New Edinburgh and Glasgow Teams Thread - 2013/2014

[George Carlin]

First topic message reminder :

We exhausted the other thread, so here we go with a new one for all of your pre-season banter needs.
 
1. Edinburgh   
 
Chairman: Jim Calder
CEO: Craig Docherty
Coach: Alan Solomons  
Captain: Greig Laidlaw
 
(a) Squad:
 
Props
Geoff Cross, WP Nel, Lewis Niven, Alasdair Dickinson
 
Hookers
Ross Ford, Steven Lawrie, Aleki Lutui, Alun Walker,
 
Locks
Sean Cox, Grant Gilchrist, Perry Parker, Izak van der Westhuizen, Robert McAlpine,
 
Loose Forwards
Dimitri Basilaia, David Denton, Roddy Grant, Stuart McInally, Ross Rennie, Hamish Watson,
 
Half Backs
Alex Black, Greig Laidlaw, Chris Leck, Harry Leonard, Piers Francis,
 
Centres
Ben Atiga, Ben Cairns, Nick De Luca, John Houston, Matt Scott,
 
Back Three
Tom Brown, Lee Jones, Greig Tonks, Tim Visser, Nikki Walker, Dougie Fife, Jack Cuthbert
 
(b) Transfers 2013/2014:
 
Players In
 
Nikki Walker from Worcester Warriors
Jack Cuthbert from Bath Rugby
Aleki Lutui from Worcester Warriors
Alasdair Dickinson from Sale Sharks
 
Players Out
 
Richie Rees to Newport Gwent Dragons
Netani Talei to Newport Gwent Dragons
Sep Visser released
Mike Penn to Moseley
Andy Titterrell to London Welsh
John Yapp to London Irish
Allan Jacobsen retired
James King retired
Steven Turnbull retired
 
(c) Elite Development Players 2013/2014:
 
Alex Allan (Edinburgh Accies)
Chris Auld (Gala)*
Magnus Bradbury (Boroughmuir)*
Phil Cringle (Heriot’s)
Bruce Dick (Melrose)*
Jamie Farndale (Edinburgh Accies)
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Heriot’s)
Neil Irvine Hess (Watsonians)*
Ewan McQuillin (Gala)*
George Turner (Heriot’s)
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Accies)
 
* = new EDP player 
 
2. Glasgow  
 
Chairman: Charles Shaw
CEO: Nathan Bomrys
Coach: Gregor Townsend
Captain: Alastair Kellock
 
(a) Squad:
 
Fraser Brown, Hooker
Finlay Gillies, Hooker
Dougie Hall, Hooker
Pat MacArthur, Hooker
Michael Cusack, Prop
Ryan Grant, Prop
Ed Kalman, Prop
Moray Low, Prop
Gordon Reid, Prop
Jon Welsh, Prop
Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Prop
 
Jonny Gray, Lock
Alastair Kellock, Lock
Tom Ryder, Lock
Tim Swinson, Lock
Leone Nakarawa, Lock
 
James Eddie, Flanker
Chris Fusaro, Flanker
Rob Harley, Flanker
Tyrone Holmes, Flanker
 
Ryan Wilson, Number 8
Richie Vernon, Number 8
Josh Strauss, Number 8
 
Chris Cusiter, Scrum-half
Nikola Matawalu, Scrum-half
Henry Pyrgos, Scrum-half
 
Ruaridh Jackson, Fly-half
Duncan Weir, Fly-half
Scott Wight, Fly-half
 
Gabriel Ascarate, Centre
Mark Bennett, Centre
Alex Dunbar, Centre
Peter Horne, Centre
Byron McGuigan, Centre
 
Sean Lamont, Wing
Sean Maitland, Wing
Tommy Seymour, Wing
D.T.H. van der Merwe, Wing
 
Stuart Hogg, Fullback
Peter Murchie, Fullback
 
(b) Player Transfers 2013/2014:
 
Players In
 
Richie Vernon from Sale Sharks
Tyrone Holmes from Petrarca Rugby
Jerry Yanuyanutawa from London Irish
Gabriel Ascarate from US Carcassonne
Leone Nakarawa from Fiji Barbarians
 
Players Out
 
John Barclay to Scarlets
Nick Campbell to Jersey
Ofa Fainga'anuku to Worcester Warriors
Taylor Paris to Agen
Graeme Morrison retired
Rory Lamont retired
 
(c) Elite Development Players 2013/2014:
 
Gavin Lowe (Ayr)
Rory Hughes (Stirling County)
Jack Steele (Dundee)
Finn Russell (Ayr)
Ali Price (Bedford Blues)
Adam Ashe (Stirling County)
Will Bordill (Sale Sharks)
Andrew Redmayne (Dundee)
Fergus Scott (Currie)
George Hunter (Ayr)
Darcy Rae (Ayr)

[George Carlin]

I note that the artist impression has a line saying that the capacity will be 2,500. I assume you'll need another 'L' shaped stand to get your 5,000 capacity.

Don't worry about your army of ghost like fans who may not be able to get tickets FES. They can do it like an Edinburgh nightclub : keep you waiting behind a ropeline for ages and then only let in the most beautiful and richest looking people. On that basis, you and IBD will be guaranteed entry.

[funnyExiledScot]

I agree that the fix will probably be to just sell tickets in advance, and then just announce on the website on the day if there are spare tickets available. My concern is that we don't limit our ability to grow the fanbase. 5000 should not be seen as a target - Edinburgh, given it's rugby heritage and the number of residents who actually support rugby, should be aiming far higher that than, and I don't want potential new supporters put off because they can never get tickets. That may be a couple of years away, but we want to be making it as easy as possible for people to turn up and watch.

Perhaps you just sell tickets for the stands in advance, and allow fans turning up on the day to pay less and watch from the touchline.

I'm pretty sure the community are aware of the potential for Edinburgh to use these facilities - I don't think it'll come as any great shock.

[funnyExiledScot]

Don't worry about your army of ghost like fans who may not be able to get tickets FES. They can do it like an Edinburgh nightclub : keep you waiting behind a ropeline for ages and then only let in the most beautiful and richest looking people. On that basis, you and IBD will be guaranteed entry.

I was about to say, I've never been made to wait outside an Edinburgh nightclub.....

[George Carlin]

I agree that the fix will probably be to just sell tickets in advance, and then just announce on the website on the day if there are spare tickets available. My concern is that we don't limit our ability to grow the fanbase. 5000 should not be seen as a target - Edinburgh, given it's rugby heritage and the number of residents who actually support rugby, should be aiming far higher that than, and I don't want potential new supporters put off because they can never get tickets. That may be a couple of years away, but we want to be making it as easy as possible for people to turn up and watch.

Baby steps, young man, baby steps. Recent average attendances have been as follows (from City of Glasgow Board Report, April 2013)
 
Edinburgh 4,600 (2012/2013) and 4,252 (2011/2012)
Glasgow 4,541 (2012/2013) and 4,018 (2011/2012)
 
Scotstoun's capacity is 9,708 which many may regard as optimal but which you'll see means that the stadium was, on average, only half full last season. I would rather have a smaller stadium that's filled to capacity each week (sell tickets electronically, including season ticket holders and you need never have people getting turned away). With numbers like that, depending on who's funding the new stadium, there isn't a kevlar business case for a much larger unit than that at present. It will doubtless also be used by the university.
 
It's not ideal, but anything has to be better than the Murrayfield graveyard for bog standard league games.

You can always do Heineken Cup and playoff matches at Murrayfield.

Incidentally, someone should tell Mark Dodson that it's better to spread out good news nuggets.

[funnyExiledScot]

So if we continue our current rate of growth in fans, we'll be needing a new stadium within two years if we limit to 5000.....

I realise those attendance numbers are inflated by HC and 1872 games, but if your average attendance is 4,600, then moving to a stadium with a limit of 5000 makes no sense to me.

As you say, Scotstoun as a limit of 9,708 with average attendance in 2012/13 of 4,541. That seems like a far more sensible amount of headroom with which to work with, and grow the fanbase.

Growing the number of fans is absolutely key. If Solomons makes a success of this, 5000 just won't cut it. We're only talking about increasing average attendance by 400 (we'll get that many new fans coming week in week out from Hawick!!). That's nothing! We grew by 348 between 2011/2012 and 2012/13. Sure, you can put HC and 1872 games at Murrayfield, as you can predict those games will exceed 5000, but I don't think it's outside the realms of possibility that within a couple of years we have a Rabo game where the home and away fans total more than 5000. Then what do we do - look for a new home? Turn fans away?

I'm telling you. 5000 is too small. It might work for a season or two, but if we're serious about growing the number of supporters, we need to figure out how to increase that number.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Tell you what - if this has been done by deliberately not mentioning that Edinburgh are involved there will be outcry within the community!

There will be outcry anyway, this is Embra after all, home to professional NIMBYists

[RDW]

FES, on the previous thread I put up Rabbo attendances and the average was 3600 or something like that, not including the Glasgow game.

So standard Rabbo games would be just fine in a 5000 venue.

I know what you mean about growth, but a 5000 stadium will do us just nicely for a few years.

[funnyExiledScot]

I guess the question isn't so much about the standard Rabo game, but what the highest attendance for a Rabo game is (excluding 1872 fixtures which should be held at Murrayfield). If that number is currently anywhere near 5000, we have to accept that this stadium is just too small.

It is utterly insane for a club like Edinburgh to risk turning away a single fan. If this place is to become our new "home" - then we need to start thinking now how we can put up temporary stands in order to increase capacity if needs be, much in the same way as Glasgow have done.

[George Carlin]

I guess the question isn't so much about the standard Rabo game, but what the highest attendance for a Rabo game is (excluding 1872 fixtures which should be held at Murrayfield). If that number is currently anywhere near 5000, we have to accept that this stadium is just too small.

It is utterly insane for a club like Edinburgh to risk turning away a single fan. If this place is to become our new "home" - then we need to start thinking now how we can put up temporary stands in order to increase capacity if needs be, much in the same way as Glasgow have done.

I can feel an entirely new direction of Stockbridge protest march coming on.

[funnyExiledScot]

....well put it this way, if I'm wrong it means our current rate of growing our fanbase (albeit slow) has stopped/declined, presumably because the team continues to perform poorly.

I'd quite like to be right on this one!

[tigertattie]

The SRu are still, for all intense purposes, skint! To limit the ticket sales of edinburgh to 5000 just does not make business sense!

Edinburgh need a Scotstoun like stadium. Ideally Edinburgh need a 10k stadium so there is room to grow. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow could then use Murrayfield fo HC or playoff games (if they so choose)

[RDW]

TBH 2500 standing, uncovered spectators really isn’t acceptable for a modern pro team. It will be pretty cosy trying to fit 2500 people standing along one touchline and a dead ball line!

We would really need at the very least another stand along the touchline or dead ball line, with the other one used as the cheap standing tickets.

2500 existing stadium, new 2000 stadium or temp seating along the other touchline (realistically it can’t be too big) and 1000 standing – something like that would be ideal. The standing area can be used for another 2000 temp stand if required.

[RDW]

tigertattie - I'm pretty sure a small % of our revenue comes from ticket sales, so even doubling pro team attendances won't make a significant difference (although it would help!).

Taking 4000 people average at say £15 average each (allowing for kids and free tickets) over 15 home games in a season, that's under a million for a whole season. Take away the cost to actually run the facilities for the games and there's not much profit there over a season.

My point - we really need to get pro team attendances to the 10k mark regularly to get some financial benefit.

[alive555]

Looks to me like its designed for future expansion in mind

[funnyExiledScot]

My point - we really need to get pro team attendances to the 10k mark regularly to get some financial benefit.

I entirely agree. So let's start figuring out how this new venue will be able to accommodate that number, before we just go ahead and move there.

[George Carlin]

My point - we really need to get pro team attendances to the 10k mark regularly to get some financial benefit.

I entirely agree. So let's start figuring out how this new venue will be able to accommodate that number, before we just go ahead and move there.

 
FES - I've submitted your modest revised schematic for the Accies expansion to Edinburgh Council for comments:

 
What's not to like?

[funnyExiledScot]

Now we're talking! That's exactly what I have in mind.

Imagine 60,000 folk turning up to see Lee Jones and Ben Atiga play rugby. I can but dream.

[RDW]

Positive interview with Stevie Scott in the Scotsman, particulary him saying they are looking to build a more physical team, there will be new signings on the way and I read it to mean that Ross Rennie is fit and well! 

AS THE rugby season begins to hove into view, there is a fresh air of calm around Murrayfield with the long-awaited confirmation that Alan Solomons is to take charge of what the SRU hope will be a successful new era in the capital.

But, according to the man who has held it all together in the interim, Stevie Scott, it is a calm before a storm he expects Solomons to whip up when he arrives in Scotland at the end of next week. The new coach may have just turned 63, but according to the former Scotland hooker his intent to create a powerful team remains the same as when he was plotting success with the Stormers and Springboks nearly 20 years ago, also likely to mean more new faces arriving on the playing side.

Welcoming Solomons’ appointment, Scott said: “He fits the bill of what we need well. It is a clean slate for all players and staff. He will arrive a week on Friday and with his CV he is the right man for the job.

“I have spoken to Alan through the magic of Skype because a lot of the stuff we are doing in pre-season he has to be happy with, and he is happy with what we are doing. He is looking forward to getting over here and discussing with me how we want to play the game. But he will bring an edge. He is a South African so he will want us to be very physical. Watch the way South African teams play and you see they are very physical in attack and defence, so I think you will see us becoming a lot more aggressive.

“We know that we have to become this team that is very hard to beat. I have seen a few areas in the last few months that we need to improve and Alan shares my feelings. Edinburgh need to be defensively very good. Set-piece is another area we need to be strong on. These are the same key areas that I mentioned needed improved at the end of last season.”

As for playing strength, Scott insisted that he will have a strong input into selection early on as he knows the players far more, but all will be given an opportunity to impress the new coach albeit with new competition for places.

Scott has already signed Nikki Walker, Jack Cuthbert, Alasdair Dickinson and Tongan hooker Aleki Lutui for the new season, on top of a clutch of youngsters promoted from the academy ranks including scrum-half Sean Kennedy, back from Glasgow after rising to Scotland’s Six Nations training status, while Test flanker Ross Rennie may seem like a new signing after his time out with injury.

They are added to the clutch of last year’s newcomers that included Dimitri Basilaia, WP Nel, Izak van der Westhuizen and Piers Francis, all of whom Scott feels are now more settled into the squad, and primed to offer more this term.

“A lot of people expected Piers to drop in and be the saviour of Edinburgh Rugby when he arrived, which was a big call because he’s still a young lad, but he has been training well, as have the rest of them. But guys like Allan Jacobsen and Netani Talei have gone, so we still need to strengthen as they were quality players,” said Scott.

“It is the same old story. We need a big squad and need to keep strengthening it. Hopefully, in the next few weeks there will be more players coming in. We have real competition at hooker with Ross Ford, Lutui, Stevie Lawrie, now capped, and George Hunter coming through, but we need strong competition in every position with two or three players competing. We should have more new players before the start of the season.”

That kind of talk is bound to restore a sense of buoyancy around Edinburgh as we move into August and within three weeks of the first friendly with Northampton. The challenge of turning around Edinburgh fortunes is not a minor one, but Scott is eager for the campaign to start and swiftly quashed a suggestion he might harbour disappointment from being overlooked for the top post.

“We have a good set-up now,” he said. “I am really pleased and excited about Alan’s appointment. He has an impressive CV and has coached in a lot of different competitions like the Premiership, Celtic League and the Super 15 and has also been heavily involved in coaching development so I am looking forward to working with him.

“I have had a taste for it and I want to get back there. The time has to be right and maybe the time is not right for me now but I am still going forward to try and do that. If Alan is here for two years or for three or four years I’d hopefully be present to take that job on off the back of that if he ever moves on.”

Tonks agrees new deal

EDINBURGH were arguably the surprise packet of last season as few expected the previous year’s Heineken Cup semi-finalists to be whitewashed in the competition as a follow-up and plumb the depths of the RaboDirect Pro12.

But, while eradicating the capital club’s rollercoaster history is undoubtedly uppermost in minds, full-back Greig Tonks is convinced the squad has the ability to defy the now less-flattering predictions and produce another surprising twist for their Celtic rivals.

The 24-year-old, who earned his first Test cap for Scotland on the recent tour to South Africa, has signed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2015 and he is confident that his ambitions to win silverware and progress a Test career can both be satisfied in Scotland.

“We definitely have learned a lot in the last year and if people still have this perception of Edinburgh that we are an easy target – and they probably will because we certainly did not help ourselves last year – then it’s something we as a club want to change,” he said. “The only way to do that is to win more games, and not just at home but away, winning tough games in Ireland and Wales.”

He added: “I’m delighted to sign on and never thought of going anywhere else as I feel this club has so much potential. And I’m confident that this season we’ll start to show it.”

Also raises a valid point regarding Piers Francis - whether it was a right decision to sign him or not, I think expectations were fairly unrealistic given he is a young guy with limited top level experience. Let's see what he's like now he's got last season and a full pre-season under his belt.

[George Carlin]

Also a nice piece from Ally Reid in the Herald - nice to get a read on what happened at Northampton in particular. Rings true for me:

Edinburgh's new coach 'will relish challenge'
Thursday 1 August 2013

Big reputations will get little respect from Alan Solomons when the 64-year-old South African arrives to take charge of Edinburgh, according to one of the capital club's former players.

Mark Blair spent two seasons at Edinburgh in the mid-1990s before returning to Ulster, where he was part of the province's Heineken Cup winning team in 1999. It was a couple of years after that triumph that Solomons was recruited to take charge of the Ulster side, and Blair spent three seasons working with him before the coach moved on to a brief, and unsuccessful, stint at Northampton.

"Solly [Solomons] will relish the challenge," said Blair, who now lives near Penicuik but travels all over Britain in his role as Exiles Development Officer for the Irish Rugby Union. "It's pretty obvious from last season's results that he has a big job on his hands, but he won't shirk from anything.

"Knowing him as I do, I think he will relish the challenge of sorting Edinburgh out. He'll be looking at everything, and he won't hesitate to make changes where he thinks they have to be made. He's very exact in what he wants and very meticulous in the way he does things."

While Solomons' record is far from being one of uninterrupted success, the range of his experience – he has worked in a number of countries and at almost every level of the game – will probably be more significant than any individual achievement when it comes to making the root-and-branch reforms that Edinburgh so desperately need.

Only a few weeks ago, SRU chief executive Mark Dodson all but admitted that Edinburgh had become a basket case club, and that the side's Heineken Cup run in season 2011-12 had simply papered over the cracks in its organisation and morale.

"There is a soft core at the centre of Edinburgh," said Dodson, who compared the side to what Glasgow have achieved over the past year.

"There is not that team ethic [that Glasgow have] and they don't seem to be able to bring that level of competitiveness. They have to start again from first principles by building the club from the ground up."

Solomons is an urbane individual with a legal background, but according to Blair the coach can crank up the hairdryer when he has to. "He's a very pleasant guy, no question," said Blair. "But he can also be very abrasive as a coach, very challenging with players.

"He usually gets what he wants. It's funny, but there's something about him that seem to make him punch above his weight. At Ulster, there's no question that we had to adapt to him rather than the other way round. We thought we were pretty professional before he came – we had just won the Heineken Cup after all – but he took things to a new level."

At that time, South Africans had a reputation for being insular, a product of more than two decades of political and sporting isolation. However, Blair recalls Solomons as a worldly and cosmopolitan figure who fitted in quickly to his new surroundings.

"He adapted to the way of life in Ulster quickly," said Blair. "He's moved around a bit, so I don't think anything will phase him.

"He'll certainly be his own man. We had a pretty settled team at Ulster when he arrived, but he made it clear early on that he wasn't concerned with what you had done in the past. Reputations meant nothing to him.

"One thing I do remember was that he was prepared to go outside the squad and give guys from the club game a chance. I suspect he'll bring the same approach at Edinburgh."

Ulster became a tough side to beat, especially at home, during Solomons' time in charge, and it was no surprise that he was headhunted by Northampton after three seasons. However, the formula that had worked at Ulster did not translate to the East Midlands, and Blair thinks he knows why.

"Northampton had a lot of big-name England players at the time," he recalled. "Guys like Paul Grayson and Matt Dawson were there. The feedback I got was that they didn't take kindly to Solly trying to stamp his authority on them. They were pretty stuck in their ways and didn't want this outsider coming in and telling them what to do."

Within a few months, and after eight straight defeats, Solomons had been hounded out of Franklin's Gardens, albeit with a healthy pay-off. "I don't think the money would have mattered all that much to him," said Blair. "It was a battle of wills and he lost, and he wouldn't have been happy with that.

"I don't think you'd get a situation like that arising now. The days of player power are long gone."

It is a message that might just be echoing around the Edinburgh dressing room in the weeks and months ahead.

[RDW]

Thanks GC. I can’t see him having too many problems at Edinburgh if he goes in and stamps his authority – if the players are like anything they are on the pitch I’m sure they’ll bend over backwards and submit!

Some scathing words from Dodson there, but some home truths too. I do think we have gone about it the right way in terms of re-building the club though – bring in a tough Saffer coach who will take no nonsense and will not pamper to the every whim of the ‘superstars’ in the squad (Ford, Visser etc). Stevie Scott has also installed a sense of pride and club loyalty which is very important too.

I’m quietly confident that we’ll be a decent team this year – not great, but decent will do. Enough to give us something to build on for next year, especially with so many young players in the team. Let’s be honest, we can’t be much worse than last year….!

[Weegie Wizard]

I'm interested to see what would be an acceptable level of improvement from Edinburgh this year. With the Warriors it is (I think) agreed on that we want a Pro12 final and HC quarter final. What would be a good season from Edinburgh?

[RDW]

I'm interested to see what would be an acceptable level of improvement from Edinburgh this year. With the Warriors it is (I think) agreed on that we want a Pro12 final and HC quarter final. What would be a good season from Edinburgh?

For me:

Bare minimum

Improved Rabbo league position

Win at least one 1872 game

Win at least one HK game


Reasonable / good season

Top 8 Rabbo

Win the 1872 cup

Win 2 or more HK games


Very good season

Top 6 Rabbo, chance of a playoff push at the end of the season

Win the 1872 cup

Win 3 or more HK games


I'm not going to go any further than that, as it is beyond the realms of possibility just now to consider doing better than that!

[George Carlin]

I'm interested to see what would be an acceptable level of improvement from Edinburgh this year. With the Warriors it is (I think) agreed on that we want a Pro12 final and HC quarter final. What would be a good season from Edinburgh?

For me:

Bare minimum

Improved Rabbo league position

Win at least one 1872 game

Win at least one HK game

Dear boy, your season is going to be Donald Ducked by Boxing Day if that's your criteria. ()

[RDW]

5 months to go and the trash talk has started already! 

[George Carlin]

New Scotland kit being unveiled now - grainy Tw@tpics only but it's nice and traditional, it seems:
 
https://twitter.com/Scotlandteam/status/362891552999239680/photo/1

[RDW]

Tread here on it GC

https://www.606v2.com/t46891-scotland-s-new-kit-grand-reveal-at-noon#2216832

[funnyExiledScot]

I agree with Dodson's assessment that the core of the Edinburgh side has been soft, and he's right to draw the distinction between the work ethics of Edinburgh and Glasgow. That comes down to the difference between having a very good coach like Sean Lineen, and a pair of clowns like Moffatt and Bradley.

Encouraging to hear mention of 2-3 new signings - that's probably about the right number. A blindside and a centre being the essentials. Also delighted to hear that Scott is looking to Francis, Basilia, Atiga, VDW and Nel to contribute far more this season. They weren't really ready last season, and other the Nel, the contributions weren't positive.

Things are immediately looking up at Edinburgh. I personally think this season will be one of transition, and I'm not expecting instant improvement. Solomons needs to bed down the foundations this season, and work out which players he wants and needs, and those who can be shifted on. You can't have passengers these days. If you look at the Glasgow squad, each player serves a purpose. You can't say that about Edinburgh at the moment.

[tigertattie]

If you look at the Glasgow squad, each player serves a purpose. You can't say that about Edinburgh at the moment.

Thats not true! Lee Jones is great at reverse parking the other player's motors!

[funnyExiledScot]

Ok, I meant a purpose other than parking cars, warming up toilet seats and picking up dry cleaning......

[RDW]

I wouldn't trust Lee Jones with my car...he'd contrive to drop it somehow

[funnyExiledScot]

Best former Scotland international to trust with your car......Dan Parks.

Good work fES.

[RDW]

Did you just congratulate yourself on your own joke?

New low.

[funnyExiledScot]

I most certainly did. Damn good joke that.

[Pat_Mustard]

The Dan Parks with the drink driving conviction? Has he got his licence back yet?

[funnyExiledScot]

Who knows. The only time I see him these days is when he returns to Murrayfield to destroy Edinburgh.

[RDW]

To be fair there was no driving involved - he slept in his car drunk cause he couldn't get in his friends house, so a bit harsh really!

[Pat_Mustard]

Ah is that what happened! I was picturing it more like an Andy Powell incident! Did his friends lock him out of a party because every time they asked him to pass a beer he kicked it away?

[allyt2k]

Ah is that what happened! I was picturing it more like an Andy Powell incident! Did his friends lock him out of a party because every time they asked him to pass a beer he kicked it away?

That's a proper Joke and no congratulating himself afterwards.

[GLove39]

Arghhhhhhh, not the news I wanted to here from Glasgow

[/quote] Niko Matawalu has broken the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during pre-season training.

The Fijian has undergone an operation and is expected to be out of action for several weeks.

[/quote]

Get well soon Niko.  

[George Carlin]

Hmm. The Glasgow injury report is not quite as definitive as I would have liked:

A number of players who sustained injuries last season, including Mike Cusack, Finlay Gillies, Dougie Hall, Ruaridh Jackson, Pat MacArthur and Duncan Weir are all recovering well and it’s hoped they’ll be fit for the early part of the new season.

The "early part of the season" is from September to Christmas in real money, isn't it? That's an uncomfortably wide window. I also "hope" that I'll find myself on a desert island with Deepika Padukone but that doesn't mean it's ever actually going to happen.

Chris (Cusiter) is scheduled to return to full training within the next couple of weeks.

Er. "Full training"? Again, does that or does that not leave us with Pyrgos and Price at the start of the season?

[RDW]

As we all know from Rooney and Beckham, a metatarsal isn’t a disaster (and they are big jessies), so I’d expect him to be able to play early on in the season (especially since there is 5 weeks until the season starts).

He should be able to do some running after a few weeks, it’s more contact that’s the issue.

Not ideal though, especially if it sounds like Cusiter is still a little bit away yet.

[EWT Spoons]

Pyrgos and Price at the start of the season?

G. Hart to Glasgow?

[funnyExiledScot]

Can't anyone remember the last time Cusiter was actually fit? I'd assumed he had done a full pre-season thus far, didn't realise he was still injured. There must be question marks over his contract, as he'll be one of the higher earners you'd think.

Question marks over hooker and fly half just looking at that injury list.

[RDW]

Pyrgos and Price at the start of the season?

G. Hart to Glasgow?

Glasgow -

Matawalu
Cusiter
Hart
Pyrgos

Edinburgh -

Laidlaw
Kennedy
Leck

Seems fair.

[funnyExiledScot]

You forgot the mighty Alex Black RDW. The next George Gregan.....

[RDW]

I didn't forget about him, but he didn't play at all last season and when he did the season before he was so unbelievably awful I was kind of hoping he'd given up!

[Weegie Wizard]

Bad news I agree but Pyrgos is semi decent. 5 or 6 weeks of pre season training should be enought to get Cusiter in some shape. He may not be at top fitness but good enough for the first 2 or 3 games. I would like to think Matawalu would be back by the end of September.

Bad but not a disaster. Worst case scenario, I'm sure the Messiah's natural ability stretches to playing 9.

[Dorothy_Mantooth]

Can't anyone remember the last time Cusiter was actually fit? I'd assumed he had done a full pre-season thus far, didn't realise he was still injured. There must be question marks over his contract, as he'll be one of the higher earners you'd think.

Question marks over hooker and fly half just looking at that injury list.

Cusiter is the highest earner and by some distance.

Hart is definitely signing for Edinburgh.

[RDW]

Hart is definitely signing for Edinburgh.

Do you have some insider knowledge we're not privy to, or was my Twitter investigation enough to persuade you??

[Dorothy_Mantooth]

Hart is definitely signing for Edinburgh.

Do you have some insider knowledge we're not privy to, or was my Twitter investigation enough to persuade you??

Heard from a decent source that the deal is done and they are waiting on clearance etc, before announcing it.

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