HC, Pool 6, Round 4 Gloucester V Edinburgh

Gloucester V Edinburgh
Sunday 15th December 2013, KO 15:00

Live on Sky Sports (red button and extra - online skygo apparently)

Kingsholm Gloucester

Referee: TBC

Head to Head:

3 Played 3
0 Wins 3
6 Losses 0
0 Draws 0
7 Tries 12
5 Conversions 8
1 Penalties 4
0 Drop Goals 1
48 Points 92

I might be heading through for this one - show my MFL brethren some moral support, what what?

I'll press my lavender jumper and my tweeds specially, and I'll make sure that Carson polishes my riding boots.

'Mon Edinburgh, you shower of... erm... pleasant people.

IanBru wrote:I might be heading through for this one - show my MFL brethren some moral support, what what?

I'll press my lavender jumper and my tweeds specially, and I'll make sure that Carson polishes my riding boots.

'Mon Edinburgh, you shower of... erm... pleasant people.

You'd do that yourself?? Times must be tough in your neck of the woods.

Seriously though - delighted to have you with us, we're going to need all the support we can get. The idea of Jonny May facing Jack Cuthbert is a worry, and I reckon Billy Twelvetrees is probably a better player than Ben Atiga....probably....

Edinburgh should really feel that they can take this one at home.
 
The Cherries have just come off the back of defeats to Leicester, Quins and Wasps in the league and Munster in the HC. That said, if they can show the properly mental intensity which gripped them against Perpignan, then we might be in the poopie somewhat. I haven't see too much evidence of that kind of consistency from them this season, mind you. They look a lesser aside away from home.
 
The key is denying their backs ball, of course. Something that is substantially more likely now that a classy and well balanced backrow like 6. Du Preez 7. Rennie and 8. Dozer has presented itself. I wouldn't be too afraid of this.
 
Grandpappy will fancy that his boys can take it. Laidlaw must be kicking in the 90% range this season.

IanBru wrote:I might be heading through for this one - show my MFL brethren some moral support, what what?

I'll press my lavender jumper and my tweeds specially, and I'll make sure that Carson polishes my riding boots.

'Mon Edinburgh, you shower of... erm... pleasant people.

Ian, the correct way to greet our MFL brethren is surely, "Holla , you pampered Jades of the east..."
This will produce umbrage and inferiority in equal measure as it lets them know;
(a) you know they are MFL and hence pampered
(b) you've read Marlow.. which will leave them feeling unworthy in your presence
(c) you recognise you are making a Faustian pact by setting foot in Brotheltown and they must look after your very soul (this will require copious amounts of alcohol)
Another good idea would be to spend the train journey through repeating, "Aye you were really unlucky there. The ref did you no favours at all. Is that a castle? Will there be a tram soon?"
I'm sure you'll have a great time. 

I’m in the massively uncomfortable situation of having some form of confidence and expectation for this one. Unbelievably we are the form side coming into this game! Gloucester have struggled a bit this year, but remain a top team who on their day would have more than enough to beat us. We also need to consider the fact that people are saying we actually stand a chance in this game – Scotland teams regularly fail to deliver when in this situation.

As I raised on the Glasgow thread, we seem to have a settled XV which I think is a good thing. Most of the players will have played a number of games this year and will surely be up to speed with Solomons; tactics and gameplan – no more ‘we’re still in pre season’ excuses.

Suspect there won’t be many surprises in the team, with the 2nd rows being the only area of choice really:

1 Dickinson
2 Lutui (Ford if fit)
3 Nel
$ Gilchrist
5 VDV
6 Du Preez  
7 Rennie
8 Denton

9 Laidlaw
10 Leonard
11 Cuthbert
12 Atiga
13 De Luca
14 Fife
15 Tonks

If we play like we did against Munster we’ll get the win I think. Anything less than that and we’re likely to struggle.

Glaws have the weakest front 5 of pretty much any AP team at the moment and confidence seems fairly low in the pack - get on top in the set piece and at the breakdown, and the MFLs can take this one

PS Can't believe that you hae Cuthbert and Attiga in your starting XV, but then I remember that MacVisser and Scott are both injured; but give Glaws ball and their backline could run riot

To be fair to Atiga he’s not been too bad this year, and I’d go as far to say in some games he could be classed as being ‘good’! He clearly just wasn’t fit last year and he’s taken a while to get up to speed.

Cuthbert on the other hand….  

A fit and on form Nikki Walker would be a preferable option, but as he is currently neither it has to be Cuthbert.

That's a bloody great backrow!

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:That's a bloody great backrow!

That backrow versus Harley, Fusaro, Strauss would be worth the 1872 entrance fee alone.

Rennie back is a huge boost, made 23 tackles missed none in the 56 minutes he was on the field against Connaught! Best openside in Scotland when fit.

Shame this game isn't on TV.

A bit gutted this won't be on the telly.

Although Edinburgh seem to be playing pretty well at the moment. Get on top of the Glaws forwards early on and I reckon we can do them.

Gloucester team from their games last week

Rob Cook; Shane Monahan, Henry Trinder, Billy Twelvetrees, Jonny May; Freddie Burns, Dan Robson; Nick Wood, Darren Dawidiuk, Shaun Knight; Lua Lokotui, James Hudson; Tom Savage (capt), Matt Kvesic, Ben Morgan

Some decent backs in there but not terrified by that team. Not sure how many players were rested last week though.

Is Shaun knight the prop we took on loan a year or two ago?

RDW_Scotland wrote:

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:That's a bloody great backrow!

That backrow versus Harley, Fusaro, Strauss would be worth the 1872 entrance fee alone.

Absolutely!

Great that Rennie is back now....if he can stay injury free over the next couple of months and get plenty game time under his belt, the 6N could be looking up for us!

funnyExiledScot wrote:

IanBru wrote:I might be heading through for this one - show my MFL brethren some moral support, what what?

I'll press my lavender jumper and my tweeds specially, and I'll make sure that Carson polishes my riding boots.

'Mon Edinburgh, you shower of... erm... pleasant people.

You'd do that yourself?? Times must be tough in your neck of the woods.

Seriously though - delighted to have you with us, we're going to need all the support we can get. The idea of Jonny May facing Jack Cuthbert is a worry, and I reckon Billy Twelvetrees is probably a better player than Ben Atiga....probably....

Well, old Carson's hands are getting rather arthritic from all those years carrying pheasant back from my shoots in Glasgow Green.

I've got my ticket, but some advice is needed - I understand that the ticket is 'roving' so it's best to be there early to get my spot among the great and the good of Roseburn. Still, how early are we talking? Will the centre sections be bedecked with hundreds of responsible citizens who haven't even witnessed the inside of a police interview room? Honestly, spoon in mouth, your lot. I bet you haven't even threatened a man with a Stanley knife for cutting in the line...

...at John Lewis.

Without sounding too gushy, it's fantastic that Edinburgh have managed to put a really solid XV together in the space of two months. Atiga and Cuthbert aside (and they're placeholders, at best), everyone in the squad has a clearly-defined role to play, and they've begun doing that, basically, in the last month. Take Dougie Fife, for example - we always knew he had potential, but I was terrified that his development would be stunted by being in a toxic team environment that was devoid of hope. How wrong I was! He's the real deal, at least at pro level, and on this form he'll deserve his shot on Scotland's 2014 'Tour of the Americas'.

Edinburgh and Glasgow are going to have to weather the storm of centre injuries. For the Gloucester match, I'd actually be tempted to shift DeLuca in to 12 and keep it tighter than a nun's nethers for 80 minutes. Gloucester will be frustrated as hell and probably cough up penalties as they get desperate for some ball.

jimbopip wrote:Ian, the correct way to greet our MFL brethren is surely, "Holla , you pampered Jades of the east..."
This will produce umbrage and inferiority in equal measure as it lets them know;
(a) you know they are MFL and hence pampered
(b) you've read Marlow.. which will leave them feeling unworthy in your presence
(c) you recognise you are making a Faustian pact by setting foot in Brotheltown and they must look after your very soul (this will require copious amounts of alcohol)
   Another good idea would be to spend the train journey through repeating, "Aye you were really unlucky there. The ref did you no favours at all. Is that a castle?  Will there be a tram soon?"
I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Jimbo, I'm ashamed to say that my Marlow is a bit shaky, but I remember some Milton that seems rather appropriate to this fair forum, as though addressed to Bennett himself, something along the lines of "But here, in this wild enclosure , these beasts among, beholders rude and shallow to discern half what in thee is fair, who sees thee?"

I'm going to be slightly more optimistic with my lines - I'll be most generous with my praise:

"Crikey, that [centre/flanker/stand-off] really has some skill. What's that? He's uncapped? Well he must surely qualify for Scotland by the World Cup? No? Oh... right.

Say, didn't Mike Blair have a brother? No, not that one, the other one."

RDW_Scotland wrote:That backrow versus Harley, Fusaro, Strauss would be worth the 1872 entrance fee alone.

Hell yes - the 1872 backrow battle will be up there among the great match-ups of history - Wellington v Napoleon, Spruance v Yamamoto, Boyzone v Backstreet Boys. I could go on and on.

(Hint: only a small part of me considers this to be hyperbole)

RDW_Scotland wrote:Gloucester team from their games last week

Rob Cook; Shane Monahan, Henry Trinder, Billy Twelvetrees, Jonny May; Freddie Burns, Dan Robson; Nick Wood, Darren Dawidiuk, Shaun Knight; Lua Lokotui, James Hudson; Tom Savage (capt), Matt Kvesic, Ben Morgan

Some decent backs in there but not terrified by that team. Not sure how many players were rested last week though.

Is Shaun knight the prop we took on loan a year or two ago?

I think Gloucester have only won two games in the AP, and the one against Saints was a travesty. Doesn't seem to be playing THAT bad but just seem to fall apart a bit.

Shaun Knight is about 22/3 I think. In the U20 with Marler. He was/is dual registered with Moseley but not sure about anywhere else.

Jeezo, we're quoting poetry now!

Ianbru - the east stand for the Munster game was quite busy early on but that was mainly the travelling support. Can't see there being as many Gloucester fans.

Half an hour before ko should be enough time I think.

Quick check online - yes, same Shaun Knight.

Whoops, forgot my bit of poetry:

'We are the champions, my friends. We'll keep on fighting 'til the end.'

Just made that up - think I've got a talent for these things.

HammerofThunor wrote:Quick check online - yes, same Shaun Knight.

Thought so. We took him on loan when our only options at tighthead were Geoff Cross - Scotland international and jack gilding - worst prop in human existence

Holla, you pampered jades of the east! Don't knock Mr Bru's poetry. Apt quotation can prove a great comfort at moments of emotional distress. Many atime I have come home to find Mrs Pip sitting amid shredded betting slips quietly crooning "Long shot kick de bucket".
Ian, I hope you haven't been shooting on Glasgow Green: the correct form is to bring the pheasants down in flight using only an empty Lanliq bottle. (a skill passed down from father to waster over the generations)
For what it's worth I think an MFL win is on the cards this weekend. Although Twelvetrees v De Luca could be a mismatch. 

Takes a couple of weegies to put the 'interest' into an MFL thread

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

Takes a couple of weegies to put the 'interest' into an MFL thread

Don't mock them ASBO, they employ people to be witty for them but since the sad demise of Chic Murray it's been Slim Pickens for them. The last good joke to issue from Edinburgh was "Roddy Grant for Scotland" Roddy Frame would be more plausible.

Ah yes I praise the gods every day in thanks that us Edinburgh fans have you Glasgow lot to come on our threads and enrich us with your rapier wit, humour and hilarious observations. We're mere Neanderthals by comparison! I bet Billy Connolly is glad none of you lot pursued a career in comedy.

Who would have thought the subject matter of Edinburgh being a bunch of jessies could be used over and over abd over again and still be hilarious every time!

 

Anyone fancy a club slogan competition?:

"Edinburgh: The team for people with proper wicker picnic baskets"

"Glasgow: They don't always win. But you'll be so p!ssed, you won't even notice".

George Carlin wrote:Anyone fancy a club slogan competition?:

"Edinburgh: The team for people with proper wicker picnic baskets"

"Glasgow: They don't always win. But you'll be so p!ssed, you won't even notice".

  

Bad Comedy aside, talk of moving NDL to 12 is loco. It's been tried and failed. For all Atiga's limitations he is a proper 12. Edinburgh seem to be clicking a bit now, lets not go rocking the boat while we seem to be performing.

I must admit I don't know a great deal about Glaws ATM, from what I have read their pack might be easily rattled.

“Glasgow – where everyone’s a comedian”

“Edinburgh – where Lee Jones is apparently a better winger than Maitland, despite the fact that Maitland was a top performer with the Crusaders, one of the team club teams in the world, and was close to an All Blacks call up.”

That last one has a certain catchyness to it I think.

Team has been announced - exactly as I predicted!

1 Dickinson
2 Ford
3 Nel
4 Gilchrist
5 VDV
6 Du Preez
7 Rennie
8 Denton

9 Laidlaw
10 Leonard
11 Cuthbert
12 Atiga
13 De Luca
14 Fife
15 Tonks

Good pack, backs are meh.

Edinburgh Rugby team to play Gloucester in the Heineken Cup at Murrayfield Stadium this Sunday (kick-off 1pm)

15 Greig Tonks

14 Dougie Fife

13 Nick De Luca

12 Ben Atiga

11 Jack Cuthbert

10 Harry Leonard

9 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN



1 Alasdair Dickinson

2 Ross Ford

3 WP Nel

4 Grant Gilchrist

5 Izak van der Westhuizen

6 Cornell Du Preez

7 Ross Rennie

8 David Denton



Substitutes

16 Aleki Lutui

17 Wicus Blaauw

18 Geoff Cross

19 Ollie Atkins

20 Roddy Grant

21 Grayson Hart

22 Joaquin Dominguez

23 Tom Brown

Good to see Tom Brown's name listed there - has he been injured?

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Good to see Tom Brown's name listed there - has he been injured?

Yes.

Surely Brown is a better option that Cuthbert on the wing?
About 5 yards quicker for a start.

Nice to see Hart on the bench - let's hope he gets some game time.

Strong Cherries team (Savage out injured):
 
Rob Cook; Martyn Thomas, Henry Trinder, Billy Twelvetrees (capt), Jonny May; Freddie Burns, Jimmy Cowan; Yann Thomas, Darren Dawidiuk, Shaun Knight; Elliott Stooke, James Hudson; Sione Kalamafoni, Matt Kvesic, Ben Morgan

Replacements:

Huia Edmonds, Dan Murphy, Rupert Harden, Tom Hicks, Matt Cox, Dan Robson, Mike Tindall, Steph Reynolds

Tom Brown is a better option, but he's barely played all season.

Cuthbert doesn't do much wrong, he just offers very little!

It's so nice having a recognised 1st XV rather than the constant chopping and changing which Bradley and Moffatt went for.

Glaws have some excellent and exciting backs, but we are becoming a tougher side to breakdown with pack unrecognisable from the nonsense last season. Our backs are nowhere near as dangerous as theirs, and it's a huge shame our two best outside backs in Scott and Visser are injured, but Glaws are on poor form and if we can get ahead early doors we can win this. Laidlaw will miss nothing.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Laidlaw will miss nothing.

You've gone and jinxed it now!  

George Carlin wrote:Anyone fancy a club slogan competition?:

"Edinburgh: The team for people with proper wicker picnic baskets"

"Glasgow: They don't always win. But you'll be so p!ssed, you won't even notice".

George, Glasgow seem to be well served by the city's motto, "Nemo me impune lacessit" which translates as "No-one strikes me with impunity" or in Big Al speak "Try it and see whit ye get, pal"
Of course the MFL could always have, "Pretentious? Moi?"

There’s a guy at my work who lives in Glasgow and hasn’t been to Edinburgh in 17 years – he’s set in his opinion that everyone in Edinburgh is a posh, boring, jessie despite having not been there in a long time..

You’re not a civil engineer are you jimbo?

If I worked beside you, RDW, you would know all about it. Besides having lived in Edinburgh and frequented Wester Hailes and Niddrie after dark I know a stereotype when I perpetuate one.
But; MFL ye are and MFL ye shall remain so get used to it.

jimbopip wrote:If I worked beside you, RDW, you would know all about it. Besides having lived in Edinburgh and frequented Wester Hailes and Niddrie after dark I know a stereotype when I perpetuate one.
But; MFL ye are and MFL ye shall remain so get used to it.

Why would you do such a thing??  

There's no logic to the extremes rampant hormones will drive us to.
Shakespeare, "So, love makes fools of us all"
Neil Young, "Welfare mothers make better lovers"
is my only defence m'lud.

Jeez, there's lusting for for girls and there's lusting for Niddrie girls - fair play to you!

I suppose you are able to make jokes about Edinburgh then if you've experienced the many Poopie that also exist in Edinburgh!  

Dam swear filter!

jimbopip wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Anyone fancy a club slogan competition?:

"Edinburgh: The team for people with proper wicker picnic baskets"

"Glasgow: They don't always win. But you'll be so p!ssed, you won't even notice".

George, Glasgow seem to be well served by the city's motto, "Nemo me impune lacessit"  which translates as "No-one strikes me with impunity"  or in Big Al speak "Try it and see whit ye get, pal"
Of course the MFL could always have, "Pretentious? Moi?"

This is a Heineken Cup weekend, so we'll take no nonsense from the great unwashed!

I thought the Big Al translation of "Nemo me impune lacessit" was "Rucks are not for me thank you very much".

jimbopip wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Anyone fancy a club slogan competition?:

"Edinburgh: The team for people with proper wicker picnic baskets"

"Glasgow: They don't always win. But you'll be so p!ssed, you won't even notice".

George, Glasgow seem to be well served by the city's motto, "Nemo me impune lacessit"  which translates as "No-one strikes me with impunity"  or in Big Al speak "Try it and see whit ye get, pal"
Of course the MFL could always have, "Pretentious? Moi?"

I always thought Glasgow's motto was 'Let Glasgow flourish' from the St Mungo quote. It's on the coat of arms with the bird, tree and the Buckie bottle, or something like that.

"Nemo me impune lacessit" is more closely associated with various royal coats of arms, a number of Scottish regiments and Edinburgh rugby.

JS - you're just being picky now. If they want to borrow some slogans and mottos from us, just to give them some credibility, let them do it.

Jimbo's been furiously looking up poetry quotes and little titbits all week. Wikipedia can't always be right....

justified sinner wrote:

jimbopip wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Anyone fancy a club slogan competition?:

"Edinburgh: The team for people with proper wicker picnic baskets"

"Glasgow: They don't always win. But you'll be so p!ssed, you won't even notice".

George, Glasgow seem to be well served by the city's motto, "Nemo me impune lacessit"  which translates as "No-one strikes me with impunity"  or in Big Al speak "Try it and see whit ye get, pal"
Of course the MFL could always have, "Pretentious? Moi?"

I always thought Glasgow's motto was 'Let Glasgow flourish' from the St Mungo quote. It's on the coat of arms with the bird, tree and the Buckie bottle, or something like that.

"Nemo me impune lacessit" is more closely associated with various royal coats of arms, a number of Scottish regiments and Edinburgh rugby.

If it was associated with MFL rugby, would 'nemo...' not translate as 'never let me get my shorts dirty' or similar?

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

justified sinner wrote:

jimbopip wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Anyone fancy a club slogan competition?:

"Edinburgh: The team for people with proper wicker picnic baskets"

"Glasgow: They don't always win. But you'll be so p!ssed, you won't even notice".

George, Glasgow seem to be well served by the city's motto, "Nemo me impune lacessit"  which translates as "No-one strikes me with impunity"  or in Big Al speak "Try it and see whit ye get, pal"
Of course the MFL could always have, "Pretentious? Moi?"

I always thought Glasgow's motto was 'Let Glasgow flourish' from the St Mungo quote. It's on the coat of arms with the bird, tree and the Buckie bottle, or something like that.

"Nemo me impune lacessit" is more closely associated with various royal coats of arms, a number of Scottish regiments and Edinburgh rugby.

If it was associated with MFL rugby, would 'nemo...' not translate as 'never let me get my shorts dirty' or similar?

Brilliant.