Put them back in their box. The Scotland v Ireland build up thread.

A bit of doubt crept in before the Wales game due to the well discussed factors at play running into that match but I'm not going to indulge this time around. Are Scotland really in good form?

• Lost a Summer tour to Argentina (granted without some key players)
• Lost to Australia and New Zealand in the Autumn (albeit played reasonably well in both games)
• Beat an England team that were in total disarray on the opening weekend (England improving since).
• Beat Wales who continue to be in total disarray.
• We're unlucky against France (who struggled against Italy and were well beaten by us).

So where are Scotland?

I think inconsistent is still a fair term to describe them. I think it's reasonable to say they are improved against the top 10 teams albeit I think some of those teams deteriorating has had a part to play. They're not talking themselves up but are certainly getting talked up a good deal (hence the build up thread opener being entirely unfair). I think they'll struggle against Ireland however and I don't think it's going to be particularly close. We were very loose against Italy but we seemed to have gone with a 'let's out punch them approach' with our defence being uncharacteristically porous as a result.

I think against Scotland we'll see a return to that dogged, claustrophobic defence which we leveraged against the All Blacks during the Summer. Scotland's counter maul has been quite impressive so it will be interesting to see if we kick for points with any greater frequency but they are not defending great and their points difference would be in the red only for Wales imploding in Murrayfield.

Ireland will be out of the blocks with the usual ferocity and I'd hope if we build a score we don't throw it away like France did. I'd be confident enough we'll go in ahead at half time and with our fitness in the last quarter I don't see Scotland scoring their way back into it.

Ireland 33 : 18 Scotland.

Dubinusa

I think this will be close. I think the conditions will have an impact. We won't get over them at the scrum and if it's raining it will be a dogfight.

Sexton and Ringer back makes it better!

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335237#Comment_120335237

I'd think poor conditions would suit us far more than them. Scotland couldn't deal with France's power game at all.

lawrencesummers

I think the return of ringrose here will highlight how important he is.

There is no way we would have shipped so many points against italy if he was at 13, its night and day the difference between him and bundee defensively, bundee did a job in rome that he wouldnt have gotten away with against France or england.

So we can go out and score against any team, we are potent from setpiece, lineout, scrum, set play and open play. We can find a way to score against any team and have proven that time and time again.

Its without the ball that ringrose makes us so much better, and i reckon Scotland who are a better team than Italy will not score as much as the italians did primarily because ringrose will be at 13.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335556#Comment_120335556

I'm not sure! We like to move the ball around and poor conditions could dampen that. Either way, there's lads coming in cold and this could take us time to find a rhythm.

AbusesToilets

I'm really looking forward to the defensive display this weekend. I've a feeling the team will have something to prove after the match in Rome

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335570#Comment_120335570

I'd agree with regards Ringrose's importance, but I also think Henshaw would've done a better job defensively from 13 than Bundee did vs Italy. I occasionally think back to the 2021 6 Nations game vs England, where things began to turn for Farrell. Henshaw was superb defensively for us that day from 13, particularly in the first 20 mins when we were up against it.

You have to go back to Nov 2020 for the last time one of Ringrose or Henshaw weren't available for a game vs a Tier 1 team. Hopefully at least 1 will always be available during the RWC.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335665#Comment_120335665

Henshaw is class alright, but the lack of gametime is a worry, he has been out since late November and it will take a few games to get back to where he was.

That said bundee played in Rome with very few minutes under his belt and did a good enough job.

Sangre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120334497#Comment_120334497

agreed. Not sure the Scotland team is that different from all the previous teams that have struggled against Ireland. Who knows, this time might be different but I think that would be a big upset.

as usual all the focus is on Finn but the losing or winning of this game will be the pack as always. Think we should still have the upper hand in particular backrow provided no major scrum issues with ref.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335685#Comment_120335685

Aki is on a hiding to nothing here unless he starts at 13 again, the team as a squad has had two weeks to review and improve their defensive errors from the game in Rome, we wont be as bad again in Edinburgh. If Aki isn't at 13 you'll have posters claiming the defence improved because we didn't have him there without taking into consideration the whole approach for the two weeks leading into the Scottish.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120333352#Comment_120333352

I think the Russell detractors will be put back in their box

Absolutely no performance from Russell could put his detractors back in their box, because when the fundamental argument against you is that you are a deeply inconsistent player as prone to moments of insanity as to moments of genius no single match performance can overturn that.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335584#Comment_120335584

We may "like" to move the ball around, but Scotland rely on it.

Assuming those expected to be fit are indeed fit:

Porter

Kelleher

Furlong

Ryan

Henderson

POM

VDF

Doris

JGP

Sexton (c)

Lowe

McCloskey

Ringrose

Hansen

Keenan

Kilcoyne

Sheehan

O'Toole

Baird

Conan

Murray

Byrne

Henshaw

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335852#Comment_120335852

He's been the best OH by a distance so far this 6N (the competition hasn't been great, that said) and another big game could cement his place in the TOTY.

Podge_irl

He has most certainly not been better than Sexton "by a distance".

I think you could make a very solid argument for him being the best 10 however, as always, it is generally far easier to remember his brilliance then his failure to execute more basic elements.

AbusesToilets

His decision making under pressure is inferior to Sexton. He wasted a number of excellent attacking opportunities against France, in addition to chucking the intercept.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335872#Comment_120335872

I think aki starts at 12 all day.

Hes the perfect antidote to tuipolotu.

Its a call then for henshaw or mcloskey on the bench i think.

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335665#Comment_120335665

Ringrose and Henshaw really are some of the best defenders around and frankly we are spoiled with those two, plus they're both remarkably resilient and we have both fit most of the time. All that said there's bit of unfair comparison going on with regard to Bundee's display in Rome. He came into 13 without time for any training sessions and it showed in defense a couple of times during the match. Maybe against a better team we would have paid a heavier price but situations like that happen and players are forced to adjust and fit in as seamlessly as possible. Filling in at 13 against an attacking team in form is a very tall order and Bundee did OK considering. He certainly won't have diminished Farrell's opinion of him in Rome.

Ardillaun

Scotland have decent backs these days. Ringrose should help combat the threat of VDM.

I'd have said Aki for 12 but McCloskey has really delivered since the Autumn. I do think Aki is the better 12, but not sure he's in better form.

Am I the only one who thought Aki has predominantly a good game against Italy?

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120337107#Comment_120337107

I think he definitely had a good game against italy considering his lack of gametime and unfamiliarity with the position.

Its just that ringrose is better

Former Former Former

Aki was good but caught out in defence. Wouldn't be shocked to see him start at 12 on Sunday assuming Henshaw isn't quite ready. Would be v harsh on McCloskey though

Otherwise the team picks itself really, only uncertainty is Kelleher vs Sheehan to start. I think Sheehan deserves it.

Clegg

Gerry Thornley has Furlong, JGP, Sexton and Ringrose all coming straight into the 15 with Henshaw on the bench.

IRELAND (possible): Hugo Keegan (Leinster); Mack Hansen (Connacht), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Bundee Aki (Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Johnny Sexton (Leinster, capt), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Andrew Porter (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster); James Ryan (Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ulster); Peter O’Mahony (Munster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster).

Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Leinster), David Kilcoyne (Munster)/Cian Healy (Leinster), Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Ryan Baird (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster), Ross Byrne (Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster).

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120336956#Comment_120336956

are they resilient though? id be interested to see the stats but in most of the bigger games its either been aki/ringrose or aki/henshaw, i think henshaw/ringrose is the best combination but its rare that theyve got to have a run of games together for ireland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120337465#Comment_120337465

James Tracey on off the ball recently was saying that he thinks Kelleher has the better set piece (he wasn't that direct but heavily implied it). Given Sheehan's ability in the loose, it makes more sense to spring him from the bench, when Scotland don't have their first choice props on the pitch.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120337640#Comment_120337640

Sheehan’s throwing is considerably better.

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120337555#Comment_120337555

According to chat GPT (this type of stuff is all its good for) they've started 15 games together, which is not that many considering they've both been in the team since 2016 (Henshaw longer). It's one reason Aki has so many caps.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120337704#Comment_120337704

interesting, thats not that much for the time period. its always seemed that one of them has been injured at any one time over the last while

is that 15 games in the same team or 15 games in the centre together (just to be picky)? could be 14 with the england game in 2019

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120337730#Comment_120337730

Might include that England match where RH started at 15. Otherwise Im not sure.

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120337704#Comment_120337704

Honestly you can't even trust it for this sort of thing. I asked it some stats about the Wales v Ireland game, it got them totally wrong, and when you correct it it just parrots the answers you give.