Scotland vs Wales

Stheno

Bazzo wrote: »

He's going to Montpellier on ludicrous money.

Did they say one million a year on TV earlier?

Buer

blondeonblonde wrote: »

Been sacked - Is he leaving Scotland? I hadn't heard that. Where is he going to?

They declined to renew his contract. Cotter wanted to stay but they told him they were giving Townsend the job.

Apparently Townsend had offers from France and the SRU were worried about the PR disaster that would result from having their one decent home produced coach leave the country.

Regardless, Cotter is a better coach. Townsend has been good but not great, for me.

swiwi_

Deleted User wrote: »

Good for us. They'd be gunning for us at home anyway, but now they can't win the tournament.

Scotland still can with a win over England and will hopfully really put it upto them and I think we've a day more recover before England visit us.

Assuming you beat France of course...

You alway do this Venjur, think way too far ahead! I remember the unending "looking forward to the Ire vs NZ RWC final" posts.

One game at a time son.

swiwi_

Buer wrote: »

They declined to renew his contract. Cotter wanted to stay but they told him they were giving Townsend the job.

Apparently Townsend had offers from France and the SRU were worried about the PR disaster that would result from having their one decent home produced coach leave the country.

Regardless, Cotter is a better coach. Townsend has been good but not great, for me.

Is Cotter really that good?

I'd be more inclined to say he is milking the results of Glasgow's resurgence under his replacement. Bit of revisionism going on methinks.

Ardillaun

Deleted User wrote: »

Great write up, I understood some of it.

Presume we're completely up for Scotland here?

Means Wales are out in two weeks time and Scotland will still be in with a chance facing England.

Only thing about that: the better Scotland are, the better France were to beat them. Oh me nerves.

swiwi_

swiwi_ wrote: »

Assuming you beat France of course...

You alway do this Venjur, think way too far ahead! I remember the unending "looking forward to the Ire vs NZ RWC final" posts.

One game at a time son.

The question was, "is this good or bad for us" in the context of the tournament. If we lose today it doesn't matter.

One question at a time son.

English Lurker

Buer wrote: »

They declined to renew his contract. Cotter wanted to stay but they told him they were giving Townsend the job.

Apparently Townsend had offers from France and the SRU were worried about the PR disaster that would result from having their one decent home produced coach leave the country.

Regardless, Cotter is a better coach. Townsend has been good but not great, for me.

swiwi_ wrote: »

Is Cotter really that good?

I'd be more inclined to say he is milking the results of Glasgow's resurgence under his replacement. Bit of revisionism going on methinks.

Plenty of coaches fail to produce with good players or get players to take that step up. Cotter's received an easier task than earlier Scottish coaches but he's held up his end of the bargain and I think can point to a fuller CV than Townsend if we're comparing the two. I'm wondering whether the SRU will regret this in the fullness of time, Cotter's going good with the team and Townsend wouldn't have been hurt for extra learning in a different environment.

Bazzo

Stheno wrote: »

Did they say one million a year on TV earlier?

Something like that alright.

Scottie99

swiwi_ wrote: »

Sure Scotland are somewhat limited

That's the kind of language Beattie was discussing.
Looks like they're gonna win three games this year Not bad for "limited"..

Losty Dublin

English Lurker wrote: »

Plenty of coaches fail to produce with good players or get players to take that step up. Cotter's received an easier task than earlier Scottish coaches but he's held up his end of the bargain and I think can point to a fuller CV than Townsend if we're comparing the two. I'm wondering whether the SRU will regret this in the fullness of time, Cotter's going good with the team and Townsend wouldn't have been hurt for extra learning in a different environment.

It wasn't that long ago when Scottish Rugby was pretty much dead on it's feet. Cotter was seen by many as the last roll of the dice and considered their great white hope. It's taken a while but his results have justified his appointment. It's a shame for Scottish rugby and the Six Nations that he is going. Now the jury is out as to if it's money or internal politics or local pride or something else that's seeing the end of his tenure.

One thing is certain; Scottish Rugby will be the worse for his departure.

CatFromHue

Glasgow will be bringing in Dave Rennie so they'll be ok.

I'm not too sure how Townsend will get on with the Int team and for a guy his age I find it confusing why he even wants the job. I think he'd be better off staying for a few more years with Glasgow.

Whatever about Cotter benefiting from others work I really do think Townsend has. Sean Lineen was the guy that got Glasgow up and competitive and Townsend has a great pool of players to pick from at club that level.

penybont exile

Buer wrote: »

But....how rubbish must Wales be?!

:pac:

Worse than rubbish ...... would be my answer ...... following that totally inept performance in the second half.

Scotland took their chances with aplomb and fully deserved their victory and the margin of it.

Worse Wales performance for some time. Very poor attitude from some of the team. Serious mismanagement off the pitch as well. Bench selection poor and the use of the bench absolutely inexcusable and unexplainable especially after what transpired versus England.

Big questions for the whole management team .... including the WRU itself.

Howley needs to be bold for the Ireland game ..... totally re-arrange the back three [axe for Halfpenny, Wiliams to FB and S Evans on the wing ...... I would keep North] and start Davies at 10. Not much we can do with the forwards apart from re-arranging the starters and bench. I'd have Hibbard back involved though over Baldwin. Also Young might be worth a look .... Faletau does not look match sharp.

Ireland will be massive favourites and rightly so ..... Wales will definitely turn up .... whether it will be good enough remains to be seen.

One point I would like to make was that Lacey's refereeing of the scrummage was poor. Scotland got away with not wanting to fully engage on their tight head. Wales were naive in the way they managed this but the referee should have seen what was happening and taken a firmer stance. No excuses from me though.

Think I'll root for the U20's this year [tongue in cheek]. Gave England a very good game and have the pace & power to cause your lads a lot of problems.

Dog Botherer

Personally I would drop North. For all the chat about how useless Cuthbert is, North was directly at fault for 2 Scottish tries. Up until that try he got against a knackered Italy, he hadn't scored for Wales in over a year. All the guile and and flair has gone out of his game, he plays like an athlete now instead of a rugby player, the exact criticism Cuthbert always got. Maybe a few games riding the pine or back on club duty will get him working on his game again. He's young still.

Buer

swiwi_ wrote: »

Is Cotter really that good?

I'd be more inclined to say he is milking the results of Glasgow's resurgence under his replacement. Bit of revisionism going on methinks.

I don't think Cotter is the be all and end all. I think he is a little overrated, to be honest. Despite a massive budget and outstanding side, he couldn't really get the job done with Clermont.

But he has gone well with Scotland and has them playing coherently as well as managing to actually play some good rugby as opposed to the Scotland of the previous 15 years who aimed to drag other teams down to their level and beat them from scraps.

Scottish rugby has improved at club level and I'm sure that has fed into the national side overall....but this season doesn't really go with that theory. We're seeing arguably the weakest Glasgow side of the past 6 years. Yes, they got out of their ECC pool but that's almost entirely because Leicester and Racing were a joke. They're currently fighting for 6th spot in the Pro12.

Townsend has done a good job with Glasgow but Sean Lineen is the man who turned them around. I'm really not sure about him as a coach, overall. He was involved with Scotland before as their assistant coach under Andy Robinson and was sacked.

I'll follow his progress with great interest but I certainly don't think Townsend is an upgrade on Cotter

errlloyd

penybont exile wrote: »

One point I would like to make was that Lacey's refereeing of the scrummage was poor. Scotland got away with not wanting to fully engage on their tight head.

Lacey was shocking. As a neutral spectator and countryman of the ref - however I felt it went both ways.

The most peculiar mistake he made gifted Wales their first try. Wales kicked it and choke tackled the recipient as he caught the ball. When the ball became unplayable Wales got given the put in, and scored off that phase. IMO it should have been Scotland put in.

razorblunt

Interesting article on Wales Online, around how Wales failed to re-adjust their backline for Davies when he came on to replace Biggar. Another basic oversight overlooked by the Lions Attacking Coach!!

Idbatterim

I got marginally better on evens for a wales win a few days before the match, put down E300 on it and am lucky it wasn't a lot more (I'm only put on a few bets a year, but to me, over evens given the welsh haven't lost to Scotland in 13 matches) and the fact I believe wales are vastly superior seemed very good value. Wales missed that easy kick in first half, then Scotland immediately got their own penalty and converted in welsh half. I remember thinking with the welsh peno, if they go that, they gap opens up enough where they should be able to coast it. I felt that Scotland after the first match, were overhyped, Ireland only cost themselves the match after not showing up for the first half of it and they still only scraped the win.

penybont exile

errlloyd wrote: »

Lacey was shocking. As a neutral spectator and countryman of the ref - however I felt it went both ways.

The most peculiar mistake he made gifted Wales their first try. Wales kicked it and choke tackled the recipient as he caught the ball. When the ball became unplayable Wales got given the put in, and scored off that phase. IMO it should have been Scotland put in.

Agree with your point on the Wales try .... that was Lacey being Lacey .... error prone.

They all make errors .... Nigel included ...... personally I thought Murray's pass to Henshaw for Ireland's try was forward .... [only seen it once mind].

Have to agree to disagree about Lacey's general handling of the scrum.

penybont exile

razorblunt wrote: »

Interesting article on Wales Online, around how Wales failed to re-adjust their backline for Davies when he came on to replace Biggar. Another basic oversight overlooked by the Lions Attacking Coach!!

Pointed this out to my viewing colleagues as it was unfolding ...... as an ex-10 this was easy to spot.

Crazy situation at this level ......