[2014 Mid-Year Tests] Scotland

[iINDOMINUSxx]

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Yeah i remembered when we use to make threads like these for the 2013 end of year tests so i'd thought to get us up and running. i know its early but im sure as you know i like to get things up and running quick so we can start the discussion early.

So yeah as we know awful six nations for us but at the end off day Scott Johnston is gone and Vern Cotter has replaced him a good step to the right way for scottish rugby but is its enough well it wouldn't show in these early stages but im sure he'll give scotland a better name in rugby than the one we have now. for the squad Vern please drop Duncan Weir and Ross Ford it would be helpful. since we dont have a very hard tests i hope to see a debut from Harry Leonard or see Heathcote back in the team or give laidlaw another shout in the 10 spot. our attacking play was a big weak point, because scott johnston tried to change scotlands way off play which clearly doesn't suit us and he is suppose to be director off scottish rugby :| i'm not looking to this.

so in the tests we are up against:

United States vs Scotland
7 June 2014, 19:00 CDT (UTC-5)
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, USA

Canada vs Scotland
14 June 2014, 14:00 EDT (UTC-04)
BMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Argentina vs Scotland
21 June 2014, Time not announced
Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba, Argentina

South Africa vs Scotland
28 June 2014, 17:05 SAST (UTC+02)
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

yeah i did think scotland could have got a win in every game till i saw south africa
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[jrZielinski]

yeah scotty it is early but i can understand why it is posted early because for people like me who follows the national rugby team much more than my club and since the six nations are over i wouldn't be able to post stuff about my nation as much so this topic will help me to keep posting on the forum so thank you for posting them.

and yeah canada should be an easy game but i don worry about Hassler because he always score against a scottish side in the pro 12 so i could see him scoring. the thing about scotland and the U.S is that USA vs Ireland was always a close match so i worry if scotland will lose it cause i dont like the USA Fans they get on my nerve. with us being on bad form i dont know what will happen against argentina but last time we played them in argentina we won so i hope we can do so again but i dont know. and no question about it we'll lose to south africa there is no question about it.

so i hope its all goes thumbs up for scotland

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

yeah i thank you for understanding the reason of the early posts because there is scottish users which only posts on the international team bits so i made this i'll be making the others two

 

[Canadian_Rugger]

yeah scotty it is early but i can understand why it is posted early because for people like me who follows the national rugby team much more than my club and since the six nations are over i wouldn't be able to post stuff about my nation as much so this topic will help me to keep posting on the forum so thank you for posting them.

and yeah canada should be an easy game but i don worry about Hassler because he always score against a scottish side in the pro 12 so i could see him scoring. the thing about scotland and the U.S is that USA vs Ireland was always a close match so i worry if scotland will lose it cause i dont like the USA Fans they get on my nerve. with us being on bad form i dont know what will happen against argentina but last time we played them in argentina we won so i hope we can do so again but i dont know. and no question about it we'll lose to south africa there is no question about it.

so i hope its all goes thumbs up for scotland

What makes you think the Canada game will be an easy game... you play the USA first and given the way they play you may be banged up going into the Canada game. Italy didn't fare too well a couple of years ago at BMO Field either and if we have a full team available I wouldn't count us out. This tour looks easy on paper for Scotland but it will be anything but. I think you will lose both matches against Argentina and South Africa and you may go 1-1 against USA/Canada. Will see what happens.

 

[Big Ewis]

too early to judge Cotter yet of course, but a good idea of where things will go. I reckon he'll want to change the entire culture of the squad and we should see noticeable changes on-the-spot. The tour culminates in SA, a perfect way to evaluate Scotland's progress in a month of touring and evolving under a new headcoach. But of course it's just one tour...and the first for Cotter.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

too early to judge Cotter yet of course, but a good idea of where things will go. I reckon he'll want to change the entire culture of the squad and we should see noticeable changes on-the-spot. The tour culminates in SA, a perfect way to evaluate Scotland's progress in a month of touring and evolving under a new headcoach. But of course it's just one tour...and the first for Cotter.

absolutely we will see in a few month time what he is planning and what he is going to do

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/26665137

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

according to Gregor Townsend there is hope with the duncan weir + Alex Dunbar partnership (not sure if i agree but to be fair on weir he is only 22) http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/26706636

 

[MLB3BB2]

With Canada and the US on the rise and Scotland on the slide, I think Scotland's two tests in North America are going to be very competitive. And if Scotland isn't ready for 35C/95F temperatures and 90% humidity for the match in Houston, they could be out for the count! Last year Ireland should have combined their N. American and S. American tours as Scotland are doing this year, which would have allowed for an Irish tour of Australia or S. Africa this year.

 

[djwizard84]

With Canada and the US on the rise and Scotland on the slide, I think Scotland's two tests in North America are going to be very competitive. And if Scotland isn't ready for 35C/95F temperatures and 90% humidity for the match in Houston, they could be out for the count! Last year Ireland should have combined their N. American and S. American tours as Scotland are doing this year, which would have allowed for an Irish tour of Australia or S. Africa this year.

What Scotland and Italy are doing this year is a good thing, to have a very mix tour is the best way to analyze any player or even team development.

Lets see how scotland react to each test.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

With Canada and the US on the rise and Scotland on the slide, I think Scotland's two tests in North America are going to be very competitive. And if Scotland isn't ready for 35C/95F temperatures and 90% humidity for the match in Houston, they could be out for the count! Last year Ireland should have combined their N. American and S. American tours as Scotland are doing this year, which would have allowed for an Irish tour of Australia or S. Africa this year.

that is true but just to add that the irish team you played and lost too is an irish b side as all the starting players were away to the british and irish lions but i thought america should have won that game anyway. with our bad form just now yes this game will be competitive and with vern coming i hope he picks a good team and hopefully have sense to drop ross ford. i said this before but i dont hate weir he is only 22 but i think he is put into alot off pressure i hope he learn the basic stuff a 10 should be able to do which weir somehow cant

What Scotland and Italy are doing this year is a good thing, to have a very mix tour is the best way to analyze any player or even team development.


Lets see how scotland react to each test.

well as it's been pointed out already about the temperature in the US it will be hard to play with. but yes mixing the tours around does help quite a bit. i thought we would have not have went to south africa but we are. these tests will also give us an idea on what the world cup will shape up to be with as its obvious that scotland are likely to go to the quarter finals this year. im looking forward to Vern Cotters impacts and changes he'll make

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

just to let you know the scotland squad will be named tomorrow really cant wait to see vern's first pick as coach

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

the squads have been named for the USA and Canada tests the squads are:

Forwards: Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors); Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier); Kelly Brown (Saracens); Kevin Bryce (Glasgow Warriors); Blair Cowan; Geoff Cross (both London Irish); Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby); Richie Gray (Castres); Jim Hamilton (Montpellier); Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons); Kieran Low (London Irish); Moray Low (Exeter Chiefs); Pat MacArthur (Glasgow Warriors); Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors); Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan) and Kyle Traynor (Bristol Rugby).

Backs: Chris Cusiter (Sale Sharks); Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors); Max Evans (Castres); Tom Heathcote (Bath Rugby); Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester); Sean Lamont; Sean Maitland; Finn Russell (all Glasgow Warriors); Duncan Taylor (Saracens) and Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby).

the squads for the Argentina and South Africa tests the squads are:

Forwards: Kevin Bryce (Glasgow Warriors); Geoff Cross (London Irish); David Denton; Alasdair Dickinson; Ross Ford (all Edinburgh Rugby); Chris Fusaro (Glasgow Warriors); Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby); Jonny Gray; Rob Harley (both Glasgow Warriors); Moray Low (Exeter Chiefs); Pat MacArthur, Gordon Reid (both Glasgow Warriors); Tim Swinson; and Jon Welsh (both Glasgow Warriors).

Backs: Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors); Dougie Fife; Grayson Hart (both Edinburgh Rugby); Stuart Hogg, Peter Horne (both Glasgow Warriors); Ruaridh Jackson (London Wasps), Sean Maitland; Peter Murchie; Henry Pyrgos; Tommy Seymour; and Duncan Weir (all Glasgow Warriors).

the six un-capped players are Finn Russell, Gordon Reid, Alex Allan, Kevin Bryce, Blair Cowan and Grayson Hart

i think that its what i expected from Vern Cotter that is a very good selection i think that get the uncapped players a turn against the teams like the usa and canada and get the more experience players against the harder teams

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I think it's a great idea to have Scotland and Italy play such a mixed bag of tests; in the games against Canada and the US you'd assume they'd be favorites still despite touring so they should have some wins all while allowing USA and Canada a chance to try their hand at 'bigger' competition. Then against SA and the onpar Arg they have the roles reversed and get the chance to take a scalp whereas you'd think a tour to just SA would result in a fairly unproductive set of matches though Scotand has of course shown (on too many occasions than I care to remember) they are more than capable of beating us in the right situation.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

so seeing the team if i was vern to pick the team to face the USA i would put up a team like

1.) Gordon Reid
2.) Scott Lawson
3.) Moray Low
4.) Grant Gilchrist
5.) Jim Hamilton
6.) Alasdair Strokosch
7.) Kelly Brown
8.) Johnny Beattie
9.) Chris Cusiter
10.) Finn Russell
11.) Tim Visser
12.) Duncan Taylor
13.) Alex Dumbar
14.) Sean Maitland
15.) Stuart Hogg

16.) Kevin Bryce
17.) Kyle Traynor
18.) Geoff Cross
19.) Richie Gray
20.) Blair Cowan
21.) Greig Laidlaw
22.) Tom Heathcote
23.) Max Evans

 

[Big Ewis]

Has Denton left back to South Africa ?

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

he is also going to argentina aswell i think we were leaving him for the more crucial games

 

[Big Ewis]

he is also going to argentina aswell i think we were leaving him for the more crucial games

oh, ok...thought maybe he'd had enough of eating haggis or smt...

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

but i have no idea why richie gray wasn't selected for the scotland squad to play south africa

 

[Big Ewis]

but i have no idea why richie gray wasn't selected for the south africa squad

yeah....he's pure Scottish, he's got nowhere else to go to.