We Don’t Fear Scotland | The Inter-Pro Show

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1:03Diesel and Soaring, and we're excited for an Irish soccer game. For more on how we travel through time, let's start the show. Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Edge Pro Show, your home parole things I should be from across the professional amateur, Ben's and women's game in Ireland. Our favorite Limerick man, AI Ben, is back with us once again, fresh from a weekend of rugby, hurling and soccer. While Adam and David have shaken off their Roman celebrations in time for tonight, gentlemen, good evening to you all. Ben, I'll start with yourself, you were in, you were in the soccer game, you were in a hurling game, you watched some rugby. I'm not saying you got the balance right because you didn't, but a pretty decent weekend of sports for you to come back to us with. I mean, considering, according to some commentators, all I do is rugby. I think I'd lovely weekend. I finally got to see a goal in the market field, come on, truly, you know what I'm saying? How did that go?

2:04That's a relatively scored. It has been four games out of goal and it's fine. We put Kerry in a box, we put Carc in a box, we put Wales in a small box, progress. It is nice to be back. Thank you for welcoming me back. AI finally released me and I'm here to talk nonsense again. Yeah, hello. We should call you Claude anymore, actually, but we'll actually get into the other six nations again through David and Adam in a little bit. But Ben, I'm going to start with you because I don't get over the line. The Triple Crown bid is still alive. Call this in the 1980s. I love at all Triple Crown for this week, as far as I'm concerned, even though I prefer the press car cup, but that's a different story. Ireland winning ugly again. We mentioned it before we hit records, second year in a row. What a win is a win, I suppose. If we applied after the provinces, we kind of have to apply to the national team every once in a while. We do. I look, it's very hard considering what we said was fair to tournament that we would have taken Super Saturday, which something being

3:08underline, item potentially winning the title. It's very hard to sit here and say that was bad. Wales for the second year in a row showed up against Ireland, played incredibly well. More than anything I expected him to do. I'm sure that that would probably agree with me on that. Ireland did exactly what we needed to do just after we got to BP. We played relatively well. 9 and 10, what's the point if we have to say if 9 and 10 looked to be playing incredibly well together or back then it's working. Our scrum has serious issues fine, but we know that that's not news to any of us. It's, yeah, I'm not overly upset. We've a big game Saturday. We win that and we go from there. Yeah, I'd probably get into the scrum stuff in a while, kicking game. We've done attack a thousand times. There's probably no point in getting into it. I'd love to do a segment on riskary, but unfortunately that I believe the rap part actually recorded a three hour Patreon only special just on that try, which honestly. We have Welsh family.

4:09And I think I've been sent that try at least sick times since Saturday. Any time I get notification in our Welsh family group chat, it is just, oh, a prop scored against Ireland. Oh, no, a prop. It's wonderful. It's excellent, but I mean, I kind of want Michael Mildred to get a chance to do it back. Jeez, that's true. Although the only difference is you'd end up playing over 12 if you got half the chance, but that's a different story. But Adam, I suppose this was probably to be expected as affairs aren't. We're always going to have to return to work. Kind of like Scotland heading into this week, like you can't click in the same manner twice in a row and Ireland were incredible, like flawless and tricking them. A lot more human this time around. And I think that's kind of the main talking point. Like you can talk about false dolls, you can talk about what their level is. But first things first, they just returned to words, didn't they? I think a lot of rotation is something to do with that in a way. We started like when you look at the team, it was a different team in parts to the one that we played against England in,

5:16certainly in the forwards. You know, we started Timmy, we started our tool, we started running in Calaher. We had a lot of an experience on the bench as well with Tom Stewart and Nathan Doug coming on as well. Like there was a lot of an experience to test that for rugby. But if we said it, like it's one of those times where it like I agree, but I partly disagree in terms of crashing down back to earth because of that rotation that's happening. It's something that I've been clamoring on about podcasts since every time I've started. And to get a bonus point when against Wales, yes, Wales are in this generational run of losses, but we can't argue the fact that they put Scotland to the sword and we saw what Scotland did to France. You know, I mean, so it's a really interesting six nations to be doing it. And we got a bonus points again to Wales. We didn't get a bonus points against Italy. And we had a better team out arguably on paper against Italy. So it was one of those where you have to look at the, there's more positives

6:21than negatives in that game. And normally I'm the one that mainly speaks about the negatives. However, I do think a bonus point against Wales certainly with the level of change that we've had is massively beneficial. Yeah, I was kind of half thinking my head, could I make a joke about you wearing a Claremont top and taking positives from this game, but you know, the forever bridesmaid of European rugby, I fucking love Claremont. I love that team. I do a retrospective podcast on them if I got half a chance. But I do understand where you're coming from because we can't clamor for rotation. But my only thing is our clam rotation, then not praise that. But my thing is, I think the rotated guys are some of our best players, the six nations. So that's the bit where I'm like, I don't buy it as much. Balakoon has been incredible, but Klowski's been incredible. I don't think too many was at his best, but I thought he was good or too fortunate at scrum time for me. I don't think Karadikson's a great scrum referee in general. And I think he got away with one or two as Spurs or about to go 2-0 down. Sorry, Adam for telling you this live. But I think like,

7:27a lot of those pairs have been ours, but it's not. Dog was incredible in his eight minute came here when he came on the first time. Yeah. That was so annoying, by the way. Like, I didn't think that was the idea. Would you give a genuine question? I know it was James Gives Park's fitted cap. Would you have considered keeping them on in that instance? What stoke? Yes. Yeah. I thought he was, I thought he was really David Davis. I'm using himself. I'm terrified. But I thought dog came on and he kept the same amount of like speed up. And that was something that in Dog's game last year, he didn't necessarily have. But I'm really excited to see this dog who's trained with the likes of Gives Park come into the Ulster setup and speeding up his game again. I've seen this as massively beneficial to Ulster as well as Aaron, but I thought he really did well in a timer. He wasn't expected to come on anyway at that time. He was sort of thrown in and he threw around his balls. Do you palm through an intercept pass and don't this weekend? So, you know, a lot of this through it Gives Park. Both through intercept passes the two best

8:32chroma halves in the world, depending on who you asked. Dog has done it. Now, the only thing I will say about that is it would have been tough for Gives Park. We just stayed off. Don't get me wrong, but I do think there was an element of like, dog is going well here. You'll never have more of a stress-free arrival because you're literally just, oh my god, it's straight out. Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I'm watching this game. You're not going to enjoy it. David, do you want to come in here? Because I haven't got 100% distracted. I just talk about Gives Park, dog. Dog. He's not too far jet and gives the back. Yeah, no, Adam, you know where he's to feel afraid. I don't know if I'd have kept dog on just because you can bring him back. There's flexibility in bringing Gives Park back on, then you can switch from later if you need to. I did think, and I'd like to say I was watching the, I went out to watch the match with some friends. The market lack of the difference between

9:32Gives Park's quality of service and dog's quality of service was noted by other people in the group because he just kept things running exactly the same. And that, as Adam said, has not always been Nathan Dog's forte. There's a mixture of things there. He's a bigger man than a lot of scrum house. He's a relatively tall individual, a bit of the kind of Murray's better than in terms of it just takes slightly longer to get down to the ball because of how big he is. He also used to have a little bit of that. Which probably affected his past quality for a while because his past quality was the best thing. It's an adjustment from the way you pass the ball, like a scrum after passes directly from the deck. It's probably a little bit more difficult to do that when you're in a more, say, crab like position when you're doing it because you're so tall. He also had a bit of the, what I would call the Luke McGraws of Adam, where I love Luke McGraw, but he is the king of standing at the back of the scrum with his hands spread completely wide,

10:33looking at the referee when he should really just be picking the ball out and passing it. If the penalty comes, it comes. Don't go looking for it. He don't use to have a bit of that about them. There's none of that in this game. He just got in there, got to work, got the ball moving, and he kept the thing flowing exactly as Gibson Barck had. So yeah, now I wouldn't have kept them on. I would have bought Gibson Barck back on, and not even just for the 50th captain because it's test rugby. There isn't really that much room for sentimentality, but no, I thought he did phenomenally when he came on, and you know, it'll be interesting going from here between him and Casey because there was a point where Casey was chasing down Gibson Barck that hasn't really been the case in the last year. So yeah, see you in a push each other. We'll be interesting. Just to put that like where you go on, but go on. Yeah, I'll let you finish and then I win. Players get better ideally when they're pushed, and so I think you can only be a good thing for Craig Casey to have someone else to buy against, and I think it can only be a good

11:34thing for Ireland. Considering Gibson Barck is the age he is, he'll probably get to the world cup. But once he does, it'd be great to have two young lads, you know, to follow up behind him. So no, I thought they didn't know how great came of the bench. Really represent themselves well, and yeah, love to see that again. I firmly agree that I was going to go down a similar line because I think one of Ireland's big failings in these games is Gibson Barck is playing 70 plus minutes of game. And ultimately, nine is not a position that you're just going to find your feet straight away. You have to find a flow, you have to find a tempo, you have to, you almost have to do a little bit of everything before you settle. Like it's that kind of a position. Like you'd never, if you brought a hooker on with, you know, five minutes to go and his first lineup was the last play of the game, he's not settled. Do you know what I mean? Like there's that kind of elements from half. And that's what the one thing that I would say is, don't got 13 minutes in this game, Casey in his two games, he's come off to bench his average in like, you know, seven minutes,

12:36I think it is or something like that. That's my one thing. And I wouldn't have left Giffel Park off for that reason. But I do think going into Scotland now, maybe it's a case of whether the game isn't won and you have to go that way, but I just be a little bit hesitant because Gibson Park was phenomenal and tricking him. Like I mean, top 10 Irish performance of all time, like he was unbelievable, but he wasn't as good here. I think he did made himself. He was a little bit nervous around the whole 50th cap thing and a little bit spooked by it, which is absolutely fair. I would not like to lean on and down to the event at any stage, like it would be class, but also I'd be shitting it. But it is, it is scary, you know, that's part of it. But also, I just want to leave it on this before I bring you in at him. It is about that balance. And it is about for, and like Rona Keller started this game. I thought that was something I needed to do. I think Tom O'Toole needed a start at lose head. I probably wouldn't have picked it up against Thomas Francis, but I think he entered into a good job. I think power was a huge

13:38thing in age. But you know, these are still the balancing questions that we have to find answers for maybe in the summer, but we'll get into that later. But Adam, to close off this particular conversation. I also think bringing in Doke considering the place kicking of the two tens that we've seen throughout this tournament. Nathan Doke is there and he's one of the best place kickers statistically in the league. Like it wouldn't go a harm having him on the pitch as also a place kicker as well as, you know, a decent enough, a decent enough, a very, very good scrim half as well. And that's not me as an Austrian fan singing in bias, but I do think that there was aspects of the crawly Mr. Kick. And I went, don't could have got that, you know, don't could have got that as well. Like there, there was a couple of, you know, miskicks throughout this tournament where I think in the summer, don't can hopefully leap frog, like leap frog, you know, players like that to try and be like here. Listen, I'm a nine that kicks. I know Ireland

14:43traditionally does not like ninths that kick John Cuney. But, you know, there is that aspect of our best kickers in the past couple of years for provinces has been. It takes so much pressure off of Jack and Sam and whoever, and even Harry Burn to come in. Like Jack's, do we do some Jack's game? I don't get any, any monkey to you. This is goalkeeping right now. It's not working the way it should. But the rest of his game is at such a high level that if we can bring in Doke, even post workup to just say, look, you can take the goalkeeping. You're an excellent nine. He's probably overcricated at the moment. I think most people would agree on. Why would you not bring him in given the tea and just let Jack or Sam or Harry or whoever just run the backline and do that quote unquote French 10. Like we have Doke. He's been doing it all season at probably the highest level of any nine. My only thing is Arden playoff nine and to ask a guy with 13 minutes of test

15:43repeat to play that brand is really tricky because the only teams that ever play off nine are okay French. It's different, but it's like late stage to the African with Fafte-Turk, late stage Arden economy, late stage gives a pair. It's a massive mental load and that's where I be a little bit cautious that if Arden want to move towards Casey and Doke, I think they have to shift their game back out of the number nine channel and back into the number 10 sounds and there's been so much about it. I think we're proudly his kicking mechanics just look wrong and I'm not a kicking expert don't get me wrong. Well firstly I think the whole it sounds different is the biggest load of shit going. I watch golf every week, I watch rugby every week and I can tell you 100% certainty there is no difference in these players there's no difference in sound trust me they're they're that elite like it's not it's it's bullshit, but anyways I do think Arden need to start moving the game when it's not Gibson Park in the saddle back out the field

16:45because even the last day and I do think Gibson Park like he started slowly blew into the game really grew into the game I think it's something I think it's actually his most underrated quality. Gibson Park starts a lot of games slow but he finishes a lot of games brilliantly and I think that's what we saw at the weekend but I just think Arden need to move that and I don't want to do 10 chats but I do want to talk about the kicking game and it's not just the place kicking it is the tactical kicking and the lack thereof. Arden kicked for over a thousand meters and tweaking them the kick flak 300 in this game I don't have in front of me I think it's in around that and David I think it was striking to everyone the fact that Arden just seemed to be just going through the motions just doing the same thing whereas in Trichnam there was cross-kicks there was dinks there was long clearing kicks there was a 50-22 in Trichnam I'm pretty sure I think I think I think there was if not there was one very close one like Arden really varied at this time around it was like oh we can't kick the ball because resamad is back there she

17:45played for the ball he played for the jacks with jaguars it's like no no that's not the reason that's not the reason not to kick you still kick the kick the ball to win and it was frustrating and I know if there's an English people listening like oh no don't talk about the kicking game but from an Irish point of view it was very frustrating wasn't it. America leads the world in medicine development it matters we get new medicines first nearly three years faster five million Americans go to work because we make medicines here at home and not relying on other countries keeps us safe but China is racing to overtake us will we let them or will we choose to stay ahead when America leads America cures let's tell Washington to keep us in the lead learn how at america cures dot com paid for by pharma yeah no it was it was I think there was a lot going out of that ending game that we kind of hoped come on like if we could um keep this going it'd be fantastic like why not um but

18:49um there was I think I'm just concerned that it's difficult to maintain that level and if we weren't at that level in the first two games it was unlikely we were going to suddenly imagine to turn around and be like um we're just going to be fantastic from here on out the the change in kicking strategy was I don't know it's always hard to mark I wasn't there on the night so I don't know what the conditions were like um but you know it could be anything from the fact that gives the park was off early and don't come on you know um low wasn't in the team stocked out can kick but not quite the same as dogged it and then I think the low point is important because even with us born who has a big left foot we don't trust them like James always the only one that seems to get that level of trust yeah in that like I was born can kick and then stocked out can kick but James low kicks he's true like if we're clearing you'll watch James low find his way behind the touch line and it's just lining up you know go through the phases until we can get the ball into his hands and he's going to kick it away um so that that's a factor

19:53even then when um Tommy O'Brien came on for a little relatively early in that game um O'Brien and Balakoon were controlling this guys um England couldn't get anything past them and didn't help the fact that uh they didn't help the fact that uh the England backline uh went to big slides on the day so but you know uh Jacob's talk to him start on the left shouldn't have changed that that much but for whatever reason we we didn't um operate in the same way and can I ask can I ask you a question on that because I think you're going to find your way towards this point anyways how much of that can we say is coaching because for me your exits are one of the most coachable things in the game after you catch the ball act you have possession everything is scripted from there so if we're not looking at probably or Osborne or Stockdale how much of that is just a coaching want or a coaching trust do you know what I mean

20:55it's definitely a strategy thing like where the where the strategy comes from obviously the coaches you would imagine would have a large saying I would imagine the players do as well um you know obviously there's always the talk of the 10 runs the week in the lead on into it and um at the end of the day the coaches you know it's like once you go ahead and big by world mommy and daddy can't hold your hand anymore the players do you have to make the decisions when they're on the pitch um so while you know coaches obviously deserve credit and blame when things go right wrong that it's the last in the picture are the ones making the decision but we could like it back to deeper coach back to 2019 champion scope final anybody remembers that game when Luke and grad didn't kick the ball out at halftime and Sarasons came back and scored at the time some people view that as a mistake but I think anyone watching it knew that he kept it in because he wanted to keep it in it wasn't a mistake it was a decision it was the wrong decision but it was a decision and I don't know that we know why Arden made the decisions

21:56that they did going into that game um I think if there's a failing in this Arden squad and kind of in Arden teams in general possibly because of how well grown they were under the likes of Johnny Sexton in terms of um attack selection is that when root one doesn't work we're not always super good at adjusting on the fly in the moments um is there a point to be made that like we've seemed more less comfortable with our game plan on Saturday to move and see him against England who arguably are a better team a better organized team we went to kick the letter after him against England and then I mean I only saw I saw decent parts of the game Saturday but we seem to almost play within ourselves at times like we didn't I think I think some of that is complacency as well I think that is like we're gonna win this game let's try different things but it's like and as much as there's a lot of tropes in Robinox and Merrill you have to earn the right to go white you have to earn the right to start playing ball because for every Scotland in Merrill field performance

22:58there is like a hundred Ardened the Wales performances were just never really gets going because I mean I need to be with the players we have I mean if we play close to the England ball game which was a little bit more off ball a little bit more we're gonna pair you and keep you under pressure I know where the reason is fine and a slightly narrower game plan I will add we try to pass around Wales a lot more but Wales use that as like it let's double on and Wales made a lot of double tackles but against England it was like right we're just gonna hit our pods hit the first man drive true strong latch and compress them whereas Ardened wanted to get around Wales and I fed like Alex man incredible Dauy Lake was incredible apologies if I'm wrong I pronounced it pronouncing that but those lads were incredible but we played into their hands as well I felt and obviously because I was there and I was you know watching from that like really good angle it did feel like so many passes were just going right into the into the joint of of Wales's defensive light you know

23:59that kind of it that was my only thing and I I was going to say like Wales were Jason Wales were a decent they took the try well they should have finished within a score they had their chances Wales produced a very good performance here I would just be uncomfortable with over praising Ardened because of the fact that you know France put a huge score in them England put a huge score in them I think you've usually played them any other week they probably win by 10 points this week it's a little bit different and it's in guard of I think actually I have a massive like obstacle and coming down from that high you know a targeted game you know that's that's an entirely different question but I don't think Ardened tend to do that though like Ardened aren't I think you're right about the complacency and that when we think we're gonna win we there's an element of Arden playing down to teams we struggle to shake off two teams we play we play much better games against better teams we play up and we play down and when when we when we're pretty sure we're going to win because you ever know you're going to win but we're pretty sure we're going to win yeah we don't play as we don't put the effort in we don't want it as much like a lot of the stuff that we did

25:00write in the England game like the winning you know O'Brien and Balakoon winning the balls in the air and the tackle all that's just effort it's not skill necessary I know there's a certain amount of skill to be able to to get to where you need to be in the chase a lot of that is effort a lot of that it's not a tackle let's not get that out the McCloskey tackle like chasing like that's a perfect example like a lot of that is just will and desire and if you don't have that then things that you know if it's coming down to a handful of percentage points which it does because as bad as whales are they're still professional rugby players they're still reasonably good professional rugby players you give them five percent they're going to make your life harder Ireland's still won it by by two scores they still got a try bonus point like that's that's not to be you know that's not something you should turn your nose up at but you know given the even an inch back to whales and it's not a surprise that they took a bit from us and yeah unfortunately that is the case like you know a team the plays poorly France will go out and absolutely hockey them England seemed to have the inflation to do as well and a lesser wonder might refer to that as

26:02flat-track bullies if Ireland or anything they're now flat-track bullies and they get bored by the flat-track they get complacent on the flat-track and they they do this stupid shit that's kind of the issue we're seeing what like lense to do with monster to do with do it to kind of an extent where I think we're going to win a game monster killer is for it we're going to tell him par think of it everyone and do what we did against cast or do what we did in that second half against the armors we came to the Amazon and we stopped playing and that shouldn't be happening I think that's where the monster point comes in comes from evident with Ireland insofar as Ireland's performances in diviva like against whales initially two games you should be getting bonus point wins in regardless because there's more to people like oh bonus point between meets dominance bonus point win doesn't mean dominance like Ireland get the bonus point when this game felt like oh you got your four tries it means on the top 14 it doesn't mean dominance in six nations but not yeah and I I think that's I never really taught about that debate I used to think it was always rubbish based on my URC lens but I think it tests whether it's a very good let me test but the flip side is france got them because they're

27:08only one by one clear try do you know so that's that's the other side of that kind I was I was going to ring up the scroll man I think we've kind of moved away from that we probably end up having that conversation next week was German up when it's ruled out so it looks like how much to start again up against sadder figures and who is I can't remember if you actually I don't think you played the lines don't you went but he was named he was named to tour and he is a he's a test lying caliber player he's a phenomenal player but in terms of kind of closing thoughts on this game because you know we've got others to get into a triple crown decider as they say as well as my touch on the other two games as well um Adam like we talk about rotation we talk about cohesive we talk about all that is there a parody that's frustrated that we're having this conversation about aren't rotation and they weren't perfect which we kind of have this conversations about 2022 where it's like all of that one game to rotate it in we weren't great it's like yeah we probably should have got over that at this stage do you know what I mean like we're going to

28:08go into a workup where you're going to have to rotate at least two to three times you know there's going to be four knockout games in a row you're going to have to chop a change guys you yeah um it's been one of those things where of course we're not going to we're going to have like average games but I'd rather have average games and when to prove that we've got depth um whereas when we do when we did have the average the average game let's say this time last year the issue was was that we were playing the same team that we would have been our first string team um I think with of course um the question that you're asking is like would we rather like it's a question that you're asking would we rather not rotate it or is it like oh you know it's not the type of question that you're asking they're sorry I it's more got to it's not the fact that I don't want to see us rotate I absolutely do I always do it's more got to the fact that when are the rotates we get these performances and it's like

29:09well it's cohesion's that big of a factor guys it's been four or five years let's let's scale it back into any bit let's play as like the more basic game plan you know yeah I do think I do think like trying to like force um squares into circle shape holes is that sort of I don't think that's the analogy but you're correct yes but it's sort of there is where we do need to like almost look into ourselves and see what works in other provinces almost as well as to why the other provinces are playing very well and why what makes a player work in a good setup like I think Stuart McCluskey giving a little bit more freedom um into what he's actually been doing uh really works it's treat Balakoon you've also seen as well has been given a little bit more freedom in what he does you know start doing uh Balakoon we're following each other up and in their wings in their lines um most of the game but you also saw that with Tommy Abry in the week before um I think letting players have a little bit more creative freedom letting players

30:12to have a little bit more time to work um there's multiple times in this game and she pointed it out and I've completely forgot before but on the six nations rewinds we played from our own half multiple times and we tried to play we tried to play we tried to play we tried to play but it's ardent for that stat ardent with 23 minutes without an attacking rock and whales is half of one stage but they had plenty of possession they just couldn't break them down and that that ties into kicking game and simplicity of the game plan as well both of those things to me are linked and I think Ben making the monster point is a good one because I think fair enough Ulster they'll play the way out for it lenser don't lenser don't they will pick their way up the fields bit by bit by monster will often overpay their hand and get stuck trying to get up to field there's only one province that managed to do this successfully and even at that we're going to be we could end up talking about next week Ulster don't win away games do you want me there they're the other side

31:12the coin when it comes to these arguments yeah I do think I do think like if we're starting to try and play a wrenchy Murphy when he might as well have wrenchy Murphy as the coat like I do think that there's that's not the brand of rugby we're trying to play though I don't I don't believe that to be the case I feel like it's no issues with that no way she's that at all it's quite fun to watch actually but I don't think that's the the direction we're going into the honest but I think that that's like a different way of playing the game was think that we would need a faster 13 if we were to play it like that I do think ring roses put like it's you know in and around he's doing the journey work in the background like in and in rounds the rocks and the tackles as well he's he's a shut down center now that's what he is he's not a playmaker anymore it's one of those where I thought a talk wise this year he hasn't been like as you said he hasn't been a playmaker's center but if we were to play that type of game we would need a playmaker center in the 13

32:13as well as somebody like a Stuart McCloskey you know sorry here in the background to be fair there is a Beatles movie getting filmed about 15 minutes away from me so don't don't talk to yourself out of Jesus James gives a pair of fans on their YouTube comments will be after you imagine will we leave will we leave not that stressful I think I mean before not there when he when he stops laughing I might bring Ben in so I'll bring David in first David I'll give you the choice because we had one of the best weekends of Six Nations action ever so I won the best days of Six Nations action ever actually defeating England I was done in wasgrave park over in the 20s there was about 20 people in the Dolphinora C clubhouse which was lovely I must add lovely clubhouse and they all roared when Manichello scored like I mean off their feet roaring when to master Manichello scored and we had Scott that gets France in France becoming

33:14the highest scoring points total of a losing team in the Six Nations game which one would you rather touch on first um oh first that's it's not a deep question that's that start with Scotland France um it started early you could tell very early in that game that that the France were rattled and I don't I don't really know why um I think a lot of people talked it up before including us that that Scotland could win this game um I do think that Scotland are kind of suited to facing this French team in that and it ended up being the case they they they played good attacking rugby they've got good attacking good attackers particularly in their backline um then their cable is going to try to finerusle constrain a pretty good attack together um that's the kind of you know if there's two ways to be friends you can shut them down or you can outscore them and Scotland has decided to outscore them um and I had scored them they had to do but uh it was

34:19just interesting to see France come so undone um and the the game ended up being a lot closer than it looked like it was going to be a certain time so we're pointing points in that game when Scotland had a three-score lead France did drag it back it finished on a only ten points down I do think that's a balance as well because um I was talking to my mom at the start of the week and she was saying you know that that France Scotland scored 50 points against France I was like they did but France scored 40 points against Scotland now there's definitely an element of complacency at the end there with Scotland we're like we're fucking better we don't have to turn anymore and uh and France did did come back and and to be fair they only scored that last try like once the conquerors in the red so Scotland weren't in danger but um France just seemed off and like to see Antoine du Pont make proper errors real mistakes it's just not something we're used to seeing um you know I think if anyone just thought that there was a loss in this for France it was going to be in a in a really muscular fight against England Scotland coming out and just

35:19gone you know we could just score tries just just do that for a little bit and see how it turns out the fact that it worked and that France for some reason were completely rattled um was was odd BB was relatively quiet um which was odd you know I think that's that's kind of the hallmark of a game like this is that not only did Scotland play brilliantly but a lot of the people you would normally have looked to in France to make the difference from du Pont to Louis Biaverais didn't they they they were kind of absent um and even at the end of the game to see um Bhakti Saran out there I just thought it's a crazy thing to have France losing and they've taken du Pont off um so it was it was uh I think it was a humbling wonder for France it was a crash because I think particularly after what Ireland did to England I'm sure they already thought that Grand Slam was was on was done and uh and to watch it to watch a come apart at this stage you know it mildly heartbreaking for France but uh I don't think the rest of us will shed many tears

36:24for them to be honest um it's a it's a hell of a thing for Scotland and um the unfortunate thing from Irish point of view is that Scotland are going to want to finish strong this is this is the best chance they've had to win a six nations in a long time and as France favour just ever like it called what it is like I'm afraid of a crown of three six years they've never had a sniff of winning a six nations title and you know what someone said this to me what's the worst that can happen to Scotland no it's already happened five or six times you know they have nothing to lose and you know it's marked them for years every time they say this could be our year this could be our year and it never is I mean maybe it is now um I think it'll be it'll be slightly hilarious it'll be very frustrating because there is a world where they beat Ireland and they still not win because um France are ahead of them and points difference um it'll be very funny if they finally managed to win a six nations and the only reason they don't win a Grand Slam is because they lost it Italy um that

37:27would be quite amazing so it's just it's just it's the perfect game because it encapsulate is and all of the attendant consequences from it encapsulate that this has been an absolutely insane six nations it's been one of the most entertaining championships I think we've ever had and um I'd say if you're Welsh it's pretty uh grim although they've gotten better as it's gone on I'd say if you're English um it's been incredibly upsetting but unfortunately that doesn't really um move the needle much for the rest of us but it's it's just been this this game kind of encapsulate this has been a phenomenal six nations this day encapsulated because the the follow on from that um watch Italy beat England's I was with an English man who I do consider a friend at the time um and he took relatively well but like it was just phenomenal and the best thing about this that game is that it wasn't a flash in the pan it wasn't look it wasn't England on a really terrible day and Italy ended up with the green Italy were just better they they put together a really solid commanding

38:32performance at home they took their scores and they could that that try that sealed at the end with the crossfield kick it actually kind of reminded me of of the section buildup in the uh or the buildup to the sections drop goal back in 2018 in that there's so many that it could have gone wrong so easily like it it looked like a bad kick it looked like it's such a weird idea and then you know he's caught out and it's like surely he's pinned there between the defender and the touch line but now he just steps back inside sprints manages to make ground between the two of them off loads to Manojello who just fires himself forward manages to bounce through a tackle and then you know to put it to put him away in the center to finish the try it was incredible like it's it was almost surreal to watch it happen and you know from there it was still only a one-score game it absolutely could have swam back the other way or it could have even come down to a draw which would have been incredibly unsatisfying for everybody but they controlled it they maintained their cool they they were calm they they dug it out they helped you know they got to that line

39:35out they got to the mall they did what they needed to do and then they kicked it out and it was deserved victory um it was probably less hysterical than than that victory those years ago when Garry C kick that uh that that conversion um to beat Wales because it didn't feel as miraculous it felt like it felt earned it felt deserved um and they said that they said it's you know time they had to close it out they had to get the job done you know they had to do all that you know and I think that's yeah if it had if it had finished on that try it would have been a different thing but it didn't finish on that try they still had to they still have to keep their heads and maintain their cool and they were able to do that and um it'd be very exciting now to go back into the final weekend for them because it's a chance to finish on what would have been one of their one of their best championships and I think I said as well like it's frustrating for them that um you know because Scotland got that win over France you know they'll they'll probably finish fourth and I think they deserve better after the term that they've had because it was a really really

40:37good championship from Italy and um God you just hope they can maintain it going forward there's no way Wales can touch England is there just to check and there is but they would need to be like a 40 point win yeah okay I'm going to point last the other direction like it's not you know it I think after all they were going to win the Grand Slam and get into wooden spoon with just people as like in the greatest way to be fair I'm not going to start this debate right to me the wooden spoon is going off from six so we will say it's finishing six to me it's go it's winless that's what the world is saying exactly Adam it's welcome done everything is Englander six we'd say the same thing next week and they've got a wooden spoon Englander six if England comes six caddy power I'm going to drive a wooden spoon outside of Twickenham and keep it there refrigeration agenda I really need that to happen that would actually be quite funny I'll bring the wooden spoon to hell Dickinson Stadium and I'll just be waving it

41:38like wait for those of you have no idea what the elder Dickinson Stadium is you you're not really missing out been one last comment on this one I seen a stat there after the game to masterman in cello had three line wrecks in this game it led to 14 points it's kind of in the story the six nations it's about efficiency it's not about how many entries you get it's about when you get that chance take it risk carries try you know fucking manage hellos two tries Scotland they had like an average of five points per entry like when you get that chance take it in and out done simple ball that's kind of the way the game is going isn't it yeah we will we'll never see him we never see a team as efficient as Scotland were in Murrayfield on Saturday that was it was insane and that points per entry won't be eaten in five seasons of European rugby test rugby anything and I know David touched it very briefly but just men in cello can we just say how good he's been our tournament believe he's he's for me he's up there a player the entire thing he won't get us because of what win the tournament um but if I'm being very the earth man cello he's excellent

42:43I totally thought I genuinely think he could win it like I do I think it I think himself McCloskey to be two of the nominees I think Ramos is the favorite for France because they think he's been their most consistent player or they're giving it away no you can't give it away you can't give it you wouldn't white but you can you can give it to Finn Russell Finn Russell's having a really good tournament and no one wants to talk about it like I don't know what the fuck is going on there but no one wants to talk about it but he's been excellent and I'd I would find it funny look I want to see our win I'm probably going to be there not I'm sure probably going to be there but if Scotland are to win I want it to be because of Finn I know there is I don't want to be because of Townsend and I want to be because I'm very dared I don't want to see be because of Cione none of those people because of Finn because Finn Russell is criminally underrated in this country like it is going insane to Scotland Scotland's last 15 minutes in Murray field probably as custom the title probably despite the thing as well as they did but if you live after a dupline score or a passage

43:47it's probably a senior going to see all year from a French player after that a French don't score we realistically have a really good contest this weekend we're starting in commons they we just need to win in Diviga that point to win well that point is going to prove crucial at the end but speaking of the Scots because they're going to get resistance the Lads didn't really get to get to catch the 20s so we're going to skip that we'll hopefully get to cover the next week we'll have a lot to cover next week in fairness and we also we always say oh Scotland you know there this that and the other there's there might be an arrogance I don't know if I agree with it I think there's a grammes right aren't under there for the taking I think that's a fair comment but they're a bit bullish this weekend David I think of all times this time they're allowed to be like before the World Cup game they had been a non-factor against South Africa they hadn't put it up to aren't just earlier that year but this time around they're after hammering the French after hammering the English it's like yeah to know a lot we'll let you have this week is not

44:48oh yeah like if there's ever time like I I joked about we should you know take a swipe but die to your name in our show title but um I think it's always important to to remind people as well that um the the uh what's the phrase the opposite of love is apathy not hatred like if you're giving them attention it's because he deserves it and he does are like he's a diagram individually is a phenomenal player and Scotland have been phenomenal of this tournament you know they haven't been perfect the lost Italy is going to haunt them particularly managed to win next week and they were uh won a decent performance against the Italians away from winning the Grand Slam but they've been phenomenal than that they you know they managed to see what a game against whales who much like they did last year managed to get at least one decent performance out of the competition um I wouldn't even credit the one they had against Ireland as being that I think the one against they had against Scotland was the was the best one and the scott still managed to get the job done and then they demolishing that eviscerated France um so 100% they deserve it like the the

45:50balance of history is against them and that is something you can fairly say on balance Ireland tend to be Scotland but that only matters until it stops mattering and you know that's history it's not form on form Scotland are having a really really good tournament and they have no reason to believe they can't come to Dublin and and cost trouble and it's not even like the Italian England thing the Scotland have beaten Ireland it's just been a while and there's no there's there shouldn't be a mental block for them there um yeah to be fair I think there's like two players club level at club level Glasgow be Irish teams plenty so there's you know there's no reason why these players should be unduly afraid um and I think you know with the tales of with that performance being their most recent one there's no reason they shouldn't come here and and and go for it and I think you know if if Mac Hanson had said it we'd have we'd have been loving it um that that's the thing I think you know I prefer when players have a bit of a personality I prefer when they when they

46:51get a lot of money to make if it doesn't work out from it doesn't work out what are you going to do if it does great you know I I think it's a bit more fun it's harmless um he didn't say anything you know on toward he didn't say anything um offensive he just was a bit bringadocious and I think that's a that's a good thing that's that's the kind of attitude we should want and it'll it'll it'll make the game whatever way it goes more fun for everyone involved so um fair play dorsagram I hope we kick the shit out of you but um I appreciate you all the sir I completely agree I'm most I did find it funny as listen to an Irish uh podcast during the week and they did a full segment on scotland like a good 10 minutes and I managed to go the whole literature without saying the word Glasgow once which I found to be incredibly naive because Glasgow were at the cornerstone of this Scottish revival like if Glasgow were working on well scotland never kick on this year it's a huge it's a huge part of it but um when you were there in 2024 I believe um for that trip that

47:52Six Nations Decider and I was funny I was doing a piece for all things rugby today and I was going to her and I was like just got the should of won this one in 2021 they should have won this one in 20 arguably for sure talk hilarious they knocked the ball on over the line oh that should be our that should be our image I wonder if you do that for us that should be our image um they should have won in the there was it another game and there are 23 but they decided aren't have Josh run if you're thrown into the line out he'll definitely throw it to the back and not the front incredibly stupid so like all those reasons say aren't it should not fear Scotland but at the same time you all you roll out of your look eventually like yeah aren't a little bit looking I've consistently said and I said this to you actually three if not for the emotional standpoint that was that 2024 scoping game um it was one of one of my enemies final games it was helium very similar starting played really well got and could have won that game and cost us they just couldn't score with a load of 50s let's just

48:57say they could they couldn't score and they do what Scotland do so often when they play Ireland where they see the green jersey and decide uh sure look we're beaten when we get here um I I think I said in our preview I've said I'll tournament I'm worried about the Scotland game I have been from day one now I've said the same thing after World Cup Scotland game and we all know how that turned out and I very much had egg on my face 20 minutes into the game than 80 minutes into the game but after Saturday and having looked at both teams and independently this tournament it's not gonna give us a right rattle yeah I don't I don't need that BP us I don't think we'll BP them I I listened to in a pub guys I won't mention this week who was going out of a certain Irish players and saying that uh we it was very much not in three of us that we always beat Scotland would be a Scotland by 20 points and you could just hear they haven't lost Scotland on tournament they didn't watch Saturday it's a bit of I don't know anyone who realistically watched watch support tournaments in Ireland when you just came handy it's gonna be incredibly difficult I I I can see a scenario where Ireland win so more comfortably

50:04but that's not based on the last three weeks that's based on the last 10 year if that's your argument fair because Ireland have enough bank of everything it was kind of it if the Ireland are playing in England show we win handy yeah but that Ireland is hitting a thingland in the show of once in two years England yeah but once in two years like not once this like in fairness in fairness as Scotland they've had one of these big successions performances every year this year they've had two they always seem to have won whether it's against England or against France or accrual times it's never against us it crucially it's never against us yeah and to be fair like last year like game in the counterpart jacksagram and fin russell run into each other the Boko off injured 2023 they were down to a few players 2022 fin russell doesn't start because he went out to the beer the week before so it's king on a 10 23 is obviously that Josh founder freer keen he Lee hocker game 21 Ireland got out of dodge I think it was even a controversial penalty at the

51:04end to win it 2020 was the hog mistake yeah it's it's a tough one I suppose Adam to start the predictions are for us if you were if you're a bad man because it's it's just a week you know if you're a bad man which way would you blame them shot clocks big shots upsets aces tgl playoffs are here first Atlanta drive starts their repeat run against Los Angeles golf club then Rory's Boston common golf and tigers Jupiter links face off in their playoff debuts who will advance keep up its playoffs tune in Tuesday March 17th at 6 30 p.m. and 9 p.m. only on ESPN and ESPN app um um I it's not like we don't do predictions league every week either by the way yeah we do we do we do we do I just think I think Ireland were to win it but by three points like it's one of those where I do think that Scotland will put in a great fight and their points of each like David and Ben and

52:08you've made that are so beneficial to the Scottish game however it's one of those where Marine Dublin, Green the Aviva, Scotland have had as you said their performance of the six nations you know what really annoys me about this like this this aspect of Super Saturday is that the games don't kick off at the same similar like similar time this game could be well well no you look at me like Adam Adam I like to sit down and watch rugby for a full day no I have it over and you're correct to dream of everyone at five o'clock you can ask together no one no no no no the beauty of it is the beauty of it is like if Scalmer to win by a bonus point on um on Saturday imagine being Scottish and having to wait until you happen to watch Italy gets whales in between all those poor misfortunes it's just like the your heart rate's like baby baby baby flat lining baby baby baby but I do think I do think Ireland by three um

53:16I think if we were to in the six nations it will be up there with the job slam on hundred a hundred percent more to be like hilarious but there would be no right cares but I'd like to be fair like let's not let's not fret England down to bad team England could find a way to win a barrage and I don't know how but if England win a Paris it'll be somehow got to do with Elliot daily playing like a god after playing like a grandmother last week somehow that's just that's just gonna what's gonna happen Adam I'm gonna leave you there after pretty much just two lads because we're not even gonna try for you or a c chat of which your beloved ulcer pain we're trying it out for next week Ben in as few words as possible who's gonna win a bite Scalmer gonna sneak it but not enough to win the championship not no they will win the game they will get four points they won't win the championship I don't think we are playing as well as we think we are Scotland are going to be on a high from last week and I looking at Glasgow looking at even Edinburgh and how well they've played against

54:17Irish teams recently and what's got their playing this tournament I am concerned we'll get an LDP and we'll comfortably get to that's fair I don't know if I agree but I think Scotland will they're going to be darned at some stage it's just I'm not going to be right eventually if I say it enough time that you write about Scotland eventually I was right last week you were to be fair a lot of us a lot of us went wrong last week I'm not going to say who but let's just say they might be the ones presenting this particular broadcast at David in a word I don't know if you're going to be there but in a word who's going to take this triple crown decider I don't I was just about to say millennial pause and then you'd spoke so I couldn't say that it'll be a tight score it'll be a it'll be a shit game where neither team comes over satisfied we won't win the championship France will be England when welcome seconds Scotland will come third Italy come fourth England come first

55:22see you also obviously winning in Cardiff yeah okay I don't have to win in Cardiff to come no actually they don't because if you want you're correct on that but um yeah I think the first time actually going into the final weekend the result of the game won't determine whether or not Italy uh finished last see Tommy Tommy managed out breaking records already and she's name on instagram is Tommy to be fair so it's not even a a bit of a xenophobic comment but uh I'm going to go with Ireland to win just about as I said I think Scotland will win eventually one of these games but until they do it I'm just not going to pick them it's it's kind of like the whole thing with like Lester in the regular season just keep picking them on the I like because you're going to be bright more often than not you know but uh I think it's going to go down to the wire I think we're in for fracking super Saturday rugby wise even if it's not going to play out on the table in that regards with gentlemen I leave it for tonight we'll be back next week to look back on the tournament at Laird hopefully some URC fixtures but if it's too losses we might just

56:24we might just leave it because you know we don't want to talk about that um if you like what you see here make sure to stop smash those like subscribe buttons on youtube and comment down below with your predictions of all these games tell us how Ireland are going to find the way to win the championship and we're going to have to find a new name for the jabslam and I'm sure producers Lee will be on hand to tell you know you are wrong uh but for me Kellan from all the lads until next time thank you very very much for watching and we'll talk to you next week close your eyes exhale feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today well I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class I got them delivered free from 1800 contacts oh my gosh they're so fast and breathe oh sorry I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order oh sorry

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