Early 6N discussion thread

[OptimisticJock]

Watson possibly fractured his hand

[Mikey Brown]

Shit. I mean I’m happy with Ritchie there. But shit. Watson is class.

[Big D]

Not one for this year but I'm really optimistic about the future of our back row. Crosbie, Ritchie, Bradbury and Fagerson all full of potential.

[Chunks Baws]

Not one for this year but I'm really optimistic about the future of our back row. Crosbie, Ritchie, Bradbury and Fagerson all full of potential.

I was watching last night and thinking Crosbie was having a fairly quiet game, then he popped up with a couple of really good, physical carries. I like his aggression.

If Mish is out I suppose we'll be looking at a backrow of Hardie, Ritchie and Wilson.

[switchskier]

Not one for this year but I'm really optimistic about the future of our back row. Crosbie, Ritchie, Bradbury and Fagerson all full of potential.

I was watching last night and thinking Crosbie was having a fairly quiet game, then he popped up with a couple of really good, physical carries. I like his aggression.

If Mish is out I suppose we'll be looking at a backrow of Hardie, Ritchie and Wilson.

No carrying in that backrow and without Faegerson sr in the side we'd be too reliant on McInally to carry the load. I'd love to see Ashe in, but perhaps we should select Skinner at 8. It's a bit of an injury crises really with Barclay, Denton, Watson, Faegerson, Bradbury, Du Preez and Hamilton all out.

[Big D]

Has Skinner ever played 8?

[Chunks Baws]

Not one for this year but I'm really optimistic about the future of our back row. Crosbie, Ritchie, Bradbury and Fagerson all full of potential.

I was watching last night and thinking Crosbie was having a fairly quiet game, then he popped up with a couple of really good, physical carries. I like his aggression.

If Mish is out I suppose we'll be looking at a backrow of Hardie, Ritchie and Wilson.

No carrying in that backrow and without Faegerson sr in the side we'd be too reliant on McInally to carry the load. I'd love to see Ashe in, but perhaps we should select Skinner at 8. It's a bit of an injury crises really with Barclay, Denton, Watson, Faegerson, Bradbury, Du Preez and Hamilton all out.

That's the on going issue with our backrow. Has Skinner played much at 8 or 6? How well does Gary Graham carry? He appears to have been written off already. Ian Morrison sees him as a 6.5 in the Robshaw mould.

[switchskier]

I was watching last night and thinking Crosbie was having a fairly quiet game, then he popped up with a couple of really good, physical carries. I like his aggression.

If Mish is out I suppose we'll be looking at a backrow of Hardie, Ritchie and Wilson.

No carrying in that backrow and without Faegerson sr in the side we'd be too reliant on McInally to carry the load. I'd love to see Ashe in, but perhaps we should select Skinner at 8. It's a bit of an injury crises really with Barclay, Denton, Watson, Faegerson, Bradbury, Du Preez and Hamilton all out.

That's the on going issue with our backrow. Has Skinner played much at 8 or 6? How well does Gary Graham carry? He appears to have been written off already. Ian Morrison sees him as a 6.5 in the Robshaw mould.

He played 6 for Exeter in their last two games (Castre and Bristol). Sure I've seen him at 8 too.

[OptimisticJock]

Johnson failed his HIA

[Scrumhead]

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[Scrumhead]

Also, since I’m here, I can answer your questions re. Skinner and Graham.

Skinner is mobile for a big guy and quite regularly plays at 6 for Chiefs. He’s bit like Itoje or Isiekwe for Sarries in that lock is his better position, but he’s a capable blindside.

Graham is a good carrier. Arguably I would say it’s one of his better attributes. Personally, I would have said he’s more like Sean O’Brien than Robshaw. He’s an abrasive type who is decent enough at the breakdown but he’s best used as a carrying flanker who is very aggressive in defence. He’d be a decent replacement for Watson.

[Chunks Baws]

Also, since I’m here, I can answer your questions re. Skinner and Graham.

Skinner is mobile for a big guy and quite regularly plays at 6 for Chiefs. He’s bit like Itoje or Isiekwe for Sarries in that lock is his better position, but he’s a capable blindside.

Graham is a good carrier. Arguably I would say it’s one of his better attributes. Personally, I would have said he’s more like Sean O’Brien than Robshaw. He’s an abrasive type who is decent enough at the breakdown but he’s best used as a carrying flanker who is very aggressive in defence. He’d be a decent replacement for Watson.

Cheers, appreciate the info. I saw on Twitter yesterday that Graham tops the tackle chart in the ERC.

Any updates on the injuries to Gray and Wilson?

[General Zod]

Also, since I’m here, I can answer your questions re. Skinner and Graham.

Skinner is mobile for a big guy and quite regularly plays at 6 for Chiefs. He’s bit like Itoje or Isiekwe for Sarries in that lock is his better position, but he’s a capable blindside.

Graham is a good carrier. Arguably I would say it’s one of his better attributes. Personally, I would have said he’s more like Sean O’Brien than Robshaw. He’s an abrasive type who is decent enough at the breakdown but he’s best used as a carrying flanker who is very aggressive in defence. He’d be a decent replacement for Watson.

Cheers, appreciate the info. I saw on Twitter yesterday that Graham tops the tackle chart in the ERC.

Any updates on the injuries to Gray and Wilson?

Don’t know diagnoses, but we’ve called up Crosbie, Smith, Dunbar and Harley.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/46945265

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Scraping the f*cking barrel if Matt Smith is international quality. He's not even good enough for the pro 14.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I'm not so worried about Gray, in some scenarios he wouldn't even make my 23 but it sounds like he could still play a part later on. Hamish looks likely to miss the entire thing though and that is huge.

[Mikey Brown]

I'm not so worried about Gray, in some scenarios he wouldn't even make my 23 but it sounds like he could still play a part later on. Hamish looks likely to miss the entire thing though and that is huge.

Yep. He really seems to make a difference.

Smith and Harley (as a lock) is about as uninspiring as it gets. Pleased for Crosbie to get involved though. He’ll presumably be 4th choice flanker.

I’m keen to see though if the lineout is strong enough with a 4. Skinner 5. Gilchrist pairing, or if Toolis is needed, but I’m happy enough with those 3 making the 23.

[Big D]

Scraping the f*cking barrel if Matt Smith is international quality. He's not even good enough for the pro 14.

He's not international quality and won't be near the 23. He's a camp body.

We have an unbelievable amount of injuries in the back row now so we are going to need to scrape the barrel.

To be honest, I have more of an issue with Harley. I'd pick bott the Edinburgh 2nd rows left ahead of him.

Other thing we need to remember is Edinburgh are in SA so that may direct Toony in some squad filling picks too.

[Big D]

Scraping the f*cking barrel if Matt Smith is international quality. He's not even good enough for the pro 14.

He's not international quality and won't be near the 23. He's a camp body.

We have an unbelievable amount of injuries in the back row now so we are going to need to scrape the barrel.

To be honest, I have more of an issue with Harley. I'd pick bott the Edinburgh 2nd rows left ahead of him.

Other thing we need to remember I suppose is Edinburgh are in SA so that may direct Toony in some squad filling picks too.

[ARM]

Shame about Watson - of all the back row injured players he is the one shoe-in, Test quality player we're missing in the third row (other than Barclay)

Still the first choice back line, which is pretty settled, and front five of the pack are all fit and firing (assuming Maitland is a tiny niggle and Jones will fire in a Scotland shirt as he usually does).

1 Dell
2 McInally
3 Nel
4 Gray
5 Gilco

9 - Laidlaw
10 - Russell
11 - Seymour
12 - Horne
13 - Jones
14 - Maitland
15 - Hogg

In fact we should just play 12 players against Italy and keep the BR fresh for the Irish.

[Chunks Baws]

Watson out for the whole show

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/46970531

[Croft_No.5]

Edinburgh flanker Hamish Watson is set to miss at least the first half of Scotland's Six Nations campaign, head coach Gregor Townsend has confirmed.

The open-side suffered a fracture to his hand in Edinburgh's Champions Cup win over Montpellier last Friday.

Scotland open their campaign with home games against Italy on 2 February and Ireland a week later.

"To lose someone like Hamish is disappointing," said Townsend, who hopes Watson may still feature.

[Mikey Brown]

Lame.

Do we put Ritchie there and take the chance to get more of a look at the 6/8 options or go back to Hardie and see if he can last a full game?

[OptimisticJock]

Richie, Hardie and Ashe for me.

[whatisthejava]

I think my pack is (presuming JG is fit)

Dell
mcInally
WP
JG
GG
SS
Richie
Ashe

With Hardie and BBT on the bench

I should say id prefer SS in the second row but our lack of options in the back row means that we really need some bulk there

[General Zod]

I think...

Dell
Rambo
WP

JG
GG

SS
Hardie
Ashe

So not too dissimilar. Hopefully Hardie doesn’t break as his tackling will be important v Ireland.