HK Round 5 - Edinburgh V Perpignan

First topic message reminder :

Heineken Cup round 5

Murrayfield stadium
Saturday 11th January
KO 18:00
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Mark Patton (Ireland), Richard Kerr (Ireland)
Television match official: Marshall Kilgore (Ireland)
TV - SS2 Red button

Group standings:

Munster 14
Gloucester 9
Edinburgh 8
Perpignan 7

Edinburgh team

15 Jack Cuthbert

14 Dougie Fife

13 Nick De Luca

12 Ben Atiga

11 Tom Brown

10 Greig Tonks

9 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN



1 Alasdair Dickinson

2 Ross Ford

3 Willem Nel

4 Grant Gilchrist

5 Izak van der Westhuizen

6 Cornell Du Preez

7 Roddy Grant

8 David Denton



Substitutes

16 Aleki Lutui

17 Wicus Blaauw

18 Geoff Cross

19 Ollie Atkins

20 Tomas Leonardi

21 Grayson Hart

22 Carl Bezuidenhout

23 Matt Scott

Perpignan team

[TBC]

All to play for in group 6, with Munster the likely group winners the remaining 3 teams all stand a chance of getting the 2nd place spot, and entry into the Amlin.  Out of all the teams, Edinburgh are probably the only ones that would welcome that just now! If Edinburgh were to manage 2nd place it really would be a remarkable achievement.  The fact that we still stand a chance of 2nd place makes it even more frustrating that we completely failed to turn up at home to a struggling Gloucester team - if we'd won that we'd be fighting it out for top spot just now.

As to the game itself, Edinburgh actually played quite well away to Perpignan, scoring a couple of decent tries, but were undone in the 2nd half by some woeful open field defence. That aspect of our game has improved beyond recognition since then so hopefully their dangerous strike runners can be nullified.  The usual cliché can applied as to whether they will turn up or not, and I hope from an Edinburgh point of view they turn up typically French!

Yeah fair play to bezzy - comes off the bench and assists in 2 tries!

Du Preez literally ran over poor Haughton for his try!

Last scrum is maybe an indication why Cross isn't geting much gametime :/

According to Radio Scotland, Matt Scott failed a late fitness test so he was replaced.

Absolutely fantastic win for Edinburgh! I managed to get a Canal+ stream, and with my très-ropey franglish I gather that they were very impressed with the backs, and Tonks in particular.

The wins today for Edinburgh and Glasgow were so important, not just for progression to the Amlin (apparently still possible for both, but Edinburgh are surely more likely), but because it provides a major dose of momentum. We saw last year with Glasgow that when teams have a strong squad (and we now have to include Edinburgh in that class) and a bit of confidence, they can really surge ahead in February-March. On this form, I would quietly say that two Scottish teams in the play-offs is now a real possibility. Can you imagine an Edinburgh-Glasgow semi or final? That would be MENTAL.

Well done cousins!!

Good wins for both teams, especially with clown shoes reffing the glasgow game and fitzgibbon with this one. Feared the worst when I saw who the officials were.

Fitzgibbon was incredibly harsh against us in the first half, then in the 2nd half everything went our way!

Scott Hastings said we have a slim chance of qualifying for the amlin - I think our chances are pretty good! The only way Gloucester will beat us is if they win away in perpignan and we lose. Given that the most likely situation is we both lose, there's a very good chance we'll qualify!

RDW don't forget that its the 3rd, 4th and 5th placed second teams that go to the Amlin. As the groups stand even an lbp means we could be that 6th placed unlucky team. So we really need the win at Thomond to have a realistic shot at the Amlin.

Ah didn't realise that - thought you just had to come 2nd.

Right - time to win at Thomond then, how hard can that be??

Well done the MFL. Now do it at Thomond.

teams currently sitting 2nd in the HCup.
Pool 1 Northampton 13 points
Pool 2 Blues            13 points
Pool 3 Saracens       15 points
Pool 4 Quins            12 points
Pool 5 Leicester       20 points
Pool 6 Edinburgh     12 points

Leicester are through to the HCup knockouts. With Saracens looking the most likely to join them. So its going to be a battle between Northampton, the Blues, Quins, Connacht & possibly Saracens & us for those 3 Amlin spots...

Good effort from Edinbokke, and excellent result for the MFL - an Amlin qf would be a great return given where the side was at the start of the season - credit to Old Man Solomons

I'm not too fussed about Amlin. What matters is that we're going forward and making progress every game. If we can now focus on the Pro 12 and try and get a top 6 placing that would be great.

Nice to see the backs firing better. Tom Brown looked really sharp. I wonder how this will reflect in SJ's squad.

Nematode wrote:I'm not too fussed about Amlin. What matters is that we're going forward and making progress every game. If we can now focus on the Pro 12 and try and get a top 6 placing that would be great.

Nice to see the backs firing better. Tom Brown looked really sharp. I wonder how this will reflect in SJ's squad.

Tom Brown is looking sharp, and I love the way he throws himself into contact with little regard for his wellbeing. Can’t see him getting near a Scotland training squad though – we’re fairly well stocked on the wings.

I know what you’re saying about not being interested in the Amlin, but I think it would be great for the team to make it to the quarter finals. It would be such a confidence boost for the team and it won’t add that many more games to the season.

Think it would be great for the fans too – would help build interest and crowd numbers. I was disappointed there was just over 5k in the crowd on Saturday, looked a lot more than that from where I was sitting.

I’ve said it before, but if only we decided to turn up at home to Gloucester – how different this final game would be!

Cornell surely is going to be the Edinburgh player of the year!

I just hope it doesnt get the SA union looking at him and they leave him be so can play for us through residency!

Cornell/Beattie/Rennie

Now thats a backrow!

Note: Cornell would qualify for Scotland after the next WC where I would se Kelly Brown (6) posisbly retiring (if we get out the group)

Du Preez has been outstanding, and worth remembering he is only 23!

I follow him on Twitter and he seems to be a real honest, motivated, hard working pro as well. He keeps posting motivational messages and Tweets saying things like “It’s Monday! Time to grind” – he seems to enjoy gym work and training for some reason.

It is still early days but if he keeps this up he will easily become one of the top players in the league.

Du Preez has been a superb signing - exactly what we needed. As a blindside he is a great allrounder. Loves carrying the ball, tackles like a demon and competes well for the ball in the rucks. He and Grant both being in form has also really helped Dave Denton, who is freed up more now to carry the ball.

I thought Denton's carrying against Perpignan was excellent. He was relentless in giving us momentum and front foot ball.

Du Preez is top tackler in the Heineken cup so far with 71 in 5 games - average 14 a game - beast!

Du Preez is a cracking player, a much better signing than the injury prone Strauss.

He should never have passed the ball to Cuthbert, he would have run over that Glasgow player in the 1872 cup though!

Du Preez currently the top tackler of the HC with 71!

whocares wrote:Du Preez currently the top tackler of the HC with 71!

Take it you missed me saying that two posts up?   

If anyone hasn't found it, sky rugby website has the highlights of both the Edinburgh and Glasgow games.

RDW_Scotland wrote:

whocares wrote:Du Preez currently the top tackler of the HC with 71!

Take it you missed me saying that two posts up?   

  
Was meant to be posted an hour before lunch but forgot to press confirm after posting! Sorry...

Nematode wrote:If anyone hasn't found it, sky rugby website has the highlights of both the Edinburgh and Glasgow games.

Just tweeted (polite) abuse to ERC because they still don't have Edinburgh highlights up on their website, despite having highlights up from yesterdays games!

funnyExiledScot wrote:Du Preez has been a superb signing - exactly what we needed. As a blindside he is a great allrounder. Loves carrying the ball, tackles like a demon and competes well for the ball in the rucks. He and Grant both being in form has also really helped Dave Denton, who is freed up more now to carry the ball.

I thought Denton's carrying against Perpignan was excellent. He was relentless in giving us momentum and front foot ball.

Sounds like I'm not the only one developing a bit of a man crush on the fire breathing monster that is Du Preez!

Very short highlights here

http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/9113692/edinburgh-v-perpignan-highlights

I still giggle at Seymour's attempt at tackling Cornell using his face.

SPARKO!!!!!!!!!!!

  

Kennedy & Hidalgo Clyde sign for Edinburgh

I see that they're still worried about Murrayfield's surface and are considering alternative venues for the Ospreys game next.

Nematode - when will your lads pull their heads in? More garlic?

George Carlin wrote:I see that they're still worried about Murrayfield's surface and are considering alternative venues for the Ospreys game next.

Nematode - when will your lads pull their heads in? More garlic?

We got a bid from Worsceter but they're getting relegated innit so we don't want to go there. Seriously though we're happy here with all the Biltong we're getting so why'd we not want to go without a fight?

George Carlin wrote:I see that they're still worried about Murrayfield's surface and are considering alternative venues for the Ospreys game next.

Nematode - when will your lads pull their heads in? More garlic?

Where did you see that?

I think the wee beasties are all gone but the issue is that its been pouring with rain for a month and the grass hasnt had the sunlight to grow new roots!

You could say that murrayfield is a bit like ASBO!

Needs its roots done!

Just saw the article on the website – must be really concerned if they are looking to move games away. I suspect the main concern will be how it looks in the 6N – I think the O’s game is the week before the France game so there won’t be long for the pitch to recover.

There’s no game on it now for another 4 weeks so hopefully it can get sorted for the England game.

Tell you what, I bet they move it to Netherdale! Ticks all the boxes, other than the fact it is feckin miles away and a nightmare to get to on a Friday night...

SORRY!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Tell you what, I bet they move it to Netherdale! Ticks all the boxes, other than the fact it is feckin miles away and a nightmare to get to on a Friday night...

Sounds about right. Don't worry though, there'll be a free bus leaving at 3:30pm from Murrayfield, so we should be able to get there easily assuming none of us have a job (would be less of an issue in Glasgow.....).

! ! !  On YouTube, "RugbyVK" has uploaded the Edinburgh vs Perpignan game. Just search RugbyVK in youtube.    ! ! !

Full game? I'll be watching that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqBXKuPGLOI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Here. Does Cornell like a bevvy? Imagine if we got him smashed enough for him to see Michelle McManus through beer goggles. Imagine the offspring that could produce!!! They'd need to call the bairn Godzilla

Just watched the game - the defense really was incredible. So so frustrating that we didn't manage to push on fir the bp try though - we really had them bent over backwards after 60 mins and should have pushed on.

Still, a very good performance!

Also I was pleased to here Scott Hastings and Matt Perry (who I thought was very good) agreeing with my view on Cuthbert's late tackle penalty - a horrendous call from the touch judge.

Can't see how anyone could think that was a late tackle. Crazy from the touch judge.