Team for Georgia

[Big D]

There is a small chance SJ and RH are our best centre combination and he has been waiting on SJ getting fit to give them a run.

I think GT is aware this is a banana skin that would lead to a headache if we lose.

[Mikey Brown]

I had to go and check that I hadn't imagined we were playing a 4th warm-up next Friday. If the squad announcement really is on Thursday that seems mad. Why even bother until it's all wrapped up?

There have been some comments from the England squad about them being pleased with naming the squad early and it allowing them to settle into their jobs more effectively, but I can't see how that helps whens its a day or two before the final warm-up.

I was excited about this team, but you guys are right it doesn't bode well for Bradbury, Thomson, Hornet etc.

You have to wonder what happens if Graham and Kinghorn have real stormers on Saturday.

I get your point on Hutchinson but surely he's only there because GT sees him as a real option. Jones isn't exactly tearing it up, Taylor is just as likely to slip over and break both his legs as turn in a star performance and the other guy is the worst human who ever lived- Chris Harris.

[Big D]

I suppose it gives the team a focus and a game to build up to so they can get a bit of focused prep before flying to Japan on the Monday or Tuesday,

[ARM]

I really do like the look of Hutchinson but I don't think he's got enough time to stake a claim. It's the coaches job to build a RWC team - the warm-ups are not for looking at new players. He should have been taken on tour last year or invited to train during the 6N.

Nah, he had hardly played pro rugby before last season and shot through in the second half with some stunning form for Northants. He’d be a true bolter if he toured with so little pro rugby and Test experience but I’m really looking forward to seeing him in that back division on Saturday.

Good to see Johnson back and there are some strong hints on Toony’s preferred first team from that selection:

Front row
Gilchrist
Flankers
Half backs
Back three (Hogg rested, Seymour injured)

No 8 and centres are where it remains all to play for. Looks like a very badly timed injury for Bradbury who must be struggling now along with Ritchie (shame for the latter).

Think it’ll be a real mixed bag of a selection next week which may include a couple not selected for RWC as cannon fodder, injury returnees (Gray, perhaps Thomson) and squad players looking for game time.

[Big D]

I have been a fan or Barclay since he was the young kid everyone raved about from the age group below, but if he lays an egg on Saturday and goes ahead of Ritchie it will be a touch farcical.

[Mikey Brown]

A bit of explanation of the team here from GT for those of you doing as little work today as I am.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I really do like the look of Hutchinson but I don't think he's got enough time to stake a claim. It's the coaches job to build a RWC team - the warm-ups are not for looking at new players. He should have been taken on tour last year or invited to train during the 6N.

Nah, he had hardly played pro rugby before last season and shot through in the second half with some stunning form for Northants. He’d be a true bolter if he toured with so little pro rugby and Test experience but I’m really looking forward to seeing him in that back division on Saturday.

Yes but we played Canada & the States. Those fixtures are for testing promising youngsters & fringe players.

Plus he was a known quantity having played for our U18S, U20S & some Edinburgh fans even expressing a desire to get him onto the books prior to the season start.

I am definitely not a Toony fan but it wasn't intended as a criticism really - I just don't think Hutchinson is in a position to stake a claim because he hasn't been included previously. We really don't know enough about him at international level and time isn't on his side. If he has an absolute stormer on the weekend then things change...

[Big D]

Hardie and Strauss weren't involved before the last world cup and played. Although they had a lot more experience, but on the flip side I am not sure it matters when the you are young and full of confidence.

Our centres are all over the place. Jones hasn't been in form for a while, Taylor is an injury waiting to happen with 60min rugby in him in the last
god knows how long and Harris whilst doing ok last week isn't all that.

Hutchinson is a hot hand in terms of form. Sometimes we need to go with it. If he is playing better than his competition he should go.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Hardie and Strauss weren't involved before the last world cup and played. Although they had a lot more experience, but on the flip side I am not sure it matters when the you are young and full of confidence.

Our centres are all over the place. Jones hasn't been in form for a while, Taylor is an injury waiting to happen with 60min rugby in him in the last
god knows how long and Harris whilst doing ok last week isn't all that.

Hutchinson is a hot hand in terms of form. Sometimes we need to go with it. If he is playing better than his competition he should go.

Not the same. They were late 20s, lots of domestic experience and were in positions we had less depth in.

Not sure how much confidence he would have in a crunch game when the pressure is on. We already knew that with Strauss.

[Big D]

I literally acknowledge the difference the very next sentence.

Your original point was he hadn't been included previously and we didn't know anything about him at international level.

We have a few players at 13 but Jones hasn't put in a high quality performance without being terrible for a while now, Harris is limited and Taylor can't be depended in terms of staying fit.until he proves otherwise.

By all journey accounts Hutchinson has been flying at training. If he has been and plays well on Saturday he deserves to go.

[Cameo]

Agree, in the outside backs especially, as long as you have a balance, I think being a newbie can be an advantage. Bit of freshness and other teams don't know quite what they are up against.

[switchskier]

Whilst I've been championing him for a while I do t think that we can claim Hutchinson is the form option as his best games were 5 months ago now. However I think he is a better fit for the game toony wants to play than the other options and the way Northampton play is closer is style to us than anyone else. He can't be any worse in defense either than we have been lately so the comparative lack of size is less of an issue.

[Chunks Baws]

Hardie and Strauss weren't involved before the last world cup and played. Although they had a lot more experience, but on the flip side I am not sure it matters when the you are young and full of confidence.

Our centres are all over the place. Jones hasn't been in form for a while, Taylor is an injury waiting to happen with 60min rugby in him in the last
god knows how long and Harris whilst doing ok last week isn't all that.

Hutchinson is a hot hand in terms of form. Sometimes we need to go with it. If he is playing better than his competition he should go.

I'm with you here. I keep seeing this "credit in the bank" shit posted elsewhere, especially when people are discussing Jones. To be quite honest he's been pish for far too long now. I suspect his confidence is also shot to pieces. If you're picking on form and not past reputations Hutchinson goes, Jones doesn't.

[Mikey Brown]

I can't quite work out what it is that Jones needs. A kick? A solid run of games? I guess it all seemed to come so easily when he started out with Scotland? I still think there's a fantastic player in there, obviously.

[Cameo]

Hardie and Strauss weren't involved before the last world cup and played. Although they had a lot more experience, but on the flip side I am not sure it matters when the you are young and full of confidence.

Our centres are all over the place. Jones hasn't been in form for a while, Taylor is an injury waiting to happen with 60min rugby in him in the last
god knows how long and Harris whilst doing ok last week isn't all that.

Hutchinson is a hot hand in terms of form. Sometimes we need to go with it. If he is playing better than his competition he should go.

I'm with you here. I keep seeing this "credit in the bank" shit posted elsewhere, especially when people are discussing Jones. To be quite honest he's been pish for far too long now. I suspect his confidence is also shot to pieces. If you're picking on form and not past reputations Hutchinson goes, Jones doesn't.

When were all these games when Jones has been pish?

[Mikey Brown]

Just watching back the end of the France game (mainly to see Hutchinson) now I've got the premier sports thing. What is the deal with this stupid lineout shuffle move we keep doing? I appreciate we were down to bare bones at this point but Wilson has appointed himself lineout jumper at the front every single time for some reason. Just that little confidence in Turner/Stewart?

The line is set, then just before the throw he shuffles away from the French jumpers towards our own goal line. I understand trying to create a space, but once the ref has his centre point that is where the ball needs to go in order to be straight, so you're either moving away from the ball (leaving the French a much cleaner chance to intercept) or you're chancing your arm on throwing to a different target than was set initially. We have gotten away with 2 incredibly dodgy throws so far, and one that appeared to just go straight through Wilson's hands.

If the positioning of the players is enough to trick referees that the throw is still straight then great, but it seems like we're creating yet another opportunity to throw away possession. Not sure if the locks have been doing this or it's just a Wilson thing.

Also, don't remember Jones being pish exactly, but he just hasn't looked switched on to me in quite a while. I'd still be nervous about going into a crunch game without him.

[Big D]

Hardie and Strauss weren't involved before the last world cup and played. Although they had a lot more experience, but on the flip side I am not sure it matters when the you are young and full of confidence.

Our centres are all over the place. Jones hasn't been in form for a while, Taylor is an injury waiting to happen with 60min rugby in him in the last
god knows how long and Harris whilst doing ok last week isn't all that.

Hutchinson is a hot hand in terms of form. Sometimes we need to go with it. If he is playing better than his competition he should go.

I'm with you here. I keep seeing this "credit in the bank" shit posted elsewhere, especially when people are discussing Jones. To be quite honest he's been pish for far too long now. I suspect his confidence is also shot to pieces. If you're picking on form and not past reputations Hutchinson goes, Jones doesn't.

I think pish is a stretch. I think Jones hasn't been his usual self without being really poor.

The games I saw of Hutchinson suggests he was the in form 13 in the last half of the season and neither of the starting 13s over the last two weeks have shown a great deal more than a decent performance IMO.

[General Zod]

Georgia need to change that anthem before they get let in. Other than that, it looks pretty good so far. I particularly like the way they kept us standing still on the sidelines for about 3 minutes before they came out.

[Mikey Brown]

Johnson angling for a red card straight from the kick off.

[Mikey Brown]

Lazy from Russell.

[Mikey Brown]

Watson limping. Russell throwing awful passes. Good stuff.

[General Zod]

Hamish Watson “hobbling” according to the commentator...

[General Zod]

Johnson angling for a red card straight from the kick off.

Missed that. What happened? Was pouring a beer into my limited edition tennents glass with a picture of Stuart Hogg on the front. Seriously, these people see me coming.

[Mikey Brown]

Haha.

Johnson nearly caught a guy in the air but I think realised it was the wrong man. Nothing bad or citable, but I thought it was game over for a moment there at 4 seconds in.

Scotland win a lineout! But get absolutely pantsed in the maul.

Scotland very lucky Georgia are conceding so many penalties.

[General Zod]

Yeah - still, gotta make the most of it and we seem to be.

Their full-back has a right dodgy little ‘tache.

What a try!