Ireland v Scotland 6N's 2016

[simonokeeffe]

Where on earth has the Conway call come from?

Think about it a little bit and the answer becomes obvious.

Leinster bias

[Vamos los azules]

Rob Kearney is out again. Conway & Kilcoyne called in

http://utv.ie/Sport/2016/03/14/Rob-Kear ... um=twitter

what is it with RK and hamstring injuries? I could be way off here but I think it traces back to the back injury he suffered in the Sportsground that hes had problems with since and his body's natural allignment is off

looks like (from RTE update) that Reddan had a calf strain which is why Marmion was on bench

Been thinking similar about RK myself. It just seems to be one hamstring/glute issue after another with him these days. It does suggest some kind of underlying issue.

[Ruckedtobits]

Where on earth has the Conway call come from?

similar height and build to Hogg?

Exactly. Hogg is hard to replicate in training because of acceleration and change of pace. Gilroy can't help but throw in swivels which Hogg doesn't use. He also catches ball with knees up, just like Conway.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Can't see any similarities myself but if that is the reason then I'd have thought Healy was a better match.

[simonokeeffe]

Can't see any similarities myself but if that is the reason then I'd have thought Healy was a better match.

maybe Conway brings more acne and aggro?

[Kinger83]

Denton and Jonny Gray ruled out for Scotland.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/i ... -1.2574211

[blockhead]

Denton and Jonny Gray ruled out for Scotland.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/i ... -1.2574211

Is this likely to suck anymore Glasgow players out of Fridays game?

[simonokeeffe]

Denton and Jonny Gray ruled out for Scotland.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/i ... -1.2574211

Is this likely to suck anymore Glasgow players out of Fridays game?

Tim Swinson is with he squad already, their other locks are foreign
Might mean less chance of someone like Fuasro being released back

Gray is a huge blow though, averages 13 tackles a game in the championship (including game he went off in) work rate is off the charts

[Fireworks]

Denton and Jonny Gray ruled out for Scotland.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/i ... -1.2574211

Good news for Ireland and Leinster.

[Dexter]

A few tickets were released on TM just today - need to hurry though

[simonokeeffe]

Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Tim Visser (Harlequins), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw captain (Gloucester), Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Castres), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), John Barclay (Scarlets), John Hardie (Edinburgh), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors)

Replacements: Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh), Moray Low (Exeter Chiefs), Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors).

if we cant spank Scotland with Weir at 10 (mising first choice 10 12 13) and their best forward absent we deserve to be relegated

Theyve no sub front 5 forwards they even want to bring on nor backs

[Dave Cahill]

TOD in for vdF in the only change to the team originally named to play Italy

[FLIP]

TOD in for vdF in the only change to the team originally named to play Italy

No VDF at all in the squad. What's with that? He's been great at 7.

[simonokeeffe]

TOD in for vdF in the only change to the team originally named to play Italy

No VDF at all in the squad. What's with that? He's been great at 7.

think Ruddock's versatility shades him

do wonder if JVDF is inured or what? he mysteriously came into the team and is mysteriously out of it now

[Ruckedtobits]

Not totally surprised but I hope JS gave JVDF a heads up, that it wouldn't always be a straight line up the ladder.

IMO, logical selection against their back-row of experienced cheats. Barclay leads the field in that regard on the ground and Hardie lives up to his name. Pleased to see Strauss left out and Weir at O-H for them. This will be a serious challenge but probably won by footballing ability. Swinson a decent replacement for Baby Gray, but nowhere near his defensive contribution.

Our back-row must pressure Laidlaw who is the heartbeat and leader of this Scots team and must be pressured by Murray and back-row

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Maybe TOD is slightly better in a loose game? VDF is very unlucky but I can see the logic. VDF and Hardie might just cancel each other out a bit whereas TOD uses his smarts a bit more than his brawn.

Tbh I'll be disappointed if we don't win comfortably. The margins we've lost on have been very very small and by the same token Scotland essentially just have won big win against France at home. Their optimism isn't based on a whole lot really. Our halfbacks are infinitely better and I hope we expose Taylor in midfield. He works very hard and is a fine defender and strong runner but he doesn't have much of a rugby brain all the same. I'll be disappointed if we kick loosely to Hogg but even if we do I'd expect Payne et al to be able to shut him down better than other teams have managed recently. Gray is a big loss up front although his brother is playing better than he has in a long time.

I think we need to put them back in their box a bit and right some of the wrongs from the first few games. Combine that with the fact that they're missing a couple of important players and their need isn't as great after the two wins they've managed and I'm expecting us to blow them off the park.

[jimbobjoe]

TOD in for vdF in the only change to the team originally named to play Italy

No VDF at all in the squad. What's with that? He's been great at 7.

think Ruddock's versatility shades him

do wonder if JVDF is inured or what? he mysteriously came into the team and is mysteriously out of it now

Rested after a few knocks apparently. The Joe giveth, the Joe taketh away.

[wixfjord]

Gray, Russell and Strauss out are big pluses for us I think. Can't understand why Strauss doesn't start tbh, he's an excellent player.
Reckon we should take this one, their 9/10 can't hold a candle to ours.

I'll be very interested to see how Zebo goes defensively this week, should be a tougher challenge.

[jimbobjoe]

I think we'll ship a couple of tries in this one - if we defend narrow again they'll punish us, Seymour and Hogg being the obvious danger men. If we go out there with the same attacking mindset as last week though I think we can put 30 points or more on them.

[ribs]

TOD in for vdF in the only change to the team originally named to play Italy

No VDF at all in the squad. What's with that? He's been great at 7.

leinster bias of course