Townsend's take on Scotland being restricted to just five Premiership picks versus France
Gregor Townsend has claimed that the current situation where Scotland have just five Gallagher Premiership-based players available to them for Friday night’s Guinness Six Nations re-fixture versus France is more preferable to the alternative of playing the match later in 2021.
With Lions tour selection still up for grabs, the Scotland boss is satisfied that the rescheduled Six Nations match versus the French is taking place the week after the championship’s round five finale – even though he has had his selection restricted by the English clubs.
Limited to picking just five players who earn their club wages in the Premiership, Townsend admitted that having five available was better than zero as that was the prospect he faced last Saturday before an agreement was eventually struck between the PRL, the SRU and the Six Nations.
It means Townsend can start skipper Stuart Hogg, centre Chris Harris and second row Sam Skinner while having Alex Craig and Scott Steele ready and waiting on the bench at the Stade de France rather than being forced to choose nearly an entirely Scottish club-based team.
“It’s much more satisfactory than I thought it was going to be on Saturday when none of our (Premiership) players were going to be available and we were putting together a team from home-based players and Finn Russell.
The fallout following the restricted way Scotland had to pick their squad for Paris#SixNations #FRAvSCO
https://t.co/TJMr2Pzgc8— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 23, 2021
“So it’s a much better situation. I’m glad that we did get a resolution that players would be available, not all of them but most of them,” explained Townsend, who had to leave out other English-based players such as Saracens’ Sean Maitland, a starter last weekend versus Italy.
“He [Maitland] was really disappointed, as was Jamie Bhatti who has been on the bench for us for the last two weeks and then other players who might have come into consideration, players like James Lang, Duncan Taylor, Cornell du Preez who have been in our squad. Cornell du Preez was actually supposed to be on the bench when we were playing France the last time (the February 28 postponed game).
“So yeah, it’s disappointing for them, it’s disappointing for someone like Jonny Gray and others who picked up an injury and is not able to play in this game, but the focus is on the 15 and the 23 that are playing this week and are ready for his massive challenge.
“Look, it’s a complex situation in that the game was called off… in the past when Six Nations games have been postponed they have been played months and months later, sometimes the following season which is what happened last year, and in 2001 with the foot and mouth outbreak.
“So to get us a situation where we are playing the week after the end of the Six Nations, that is something the public would want and in a Lions year, it’s good that we are getting to play now and not wait until September, October. While we have not got all our players everybody in our squad and in our public are very keen that this game goes ahead this weekend.”
Townsend has made four changes to his starting XV following the win over Italy. Fit-again Russell and Ali Price step back in at half-back, Harris returns in midfield while George Turner is chosen at hooker. Meanwhile, fit-again Adam Hastings has made the Scotland bench for a match where the starting France XV shows five changes from the last-gasp victory over Wales which kept alive their Six Nations title chances.
A third of the starting team is altered as the French chase first title since 2010 #FRAvSCO #SixNationshttps://t.co/r8bH4Rmur3
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 24, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Expecting those provincial fish-heads to vote themselves out of power is like expecting turkeys to vote for Christmas. Good luck with that!
1 Go to commentsA brilliant winger..
1 Go to commentsGood player, but how could anyone have filled RMCs shoes.? Also, I hope Razor implements better & indeed more legal tackling, the AB’s concede way too many cards. Looking forward to the new regime though.
9 Go to commentsGood article, NB. I’ve quite liked the speed and skill levels of Tom Ahern from Munster. I read he was a fullback until late in schools rugby and suddenly shot up to 6 foot 9. Another guy born in 2000 who seems to be able to play out in trams on both sides of the ball is Juan Martin Gonzalez of Saracens. Thanks for the article.
46 Go to commentsShould not even be in the thought to bring Barrett back,the team is going well and remember 2 season ago when the blues were going well & got out thought & out played in the final all Barrett did was needlessly kick away posession again and again, pass to players in worse positions as to avoid contact and for the Blues and AB proved costly in crucial games.
2 Go to commentsBarbarians will be preparing for fiji starting end of this week but fiji will be preparing only 1 week b4 the game…..so unfair
1 Go to commentsI believe it was the Wallaby Nick White who opened the floodgates - earning his team a yellow card against SA and getting Faf binned for 10. Nick White. The original soft pr1ck, diving git. Owen Farrell is growing on me.
2 Go to commentsTo be honest this result was not that seismic as shock, Canada are a very good team and very few teams fear the Black Ferns anymore. The rankings give a good picture, the top four ranked teams are the top four teams in women’s rugby with England ahead the other three can exchange places at any given time. Despite the USA result I still think Australia are ahead of the rest. WXV will show how big the gap is between nations.
9 Go to commentsFarrell playing in France next season better get use to play acting .
3 Go to commentsNot sure I see the magic. Solid flanker but the aggression and lack of bending at the hips leads to boo boos
9 Go to comments100%. Thank you, Andy.
2 Go to commentsFabulous player. Don’t know if people outside of Ireland appreciate his vision and genius. I wish he got more time with the National team. We will never know how high he could have soared. Super season to end with!
1 Go to commentsIf he's playing well enough to be in the top 2 or 3 open sides, then pick him. Essentially nothing else should come into it.
1 Go to commentsBe really surprised if Beale is considered for a WB squad, let alone a match day 23. Feel there are too many younger players in all positions in the backline now who should be developed. These upcoming games this year should be used to develop the players of the future, for building towards next RWC.
2 Go to commentsI think this all came from Fozzie immediately anointing Cane as captain when he became coach, well ahead of when any team was to be named. Then he seemingly felt unable to retract the captaincy as that would have been an admission he was wrong initially. Sam Cane was a good AB and a good captain. Through his injuries and some loss of form he maybe didn't deserve selection but Fozzie couldn't ever make that hard call which led to Cane copping it.
9 Go to commentsThe extra weight that Fraser put on over the off season is really showing. The word is 7/8 kgs heavier than last year. Feel he is now carrying into contact a lot more powerfully, which makes him a bigger threat playing in the sh position at lineout time. I do feel however that he is still too easily moved off the ball at the breakdown unless he is in really early. Comparing him to the top current guys such as Tommy Refell, and past supremos like Pocock and McCaw, I would hope he will develop more in that area. The rest of his game is way out front. His speed around the field as a support player is top notch, and his defence is very sound, apart from the front on tackle on the bigger men sometimes. I also would see him as a future WB captain. He does a lot of quiet encouraging, and for sure can lead from the front. Of the other three NZ lads on the stats. table, would think it may be Papalli’i who gets in. I do like Lakai. Is Blackadder not more a 6/8 player ? Actually really rated Lachlan Boshier, but he was not ever getting anywhere, so now in Japan. Would love to have seen how he went in a AB jersey. Excellent article, Nick…….most thought provoking
46 Go to commentsAhh too many OK 7’s out there at the moment, would have loved to have Harmon (and Boshier from Panasonic) included on that list (although I don’t know what I’m looking at with those stats!). I would love to see another 7 come through like Cane (who VdF has molded off), who was a real attacking machine before his neck injury and inability to turn his head/upper body to pass or catch properly forced his style to change. No sure McReight is it, he looks more like a canny McCaw than the blasters Hooper and Cane were. The real issue is what use can Schmidt mold out of his ability and skills in just two short seasons. I think Cale could do a lot of the more skillful stuff. McReight is probably best to knuckle down and do the core duties a modern day Cane performs for the other two loosies (if he’s the best Schmidt has to play with at 7).
46 Go to commentsI’ve little doubt that England is comfortably the No 1 team and not only beat other teams but beat them easily. Not so sure about France. They should be No 2 after winning 3 of last 4 matches against NZ and only a straightforward missed kick prevented it from being 4 out of 4. However, then they inexplicably lost to Canada and Wallaroos in WXV. I thought the NZ match was their “cup final” and they took the others lightly, but they were not particularly impressive in 6N except in flashes. I think they have stood still whilst Canada and England have moved forward but I don't think Canada has the depth and their team is ageing. I agree NZ not moving forward. What will be interesting is how the Wallaroos fare against NZ and then again in their September match against Ireland and then in WXV2 against other 6N teams. I was surprised they lost to USA.
9 Go to commentsI don't know why peoplenare upset here. If foreign fans think they are poor for their clubs and back it up with stats then it's probably true. Snyman would have been a legend in the NH if he was fit though. He just transforms Munster into a winning machine. Pollard is 100% the most disappointing one and his win rate outside world cups gives a good indicator. For all his clubs his average win rate is around 52%, inbetween world cups for the Boks it's 55%. Compared to other elite flyhalves who have 70%+ win rates for their clubs. If anything Manie is a far better investment if you looking for a flyhalf given that when he is on the pitch teams on average win 76% of games.
71 Go to commentsWhich captains were not human?
9 Go to comments