Great performance from Sean Lamont - went forward every time he had the ball - usually with a few Italians hanging off him. The other Glasgow guys didn't let us down either. Not a pretty or particularly impressive victory, but better than the alternative.

Lets not get carried away. It was leaden and ponderous. The coach again left changes too late and Dan parks was woeful. Sean had a good game but wasno worl beater. comments reported back from the reception indicate that the players think they are back on top. Mmmmmmmm!

don't have much time but feel the need to disagree. . I thought Dan played pretty well under a lot of pressure from the Italians, and our fans and press....................... Italian back row were very quick to pressurise kicks. Just look what happened to Gordon Ross when he came on. Dan also had a great break in the second half... I think he's the best alternative we have. Paterson is not a stand off, and Gordon Ross is an able deputy to Dan.

why not calvn?

calvin

Aye Dan had a great break this was only seconds after I'd said to the boy beside me isn't in funny how Parks never runs with the ball. In fact he got such a surprise it appeared he didn't know what ot do with himself

i think Dan had a good game on saturday under a lot of pressure. He made more than a few great tackles and his burst into space in the second half took everyone on the field by surprise.
I think he's getting a raw deal from a lot of people and it's undeserved.Some of those criticising should look at the rest of the team and not just singling out individuals for what comes down to personal abuse.Dan wouldn't have been picked if he wasn't up to the job and sour grapes srome some wont change that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with you Jenni, Dan though not playing anywhere near as effectively as he does for Glasgow is doing alright for Scotland. I think it is weird that so much criticism is headed his way when the service he is getting isn't special and he isn't particularly well protected and he is obviously on orders playing far deeper in the pocket than he would ever do for Glasgow.

The sad fact is that even though there have been some absolutely howlers of performances (notably by Chris Paterson whose kicking from hand is shocking) the one person who is singled out is the guy who isn't Scottish by birth.

"he isn't particularly well protected" I'm sorry but really? Are you having a laugh? How about the two wingers that come in to take his place in the line as to help with defensive duties. A confession made by MW. Also what about Henderson? A 12 that was largely included in the line up for his defensive capabilites in mindering Parks. In all my years of watching rugby I have never seen a modern day fly-half so overly protected?

"the service he is getting isn't special" ahh you must be from the Williams School of Rugby Evaluation then? Cusiter, our one bright hope in the future, has givien him some brilliant passing. And just a note here have you ever tried to pass under pressure for the distance Parks stands. Bit difficult to be honest.

And again if your the flyhalf...the key play maker and link to 5 other players in the back division...and you can't perform then your going to get it in the neck more so than others regardless of your place of birth?

Doing alright for Scotland isn't good enough. Ross does alright for Scotland so why can't we pick him? Or Godman who would do alright for Scotland? Warnock might be alright for Scotland? Three alternate individuals that require attention because unlike Dan they tackle..OFTEN!

the poerson most surprised was Dan. The panic in his eyes as he looked left and right trying to avoid contact or running any further was very disappointing.

Let's not mention any possible Edinburgh connections there, shall we. I notice that Ross' charged-down kick on Saturday was either as a result of a shocking pass by Blair or too late on in the game to matter.

Compare Stephen Jones performance on Saturday to Dan Parks. 'nuff said.

Dan could play anyone off the park at present and still take pelters. It is a Scottish trait, I am afraid. I have seen it for so long in the round ball game. I remember the abuse Denis Law used to take at Hampden because he was an Anglo.

I'm sure DP would be the first to put his hand up and admit he has not set the international heather alight. Some of the abuse that has been heaped at him, however, has been an absolute disgrace. I put a tongue-in-cheek posting on the SRU site suggesting a separate site be set up for Edinburgh supporters to comment on the appearance of non-Edinburgh players in the international side, etc. Just have a look at it today. Pathetic. Takes me back to Scottish football of the sixties and early seventies.

Come on, DP is never going to be the real deal at Fly half. It seems that the only voices in his favour are from Glasgow, to blinded by loyalty to see the leaden player for what he is. Cusiter performs well under pressure making the most of hwat he gets. In these circumstances we need a scrapping Fly-half who can fight for the little ball he is going to get. I have no issue with DP being an Aussie or whatever, I do with him not being very good.

SORRY for Dan Parks,
Even if love Glasgow, here is my opinion.
HE doesn't have the level to play international.
1-His kick in the field isn't powerfull enough, we saw that on saturday.
2- He is SO AFRAID to catch the ball when there are players three meters of him!!!
3- When there is a WEE bit of pressure he wants to get rid of the ball even if his colleagues will struggle.
THERE IS NO LINK WITH HIS NATIONALITY, his grand ma is scottish, and there are now players from abroad in national squads (look at France 2 from SA, and one from NZ).
Guys like Martin LESLIE and GLEN METCALFE had more than the level to play for Scotland.
Scotland has to invest in his local players NOW, if not it will be the same story, import players, and not necessarily the first choice

Well said Hugues. I think there is a great deal of merit in your views, especially given your distance from the event, it has a bitg more perspective.

Phall, I am not defending Dan's performances in a Scotland shirt. What gets me bloody annoyed is the Scottish mentality of let's blame someone, let's make it personal. Dan has not been solely responsible for some woeful displays by Scotland in the last year or so. It's just that some postings would make you believe otherwise.

On the subject of criticism, let's start on the most woeful support any team in international sport can have. Murrayfield is an appalling place to watch rugby now. The few of us who will be in Belfast on Friday night will make more noise in support of our side. When a team is down, that is when they need your support most. What the guys don't need is the crowd getting on their back. Poor old Eagle was almost demented by having to sit in the West Stand on Saturday.

"the Scottish mentality of let's blame someone, let's make it personal"
It's not a scottish mentallity, it's like that everywhere.
Of course Parks is not responsible for the poor performances by the team.
It's not the point, it's not a personal attack, but seriously, i think he doesn't have the level, that's all.
And i don't see the point to import second choice, and what's happening now with Mac dougall, there are some good centres in scotland, no?

"i think he doesn't have the level, that's all." I disagree Hugues because I have seen him play!! Come over and see him play for Glasgow!! You will be most welcome!
It takes 15 to make a team (plus the coach, of course who must take the responsibility). Dan has come over and been put into the Scottish team at 10 because we didn't have anyone good enough here to fill that jersey ..let's face it, he wouldn't have been given a Glasgow jersey otherwise! That is what it is all about.If he was playing great for Scotland, he would be seen as a saviour....

But he isn't is he? Which is the point we are all trying to labor I think. It isn't bashing..please don't think it is..but rather the end of people's tether in my opinion. 15 layers go out there and at times this tournament they have all been posted missing. Bulloch hasn't been rilliant and the second row are suspect anywhere outside the set piece? But if your a fly half then your under pressure. Being the playmaker for a whole division is going to make you the person we all go to as critics. Some of these people on the site and others have short memories. We tried Paterson at 10 and it din't work. He was villified and he stepped to the side. Parks isn't working and he has now got equal or so caps to Ross who has waited long enough in the wings? And there is no justification for playing guys that are not first choice for the side. Like Parks isn't.

Ross left Scotland and performs well at Leeds. Okay he isn't Carlos Spencer but he is good enough to play well in the ZP and deserves his shot. If only to finally put his discussion to rest?

"come over & see him play for Glasgow"

If that was the logic then chainsaw would still be playing for Scotland.

I met Hugues in Waxy's after the Boxing Day game, he does attend games.

Dan Parks IS first chioce fly half for Glasgow !!! and the only resason for him being on the bench in the weeks leading up to the six nations was on MW's say so.
Droning on and on about the same old things and dishing out abuse isnt big and certainly isnt clever, give it a rest guys !

"Droning on and on about the same old things and dishing out abuse isnt big and certainly isnt clever, give it a rest guys!"

I don't personally blame Dan for the Scotland fly-half scenario at present. What I do think's wrong though is that if your not producing the goods you get replaced. Dan's not producing the goods. It's not abuse or about sticking it to the guy I'm just talking real life situation here.

If the Parks-Glasgow-1st choice scenario is true then it just goes to show how much infuluence and Matt Williams & Ian McGeechan does have within the pro three in Scotland. Is this why they want to have 100% control even if a backer's found to financially bale out the pro three?

Again if it is true then I, and many other's, have been correct all along. I've always said that the pro three are the new Scotland "A" side which was abandoned due to financial pressures. It's not about building bottom to top rugby in this country.