RugbyRebels

Poite sometimes and Barnes most days are the only decent refs in our lot. Hence the competition for wee Mikey to get a slot isn't great, and neither is Mikey. But 1st Scot to ref a 6N test in 19 years I think it is, so yes, big congrats due.
Hope it was worth those trips to Dublin for "re-education" after the compulsory frontal lobotomy. That's dig at how to get on in rugby reffing BTW, not at Adamson

Brown and G Horne out of the 6N.

Good to see from Watson. Sure I've read on here recently he doesn't win enough ball.

Just behind on the tackle front as well, 117 tackles for Hamish and 0 missed

They’re reporting that the 6N might well go ahead.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... ugby-union

Personally, I would just play it in the summer and have the HSBC Globetrotters exhibition matches either moved to 2022 or scrapped.

General Zod wrote:They’re reporting that the 6N might well go ahead.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... ugby-union

Personally, I would just play it in the summer and have the HSBC Globetrotters exhibition matches either moved to 2022 or scrapped.

6N will happen, fans unlikely unless there is another outbreak of insanity

big pushback from home Unions and especially clubs on any suggestion of postponing the Lions to 2022. There are already tours arranged, cancelling them could be costly - sued for loss of revenue. But also player welfare - A lions tour in 2022, full season then straight into a RWC.

Best way out for the Lions is for the Boks to play the games in the UK, with or without fans, at least some income from TV etc. If I were a Lions fan, I'd be grabbing that. If I were SARU, ditto, but they seem to have said no fans no tour maybe no games. Tough!

Strangly when the lions game came out I thought - no way am I spending £100 quid + to watch the lions t Murrayfield but by July I reckon Uk and Ireland will almost certainly be vaccinated enough to have tickets available and I would happily go to Dublin for a weekend to watch the full lions

whatisthejava wrote:Strangly when the lions game came out I thought - no way am I spending £100 quid + to watch the lions t Murrayfield but by July I reckon Uk and Ireland will almost certainly be vaccinated enough to have tickets available and I would happily go to Dublin for a weekend to watch the full lions

entering into the spirit of Lions might might happen in the UK as suggested recently in the press, if you are going to Dublin to watch the Lions I suggest you choose a pub with good beer and a big tele to watch them on

Squad announced on Wednesday .

Wales match now officially behind closed doors. Not a surprise, but doesn’t mean it’s not disappointing still. Particularly as I think there’s a decent chance we’ll win and applied for tickets!

Rumours Redpath included. Would also like to see Hutchison.

General Zod wrote:Rumours Redpath included. Would also like to see Hutchison.

Bloody poachers!

Puja

Puja wrote:

General Zod wrote:Rumours Redpath included. Would also like to see Hutchison.

Bloody poachers!

Puja

Looks like Redpath is more of a natural fit for the kind of 12 role that Hutchinson is currently being shoe-horned in to a bit at Northampton. I can't see both being involved in the squad.

Redpath is very young, but someone with his time on the ball and all round attacking skills could be a good pairing for both Russell and Harris in midfield.

Well, Hutch ain’t made it. Would link to the squad, but am rubbish on this phone.

No Bradbury, Ewan Ashman in as well as Dave Cherry and Allan Dell.

No Brown or McInally is big.

Graham in for Haining, du Preez, Cowan is good.

VDW keeps spot ahead of Weir which I’m unsure about but much of a muchness.

Redpath! Welcome home, son, welcome home.

Rest of it - shame about hookers, but otherwise who is missing?

Skinner - squeezed out by other specialist second row (including return of Richie) and back row options
Toolis - RG has outplayed him recently.
Hutchinson - Redpath got the nod and Harris locked in. Has to be last chance for D Taylor to show that he can stay fit and find form. Must be undercooked
Bradbury - still find him very meh. All the raw materials but workrate just isn't high enough for me
Weir - neither he nor VDW are up to Test level. Stay fit Finn.

EDIT - and Sam Johnson. Hasn't looked all that fit this year and then picked up another injury.

ARM wrote:Redpath! Welcome home, son, welcome home.

Rest of it - shame about hookers, but otherwise who is missing?

Skinner - squeezed out by other specialist second row (including return of Richie) and back row options
Toolis - RG has outplayed him recently.
Hutchinson - Redpath got the nod and Harris locked in. Has to be last chance for D Taylor to show that he can stay fit and find form. Must be undercooked
Bradbury - still find him very meh. All the raw materials but workrate just isn't high enough for me
Weir - neither he nor VDW are up to Test level. Stay fit Finn.

I would imagine, as I saw mentioned elsewhere, that the obvious exiles that aren't included might be covid bubble related if they aren't clearly in the plans for the 23 as they would need to be released. For the Sarries guys it is less of an issue.

I love Richie Gray but 2 games against Edinburgh doesn't signal enough form to replace someone like Skinner. So bubble reasons make sense.

Big D wrote:

ARM wrote:Redpath! Welcome home, son, welcome home.

Rest of it - shame about hookers, but otherwise who is missing?

Skinner - squeezed out by other specialist second row (including return of Richie) and back row options
Toolis - RG has outplayed him recently.
Hutchinson - Redpath got the nod and Harris locked in. Has to be last chance for D Taylor to show that he can stay fit and find form. Must be undercooked
Bradbury - still find him very meh. All the raw materials but workrate just isn't high enough for me
Weir - neither he nor VDW are up to Test level. Stay fit Finn.

I would imagine, as I saw mentioned elsewhere, that the obvious exiles that aren't included might be covid bubble related if they aren't clearly in the plans for the 23 as they would need to be released. For the Sarries guys it is less of an issue.

I love Richie Gray but 2 games against Edinburgh doesn't signal enough form to replace someone like Skinner. So bubble reasons make sense.

Very good point.

The bubble rationale doesn't really explain how Craig is chosen over Skinner. Gilchrist and Kinghorn also leading charmed lives.

mcinally and brown both injured
Think mcInally is back for game 2 but Brown out for the 6N

Decent team
The starting front 5 is nailed on
Back row could be interested if we dropped hamish but my gut says the big decision is who gets 8

9+10 are nailed on
Both centres should be open but Harris will be in for defence
Back 3 should be straight forward

So for me
Sutherland
Turner
Fagerson
JG
SC
Richie
Watson
?
Price
Russel
Graham
?
Harris
DVDM
Hogg


Subs will prob be
Kebbel
Cherry
WP
RG
?
SS
?
Kinghorn

A strangely settled team but they need to try and take forward the first 20 mins against Ireland and fit Russel into it

whatisthejava wrote:mcinally and brown both injured
Think mcInally is back for game 2 but Brown out for the 6N

Decent team
The starting front 5 is nailed on
Back row could be interested if we dropped hamish but my gut says the big decision is who gets 8

9+10 are nailed on
Both centres should be open but Harris will be in for defence
Back 3 should be straight forward

So for me
Sutherland
Turner
Fagerson
JG
SC
Richie
Watson
? Graham
Price
Russell
Graham
? Redpath
Harris
DVDM
Hogg


Subs will prob be
Kebbel
Cherry
WP
RG Craig
Fagerson
SS
? VdW
Kinghorn Jones

A strangely settled team but they need to try and take forward the first 20 mins against Ireland and fit Russel into it

My suggestions above.

whatisthejava wrote:mcinally and brown both injured
So for me
Sutherland
Turner
Fagerson
JG
SC
Richie
Watson
?
Price
Russel
Graham
?
Harris
DVDM
Hogg


Subs will prob be
Kebbel
Cherry
WP
RG
?
SS
?
Kinghorn

I'd give Graham the 8 jersey and start Taylor at 12. Maitland always ahead of Kinghorn for me. Will need to be VDW or Lang on the bench to cover Russell unless GT wants to risk Hogg playing 10 for the majority of the game.

Maybe some will always be underwhelmed with Fagerson but I feel like he has the 8 shirt for now. Certainly shown more than Thomson. I’d be interested to see a bit more of Graham if Blade doesn’t show a bit more soon, though we’d lose a very useful lineout option.

Has D’Arcy Graham been in good form recently? I really rate him but Maitland is generally very reliable.