Did Gregor Townsend get it fallacious making Sione Tuipulotu captain?
What in regards to the absence of free-scoring hooker Johnny Matthews?
Our panel can’t agree however there’s one factor they’re positive of: Scotland want at the very least three wins from 4 this Autumn.
Would you’ve gotten chosen Sione Tuipulotu over Finn Russell for the captaincy?
Calum Crowe: The true subject right here isn’t the id of anyone one who is chosen as captain. Within the larger image, the extra troubling facet of that is that Townsend retains flip-flopping between captains.
Finn Russell and Rory Darge led the staff through the Six Nations earlier this 12 months. On the World Cup final 12 months, it was Jamie Ritchie. Previous to that, it was Stuart Hogg. Earlier than him, Greig Laidlaw and Stuart McInally.
Sione Tuipulotu is simply the most recent man to be named Scotland captain underneath Gregor Townsend
Our pundits really feel that dropping the armband might be a profit for playmaker Finn Russell
Townsend might be eager to construct some robust foundations forward of subsequent 12 months’s Six Nations
The record of gamers to have captained Scotland underneath Townsend is intensive. That does nothing to assist stability. He can discuss all he needs about rising the management group. That’s simply management-speak. It additionally devalues the captaincy whether it is consistently handed round each six months or so. Choose a participant and persist with them.
Jason White: No, I’d not, however I’m actually aware of being on the surface and never being aware of what occurs behind the scenes. There an a variety of benefits to Sione having the skipper’s armband; Finn can consider operating the backs and give attention to getting the very best out of himself, it deepens the management pool and can give the coaches extra data for the 2025 Six Nations on whether or not Sione, Finn, Rory or Jamie are greatest positioned to steer the staff.
Andy Nicol: Sure. Finn doesn’t want the added stress of captaincy when he’s the pure chief on the pitch anyway. He determines the ways, the tempo of the sport, how a lot kicking they do, so let him try this and permit Sione to steer the staff. That is one thing he has executed very properly for the Warriors and his performances have gone by way of the roof. Having the captain proper subsequent to the playmaker on the pitch is an efficient factor and they’re going to work properly collectively.
Do you agree with the choice to exclude Glasgow Warriors’ free-scoring hooker Johnny Matthews from the Scotland squad?
CC: No. I’ve been banging the drum for the previous two or three years that Matthews deserves higher recognition with Scotland. Not simply by way of all of the tries he has scored with Glasgow Warriors, but additionally as a result of his work elsewhere within the free. He’s a terrific athlete who has an unimaginable burst of tempo for a front-row ahead. Marry that to his unimaginable try-scoring charge and you’ve got a participant who gives an actual level of distinction.
Johnny Matthews is a strive machine for Glasgow but stays on the periphery with Scotland
Glasgow’s lineout maul has been unimaginable over these previous couple of years, most likely the most potent weapon in all the URC. Matthews is a key a part of that. Scotland are lacking a trick by not trying to incorporate as many parts of it as potential.
JW: 100 per cent, I’d have picked Johnny within the squad. His type for Glasgow has been excellent and he has the unbelievable knack of discovering the strive line so usually. As we noticed not too long ago, he scores them from the again of mauls but additionally will get on the top of staff tries. The proper participant to have on the bench and are available on and make an impression.
AN: This can be a robust one as a result of it’s too simple to have a look at the unimaginable quantity of tries that he has scored and assume he’s a shoo-in. If he was a winger, when scoring tries is just about your primary job, then he could be in however there may be a lot extra to being a hooker than scoring tries. Gregor Townsend and his coaches may have analysed all of the choices in all facets of being a hooker, with lineout throwing and scrummaging proper on the high of their record, and are available to the conclusion that the opposite hookers deserve choice forward of Matthews.
What do you consider Jonny Grey’s choice to show down a call-up?
CC: There’s a slight sense of déjà vu right here when you think about what occurred with Jonny’s brother, Richie, when he moved to France earlier in his profession. The elder of the 2 Grey brothers went by way of a interval of worldwide exile for a number of years as a result of a mix of health points and non-selection.
Jonny Grey has opted to give attention to membership issues having solely not too long ago recovered from damage
Jonny is coming off the again of a severe damage which noticed him play no aggressive rugby for over a 12 months. However he’s match once more and is enjoying properly for Bordeaux in France. Absolutely he must be chomping on the bit to get again enjoying for his nation?
You can sense Townsend’s frustration when he spoke about it at his squad announcement. Scotland want Jonny Grey. His older brother is now out of the image. Grant Gilchrist is 34 years of age. We don’t have an abundance of locks. For me, it’s a poor name.
JW: I can see either side of the argument. Gregor needs his greatest gamers obtainable however Jonny must prioritise himself and repay the religion that his membership have proven in him.
By all accounts the final 16-18 months have been actually difficult for Jonny. His type in the intervening time within the Prime 14 has been high drawer and the remainder will do him good. If he’s concerned within the Six Nations and Scotland go properly, he has an opportunity of being known as up for the Lions. He has been a superb participant for Scotland and hopefully we are going to see him again in blue in 2025.
AN: There clearly has been stress from the membership for Jonny to not journey and this may have been actually robust for him. The membership that pays his wages and has backed him following his severe damage has stated they need him to relaxation over the approaching weeks. What do you do in case you are Jonny? Go towards the desires of your employer? I really feel for him however I’m positive he might be again for the Six Nations.
Darcy Graham is within the squad and able to sustain his try-scoring type at worldwide stage
Who’re you enthusiastic about seeing for Scotland within the Autumn Check sequence?
CC: Blair Kinghorn. He has taken his recreation to a brand new stage since transferring to Toulouse in France final 12 months and is now a Champions Cup winner. On present type, I believe he’s in with a good likelihood of beginning at full-back for the British and Irish Lions on their tour of Australia subsequent 12 months. The times of Scotland making an attempt to utilise him as a fly-half at the moment are, mercifully, at an finish. That did nothing for Kinghorn’s confidence, when Townsend insisted on enjoying him out of place and exposing him to criticism.
JW: It’s nice to have Darcy Graham again match and within the squad, he at all times makes yards and is among the most harmful gamers going ahead. If our forwards get fast ball we’ve a really potent again line.
Within the forwards, I’d like to see Ben Muncaster and Freddy Douglas on the pitch sooner or later. Ben has had some massive impacts for Edinburgh and bodily seems to be suited to worldwide rugby.
Kinghorn has established himself as considered one of Europe’s elite full-backs since transferring to Toulouse
I watched Freddy play for the Beneath-20’s final 12 months within the JRWC and he stood out as one to look at, though he has but to play for Edinburgh and could be within the squad for expertise, he might be a bolter.
AN: It’s nice to see Darcy Graham again in he squad however he has large competitors from the like of Kyle Rowe and Arran Learn, to not point out Duhan van der Merve. Tom Jordan has vastly impressed me at Glasgow so I’m actually eager to see him make the step as much as worldwide rugby. I additionally hope Jamie Dobie will get a very good run as I like him loads and he deserves some good recreation time.
What would represent a profitable sequence for the Scots?
CC: It needs to be three wins from 4. Anything could be a large disappointment. Fiji could be a harmful proposition on their day. They beat England at Twickenham final 12 months and likewise reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, beating Australia alongside the way in which. However, on house soil at Murrayfield, Scotland must be placing them away.
It’s going to the most likely be a cricket rating towards Portugal, to the purpose that it’s important to query the worth of enjoying opposition like that within the Autumn Checks. I additionally absolutely count on Scotland to beat Australia. The Wallabies are a shadow of the drive they was once. They’ve now slipped all the way down to an all-time low of tenth on the planet rankings and have completed backside of the desk in every of the previous two seasons within the Rugby Championship. The massive take a look at will come towards world champions South Africa. They are going to be a tricky nut to crack, however Scotland ought to win the opposite three video games.
The once-mighty Wallabies suffered a 67-27 defeat to Argentina within the Rugby Championship
JW: You possibly can take a look at this in a number of other ways. Rising the depth of the squad could be on my record, persevering with to play a lovely attacking recreation with an aggressive defence can be key and, as I discussed earlier, deepening the management pool might be an actual optimistic.
Having stated all of that, the factor that actually issues is the variety of wins we handle and entering into the behavior of successful after a better summer time in comparison with the opposite Six Nations international locations. We must be focusing on three victories and being aggressive towards the Boks and staying with them for the entire match. If we are able to pull off all 4 we are going to go into the Six Nations filled with confidence.
AN: I believe that is fairly apparent this 12 months. Three wins towards Fiji, Portugal and Australia and a very aggressive recreation towards South Africa. Something greater than three wins could be unimaginable with how good and bodily South Africa are however something lower than three wins could be deemed a failure.