runs into Kruis and it's not Kruis blocking Price, in any event Daly gathers the loose ball (it sits up nicely for him so he doesn't lose time) and runs across the pitch sideways looking for Watson. Why Daly wants to run sideways to find Watson I don't know, but fair play to Sincks because in the time it takes Watson to show a release Sicks is in over the ball stopping any Scottish contest, excellent play from Sincks, not so much from Daly.

Heinz sends the ball to Curry on the blindside which is good play with England having a man over, and that just has Bradbury on his heels rather than pushing up in defence, and that allows Curry to win the contact and push forwards a few metres. Any gain there is promptly lost with Heinz passing to a sedentary Sinckler, and it was an easy tackle for Gray to line up and it's a ruck back behind the gainline.

The ref tells England to use it and then allows Heinz 6-7 seconds to make his box kick, which is taken well by Hastings given the depth is tricky to gauge with the ball holding in the wind. Another ruck follows with Cummings rather flopping into contact, he's almost tackling himself to make sure the ball gets down. In these conditions I'd prefer my big lock forwards to be pumping the knees rather more, not that impressed with Cummings so far

[Digby]

Minute 23

Basically Scotland make 2 exit plays, from their initial possession and reclaiming Furbank's up and under after the first exit kick. Both exit plays were preceded by Bradbury struggling to hold ground in contact. Both exit plays were box kicks from Price, and as the minute ends the 2nd kick sees May back-pedalling to take a kick for the 2nd time and he falls back onto his arse, but at least he catches it.

[Digby]

Minute 24

There's a lot of bodies over and around May as he tries to return to his feet. Kinghorn doesn't really do enough, and he's stopping Watson doing more. Also stopping Watson do more is George Ford, I don't think Ford would get away with that grip around the head were he a bigger player, Justice 4 Locks!

Ludlam does enough to have May pushing the ball back on our side and Itoje just flops off his feet to highlight any contest is over.

England run another phase with George and then Heinz sets to make a box kick. May is possibly just ahead of the kicker but that proves less than useful on the chase as the ball starts blowing back towards England and May is simply further away from where he'd be wanted.

The ball comes down where Maro is, which is lucky for us. Also lucky for us is Cummings has a chance to properly clatter Maro and instead goes for a full cuddle tackle. Heinz sends another box kick away, this time rather lower, and it's with Hogg at the Scotland 22

Hogg hammers it down field and the ball just holds up in goal, Hogg breathes a sigh of relief

[Digby]

Minute 25

Ford with the dropout and it's approaching halfway on our left. Hastings runs onto the ball and makes a sliding take on the full, it'd be a decent play in the dry, in these conditions it's outstanding and Ford owes him a beer by way of respect.

Cummings is the man having a hard game as he's the Blue player not getting the job done protecting Scotland's ball. Then again Underhill is so low and off his feet I don't know how you're supposed to stop him turning that ball over for England. England work the shortside and JJ send Daly into space down the left, but fair play to Price who tracks and hauls down Daly. Fagerson tries to kill the play but Heinz plays the ball too quickly and Sincks is running onto the ball and over the gainline

Ball back to Ford and the back again to Farrell who kicks diagonally down into coffin corner on our right, Hogg gathers the ball but can't avoid the chase and England force a turnover penalty.

[Digby]

Minute 26

Nothing happens

[Digby]

Minute 27

Faz's attempt at 3 misses to the left, no blame attached in these conditions and this one seemed a more reasonable effort to go for than some he missed.

Hogg takes the 22 and it's right over our heads down into our ingoal where Ford dots down for the dropout. I could argue we shouldn't be letting the ball go over our heads but how do you know if the wind is going to catch the ball?

[Digby]

Minute 28

Ford makes a brilliant dropout which finds grass and rolls into touch past the Scottish 10m line. Scotland will be annoyed they didn't cover that better.

Scotland compound their letting the ball go into touch by losing the lineout and Sicks gathers the ball knocked down by Kruis to get the ball back to Curry

[Digby]

Minute 29

Curry carries decently winning contact and a few further metres. Heinz passes back to Ford, again we're not especially well organised as Itoje has to hit the deck to get out of the way of the pass, similar to Will Greenwood at the end of the '03 final if Greenwood had actually been in the way. Ford puts up an high kick into the 22, Hogg takes calls the mark and kicks into England's half where Ford gathers just outside the 22

Ford launches another bomb which is well chased by Daly who beats Hogg to the ball, Kruis gathers the knock down from Daly and Heinz has the ball to pass following a tackle on Kruis. Mako takes the ball into contact and as he doesn't have any forwards right next to him Farell is drawn into the ruck to protect the ball, we end up with Itoje, Sincks and Farrell over Mako and Scotland put in nobody, it can happen but we're down options now, and than once Heinz passes to Ford he's left looking to kick over the defensive line and find grass down our left but there's too much on the kick and it's an easy claim for Hastings, good covering though

[Digby]

Minute 30

Hastings boots into touch at the halfway line, George is pinged for his throw not being straight

[Digby]

Minute 31

It's in theory a scrum, in practice nothing happens

[Digby]

Minute 32

And yet again a scrum fails to happen. It's a free kick to Scotland, 120 seconds of nothing happening from the scrum being awarded to a free kick being awarded. Maybe players should be fined a % of their match fees for this utter nonsense

Price taps and goes, ball to Johnson who initially makes ground but then is driven back. Scotland retain the ball but they've got 5 men at the ruck and just one England defender is out of the game. Ball to Sutherland who's an obvious receiver and he's driven back in contact. Ball back again with Scotland who go one out to Fagerson and he drops the ball, his attention was perhaps drawn to the 3 England tacklers waiting for him.

[Digby]

Minute 33

England win the scrum, some lack of communication between Heinz and Curry perhaps, Curry picks up but is collared by Bradbury and Ritchie, the delay can't have helped, and Heinz has the ball at the base and makes a box kick down almost as far as the Scotland 22. Hogg can't take a clean catch but the ball goes backwards, where Hastings gathers and running back into his 22 kicks into touch just over halfway. It's a great result for Hastings, but if the wind just catches that ball a little more it's going straight into touch on the full

[Digby]

Minute 34

England win the lineout, but the maul gets shunted back and with Scotland defenders on our side Heinz passes away rather than go for the box kick. Underhill makes a carry to set another ruck and there's nothing much happening for either side, than from a short Itoje carry England go off their feet in support, penalty to Scotland.