[2015 Six Nations] Scotland vs Ireland (Round 5)

[munstermuffin]

Fair team can't say it's weakened.

 

[bw245]

Interesting to see Zebo dropped completely. Was there a reason given no?

 

[LiRFCMatt]

Do you guys reckon this team will give enough in attack to put enough points on Scotland and pile the pressure on England?

 

[lynam1104]

Healy in for McGrath and Fitzy in for Zebo. I can here the revolution stirring down south already. Healy is not a massive surprise (figuratively speaking) given Joe all but said that he was almost back to no.1 last week. Fitzgerald is the odd one- straight into the side, he obviously always been a Schmidt favourite and a personal one too but given his strategy of consistency so far its surprising.

 

[ruggabee]

Interesting to see Zebo dropped completely. Was there a reason given no?

He said Zebo has been showing wear and tear, which has been affecting his performance. ****les etc. Same with McGrath.

 

[munstermuffin]

Healy in for McGrath and Fitzy in for Zebo. I can here the revolution stirring down south already. Healy is not a massive surprise (figuratively speaking) given Joe all but said that he was almost back to no.1 last week. Fitzgerald is the odd one- straight into the side, he obviously always been a Schmidt favourite and a personal one too but given his strategy of consistency so far its surprising.

I don't think many are that bullish down south. We all saw that Zebo wasn't great. Not many of the backline were and well it's freshening it up. Fitzgearld and Earls are the 2 form backs in the country and Schmidt has made it clear Earls is a 13 to him and Fitzgearld a winger. Nothing favourite about it Luke earned his spot. My bigger gripe is that Earls isn't 23 ahead of Felix but well that's life. It's a team capable of doing the job and my biggest fear is if we do get an injury what will happen in backs.

 

[lynam1104]

I don't think many are that bullish down south. We all saw that Zebo wasn't great. Not many of the backline were and well it's freshening it up. Fitzgearld and Earls are the 2 form backs in the country and Schmidt has made it clear Earls is a 13 to him and Fitzgearld a winger. Nothing favourite about it Luke earned his spot. My bigger gripe is that Earls isn't 23 ahead of Felix but well that's life. It's a team capable of doing the job and my biggest fear is if we do get an injury what will happen in backs.

Twas only a cheap dig

Agree about Felix making even less sense than before now

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Scotland team
15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); 31 caps, 9 tries, 1 pen, 48 points

14 Dougie Fife (Edinburgh Rugby); 5 caps, 1 try, 5 points
13 Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors); 6 tries, 2 tries, 10 points
12 Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby); 24 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
11 Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors); 16 caps, 6 tries, 30 points

10 Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors); 8 caps, 1 con, 2 points
9 Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester); 38 caps, 3 tries, 40 cons, 80 pens, 335 points

1 Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors); 21 caps
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby); 84 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
3 Euan Murray (Glasgow Warriors); 65 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
4 Jim Hamilton (Saracens); 60 caps, 1 try, 5 points
5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors); 12 caps, 1 try, 5 points
6 Adam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors); 4 caps
7 Blair Cowan (London Irish); 10 caps, 1 try, 5 points
8 David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby); 24 caps

Substitutes
16 Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors); 7 caps
17 Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby); 43 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
18 Geoff Cross (London Irish); 39 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
19 Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors); 11 caps
20 Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors); 14 caps, 1 try, 5 points
21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh Rugby); 4 caps
22 Greig Tonks (Edinburgh Rugby); 3 caps
23 Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby); 17 caps, 7 tries, 35 points

do really like the squad but i do hugely disagree with one thing, Yes Adam Ashe i rate really highly but why put Harley on the bench who has been great in this year's six nations. I would had went with Ashe at 6, Harley at 7 (he has played games for glasgow on the openside before) and Denton at 8 but it is still a good squad

 

[LiRFCMatt]

do really like the squad but i do hugely disagree with one thing, Yes Adam Ashe i rate really highly but why put Harley on the bench who has been great in this year's six nations. I would had went with Ashe at 6, Harley at 7 (he has played games for glasgow on the openside before) and Denton at 8 but it is still a good squad

I would say Cowan has been your stand-out player. And that is me trying to put my London Irish bias to one side, I think he has been phenomenal, better than Harley.

 

[g6mcg]

Think Harley's problem is he's quite light for a six. (No idea of his measurements, just mean in style of play). He's always going to be quite a defensive six. Not that that doesn't massively suit our needs...

 

[profitius]

Do you guys reckon this team will give enough in attack to put enough points on Scotland and pile the pressure on England?

Judging on the past 6 months I wouldn't count on it. Depends how Scotland defend.

 

[LiRFCMatt]

We take a look at the game in our preview here: http://fourballsblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/scotland-vs-ireland-preview.html

Talk about Fitzgerland and other changes in there, and how Ireland can claim victory, but may struggle to post a large points difference

"The Scottish will make themselves very difficult to beat, even though they'd love to see the trophy slip out of England's grasp, and I expect a real fight from them, a fight that the Irish should cope with, but maybe not as easily as many Irishmen would hope after seeing how easy it was for England to create chances against them last week. Stuart Hogg and Blair Cowan will need to be brilliant as always, and Finn Russell will need to remain composed as he comes up against the master Jonny Sexton. The Murrayfield crowd will be hoping for an upset, but we reckon a normal, solid Irish win is on the cards."

 

[munstermuffin]

Strange that all over Ireland there is little build up and sort of a non interest. Even on threads for all games there's no real excitement. Is this possibly 1 of most uninteresting 6Nations finales ever.

 

[ruggabee]

Strange that all over Ireland there is little build up and sort of a non interest. Even on threads for all games there's no real excitement. Is this possibly 1 of most uninteresting 6Nations finales ever.

Everyone's nervous!

 

[chippieolamus]

Strange that all over Ireland there is little build up and sort of a non interest. Even on threads for all games there's no real excitement. Is this possibly 1 of most uninteresting 6Nations finales ever.

I think its just that sense of deflation after your team has lost. I felt disinterested in the 6 nations for a week after we lost to Ireland, its normal. I'm quite excited for this weekend, as it seems like most people in England are.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Strange that all over Ireland there is little build up and sort of a non interest. Even on threads for all games there's no real excitement. Is this possibly 1 of most uninteresting 6Nations finales ever.

One of the most exciting really but I feel as if it has no immediate effect, any one of three teams can win and they aren't necessarily the best in the competition. It'll certainly go down as a great final day, similar to '07.

 

[munstermuffin]

One of the most exciting really but I feel as if it has no immediate effect, any one of three teams can win and they aren't necessarily the best in the competition. It'll certainly go down as a great final day, similar to '07.

I agree it's 1 of best in rugby terms meant uninteresting in term of hype etc. I think it's as you said because any of 3 will win and it's not meaning they're necessarily the best. The finale of 07 where the try near end of French game was difference was brilliant after Ireland did Italian job. If this matches in how close that day was it'll be very special

 

[lynam1104]

The loss to Wales just knocked the wind out of the hype sails still very exciting just hard to get over that game.

 

[bw245]

Normally I'm sad on the last day of the 6 nations, but excited for the World Cup now. Obviously it would be nice to win the championship today, but think it would mean more to Wales and England. Think we just need to finish well against a good Scotland side. Reckon Wales will in the championship.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Normally I'm sad on the last day of the 6 nations, but excited for the World Cup now. Obviously it would be nice to win the championship today, but think it would mean more to Wales and England. Think we just need to finish well against a good Scotland side. Reckon Wales will in the championship.

Don't be sad, you can go back to watching Leinster tearing it up....oh wait, forget that