Scotland vs France

[Cameo]

Slightly unexpected changes. I agree Toolis is a bit average so we need to move on but as MB says it does feel like we yo-yo a bit randomly. McInally was not bad last time out and Haining hasn't been special in the last two Edinburgh games (whereas Crosbie has). Hutchinson may have gone off the boil a little but he has been given a strange role and hasn't done anything wrong.

Happy for Steyn though. He is showing signs of becoming a quality finisher.

Steyn is a decent club player but I don't see him having it at the top level.

Any particular reason? I've heard this view a bit but he has had a very impressive first 8 or so months at Glasgow and has size and pace to go with good skills. Couple of great finishes recently too.

[switchskier]

Slightly unexpected changes. I agree Toolis is a bit average so we need to move on but as MB says it does feel like we yo-yo a bit randomly. McInally was not bad last time out and Haining hasn't been special in the last two Edinburgh games (whereas Crosbie has). Hutchinson may have gone off the boil a little but he has been given a strange role and hasn't done anything wrong.

Happy for Steyn though. He is showing signs of becoming a quality finisher.

Steyn is a decent club player but I don't see him having it at the top level.

Agree on all of this. Steyn is solid, I can see him putting on a 6/10 performance at international level, but I don't see him as a game changer off the bench. Also think that Crosbie brings as much power and impact as Haining but has far more upside.

Overall pretty disappointed with no Faegerson or Hutchinson. Seems that both have been on the fringes but without being asked to do the things that they really excel at. Unfair to pick on Harris but he seems a bit synonymous with an approach that will see us tighten up but lose most games by 8-10 points. I can see this being a dreary Sunday afternoon where we largely stifle the french but never threaten them.

[Still septic]

Now in English! Yes, there may just be a question mark about the props’ scrummaging if the opposition are wily enough. Do you really think your props can get the upper hand?

OK!

I think I misread the french team and thought Danny Priso was in! Its Jefferson Poirot who is a vastly better player.
I think Fagerson can handle him though, Nel certainly can. On the loose head Sutherland has been eating THs this season, your guy who I don't know much about will need to be good.
Of course much will depend on what help he get frrom behind them and we have no one regularly packs down behind the TH. And on the ref - I don't expect the ref to be much good at scrums, to want it to be like a rugby league play the ball, will not reward dominance if it goes down and will allow driving at an angle. whoever he takes a dislike to is in trouble

Bon match!

[Big D]

Slightly unexpected changes. I agree Toolis is a bit average so we need to move on but as MB says it does feel like we yo-yo a bit randomly. McInally was not bad last time out and Haining hasn't been special in the last two Edinburgh games (whereas Crosbie has). Hutchinson may have gone off the boil a little but he has been given a strange role and hasn't done anything wrong.

Happy for Steyn though. He is showing signs of becoming a quality finisher.

Steyn is a decent club player but I don't see him having it at the top level.

Any particular reason? I've heard this view a bit but he has had a very impressive first 8 or so months at Glasgow and has size and pace to go with good skills. Couple of great finishes recently too.

He's a winger that doesn't really score that many tries. There is nothing overly special about his game IMO. That isn't to say he's bad, he isn't hes a good club player but at 26 I'd be surprised if he is anywhere close to being a regular after the summer with all fit.

[francoisfou]

Now in English! Yes, there may just be a question mark about the props’ scrummaging if the opposition are wily enough. Do you really think your props can get the upper hand?

OK!

I think I misread the french team and thought Danny Priso was in! Its Jefferson Poirot who is a vastly better player.
I think Fagerson can handle him though, Nel certainly can. On the loose head Sutherland has been eating THs this season, your guy who I don't know much about will need to be good.
Of course much will depend on what help he get frrom behind them and we have no one regularly packs down behind the TH. And on the ref - I don't expect the ref to be much good at scrums, to want it to be like a rugby league play the ball, will not reward dominance if it goes down and will allow driving at an angle. whoever he takes a dislike to is in trouble

Bon match!

Yes, Poirot should certainly hold his own in the tight, however I know little about Haouas so we’ll see how he goes.

[Cameo]

Steyn is a decent club player but I don't see him having it at the top level.

Any particular reason? I've heard this view a bit but he has had a very impressive first 8 or so months at Glasgow and has size and pace to go with good skills. Couple of great finishes recently too.

He's a winger that doesn't really score that many tries. There is nothing overly special about his game IMO. That isn't to say he's bad, he isn't hes a good club player but at 26 I'd be surprised if he is anywhere close to being a regular after the summer with all fit.

Fair enough, had actually forgotten he's 26. That makes a big difference.

[Still septic]

Any particular reason? I've heard this view a bit but he has had a very impressive first 8 or so months at Glasgow and has size and pace to go with good skills. Couple of great finishes recently too.

He's a winger that doesn't really score that many tries. There is nothing overly special about his game IMO. That isn't to say he's bad, he isn't hes a good club player but at 26 I'd be surprised if he is anywhere close to being a regular after the summer with all fit.

Fair enough, had actually forgotten he's 26. That makes a big difference.

26? Who are all these centres who are younger , fit or not? Hutchison and ........

your original post is on the mark for Steyn. Good player all round, not every one peaks at 20!

[General Zod]

Camille Chat injured dans le warm-up.

[francoisfou]

Camille Chat injured dans le warm-up.

Merde! Could’ve done without that. We’ll miss his explosive impact off the bench.

[Ross. S]

Jesus, whats that Scotland kit? It looks like something the Cardiff Blues rejected a decade ago

[switchskier]

Love the way that Watson can bump off anyone, including huge South African born locks.

[no sleep]

We're not very good at making the most of a spin-binning, are we?

[Danno]

We're not very good at making the most of a spin-binning, are we?

Indeed. Seven minutes eaten up with the pen, two scrums and Hastings faffing for 90 seconds dead in front of the posts.

[switchskier]

Did I just hear Cotter say that Haining used to be a winger? Even Roly Reid would have been quicker.

Maitland's had a lively start. Good to see.

[Mikey Brown]

Our passing once we gain some front foot ball yet again turns to shit and kills the move dead.

[Mikey Brown]

Jesus Christ. Quick tap from a scrum and we just run a back directly back towards all their forwards.

[Mikey Brown]

This ref really loves the sound of his own voice doesn’t he.

[switchskier]

Jesus Christ. Quick tap from a scrum and we just run a back directly back towards all their forwards.

If we've selected Johnson and Harris because they can carry, why are we giving it to Hoggy to run into a set defensive wall with no options? Baffling.

[sharvey44]

This ref really loves the sound of his own voice doesn’t he.

It’s something that Sir Nige started and others seemed to follow.

[Mikey Brown]

Our kicking has been fucking atrocious. We’re very lucky France are making so many errors.

[Mikey Brown]

Jesus Christ. Quick tap from a scrum and we just run a back directly back towards all their forwards.

If we've selected Johnson and Harris because they can carry, why are we giving it to Hoggy to run into a set defensive wall with no options? Baffling.

I’m worried that taking pointless crash balls is going to be part of his “leading from the front” now that he’s captain. It seems like a suitably brainless misuse of our strengths.

[Mikey Brown]

Surely Jalibert’s first pass in that move was a mile forwards???

[francoisfou]

At last! We’re in the game!

[Mikey Brown]

Idiotic from French tight-head there.

[Ross. S]

France have lost their minds