March 17, 2005

Scotland team to face England

Posted by Editor on March 17, 2005 11:02 AM | 10 comments | Print | E-mail author

Graeme Beveridge is on the bench for Scotland's game with England
Scotland have made six changes, two positional, from the team which started last weekend's match against Wales, for the final Six Nations Championship match against England at Twickenham on Saturday (ko 6.00pm).

Returning after injury is flanker Jason White, which sees the back-row recast with Simon Taylor moving to No 8 and Allister Hogg switching to openside flanker. Glasgow's Jon Petrie drops to the bench.

Second-half substitutes from last weekend, stand-off Gordon Ross, lock Nathan Hines and scrum-half Mike Blair will all start this time round.

Chris Cusiter was ruled out of selection on account of the Achilles injury he suffered against Wales, so Glasgow's Graeme Beveridge is called onto the bench where he is joined by Stuart Grimes and Dan Parks who all started against Wales.

Scotland

15 Chris Paterson (Edinburgh Rugby)

14 Rory Lamont (Glasgow Warriors)
13 Andy Craig (Glasgow Warriors)
12 Hugo Southwell (Edinburgh Rugby)
11 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors)

10 Gordon Ross (Leeds Tykes)
9 Mike Blair (Edinburgh Rugby)*

1 Tom Smith (Northampton Saints)
2 Gordon Bulloch (Glasgow Warriors) CAPTAIN
3 Gavin Kerr (Leeds Tykes)
4 Nathan Hines (Edinburgh Rugby)
5 Scott Murray (Edinburgh Rugby)
6 Jason White (Sale Sharks)
8 Simon Taylor (Edinburgh Rugby)
7 Allister Hogg (Edinburgh Rugby)*

Substitutes

16 Robbie Russell (London Irish)
17 Bruce Douglas (The Borders)
18 Stuart Grimes (Newcastle Falcons)
19 Jon Petrie (Glasgow Warriors)
20 Graeme Beveridge (Glasgow Warriors)
21 Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors)
22 Andrew Henderson (Glasgow Warriors)

Travelling with the squad: 23 Jon Dunbar (Leeds Tykes) 24 Ben MacDougall (Edinburgh Rugby)

Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland). Touch-judges: Mark Lawrence (South Africa) and Nigel Whitehouse (Wales). Television match official: Christophe Berdos (France)

* = Member of Scottish Institute of Sport

Comments
Posted by McDruid on March 17, 2005 04:12 PM | Reply to this comment

At long last - the supporters select the Scotland team! So who needs Matt Williams? (With a name like that he's probably a Welshman in disguise!) Why, however, does Douglas not start at tight-head? The improvement in the scrum on Sunday is at least as likely to have come from a more stable front row as the inclusion of Bruiser Hines behind.

Posted by Big G on March 17, 2005 04:20 PM | Reply to this comment

Dan Parks quite rightly drops to the bench, but Lazyboy Murray keeps his place.....bewildering....when was the last time he broke sweat???

Posted by Phall on March 17, 2005 05:36 PM | Reply to this comment

I heard he breaks sweat every time he buys a round!

Posted by Phall on March 17, 2005 07:24 PM | Reply to this comment

Right bar three positions I think this is pretty good XV. That said they take on a difficult task. But the Saxons have some weakneses. If Taylor and White terrorise Hidgson, it could be fun. Similarily if the Lamonts get a chance to run at the English backline they can be beaten. Okay so we have to do everything right and they have to do a lot wrong, but...


Okay, I know a lot of this was written after I visited my mum in hospital and swiped her morphine, but Zippy, Dylan and me agree on this one...

Posted by duncan on March 17, 2005 07:58 PM | Reply to this comment

High risk playing Hogg at 7. JP really unlucky

Posted by GaryIPA on March 17, 2005 08:09 PM | Reply to this comment

Agreed to a certain extent, Squad Game, JP to get at least 20-25 for ST

Posted by McDruid on March 17, 2005 08:52 PM | Reply to this comment

After a bit of reflection, I think the back row mix is wrong and the changes unnecessarily complicated. White is in at No.6, Petrie is out from No.7. Why was it necessary to move Taylor from No.6 to No.8 and Hogg from No.8 to No.7? That is two changes when one would have sufficed, if Taylor were moved from No.6 to No.7.

If Taylor is still short of match fitness and substituted by Petrie, will Petrie go to No.8? Or will he go to No.7 and Hogg revert to No.8? And if White proves to be short of match fitness and is substituted, will Petrie come on at No.6 or No.7? If the latter, then Hogg moves - a simple move to No.6 or a complex one to No.8 with Taylor reverting to No.6?

The back row looks like a pig's breakfast and it used to be so strong and stable.

Posted by GaryIPA on March 17, 2005 09:23 PM | Reply to this comment

Why are you being so neg about this. Is it because JP has been dropped?? Who was in this Strong and stable back row you talk about??

From memory at Edinburgh before Taylor was broken Hogg was 7 and moved to 8 on his injury and if White is playing 6 at Sale it seems a pretty reasonable thing to do.

Posted by Alan on March 17, 2005 11:37 PM | Reply to this comment

Pretty predictable really ..and I hope the "supporters select the Scotland team" never happens. We all have our views (of the team and the coach) but we need one guy there to make the decisions as he sees it..that's why we have him guys "for better or worse"!

Posted by McDruid on March 18, 2005 12:31 PM | Reply to this comment

Not intending to be negative, Gary. i just believe that the fewer changes that are made to teams - between matches and during matches - the more effectively the constituent units and the overall team play. The teams that win consistently seem to draw on a small number of players, due to consistent form, luck with injuries etc. And over a long number of years Scotland has tended to have stable, secure, successful and respected back row units.

My jibe, Alan, about supporters picking the team is, I believe, pretty accurate. Matt Williams has no idea and wants to keep the growing legions of critics off his back. Just a pity that the average rugby watcher does not understand front row play, because then there would have been a clamour for Douglas to start before Kerr. No clamour ergo no change by MW. I rest my case.

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