Scotland v Australia

[Sapetyvi]

@mn5 said in Scotland v Australia:

Dare I suggest the Scots may be favourites going into this?

That's not a stretch mate, the Aussies are injury ridden and well, lost last time they played.

Of course this is the last game this year to stamp a mark, and the Wallabies will be hurting from the England loss, so I am expecting a mess of a game, where there is more heart than brain and a lot of spilled ball and lost opportunities.

[Number 10]

@stargazer said in Scotland v Australia:

Scotland

1 Darryl Marfo (Edinburgh Rugby) - 2 caps
2 Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) - 11 caps
3 Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby) - 4 caps
4 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) - 17 caps
5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) - 37 caps
6 John Barclay CAPTAIN (Scarlets) - 65 caps
7 Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) - 14 caps
8 Ryan Wilson VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) - 31 caps
9 Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) - 10 caps
10 Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) - 31 caps
11 Sean Maitland (Saracens) - 28 caps
12 Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) - 28 caps
13 Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) - 10 caps
14 Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) - 38 caps
15 Stuart Hogg VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) - 55 caps

Reserves:
16 Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) - 28 caps
17 Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) - 2 caps
18 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) - 14 caps
19 Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby) - 6 caps
20 Cornell du Preez (Edinburgh Rugby) - 4 caps
21 Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) - 26 caps
22 Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) - 27 caps
23 Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks) - 1 cap

Three of the changes appear in the pack, where Glasgow Warriors number 8 Ryan Wilson returns to start after missing the All Blacks match with a shoulder injury.

Edinburgh Rugby lock Grant Gilchrist starts his first match of the series alongside Jonny Gray, while tighthead prop Simon Berghan earns his first start for the national team in the front-row.

Recent squad addition Sean Maitland (Saracens) is the only change to an otherwise all-Glasgow Warriors backline.

He starts in place of wing Lee Jones - who misses out on the match-day 23 - to combine with Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour in the back-three, leaving an unchanged half-back pairing (Ali Price and Finn Russell) and midfield (Alex Dunbar and Huw Jones), providing Dunbar completes the graduated return-to-play protocol, having sustained a concussion last weekend.

Last week’s starting back-row Cornell du Preez, lock Ben Toolis and prop Zander Fagerson move to the bench, where Fraser Brown - who recovered from a knee injury to join the squad this week - replaces fellow Glasgow Warriors hooker George Turner.

http://www.scottishrugby.org/news/17/11/22/four-changes-australia-test

Byron McGuigan, who debuted against us last week, spent 2014 in New Zealand playing fullback for Bay of Plenty.

[Catogrande]

@number-10 said in Scotland v Australia:

@stargazer said in Scotland v Australia:

Scotland

1 Darryl Marfo (Edinburgh Rugby) - 2 caps
2 Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) - 11 caps
3 Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby) - 4 caps
4 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) - 17 caps
5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) - 37 caps
6 John Barclay CAPTAIN (Scarlets) - 65 caps
7 Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) - 14 caps
8 Ryan Wilson VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) - 31 caps
9 Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) - 10 caps
10 Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) - 31 caps
11 Sean Maitland (Saracens) - 28 caps
12 Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) - 28 caps
13 Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) - 10 caps
14 Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) - 38 caps
15 Stuart Hogg VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) - 55 caps

Reserves:
16 Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) - 28 caps
17 Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) - 2 caps
18 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) - 14 caps
19 Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby) - 6 caps
20 Cornell du Preez (Edinburgh Rugby) - 4 caps
21 Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) - 26 caps
22 Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) - 27 caps
23 Byron McGuigan (Sale Sharks) - 1 cap

Three of the changes appear in the pack, where Glasgow Warriors number 8 Ryan Wilson returns to start after missing the All Blacks match with a shoulder injury.

Edinburgh Rugby lock Grant Gilchrist starts his first match of the series alongside Jonny Gray, while tighthead prop Simon Berghan earns his first start for the national team in the front-row.

Recent squad addition Sean Maitland (Saracens) is the only change to an otherwise all-Glasgow Warriors backline.

He starts in place of wing Lee Jones - who misses out on the match-day 23 - to combine with Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour in the back-three, leaving an unchanged half-back pairing (Ali Price and Finn Russell) and midfield (Alex Dunbar and Huw Jones), providing Dunbar completes the graduated return-to-play protocol, having sustained a concussion last weekend.

Last week’s starting back-row Cornell du Preez, lock Ben Toolis and prop Zander Fagerson move to the bench, where Fraser Brown - who recovered from a knee injury to join the squad this week - replaces fellow Glasgow Warriors hooker George Turner.

http://www.scottishrugby.org/news/17/11/22/four-changes-australia-test

Byron McGuigan, who debuted against us last week, spent 2014 in New Zealand playing fullback for Bay of Plenty.

He played for a year down here in Exeter. Never quite made the breakthrough that everyone thought he would. He seems to have thrived at Sale though.

[Talisker]

We've had an injury crisis in the front row, but other than that, I think we are close to full strength, allowing for some rotation. I have one or two minor quibbles with the selection, but not too much.

@Catogrande

I understand from a mate who is a Sale fan that McGuigan is indeed going well this season. I haven't seen them play this term

[Catogrande]

@talisker McGuigan had his moments in an Exeter shirt but was just not consistent enough to break into what was a pretty strong back 3. He has shown a lot more since going to Sale. But then you'd expect a Saffer to come good in the end

[Stargazer]

Australia
1 Scott Sio (42 Tests)
2 Stephen Moore (128 Tests)
3 Sekope Kepu (90 Tests)
4 Rob Simmons (81 Tests)
5 Blake Enever (1 Test)
6 Ben McCalman (52 Tests)
7 Michael Hooper (c) (78 Tests)
8 Sean McMahon (25 Tests)
9 Will Genia (vc) (87 Tests)
10 Bernard Foley (vc) (54 Tests)
11 Reece Hodge (23 Tests)
12 Samu Kerevi (17 Tests)
13 Tevita Kuridrani (57 Tests)
14 Marika Koroibete (7 Tests)
15 Kurtley Beale (70 Tests)

Reserves
16 Tatafu Polota-Nau (81 Tests)
17 Tetera Faulkner (3 Tests)
18 Taniela Tupou*
19 Lukhan Tui (3 Tests)
20 Lopeti Timani (11 Tests)
21 Nick Phipps (61 Tests)
22 Karmichael Hunt (5 Tests)
23 Henry Speight (18 Tests)

*denotes uncapped

http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2017/11/23/wallabies-scotland-murrayfield-team-announcement

[chimoaus]

So looking at that Aussie team it appears they have a pretty strong islander influence. By looking, it appears 13 of the 23 have Islander background and 10 of the 23 were not born in Australia? Also appears at least 6 have ties to NZ. Guess we are not the only ones that poach the islands...

Australia
Scott Sio - Australian Born Samoan
Sekope Kepu - Australian Born Tongan via NZ
Will Genia - PNG
Samu Kerevi - Fiji
Tevita Kuridrani - Fiji
Marika Koroibete - Fiji
Tatafu Polota-Nau - Australian born Tongan
Tetera Faulkner - NZ
Taniela Tupou* - Tonga via NZ
Lukhan Tui - NZ, Samoan
Lopeti Timani - Tonga
Karmichael Hunt - NZ, Samoan
Henry Speight - Fiji via NZ

[taniwharugby]

@chimoaus lucky rugby has eligibility rules....

[mariner4life]

jesus if the Wallabies were kept to the same standard as MPs there would be that many ineligible players @NTA would get a cap...

[NTA]

@mariner4life sorry mate, I'm public schooled...

[mariner4life]

@nta said in Scotland v Australia:

@mariner4life sorry mate, I'm public schooled...

however you are from NSW, which is an automatic leg up in selection for any national team.

[NTA]

@mariner4life NOW you're talking like a QLDer.

[mariner4life]

@nta said in Scotland v Australia:

@mariner4life NOW you're talking like a QLDer.

Qwwaid! The ref's a cheat! We deserve to play finals, we're Queensland. The ARU only cares about the Shute Shield. The 1994 Queensland team is the best provincial rugby side of all time. Rob Simmons is a warrior. Ignore the turf, Suncorp Stadium is the best football stadium in the world. Bar none. FACT.

There, now i sound like a Reds fan.

Aus will win this by the way

[NTA]

@mariner4life said in Scotland v Australia:

Rob Simmons is a warrior dirty fucken traitor who joined NSW because he was too shit to get in anywhere else

Fixed

[Stargazer]

Only just tuned in. Who of the Wallabies got the RC and why?

[Stargazer]

Scotland are smashing the Aussies

[Billy Tell]

@stargazer said in Scotland v Australia:

Only just tuned in. Who of the Wallabies got the RC and why?

Kepu. For shoulder charge to head. Simple decision for the ref.

I feel like I'm watching the SH rugby empire crumble...with only one small village and their magic potion ("aura") holding out.

[Stargazer]

@billy-tell Yeah, although obviously it's easier beating a 14-men team that - just like the ABs - is at the end of a very long season.

[Stargazer]

Interesting test series from Scotland. Can't wait to see how they'll do during the next Six Nations. Of all 6 teams, they definitely look like the most improved team.

[Stargazer]

Geez, and now a yellow. Not so sure about that one. No penalty try as when SBW got his YC against France. Similar situation, but less obvious that Beale tried to knock the ball into touch (in the in-goal area).