Edinburgh V Bordeaux-Begles

by **RDW** Wed 21 Jan 2015, 1:57 pm

First topic message reminder :

Edinburgh V Bordeaux-Begles

Friday 23rd January 2015, KO 19:45
BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Live on Sky Sports Yahoo

Referee Ian Davies (Wales)
Touch Judge 1 Wayne Davies (Wales)
Touch Judge 2 Jon Hardy (Wales)
Fourth Official Graeme Marshall (Scotland)
TMO Derek Bevan (Wales)
Citing Commissioner Gordon Black (Ireland)

Official Blurb

Just one point separates Edinburgh and Bordeaux-Begles at the top of Pool 4 as they prepare for a crucial showdown on Friday night.

Edinburgh lead the way with 17 points despite their defeat away in Lyon in round five, with Bordeaux a point behind on 16.

The Scots will be favourites to progress as pool winners having won their last three games at home in the competition and they boast an impressive record of not having lost at Murrayfield in the Challenge Cup since 1997.

But despite their tag as favourites for the pool, Edinburgh assistant coach Steve Scott says they will be looking to keep it tight against the French club.

Scott said: "We do not want an open game against them because that is what they will want and they will come here to play that way.

"If we have a chance to kick for touch then we must find it because Bordeaux can attack from anywhere. They will try and take quick lineout throws and they will play a high tempo game.

"We have to continue the good work that our scrum put in against Lyon while we did well at stopping their maul and we will need to do the same against Bordeaux. We have standards in those areas and we have to maintain them and build on them to get a victory."

Edinburgh head coach Alan Solomons said his players were physically and mentally drained after their defeat in Lyon but his assistant Scott believes they will be able to lift themselves for Friday's all-important clash.

"The boys were off on Monday and they will have Wednesday off too, so they will be raring to go come Friday night," he said.

"We are starting to get our big players back though and some of the younger guys have come in and done really well. We can make changes when required, but at the moment this team is still building and we need a settled side."

My blurb

Edinburgh 17 points
UBB 16 points
Lyon 14 points

Edinburgh looked like they were going to canter through this group, but a failure to get a single try bonus point so far (including against London Welsh) and a tired loss to Lyon has put the pressure back on. A win of any kind will see Edinburgh top the group. A loss could see them being knocked out, as Lyon will probably give London Welsh a good pumping.

The main concern at this stage is player fatigue, as the same squad has essentially played together since the first 1872 games, and a lot of key players have played 80 minutes in most of those games. Hopefully this shouldn't be an issue given the break coming up, and the fact that it is a home game without any travel. Solomons says the players will be well rested this week, so hopefully they can put in one final push.

We should win this one, but UBB are tough opposition so it could depend on how interested they are in this game.

Teams

Edinburgh

15 Nick McLENNAN
14 Dougie FIFE
13 Matt SCOTT
12 Phil BURLEIGH
11 Tim VISSER
10 Greig TONKS
9 Sam HIDALGO-CLYNE

1 Alasdair DICKINSON
2 Ross FORD
3 WP NEL
4 Anton BRESLER
5 Ben TOOLIS
6 Mike COMAN (Captain)
7 Hamish WATSON
8 David DENTON

Substitutes
16 Neil COCHRANE
17 Rory SUTHERLAND
18 John ANDRESS
19 Fraser McKENZIE
20 Roddy GRANT
21 Sean KENNEDY
22 Jade TE RURE
23 Andries STRAUSS

[b]UBB
Edinburgh V Bordeaux-Begles - Page 2 Elodie10

Edinburgh V Bordeaux-Begles - Page 2 Elodie10

15 Baptiste Serin (capt)
14 Lévi Aumua
13 Charles Brousse
12 Thibault Lacroix
11 Paulin Riva
10 Lionel Beauxis
9 Heini Adams

1 Jefferson Poirot
2 Benat Auzqui
3 Francisco Gomez Kodela
4 Julien Le Devedec
5 Jan Andre Marais
6 Bertrand Guiry
7 Hugh Chalmers
8 Tai Tuifua

16 Ole Avei
17 Sébastien Taofifenua
18 Patrick Toetu
19 Jean-Baptiste Poux
20 Matthew Graham
21 Yann Lesgourgues
22 Pierre Bernard
23 Matthew Clarkin

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:04 pm

'you might be dominant but you're the one that hit the deck

Eh??

by teh_Dingmeister Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:05 pm

Denton please practice your passing...

by GLove39 Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:06 pm

I know as much about scrums as Denton knows about passing... totally don't get the refs call there?

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:07 pm

Scrum dominance is only useful if you do something with it!

by GLove39 Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:09 pm

Wish I was at the game

daily mail hack wrote:There are 30 Bordeaux fans huddled in empty stand at M/field (counted them) singing a club song to the tune of Yellow Submarine

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:10 pm

Can't help but think we're making a mess of this so far.

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:14 pm

Sammy looking incredibly sharp tonight!

by teh_Dingmeister Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:14 pm

decent hands and awareness by Denton there, poor missed tackle by Ford on the 6

by GLove39 Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:15 pm

Finally!

by teh_Dingmeister Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:15 pm

my stream's probably a couple minutes behind. Well worked try though for Sam H-C.

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:16 pm

That's done H=C's international prospects no harm, a very good try

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:17 pm

Fife is doing well too - great kick chase

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:18 pm

Subbing a prop at 30mins is never good!

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:18 pm

Didn't do any good either!

by teh_Dingmeister Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:19 pm

Bordeaux living off scraps but look dangerous on the counter. Edinburgh just need to avoid cockups and they should have this easily

by whocares Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:19 pm

Our scrum still stinks though. YC coming next :/

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:20 pm

Good kick, he is developing into a half decent kicker

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:21 pm

Has Jim Hamilton been giving bresler tips on giving away stupid penalties?

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:23 pm

This would be some kick...

by teh_Dingmeister Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:25 pm

Sam H-C is well on the way to becoming Grieg 2.0. Just not as good looking as wee Grieg

by **George Carlin** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:26 pm

Scrum dominant, Tonks kicking the arse off the ball, defence good, midfield looking interested.

Good half.

by **George Carlin** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:30 pm

Has the Irish commentator has a few sharpeners before going to work this evening?

by GLove39 Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:31 pm

Edinburgh's passing, so rushed, so panicked. Painful to watch.

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:32 pm

Edinburgh well on top in terms of territory and possession, only slightly on the board though. They left some points out there, I hope it does not come back to haunt them, Good half though, just need to keep it up and win!

by Manky-Flanker Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:34 pm

Good half by Edinburgh - surprised they have not kicked for the corner more, given how well their pack is doing against the opposition.

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:36 pm

Solid enough, but nby enough points given our dominance

by **George Carlin** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:45 pm

Half time - Separated At Birth No. 47:

Edinburgh V Bordeaux-Begles - Page 2 Denton10

Edinburgh V Bordeaux-Begles - Page 2 Coward10

A Cowardly Lion Mr David Denton

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:47 pm

Good turnover by Denton

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:47 pm

Keep it ticking over, good stuff

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:48 pm

Right, time to go for some tries!

by GLove39 Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:49 pm

Deary dear McLennan

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:51 pm

This will be an absolute farce if Dickinson gets binned...

by **George Carlin** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:53 pm

Almost a tackle from Visser, there.

Fife has kicked well tonight.

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:54 pm

Completely off his feet there, but never mind!

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:56 pm

and there is the chink!

by GLove39 Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:57 pm

What a run by Dickinson!!!

by **George Carlin** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:58 pm

Has to be a try.

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 8:59 pm

Looked like he was on the ground there when playing it, but I'll take the try!

30 mins - surely time for a bp!

by **George Carlin** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:02 pm

Oops.

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:02 pm

Well that's not helped things!

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:02 pm

Not won yet, need to keep the concentration, just went to sleep a bit there. They are going to chuck it about now, will be a good game to watch

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:03 pm

UBB getting stronger with subs, ours will make us weaker...

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:05 pm

That was a try!

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:06 pm

Nel showing Maitland how it's done!

by GLove39 Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:08 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Nel showing Maitland how it's done!

by **George Carlin** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:08 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Nel showing Maitland how it's done!

but obviously also Laugh

Nelly the elephant = try scoring ligind.

by **RDW** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:08 pm

Hidalgo clyne having a stormer.

Surely time for a 4th try??

by teh_Dingmeister Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:09 pm

Matt Scott (12) has made a pretty decent partnership with Burleigh. Will he still be at 12 with Dunbar at 13 for Scotland

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:10 pm

Good defence Edinburgh, rolling the sleeves up, good stuff

by **BigGee** Fri 23 Jan 2015, 9:17 pm

Sam H-C definitely wants to play for Scotland!

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