Scotland name team for Italy - Johnson to debut

No. I fully support them giving deserving players that chance. Players that would walk into most teams but can't get a look in with their own country. I'm all for spreading the talent world wide, making rugby a better sport and international rugby much more exciting.

Up and coming youngsters who is very good, who knows they don't stand a chance to get their country colours, they know that Scotland will give them that chance if they gain residency, so that is a wanted and open destination for players from other countries. That stand Scotland in good stead for years to come.

They are not an 80 minutes team, at best 60 minutes. The Boks won't kick much. If I can gauge the Boks tactics over the past 11 Test, they like to keep and run the ball, even out of their own half. Rassie's intentions with this selection is very clear in my eyes.

The English will revert and refer to the WC semi tactics. If they do, they will get punished, unless it rains a lot, which puts a different spin on things.

Not sure what you mean by " he got found out and a tactic that worked "

By bringing ford on at such a crtitical time Australia just knew that no way was ford making any breaks, jinks or kick throughs to keep them guessing. he would either just pass the ball on in a flash or kick an up and under. They could then concentrate on the other players around ford as he was no threat to them . If this is what you mean by found out then I would agree. however it certainly was not an exiting move that worked . We lost .

I watched both games to get exactly such a picture and France were fabulous for 25-30 minutes, probably more so that Dmac was during the first 40 minutes, but the AB's were probably more brutal for longer.

So very close against that type of team, a high tempo team, but achieved without a lot of the best players in regards to NZs performance. I think we'll see a very similar game this weekend and hopefully it's fabulous.

However, the Scots isn't stupid and their recruiting from the SH countries is starting to pay off. They don't have the player pool the SH countries have, nor that of their neighbours even.

I applaud them for being so open-minded as giving those players who have loyally played their rugby in Scotland for years a chance. SA for one have such a vast pool of players that's so talented and could be world class given the smallest chance, but will never get a look in because there is just so many stars in the country.

I don't mind that Saffas play for other countries to further their own careers. Besides, it makes Scotland better and makes for one more team to step up to the big stage and make rugby more exciting than just the top 4 that usually wins.

Scotland may have lost by 17 against a rusty Bok "B" team, but that score is not a true indication of that match. The Scottish biggest mistakes was kicking at goal the entire time, instead of going for the jugular. If they tried to go for tries, they may have been stopped and the score might have been bigger, but the game was on such a knife edge, that if they did go for it, they might have scored a couple of tries or more and we very well might have seen a Scottish upset.

It was by no means a bad effort at all. Tom Jordan is one of their best new talents coming through. He should've stayed with Glasgow. What a loss for the URC Champs. Going to Loftus and getting one over the Bulls is something that not even the so called best team in club rugby could do. Leinster keeps losing at Loftus. For Glasgow to do that in a Final was phenomenal and Tom Jordan was no small part of that feat.

Rugby is truely becoming a global sport now, where the eligibility rules is making rugby a much smaller world, but a much bigger global game. The Scots is most likely the team with the most aliens in their team. They welcome players with open arms. I applaud that. They are a sleeping giant, and if they continue playing like they did against the Boks, despite the results, they will become a real threat for 2027.

I admired how they played. They impressed everyone. I say good on them. Results will come if they continue on their upward trajectory. I wish them and Tom Jordan all the luck they deserve.