Improving Scotland?

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Good result for Scotland today only losing 28-0 at home to the Saffas

In our current state, we'd probably have lost by a lot more.

[Russ]

Yip

We'd have shipped 60 to those SAFFAs

[BaggyTrousers]

Lucky enough to get the nil from the little I saw.

Anyone see the state of the Murrayfield turf? I have said it before & I'll repeat myself just this once. Them thar bowel stadia are pitch killers. Murrayfield, with its innovative under-soil lecky blankie before any fitba clubs had them, was once the finest pitch in the world, a decade or twa of being a bowel & it's a friggin' midden.

[bazzaj]

Saw the thread title and nearly had a fit till,then saw who posted it.
Things to consider to is that Scotland gave a great account of themselves in the summer away to SA when it was the end of our season.
The difference in intensity can be seen when the roles are now reversed and we are playing these SH sides after a significant break and they are at the end of their season.
Their continuity and familiarity is more evident but perhaps Wales are least affected as most of them were on the Lions tour.

Things to note so far of all the sides Wales seem the only side capable of an attacking threat out wide.
The lack of creativity and linebreaks is still the major weakness in home nations rugby and England need Tuilagi to pose some form of threat in that area.
Scotland could have played SA till next autumn and still not scored.
For us its a case of stripping things back and small steps forward, layering each performance with a view to the next WC.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Yip

We'd have shipped 60 to those SAFFAs

Is there an echo in here?

THAT's what I said ...... more or less!

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Lucky enough to get the nil from the little I saw.

Anyone see the state of the Murrayfield turf? I have said it before & I'll repeat myself just this once. Them thar bowel stadia are pitch killers. Murrayfield, with its innovative under-soil lecky blankie before any fitba clubs had them, was once the finest pitch in the world, a decade or twa of being a bowel & it's a friggin' midden.

Millenium looked a bit of a mess yesterday too - badly cut up.

[tigerburnie]

Scotlands Murrayfield pitch is infested with some sort of Nematodes that are destroying the roots of the grass, they are spraying it with Garlic to try and get rid of them it seems. I thought the Millenium pitch was actually better than it's been for a long time, when you consider it's grown on pallets and brought in on fork trucks, I'm surprised it works at all.

[Russ]

Millenium pitch only holds up as the sheep worriers have no forwards to speak of

[AndyB]

Twickenham pitch looked good.

[ColinM]

Twickenham seating is far enough away from the pitch that the pitch gets enough light and wind for it to work.

Millenium pitch was barely even green.

[AndyB]

How long before internationals played on artificial turf?

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Twickenham seating is far enough away from the pitch that the pitch gets enough light and wind for it to work.

Millenium pitch was barely even green.

Whatever happened to the green green grass of home.

[Russ]

How long before internationals played on artificial turf?

2 years, 15 weeks, 3 days, 4 hours and 12 minutes

[Ospreylian]

Millenium pitch only holds up as the sheep worriers have no forwards to speak of

Dear, dear me Your finest to date!

[Loki]

i was at the match on Sunday and Scotland got exactly as much as their play warranted. significant amount of the ball and players who at times wanted to run, but the combinations aren't right across the pitch and there was (like Ireland) no discernible game plan. When the Saffas rumbled over in the opening minutes we were expecting the Scots to get an absolute shoeing.

South Africa were impressive and are streets ahead in fitness, strength, basics, game management, everything. Scotland tried to play with verve and kept trying to break the line but it simply wasn't happening.

I've no idea if they showed it on telly but Joost van der Westhuizen spoke to the crowd at half time and it broke my heart. I loved him as a player and although I knew of the motor neuron disease he is battling I had no idea how far along it was.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24956213