Scottish Rugby

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

Gregor Townsend names his Six Nations squad on Tuesday - his ninth. It should - or at least, could - look pretty different this time.

Twelve months ago, Dave Cherry was the starting hooker, Jamie Bhatti was one of three looseheads, Jonny Gray was in the second-row, Luke Crosbie and Jack Mann were among the back-rows, Matt Currie was one of five centres selected.

Some of those guys are injured and some have faded away, but others have thundered across Townsend's landscape.

Gregor Hiddleston and Seb Stephen, the Glasgow hookers; Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, the Edinburgh tighthead; Max Williamson (injured a year ago), his Glasgow mate Alex Samuel and Leicester's Cam Henderson are the new wave of locks; Liam McConnell, Freddy Douglas and the excellent Euan Ferrie must be in the picture in the back-row.

In 2025 Townsend went for a wider squad of 37. With the championship only having one fallow week this time he might want to go larger than that.

He starts with Italy in Rome, England in Edinburgh and Wales in Cardiff - three Saturdays back-to-back. He must win all of them if title contention is the ambition.

We're sticking with 37 players. This is not an attempt to second-guess Townsend. People have gone dizzy in the past trying to play that game.

It's a reflection of changing times and an acknowledgement that hungry, aggressive players free of baggage must be swept into this squad right now.

Back three - Duhan doesn't make cut

Joint-record try-scorer, Duhan van der Merwe, is not among the four wings (or five when you count Blair Kinghorn).

Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie are the top wingers around. Darcy Graham and Kyle Rowe complete the four.

Townsend dropped Van der Merwe from his 23 in the autumn and his case for inclusion has only weakened since then.

Some fitness issues, a lack of confidence, Edinburgh's inability to give him much ball - it's all bringing him down.

Midfield & half-backs - options, options

Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones; Tom Jordan (who should be considered a serious contender for the 15 jersey) and Rory Hutchinson; Stafford McDowall and Ollie Smith.

Cam Redpath might feel robbed again but those six are the best set of centres Scotland has ever had. Jones is back after six months out injured and is already flying.

Finn Russell and Adam Hastings should be the 10s, Hastings shading it ahead of Fergus Burke. Townsend already has Jordan so Burke misses out, maybe.

Ben White and George Horne are the shoo-ins at scrum-half with one of the form Scots of them all, Dobie, available to cover.

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Front-row - rookie Stephen or old head Turner?

Loosehead is not a land of plenty - more a wasteland where nothing grows - so Pierre Schoeman, Rory Sutherland and Nathan McBeth - with starts in Glasgow's wins over Sale and Toulouse - are in.

At hooker, Ewan Ashman and Hiddleston are the first picks. Easy. The 20-year-old Stephen is the third hooker, ahead of the vastly experienced but bit-part Harlequin, George Turner and the rest. His intensity is just terrific.

All hail King Zander at tighthead. Wrap him in cotton wool, feed him grapes, sing him lullabies from now until Rome.

Sean Everitt says D'Arcy Rae should be fit. Rae stood up really well in the autumn when many people were having palpitations about him. That's two.

Elliot Millar Mills, Will Hurd, the teenager Blyth-Lafferty? The tighthead of a scrum is a dark place full of monsters that make those creatures in Stranger Things look like something off Sesame Street.

Blyth-Lafferty is a brilliant prospect, but Six Nations rugby looks too soon. Hurd has been going well off the bench for Leicester, Millar-Mills played against New Zealand and Argentina in the autumn. Millar-Mills for thrills.

Locks - let the young dogs eat

Now. Lock forwards. Five of them.

Scott Cummings and Gregor Brown (let his aggression and his carrying flourish in the second-row). Max Williamson and Alex Samuel. Two Glasgow behemoths. They're massive men and bursting with edge and confidence. One more.

Grant Gilchrist is still well capable of playing wonderfully at Test level, but it's time a younger man got a chance.

Cam Henderson is tearing it up for Leicester and it would be criminal to leave him out any longer.

Back-row - is Freddy ready?

Yes. Yes, he is.

Douglas is a turnover machine with a struggling club, belligerent as hell and everybody wants to see him get some game-time in the Six Nations. A kid with the mentality of a 50-capper.

Townsend went with eight back-rows last year, so we're going the same again. Some good ones are missing out here.

In: Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey. Also in: Jamie Ritchie, winning and inspiring at Perpignan; Andy Onyeama-Christie, versatile and dogged; Liam McConnell, loose cannon and exhilarating wildcard; Douglas, freak.

Another needed: If in doubt, go Glasgow. Ferrie is a fantastic footballer and a warrior in name and deed. Done.

We asked for your views on Glasgow Warriors 28-3 win against Saracens in the Champions Cup.

Here's what some of you said:

Gordon: There's the Scotland team right there. Good in attack, dominant in defence. To keep a fully loaded Saracens team virtually scoreless is a fabulous effort. Gregor Hiddleston, for me, starts against Italy.

Chris: Glasgow are just a joy to watch and should make the majority of the Six Nations squad on form. If Hiddleston doesn't make the squad, I'd be asking serious questions why not.

George: What a set of results for Glasgow. Showing what they can produce. I hope this translates to Scotland. The physicality and defence. Definitely playing for the coach!

Tom: Unbelievable European campaign for Glasgow, capped off with a dominant win! Saracens aren't the same team as they were, but they still have a team built with internationals and Lions. We barely gave them a sniff and our defence looked so comfortable. Hiddleston needs to be given a chance for Scotland in the Six Nations. He has been outstanding all season!

Kenny: A classic match in two distinct aspects. First half, ruthless attacking yielding three classic tries. Second half, brilliant defence, stifling all of Saracens attempts at turning things around. Then the classic sucker-punch delivering last minute the bonus-point try!

Doug: Good win, defence was excellent throughout! We were wasteful in the first half converting lineout pressure and in the second half we struggled to get out of our half and seemed determined to cough up possession. Jack Dempsey and Zander Fagerson were superb, Alex Craig with some big carries too. Hopefully Adam Hastings will be back soon, he helps with attacking fluency and is stronger in defence than Dan Lancaster who got bounced off tackles a couple of times.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Flawless Warriors hit new heights

If you want some context on how good Glasgow's Champions Cup pool stage performances have been, consider this - only Bordeaux, the reigning European champions, matched their points total of a perfect 20.

Four bonus-point wins from four is an astonishing return and unprecedented for a Scottish side in Europe.

Saracens may not be the force of old, but they were fresh from an impressive win over Toulouse and travelled to Scotstoun with a starting 15 boasting five British and Irish Lions.

Pushovers they were not, but Glasgow completely outclassed the English giants.

150 not out for electric Horne

George Horne marked his 150th Glasgow Warriors appearance in fine style.

There was a moment in the first half that summed up the wee scrum-half. With little room to work with next to the touchline, Horne dinked a cute little kick over the defender and gathered, all at full tilt.

It was an extraordinary piece of skill that led to Juan Martin Gonzalez's yellow card.

A signature support line brought Horne his try, and he was a whirlwind of energy and tempo all night.

His form surely will give Gregor Townsend food for thought regarding his Scotland number nine pecking order for the Six Nations.

Dynamite Dempsey in form of his life

Horne claimed the player of the match award, but Dempsey was every bit as influential in a marvellous team performance.

I wrote in these pages last week about the big number eight's outstanding performance against Clermont. He kicked on to yet another level against Saracens.

Dempsey was utterly devastating with ball in hand, blasting through defenders like a rampaging bull.

Whenever a loose ball hit the deck it seemed Dempsey was first on the scene to throw himself on it and win back possession for his side.

There was also composure to go with the power when he blasted through two tackles and picked the right option to put Horne away for his try.

It was a sublime display and if Dempsey carries this form into the Six Nations then he could be set for a big tournament.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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George Horne says the difference between Glasgow's Champions Cup campaign this season to previous years is the squad's true belief they can mix it with the very best sides in Europe.

Warriors made it four bonus-point wins from four pool matches - and the maximum 20 points - with another sterling victory over Saracens to add to earlier victories over Sale, Toulouse and Clermont.

It sets Franco Smith's side up for a home tie against Vodacom Bulls in the last 16.

"You dream and you hope you're going to get four wins from four and I think that's the difference this year - we actually believe that," said Horne, who marked his 150th Glasgow appearance with a try and a player of the match performance.

"We've played two of the most successful teams in Europe over the past few years, and we've shown that if we play our best, we can match them.

"We've done our job over the first four games to put ourselves in the best place, but you can't look too far ahead or you'll come unstuck.

"So now we've got to focus on the league for the next few weeks and then the Bulls coming here.

"We've had a few tasty battles against them in the last couple of years, so we know that will be an absolute dogfight as well."

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Glasgow and Edinburgh have found out their opponents for the round of 16 in the Champions Cup, after both Scottish sides progressed in Europe's elite tournament.

The Warriors, seeded second among the 16 teams after their four bonus points wins throughout the group stage, host the Bulls at Scotstoun.

Win that, and it's a home quarter-final against the winner of Toulon v Bristol Bears.

They could then meet Edinburgh in the semi-finals, although that would require the capital club to come past third sees Leinster in the round of 16, and then the winner of Harlequins v Sale Sharks.

The round of 16 will be played on the weekend of 3/4/5 April, with Edinburgh playing Leinster over in Ireland.

If the two Scottish sides were to meet, the semi-finals take place on the weekend of 1/2/3 May, and if Glasgow do make it that far, they would also have home advantage for that tie.

The final of the tournament will be held on 24 May, and hosted in the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.

Glasgow Warriors continued their fine form in the Investec Champions Cup with victory over Saracens to set up a home last-16 tie against the Bulls.

Read the full match report here.

Let us know your thoughts here.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith: "All the people make it special here. We are really proud. We played for them.

"It was part of our pre-match conversation. We want to make Scotstoun proud, and we heard them tonight. So a really, really good evening.

"[Saracens] are a quality team, and they've got some excellent game-drivers with a lot of experience there. They've got good a pack of forwards.

"Maro Itoje disrupted our set-piece by himself at some stages. So, a tough team. They did well to stay in the fight. You can see that they're a proud team, obviously, and a lot of character.

"It was good for us to show that we can play an all-round game, both sides of the ball.

"The defence in the second part of the game was fantastic. We worked really hard to apply ourselves physically, and to be fit enough and resilient enough to stay in the fight. It was a pleasure to watch.

"[George Horne] knows I'm really proud of him. Everybody here is really proud to have him with us.

"The way he goes about his business and how much he believes in the club is obviously seen by everybody out there. I'm really, really proud of him and I hope there's another 100 to come.

"We've had tough teams. Nobody would have bet on us before the start of this campaign that we would end up where we did.

"I'm happy with that, first of all. But we also know this is just the start. There's more than half the season still left and it's going to be important to keep everybody healthy and to keep the energy levels high so that we can continue to push hard in this competition."

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Edinburgh have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions Cup despite Friday's chastening 63-10 defeat by Bath.

Sean Everitt's side finish fourth in Pool 2 thanks to bonus-point wins over Toulon and Gloucester, but a points difference of minus 71 after heavy losses against Castres and Bath.

Castres narrowly beat Munster and Toulon saw off Gloucester on Saturday, meaning Munster drop into the Challenge Cup and Gloucester prop up the six-team table.

We asked for your thoughts after Edinburgh were trounced by Bath in the Champions Cup on Friday.

Here's what you had to say:

Scotty: A tough result to swallow particularly after Sean Everitt's new contract this week. Really puzzling decision.

Arran: Well, I can't say that wasn't expected. Sending a second-string team against a full strength Bath squad was never going to end well. Outclassed in every area. Every time we had ball we kicked it away, the backs struggled to get going again. Only positives were Harry Paterson and, once again, Freddy Douglas.

Jim: Bath showed Edinburgh they are way behind in the European rugby order. Bath were always going to win at home but this was men against boys with Finn Russell running the show.

Jamie: Wow - I cannot swear enough after that disappointing game. The scoreline is embarrassing. Looking on the players' faces at the end when they had hands on their hips, these boys need a new inspiration and a new coach.

Rich: Bath are a great team but it didn't look like the Edinburgh players are particularly happy about their coach getting a new contract. I'm baffled that he managed to get a new contract. What were his objectives that he somehow passed?

Gordon: A predictable result. Why Edinburgh decided to throw both away games by fielding weakened teams is beyond me. Not a fan of Everitt but the problems at Edinburgh have been going on for years under numerous coaches. A clear out at all levels is needed. Until then, Edinburgh players shouldn't be anywhere near a Scotland match-day squad.

DJ: Edinburgh's lacklustre performance has just further highlighted the folly of Everitt's contract extension. He and his coaching staff have managed once again to get an Edinburgh squad that is full of talented players, despite the amount of injuries and the insane selection choices, to continually fail to resemble a coherent and organised team.

Andrew: Protocols require players to be rested, so don't blame the coaches. We're still in with a qualification chance in Europe and in the league for top eight.

The end of the season is the time to judge progress this season. Getting to the end of the season requires squad rotation. And, like it or not, Edinburgh and Glasgows' jobs are to produce players for their paymasters, Scotland.

Young players at Edinburgh are coming through and pressuring their Glasgow counterparts to start for Scotland. That's what Everett is being asked to do. That's why he's had his contract renewed.

The economics of Scottish rugby don't allow for a different approach. Edinburgh and Glasgow don't have large enough fan bases for a different approach.

Campbell: What on earth are the Edinburgh coaches doing? Their team selection choices against Castres and Bath were white flags not judicious squad rotation. Do they want to demoralise the squad and kill their own momentum?

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Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt told Premier Sports: "They were hot tonight, and made us pay for every mistake that we made. We fought gallantly in the first half, allowed them too many entries and the power game got ahead of us. WE couldn't keep out their maul.

"The set piece settled as the game went on but we gave them too much front foot ball, and with the backs they have they are very dangerous. Disappointed with the scoreboard, but once again the boys did fight.

"There's always positives to take. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty scrummed really well and has just been complimented by Thomas du Toit as well. He's going to learn heaps from this and Scotland will benefit from that, likewise Freddy Douglas.

"Harry Paterson, coming back from injury, hasn't played much rugby but he was exceptional and the standout player for me tonight. Some pleasing individual performances but as a unit, we just got banged by a more powerful team tonight."

Bath sealed top spot in Pool 2 and a home last-16 tie in the Investec Champions Cup with a nine-try thrashing of Edinburgh.

What did you make of that Edinburgh fans? Let us know your thoughts here.

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Scotland international Rory Darge returns to the back-row amid two Glasgow Warriors changes for the Champions Cup visit of Saracens in their final Pool 1 game.

Euan Ferrie drops to the bench and Matt Fagerson switches back to blindside.

In the backs Jamie Dobie is rested, after starting the previous five games, with Ollie Smith coming in to replace him on the wing.

Elsewhere, it's a near full-strength line-up for Franco Smith's side, with scrum-half George Horne making his 150th Warriors appearance.

Glasgow are already through to the knockouts but seeking another bonus-point win to secure top spot and guarantee home ties through to the semi-final should they make it that far.

"Saracens possess a strong pedigree in the Champions Cup, something they will be eager to continue this weekend," said head coach Smith.

"Their squad is packed with international-calibre talent and we know that they will come here with a direct, physical game plan that we will need to be at our best to match."

Glasgow Warriors: Rowe, Steyn (c), Jones, S Tuipulotu, Smith; Lancaster, Horne; Schickerling, Hiddleston, Z Fagerson, Craig, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.

Replacements: Stephen, Sutherland, Talakai, Williamson, Brown, Ferrie, McDowall, Afshar.

BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions.

Callum asked: Are we seeing the demise of Duhan van der Merwe? Another non-impact game last weekend. Surely he is nowhere near the Scotland team for Rome.

Tom answered: He might bounce back in the Six Nations - if he gets picked to play, which on form, he shouldn't.

I wouldn't have him in the top four wings at the moment, but I know that Test rugby - and playing outside a backline that wants to put him into space - brings out a different Duhan.

By his own account he didn't have a great Six Nations last season, then he got injured and lost confidence. He was genuinely surprised to make the Lions tour - I was with him the day of the announcement and he was almost speechless - but it didn't go fantastically well for him in Australia. He was dropped for the big autumn Tests and hasn't done much for Edinburgh.

So he's in a significant slump, that's for sure. For Rome, if you were picking on merit, you'd probably go with Kyle Steyn on one wing and Jamie Dobie on the other. Leaving out Duhan and Darcy Graham looks bizarre given their incredible numbers with Scotland, but Steyn and Dobie would be the form picks.

I didn't think Edinburgh should have given Duhan another contract - too costly and too little return at club level. But he's there and we're going to see what he's made of now.

Teddy asked: After the weekend, should Freddy Douglas and Liam McConnell be in contention for the 23 in the Six Nations?

Tom answered: Gregor Townsend picked a squad of 37 this time last year. I just wrote down my own squad of 37 and Douglas and McConnell are both in there. Whether they make the 23 is another matter.

The depth in the back-row is terrific. Matt Fagerson-Rory Darge-Jack Dempsey; Jamie Ritchie-Andy Onyeama Christie-Magnus Bradbury; Josh Bayliss, Dylan Richardson, Ben Muncaster; Liam McConnell, Freddy Douglas, Alex Masibaka.

I'd start Gregor Brown in the second-row but, obviously, he's another huge option at six. There's also Euan Ferrie and Ally Miller and a few others back-rows.

Fagerson-Darge-Dempsey would be my pick right now with, potentially, Onyeama-Christie and Douglas on a 6-2 bench. Every chance I'll change my mind 50 times between now and Rome, of course. The back-row has never been stronger.

Jack asked: Have any of the younger players done enough to put their hand up for selection in the Six Nations?

Tom answered: For the wider squad - 37 players or thereabouts - then absolutely they have. I'd have Gregor Hiddleston in the original squad and I'd seriously think about Seb Stephen as well.

Ollie Blyth-Lafferty has a chance. I'd have Cam Henderson (not a youngster, but a rookie at Test level) among the locks and Liam McConnell and Freddy Douglas among the back-rows. Maybe Euan Ferrie as well.

BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions.

Ethan asked: With Adam Hastings now officially moving to Montpellier and Duncan Weir walking off into the sunset to get involved in the academy, who should we expect Glasgow to recruit to fill the fly-half hole(s)?

Tom answered: As it stands, Franco Smith will have three options next season - Dan Lancaster, Charlie Savala and Matthew Urwin.

Lancaster is currently second choice behind Hastings, Savala is unproven and has been out with a serious injury all season, and Urwin is still an academy player. You might say the cupboard is bare.

There's no evidence Glasgow are going to be allowed to sign a relatively big hitter to replace Hastings (who replaced Tom Jordan).

It's got to be a huge concern for Smith. He's done brilliantly in managing the departure of Jordan, Henco Venter and Seb Cancelliere, but you can't keep doing it season after season. At some point, things unravel. If Smith feels he's just managing decline then the real problems start.

You ask who should Glasgow expect? A move might be made for Fergus Burke, but he's still contracted to Saracens. I can't imagine Glasgow will be allowed to sign a non-Scottish 10, so the options are limited if that's the case.

The one indisputable fact in all this is Glasgow need proper reinforcement at 10 and with Hastings and Huw Jones leaving they ought to have a decent salary to play with. Trying to buy Burke out of his deal looks a logical play.

Colin asked: Is Hastings' departure to Montpellier a sign of Scottish Rugby having to tighten the belt further, and what chance is there that both Jones and Jack Dempsey will be at Glasgow next season?

Tom answered: Things have moved on since you asked the question. Losing Jones, on top of Hastings, is a sore one, but it was kind of inevitable. The better Glasgow do, the more likely the raiding missions from France. I don't think we've seen the last of them.

There are about a dozen Glasgow players that would have big appeal to the French clubs. Not saying all, or any, will go, but I'd be staggered if offers weren't made for some of them over the coming years, which will mean the SRU have to pay more to keep these guys (if they can keep them) which will in turn put pressure on somewhere else in the budget.

Some guys will slip through the cracks, as Jordan did when the SRU were focused so strongly on keeping Sione Tuipulotu. This is part of the price you pay for success - bigger clubs will descend on your players. The circle of rugby life.

Visit this page on Friday for more answers to your questions.

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Winger Malelili Satala will make his debut in an Edinburgh side showing six changes for Friday's Champions Cup visit to Bath.

Going into the final round of pool fixtures, Bath lead the way in Group 2 on 11 points, with Edinburgh second on 10 points.

Summer signing Satala, 21, takes over from Duhan van der Merwe, who has a calf problem.

Captain Magnus Bradbury is rested for the trip to The Rec, along with Pierre Schoeman, Liam McConnell and Wes Goosen.

Ben Muncaster and Tom Dodd start in the back-row, while Harry Paterson returns from injury to start at full-back.

Ewan Ashman takes over from Harri Morris at hooker and Piers O'Conor slots into the midfield for the injured Matt Currie (hamstring).

"We are really excited to give Malelili his chance," said head coach Sean Everitt, who agreed a two-year contract extension on Wednesday.

"He is a player with genuine X-factor and we're looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the jersey on such a massive stage. He's worked hard for this opportunity and deserves his shot.

"While we've had to manage the load after a massive physical shift from the group, this selection is a testament to the great depth we've built here.

"We're bringing in players who have been knocking on the door and training at a high level, and they now have the platform to make a real statement.

"The boys are incredibly hungry for this challenge and are looking forward to a real European showdown at such an iconic ground."

Edinburgh: Paterson, Graham, O'Conor, Lang, Satala, Thompson, Vellacott (capt); Whitcombe, Ashman, Blyth-Lafferty, Hunter-Hill, Young, Dodd, Douglas, Muncaster.

Replacements: Morris, Jones, Hill, McVie, Boyle, Shiel, Healy, Brown.

We asked for your views head coach on Sean Everitt signing a two-year contract extension with Edinburgh.

Here's what some of you said:

Matthew: Controversial I think. Very mixed views on it as I don't see us making progress under him. But if he stays, he needs a new coaching set-up and players need to be sold because we just aren't good enough. I'm willing to see how it goes but unless things drastically improve, I don't see many changes and can see a drastic fall in season-ticket sales for next season.

Robert: As a long-suffering Edinburgh season ticket holder, I just see another two years of underperforming. The contrast with Glasgow is stark.

Ali: What an uninspiring appointment. Edinburgh have been woefully inconsistent in recent seasons and show nothing under the current coach to suggest changing that trend. It was the perfect chance to install a new coach. A club legend like Roddy Grant would have won back a lot of supporters, I've yet to hear a positive opinion on the announcement.

Jamie: I'd rather have Kenny Murray than Everitt. Giving him a two-year extension might be the biggest laugh of all. I'm going to need to drink a lot of Irn-Bru to see the upside on this. I thought bringing in David Nucifora might bring a harder, no nonsense, results-driven mantra but with only two professional teams, Edinburgh have adopted Jason Donovan's new revamped musical, 'Any team will do'. Pathetic.

Stair: Shocked! I was looking forward to the introduction of our new coaching team in a few months. A prime example of promotion beyond ability.

Andy: Not the news I was hoping to read. Another two years of inconsistent rugby with no plan, no excitement and mid to low table places coming up I'm afraid. He has done absolutely nothing to deserve this contract other than nod his head when told by SRU to promote players who are either not prepared for professional rugby or simply not good enough.

David: Oh. I feel the same sense of deflation as when I didn't get the exam result I was hoping for. He's got a lot to prove. I realise he's not the entire cause (looking at you, players) but he's clearly not the man to galvanise the team and, at times, doesn't appear to have a plan let alone a strategy.