Glasgow and Edinburgh: Ongoing Banter Thread XII - Twelve Monkeys

[A Simply Mesmeric Try]

First topic message reminder :

A Brief History of Time-Wasting


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/t56913-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
https://www.606v2.com/t59409-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-ix
https://www.606v2.com/t60764-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-x-rated
https://www.606v2.com/t61904-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-xi-the-undiscovered-country

Edinburgh

1872 Champions

Edinburgh's Fixtures & Results (click to show):

Glasgow

1872 Runners-up

Glasgow Warrior's Fixtures & Results (click to show):

Ladies and Gents, Girls and Boys, it's season finale!

Guinness PRO12 Play Offs
Fri 20 May 19:45 - Semi Final
Leinster Rugby 30 - 18   Ulster Rugby - RDS Arena 19,100

Sat 21 May 18:30 - Semi Final
Connacht Rugby  16 - 11   Glasgow Warriors - Galway Sportsground 7,800

Sat 28 May 17:30 - Grand Final
Leinster Rugby  10 - 20  Connacht Rugby  - BT Murrayfield - 34,550

Cinderella story or what?! Congrats to the Galway posse who were the form team of the season!

[Welly]

Holy sh*t!!

That is outstanding.

I know prob the best club coach around ATM.

[GLove39]

[MacKnocked-on]

Haven't seen any mention of Jason O'Halloran and all the other assistant coaches in the announcements about Cotter and Townsend, I wonder if any of them will be staying on when Gregor takes over?

[George Carlin]

Cover me in custard and call me Doris - that sh!t is worth a thread all of its own. 

Speechless at the SRU actually doing something well.

[George Carlin]

https://www.606v2.com/t63818-chiefs-dave-rennie-appointed-new-glasgow-warriors-head-coach

[TheMildlyFranticLlama]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2016/08/19/rugby-digger---transfer-news-and-rumours-gbs-olympic-sevens-star/

Claims that Wasps have their eye on John Hardie, seems pretty speculative though not sure I'd put much trust in that one.

[George Carlin]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2016/08/19/rugby-digger---transfer-news-and-rumours-gbs-olympic-sevens-star/

Claims that Wasps have their eye on John Hardie, seems pretty speculative though not sure I'd put much trust in that one.

Me either, although they do need a George Smith v.2.0 quite badly.

[GLove39]

The Quins - Glasgow game's being streamed courtesy of the Warriors on youtube if anyone's interested!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn_Go5jLJ-s

[cakeordeath]

Been a decent game, Quins handling has been good. I thought we were going to get mullered in the scrum, but after an early scare we seem to be holding our own

[GLove39]

Well solid first hit out, should have got a draw, that knock on following Price's brilliant break out was criminal. But still, onwards & upwards. Look forward to seeing them in Glaws.
Anyone else heading down for that!?

[jimbopip]

Mr Glove, I believe I shall be heading up for that. Biggee is also trekking westward.

[Hazel Sapling]

Have we gone through Edinburgh naming Gilchrist and McInally co-captains yet?

http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/15180/10548627/stuart-mcinally-and-grant-gilchrist-to-share-edinburgh-captaincy

The question is, how many games will they manage before both are injured?

[George Carlin]

Have we gone through Edinburgh naming Gilchrist and McInally co-captains yet?

http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/15180/10548627/stuart-mcinally-and-grant-gilchrist-to-share-edinburgh-captaincy

The question is, how many games will they manage before both are injured?

Excellent opportunity for Rambo. Gilchrist will presumably suffer a major ACL tear trying on new shoes or suffer a multiple fracture opening a bag of crisps three days before the season starts.

[RDW]

Does this mean McInally will be first choice? Or is that the idea that he will come off the bench and Gilchrist probably won't last the 80 so McInally will take over as captain?

[Hazel Sapling]

Does this mean McInally will be first choice? Or is that the idea that he will come off the bench and Gilchrist probably won't last the 80 so McInally will take over as captain?

Good strategy for the first game before Gilchrist pulls a hamstring walking over to a line out 5 minutes in and is out for the season.

McInally probably should start more now with Ford getting on (played over 300 games combining Celtic League and Internationals at age 32). Try and preserve Ford's body to get an extra season or two at the end. Turner and Cochrane can take some of the slack against the weaker sides (Zebre, Treviso, NGD) that are not during the international breaks.

[RDW]

For some unfathomable reason Ford was given a 3 year deal - he ain't going anywhere any time soon and I suspect that means he'll still be regular first choice!

[George Carlin]

All joking aside, this is a very important season for Gilchrist.

I've made no secret of the fact that I regard him as relatively unproven at this level but am happy to admit that a series of coaches think he is special enough to be made captain and have a side built around him. I understand that injuries are a bugger and are largely difficult to account for.

However, the flip side to this is that I think we have spent a long time hanging around waiting for him to magically transform himself into the raging, ball-carrying beast that we all hope desperately that he is. I just can't see it. I have watched him only a handful of times, but each time was left wondering why I cared so little about his performance. He is one of the biggest beasts out there, but I have never seen him use his size to carry ball with three defenders hanging off him or felt that his dynamism was making a maul move. The likes of Bresler and Du Preez seem to be so much more impactful. I see him interviewed and squint into the screen trying to see the desperate desire to win seeping out of every exfoliated pore. But I haven't seen it yet.

Why does that bother me? I don't know. But it does.

[jimbopip]

For some unfathomable reason Ford was given a 3 year deal - he ain't going anywhere any time soon and I suspect that means he'll still be regular first choice!

Slightly puzzling in the sense that if you want your captain to actually start the game now and then you would expect Rambo to be first choice, and if Mr Chinhook isn't first choice hooker at 32 where will he be in the pecking order in three years time?
As for Mr Gilchrist, he must be astoundingly good in training as that's yet another coach who obviously thinks highly of him. However, as every man who has suffered a wrist injury knows we're all great lovers in training; it's when another human being intrudes that our technique collapses.

p.s. my mole at The Stoop has conveyed the following highly confidential info : Mickey Skinner likes a drink, and.... Mad Mata hates life at Baarf and is pining for Glasgow.

[funnyExiledScot]

Odd choices by Edinburgh. Will McInally be first choice this season? Doubt it. Will Gilchrist ever be fit? Doubt it. I suspect we'll see Ford wearing the armband a fair bit this season.

Agreed on the Gilchrist comments above. Massive season for him.

[Hazel Sapling]

Gilchrist is at the point where if he can't stay healthy enough to be available for at least 12-15 games and start 10 times, his career may be finished. McKenzie may be in the same boat.

Ford may end up doing a Ryan Hall towards the back end of the career. Play the occasional game and never let the side down regardless of the occasion. George Turner is going to have to earn some faith this season.

As for Mata not loving life in Bath, he left a club with a good locker room culture and a fan base that adored him in exchange for a club that fell apart at the seams where he had no preseason and has a fan base that do not like him. It is not a shock he hates Bath, it is how much he loves his bank account to come back. I think it is too late for him to return to Glasgow with the rise of Pyrgos and Price. The young 9 down at LS (Fraser?) may need some playing time next year as well.

[funnyExiledScot]

I'd love to have Mata at Edinburgh, if only to see the look on Solomons' face when he tears up the conservative box kicking game plan and taps in his own 22.

[doctor_grey]

The article I saw today on the BBC indicated cities being considered are Houston and Vancouver. Makes good sense from a Rugby interest and weather point of view. Makes no sense from a travel point of view. They fly further in Super Rugby, fair enough. But to build a brand I believe they need ares with something in common. The east coast of the US tends to look eastward, and at least have something in common with people across the Atlantic. In the southern US (Houston) they tend to look inward. In Vancouver they are simply far away. The east coast of the US makes the most sense.

[RDW]

Wrong thread Doc?

In other news

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Edinburgh No 8 Cornell du Preez, who becomes eligible for Scotland on residency grounds next month, will miss the start of the season after undergoing a clear-up operation on his ankle and the South Africa-born forward may struggle to be available for this year’s autumn Test series against Australia, Argentina and Georgia in November.

Baws.

[Hazel Sapling]

CDP out for the first 3 months then? May be a blessing in disguise if Bradbury gets some time/faith and Manu can stay healthy.

CDP can come in rested and help provide a jolt for the second half of the season rather than being shattered by January.

[RDW]

Certainly a back row of

6 Ritchie/Fihaki
7 Hardie
8 Manu

With Bradbury and Watson filling in as and when required should be very competitive.

Due to injuries we're yet to see what

6 Du Preez
7 Hardie
8 Manu

Can do over a sustained period - hopefully it happens soon!

[Nematode]

Long time away, hope to be more regular on here again soon!

CDP being out for a bit may be no bad thing. I hope this gives Bradbury more game time as he looks very comfortable at this level.

I had wondered with J Gray and Pyrgos being co-captains whether Gray might be moving on next year? Any thoughts?

[Hazel Sapling]

Concur on Bradbury. If AS wants a bigger 6, Manu could be pushed to 6 with Bradbury at 8. Depends on if they can use Hardie/Watson or either of the 8s in the line out I would guess.

J Gray will be in demand and with young players coming through in the same position could be lost to the French (Toulouse would be interesting). After Richie's experiences at Sale, I hope he avoids the English even if his game is better suited to it than Richie's.

Out of Hogg, Russell, J Gray, Hogg, Fagerson, Nel, Hardie and Bennett. What order of importance is there in keeping them in Scotland?

[BigGee]

I think the recruitment of Rennie is a big statement to the players that the SRU wants them to stay, though that will clearly need to be matched with appopriate salaries. He must have been given some guarentees that the family silver will be mortgaged to try and hang on to them. Most of them are still young enough to hang on in Scotland for at least another contract round and are not necesserily chasing a retirement plan just yet.

Of that crew Hardie is the most likely to go probably followed by Nel, thoufgh he does not seem the most money orientated of them and might choose the quality of life argument.

Much as we would like to hang on to them all (and others) some will inevitably go, for money reasons, to see the world and because we need to free up places to develop the next generation. It will always be thus with only 2 professional teams to choose from.

[George Carlin]

Welcome back Nemmer (or Mr Tode).

What I also thought was interesting was the report in the NZ press (I cannot find it now on a quick Google) to say that Rennie was interested in bringing some of this favoured players to Glasgow with him. Even second stringers at Chiefs will be pretty bloody good.

Edinburgh need to go for it this year. They probably won't be able to keep that pack together for another year and have signed enough decent backs not to look utterly clueless with the ball in hand any more. Matt Scott going has freed up a space and I really want someone to make that shirt their own. I like Hamish Watson a lot (although he will only really be playing during the international window or Hardie rest weeks).

How good do people think Bradbury really is? Very good? Or is this just the obligatory excitement for a young player who is the next cab off the rank?

[cakeordeath]

Can I have dibs on the name of the next thread we create.
Glasgow and Edinburgh: Ongoing Banter Thread XIII - Camp Crystal Lake

[RDW]

It's a fair question on Bradbury - has he looked good, or has he just looked better than expected for someone so young?

I think he is the real deal but we just don't know how he is going to develop. One things for sure though - he is absolutely physically ready for it!

[George Carlin]

Can I have dibs on the name of the next thread we create.
Glasgow and Edinburgh: Ongoing Banter Thread XIII - Camp Crystal Lake

We have a volunteer to create the new thread.

You're an example to the kids, Mr Cakey.

[cakeordeath]

Can I have dibs on the name of the next thread we create.
Glasgow and Edinburgh: Ongoing Banter Thread XIII - Camp Crystal Lake

We have a volunteer to create the new thread.

You're an example to the kids, Mr Cakey.

When I said "we" I of course meant you.

[A Simply Mesmeric Try]

https://www.606v2.com/t63851-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-xiii-camp-crystal-lake

[cakeordeath]

https://www.606v2.com/t63851-glasgow-and-edinburgh-ongoing-banter-thread-xiii-camp-crystal-lake

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