Glasgow and Edinburgh: Ongoing Banter Thread VI - Banter Boogaloo

[George Carlin]

First topic message reminder :

Prehistorical Patter:

https://www.606v2.com/t48240-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread
https://www.606v2.com/t51313-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-ii
https://www.606v2.com/t53119-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-iii
https://www.606v2.com/t54519-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-iv
https://www.606v2.com/t55409-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-v-the-fun-continues

A. Edinburgh


1. League Results

Fri 5 Sep: Munster Rugby 13 - 14 Edinburgh Rugby

Fri 12 Sep: Edinburgh Rugby 13 - 14 Connacht Rugby

Sun 21 Sep: Ospreys 62 - 13 Edinburgh Rugby

Fri 26 Sep: Edinburgh Rugby 20 - 20 Scarlets

Fri 3 Oct: Ulster Rugby 30 - 0 Edinburgh Rugby

Sat 11 Oct: Edinburgh Rugby 24 - 10 Newport Gwent Dragons

Fri 31 Oct: Leinster Rugby 33 - 8 Edinburgh Rugby

Sun 23 Nov: Edinburgh Rugby 28 - 13 Cardiff Blues

Sat 29 Nov: Zebre 18 - 10 Edinburgh Rugby

Fri 19 Dec: Edinburgh Rugby 48 - 0 Benetton Treviso

Sat 27 Dec: Glasgow Warriors 16 - 6 Edinburgh Rugby

Fri 2 Jan: Edinburgh Rugby - 20 - 8 Glasgow Warriors

Fri 9 Jan: Connacht Rugby 13 - 16 Edinburgh Rugby

2. European Results

17/10/14: Bordeaux-Begles 13 - 15 Edinburgh Rugby

24/10/14: Edinburgh Rugby 25 - 17 Lyon

7/12/14: Edinburgh Rugby 25 - 13 London Welsh

14/12/14: London Welsh 6 - 24 Edinburgh Rugby

17/01/2015: Lyon 21 - 19 Edinburgh Rugby

23/01/2015: Edinburgh Rugby 38 - 20 Bordeaux-Begles

B. Glasgow


1. League Results

Sat 6 Sep: Glasgow Warriors 22 - 20 Leinster Rugby

Sun 14 Sep: Cardiff Blues 12 - 33 Glasgow Warriors

Sat 20 Sep: Newport Gwent Dragons 13 - 33 Glasgow Warriors

Fri 26 Sep: Glasgow Warriors 39 - 21 Connacht Rugby

Sun 5 Oct: Benetton Treviso 23 - 40 Glasgow Warriors

Sat 11 Oct: Ulster Rugby 29 - 9 Glasgow Warriors

Fri 31 Oct: Glasgow Warriors 17 - 9 Benetton Treviso

Fri 21 Nov: Scarlets 19 - 9 Glasgow Warriors

Sun 30 Nov: Glasgow Warriors 19 - 15 Newport Gwent Dragons

Sat 20 Dec: Glasgow Warriors 21 - 18 Munster Rugby

Sat 27 Dec: Glasgow Warriors 16 - 6 Edinburgh Rugby

Fri 2 Jan: Edinburgh Rugby 20 - 8 Glasgow Warriors

Fri 9 Jan: Glasgow Warriors 22 - 7 Scarlets

2. European Results

18/10/14: Glasgow Warriors 37 - 10 Bath Rugby

25/10/14: Montpellier 13 - 15 Glasgow Warriors

7/12/14: Toulouse 19 - 11 Glasgow Warriors

13/12/14: Glasgow Warriors 9 - 12 Toulouse

18/01/2015: Glasgow Warriors 21 - 10 Montpellier

25/01/2015: Bath Rugby 20 - 15 Glasgow Warriors

[MacKnocked-on]

Anyone know much about Jason Hill the Heriots no8 (and club international) who's training with Glasgow,is he a genuine prospect?

[WhiskyBluff]

I think they should have the resources for marquee signings and they are worth investing in i just worry they will try and play it safe and try and pull a few more signings like Strauss out of the bag but end up with some mediocre journey men and then all momentum is lost. I think its critical for the club to keep momentum and make the finals again and make big signings especially after these players have left otherwise they will slip away.

[BigGee]

If Glasgow don't win the Pro12 this year, I think they'll have missed their time. Some big, big signings needed or else Glasgow's rise could just deflate a bit.  

I understand why we are all upset about DTH going, he has been a great player for the club and is our all time leading try scorer. At the end of the day though the answer for us is not about big, big signings!

Galsagow are pretty much a home grown side, something to be very proud of in professional sport. The only signings we have made in recent years that could in any way be described as big were Josh Strauss and Maitland. We were probably very lucky to get Strauss, right place at the right time, with his club going down and Maitland came for his own reasons.

In the great ocean of European rugby, where the real money is, we are always going to be small players and are never going to be able to compete for the truly world class established players, that is just a fact of life, we are also going to be a club that will lose out on players to better offers from elsewhere when they become established. What we can do is takes chances on relative unknowns, as DTH was when he arrived or give players the option of residency and possible international honours. We can also keep developing our own players, something we have actually gotten quite good at and that is a big part of what makes Glasgow an attractive club to support by its local fans.

The team will inevitably experience some ups and downs with changes in personnel and next year, with the challenges of the WC to overcome, may be particularly difficult. I don't see us going into free fall though and we will still be competitive and challenging. Just throwing money at a team does not always guarantee success anyway. Following Glasgow over the last few years has been a journey and watching the team develop has been a joy. Players will come and go, but I hope the philosophy of the club stays true to what it is now.

[funnyExiledScot]

Losing Matawalu, DTH and Maitland in one summer is an awful lot of firepower out the door. I do think Rory Hughes could have a big future, and Tommy Seymour is a good first choice right winger, but wing has now become a signing priority area, along with lock and scrum half.

I think it's a daft call by DTH personally, unless it's driven by money.

Glasgow really needing a big recruitment drive, and I don't think Kieran Low (if true) is really a step in any sort of direction.

[Nematode]

Surely the 20 mill the SRU got for that BT sign on the roof of murrayfield can pay for the odd marquee signing?

[George Carlin]

Yes, something doesn't add up here. Glasgow got players like Maitland because the SRU were keen to front their wages directly and not count this as part of their club's endowment. It is almost impossible to believe that now the debt has been reduced still further they would suddenly reverse this policy, albeit that sometimes even a joint offer won't be enough to keep a player - Matawalu said this outright.

Let's not forget that Glasgow's recently success came through Sean Lineen and then laterally Toonie spotting talent that was unknown or unfashionable and developing it to international quality by putting players in a collegiate environment and making the players encourage each other to become greater than the sum of their respective parts. Some of them were established internationals already (DTH, Stortoni, Niko) but others were not.

With the club having benefitted from this strategy and this success, it seems inexplicable to believe that the SRU believes success will now magically follow automatically without the same hunger and innovation to find and polish rough diamonds. They have simply got to know that recruitment of international quality players is now paramount. I think that this was trap Ulster fell into last season and this. They believed that local talent was enough. It clearly is not. Leinster would not have been the team they were without Hines, Elsom, Nacewa, et al.

I would be very sad indeed if the 'purple patch' of this club was now over, without them actually winning anything. That's just an awful thought that the team's best days are now behind it.

The most worrying thing is that between us on these boards, we have correctly got a sniff of likely signings over the years and have had some sense of who was coming. It's the silence in that regard over the past few months that scares me. Sean Lineen - put down the Speights bitter and get back to talking to Blackadder and the Crusaders' youth teams.

[RDW]

Surely the 20 mill the SRU got for that BT sign on the roof of murrayfield can pay for the odd marquee signing?

I don't think it was a one off lump sum payment, and the money so far seems to have been used to set up these academies and ensure money for the pro teams.

Saying that, Niko, DTH and Maitland will have been on a good salary, so there should be money available just now.

Also worth remembering though that there have been a lot of players re-signing, no doubt on better wages.

[BigGee]

Losing Matawalu, DTH and Maitland in one summer is an awful lot of firepower out the door. I do think Rory Hughes could have a big future, and Tommy Seymour is a good first choice right winger, but wing has now become a signing priority area, along with lock and scrum half.

I think it's a daft call by DTH personally, unless it's driven by money.

Glasgow really needing a big recruitment drive, and I don't think Kieran Low (if true) is really a step in any sort of direction.

He is a professional sportsman at the end of the day, closer to the end of his career than the beginning. This may be his last decent contract. Money is going to have played a massive part in this!

[funnyExiledScot]

That's what I'm saying, it's the only logical reason.

As GC says, hopefully Lineen has a pipeline of decent talent ready and waiting to come in for less money.

[LeinsterFan4life]

Losing Matawalu, DTH and Maitland in one summer is an awful lot of firepower out the door. I do think Rory Hughes could have a big future, and Tommy Seymour is a good first choice right winger, but wing has now become a signing priority area, along with lock and scrum half.

I think it's a daft call by DTH personally, unless it's driven by money.

Glasgow really needing a big recruitment drive, and I don't think Kieran Low (if true) is really a step in any sort of direction.

If you have watched the Fijian 7s team this year, there is a very good rugby player by the name of Jerry Tuwai on the team. Everytime I see him play he reminds me of Matawalu (could be a very similar type of SH imo). He's only on about 6k a year as it is, so he could defiantly be an option for Glasgow.

[WhiskyBluff]

I am in no way advocating a Toulouse/Toulon philosophy for the club but one or two big signings to bolster the physicality of the pack and replace some flair in the backs is i think necessary.

In introducing these signings to the squad you not only add immediately to your 1XV but young players training day in day out with top world class players is the best way to bring them on. Everyone in the squad benefits from an injection of new ideas

[BigGee]

Surely the 20 mill the SRU got for that BT sign on the roof of murrayfield can pay for the odd marquee signing?

I don't think it was a one off lump sum payment, and the money so far seems to have been used to set up these academies and ensure money for the pro teams.

Saying that, Niko, DTH and Maitland will have been on a good salary, so there should be money available just now.

Also worth remembering though that there have been a lot of players re-signing, no doubt on better wages.

I think all of us who have seen what a financial mess Scottish rugby was in a few years ago would want us to maintain some decent financial governance. The long term benefits to Scottish rugby from that money will greatly outweigh any short term fixes by attempting to splash out on a Marquee player, which will be very expensive and have no guarantee of working out. They could do their ACL in the first game or cause ructions with the rest of the squad, who might all then want a pay rise as well.

Both professional sides now have a decent budget to work with and can and do sign and retain good players. Some they have to let go, Visser will be the next I feel. He will want good money, being at a similar career stage to DTH and he may no longer be considered good value. That does not mean that you would not sign him if we had a bottomless pit, but we don't. We also have the responsibility to bring on the next generation of players, who will need game time to develop. We are still in the situation of only having two professional teams and until that changes, not any time soon, we will be in the position of having to let players go.

[funnyExiledScot]

BigGee - you are absolutely right, it ultimately comes down to value. I actually think Visser should leave Edinburgh in the summer. He's scored a bunch of tries for us, but he'll want a hefty long term wedge and I'm certain we can replace him with a better value, younger option.

The Glasgow situation alarms me only because of the number of quality departures. We know that Glasgow tried to keep Niko but that Bath managed to find yet more wiggle room within the salary cap to convince him to leave. Glasgow valued him and it wasn't enough.

I don't know about Maitland, but given that both he and DTH have left for inferior rugby teams (in terms of recent success), I'm a bit more surprised that Glasgow were unwilling to value these guys at a sufficient wage. Particularly given that Maitland has only relatively recently turned up to qualify for Scotland.

Still, let's see what the squad looks like at the start of next season and judge the dealings in the round. We may be pleasantly surprised.

[Nematode]

Looking at the bigger picture, the SRU might be forcing Glasgow to give their budget a bit of a diet in order to maintain the progress at Edinburgh (which is a good move).

Hopefully Edinburgh could move to Meadowbank or a smaller ground.

[RDW]

Hopefully Edinburgh could move to Meadowbank

Without meaning to change the topic drastically, I don't think that would go down well with Edinburgh fans...

[Nematode]

[lostinwales]

It's true.

I walked the West Highland Way again last September. As I sat down to eat my lunch on the old road to Glencoe (on a small hill overlooking Loch Tulla), and having not seen a living soul since leaving the hostel that morning, I couldn't help thinking, "Yes, this is very nice, but what about Clerkenhill Adventure Farm in Haverfordwest? It really is a bit of a 50/50 call."

It should also be noted that Asbo, bless his little white lines, said that the only time he ever felt he had blundered into a football stadium judging by the unfriendly antagonistic bear-baiting atmosphere by mistake was at Dave Parade. He also felt the surrounding area was, architecturally, very post-war Dresden (I paraphrase greatly) andf when you consider the lean to he dwells in that is saying something. So, yes it really is a 50/50 call.

I lived in Wales for around 18 months, quite close to Newport, and I think ASBO has been too kind.

I get into trouble when I say anything about how I feel about this but I lived in Swansea for 7 years. I remember having a conversation with the (English) wife of an (English) colleague, along the lines of 'what do you REALLY thing about living here. She said that they had been living at the same address in Llanelli for 12 years and had never spoken to their neighbours in that time.

[Majestic83]

I would worry slightly that Glasgow/SRU are unable or unwilling to pay big enough wages to compete with teams elsewhere, does this mean the replacements for Maitland, Niko etc are unlikely to be as exciting as the fans would hope? For example would a Robbie Robinson or a Johnny McNicholl be willing to come to Glasgow for lesser wages than they might get elsewhere? Rugby League players may be affordable as may younger SQ prospects like Blake and Te Rure but do Glasgow have the resources for a marquee signing or two?      

The likes of Robbie Robinson and Johnny McNicholl wont be on huge wages in New Zealand. Unless you are an established All Black the wages for rugby players in New Zealand are pretty low scale. That's why so many move across to japan and Europe. A player playing super rugby who hasn't been capped or is long established should be affordable and not overly expensive.
Talking of Robbie Robinson he is still unemployed at the moment and looking for a new team after not being able to get a super rugby contract.

[RDW]

Talking of Robbie Robinson he is still unemployed at the moment and looking for a new team after not being able to get a super rugby contract.

A ringing endorsement!

[Majestic83]

Talking of Robbie Robinson he is still unemployed at the moment and looking for a new team after not being able to get a super rugby contract.

A ringing endorsement!

haha on the face of it he doesn't sound too promising. What set him back on getting a contract was that by the time he had recovered from his hip injury the 5 kiwi teams had pretty much filled all their spots in their squads.
Seems to be fully over his hip injury and certainly was in good form for North Harbour in the ITM cup. Very classy player who's best position is 15 but can easily play in any of the other back line position apart from scrum half. Would be a good signing for either Glasgow or Edinburgh.

[VinceWLB]

There must be some method in the madness here, so we better let it all play out and see. I really can't believe that we could not afford to match what the Scarlet's would have offered, they are not Toulon at the end of the day. I can't help but feeling that the world cup may be playing some part in the recruitment strategy here. Had he stayed he would have missed a large chunk of the beginning of the season as well and we are already going to be losing a massive amount of players to the international teams.

Again, we don't know what thee players point of view is as well. He may just feel he needs a change, or does not like being rotated or perhaps wants to play in the centre and not the wing. We will probably never know the answers to these things and I guess we just have to wish him well for the future. He has been a great servant to the club and owes us nothing at the end of the day. I just hope he like sheep!

What about it was DTH's choice to leave? This wouldn't surprise me after the way he has been treated against Toulouse...

[Nematode]

Toulouse???

[VinceWLB]

Wasn't in the squad for both Toulouse games.

[Nematode]

A player playing super rugby who hasn't been capped or is long established should be affordable and not overly expensive.

In that case I'd like Tim-Nanai Williams, Ihaia West, Robbie Robinson (if the Tories win the GE, he might be free if he's been unemployed for a few months...) and Johnny McNicholl.

[Nematode]

Apparently Nick de Luca is coming back to Edinburgh next season in exchange for Visser.

More news to follow.

[WhiskyBluff]

NDL?!



Poor edinburgh

[MacKnocked-on]

Apparently Nick de Luca is coming back to Edinburgh next season in exchange for Visser.

More news to follow.

Don't tempt fate please

[Nematode]

More news on NDL...








Gullible is still in the dictionary.

[RDW]

In other news, nematode banned from V2 forum for causing mass panic and hysteria.

[Nematode]

More news on NDL...








Gullible is still in the dictionary.

(Didn't actually think anyone would go for that, sorry for any panic)

[Nematode]

It's been a long day in the office...

[George Carlin]

Apparently Nick de Luca is coming back to Edinburgh next season in exchange for Visser.

More news to follow.

Surely you jest.

I think we all know what the teams need. There is a sweet spot, an entire category of player that may be on the reserve list in the Super Rugby franchises or being held away from an international slot by a list of freakishly good and well established players. Josh Strauss is a great example. A Currie Cup winning captain and on any South African rugby fan's list of top 5 players in the professional era who have (for whatever reason) never received a Springbok cap. He will be big success internationally when SQ, I am quite sure.

There are a dozen or so good examples and it should be the business of the SRU to be aware of them. We need a lock? Check out Joe Wheeler, the Maori All Black who has torn it up in the ITM Cup and been a smash hit for the Highlanders. We need a loose forward? The likes of Dewald Potgieter is never going to add to his handful of Springbok caps and could readily be brought to the NH from Japan. We need a scrum half? Nic White is currently behind Genia and Phipps, so why not ask him?

This is not an impossible assignment. It just needs a knowledge of World Rugby and who is value for the money that they want.
It's not rocket salad, Brian.

[Nematode]

Does anyone know if there is a limit to how many foreign players a team can bring in (including SQ SH players that don't have a British passport) legal wise?

In other words, would the government allow Edinburgh rugby/SRU to have a team full of overseas players?

[tigertattie]

Why are Glasgow moaning about a lack of wingers?

They have lee Jones on the books for gooness sake!

Also! Ruggeradge, good effort on the "taking a player in the air" thread! Thats got right up the welshies nose!

[George Carlin]

So Lee Jones stays, DTH leaves.

I think I just need a moment alone.

[funnyExiledScot]

Apparently Nick de Luca is coming back to Edinburgh next season in exchange for Visser.

More news to follow.

Surely you jest.

I think we all know what the teams need. There is a sweet spot, an entire category of player that may be on the reserve list in the Super Rugby franchises or being held away from an international slot by a list of freakishly good and well established players. Josh Strauss is a great example. A Currie Cup winning captain and on any South African rugby fan's list of top 5 players in the professional era who have (for whatever reason) never received a Springbok cap. He will be big success internationally when SQ, I am quite sure.

There are a dozen or so good examples and it should be the business of the SRU to be aware of them. We need a lock? Check out Joe Wheeler, the Maori All Black who has torn it up in the ITM Cup and been a smash hit for the Highlanders. We need a loose forward? The likes of Dewald Potgieter is never going to add to his handful of Springbok caps and could readily be brought to the NH from Japan. We need a scrum half? Nic White is currently behind Genia and Phipps, so why not ask him?

This is not an impossible assignment. It just needs a knowledge of World Rugby and who is value for the money that they want.
It's not rocket salad, Brian.

I quite agree, and I thought this was exactly the remit Sean Lineen had. Get to know other rugby jurisdictions and identify (a) SQ players we didn't know about (in fact Maj has already done this) and (b) NSQ players who fall just below the quality threshold for their own country who wish to walk into another international side, whilst enjoying the second best scenery in the British Isles (after Cardiff City Centre).

[Nematode]

Would it not be the job of an agent too to contact the SRU if the player is SQ?

[tigertattie]

perhaps DTH should have gone to spec savers?

going from this
http://www.frogwell.com/gallery/d/3995-2/Glencoe+village+Loch+Leven+and+Loch+Linnhe

to this
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02007/cardiff-sleep_2007153i.jpg

[BigGee]

I know there has been a few duds along the way, but on reflection you would have to say that our overseas recruiters have done both sides a more than decent job over the past few years.

Strauss, Du Preez, Nell - all likely to play for Scotland. Bresslar as well possibly, further down the line. Burleigh probably not for international honours, but a very good addition.

Niko and Nako, what can you say, even lumbering old Jerry is a pretty decent squad option.

Toolis x2, Hart, Atkins, Holmes and a few others, Dell, Te Rure and Blake for whom the jury still out but certainly have plenty promise.

Everyone seems to have warmed to Mike Conman now as well and Beard is a decent squad player tol.

Yes clearly Strauss and a few others have been a bit wanting, but I would say we are in an overall positive balance, by some distance.

Trust the scouts, they seem to be doing a decent enough job, without breaking the bank!

[George Carlin]

Whilst he is also married, it would be remiss of us not to point out that he is also going from this:


to this:

[funnyExiledScot]

Would it not be the job of an agent too to contact the SRU if the player is SQ?

What, be proactive and engage brain??? You must be joking.

[tigertattie]

Whilst he is also married, it would be remiss of us not to point out that he is also going from this:


to this:

Holy crap that is one scary looking sheep!  Why do welshmen find them so appealing?

I would deffo pick the hot girls over the scary looking sheep! Although I'd probably stand a better chance with the sheep!

[RDW]

GC - if you could find 5 Glaswegian girls that look like that I'll be very surprised!

[funnyExiledScot]

GC - if you could find 5 Glaswegian girls that look like that I'll be very surprised!

Agreed! More likely to find a Glaswegian girl weighing the same as those 5 in aggregate!

[Majestic83]

Does anyone know if there is a limit to how many foreign players a team can bring in (including SQ SH players that don't have a British passport) legal wise?

In other words, would the government allow Edinburgh rugby/SRU to have a team full of overseas players?

If you are from Europe there is no limit of European players in a team, also if you are from a kolpak associated country http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolpak_ruling you can have as many of them in your team. Some of those countries are South AFrica, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga. For New Zealand and Australia I think there is a limit of 2/3 per match you can have. Toulon get round it as quite a few of their kiwis and Australians have been able to claim European passports like Matt Giteau.

[Majestic83]

A player playing super rugby who hasn't been capped or is long established should be affordable and not overly expensive.

In that case I'd like Tim-Nanai Williams, Ihaia West, Robbie Robinson (if the Tories win the GE, he might be free if he's been unemployed for a few months...) and Johnny McNicholl.

Those players I would imagine will be on no more than £30k a year over in New Zealand. The highest paid would be Tim Nanai-Williams who has a few years super rugby experience but the others especially Ihaia West and johnny mcnicholl would probably be on the lower £20s. I know When Robbie Robinson first started playing super rugby he was still working as a builder part time. I know Nathan Harris despite being an all black still works as well when he has the time to earn a bit extra.

[Majestic83]

Apparently Nick de Luca is coming back to Edinburgh next season in exchange for Visser.

More news to follow.

Surely you jest.

I think we all know what the teams need. There is a sweet spot, an entire category of player that may be on the reserve list in the Super Rugby franchises or being held away from an international slot by a list of freakishly good and well established players. Josh Strauss is a great example. A Currie Cup winning captain and on any South African rugby fan's list of top 5 players in the professional era who have (for whatever reason) never received a Springbok cap. He will be big success internationally when SQ, I am quite sure.

There are a dozen or so good examples and it should be the business of the SRU to be aware of them. We need a lock? Check out Joe Wheeler, the Maori All Black who has torn it up in the ITM Cup and been a smash hit for the Highlanders. We need a loose forward? The likes of Dewald Potgieter is never going to add to his handful of Springbok caps and could readily be brought to the NH from Japan. We need a scrum half? Nic White is currently behind Genia and Phipps, so why not ask him?

This is not an impossible assignment. It just needs a knowledge of World Rugby and who is value for the money that they want.
It's not rocket salad, Brian.

I quite agree, and I thought this was exactly the remit Sean Lineen had. Get to know other rugby jurisdictions and identify (a) SQ players we didn't know about (in fact Maj has already done this) and (b) NSQ players who fall just below the quality threshold for their own country who wish to walk into another international side, whilst enjoying the second best scenery in the British Isles (after Cardiff City Centre).

Give me a list of positions and I could go out and find some good fairly cheap players, have to say I am quite a bit fan of super rugby so try and watch a lot of it along with the itm cup. Who needs sean lineen!!

[Majestic83]

Found this list in todays NZ Herald of the All Blacks who have still to renew their contracts past the world cup.
Sam Cane, Wyatt Crockett, Ryan Crotty, Nathan Harris, Jerome Kaino, Steven Luatua, Richie McCaw, Keven Mealamu, Ma'a Nonu, Charles Piutau, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuipulotu, Julian Savea, Colin Slade, Tony Woodcock, Victor Vito

If Edinburgh/Glasgow were able to get any who would the choices be.
At Edinburgh I would take Steve Luatua and for Glasgow I would go for Charles Piutau.

[funnyExiledScot]

Well we would certainly turn down Kaino, Retallick, Nonu and Savea at Edinburgh, based on what we like to call the "Maitland" principle. If something looks to good to be true, it probably is, and if you have Lee Jones in your squad, then you can't possibly need another winger.

Could Savea do a job in replacing Visser? Probably, although it just wouldn't be quite the same.

[Nematode]

It's sad that some of these players will probably join the likes of Bath/Saracens/France for 3 years and then just head back to NZ for RWC 2019.

I don't blame them though - you don't know how long you'll have to play rugby so if there's seriously better money elsewhere I think we'd all move...

It's like the Armitage case - would it really make much difference if he'd just come for one season then left for Toulon the next?

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