Scotland vs. Argentina

[Seaton]

Don't know how this will pan out, live in SA so I am unable to watch Magners League.
Judging by Glasgow's and Edinburgh's final standings I'm assuming the Scots should be able to hold their own.
I'm too afraid to make a scoreline prediction, I might jinx it

How goes the resident Irish/Welsh/Scottish posters match predictions?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Argentina 16 - 24 Dan Parks (scotland)

Dan Parks with 6 penalties and two dropgoals, Argentina with two tries and two penalties

Really was expecting Scotland to be beaten, and by a fair ammount.
They took their chances, i think they knew getting a try was going to be hard, so took DGs when they got in range, taking the points where they can get them
How close to a full strength ARgentina team was this? As if they go into the Tri Nations like this, then they're in for a hammering

 

[SelimNiai]

Great win for the Scots, it's a hard place to win no matter what side they put out.

Well done.

 

[Seaton]

Argentina 16 - 24 Dan Parks (scotland)

Dan Parks with 5 penalties and two dropgoals, Argentina with two tries and two penalties

Really was expecting Scotland to be beaten, and by a fair ammount.
How close to a full strength ARgentina team was this? As if they go into the Tri Nations like this, then they're in for a hammering

I am fairly confident in saying that this was the best line-up they could post, and I agree, they will get smashed in the Tri-Nations, they just aren't as good as they are made out to be, without Pichot they have done little

 

[Feicarsinn]

Argentina 16 - 24 Dan Parks (scotland)

Dan Parks with 6 penalties and two dropgoals, Argentina with two tries and two penalties

Really was expecting Scotland to be beaten, and by a fair ammount.
They took their chances, i think they knew getting a try was going to be hard, so took DGs when they got in range, taking the points where they can get them
How close to a full strength ARgentina team was this? As if they go into the Tri Nations like this, then they're in for a hammering

15 FB M Rodriguez 14 W L Borges 13 C G Tiesi 12 C S Fernandez 11 W H Agulla 10 FH F Contepomi 9 SH A Lalanne 1 P R Roncero 2 H M Ledesma Arocena 3 P M Scelzo 4 L M Carizza 5 L P Albacete 6 F G Fessia 7 F J Leguizamon



8 N8 J Fernandez Lobbe

 

[veux]

Well done Scotland. I think people underestimate them, their six nations placing really didn't reflect how well they played.

 

[Conal]

but does this highlight scotlands greatest flaw (well in my mind anyway)
their lack of trys
i think scotlands pack is good and now with parks kicking well in the absence of patterson they can beat teams like the pumas
but out scotland against a inform or even some out of form trinations teams and they wont get that amount of kicking penalties they would need to score tries to win
so it may be a good win for scotlandbut i think it could show why they cant be a great team at the moment

 

[SelimNiai]

but does this highlight scotlands greatest flaw (well in my mind anyway)
their lack of trys
i think scotlands pack is good and now with parks kicking well in the absence of patterson they can beat teams like the pumas
but out scotland against a inform or even some out of form trinations teams and they wont get that amount of kicking penalties they would need to score tries to win
so it may be a good win for scotlandbut i think it could show why they cant be a great team at the moment

Lack of trys has been Scotland weak point for a number of years. Only the Lamonts and Evans' have looked like having their try production in recent years.

 

[Conal]

the evans are good but and may score tries for club but at international scotlands backline just dosnt seem to produce tries
there back row on the other hand did well in the 6 nations but it owuld be embarrising if they relied on them for tries

 

[Thingimubob]

I watched this game on the Beeb's website - gotta say I was really impressed by Scotland! I mean even though they didn't score a try, Scotland were very ambitious, they were spreading the ball out a hell of a lot and Parks was using his runners very well! Parks played very flat, which is something we haven't seen for a while. Missed a few penalties, but he was a bit of a kicking maestro! Was clever with his tactical kicking and when to drop-goal it too.
Can't wait to see him playing for the Blues, he's on fire atm and he's exactly the type of Fly-Half the Blues need. Sweeney is decent enough, but he Parks is a much better tactical kicker and I feel iof he plays as flat as he did today then he's really gonna put players like Roberts, Rush, Bradley Davies and Lauala into gaps.

 

[Seaton]

but does this highlight scotlands greatest flaw (well in my mind anyway)
their lack of trys
i think scotlands pack is good and now with parks kicking well in the absence of patterson they can beat teams like the pumas
but out scotland against a inform or even some out of form trinations teams and they wont get that amount of kicking penalties they would need to score tries to win
so it may be a good win for scotlandbut i think it could show why they cant be a great team at the moment

Agree, as bristol says it has been a common problem, however, the ref didn't play advantages for very long in this match, and I felt that another ref would have resulted in more tries.
Then again, the refs constant disruption of play actually paved the way for the win

 

[dullonien]

Scotland's lack of tries is an interesting point. As Thinimubob pointed out, I don't think Parks is the problem. He's a great kicker of the ball, but he also doesn't mind taking it to the line before passing. Suppose we'll see next year with the Blues, because he'll have some of the best backs available next year at the Blues.

Out wide, Scotland have some talent. The Lamonts have always been threatening, and Evans is a great finisher. I feel it's always Scotlands centres that let them down. There's no real quality there atall. They lack vision, aren't especially great at making ground and generally struggle. Neither Morrison or De Luca would get anywhere neer other Top10 squads, let along their starting team. So I feel if they can find a gem or two to help unlock the defense in the middle, they could start to produce the tries they've been lacking. Of course it's sad that Thom Evans got injured, as he was just the kinda threat they needed in the centres.

 

[coonor]

Well done to the Scots was gunna do a bet on them to win. I always love it when the Scots win, my second favourite team. They are also the saviours of the northern hemishphere. I understand that Scotland were very clinical today however I do worry about Scotlands ability to score tries (but who needs tries when you've got DAN PARKS)

 

[Ben Richard Tyson]

Yeah it was a good match. Agree with dullonien that it's the centres that kill the Scottish attack. I feel that Alex Grove and Ben Cairns would be better choices than Morrison and De Luca. Have Cairns at 12 to create things and have Grove at 13 to be used to take the ball in I think. If Thom Evans does return to rugby after his injury then I'd have him on the wing and put Max back in the centre where I believe he plays for Glasgow? We miss Rory Lamont at fullback too, he's one of our most threatening players, Southwell is solid but no better than that. No team has ever said "Oh no! Hugo Southwell is fit!". The Killer-Bs were excellent again. Still unconvinced by Jim Hamilton, think Nathan Hines or Richie Gray are far better options at lock. But we're finally moving forward, just hope we can keep it up and avoid another Hadden-style false dawn...

 

[polonius]

I was lucky enough to see the game on Sky channel 990 and the Scots can be forgiven for not scoring tries. They clearly wanted to score tries and they were playing with considerable flair but just when the rucks had been won and the overlap created the Argentine players would handle in the ruck, or come in from the side or be offside or something. The penalties kicked by Parks were in return for not being allowed to score the tries.

Robinson now needs to coach not just how to create the try scoring opportunity but also how to combat an opponent who is intent on denying those chances illegally. The referee did his bit and used the yellow card (perhaps not as often as he could?) and I wouldn't say the referee was whistle-happy; he was only reacting to the infringements.

Over the last 40 years or so the Rugby authorities have increased the value of a try from 3 to 4 and now to 5 points. I wonder if the time hasn't now come to increase the value of a penalty awarded inside the 22 from 3 points to, say, 7. This might stop some of infringing and should allow tries to flow.

 

[Seaton]

Over the last 40 years or so the Rugby authorities have increased the value of a try from 3 to 4 and now to 5 points. I wonder if the time hasn't now come to increase the value of a penalty awarded inside the 22 from 3 points to, say, 7. This might stop some of infringing and should allow tries to flow.

That is an incredibly good idea me thinks, maybe 7 is a bit much, maybe 5?
Best idea I have heard in while

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I don't think it's a good idea, tbh, we'd see less tries as people would just take the 7points if they got a penalty, instead of trying to get the try, which would only be a guaranteed 5
If they were going to do anything along those lines (different rules for inside the 22) i'd like to see the scrum option for the penalty be a scrum 5, but even that would be a bit odd

 

[polonius]

I don't think it's a good idea, tbh, we'd see less tries as people would just take the 7points if they got a penalty, instead of trying to get the try, which would only be a guaranteed 5
If they were going to do anything along those lines (different rules for inside the 22) i'd like to see the scrum option for the penalty be a scrum 5, but even that would be a bit odd

But if, as a defender, you knew you would give away 7 points if you infringed, you would think twice about giving away a penalty - thus allowing the attacking side that bit more time to ensure quick ball and therefore create a try-scoring opportunity.

In the Argentina match, for example, would so many penalities have been conceded by Argentina had the points for a penalty been higher than the current 3?

I'm happy to acknowledge 7 points might be too high but I'm of the view that the current 3 points is not enough.

Another alternative might be to have a 'Penalty Spot' in front of goal 15 metres out. Any penalty conceded inside the 22, regardless of whereabouts inside the 22 the infringement occurred, means the penalty is taken from the spot (and is therefore an almost guaranteed score).

 

[Paterson13]

Great job by Scotland in this game. Hard work in this match. I would love to see them win again this weekend. They could really go up in the rankings. What happened to Chris Paterson?

 

[profitius]

Credit to Andy Robinson who has shown how good he is since he went to Scotland to Edinburgh.