Italy v Scotland

[Mikey Brown]

Rumour has it Harris is starting with Jones dropping out completely and Skinner in for JG.

Not massively against those I suppose. You've seen them suggested as the only changes? ie. no Graham? I guess that would be on of 3 wing/fullbacks taking Harris's 23 shirt.

[Chunks Baws]

Rumour has it Harris is starting with Jones dropping out completely and Skinner in for JG.

Not massively against those I suppose. You've seen them suggested as the only changes? ie. no Graham? I guess that would be on of 3 wing/fullbacks taking Harris's 23 shirt.

I haven't seen anything about Graham yet.

[Big D]

Someone on another board mentioned if we lose this weekend they could end up needing to best Argentina or Japan to prevent a whitewash this season. Then we don't play Italy til game 5 next season. Could be massive losing streak.

A highly unlikely turn of events, and lots of "ifs" but christ that would be grim.

[Cameo]

Rumour has it Harris is starting with Jones dropping out completely and Skinner in for JG.

Not massively against those I suppose. You've seen them suggested as the only changes? ie. no Graham? I guess that would be on of 3 wing/fullbacks taking Harris's 23 shirt.

Still failing to see it with Harris. He's do fine against Italy but I suspect Jones (or Hutchison) would do better. Hopefully just a rumour.

[Mikey Brown]

Rumour has it Harris is starting with Jones dropping out completely and Skinner in for JG.

Not massively against those I suppose. You've seen them suggested as the only changes? ie. no Graham? I guess that would be on of 3 wing/fullbacks taking Harris's 23 shirt.

Still failing to see it with Harris. He's do fine against Italy but I suspect Jones (or Hutchison) would do better. Hopefully just a rumour.

When Jones first fell out of form I was happy to give Harris and an actual run in the 13 shirt and see for certain whether he’s got it. 18 months later and we still don’t really have a clue.

His selection in the World Cup was seemingly to cover Taylor’s arse more than anything. GT kind of worked himself into a corner there.

I’d love to have looked at Hutchinson, particularly while he was in red hot form, but he’s somehow become backup 10/12 now. Jones is still just sort of coasting and Scott doesn’t get a look in. It’s a bit of a mess.

I’ll be happy to have Harris’s defensive solidity and someone that will at least try and straighten the attack or be physical, but it’s not a particularly adventurous selection.

[Cameo]

Not massively against those I suppose. You've seen them suggested as the only changes? ie. no Graham? I guess that would be on of 3 wing/fullbacks taking Harris's 23 shirt.

Still failing to see it with Harris. He's do fine against Italy but I suspect Jones (or Hutchison) would do better. Hopefully just a rumour.

When Jones first fell out of form I was happy to give Harris and an actual run in the 13 shirt and see for certain whether he’s got it. 18 months later and we still don’t really have a clue.

His selection in the World Cup was seemingly to cover Taylor’s arse more than anything. GT kind of worked himself into a corner there.

I’d love to have looked at Hutchinson, particularly while he was in red hot form, but he’s somehow become backup 10/12 now. Jones is still just sort of coasting and Scott doesn’t get a look in. It’s a bit of a mess.

I’ll be happy to have Harris’s defensive solidity and someone that will at least try and straighten the attack or be physical, but it’s not a particularly adventurous selection.

I think that is harsh on Jones given the nature of the England game. He hasn't had two great games but I think when he has got the ball he has threatened without actually breaking the line. Harris has been fairly anonymous when he has come on (with the same caveats re opportunity). I think I just want a 13 who can beat people one on one - we've stopped being a team that makes loads of line breaks and I want it back. Other positions can bring the physicality (it's not like I have ever seen Harris run over someone anyway).

[Mikey Brown]

Fair on Jones, though I meant that more over a long period.

Funny thing with Harris was a do feel the same, but watching us be so horribly passive against Japan in the World Cup he did indeed come on and steamroller somebody. It was nice to see someone other than Watson/Graham actually throw themselves into contact.

But that’s certainly not grounds to call him a top international 13.

You say the physicality can come from elsewhere but it’s not like we’re overflowing with it in the forwards.

[Cameo]

Tom English has an okay preview on the BBC. Main thing of interest to me is on our change of style from a more all or nothing frantic style to a more direct 'hard to beat style'. I think that is accurate but can't say I see it as the way to go for us. Of course, improve our defence but playing safety first rugby with our players isn't the way to beat teams with bigger and stronger player pools.

Incidentally, I don't like the phrase "hard to beat". Often I think people are meaning "hard to thrash" and will lose lots of close games. The danger is that in trying to avoid the odd blowout, you stop being a real threat. Teams have to play decently to beat you but they know that if they stick to their plans and don't mess up they will.

[General Zod]

Rumours on twitter are Rambo back, Toolis in and Harris for Jones.

Re: Rambo - fair enough. Darts were off against England in comparison to the English hooker.

Toolis - fair enough. Hopefully will add something at line-out. Will be an athletic second row pairing.

Harris - interesting that he’s come in now after Jones didn’t do too much offensively in the first 2 games (admittedly he didn’t see much of the ball, particularly against England, but perhaps that’s the point. He’s there to score and create in adverse circumstances but didn’t. Is it worth putting in an offensive threat that hasn’t delivered versus a more defensively sound player who isn’t exactly bad at attacking?) Can see Townsend’s thinking here - his job’s on the line. If he backs us to get tries from other routes, then bang in a better defender, as it’s easy to undo attacking intent with bad defence.

I think.

[sharvey44]

Scotland team to play Italy at the Stadio Olimpico
Saturday 22 February (kick-off 2.15pm GMT / 3.15pm local time) – live on ITV/STV.

15. Stuart Hogg CAPTAIN (Exeter Chiefs) – 74 caps
14. Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 46 caps
13. Chris Harris (Gloucester)- 16 caps
12. Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors) – 11 caps
11. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh) – 19 caps

10. Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 18 caps
9. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 30 caps

1. Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh) – 5 caps
2. Stuart McInally VICE CAPTAIN (Edinburgh) – 35 caps
3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 27 caps
4. Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) – 24 caps
5. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) – 10 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – 16 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 30 caps
8. Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh) – 12 caps

Substitutes:
16. Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 48 caps
17. Allan Dell (London Irish) – 30 caps
18. Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 36 caps
19. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 40 caps
20. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 5 caps
21. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 11 caps
22. Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints) – 4 caps
23. Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks) – 9 caps

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Meh.

[Mikey Brown]

McGuigan. Hmm. I guess Graham isn’t fit but wasn’t expecting that.

Don’t imagine it will have a huge material impact on the outcome and he’s been playing well for Sale.

I guess an Edinburgh lock in there with McInally makes sense.

Good to see Fagerson on the bench.

[Chunks Baws]

I think this is the least arsed I've ever been about a game

[General Zod]

I think this is the least arsed I've ever been about a game

Yup. Despite commenting on the team selection, I was really only doing so to avoid work.

I’ll still watch, but if the weather clears up, I may do so after recording it. Having paid £80 last week to sit in the rain and drink £5 bottles of pish, I’m beginning to be as indifferent about the team as the SRU are to me. It’s a passion thing and it’s going. Nothing I can do about how I feel.

[Mikey Brown]

The weird part is being at a crossroads where winning means pretty much nothing (without backing it up in the following games) but losing could have some interesting repercussions.

[Cameo]

The weird part is being at a crossroads where winning means pretty much nothing (without backing it up in the following games) but losing could have some interesting repercussions.

That's always a he problem with games against Italy.

Team is okay. I wouldn't pick Toolis or Harris but I've made that point. Seem like safety first picks that will probs work fine against Italy but not tell us anything.

[Mikey Brown]

The weird part is being at a crossroads where winning means pretty much nothing (without backing it up in the following games) but losing could have some interesting repercussions.

That's always a he problem with games against Italy.

Team is okay. I wouldn't pick Toolis or Harris but I've made that point. Seem like safety first picks that will probs work fine against Italy but not tell us anything.

I’m possibly imagining this but it feels like we always play them first or last, which has a different complexion. It’s always a wooden spoon game or a chance for one side to ‘make a statement’ or whatever the appropriate cliches are. Not even sure if I’m agreeing with you or not at this point.

[Donny osmond]

This is heart breaking. When GT started, yeah they were chucking it about with a few hail Marys but it got everyone excited again. 2 years later and we're back to "meh" and tactics meant to avoid humiliation. That's a sin.

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[paddy no 11]

I think this is the least arsed I've ever been about a game

Yup. Despite commenting on the team selection, I was really only doing so to avoid work.

I’ll still watch, but if the weather clears up, I may do so after recording it. Having paid £80 last week to sit in the rain and drink £5 bottles of pish, I’m beginning to be as indifferent about the team as the SRU are to me. It’s a passion thing and it’s going. Nothing I can do about how I feel.

Don't give up man, passion is important, and if you abandon something you'll need to replace it, coaching or something at a lower level or whatever, don't switch over to emptiness too quickly

[Cameo]

Confusing article on the Harris selection in the Offside Line - https://www.theoffsideline.com/italy-v- ... or-spirit/

In particular:

"Scotland have a job to do in Italy. They’d like to win – but they must not lose. They don’t need to bring home rosettes for artistic merit, they need to be sure that the outside centre channel is a closed door. They don’t need magic, they need a guy who will run hard, and fight with every fibre he has got to gain every single yard available"

That paragraph just makes no sense. It might do in football where we could aim for a nil nil. "They'd like to win but they must not lose" - no, I'm pretty sure they are desperate to win. I'm not saying Harris can't do it on Saturday but making some yards hasn't been the issue, scoring points has. Journalists always talk as if when a match becomes crucial, attack and skill don't count, it is just defence and heart. No one needs magic, but if it gets 7 points for you, it's pretty handy and if Scotland are going to beat the bigger teams it will be pretty vital.

[septic 9]

We only win in the by attacking and dominating. Try and hold the line or Dec nd a lead and we lose. It is that simple. The Italian crowd willing on a home ream chasing a narrow lead is a thing to behold

[Donny osmond]

Kinda says it all....

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/r ... d-to-lose/

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[Mikey Brown]

Might have gone a bit overboard on the change of approach in attack, but there’s a couple of good points in there.

[General Zod]

I think this is the least arsed I've ever been about a game

Yup. Despite commenting on the team selection, I was really only doing so to avoid work.

I’ll still watch, but if the weather clears up, I may do so after recording it. Having paid £80 last week to sit in the rain and drink £5 bottles of pish, I’m beginning to be as indifferent about the team as the SRU are to me. It’s a passion thing and it’s going. Nothing I can do about how I feel.

Don't give up man, passion is important, and if you abandon something you'll need to replace it, coaching or something at a lower level or whatever, don't switch over to emptiness too quickly

Fuck it ‘mon the Scotland.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

There's a quote from a Hogg interview a couple of days ago saying they can't be sitting here in 2 years time saying the same things. Oh the irony.

It could well have been taken out of context though.