Glasgow and Edinburgh: Ongoing Banter Thread III

[George Carlin]

First topic message reminder :

Historical Banter:

https://www.606v2.com/t48240-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread
https://www.606v2.com/t51313-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-ii
 
A. Edinburgh
 
1. Pre-season
 
Fri 30 Aug 2013, 19:45
Edinburgh Rugby 15 - 5 Newcastle Falcons
 
Fri 23 Aug 2013, 19:30
Northampton Saints 24 - 6 Edinburgh Rugby
 
2. 2013/2014 Season - Played
 
Sat 7 Sep, 19:15
Munster Rugby 34 - 23 Edinburgh Rugby
 
Fri 13 Sep, 19:45
Edinburgh Rugby 16 - 13 Newport Gwent Dragons
 
Sat 21 Sep, 18:30
Ospreys 44 - 10 Edinburgh Rugby
 
Fri 27 Sep, 19:45
Edinburgh Rugby 9 - 22 Scarlets
 
Sun 6 Oct, 14:05
Cardiff Blues 29 - 12 Edinburgh Rugby
 
Fri 25 Oct, 19:45
Edinburgh Rugby 20 - 13 Benetton Treviso
 
Fri 1 Nov 19:45
Edinburgh Rugby 25 - 23 Zebre
 
Fri 22 Nov 19:05
Ulster Rugby 41 - 17 Edinburgh Rugby
 
Fri 29 Nov 19:45
Edinburgh Rugby 43 - 10 Connacht
 
Fri 20 Dec 19:35
Edinburgh Rugby 11 - 6 Leinster
 
Thu 26 Dec 15:05
Edinburgh Rugby 16 - 20 Glasgow Warriors
 
Wed 1 Jan 18:05
Glasgow Warriors P - P Edinburgh Rugby
 
Sat 15 Feb 17:00
Connacht Rugby 11 - 7 Edinburgh Rugby
 
Sat 22 Feb 14:30
Scarlets 25 - 21 Edinburgh Rugby
 
Fri 28 Feb 19:35
Edinburgh Rugby 31 - 25 Ospreys
 
Fri 21 Mar 19:45
Edinburgh Rugby 3 - 9 Ulster Rugby
 
Sat 29 Mar 19:00
Benetton Treviso 20 - 16 Edinburgh Rugby
 
Thu 3 Apr 18:30
Newport Gwent Dragons 19 - 23 Edinburgh Rugby
 
Fri 11 Apr 19:45
Edinburgh Rugby 22 - 29 Cardiff Blues
 
Sat 19 Apr 15:30
Zebre 26 - 13 Edinburgh Rugby
 
Sat 26 Apr 19:05
Glasgow Warriors 37 - 34 Edinburgh Rugby
 
3. 2013/2014 Season - Final Games
 
Sat 3 May 17:00
Edinburgh Rugby v Munster Rugby
Meggetland
BBCALBA/TG4
 
Sat 10 May 18:30
Leinster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby
Royal Dublin Society
 
B. Glasgow
 
1. Pre-season
 
Sat 31 Aug 2013, 15:00
Exeter Chiefs 26 - 29 Glasgow Warriors
 
2. 2013/2014 Season
 
Fri 6 Sep, 19:35
Glasgow Warriors 22 - 15 Cardiff Blues
 
Fri 13 Sep, 19:05
Ulster Rugby 12 - 13 Glasgow Warriors
 
Fri 20 Sep, 19:35
Glasgow Warriors 12 - 6 Leinster Rugby
 
Fri 27 Sep, 19:30
Zebre 17 - 24 Glasgow Warriors
 
Sat 5 Oct, 18:30
Scarlets 12 - 17 Glasgow Warriors
 
Fri 25 Oct, 19:35
Glasgow Warriors 6 - 13 Munster Rugby
 
Sat 2 Nov, 17:00
Connacht Rugby 12 - 19 Glasgow Warriors
 
Fri 22 Nov, 19:35
Glasgow Warriors 8 - 23 Newport Gwent Dragons
 
Fri 29 Nov, 19:05
Ospreys 16 - 28 Glasgow Warriors
 
Fri 20 Dec, 19:35
Glasgow Warriors P - P Benetton Treviso
 
Thu 26 Dec 15:05
Edinburgh Rugby 16 - 20 Glasgow Warriors
 
Wed 1 Jan 18:05
Glasgow Warriors P - P Edinburgh Rugby
 
Sun 9 Feb 14:00
Glasgow Warriors 8 - 6 Connacht Rugby
 
Sat 15 Feb 18:30
Cardiff Blues 20 - 27 Glasgow Warriors
 
Sun 23 Feb 14:30
Newport Gwent Dragons 24 - 23 Glasgow Warriors
 
Sat 1 Mar 20:30
Leinster Rugby 28 - 25 Glasgow Warriors
 
Sat 22 Mar 18:30
Glasgow Warriors 14 - 6 Scarlets
 
Fri 28 Mar 19:35
Glasgow Warriors 11 - 9 Ospreys
 
Fri 4 Apr 19:35
Glasgow Warriors 29 - 10 Benetton Treviso
 
Sat 12 Apr 18:30
Munster Rugby 5 - 22 Glasgow Warriors
 
Fri 18 Apr 19:35
Glasgow Warriors 27 - 9 Ulster Rugby
 
Sat 26 Apr 19:05
Glasgow Warriors 37 - 34 Edinburgh Rugby
 
3. 2013/2014 Season - Final Games
 
Fri 2 May 20:00
Benetton Treviso v Glasgow Warriors
Stadio Monigo
Mediast/ALBA
 
Sat 10 May 18:30
Glasgow Warriors v Zebre
Scotstoun Stadium
 
[16/17/18 May
PO Semi Final
[tbc] v [tbc]
Venue TBA]
 
[Sat 31 May
PO Final
[tbc] v [tbc]
Venue TBA]
 
***
 
Any and all patter about these teams is welcome.
 
Any jingoism, sledging or graceless kicking of anyone whilst they are up or down will see posts deleted.
 
Be gracious and be constructive.

[RuggerRadge2611]

Agree completely Vince - although Chris Fusaro is a great wee 7 battler and grubber a rounder too !!!!

He is a Fifer though....

[RDW]

Was reading this morning that Stevie Scott was sent to South Africa to spend a week with the Bulls learning from the likes of Matfield and their coaches.

It is great for a young Scottish coach to get this kind of opportunity, but am concerned that we're trying to do everything the South African way.

There's a lot we can take from them of course, but we're Scottish, not South African, with a different type of player and different strengths and weaknesses.

[demosthenes]

Was reading this morning that Stevie Scott was sent to South Africa to spend a week with the Bulls learning from the likes of Matfield and their coaches.

It is great for a young Scottish coach to get this kind of opportunity, but am concerned that we're trying to do everything the South African way.

There's a lot we can take from them of course, but we're Scottish, not South African, with a different type of player and different strengths and weaknesses.

Well for years we seemed to want to become New Zealanders, so its nothing new in terms of trying to pick up on different styles of play, so long as we adapt them to our players strengths and weaknesses; and not the other way round.

[tigertattie]

Its worth going but I hope it doesnt mean that we just copy the SA handbook.

Maybe its all new age hippy type managerial nonsense, but what I've seen from Scotland over the last few years is coaches come in, pick a bunch of guys and then try to get them playing the style of rugby the coach thinks works best.

Should it not be the other way round? Should the coach not come in, see who the best players are at his disposal and then come up with a game style and tactics to suit the strengths of the team?

[Guest]

Its worth going but I hope it doesnt mean that we just copy the SA handbook.

Maybe its all new age hippy type managerial nonsense, but what I've seen from Scotland over the last few years is coaches come in, pick a bunch of guys and then try to get them playing the style of rugby the coach thinks works best.

Should it not be the other way round? Should the coach not come in, see who the best players are at his disposal and then come up with a game style and tactics to suit the strengths of the team?

Whereas I'd say that's what a genuinely good coach would do, it's not the reality of 90% (?) of coaches even at this level. Like some actors; great at playing particular roles but you never see them doing anything else.

Personally I think somebody needs to come in and get Scotland playing like Edinburgh's HK SF pedigree. Although nailbiting I think *that* is Scotland's best style of play over the past 5 years. Robinson with Parks at 10 was quite close to this, actually, and we had some very good games with them - even if we didn't have the psychology to close them out.

[funnyExiledScot]

Perhaps Scott is simply going down there to see what a functioning lineout actually looks like. It he can figure that out, then it'll be a prosperous trip.

Re: style of play I think there are various aspects to this. Different coaches have different prefences for approach to set piece and defence, and what I think Scotland needs to do better is adapt to the circumstances of the particular match in hand. We are painfully slow at changing approach during a game, and tend to blindly follow what has been prescribed (see the endless box kicking) rather than reacting to what works and what doesn't.

I appreciate that comes from a team maturing together, which SJ has ensured hasn't happened, but that's where I'd like the team to improve.

[tigertattie]

I don't like it when teams go in to matches playing tactics that are designed to negate the opposition.  You should go into matches playing the style that best suits you.

I fully understand developing defensive systems based on differnet teams. Blitzing them or using a drift etc. However, your own style of play with ball in hand should be the system that works best for you.

Imagine if a coach said "right, we are playing Can't Catch FP. Their back three are terrible under the high ball. Their wingers are only 5ft tall. Our tactics are to kick high to them at every oppertunity" However, your team are urine poor at kicking and your wingers are big (but powerful) and slow but have great hands.

Wouldyou kick high to your opponents weakness or stay true to your own style of getting the ball wide and have your wingers run over theirs?

[R!skysports]

I don't like it when teams go in to matches playing tactics that are designed to negate the opposition.  You should go into matches playing the style that best suits you.

I fully understand developing defensive systems based on differnet teams. Blitzing them or using a drift etc. However, your own style of play with ball in hand should be the system that works best for you.

Imagine if a coach said "right, we are playing Can't Catch FP. Their back three are terrible under the high ball. Their wingers are only 5ft tall. Our tactics are to kick high to them at every oppertunity" However, your team are urine poor at kicking and your wingers are big (but powerful) and slow but have great hands.

Wouldyou kick high to your opponents weakness or stay true to your own style of getting the ball wide and have your wingers run over theirs?

Kick   

[tigertattie]

I don't like it when teams go in to matches playing tactics that are designed to negate the opposition.  You should go into matches playing the style that best suits you.

I fully understand developing defensive systems based on differnet teams. Blitzing them or using a drift etc. However, your own style of play with ball in hand should be the system that works best for you.

Imagine if a coach said "right, we are playing Can't Catch FP. Their back three are terrible under the high ball. Their wingers are only 5ft tall. Our tactics are to kick high to them at every oppertunity" However, your team are urine poor at kicking and your wingers are big (but powerful) and slow but have great hands.

Wouldyou kick high to your opponents weakness or stay true to your own style of getting the ball wide and have your wingers run over theirs?

Kick   

 

[RDW]

Glasgow fans - does anyone have a clue what toonie sees his best 23 as?

And is it a bad thing if he doesn't have a clue?

There's so much competition in that squad, especially back row and centre.

[21st Century Schizoid Man]

RD,

it has taken the last 6 weeks to get our Internationals back from the 6 Ns to forget the ludicrous nonsense coached into them by Johnson and his team of incompetent erseholes at M'field. That and why was John Welsh not there ? Johnny Gray, Bob Harley Mark Bennett. Laidlaw over Cusiter - don't make me laugh - Laidlaw couldn't lace Cusiter boots. It just highlights how shockingly bad the Scottish coaching set up is. Lets hope Cotter sacks every one of the useless tw88s !

Here goes with our best 23

Hogg ( but I can't see him dropping Peter Murchie as he has been excellent)
Maitland - awesome rugby player - Scottish player of the season
Seymour - gets better and better
Bennett -   
Horne - Hornee furra Linneee - showed what we have been missing
Russell - last night shows what a player he is and can get better (21 year old)
Cusiter - the best scrum half in Scotland by a very long way - destroyed Murray last week
Wilson
Strauss
Fusaro - Holmes closing fast
Swinson
Gray
Welsh
Hall
Grant ( although how do you drop Gordy Reid - The Shrekster?)

Reid/ Grant, MacArthur, Big Naka, Harley, Vernon , Dunbar, Mad McMata, Murchie/Hogg

Way too difficult - but what a problem if all good to go !   

[VinceWLB]

Gordy Reid keeps to impress me, his scrummaging has improved and his pick and go are a joy to watch..

Hogg, Carlin Isles, Slamont, Dunbar, DTH VDM, Weir/Jackson, thats a whole back line that wasn't on show yesterday and it isn't too shabby!

For what it's worth i thought Glasgow missed Dunbar's direct running yesterday so i think he would make my best 23, close call between Seymour and DTH VDM but i think our favourite Canadian just about edge it   

John Welsh is easily the best TH and with Moray Low and Dr Geoff in the same squad, it makes Johnson looks like a fool   

[BigGee]

It shows how far Glasgow have come and what depth they have now that DTH would by no means walk back into the side at the moment, nor will Lamont when he gets back from injury and Isles is not really in the reckoning yet!

I think we will see him at least once this season though, probably coming on as a sub against Zebre, hopefully with the game in the bag, or maybe if we need the 4th try. Lets give him 10 mins to see what he can do!

[VinceWLB]

DTH can beat any defender and this is imo very very important, if he can get back to his best form, he starts for me!
But yes Seymour in this form would be hard to drop, dito Murchie.

Isles coming on in the last quarter of a game is indeed a very exciting prospect   

[RDW]

I think Hogg should come back in. I'd say Murchie is like Cuthbert - secure, consistent, but not a game changer and.No where near the same league as Hogg

[BigGee]

I am sure we will see Hoggy again before the end of the season provided his injury heals up. It must be killing him sitting these games out, just hope that he is not to revved up when he does make it back!

Still we are very lucky to be able to field such a solid player as Murchie in his absence. He has not let us down one iota!

[21st Century Schizoid Man]

Imagine a revved up Hogg, Mad McMata and Isles coming on to administer the coup de gras to the MFLs next Saturday. What a mouth watering prospect !         

[GLove39]

Beaten 26-13 by the worst team in the league. Defence as soft as a rabbits ear and a lineout as poor as the Democratic republic of Congo.

My prediction for next weeks match at Scotstoun...

[George Carlin]

Toonie's best 23 if nobody is injured and assuming reasonable form for everyone is:

01 Grant
02 Hall
03 Welsh
04 Gray
05 Swinson
06 Strauss
07 Fusaro
08 Wilson

09 Cusiter
10 Jackson (I presume after one game that I am not allowed to select Russell)
11 DTH
12 Dunbar
13 Bennett
14 Maitland
15 Hogg

16 MacArthur
17 Jerry
18 Cross
19 Nakarawa
20 Harley
21 Matawalu
22 Russell
23 Horne

But look at the players you would have to leave out of that 23 - Cusack, Reid, Ryder, Holmes, Eddie, Murchie, Lamont, Isles, Weir and Seymour - almost all of whom have been excellent at crucial points of the season.

That's mad, Ted.

[123456789]

My best team (I'm going to include Russell because he's offered probably more moments when he has looked a top class fly-half than the other two combined already) would be:

1. Grant
2. Hall
3. Welsh
4. Gray
5. Nakarawa
6. Harley
7. Fusaro
8. Strauss
9. Cusiter
10. Russell
11. VDM
12. Dunbar
13. Bennett
14. Maitland
15. Hogg

However that leaves us with another team which could potentially rumble most other teams in the league:

Reid, MacArthur, Cusack, Swinson, Kellock, Eddie, Holmes, Wilson, Matawalu, Weir, Lamont, Horne, Vernon, Seymour, Murchie

And after that you have: Cross, Low, Kalman, YanuYanutawa, Ryder, Pyrgos, Jackson, Isles, Jones and McGuigan plus a whole load of players aged 18-22 who look pretty promising

[BigGee]

That just goes to show you need a squad to win the league. Edinburgh have tried to play the whole season with 23 players and look where it has got them!

[George Carlin]

Edinburgh were abject tonight and the players looked like they wanted to be put out of their misery. A fair enough season in the circumstances and exactly what Solomons suggested it would be - some good performances, brain-melting inconsistency in form and a lack of game plan caused by the constant shifting in squad members. I think the comment above that he potentially had forgotten how competitive this league was is probably true.

But next year will be different. Solomons knows what he has to do and he now has a platform to make a team in his own image. The squad size will be shaved by 20-50% in the summer. Solomons will know which guys he plans to build the team around and where he needs supporting players of quality, he will get them from South Africa if they are not available in Scotland.

We can all have a stab at guessing what he will do too. Edinburgh have a lot of mediocre players, some good ones (Ford, Denton, Brown, Hart, Fife, Tonks) but very, very few excellent ones of the kind that you can build the spine of a genuinely competitive team around. I would (taking my life in my hands) suggest that only Du Preez, Scott, Visser and possibly Nel are in that category. That leaves a lot of scouting and team building to do over the summer.

But I have a lot of faith in Solomons. I remember when Ulster was no great shakes as a team and he turned them into granite.

I also think that it is excellent players like Laidlaw have gone south - I am much more interested in seeing Hart develop than another 20 games with the same slow Laidlaw box kick.

[BigGee]

GC is right, this was never going to be a one season project and there is no realistic option other than to persist with it for at least another year. To build them up into a really competitive team will take even longer than that.

Long journeys start with small steps though and some have been taken this year, it is easy to forget but Edinburgh were even worst last year. Despite looking like they have badly run out of gas just now, they have at times this year looked competitive and some of the players; Du Preez, Hart, S H-C, Scott, Tonks and Cuthbert look like they have what it takes for club and potentially for country.

There is patently no depth of players though and the ones that have played have been flogged to death and it shows. Players clearly need some rotation throughout a long season to keep them fresh. Toonie was derided for chopping and changing earlier on, but on this one, and many others he has been right as you can see by the way the Warriors are chomping at the bit while teams around them are wilting!

You have got to have a squad to be able to rotate though and although there are many players on Edinburgh's books it is clear that a lot of them are not up to it and are no longer considered part of the squad. A lot of these players needed to go, some of them hopefully will improve their games elsewhere, others need to think about new careers.

It will be a different looking Edinburgh team next year, they won't be world beaters but they will hopefully be more consistent and will be harder to beat than they have been recently. If they can first acheive that then moving onwards, anything is possible.

I still think that they will manage one last decent game next week as well. I don't beleive it will be 50 points Glasgow or anything like it. I will be happy with a Glasgow win, delighted with a four try bonus point and anything else will just be a bonus!

[RDW]

I derided toonies random number selection generator but it does seem to have paid off.

I do think he took it a bit too far at the start of the season though - he rotated his front and back row every week!

[jimbopip]

I derided toonies random number selection generator but it does seem to have paid off.

I do think he took it a bit too far at the start of the season though - he rotated his front and back row every week!

Nay, nay and thrice nay. The Toonmeister is a genius and we will brook no criticism of him. The Muppetometer is at an all time low, 0.001% since you ask and we all believe brothers and sisters we believe. Until Saturday night, ask me again about eight p.m.  

[RDW]

Let's not forget Glasgow had a poor HK campaign - including two losses to the blues - so perhaps not settling on his strongest team early enough worked against him in that regard?

[21st Century Schizoid Man]

Jimbo, maybe nearer 9 pm - ko is 7.05 pm  :good luck: We surely don't need that as:

WE ARE GLASGOW - WE FEAR NO-ONE

[George Carlin]

I derided toonies random number selection generator but it does seem to have paid off.

I do think he took it a bit too far at the start of the season though - he rotated his front and back row every week!

Nay, nay and thrice nay. The Toonmeister is a genius and we will brook no criticism of him. The Muppetometer is at an all time low, 0.001% since you ask and we all believe brothers and sisters we believe. Until Saturday night, ask me again about eight p.m.  

Hmm. Two individuals never seen in the same room:


Someone competent?


Someone incompetent?

[George Carlin]

On a related note, I am concerned that this is what FES and Maj will look like in 35 years time:


Or perhaps in just 5 years time if Edinburgh's results don't improve.

[tigertattie]

What's the only thing that's worse than being a Scotland fan?

Being an Edinburgh and Scotland fan!!!

However

It is still mathematically possible for us to win the 1872 cup

[RDW]

The Scotsman is claiming Anton Bresler has signed for Edinburgh - the Sharks lock that was discussed on here a while back.

If his shoulder operation won't lead to a recurring problem, this is an excellent signing and is the calibre of player we really should be aiming to sign - I.e. at least 20 super rugby appearances as a minimum.

[BigGee]

Daily Mail reporting that Jacko is off to Wasps as well. That will be a good move for him and could revitalise him. He is a good player who has never really fulfilled his potential at Glasgow.

[RDW]

That would be a very good move for him. Who are the other Wasp 10s and is he likely to get much gametime?

[George Carlin]

That would be a very good move for him.  Who are the other Wasp 10s and is he likely to get much gametime?

Everyone's favourite balding warrior Andy Goode is their current incumbent but I just checked and he's 34 now.

Good move for him - Wasps have a lot going for them and a very good set up.

[RDW]

Of course - Andy 'comb over' Goode!

Well I hope Wasps have another goal kicker in their squad. Goode is a very good, consistent kicker.

Jackson is not.

[BigGee]

Hopefully that puts to bed the Jackson to Edinburgh school of thought, which I never did think was a good idea anyway. It still does leave them short of a FH though and they really need one.

Bezzy has not really looked like he is the man during the last two games, I would be surprised if he stays. I still think the smart money has got to be on Heathcote, who seems to have been completely frozen out at Bath for now, not even benching and they have just given Henson another year. That all suggests that he is leaving and surely he would have been in the frame for the Wasps spot if he did not have anything else lined up.

Solly did imply that The FH spots were covered for next year when asked about the wisdom of binning off Leonard, Hunter and Francis. I would like to see Tonks and Heathcote vying for the start and maybe give Alex Blair one more chance to make the grade. He looked like a very good player in the Melrose 7's and if he can only stay fit, could yet make the grade.

[RDW]

Anyone know much about Murray Douglas, the Heriots 2nd row and cup winning captain that has been talked up in the press recently?

He looked a good athletic player in the Melrose 7s, but not convinced he's big enough for pro rugby (even with gym work).

[Majestic83]

Anyone know much about Murray Douglas, the Heriots 2nd row and cup winning captain that has been talked up in the press recently?

He looked a good athletic player in the Melrose 7s, but not convinced he's big enough for pro rugby (even with gym work).

This is his first season at Heriots, was at Aberdeen Grammar before that. A very athletic player but a good size as well. Think he is about 6"5 and just over 17st. Plays 2nd row or blindside.
Was brought into the Edinburgh squad a couple seasons ago when there was injuries. Was on the bench for a couple of rabo games but can't remember if he got on or not.

[Totalflanker]

Tom English sticking the boot into Solomons a couple of days back.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/27102716

A bit harsh, but interesting that his record is pretty much the same as Bradley's.

[Majestic83]

Tom English sticking the boot into Solomons a couple of days back.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/27102716

A bit harsh, but interesting that his record is pretty much the same as Bradley's.

I'd actually agree with pretty much most of that article. I wasn't a fan of solomons coming to Edinburgh and my opinion of him certainly hasn't changed any at all. Lots of excuses coming from him at the moment blaming other people for the teams recent failings.
Glasgow are heads and shoulders above Edinburgh and will be for the foreseeable future. Glasgow have a good squad, a good club atmosphere and a strong structure to them. Edinburgh have none of that at the moment and see no sign of it changing any time soon.
From being a season ticket holder for Edinburgh a few years back I have really lost interest in them and so have a lot of mates and show more interest in Glasgow now!

[BigGee]

Tom English sticking the boot into Solomons a couple of days back.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/27102716

A bit harsh, but interesting that his record is pretty much the same as Bradley's.

There is a big difference. Bradley inherited a half decent team albeit one that had probably peaked and was going into decline. He did not recognise that and recruited badly and to late to make any difference. They could really have pushed on from that HC semi final season but did not and they then nose dived into the abyss.

Solomans is in the opposite position of having to take a broken team and build it up again. That was never going to happen in a year and on balance he has probably had as good a season as could be hoped for, with certainly enough high spots to give some encouragement for the future. The recruitment is still not right, but he had little hope of signing any decent players at the time when he came in and was left with a lot of deadwood from the previous regime. If he can manage the squad better and balance up the 'Scottishness' of the team a bit more then he can still make a success of things. He needs at least another year to really see if he can make a difference.

[RDW]

Anyone know much about Murray Douglas, the Heriots 2nd row and cup winning captain that has been talked up in the press recently?

He looked a good athletic player in the Melrose 7s, but not convinced he's big enough for pro rugby (even with gym work).

This is his first season at Heriots, was at Aberdeen Grammar before that. A very athletic player but a good size as well. Think he is about 6"5 and just over 17st. Plays 2nd row or blindside.
Was brought into the Edinburgh squad a couple seasons ago when there was injuries. Was on the bench for a couple of rabo games but can't remember if he got on or not.

Sounds similar to Richie 'the specimen' McIvor.

We're going to be a bit light in the 2nd row with VDV, Cox, PJP and possibly McAlpine leaving, so I'd like at least one up and coming Scottish player in there. McAlpine has never really convinced, so maybe this guy is worth a 1 year contract to see how he gets on.

Saying that his partner has just got a job in Australia and the chat is he is likely to be heading off there.

[BigGee]

With Gilchrist, Atkins, Bresslaw and the Toolis twins Edinburgh are probably not that badly off in the second row. I imagine they would probably like one more though, probably as an EDP. Did any of the U20's look like they might make the grade?

[Totalflanker]

Yup and to be fair, certainly feel a lot more confident watching a Solomons team than a Bradley team. But there are a few oddities, which don't add up and gives fuel to the Tom English argument.

- conditioning. OK not where it should be but by the same token players need rested and rotated.

- Non rotation could be argued on the basis of inheriting folks he doesn't fancy, but Berghan for 1 is Solomons man and Nel must be feeling it by now.

[RDW]

With Gilchrist, Atkins, Bresslaw and the Toolis twins Edinburgh are probably not that badly off in the second row. I imagine they would probably like one more though, probably as an EDP. Did any of the U20's look like they might make the grade?

Not really, and I think we're needing a step above an under 20s player - i.e. a Scottish club player in early to mid 20s who looks like they can make a step up.

The Zebre loss showed that the Toolies brothers (who are EDP) and still too young and raw to be relied upon.  That only really leaves Gilchrist, Atkins and Bresler. Given that Glasgow can call upon Gray, Swinson, Kellock, Ryder and the big Fijian we're some way short of quality there.

[GLove39]

Big boost for Edinburgh ahead of Saturdays game, everyone's favourite Lion, Ross Ford has added 2 years in to his contract...   

[Weegie Wizard]

I really can't understand the extent of the negativity about Edinburgh.

At the start of the season the goal should have been to challenge for the top 6 and have a decent showing in the Heino.

Given that conditioning and lack of depth have been obvious probems (and not really Solomons doing) it is understandable that the league challenge has dropped off over the last month or so. Remember that in the last 4 games or so you have coughed up points against the Italians and Cardiff that you would expect to beat. This is what should be expected if your team isn't fit enough or can't rotate as much as Glasgow or others.

With recruitment, you have a few guys who haven't made a good enough impact but which Prem 1 players would have been better? It is all fine saying you should be recruiting young Scottish players but who exactly?

The process Solomons has started will take 3 or 4 seasons until there is a successfull team full of Scots with a few imports, similar to what we see at Glasgow. Edinburgh fans (and all Scotland fans) need to be much much more patient if we want both teams to be challenging, rather than giving a coach 1 or 2 years and then punting him if there is no immediate success.

[RDW]

Big boost for Edinburgh ahead of Saturdays game, everyone's favourite Lion, Ross Ford has added 2 years in to his contract...   

Old news Glove - that was weeks ago! They just mentioned it in passing for his 30th birthday.

I'm sure the ongoing banter thread part 2 has plenty discussion on him re-signing...

[GLove39]

  

Ohhh well. Good news like that is worth mentioning twice!

[RDW]

With recruitment, you have a few guys who haven't made a good enough impact but which Prem 1 players would have been better? It is all fine saying you should be recruiting young Scottish players but who exactly?

To be fair I think most Edinburgh fans on here are more than aware of that and take it into account when assessing the foreign players he has brought in.

The Edinburgh Facebook brigade on the other hand cannot see this fact.

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