Scottish Pro team thread

[123456789]

First topic message reminder :

There doesn't seem to be much going on but I thought it might be an idea to set up a thread devoted to transfers, coaching news and general new information to do with the Scottish pro clubs over the summer

[Manky-Flanker]

In the news today, Peter Horne has injured his ACL as feared which means he'll be out for roughly 9 months!

Terrible news for him as he had such a good season and was looking to make perhaps a more permanent shift to 10. I have long thought that Horne needed to pick a position and stick with it for the sake of his career and test aspirations. This injury couldn't really come at a worse time for him. Its kinda left him in limbo between 10 and 12. 
In 9 months he'll probably slot in to where he is needed most, as opposed to proving his best position and sticking with it for club and country which is what you feel the experiment of moving him to 10 was all about in the first place. 

Thoughts gents?

[RDW]

Ooft that's a bad one. In a way you hope it happened the first time and not because he stayed on the pitch before having to go off again.

Poor show on the doctor for allowing him to carry on - James Robson wouldn't have done that.

[nickj]

Damn that is a loss. Feel for the lad

[funnyExiledScot]

A real shame. A hugely improved player in the last 12 months.

I expect it'll be Dunbar and Bennett now as first choice centres for Glasgow next season, which will be very interesting.

[Dorothy_Mantooth]

Hopefully Glasgow can step up the efforts and get an experienced center in for next season.

[funnyExiledScot]

You can have Ben Atiga. We'll pay for his rail fare.

[Dorothy_Mantooth]

You can have Ben Atiga. We'll pay for his rail fare.

[cakeordeath]

You can have Ben Atiga. We'll pay for his rail fare.

We will give you double the rail fare if you keep him.

[funnyExiledScot]

Double the rail fare!? Absolutely not - then they could afford a return ticket.....

[21st Century Schizoid Man]

No - but we will swap you Jacko for Matt Scott

[EST]

I feel sorry for Horne, he proved me wrong last season and was very good indeed, by all accounts he is one of the hardest workers in the squad as well.  RDW is right, the medical staff should never have allowed him to carry on playing. 

It will be interesting to see who Glasgow bring in, with only Dunbar left to fill the 12 shirt (I think?), somebody will have to be brought in as cover.

[RDW]

Let's not forget that Edinburgh currently only have 4 centres on the books - and one of them is Atiga.

Houston and Kind were let go, and Cairns is crocked.

We need a centre too!

[EST]

Yeah, both teams are running a bit low:  Dunbar, Bennett, McGuigan (our Atiga, except without the supposed pedigree), Johnstone (don't think he has played a game for us yet?) and then Lamont and DTH who can do a turn at 13.  Not ideal really, with only Dunbar being able to play 12 

Was King's departure because of injury, RDW?  He would be a good season long cover for Glasgow, if he was fit.

[RDW]

Yeah he was always injured

[funnyExiledScot]

Lamont has played 12 for Scotland, and Bennett has played 12 for the U20s, whilst Murchie, Hogg and DTH have all played at 13. There is some cover there if Dunbar were to get injured.

Edinburgh have Atiga, Scott and NDL. Fife covers 13 as well and possibly Tonks. Cairns is out and it's questionable whether we'll get him back. Our need is still greater than yours!

[21st Century Schizoid Man]

Still feel really bad for Hornee furra linee. Good player with a great sidestep and scored try of the season, imho, v Northants last season. Hope he gets over this and also good shout RDW. If true wtf were the medics thinking about. Screwed by the feckin Lions again !

[RDW]

Take it we're gonna be stuck with some average Joe foreigner centres being signed then?

[EST]

I hope I never have to see Lamont in a 12 shirt ever again, but in general I agree, we do have some cover - but it's far from ideal. 

In the current theme of changing players positions, does anybody think that Rhubarb could do a turn at 12?   

Hopefully Lineen comes back home with Crotty and Marshall's signature in his back pocket......

[123456789]

I think it's time we delved into the Welsh market, properly this time not like last year when we ended up being the weirdo who tries to fit in with the cool kids, and sign Jonathan Davies.

[Manky-Flanker]

Good to see Horne is upbeat and optimistic about his injury - thats the spirit!


" Pete Horne ‏[ltr]@Petehorne72[/ltr]3h

to see how much i really want it. Ill be back and better than ever you can hold me to that!"

[alexgmacdonald]

I hope I never have to see Lamont in a 12 shirt ever again, but in general I agree, we do have some cover - but it's far from ideal. 

In the current theme of changing players positions, does anybody think that Rhubarb could do a turn at 12?   

Hopefully Lineen comes back home with Crotty and Marshall's signature in his back pocket......

There's definitely worse ideas.

It could be good, him filling the second playmaking role that Horne did last year. Would take a lot of pressure off him and could bring his accomplished passing and running game into effect without having pressure of kicking and generally managing the game.

[EST]

I am sometimes critical of Jackson, just because he can be so damn frustrating - on fire one game, awful the next.  He does have the skill set to play that ball playing 12 role, however.  Good hands, creativity and as you say the game management role that he struggles with would be taken out of his hands. 

It would undoubtedly be tricky to move position relatively late in his career, having always been a 10 though.  Modern day centres are almost like auxiliary back row in terms of the tackle area and the amount of tackling they get through - not to say that it would be an impossible move.    I hope the SRU can bring in some proven quality at centre to cover the obvious gaps in both teams.

[George Carlin]

http://www.irb.com/jwc/matches/match=13959/index.html

9th place play-off:
Samoa 33 - 24 Scotland

That completely gargles old man balls.
Particularly as we'd already beaten them in the pool.
Haven't seen a match report so can't comment.

Wonder what Lineen makes of that result.

Results of the final day's play in the U20s has produced this result:

1/2. Wales/England (match still being played at time of writing)
3. South Africa
4. New Zealand
5. France
6. Argentina
7. Australia
8. Ireland
9. Samoa
10. Lineen's Mighty Mazongas
11. Fiji
12. USA

[funnyExiledScot]

That's a poor result. Lineen won't be happy shipping all those points. Surprised to see Ferguson at 15 and Bennett at 12. Doesn't strike me as players being used in their best positions. Has Farndale been playing?

[Majestic83]

Not been impressed with Sean Lineens choice of match day starting xvs. He has chopped and changed the squad through out the tournament and not picked the best xv once. There are some very good players in the squad but they weren't given the chance to play together and build on that by gelling as a team.

Players that impressed were Tommy Allan who looks as if he is going to be a very good 10.
JJ Kilmartin looked very sharp when he played and scored a few tries.
Damian Hoyland looked like a very sharp finnisher on the wing and offered a lot of work over the pitch.
Adam Ashe carried well and put in a lot of work.
Adam Sinclair looked good at 2nd row but seemed to play one game,not included in the next and not used properly by Lineen!

[George Carlin]

The most annoying thing is that we finished lower than our seeding of 9 and means that for next year's tournament our pool will probably be New Zealand, South Africa and Samoa.

[funnyExiledScot]

Hoyland's name keeps cropping up as one for the future. One to keep an eye on clearly.

[Imperialbigdave]

Hoyland's name keeps cropping up as one for the future. One to keep an eye on clearly.

I like the balance between Hoyland and Farndale. Hoylands really elusive and jinky, while Farndales much more direct and powerful, but they are both well rounded players who can do it all.

Throw in Kilmartin, Gavin Lowe and Ruaridh Young, and I dont think we have to worry about talent in the back three for a while.

[George Carlin]

I see Glasgow have sold more than 2000 season tickets already which is a record for them. Lovely to see and I really hope that the community starts to see there's more than one sport in town worth supporting. Can't wait to see if Macron can come up with some leisurewear that doesn't look like it's been made by twenty grannies from Lewis with a rusty loom and bad eyesight.

I see also from the SRU website that they have voted to change the league structure for a number of sensible reasons. Dodson was also quick to point out that debt is down to its lowest in years (about £11 million) and they came out in the black overall with a record annual turnover of nearly $40million.

I also think that Dodson is justifiable with his stance in the Heineken Cup - he is content to lose the automatic qualification place for the 2nd Scottish team in any new set up, provided that the amount of money the SRU gets out of the HC arrangements is not any less.

[funnyExiledScot]

IBD - luckily, with two such bright prospects like Farndale and Hoyland knocking on the door, we've signed Walker and Cuthbert.

It's nice that someone is thinking ahead.

I agree GC - query how successful Dodson will be in pushing that line though. I'm sure the English and French will having something to say about Scotland keeping it's share of the money despite having only one pro side participating......not that this dispute is about money of course.....

They need to keep going with this debt reduction programme. Really important for the long terms prospects of the SRU to get that right down.

[RDW]

John plumtree has been released by the sharks - reckon he'll be with Edinburgh soon then?

I'm still waiting for them the announce they've appointed the chuckle brothers or worse - Matt Williams!

[Weegie Wizard]

Plumtree will be an interesting one for Edinburgh.
He did really well with the sharks for the last couple if years but he did bring Freddie Michalak in as stand off for them. Twice.

[RDW]

Michalak would be great at Edinburgh - we do need a stable, controlling, consistent 10 after all....!

Joking aside are there any decent SQ or potential project players at the sharks?

[George Carlin]

Looks like the whole Plumtree thing has been a bit of a Horlicks from the club's perspective - this from IOL Sport:
 

Plumtree saga a disaster - Jamieson
June 14 2013 at 09:27am
By Patrick Compton

Durban - Axed Sharks coach John Plumtree has been treated shoddily and unethically, says the captain of the Natal team that first won a Currie Cup, Craig Jamieson.

“I think the whole process has been a bit of a disaster,” said Jamieson, who led the Natal team that famously beat Northern Transvaal 18-12 at Loftus Versveld in 1990. It was the first of two winning Currie Cup medals for rugged flank Plumtree, who was also part of the winning Natal team in 1996.

Jamieson - who was himself the top administrator at Kings Park, being the managing director of the Natal Rugby Union from 1992-4 - described new Sharks chief executive John Smit as a “legend on the rugby field, but an under-19 player in the business world”.

Jamieson said Plumtree had been given a verbal undertaking that his contract would be extended for a further two years, so when the blow fell this week it was as unexpected as it was brutal.

“I’m not a lawyer, but if I were John, I would consider taking the matter to court,” said Jamieson.

Outgoing Sharks chief executive Brian van Zyl made a point of saying at Tuesday’s press conference at Kings Park that he had recommended that Plumtree be given a two-year extension to his contract.

Clearly Van Zyl was overruled by the Sharks board, headed by president Stephen Saad, the billionaire owner of Aspen Pharmacare.

However, verbal promises can be legally binding and the matter could end messily if Plumtree decides to go the legal route.

Jamieson, whose other administrative badge was that of tournament director of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, said Plumtree had been an excellent coach for the Sharks since he took over in 2008.

In that time, the Kiwi has taken the team to two Currie Cup titles, two Currie Cup finals and a Super Rugby final.

Last year Plumtree was named coach of the year. This year, however, the Sharks failed to reach the final stages of the Super Rugby competition, largely because of an unprecedented number of injuries to top players.

“There can be different ideas of the way forward on the field, and no one’s against freshening up the way the team plays, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about making changes, and in Plum’s case the matter has been handled badly,” Jamieson said.

Asked for his opinion on Venter as a coach, Jamieson conceded that he had enjoyed success, but described him as a “hot-headed character with an autocratic style”.
“I don’t know whether his way of doing things will be right for the Sharks. I suppose time will tell,” he said.

Jamieson also said Smit’s plan lacked clarity.

“Is he going to have a director of rugby and a team coach. Or will the director of rugby take both roles? Nobody knows.”

The former Natal scrumhalf said that what had happened this week broke with the past rugby culture of the union where problems were sorted out in-house and after proper consultation.

Suddenly, the union was losing both its long-serving executive officer (Van Zyl) and its successful coach (Plumtree) at the same time.

“It’s a very radical move. To be honest, it’s a gamble, and only time will tell whether it succeeds. But whatever happens, Plumtree has been treated shoddily after all his years of loyalty as a player and a coach,” Jamieson said.

The Mercury

Hopefully I'm not turning into a Bad Person, but there's something warming about a rugby related failure to facilitate a bender in a brewery that isn't the fault of the SRU.

Also nice to see how highly Plummers is rated.

[funnyExiledScot]

Michalak would fit in perfectly, we love flakey players with a penchant for missing tackles!!

I know very little about Plumtree, his coaching style or his record with the Sharks. I'll have to assign one of our summer students to do some research......

[Weegie Wizard]

Like you say, good to see the SARU are as bad as the SRU.

I don't think there are any SQ'd at the sharks but there may be one or two young guys in the Currie Cup squad who could be persuaded across.

Or maybe Francois Steyn and Willem Alberts need a new challenge!!

[funnyExiledScot]

Nah - Steyn wouldn't want to be warming the bench for Matt Scott!

Alberts on the other hand would probably sneak into our back row.....

[tigertattie]

I'm totally condused (not unusual!!!)

Does Edinburgh have a coach???

[funnyExiledScot]

Nope - I think Steve Scott is presumptive head coach until they find someone willing (and hopefully able) to take the job.

I don't think it's particularly important to have a Head Coach in place to make summer signings, set out training schedules for the pre-season and set the team ethos and tactics for the season. It's perfectly fine for the new man to inherit players and a coaching team he doesn't want, half way through the season.

No need to rush these things. All that matters at the moment is selling season tickets for this fiasco. I've got mine......

[InjuredYetAgain]

I reckon you are right, FeS. At the moment, it should be "run til you barf" at training - or at least that is how it went for me. The fitness and strength and conditioning coaches should take care of that.
However, it is important for the coach to be seen not to be a soft touch at training and so it is pretty important we get someone appointed ASAP.
Last season the players just didn't look fit (or interested for that matter)
Plus a head coach may have his own preferred style if play which may involve bringing new players in. Ponce about for too long and all the good ones go and you are left with the Piers Francis and Be Atiga' of this world.
Out of interest, has Simon Taylor been signed by anyone since Bath let him go?

[funnyExiledScot]

Edinburgh are hosting a BBQ in July so fans can stuff their faces whilst watching a "live" training session. I think I may just go along to that and inspect matters for myself.

Based on performances last season, I'm expecting them to be playing dodgeball and British Bulldogs, possibly ultimate frisbee......

[RDW]

Every time I get an email telling me someone has replied to this thread I keep hoping it is because Edinburgh have announced a new coach or some superstar signings – I fear I may be waiting a while for that to happen!

[funnyExiledScot]

Don't hold your breath! Stevie Scott is signing-off on all the letters to season ticket holders currently, I suspect he'll be in charge come the start of the season. The SRU excuse will be that they haven't found anyone suitable, and don't want to rush things.

Bradley was pretty much sacked (or should have been) after our dismal showings in the 1872 fixtures - they've had 6 months so far......

How long does it take to pick up the phone to Steve Meehan and beg?

[IanBru]

Something to cheer everyone up (well, half of us...) - looks like the boy Niko has been tearing it up in the Pacific Nations Cup:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ8j5A2Lc7U
https://youtu.be/Lw192uYXyKg?t=1h23m51s

Good to see he hasn't lost his M-factor.

[RDW]

That Japan game was in horrific conditions!

[furra_linee]

Pre season Judo training! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJomxaLcoSw

[RDW]

Read this morning that Simon Cross has been snapped up by Worcester because the SRU have been dithering over whether to offer him an assistant role at Edinburgh, primarily because they still don't have a head coach.

Bit worrying that we are in July and still seem to be no further forward!

Great news for Cross though, and in a similar fashion to players playing outside of Scotland, it opens up another opportunity for another Scottish person.

[RDW]

Glasgow are announcing some signing activity this morning...not sure whether it's a new signing or re-signing

[Dorothy_Mantooth]

Glasgow are announcing some signing activity this morning...not sure whether it's a new signing or re-signing

New Signing, apparently!

[RDW]

Any rumours?

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