I
HAVE this week been turning my consideration to Gregor Townsend’s document
as Scotland’s Head Coach. With the conclusion of the 2022 Autumn
Internationals, that is him accomplished 5 years within the job, so, a
good time to replicate on his efficiency.
Toony’s
general document reads:
Breaking
it down into particular person years it appears like this:
-
2017:
p-6 : w-4 : d-0 : l-2 : +194 : -143 : wins 66.6% -
2018:
p-12 : w-7 : d-0 : l-5 : +253 : -323 : wins 58.3% -
2019:
p-13 : w-6 : d-1 : l-6 : +290 : -279 : wins 46.2% -
2020:
p-6 : w-4 : d-0 : l-2 : +104 : -87 : wins 66.6% -
2021:
p-9 : w-6 : d-0 : l-3 : +257 : -168 : wins 66.6% -
2022:
p-13 : w-6 : d-0 : l-7 : +333 : -280 : wins 46.2%
I counted the
Scotland A recreation towards Chile within the 2022 figures.
It’s, I’d
argue, tough to be too crucial of Toony’s document. Aside from
continued difficulties towards Wales – the Dukla
Pumpherston of worldwide rugby – we are likely to win the video games we
ought to win; we get the odd bonus win towards the likes of England,
however, have retained the standard Scotland failing of often
tripping-up in video games we must always win with a bit to spare.
In all, over the
59 video games, Townsend has awarded caps to 105 completely different gamers –
seven full XVs. He inherited 46 of those gamers from Vern Cotter
however has capped 59 new gamers – a mean of 1 per recreation.
Whereas some gamers
have turned out in a couple of place, the breakdown of gamers
in positions is:
-
9 loose-head
props
-
10 hookers
-
9 tight-head
props -
12 locks
-
24 again rowers
-
8 scrum-halves
-
8 stand-offs
-
16 centres
-
16 again three
The First XV, in
phrases of appearances in a Townsend squad is:
Ali Value, Hamish
Watson, Zander Fagerson, BLAIR KINGHORN, Grant Gilchrist, Stuart
Hogg, Finn Russell, CHRIS HARRIS, Jonny Grey, JAMIE RITCHIE, Willem
Nel, DARCY GRAHAM, Ben Toolis, Fraser Brown, MATT FAGERSON. The blokes
in decrease case sort had already been capped earlier than Townsend acquired the
Scotland job, these in higher case had been first capped by him.
These are the 15
most-used gamers. The Townsend First XV, within the gamers’ positions
appears barely completely different. In actual fact, since worldwide rugby is now a
23-man recreation, right here is the definitive Gregor Townsend match-day squad,
in 1-23 order:
Allan Dell, Fraser
Brown, Zander Fagerson; Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Grey; JAMIE RITCHIE,
Hamish Watson, MATT FAGERSON; Ali Value, Finn Russell; Sean Maitland,
SAM JOHNSON, CHRIS HARRIS, DARCY GRAHAM, Stuart Hogg. Replacements:
GEORGE TURNER, RORY SUTHERLAND, Willem Nel, Ben Toolis, Ryan Wilson,
GEORGE HORNE, ADAM HASTINGS, BLAIR KINGHORN.
Once more, the gamers
in decrease case had been capped earlier than Townsend took cost, these in
capitals are gamers he has capped. The break up is 13 pre-Townsend, 10
Townsend picks. So, after 5 years within the job, he nonetheless doesn’t
have HIS males within the bulk of the positions. Be aware, of the 23 listed,
solely three, Toolis, Wilson and Maitland weren’t in competition for
the Autumn Internationals squad.
Solely 14 of the 105
gamers capped by Townsend have been in additional than half of the 59
squads he has named; solely 4 of those 14 gamers: Blair Kinghorn,
Jamie Ritchie, Chris Harris and Darcy Graham are
Townsend choices, the opposite ten: Ali Value, Hamish Watson,
Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell, Jonny
Grey, Willem Nel, Ben Toolis and Fraser Brown had been gamers
he inherited.
Of the 23, solely
Maitland, Toolis and Wilson might be stated to be “yesterday’s males.”
A match Allan Dell shall be again within the wider squad for a Six Nations or
a tour; identical story with the additionally injured Sutherland.
Fourteen of the 23
have appeared in additional than half of Townsend’s squads over the 5
years he has been in-charge. This reveals consistency of choice,
given the way in which membership calls within the Autumn Take a look at window and accidents
impression on choice.
Forty-five of the
general 105 gamers had been already capped when Townsend acquired the job –
that is 43% of the gamers. Eight gamers (7.6%) of the entire, had been
capped in Townsend’s first yr within the job. In his second yr, he
capped 11 new gamers (10.5%). In yr three, 2019 – a World Cup
yr – he gave new caps to eight gamers (7.6%). Then, in 2020 he
introduced in six new caps (5.7%), earlier than, in 2021 going a bit cap loopy
and handing the valuable head gear to 16 gamers (15.2%). This yr,
he has given out 13 new caps (12.4%) of the entire. (by the way in which,
college students of arithmetic would possibly discover, that provides as much as over 100% –
most likely as a result of I corrected every share to the closest one
decimal level).
The listing contains
11 “One Cap Wonders” – guys who in some instances acquired a cap after
solely a matter of minutes off the bench. Nevertheless, to be honest, this
quantity contains one or two youthful gamers who will certainly add to
their caps tally and certainly begin internationals in years to return.
In researching
this piece I observed, among the many listings for Autumn Internationals,
or Summer season Exams, some video games the place a Tier One nation has despatched an
“Rising” or an “A crew” to face a Tier Two nation.
Georgia would possibly properly
have earned the fitting to face a full Scotland crew, however, the likes of
Spain, Romania, Holland, Germany, Portugal and Russia are certainly
nations we would want to have a look at for A crew matches, as a method of
maintaining our fringe gamers within the worldwide tent.
How’s this for a
potential Scotland A squad to tackle a number of the European Tier Two
nations (as ever, in 1-23 order): Nic Auterac, Johnny Matthews,
D’Arcy Rae, Jamie Hodgson, Marshall Sykes, Ben Muncaster, Dylan
Richardson, Gary Graham; Ben Vellacott, Ross Thompson, Rufus McLean,
James Lang, Matt Currie, Kyle Rowe, Ollie Smith. Replacements: Grant
Stewart, Ollie Kebble, Javan Sebastian, Alex Craig, Nick Haining;
Jamie Dobie, Jaco van der Walt, Kyle Steyn.
With the exception
of Auterac, all are already capped, however, as issues stand, nowhere
close to the complete Scotland squad – so, let’s maintain them motivated and
concerned by discovering A crew video games through which they may play.
