We Came, We Saw, We Deep Fried Your Pizzas
WELCOME BACK: God, 2020 is getting boring isn’t it? Another week, another Scotland win, another try from Duhan, another SRU comms blunder and another Scottish rugby podcast launches (we see you Tay FM). Welcome back to your weekly installment of the weird and wonderful world of Scottish Rugby.
WEIR GONNA WIN THE WORLD CUP: The build up to the Scotland vs Italy match focused on the return of Scotland rugby’s favourite son Duncan Weir aka Meatball aka The Pudding. There were Weir-themed memes galore, including our own contribution…
…while we can only dream of a team of Duncy Weir’s…
Check out our podcast with Weir from the summer where you can really get a sense of how much putting on the blue shirt means to the Worcester stand off. Also, please support the growth of his spectacular afro efforts by giving any spare cash to the Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust - see just giving link here
NOT GREAT NOT TERRIBLE: Scotland overcame a slow start to secure a 28-17 bonus point victory over a tenacious Italian side at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Townsend’s men were behind for the majority of the match after a lacklustre opening 50 minutes, but managed to pull away in the final third, with a telling contribution from the substitutes bench. While the overall performance left a lot to be desired, Scotland appear to be developing an encouraging habit of winning ugly.
Italy started well, disrupting Scotland at the breakdown and scrum, and would have had their tails up as both Jamie Ritchie (HIA) and Rory Sutherland (ankle) were forced to depart the action. Referee Luke 'Luca’ Pearce’s interpretation of the breakdown was hard to decipher, yet the fired-up home side were getting the rub of the green and were rewarded for their efforts with 2 penalty goals from impressive pivot Paolo Garbisi. Scotland still looked the more likely to score when in possession, and duly obliged when ‘Jock Bok’ (credit to Jamie Lyall) Duhan Van Der Merwe cut a sensational line to cross for his 2nd try in as many starts, following a period of concerted pressure - as expected Duhan is taking to international rugby like a duck to water and had nearly double the meters carried of any other Scotland player
However, Italy took a deserved 11-7 lead into the break following a belter of a try from Mateo Minozzi, the support lines and offload play showing their potency in attack.
Garbisi extended this lead early into the second half after continued Scottish ill-discipline at the lineout. Yet Scotland continued to turn the screw with ball in hand, Duncan Weir settling the scores after an indifferent first half . After another touchline break from Van Der Merwe, Zander Fagerson managed to cross in bizarre circumstances (see the highlights) then Scotland were rewarded for turning down a kickable penalty in favour of the lineout drive, Scott Cummings eventually crashing over after a forceful carry from replacement hooker George Turner. Turner then turned scorer to secure the bonus point victory, dotting down at the back of a rolling maul, Scotland's new found weapon.
Credit is due to Italy for their first half performance, yet they faded after the 50 minute mark and Scotland ultimately had enough quality to pull away from their opponents in the end. We suspect Townsend will be emphasizing discipline and greater accuracy in attack ahead of the French match, and Hogg was clear that an improvement in his side’s work rate is required. The injuries to Ritchie and Sutherland are also a concern. However, Scotland are in the winning groove and this was another test of their ability to overcome adversity passed. Duhan, Watson and Cummings were all superlative, while the bench provided real impact, particularly from Kebble and Turner.
After France versus Fiji was postponed due to Covid concerns, Scotland now top Group A of the Autumn Nations Cup - STOP THE COUNT!
THREE IN A ROW: Scotland have the opportunity to takedown France for the 3rd time in 3 matches next Sunday - the first time a Scottish side to accomplish the feat feat since 1958.
The French Rugby Union has agreed that players in the French squad would only play a maximum of three matches, meaning Dupont and co would have been restricted from playing after the Fiji game scheduled for weekend. However COVID had other ideas and after multiple Fijian players needed to self isolate, the fixture was cancelled, therefore freeing up the big names for the clash at Murrayfield.
One piece of sad news for rugby fans generally (but potentially good news for Scotland rugby) is that in-form flyahlf Romain Ntamack is out injured for the match but as French rugby expert Paul Eddison points out, his replacement ain’t too shabby.
SIX IN A ROW:
Scotland’s victory over Italy was their 5th consecutive win, their best streak since 2011
If Scotland then beat France it will be the first time they've won 6 games in a row since 89/90
And if Scotland then beat Fiji it will be the first time they've won 7 games in a row...ever.
Scotland Rugby’s premier stats man Kevin Millar picked out a few other juicy stats for Scotland fans to ponder - roll on the ‘Roaring 20s’!
BUILD-UP JERUSALEM: Jeff Bezos’s foray into rugby kicked off this weekend and it is safe to say that it has been a rocky start for the Amazon man. First, France v Fiji was cancelled due to covid, then subscribers were “treated" to the absolute snorefest that was Ireland v Wales.
But as Jeff the eager Scotland fan tuned in for some build up, he would have been mistaken for thinking his production team had made a mistake. The planned 45 minute preview for Scotland v Italy had been replaced with a mega build up for the England v Georgia game! It was quite a line up: a zoom call within the England camp! Discussion of tactics! Eddie Jones talking up Georgia! We were expecting the game to be replaced with a screening of the Jonny Wilkinson documentary “Building Jerusalem”, but luckily for Jeff, the Scotland game did interrupt the England build up for a brief 80 minutes.
We hope our man will be raising our concerns directly before next week’s France game.
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NOTHING TO SEE HERE: On the day of Budget every year, newsrooms set a journalist the specific task of monitoring announcements from businesses who are clearly seeking to bury bad news on the busiest news day of the year.
So after much discussion over the SRU accounts (or lack thereof) is it any surprise that the latest announcement about them arrived at 5.30 on a Friday, the night before an international match? The announcement itself was fairly tame (“they are taking longer due to covid” - which, is a fairly reasonable position) but as with a lot of comms from the Union at the moment, the timing gives the perception of trying to hide something.
We await the publication of the accounts, mainly so we can turn them into a quiz.
COVID DRAGONS: While the national side’s winning streak goes on, the threadbare squads at Edinburgh and Glasgow are struggling to get their nascent campaigns off the ground. Glasgow have picked up only one win from five (conceding 130 points on the way), and Edinburgh are only one win better. Last night Edinburgh were on the latest victim of the Leinster juggernaut, shipping a cricket score at the RDS and barely even firing a shot. If anyone knows how to beat them (or indeed put in place an academy structure that creates a steady pipeline of talent for both club and country) answers on a postcard please. Edinburgh will be given a rest week (as Glasgow have just enjoyed) as the Dragons continue to battle the covid outbreak in their squad. It could be a blessing in disguise as the lads get some time to re-group before a brutal fixture schedule until Christmas.
MISH-ION SOUTH AFRICA: 10 years ago two members of the podcast shaped up against an Scotland under 20 side featuring a young Hamish Watson and were subsequently smashed/boshed/dismantled by the abrasive young flanker. Our lives have diverted dramatically since then and the ‘Hamish Watson should be in the Lions squad’ bandwagon is really starting to generate some momentum. See an interview Hamish Watson did below with Jim Hamilton where he talks about Lions chances, current Scotland setup and injury setbacks at the World Cup
WEIR ON A MARCH WITH DUNCY’S ARMY After his return to the Scotland line up, Duncan Weir bagged another acolade this weekend, being named in Lions and Ireland legend Paul O’Connell’s Lions XV of the week. In a backline featuring no less than four Scots, O’Connell has done the online Duncan Weir hype train a mega boost. Hell, we will say it. The Lions no.10 jersey is his to lose.
SCOTS ABROAD:
Hamilton Burr, Ex Glasgow Warriors, Stirling County, Aberdeen Grammar, Aberdeen Wanderers (we are deeply apologetic to all teams not mentioned in this post), continues to tear it up for Waikato in the Mitre 10 Premiership in back row with Liam Messam and Luke Jacobson. See a top class interception and offload at 1.30 below to set up Valynce Te Whare-Crosby for a try. If only there was a pro team in Scotland screaming out for a top class second row/flanker…
Former Glasgow Warrior and friend of the pod announced via Twitter that he is moving stateside to join the LA Giltinis. A cursory Google shows he will also be joined by former teammate DTH Van Der Merwe at the MLR side. It is great to see Ashe staying in the game after some speculation that he was ready to hang up his boots to focus on his thriving CBD supplements business. Why the former Stirling County man was content to swap Glasgow for the sunnier climes of California, we will never know.
YOUTUBE CLASSICS:
To celebrate the return of the Pudding we have dug out a classic Duncy Weir tribute video for all Scottish rugby fans to revel in
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