ABs v Scotland
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That’s a good Scotland team. It’s not often that I’d select any members for the ABs but I’d definitely have one or two of them in black. Bad handling was really the only reason why they didn’t win that.
Which really tells the story this year. It’s just a shitty AB team.
Firstly, I’m not convinced it’s very well led - Barrett should not be vice captain and is just struggling to push us around the field. Secondly, there is a lack of key personal skills - clearing out arriving players and height when running with the ball are two that I noticed, plus later on pushing flat (forward) passes, which is just fucking terrible, and of course catching and holding the ball. Between forward passes and bad catching we took our foot off their throat two to three times in the first half. Thirdly, decision making - a clear pattern of shitty option taking and/or shitty execution. A good example is about 12 minutes in when we break them down with a nice midfield break, followed by Barrett choosing to grub ahead directly into the only Scottish player covering - who goes on to take exactly the right option by kicking to the corner.
Much of the problem is with personnel - either because of new or developing combinations. However, much of it is also self inflicted - there appears to be no effort to get any territory, and the kicking game is fucking terrible - compared to where we were two years ago. That’s mainly on Barrett, but also Smith, and we miss another option (McKenzie doesn’t seem to help at all, which is fucking strange given that’s one of his few strengths). I wonder whether Nonu had been kicking more than I thought, as it could be that we are not only missing his option taking, but even his kicking. Well played to SBW with better option taking though, especially as he seems to have worked out when to use the grubber.
I have no idea how Naholo wasn’t carded. That’s a YC all day and he has form for that too. For every special thing he does, he does two fuckups. I don’t see his Value.
Good news: Cane (I though unlucky to be carded), Hames, Whitelock, SBW (why was he subbed?) and of course Ioane - he was outstanding. Our scrum - except for the one scrum where we bet on it and fucked it up. Our starting line out - except when we throw to the back, where the throwing needs work. The midfield is slowly getting better, but I still don’t like the combination with Barrett.
Mixed bags: Taylor great at times but also with one bad throw and a fucked up try due to his late pass, Fifita - some reasonable runs but also a lack of accuracy, such as his dropped ball off a kick off, and not finishing the tackle which led to the first Scot try. McKenzie who did well to get his try, and was great with a super accurate pass for Barrett’s try - but really doesn’t offer much from the back and chooses bad options from kick receipts.
Getting worse: Squire, with the classic Fifita hungus right when we had them broken down, Crockett (For fucks sake, that was fucking terrible), Harris, and Naholo, who I don’t think did one good thing all night.
Funnily enough, had we nailed passing, catching, cleaning out etc I think we could have won by 20 or more but with all the little inaccuracies plus the lack of territory we end conceding too many points, despite pretty good scrambling defense (last 4 minutes aside).
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Having now woken with a head full of expired single malt I will try and add a little to the conversation.
I had some refs ears things (kindly donated by the gent of scots ancestry next to me) and the Naholo decision was interesting. At first they were heading for a card but on the last replay as the ref was confirming the card decision they seemed to switch to a private channel as the ears went quiet. Then they explained the mitigating circumstances. I suspect that to speed up the decision the TMO said YC is a bit rough on the player considering he was unsighted by a lazy runner.
Cane's YC was deliberate and cynical. He straight out took one for the team. He was on his feet and jogging off as soon as the whistle went without even listening to the ref. He knew exactly what he did and why. -
@gt12 It's all bit of a repeating theme this year, isn't it? I can't help but thinking that there's something in the coaching that is causing some of the (bad) option taking. Either they've run out of ideas, or they are working on some kind of brilliant scheme making everyone think we're shit, only to show the full - obvioulsy sensationally good - picture come RWC time. Not good for our collective blood pressure.
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BTW, the evening was brilliant and worth the fortune spent. The pre game build up was like a rock concert. Murrayfield itself is a great stadium for watching the game. The locals were excellent value as I expected. Not a single bad comment heard despite them probably feeling a chance had passed them by. Obviously some disagreement with the odd decision but they forgot about it quickly and got on with enjoying the game. A good friendly rugby knowledgeable crowd. Great atmosphere and they were genuinely pleased with the home team performance.
Can highly recommend coming here for a game if you get a chance. -
Yeah, I’m now looking at some of my comments (which I made while watching) and I think I was a bit too harsh on Barrett, who actually worked well with SBW and did some great things (try saving tackle for one), so I should have used others to make my point (although his forward pass to Crotty well fucked me off).
I had another look at Cane’s card and I think it was deserved. At first I thought he’d been pushed over, but he put himself there illegally, and deliberately I think.
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@stargazer said in ABs v Scotland:
@crucial Even on tv, the lighting in the stadium looked impressive. Indeed, rock concert like. Must have been awesome to be there!
Did you get the Doddie Weir walk on on the TV coverage? That was pretty cool.
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@stargazer said in ABs v Scotland:
@crucial We saw him and his sons come on the field with the match ball, shake hands with both captains, the ref, and BB and hand BB the ball.
Pretty sad to think he is going to end up like Joost.
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@crucial Well, without meaning to dis @jegga, my son and I had brekkie in same Hilton buffet as them.
Shook Hames's hand and congratulated him on scrummaging, in particular the great penalty win in front of our sticks. Strong hands, and, whilst under six foot, pretty broad. Crockett wandering around as if not a care in world. Didn't feel like shaking his hand! Read is crocked, limping gingerly down stairs. Doesn't look like he should have played 80. TKB holding court at next table with some Scottish 'pals'. He sounds like he's already turning his thoughts to La Rochelle.
Great night out after game. Scots were gracious losers, and took pride in passion of team.
Highly recommend. -
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@stargazer said in ABs v Scotland:
@antipodean said in ABs v Scotland:
When does Crockett finally retire? I'm sick of that muppet. Cane's YC was because Crockett shoved him over the ruck.
His own yellow was stupid, but Crockett had nothing to do with Cane's YC. I just watched it again and if you want to blame anyone else but Cane for his YC, then it's Liam Squire.
On second viewing Cane came in from the side, Squire drives forward which drives Cane over. But Crockett's holding onto Cane's shorts. So it's his fault.
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Just checked out highlights.
Think my concerns about fade in last 10 need to be moderated. I'm pretty sure second Scottish try wouldn't have been scored if Rieko's shoulder had been fully functional. He was keeping right arm tucked in and was reluctant to go down on ball when grubber put through. Even if he hadn't nabbed possession the momentum would have been slowed. And also obvious he was unwilling to attempt a tackle, presumably because he only had one good arm and it was the wrong side for it. Would usually have been replaced but SBW had been subbed, so no one left on bench.
Think Cane could still have been carded even if he hadn't fallen over, as entry into ruck all wrong.
I haven't looked at the letter of the laws recently, but based on the last time I did ball was out before Crockett nailed halfback and was binned. Notwithstanding that, surely not too much to expect a veteran to know that the ref's rule ball out when half picks it up, and that, given Cane yellow, discretion was the better case of valour. Recall Smith (A) got carded in Dublin for picking up a ball that was more clearly out (except to anyone who's a professional ref).
