posted Nov 18, 2008

the booing is indicative of the frustration Scottish fans are feeling at constantly having to accept being "valiant losers"

People can see several glaringly obvious reasons for this, one of which was the consitent picking of Dan Parks for situations to which he is not suited as a player. This is not actually the fault of Parks himself, and it's sad that he gets the flak, as he's been put in the firing line by others. However it's sadder still that Lineen blames the crowd rather than seeing the bigger picture. Time and again Scotland have lost possession and points as a DIRECT result of the coaching staff picking Parks, and on Saturday we lost a game in which we played the better rugby and had more point scoring opportunities than the world champions. This is INCREDIBLY frustrating, and when DP was the guy missing the points, you've got to expect at least a groan from a crowd who have waited extremely patiently for any chink of light in a dismal period of Scottish rugby.

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posted Nov 18, 2008

Booing Parks wasn't the most admirable thing the Murrayfield crowd has ever done but I'm afraid I can all too easily understand why it happened. About the one thing even Parks' detractors (and I'd have to admit I'm a card carrying member of that substantial grouping) accept is that he can kick the ball; when he fails not once but twice with relatively simple kicks at goal it's not altogether surprising that the frustration boils over.

The crowd didn't get at Godman in the same way because the Scotland backs actually began to play more like a unit with him at number 10 and so the public were prepared to forgive his lapses with the boot- after all, I don't think he takes all that many goal kicks at club level. The bottom line is that he appears to have a bit more to his game than Parks can offer- but if he's going to be the starting number 10, the SRU must make sure that he takes every goal kick for Edinburgh for the rest of this season!

I do feel a little sorry for Parks because he's clearly an effective player for Glasgow but he's never been able to transfer that form into the international area. I doesn't help that he's an Aussie playing on the residential qualification rule (I know that's unfair but it's a fact) and initially came to the fore in the Matt Williams era, which must surely rank as the nadir of Scottish rugby in recent times.

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posted Nov 18, 2008

Booing is our own players is shameful, and i hope to never here it from the Murrayfield faithful again.

Dan missing the kicks last Saturday was just too much to take when we were doing so well.

Though...

It's a shame because if Godman had Parks' boot (on a good day, with no giant bellbags or ballends rocking his confidence) then he would almost be a complete 10 (wishful thinking i know) but PG is an excellent playmaker, he runs and passes very well but his field kicking is shocking! Parks may be limited but at least he can hit touch. And the fact that there is NO-ONE who can play 10 at test level other than PG, CP and DP.

Dropping him altogether would be nice but who else?! It would cause us problems until a replacement is found. Gordon Ross is past it IMHO. David Blair needs to be a starting 10 before even consideration. And Colin Gregor needs serious development at 10 even though he's a 9. Do we have anyone else?

Our academy 10s are still years away from making it to International level - though R.Jackson is coming up through the ranks fast. And why was he playing at fullback and not 10 for Scotland A?

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posted Nov 18, 2008

didn't see the game as on way to Ireland v ABs but why didn't Paterson kick?

also i know the opposition isn't the best but Parks destoyed us at Ravenhill last year with his kicking! a bad evening shall we say...

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posted Nov 18, 2008

After these 2 games there is some hope for the 6 nations. Don't let Dan Parks into the side to mess it all up! I don't care which club he plays for, he is not an international level stand-off. Even Gordon Ross was better. Godman might be less of a kicker but he can do plenty of things other than kick, unlike Parks. And keep CP at full back, it's his position, not wing or stand off.

Now that we seem to be getting somewhere in the backs, how about the forwards coming up to their level? I'm usually saying this the other way round!

CP did not kick as he was injured early on.

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posted Nov 20, 2008

It certainly is not Dan Parks that needs booing he is doing the best he can, however Hadden should be booed out of the stadium and out of the SRU set up if he continues with such a selection policy which has been proven wrong around 90% of the time.

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posted Nov 20, 2008

Haddens selection is as poor as Williams persistant selection of the ChainSaw and Hadden should suffer the same fate as the Austrailian

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posted Nov 20, 2008

last season I wrote to a newspaper reporter after another poor performance. I received a reply basically telling me that I knew nothing about rugby and telling me how good he is. I have played at a high level in SA since 1981 as well as coaching and admin., so I do know a wee bit. Parks would struggle to make a club 1st. XV here and that is fact.

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posted Nov 20, 2008

I am a Debenture Holder, and i agree that the booing is coming from those of a footballing mentality...but surely the fact Parks keeps being in the squad, keeps playing, and keeps failing for Scotland is enough. How else are the fans meant to get their point across to Frank Hadden.....how else is he going to realise without the crowd telling him or indeed the SRU board by giving him the boot. Godman had a superb game, apart from the penalties which were on high importance. But i have not seen Scotland play like that since the 1990's and with the likes of Gavin Hastings, Gregor Townesend, Alan Tait and company! So from that point of view....very incouraging.

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posted Nov 22, 2008

Shambles. Although the fans have every right to be disappointed and wonder at the continued selection of DP and the continued failure of the team to get the results their play clearly deserves, what do they expect to gain or influence by booing the lad.

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