Glasgow and Edinburgh: Ongoing Banter Thread IX

[George Carlin]

First topic message reminder :

Time Honoured Banter:

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
https://www.606v2.com/t56913p950-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-vi-banter-boogaloo
https://www.606v2.com/t57946-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-vii
https://www.606v2.com/t58659-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-viii

A. Edinburgh (2015-2016)
 
Players In
William Helu from Wasps
Nasi Manu from Highlanders
Nathan Fowles from Sale Sharks
Michael Allen from Ulster
Jack Cosgrove from Worcester Warriors

Players Out
Tom Heathcote to Worcester Warriors
Grayson Hart to Glasgow Warriors
Ollie Atkins to Exeter Chiefs
Tim Visser to Harlequins
 
B. Glasgow (2015-2016)

Players In
Simone Favaro from Benetton Treviso
Grayson Hart from Edinburgh
Kieran Low from London Irish
Mike Blair from Newcastle Falcons
Sam Johnson from Queensland Reds
Greg Peterson from Leicester Tigers
Taqele Naiyaravoro from NSW Waratahs
Javan Sebastian from Carmarthen Quins

Players Out
Nikola Matawalu to Bath Rugby
Sean Maitland to London Irish
D.T.H. van der Merwe to Scarlets
Dougie Hall retired
Jon Welsh to Newcastle Falcons
Alastair Kellock retired
Murray McConnell to Nottingham
James Downey to Wasps
Tommy Spinks to Jersey
Euan Murray to Pau
Connor Braid released

[TheMildlyFranticLlama]

All sounds a bit dodgy if you ask me! Which I appreciate no one has...

She also lived in Canada, so it's not all that dodgy.

Ex-pat lawyer in 'not dodgy' shocker

Tomorrows headline in the Daily Mail....

[Majestic83]

there was 1 from halfway but they started from the 22 line back to half way.

On another note, anyway been in the South of France recently, hired a car and got a speeding fine on their return home?

Nope, but I make a point of driving like a lunatic when I'm in France. When in Rome....

Seriously, you must have gone some to get a speeding fine in France!

Well you would think so but I've come back with one, my girlfriends parents came back with 2(they are old and v slow drivers) their friends have also come back with one and mates of mine have as well.
Seems to be a real crack down in France with hidden cameras.

Appealing mine though, where it says I got mine I was 10 mph over the limit, the street was full of speed bumps so if I had been going the speed they say I would have either been taking of on each speed bump, or more likely with it being a French built car the car would have fallen apart.

This isn't why you got a speeding ticket is it?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33845832

Definitely not me on this occasion, no kids that I know off.

There were a few times where the girlfriend nearly got left behind in France I couldn't possibly say whether it was deliberate or not though!

[George Carlin]

God bless those enthusiastic Canadians:
http://battlefornewscotland.ca/

Mind you, the crowd are going to be disappointed if they think that the Glasgow team will be anything like this:
http://battlefornewscotland.ca/glasgow-warriors/

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Matawalu, Downey, Kellock and Murray will not be selected.

[RDW]

Got to love the picture of Mike Cusak - they don't build them like that anymore!

[funnyExiledScot]

Cusack is a beast. If he's fit (and I don't mean "in shape") then he's surely a must for the World Cup squad. Cross and Welsh are all good and well, but neither will earn you a slew of scrum penalties. He could be a real weapon against Japan for example, leaving Nel to start the remaining group fixtures.

[cp10]

Got to love the picture of Mike Cusak - they don't build them like that anymore!

Saw him yesterday at Murrayfield. He seems to have been trimmed down. Less overflow over the shorts!

[tigertattie]

Got to love the picture of Mike Cusak - they don't build them like that anymore!

Saw him yesterday at Murrayfield. He seems to have been trimmed down. Less overflow over the shorts!

Is he able to play 40 mins of international rugby?

[cp10]

Got to love the picture of Mike Cusak - they don't build them like that anymore!

Saw him yesterday at Murrayfield. He seems to have been trimmed down. Less overflow over the shorts!

Is he able to play 40 mins of international rugby?

Only the coaches will know that - I only saw 5 minutes before I had to go and do a coaching coarse. They were doing 15 on 15 run through. Cusack waddled off and Nel and Welsh were playing in opposing teams.

[RDW]

Do you remember what each team was??

[cp10]

Do you remember what each team was??

It was swapping in and out so couldn't see 25 squad. There was a group on there own who probably weren't included in that. Too far away to see who that was.

From the non bibs -
Finn, Laidlaw and Nel but then Strauss (not qualified til Sept) was in it so didn't take much from that.

[funnyExiledScot]

I think any group including Nel and Finn Russell must surely be the "probables".

Jon Welsh must be an attractive option for 5th prop, given his ability to cover both sides. Whilst I wouldn't want him at loosehead (or tighthead) against South Africa or Samoa, he could do a job against Japan or USA.

[George Carlin]

What the fark did they feed Mike Cusack at Doncaster to make his fighting weight 21 stones?

The Second XV, presumably.

[funnyExiledScot]

I cannot imagine what it would be to scrummage against that sort of weight. He's no slouch technically either. I really do hope the coaches can get him to the right sort of fighting weight to compete at the World Cup.

[George Carlin]

Check out Big Naka and Matawalu bossing this game as Fiji win the Pacific Nations Cup again:
https://www.606v2.com/t60086-pacific-nations-cup-final-2015-fiji-v-samoa-highlights

Naka truly is a freak. What a find he was and I cannot think how many clubs will be in for him once his Glasgow contract expires.

[funnyExiledScot]

Naka's a force of nature. It's hard to think of a better club lock pairing than Jonny Gray and Naka at the moment.....other than Bresler/Gilchrist of course.

[tigertattie]

Naka is spectacular to watch in open play.  If only he could improve his scrummaging, maul work, ruck play and defensive lineout ability, he'd be one of the best locks in world rugby!

He really does need to work on his decision making! He often offloads when he'd be better just going to ground and protecting the ball.

There's two ways to negate Naka and his open field ability.

1. Chop him low so he goes down thus stopping him from bounching off chest height tackles and carrying on with his run
2. Tackle the ball that he's holding (often in one hand) to prevent the mad basketball offloads that he does

Still a joy to watch though. He and Gray compliment each other wonderfully.  Naka does the Dentonesque open running and Gray does the grunt work.

[funnyExiledScot]

Whilst it goes against my nature to praise Glasgow players, I think your comments on Naka are pretty harsh there Tattie.

He strikes me as pretty powerful in the set piece, and I've seen him take some pretty outrageous one handed line out takes.

His decision making is certainly a valid criticism, particularly his judgement in poor conditions. He has forced some absurd offloads in wet conditions that have invariably led to knock-ons and turnover ball. A bit like Matawalu though, if you try too hard to coach out the madness, then you have a lesser player.

Personally, I'd take him at Edinburgh when his contract runs out. Perhaps a swap for Alex Toolis would be fair. We can throw in Alan Dell as well, just to keep GC happy.

[George Carlin]

I think if it was easy to stop Naka, then more teams would do it. I'm not sure that Paul O'Connell was 'holding back' in the final.

[tigertattie]

Whilst it goes against my nature to praise Glasgow players, I think your comments on Naka are pretty harsh there Tattie.

He strikes me as pretty powerful in the set piece, and I've seen him take some pretty outrageous one handed line out takes.

His decision making is certainly a valid criticism, particularly his judgement in poor conditions. He has forced some absurd offloads in wet conditions that have invariably led to knock-ons and turnover ball. A bit like Matawalu though, if you try too hard to coach out the madness, then you have a lesser player.

Personally, I'd take him at Edinburgh when his contract runs out. Perhaps a swap for Alex Toolis would be fair. We can throw in Alan Dell as well, just to keep GC happy.

He's great to watch FES and I'd happily take him at Edinburgh.

Compare Naka to the like of:
Paul O Connell
Bakkies Botha
Eben Etzabeth
Jonny Gray
Retallick

He's not really in the list now is he!

[jimbopip]

Big Tacky is still not being included in the Wallaby's match squad today.

[George Carlin]

Big Tacky is still not being included in the Wallaby's match squad today.

Watch Fiji cap him in their RWC squad in that case.

[funnyExiledScot]

Whilst it goes against my nature to praise Glasgow players, I think your comments on Naka are pretty harsh there Tattie.

He strikes me as pretty powerful in the set piece, and I've seen him take some pretty outrageous one handed line out takes.

His decision making is certainly a valid criticism, particularly his judgement in poor conditions. He has forced some absurd offloads in wet conditions that have invariably led to knock-ons and turnover ball. A bit like Matawalu though, if you try too hard to coach out the madness, then you have a lesser player.

Personally, I'd take him at Edinburgh when his contract runs out. Perhaps a swap for Alex Toolis would be fair. We can throw in Alan Dell as well, just to keep GC happy.

He's great to watch FES and I'd happily take him at Edinburgh.

Compare Naka to the like of:
Paul O Connell
Bakkies Botha
Eben Etzabeth
Jonny Gray
Retallick

He's not really in the list now is he!

Well POC and Botha are on the decline so I think that's actually a pretty close call. Naka is of course a completely different type of lock to both of those players, but his ability to influence the game is on a par with those two. Retallick is probably the best lock in the world, closely followed by Etzabeth and Whitelock. No shame in not being in their league. I'm sorry to say this, but Jonny Gray does not (yet) belong on that list.

[jimbopip]

Wash your mouth out with the most carbolic of soaps, oh Festering one. Ickle Jonny is so good he could have played for Ayr. Then he apprenticed under The Captain.
After the World Cup his genius will be there for all to see.

[funnyExiledScot]

Well I for one have high hopes for Jonny Gray. It's about time that Scotland had a B&I Lion in the starting XV of the 1st Test, and he is the best hope we have had in a long time. Stiff competition obviously, but he's progressing nicely.

[tigertattie]

Well I for one have high hopes for Jonny Gray. It's about time that Scotland had a B&I Lion in the starting XV of the 1st Test, and he is the best hope we have had in a long time. Stiff competition obviously, but he's progressing nicely.

That my point FES. Jonny Gray isn't the finished article yet, but he's a far better all round player than Naka in my opinion!

[funnyExiledScot]

Gray has a higher workrate and hits the rucks harder, but I don't think Naka losses much in the way of set piece power or line out ability, and is a far more dangerous player ball in hand. They compliment each other nicely, but are very different sorts of player. A bit like trying to compare Botha and Matfield to decide which is the better lock - they do different things but work together well.

[RDW]

Glasgow team to play Clermont tomorrow night -

15. Peter Murchie
14. Junior Bulumakau*
13. Glenn Bryce
12. Fraser Lyle
11. Lee Jones
10. Rory Clegg
9. Grayson Hart

1. Jerry Yanuyanutawa
2. Kevin Bryce
3. D'arcy Rae
4. James Eddie
5. Kieran Low
6. Tyrone Holmes
7. Chris Fusaro (C)
8. Jason Hill

Replacements: Mark Robertson, Nick Grigg**, Robbie Fergusson **, Nyle Godsmark, Ali Price**, Will Bordill, Simone Favaro, Scott Cummings**, Andrew Davidson**, Zander Fagerson, Pat MacArthur, Fergus Scott, George Hunter

Tell you what, never mind Clermont - if that's what they're stuck with for the Pro 12 I can see them struggling!

[Weegie Wizard]

It's not the best team ever but there will be some returning from the rwc squad for the start of the season.

I'll be interested to hear how junior bulumakau gets on to see if toonie has found another Fijian superstar. Maybe not this year but I expect Nick Grigg to be good. Poached from NZ but early doors this time so he's still EDP

[RDW]

Can't see many returning - Weir and Lamont maybe but that's it.

Certainly won't help in the forward pack which is very average st best!

[Weegie Wizard]

Probably those 2 but Swinson might be fit and either Grant or Reid will be back. i don't think Wilson or Vernon will make it either.

[demosthenes]

Probably those 2 but Swinson might be fit and either Grant or Reid will be back. i don't think Wilson or Vernon will make it either.

Well, there is always The Captain to call on if necessary.  Still in training.

[RDW]

Yeah I suspect Wilson will return, but both Reid and Grant could feasibly go.

The downside of success - you lose all your players!

[Majestic83]

Hugh Blake has signed a2 year deal with Glasgow. Going to be very overloaded with opensides.
Blake, fusarium, Holmes, favaro and bordill.

[nickj]

Rory Hughes will also be back. I had hoped to see Sam Johnson figure too. I reckon he could be a wee gem

[nickj]

Hugh Blake has signed a2 year deal with Glasgow. Going to be very overloaded with opensides.
Blake, fusarium, Holmes, favaro and bordill.

Its official then. Glad for him, hopefully this week has vindicated his decision to come over! My money's on him turning out to be a cracker...

[RDW]

He suits the Glasgow style of play much better than Edinburgh. Problem is Glasgow have many small-ish yet atheltic 7s. Can't help but think they could do with a real physical presence there to give another option (and I'm not talking about Batman).

[nickj]

Strauss looks like he'll be back for the Scarlets game http://www.glasgowwarriors.com/articles/news/008851.php

[nickj]

A bit of clarity re Rossouw's swift departure... http://news.stv.tv/west-central/1326597-glasgow-warriors-peter-de-klerk-gave-schoolgirl-phone-number/

[RDW]

A bit of clarity re Rossouw's swift departure... http://news.stv.tv/west-central/1326597-glasgow-warriors-peter-de-klerk-gave-schoolgirl-phone-number/

What an idiot!

Glasgow really had no option but to sack him.

I know he's a prop (sorry radge), but that really was a stupid thing to do.

[funnyExiledScot]

Moron.

[IanBru]

Oh lord, what a douche.

[A Simply Mesmeric Try]

Good riddance if de Klerk was that much of a weirdo. Need a replacement sharpish.

On to a musical note:

the current theme song of the Glasgow Warriors is the terribly soppy "Who We Are" by BoyZone. This makes my ears bleed every time I hear it. It must stop. A change musty happen.

I've been trying to think up a replacement tune for that monstrosity of a song. How how can be to find a good tune with the word Warrior in it?! Quite hard actually.

Imagine Dragons - Warriors - retains the cheese of the BZ track, yet has some gusto
Disturbed - Warrior - Disturbed is Disturbed
The Prodigy - Warriors Dance - Glow sticks and smiley faces and massive bass speakers (you older lot can skip this one)
Thin Lizzy - Warriors - from the album Jailbreak
Saxon - Warrior - 80's power metal
Ted Nugent - Weekend Warriors - 70's hard rock

These are mostly pants, but all better than Boyzone. Bl00dy BoyZone! Are they pecking serious?!

Any further suggestions would make me happy. I shall send these ideas to the Glasgow Warriors management.

[RDW]

I'm sure they use imagine dragons already in the weekly video thing they put out

[A Simply Mesmeric Try]

I'm sure they use imagine dragons already in the weekly video thing they put out

They always start those videos with boyzone. This is why I make such a fuss 

[RDW]

My other half went to see boyzone at the castle recently.

She called me during that song.

[A Simply Mesmeric Try]

My other half went to see boyzone at the castle recently.

She called me during that song.

She'd be sleeping alone if she were mine. 

[tigertattie]

A bit of clarity re Rossouw's swift departure... http://news.stv.tv/west-central/1326597-glasgow-warriors-peter-de-klerk-gave-schoolgirl-phone-number/

What an idiot!

Glasgow really had no option but to sack him.

I know he's a prop (sorry radge), but that really was a stupid thing to do.

bit of a plum but it looks like a storm in a tea cup! In this day and age though, you need to be whiter than white as they say!

[RDW]

My other half went to see boyzone at the castle recently.

She called me during that song.

She'd be sleeping alone if she were mine. 

My fault really - I got her the tickets as her birthday present!

[A Simply Mesmeric Try]

My other half went to see boyzone at the castle recently.

She called me during that song.

She'd be sleeping alone if she were mine. 

My fault really - I got her the tickets as her birthday present!

You are a better other half than I am, although my other half would never see BZ, yet she would travel to the dark side of the moon to see Muse play live.

[RDW]

My other half went to see boyzone at the castle recently.

She called me during that song.

She'd be sleeping alone if she were mine. 

My fault really - I got her the tickets as her birthday present!

You are a better other half than I am, although my other half would never see BZ, yet she would travel to the dark side of the moon to see Muse play live.

To be fair I made sure I was away that weekend so couldn't go with her!

Saying that, I have been to a Westlife gig with her before. In my defence, I was 19 at the time and my intentions weren't exactly pure in terms of what I was hoping for as a thank you in return...!

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