Robbie Alexander

Standby Art Director/Props in Film & TV

Chronically neglected Scottish rugby blog:

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

As someone living between the UK and Spain - the single greatest thing rugby to could to make the game explode in popularity would be to add Georgia and Spain to the six nations. Forget all this nations cup and club world cup stuff...

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@JLyall93 Will certainly lead to greater contract pressure on the other NSQ props in Scotland at the end of next season, as there will be four, which is probably two too many for Nucifora.

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@JLyall93 That leaves Nathan McBeth as Scotland's only established Loosehead under the age of 30. Enormous loss.

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@G_HMedia @EdinburghRugby So is this the retention of the players who are U20+, whereas the current U19s aren't included?

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

I don't think I've ever seen a player do such consistently positive things on a rugby field, while being utterly unable to stay on the field for more than five minutes as Harry Paterson... Poor lad.

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

An Ireland side augmented with RG Snyman and Jordie Barrett versus a Glasgow side without Sutherland, Fagerson, Cummings, Dempsey, Tuipulotu, Jones, or McKay is a big ask...

[Leinster Rugby @leinsterrugby]

𝙒𝙚 𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 👊

🔥 Here is your Leinster Rugby team to face @GlasgowWarriors at Aviva Stadium in the quarter-finals of the @ChampionsCup tomorrow night.

Get your tickets here 👉 https://t.co/5gMZYkwv1D

#LEIvGLA #NeverLessThanEverything

[Leinster Rugby @leinsterrugby]

𝙒𝙚 𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 👊

🔥 Here is your Leinster Rugby team to face @GlasgowWarriors at Aviva Stadium in the quarter-finals of the @ChampionsCup tomorrow night.

Get your tickets here 👉 https://t.co/5gMZYkwv1D

#LEIvGLA #NeverLessThanEverything

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

Quite a lot of exciting prospects absent from this squad: Zander MacTaggart, Henry Kesteron, Nehemiah Su'a, Jake Dalziel, & Harry Hawkins to name a few...

[Gary Heatly @G_HMedia]

Christian Lindsay, the @lorettosport forward already capped at U20 level, will skipper @Scotlandteam at the U18 Men’s Six Nations Festival in Vichy, France, which runs from April 10 to April 18...

The 26-man squad has been named

https://t.co/9PeX8we7DY

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

https://t.co/CE3cJu5jVB

Franco Smith doing his absolute best to save Scottish rugby from itself. Another great decision...

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@JLyall93 He and Nathan McBeth are pretty much the only Looseheads in Scottish rugby under the age of 30, they don't really have much choice.

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@francisaac87 As a Scot living in Madrid - the stadium was basically full, but for the small terrace at the far end. Was a great atmosphere and wonderful to see the young kids throwing round the back passes to each other at the side of the pitch. Convinced rugby could be huge in Spain.

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

+s

Dominant scrum despite u19 props
When Douglas is back - Logan, Duncan & Douglas is a properly nasty backrow
We're not physically outmatched, just criminally inaccurate in our timing, and forcing passes that are clearly not on, which is fixable.

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

Despite disappointment, feel like there is more to come from this u20s. A few selection issues left them exposed. Next week...

Duncan > Lindsay (Extremely talented but let lads play at their age grade)
Stephen > Roberts
Patterson > Cowan
Moncrieff > Watson

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@T2Rugby Got my tickets yesterday! Phew!

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@glove931 Also shows the big effect of having 3 home games (incl. Wales and Italy) instead of 2, on try scoring.

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@o_glyndwr1404 @glove931 The SRU have done a pretty spectacular job (whether we like it or not) of pre-emptively plugging the gap with exiles. Of the 2019 U20 graduates alone, we've "acquired":

Ben Healy
Arron Reed
Fergus Burke
Dylan Richardson
Andy Christie
Cameron Redpath
Ben White

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@o_glyndwr1404 @glove931 The core of the squad is 2016 U20s onwards so not immediately terrifying - The real hit will be after 2031. We had a total collapse in player production in the three years after covid hit, but it is starting to turn around now (a bit).

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@CRichardsonTel As a point of Interest, Ben Afshar who plays scrum half for Glasgow is Iranian as well.

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

That Ireland squad is now absurdly Leinster (23 of 36). Surely there is some downside to that in terms of performance?

[Robbie Alexander @ermalex]

@StewartRaitt @RugbyTigers With Richie Gray out of the picture, Jonny injured for the first two fixtures, and short term injuries to Williamson and Oguntibeju, seems almost certain Henderson will be involved if he stays fit.