Scotland 2012 Schedule

[Melhor Time]

In addition to Scotland´s five matches in the Six Nations the Scot´s are to face the likes os New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga in 2012 for a total of eleven test matches. No word yet on the venues for the home matches but it is safe to say that Edinburgh will host the clashes with the All Blacks and Springboks while the game vs Tonga will either be at Murrayfield too or in Aberdeen. I´d prefer to see the match vs South Africa played at Hampton Park in Glasgow but, as has been pointed out recently on this forum, the chances are slim.

Scotland´s June tour is as follows:

June 05 Australia vs Scotland, Newcastle
June 16 / 17 Fiji vs Scotland
June 23 / 24 Samoa vs Scotland

Scotland´s November home series is as follows:

November 10 / 11 Scotland vs New Zealand
November 17 / 18 Scotland vs South Africa
November 24 / 25 Scotland vs Tonga

It has also emerged that the reason for Scotland visiting Fiji and Samoa but not Tonga is because the Tongan rugby union could not meet the neccessary costs to host the match. As such the Australia vs Scotland fixture was added. Fiji and Samoa are, however, both to host Scotland in the Islands.

 

[Seaton]

And Christ Paterson will not feature in any of these games:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/16274504.stm

 

[Melhor Time]

And Christ Paterson will not feature in any of these games:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/16274504.stm

Sad to see him go. Whats the short and long term solution going to be?

My view of the Scottish back three is that I like Max Evans and Sean Lamont very much but Sean is better at 12. For 15 they are going to feel it hard. Rory Lamont has been unable to get much club game time. Simon Danielli is already 32. The best hope looks like Tim Visser to play on one wing and Evans on the other. For fullback I can´t think if an easy fix. Its either Rory Lamont or a flyhalf like Ruaridh Jackson or Dan Parks (God forbid) to play 15.

 

[Seaton]

Nah, fullback we are covered these days.

Stuart Hogg has arguably been Glasgow's best performing player this season, but is only 19 which may deter Andy Robinson.
However if he is prepared to make maximum use of his contract unil 2015, he will select Hogg. Rory Lamont has recently moved to Glasgow, and is the first choice wing there now, kept out of fullback by Hogg of course, so he will get more than enough game-time in the future.

Tom Brown has also done very well for Edinburgh when he appears, Paterson has frankly been woeful this season, and with Brown performing so well in his cameo appearances, it beggars belief why he is still starting, but this isn't about criticising Michael Bradley.

Hugo Southwell has been doin okay for Wasps so far, I am ot saying I want him selected, but AR might want to go with experienced heads and/ or give Hogg time with the A team or even u21s.

So fullback is sorted, now for the wings and Sean Lamont. As Visser only qualifies in June, and is pretty much a garuanteed starter after that, we need two decent wings for the 6 Nations. Max Evans will be one of the no doubt, the other spot is dependant on who AR selects for fullback. If he selects Rory Lamont at 15, and his brother at 12 (which I will get to now), then it is between Lee Jones and Joe Ansbro for the other wing spot, with Nick de Luca having been in his best form for years at 13 for Edinburgh now. If Hogg is selected at 15, Rory most likely start at wing, to help him out if he needs it.

Sean Lamont has signed a 4 year contract at Glasgow. It has yet to be seen how Sean Lineen intends to utilise him, or if there has been interference from the national selectors, asking Glasgow to sign him and play him at 12. Long term, he can manage the occasional break at 12, and put in a decent defensive performance there, but he is not the long-term solution. He can't or doesn't pass often enough, very much a winmg playing 12 which has admittedly made him look good in the role do to our prior weakness there. Why do I say prior? Despite Edinburgh being where they are in the league, they have put in some fantastic performances this season (far more entertaining than Glasgow anyway), and Matt Scott (and James King when Scott is out) has been a big part of that at 12. So long term, 12 looks much rosier than the past few years, with both those youngsters being actual ball players rather than the Morrison type.

However, Duncan Weir has been doing very well for himself at Glasgow, and it would be silly of Andy Robinson to select Rudriah Jackson ahead of him. So if Robinson followed a progressive selection criteria/ pattern, he would select the performing players at club level, but the hitch comes in that he (rightly) might feel uncomfortable going into the 6 Nations with green horns at 10, 12 and 15. So thus I expect we can see a Weir-Morrison/ Lamont or a Laidlaw-Scott/ King combo selected. I would be disappointed if two 'experienced' players are selected as Robinson fears the youngsters lack of experience, but we move on.

I, and many others, feel very happy at the options we have for the next few years, as previously we have had no alternatives playing to sufficient level (not that it stopped them being selected anyways).

9. Chris Cusiter, Greig Laidlaw- outsiders Rory Lawson and Mike Blair
10. Duncan Weir, Rudriah Jackson- Greig Laidlaw- youngsters Harry Leonard and Gregor Hunter
11 & 14. Tim Visser, Max Evans, Lee Jones, Rory/ Sean Lamont
12. (Immediate future) Sean Lamont, Graeme Morrison- Matt Scott, James King
13. Nick de Luca, Joe Ansbro- Stuart Hogg (his natural position.), Peter Murchie
15. Stuart Hogg, Rory Lamont- Hugo Southwell- Tom Brown

Not all established players the youngster, but beats having the Phil Godmans of the world as your 'talented youth'.

 

[Seaton]

I concurr with your line-up, that would be my first choice for this 6 Nations. Of course the beautiful thing about Laidlaw on the bench is that you do not need the second half-back, allowing you have a 5 forward bench if you so pleased.

In my view, the world cup showed us Lamonts limits at 12, he made several breaks, but failed to either run into space, pass to a support run, or just took the ball up when there was an advantage of numbers if he just passed. Better than what we have got, but frankly that isn't saying much.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

I don't really like Sean Lamont as a 12. Looks a bit Banahan-esque for me, I have yet to see him pass a ball.
I guess that if No. 10 is a good playmaker, he could be able to use him as a first-phase crusher or decoy runner, or even linebreaker, but you would need a very good 10 for that.

Back on topic, it's a great calendar for the Scots. Basically playing every other top nation (bar Argentina, but they have played too often lately, it's getting old).

 

[Seaton]

Problem is Jamie Roberts can hold the ball, and has better teammates to support him and get to him.

Lamont does not, and can't hold the ball up. He made a number breaks this year, but in at least 75% of them we lost the ball.

I still say for the next year, let's play him there, but then look for a proper solution. One thing that can be said about Morrison on his defence is that we did not concede tries whilst he was on at the world cup, and considering that for a while now he has been Scotland's defensive organiser, one wonders what difference he might have made in those last few minutes and restarts of the Argentina game.

Although I wouldn't like it, I would be able to understand why Robinson might still go with Morrison, particularily if he selects Weir at 10.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Scotland looked 10x times better with Lamont at 12 than with out, before (think it was in the 6N?)

There are probably better options not selected, but he was way better than the alternatives

 

[Melhor Time]

Hogg does look like a good option - better than Rory Lamont.

Earlier today a teammate asked me whether I think Scotland will be strong again or will dive down. I told the guy that have no doubt that Scotland will stay competitive but won´t be back to its levels of twenty years ago. Not without more money into the game in Scotland itself and more worldclass players. Guys like Morrison have been the stereotype for too long - good but not great. This is how Wales got out of its dark period which was the 1990´s and really only ended in 2003. Several great players finally came along and it has continued. Scott Gibbs was, for too long, Wales´s only great back. Now Wales have a player just as good or better (Roberts) in the same position and he is surrounded by better players than who Gibbs played with. Halfpenny, North, Davies and Phillips for instance.

Its here where I think Sean Lamont has to be the 12. There just aren´t alternative attacking players for the position. He´s wasted on the wing and if he does play in RWC 2015 it will not be as a winger. After thinking a bit more about it I´d pick the following side for the 6N.

1 Jacobson
2 Ford
3 Murray
4 Gray
5 Kellock
6 Brown
7 Barclay
8 Vernon
9 Blair
10 Jackson
11 Jones (before Visser becomes avaliable)
12 S Lamont
13 Ansbro
14 Evans
15 Hogg

16 Lawson
17 Cross
18 Hamilton
19 Strokosch
20 Lawson
21 Weir
22 De Luca

 

[Seaton]

Morrison played the full 80 minutes against Argentina
http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/93485.html

Morrison is a really blunt attacker, against Argentina Scotland played quite well and had possession, but hardly even threatened to score a try and Morrison was part of that

at least against England (with Lamont), Scotland had chances and ruined them, against Argentina they didn't even create chances

I was so sure that Morrison went off with 10 minutes to go, memory nae as good as I thought it was!

As for the future of Scottish rugby, well from a fans perspective things are looking better under the new management.
Small things like match day hospitality are being introduced (or in some cases restored, after McKie meddling with everything), there are active meetings and sessions being held amongst the clubs throughout Scotland on how to improve the game, where as McKie would have said "The tea and biscuits for the meetings cost to much, we need to pay ticket collectors/ monitors at turnstiles- solution to save costs? Employ less of them! etc..."

Dodson realises that the finances are still a mess, but that cutting costs that push fans away aren't the answer. Attendances this season are on the up, even from the 2009-2010 season where both teams were getting results. All in all, despite our worst world cup performance ever, things are on a slow trend upward, rather than a fast one downward from that Australians time as head coach.

If Scotland gets over taken? Well that's that, won't turn me off from the game. Hope it won't others.

@ Melhor

You know Cusiter is back right? I would be VERY surprised (and smitten with rage) if Mike "Two-step-then-pass" Blair can't start ahead of Laidlaw for Edinburgh, but starts for Scotland. Apart from the last two games he has made Mike Phillips service look like a god-send this season!

 

[Melhor Time]

Psychic Duck

Weir certainly has the better of Jackson as a kicker. I don´t know about a play maker though. In the Edinburgh-Glasgow draw on the weekend Weir got his kicks but his team only scored tries with Jackson pulling the strings.

Interesting call about Russia overtaking Scotland over the coming decade. I´d be quite happy to see that happen. Argentina and Italy are clearly already doing it. One clearer than the other.

Lordhope

As I see it Scotland is blessed with scrumhalves. Cuisiter, Blair, Lawson and Laidlaw is serious depth. Its a shame that the resources are not so good at flyhalf or in the centres. All of these scrumhalves are of international standard.

 

[Seaton]

As you say Jackson is more likely to get the back-line moving than Weir, who is in all honesty just a better version of Dan Parks, for example he actually makes an attempt to tackle, succeeds more often than not as well, that said at an international level Weir may benefit from having someone other than Graeme Morrison at 12, certainly when Troy Nathan is at inside centre Glasgow look more likely to score than with Morrison, think the stats of tries scored may back that up as well, but I couldn't be arsed looking up the match reports and calculating at this time of the morning

However, and it is a however that should be emphasised like this HOWEVER, Jackson was absolutely beyond explanation dire in everything else he did apart from those tries. Kicking for posts was poor, kicks out on the full, kicks not out on the full were misdirected, passes were poor, defensive positioning poor, etc... None of the fly-halves stood out in what is probably like a Scotland trials game, however of Weir, Laidlaw and Jackson, Weir looked the most solid and some spectacular kicks for territory, and Laidlaw had to extend his reach a few times to, erm, 'compensate' for Blair's passing.

It was far from the best of games, and very disappointing that both sides finished with 3 tries, I am a neutral but Glasgow are the only team with a chance of making the play-offs, they really needed a 5 pointer, and it would none too handy if Edinburgh got the two BP as well, but we digress.

Attendance was 13, 200 , 9000 last year and 11, 000 the year before that (when both teams were doing well of course)