Pro12: Edinburgh Rugby v Zebre

Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU, 50th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Mike Adamson, Stephen Hart (both SRU)
Citing Commissioner: Iain Goodall (SRU)
TMO: Jim Yuille (SRU )

Head to Head
5 Played 5
3 Wins 2
2 Losses 3
0 Draws 0
10 Tries 9
9 Conversions 6
10 Penalties 9
9 Drop Goals 0
98 Points 84
26 Avg. Age (for some reason Zebre are not listed as having an average age)

Edinburgh
Last 3 Matches
17/4/15 Edinburgh 45 - 16 Dragons
11/4/15 Edinburgh 3 - 34 Munster
5/4/15 L Irish            18 - 23 Edinburgh

Zebre
Last 3 Matches
11/4/15 Zebre 26 - 28 Scarlets
28/3/15 Ospreys 53 - 22 Zebre
6/3/15 Glasgow 26 - 5 Zebre

Teams

Edinburgh
15 Tom BROWN
14 Dougie FIFE
13 Sam BEARD
12 Andries STRAUSS
11 Tim VISSER
10 Phil BURLEIGH
09 Sam HIDALGO-CLYNE

01 Alasdair DICKINSON
02 Ross FORD
03 WP NEL
04 Anton BRESLER
05 Ben TOOLIS
06 Stuart McINALLY
07 Roddy GRANT
08 Mike COMAN (captain)

16 Neil COCHRANE
17 Rory SUTHERLAND
18 John ANDRESS
19 Fraser MCKENZIE
20 Cornell DU PREEZ
21 Nathan FOWLES
22 Tom HEATHCOTE
23 Carl BEZUIDENHOUT

Zebre
15 Hendrik Daniller
14 Giulio Toniolatti
13 Mirco Bergamasco
12 Gonzalo Garcia
11 David Odiete
10 Luciano Orquera
09 Guglielmo Palazzani

8 Samuela Vunisa
7 Andries Van Schalkwyk
6 Filippo Cristiano
5 Marco Bortolami (cap)
4 Valerio Bernabò
3 Dario Chistolini
2 Andrea Manici
1 Matias Aguero

16 Oliviero Fabiani
17 Andrea Lovotti
18 Luca Redolfini
19 Andrei Mahu
20 Filippo Ferrarini
21 Alberto Chillon
22 Matteo Pratichetti
23 Brendon Leonard

Ah come on now Edinburgh sure anyone can beat Zebre, I mean speaking as a life-long Ulster fan........oh wait, sorry, my bad

Head to Head
5 Played 5
3 Wins 2
2 Losses 3
0 Draws 0
10 Tries 9
9 Conversions 6
10 Penalties 9
9 Drop Goals 0
98 Points 84
26 Avg. Age (for some reason Zebre are not listed as having an average age)

Edinburgh
Last 3 Matches
17/4/15 Edinburgh 45 - 16 Dragons
11/4/15 Edinburgh 3 - 34 Munster
5/4/15 L Irish            18 - 23 Edinburgh

Zebre
Last 3 Matches
11/4/15 Zebre 26 - 28 Scarlets
28/3/15 Ospreys 53 - 22 Zebre
6/3/15 Glasgow 26 - 5 Zebre

Teams

Edinburgh
TBC - hopefully a bit of rotation

Zebre
TBC - Also hopefully a bit of rotation

Not as fancy as some other threads, but does the job.

Also my work internet restricts pretty much everything, so I'm just amazed this was possible.

I think if ever there was a time to borrow toonie's tombola from down the road, it would be now.

I suspect this thread is going to be a fairly lonely place, considering the OTHER game that Edinburgh have in a couple of weeks. Might just be me talking to myself.

Actually I might just leave as well....

This is surely a straightforward one for Edinburgh. You need to rotate obviously but there should be enough strength in the likes of Sutherland, MacInally and McKenzie to beat Zebre.

If you get 5 points here and Glasgow deny Connacht anything it means you have to be strong favourites to finish above them.

I'm amazed at how bad that head to head record is. How did that happen?

I think the issue with this game, is that it’s a game we should be winning, but as the head to head show’s we can’t take it for granted.

As you say WW, the players who could come in, should in theory be good enough to beat Zebre. Sutherland, McInally, Berghan/Andress, Mckenzie and Du Preez (shouldn’t need a rest), would all be capable.

The issue we have is that Zebre, along with many other teams of "lower quality" in the league are bogey teams for us!

We still have a chance of getting up the league, but it would have been so much easier had we not farted about in a couple of games earlier in the year!

5 points is very much needed but in no way guaranteed. I'd take a win and no injuries!

I'm not too sure that the Luvvies want to rotate too much, so we'll keep the Magic Tombola thank you.

Really though, you want to go into a final with a settled side and on a winning streak. A few tweaks such as resting Old Chinhook and giving McInally a run or putting a jersey on DuPreez and seeing how long he lasts but while you can finish above Connacht you really should be going for it.

The problem is keeping people motivated knowing that in a week they are going to be involved in a Euro final. Rotating players will certainly help that, especially if you bring usual bench options in (Sutherland, McInally, Andress, Mckenzie) and tell them that they are fighting for their place in the squad for the final.

Hidalgo-Clyne missed the Munster game so isn't technically due a break for a while. I'd still consider resting him though given how important he is, and I really want to see him against Laidlaw!

I expect Edinburgh to really be up for this, not least to maintain momentum and players vying for a place for the coming games and next season.

If Solomons wants to rest some players, he has some excellent players to choose from:

Sutherland, Cochrane, Mckenzie, Du Preez, Hart, Heathcote, Tonks?, Brown, Watson?

I doubt he'll want to rest too many players though; he's not got previous for that.

I wouldn't be surprised though to see Du Preez start, possibly in place of Coman.

Got to say, these are exciting times for Edinburgh Rugby.

Nematode are you trying to confuse me ??
As I said on Nematodes topic:

Ah come on now Edinburgh sure anyone can beat Zebre, I mean speaking as a life-long Ulster fan........oh wait, sorry, my bad

Pete330v2 wrote:Nematode are you trying to confuse me ??
As I said on Nematodes topic:

Ah come on now Edinburgh sure anyone can beat Zebre, I mean speaking as a life-long Ulster fan........oh wait, sorry, my bad

I made a thread at the same time (or just before) this one was made, but I don't know how to delete it (it's irrelevant now).

Could one of the Mods merge the two threads?

RDW/GC looking at you here

Not fussed which one is left going forward.

Thanks

tigertattie wrote:The issue we have is that Zebre, along with many other teams of "lower quality" in the league are bogey teams for us!

We still have a chance of getting up the league, but it would have been so much easier had we not farted about in a couple of games earlier in the year!

Actually Zebre have been one of the few team who has held their own against the Edinburgh front 5. Grant Shiells got literally mullered when he came on back in November, i will be surprised if he is involved this week.

This could be close than many expect as Zebre will come over with a pretty strong pack with a lot of international and we all endured what the Italian pack did to the Scottish pack! Also Zebre can still catch Treviso so they have something to play for.

EWT Spoons wrote:Could one of the Mods merge the two threads?

RDW/GC looking at you here

Not fussed which one is left going forward.

Thanks

Done - GC doesn't actually know how to use any of the moderating tools...he just likes the shiny blue badge!

I'd start Andress, McInally at hooker, Sutherland and McKenzie here. Big guns can sit on the bench. Conan could use another game and Du Preez needs rugby. Watson should start at 7, Grant needs a rest. I'd be tempted by Bradbury on the bench, but Leonardi would also be fine.

I wouldn't change the backs at all, other than giving Brown a start at 15.

Grant Shiells - lordy, I had forgotten about him. He hasn't come on as we hoped.
Anyhoo, we do need to rest the front-row as Glaws seemed surprisingly on top against Exeter (poss helped by iffy refereeing going by those who watched the game).
At the risk of getting carried away on a wave of euphoria, this has to be a 5 pointer. Without that we have no chance of a top 6/7 finish.
Agree with fES about the back-row. And we need to wrap SHC in cotton wool and then in a plastic bubble in which he can't get a cold or any other virus

Let's just wait and see with Shiells. Plenty time for him to come good, although with Dickinson, Sutherland and Dell it may well be that Edinburgh isn't the best fit, and with Reid, Grant and Jerry at the 1872 losers the inn is rather crowded at loose head.

London Scottish?

RDW_Scotland wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:Could one of the Mods merge the two threads?

RDW/GC looking at you here

Not fussed which one is left going forward.

Thanks

Done - GC doesn't actually know how to use any of the moderating tools...he just likes the shiny blue badge!

Thank you sir

RDW_Scotland wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:Could one of the Mods merge the two threads?

RDW/GC looking at you here

Not fussed which one is left going forward.

Thanks

Done - GC doesn't actually know how to use any of the moderating tools...he just likes the shiny blue badge!

When you're as pretty as me, you don't need to actually *know* anything.

George Carlin wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:Could one of the Mods merge the two threads?

RDW/GC looking at you here

Not fussed which one is left going forward.

Thanks

Done - GC doesn't actually know how to use any of the moderating tools...he just likes the shiny blue badge!

When you're as pretty as me, you don't need to actually *know* anything.

Is that the tag line on your law firm profile??

for me key guys have to be rested here. SHC shouldn't be anywhere near this team sheet.

I’m happy with Rambo getting another runout at hooker, or flanker to be honest. Despite playing for the Baa Baas I’m not convinced how match fit Du Preez actually is. What’s the word on Dozer?

Du Preez never ended up playing for the Baa Baa's. Probably a good thing too given they still put 96 points on Heriots!

This will be 2 weeks since Denton's head knock so maybe too soon.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:Could one of the Mods merge the two threads?

RDW/GC looking at you here

Not fussed which one is left going forward.

Thanks

Done - GC doesn't actually know how to use any of the moderating tools...he just likes the shiny blue badge!

When you're as pretty as me, you don't need to actually *know* anything.

Is that the tag line on your law firm profile??

No - this is:

This would be my team:

1.Sutherland 2.McInally 3.Andress 4.McKenzie 5.A Toolis 6.Coman (c) 7.Watson 8.Du Preez 9.Fowles 10.Burleigh 11.Visser 12.Strauss 13.Beard 14.Fife 15.Brown

16.Nel 17.Cochrane 18.Shiells 19.B Toolis 20.Bradbury 21.Kennedy 22.Heathcote 23.Hoyland

Giving subs a shot to start a match in the forwards (other than players who could use some game time) but allowing for continuity in the backs. If Du Preez isn't ready to start then Coman to 8 and Leonardi to 6.

I think that we may be being overly pessimistic about Denton.

Grandpappy basically said that the concussion protocol would have been too truncated to be satisfied for the last match, but that he wouldn't need a great deal of additional time. I think that he might play.

Then I'd have him starting at 8 with Du Preez on the bench instead of Bradbury.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see very little changes from last weekend. I hope that's not the case though.

Some players need a break, the front five in particular. I also think players like McInally, Sutherland and McKenzie don't involve much in the way of a drop in quality from Ford, Dickinson and Bresler (McKenzie will certainly give away less penalties!).

Team announced - the only change is Tom Brown in for Cuthbert.

Got to love Solomons!

Well that's going to make watching the game that bit more tense, constantly praying for all the players to not get injured!

I suppose his hand has been a little bit forced by injuries but there was probably some scope for a little variation!

I guess he feels that the league is still alive and this is a potential 5 pointer. Hopefully he will use his subs a lot earlier than he usually does, especially if Ediburgh get away!

Nice to see another comprehensive and sympathetic player rotation from Grandpappy.

The entire front 5 subs should come on at half time if we've got a decent lead!

Zebre:
15 Hendrik Daniller
14 Giulio Toniolatti
13 Mirco Bergamasco
12 Gonzalo Garcia
11 David Odiete*
10 Luciano Orquera
09 Guglielmo Palazzani

8 Samuela Vunisa
7 Andries Van Schalkwyk
6 Filippo Cristiano
5 Marco Bortolami (cap)
4 Valerio Bernabò
3 Dario Chistolini
2 Andrea Manici*
1 Matias Aguero

16 Oliviero Fabiani
17 Andrea Lovotti*
18 Luca Redolfini
19 Andrei Mahu
20 Filippo Ferrarini*
21 Alberto Chillon*
22 Matteo Pratichetti
23 Brendon Leonard

Not available due to injury: Mauro Bergamasco, Dion Berryman, George Biagi, Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso D’Apice*, Quintin Geldenhuys, Kelly Haimona, Tommaso Iannone*, Edoardo Padovani*, Lorenzo Romano, Jacopo Sarto, Leonardo Sarto*, Giovambattista Venditti*, Michele Visentin*

Masses of injured and the bench stuffed full of academy kids (everyone with a '*'). Makes the failure to rotate look all the sillier.

Not that we need a reminder, but

Edinburgh Rugby team v Zebre, Friday 24 April, BT Murrayfield, k/o 7.35pm



15 Tom BROWN

14 Dougie FIFE

13 Sam BEARD

12 Andries STRAUSS

11 Tim VISSER

10 Phil BURLEIGH

9 Sam HIDALGO-CLYNE



1 Alasdair DICKINSON

2 Ross FORD

3 WP NEL

4 Anton BRESLER

5 Ben TOOLIS

6 Stuart McINALLY

7 Roddy GRANT

8 Mike COMAN (captain)



Substitutes

16 Neil COCHRANE

17 Rory SUTHERLAND

18 John ANDRESS

19 Fraser MCKENZIE

20 Cornell DU PREEZ

21 Nathan FOWLES

22 Tom HEATHCOTE

23 Carl BEZUIDENHOUT

Well they really should be looking at 5 points here!

My concern is Edinburgh only scrapes through this, denting their confidence. Zebre very nearly beat Scarlets and will be wanting to get their European qualification spot.

But Edinburgh should settle for nothing less than 5 points. They're good enough but only if Visser and Fife get more involved and impose themselves.

Just in case the team listings do not spell this out:

- Edinburgh has basically their first team out
- Zebre have masses of injuries and are playing several of their Academy players

If Edinburgh don't get 5 points out of this, they do not deserve a top 6 place.

Solomons is a hard task master!

Fairly sure Nel in two seasons had played more rugby than Rory Lamont over his entire career!

Agree that a decent half time lead should enable a wholesale change to the front 5.

This was a great occasion to rotate some players.

Now, next week could well be a week too far in the season.

VinceWLB wrote:This was a great occasion to rotate some players.

Now, next week could well be a week too far in the season.

I don't know - think about it. During the international break, 11 out of the starting 15 played either no international rugby, or only about 20 mins worth (SHC). Ross Ford has had some time out through injury, and also Visser.

I would have maybe benched Toolis and considered starting Hart.

I would say thought that Alan Solomons could be use his bench more effectively.

I suppose you could say as well that the game last weekend was not really that hard and they have not had to travel. I guess he was not to know that they would put out there reserves as well.

Well, certainly no excuses here. 5 points are a must.

The issue isn't how many games they've played, it's how many we may still have to play.

If we finish 6th or 8th we have 4 games, if we finish 7th and make the playoff final we have a game every weekend until the end of May.

This is the only game you could realistically rest players.

If the 5 game rule in enforced for Scotland players, we'll be without Dickinson, Ford, Toolis, Visser and Fife for the Dragons away trip. Hidalgo-Clyne for Leinster at home last league game of the season.

RDW_Scotland wrote:
If the 5 game rule in enforced for Scotland players, we'll be without Dickinson [Sutherland], Ford[McInally], Toolis[McKenzie/Atkins], Visser [Brown] and Fife[Hoyland] for the Dragons away trip. Hidalgo-Clyne [hart] for Leinster at home last league game of the season.

Not too bad in my books

Not disagreeing nematode - really think he should have done some rotation. Even just a few players ffs!