AI Squad & general match thread

[Adder]

Teams out

Del
Brown
Berghan
JG
GG
Ritchie
Watson
Straus
Laidlaw
Hastings
Russel
Jones
Kinghorm
Hogg

Who's missing at 11?

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[Big D]

Another tombola selection. Some good selections, some strange ones too though.

[Big D]

Teams out

Del
Brown
Berghan
JG
GG
Ritchie
Watson
Straus
Laidlaw
Hastings
Russel
Jones
Kinghorm
Hogg

Who's missing at 11?

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Maitland.

[Mellsblue]

That back line. You won’t die wondering.

[Big D]

I am a little surprised he didn't go full tombola and play Hogg at 13.

[Mikey Brown]

Why not give Ashe or someone a run from the bench? How is Wilson getting all these caps?

[ARM]

10. Hastings 12. Russell. 13. Hogg. 15. Kinghorn

10 Hastings
12 Russell
14 Kinghorn
15 Hogg

Interests me.

Good lad Toony...

[af73]

Why not give Ashe or someone a run from the bench? How is Wilson getting all these caps?

Indeed. Fagerson injured?
Horne 3 benches no starts. He is 3rd choice but not by such a margin as not to have been afforded a start both in terms of current club form and impact during time on the field during the AI's.

Hastings Russell is the one selection that seems to have a clear objective and purpose as I see it. Both can be asked to put full focus on the things they are good at and worry less about the things they are perhaps weaker at. A similar complimentary skill set to the all too brief Hayes and Howarth combination at Glasgow.

We know about McGuigan but only have 6 minutes of Darcy Graham to go on (a token 6 minutes to avoid the modern day ignominy of being an unused sub).

Seems a bit of compromise/contradiction as usual. This front 5 would have been better starting last week. A backline that will thrive and probably only function on quick delivery....but has Laidlaw "managing the tempo"

Hope he isn't falling into the trap of playing the last game instead of the present one. Or worse, sticking to a pre-arranged plan regardless.

This will probably be the end of the experimentation and the settling of the bulk of the World Cup squad. Not really fair on those who haven't had equal chance to press their claim over those who are more or less certain to go whatever happened. The old adage of it being harder to get out of a squad than it is to get into one.

[Cameo]

Overall I feel he has managed the rotation fairly well but it is a pity not to see Horne get a start. I suppose he got a couple on the summer tour. I'm not sure Townsend is seeing this as much as about giving people opportunities to get into the squad as about ending up with a full squad comfortable in their roles.

Im as excited as anyone about seeing the Hastings Russel experiment but don't really understand the talk of them concentrating on what each does best or having complimentary skillsets. To me, they have very similar skillsets with Russell just being better at everything (at the moment) apart from running.

Big games to win though. I have a bit of confidence that come the world cup we can rotate a bit and still win well but if we lose again on Saturday that will be shaken a little

[Adder]

In case you had not seen it yet.

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[whatisthejava]

Toony must be fairly confident the laws are going to be changed post WC to make it more advantage to move the ball
he seems to have zero interest in developing the forwards even so far as to try and achieve parity, we continually never protect the ball and get turned over ore than any other top team

This would make sense considering WR (ignoring the AI) seem to be wanting to reduce the size of the players and the resulting collisions

[whatisthejava]

Toony must be fairly confident the laws are going to be changed post WC to make it more advantage to move the ball
he seems to have zero interest in developing the forwards even so far as to try and achieve parity, we continually never protect the ball and get turned over ore than any other top team

This would make sense considering WR (ignoring the AI) seem to be wanting to reduce the size of the players and the resulting collisions

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I wonder if Toony sees Hastings as the long term solution at 10 over Russell?

[Mikey Brown]

I think we forgive a lot in Hastings that we wouldn’t if we weren’t so desperate for some depth at 10. He might surpass Russell, I think it would take some time, but at least we have an option. I don’t imagine GT is that far ahead.

[Cameo]

I wonder if Toony sees Hastings as the long term solution at 10 over Russell?

I think you might be in for some disappointment. I get the impression Toony rates Russel as highly as I do. I also rate Hastings but I'm not sure he is e steady solid 10 you are keen on

[switchskier]

I wonder if Toony sees Hastings as the long term solution at 10 over Russell?

Very much wishful thinking on your part, we know you don't rate Russell.

Toony is evidently jeen on flexibility and trying different combinations ahead of the World Cup, in many ways it's one if the few advantages of our shall player base. Still, I have to admit I quite enjoy a bit if Toony Tombola, gives us something to talk about.

[Donny osmond]

I myself am not excited about the Hasting Russell experiment. I think Hastings needs a lot more game time to find his feet before being exposed to the full “maverick genius” of Russell, aka the full “where the fuck is he, why, and what’s he doing there, and how the fuck am I meant to organise and support the back line when that cunt is swanning around grabbing all the attention”.


Sorry turned into a bit of a rant, didn’t mean that.

Much as Russell is obviously our best fh, the whole maverick thing pisses me off, it doesn’t do us nearly as many favours as if he used his skills in more, I dunno, team like way, and it’s not how to introduce a young and still inexperienced colleague to intl rugby.

But hey, it’s pretty much all we’ve got, so for now I just need to sit back and try to enjoy it!!!

[hugh_woatmeigh]

We could actually have strung some meaningful phases together by now given how poor Argie are and how much ball we've had but Hastings is standing so deep off Laidlaw. Even in the Argie half...

[hugh_woatmeigh]

What the actual f*ck from Hogg? That spill could have been bad.

[Mikey Brown]

We could actually have strung some meaningful phases together by now given how poor Argie are and how much ball we've had but Hastings is standing so deep off Laidlaw. Even in the Argie half...

Everyone does. No idea if there’s some tactic but behind it.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

We could actually have strung some meaningful phases together by now given how poor Argie are and how much ball we've had but Hastings is standing so deep off Laidlaw. Even in the Argie half...

Everyone does. No idea if there’s some tactic but behind it.

Wasn't trying to single Hastings out although he is having a poor game. Don't think the "rugby" we're playing is helping him or the team at all though.

Are we hoping Argentina knacker themselves out?

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Following on from Donny's point about Finn - in what universe and at what level of rugby is that a justified decision when you've got a 22 drop out, leading 3-0 and are pretty lucky to not be trailing 6-3?

Utter fucking idiot. I wish he would just cut that stupid crap out.

[Big D]

That should be a yellow to Brown.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Our kick chase is killing them though. Maitland is everywhere.

[OptimisticJock]

Hogg no happy