Glasgow and Edinburgh: Ongoing Banter Thread 16 - Good Luck, We're All Counting On You

[IanBru]

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Edinburgh & Glasgow Warriors

A Not So Brief History of Time-Wasting:

Guinness Pro12

Guinness Pro12 Website
Edinburgh Rugby (Pro12 Website)
Glasgow Warriors (Pro12 Website)
Guinness Pro12 2016/17 Overview (Ultimate Rugby)

Playlist of all of Edinburgh's Pro12 highlights here.
Playlist of all of Glasgow's Pro12 highlights here.

Europe

European Rugby Website

CHAMPIONS CUP
QUARTER FINAL
SARACENS v GLASGOW WARRIORS
Sun, Apr 2, 13:00, Allianz Park

CHALLENGE CUP
QUARTER FINAL
EDINBURGH v LA ROCHELLE
Fri, March 31, 19:00, Murrayfield Stadium


"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."

[tigertattie]

Guys, stop the welsh bashing or they'll start claiming moral victories over us!

Apparently Scarletts are odds on favorites to win the 1872 cup this year!

Also, re the Daily Mail - was it not they who predicted 3 months of arctic temperatures and snow for the last 3 winters which have been the mildest on record? - Even nature likes proving that rag wrong!

[RDW]

According to the Daily Mail Greig Laidlaw is first reserve at 9 for the Lions and if he hadn't been injured he would have been picked over Youngs.

Given that Connor Murray has been given the ultimatum of having to play a game before the end of the season - and is supposedly still injured - he may see a call up before the tour even starts.

They are also claiming Finn Russell is backup 10.

An ever reliable source of course!

Please bear in mind that the second headline on MailOnline today relates to Kim Kardashian's jugs.

....which are probably around the same size as Laidlaw.

[jimbopip]

Adminboy, you're putting images in my head which are just too wrong. Too, too wrong.

[IanBru]

I'm sure we''d all like to give her Laidlaws a squeeze.

[jimbopip]

Lads, I hope you don't mind if I go slightly off piste here.

last night was the final training session of the season for Pipetto's team and I wanted to share something that happened.
There is a lad in the team, big slow second row, not naturally gifted, quiet, almost introverted. We all know the type. early in the season he became unwell and it transpired he had a very large cancerous tumour in his abdomen. His family had an anxious few weeks but thankfully chemo and then surgery got rid of the tumour.
As soon as he was back on his feet he was attending matches every Sunday. He was nowhere near being able to play but we kept putting a jersey on him so that even on the sidelines he knew he was still part of the team. He never said much but we knew it meant something to him.
Last night he came along and told us he had been cleared to resume sports. He couldn't do contact yet but was keen to join in "with the running and stuff, if that's alright". So we played touch. We had an odd number so he was the extra man on one side. Everyone could see he was struggling for fitness and the rest were much faster than him; he dropped out a couple of times but he kept coming back on.
Then it happened; his team created an overlap and he was out on the wing. He made a bee-line for the corner and I shouted, "Score the try, Addie, score the try." He ran like a man in waders carrying a fridge on his back. The covering defender screamed across looking intent on stopping him in his tracks, then somehow contrived to slow fractionally and just miss him.
As the try scorer collapsed in an exhausted heap over the line the rest of the boys all cheered. I'm glad his dad was there to see it and I'm sure his mum got to hear all about it when he got home.

I know it's not Schlong's hair or Kim Kardashian's Frodos but it's still rugby related.

[RuggerRadge2611]

Nice story Jimbo

[Scottrf]

According to the Daily Mail Greig Laidlaw is first reserve at 9 for the Lions and if he hadn't been injured he would have been picked over Youngs.

Given that Connor Murray has been given the ultimatum of having to play a game before the end of the season - and is supposedly still injured - he may see a call up before the tour even starts.

They are also claiming Finn Russell is backup 10.

An ever reliable source of course!

Please bear in mind that the second headline on MailOnline today relates to Kim Kardashian's jugs.

Thanks for the heads up.

[RDW]

That's a brilliant story (i'm not welling up - you're welling up)

On a side note, I'm delighted that we have come up with yet another slang term that will confuse all the non-Scots on here.

So how big do you like your Frodos?

[jimbopip]

"How was the game?"
"Rank...The Luvvies were playing like a right bunch of Frodos."

That sounds useable.

[jimbopip]

Personally, I think this is some team. Obviously the Tombola is refusing to go quietly.

15. Tommy Seymour (99)
14. Leonardo Sarto (7)
13. Nick Grigg (19)
12. Sam Johnson (23)
11. Lee Jones (52)
10. Peter Horne (113)
9. Henry Pyrgos (123) CO-CAPTAIN
 
1. Alex Allan (49)
2. Fraser Brown (62)
3. Sila Puafisi (42)
4. Brian Alainu’uese (15)
5. Jonny Gray (71) CO-CAPTAIN
6. Tim Swinson (94)
7. Chris Fusaro (124)
8. Adam Ashe (37)
 
Replacements:
 
16. Pat MacArthur (153) 
17. Gordon Reid (112)
18. Zander Fagerson (48)
19. Rob Harley (161)
20. Matt Fagerson (6) 
21. Ali Price (40)
22. Finn Russell (62)
23. Alex Dunbar (97)
Not available due to injury: Mark Bennett (knee), Simone Favaro (knee), Sean Lamont (calf), James Malcom (ankle), D’arcy Rae (illness), Josh Strauss (medical), Richie Vernon (achilles) and Ryan Wilson (shoulder).

What a bench.  

[RDW]

No Hogg?

[RDW]

Edinburgh team.



Surely we won't lose to the Dragons at home? Surely??

[BigGee]

15. Tommy Seymour (99)

14. Leonardo Sarto (7)

13. Nick Grigg (19)

12. Sam Johnson (23)

11. Lee Jones (52)

10. Peter Horne (113)

9. Henry Pyrgos (123) CO-CAPTAIN



1. Alex Allan (49)

2. Fraser Brown (62)

3. Sila Puafisi (42)

4. Brian Alainu’uese (15)

5. Jonny Gray (71) CO-CAPTAIN

6. Tim Swinson (94)

7. Chris Fusaro (124)

8. Adam Ashe (37)



Replacements:



16. Pat MacArthur (153)

17. Gordon Reid (112)

18. Zander Fagerson (48)

19. Rob Harley (161)

20. Matt Fagerson (6)

21. Ali Price (40)

22. Finn Russell (62)

23. Alex Dunbar (97)

Not available due to injury: Mark Bennett (knee), Simone Favaro (knee), Sean Lamont (calf), James Malcom (ankle), D’arcy Rae (illness), Josh Strauss (medical), Richie Vernon (achilles) and Ryan Wilson (shoulder).

Decent looking Glasgow team for the game against Leinster this friday night in Dublin, with a very strong bench in particular.

Swinson back playing at blind side. With the emergence of Big Brian and Cummings on the rise, that may be were we see him a bit more often next season, he can certainly carry a mean ball!

It would be nice to see Glasgow end the season in a bit of style with an away win, which have been in shortish supply this year. We are mathematically still in with a chance (though very long odds) of going intothe playoffs and you would imagine that leinster will be resting the bulk of their starters after last sunday.

They certainly don't need to win this game, but do Glasgow have any motivation left to chase it hard either?

[BigGee]

Looks like Jimbo beat me to the send button!

[BigGee]

Nice to see John Hardie back for Edinburgh, looks like he may be touring this summer after all. He can combine it with a quick trip home to NZ as well.

[jimbopip]

Looks like Jimbo beat me to the send button!

Mrs Pip has said that herself on far too many occasions for my liking.

[jimbopip]

No Hogg?

I think Hogg will become a centurion against the Luvvies next week. I hope we win otherwise he'll feel like a right Frodo.

[funnyExiledScot]

Edinburgh team.



Surely we won't lose to the Dragons at home? Surely??

With Christine and Bryce in the side, anything is possible!!

[R!skysports]

Edinburgh team.



Surely we won't lose to the Dragons at home? Surely??

With Christine and Bryce in the side, anything is possible!!

With Edinburgh, anything is possible - except rugby

[EST]

That Edinburgh midfield looks like a car crash waiting to happen.

[funnyExiledScot]

That Edinburgh midfield looks like a car crash waiting to happen.

Agreed. A defensive liability at 12 and a player at 13 who lacks pace and is still learning the role. All that coupled with a fullback who makes Dan Parks look like Brian Lima.

[RiscaGame]

That Edinburgh midfield looks like a car crash waiting to happen.

Agreed. A defensive liability at 12 and a player at 13 who lacks pace and is still learning the role. All that coupled with a fullback who makes Dan Parks look like Brian Lima.

Ahhhh good. We have a 12 in Dixon who likes crashing up, so maybe some joy there and Sam Beard has been our best centre. We have our third choice loosehead and second choice tighthead starting, so maybe some joy for Embra there. I'd consider Hobbs and Fairbrother to be our best scrummagers anyway and both are out.

Really want Tovey to go well though.

[RDW]

After a decent start to the season Tovey has been utter gash for most of the rest of it - his headless chicken performances have been a big factor in some of our losses this year, particularly Munster at home.

A prime example of the Edinburgh effect ruining good players!

[jimbopip]

After a decent start to the season Bringing the form which made him look a good player Tovey has been utter gash for most of the rest of it Edinburgh's innovative coaching techniques begin to have the customary results- his headless chicken performances have been a big factor in some of our losses thus year, particularly Munster at home.He is now playing at the same level as his teammates

[jimbopip]

See me!
See yon quote function!
See Fridays at home.

[RDW]

Gold star for Jimbo!

[RiscaGame]

[Guest]

After a decent start to the season Tovey has been utter gash for most of the rest of it - his headless chicken performances have been a big factor in some of our losses this year, particularly Munster at home.

A prime example of the Edinburgh effect ruining good players!

I know others (maybe including Risca?) will disagree with me, but that's how I saw Tovey at the Dragons. A couple of good games mixed in with a load of average or below average ones. It's that inconsistency that was frustrating. People blamed the coaches, but it seems to have happened to him at the Blues and Edinburgh too. Some of that has to be down to the player not being that good.

[MacKnocked-on]

Not sure it's been commented on but I see that London Scottish have appointed a new director of rugby with Lineen and Dalziel both leaving and returning to Scotland, I wonder what role the SRU might find for them?

[RDW]

The only thing justifying his selection just now is that he's not Duncan Weir!

[tigertattie]

See me!
See yon quote function!
See Fridays at home.

how do you keep faffing it up you silly silly boy lol

Still, we'll forgive you as I'm still half laughing, half greeting at the story about the lad who runs like he's wearing waders

[EST]

That Edinburgh midfield looks like a car crash waiting to happen.

Agreed. A defensive liability at 12 and a player at 13 who lacks pace and is still learning the role. All that coupled with a fullback who makes Dan Parks look like Brian Lima.

Ahhhh good. We have a 12 in Dixon who likes crashing up, so maybe some joy there and Sam Beard has been our best centre. We have our third choice loosehead and second choice tighthead starting, so maybe some joy for Embra there. I'd consider Hobbs and Fairbrother to be our best scrummagers anyway and both are out.

Really want Tovey to go well though.

Sam Beard - one of the few Edinburgh signings who showed any promise.....and they let him go.  I always rated him, decent pace, decent step and he is quite a physical guy. 

Rasolea came over from the Western Force and, while dangerous going forward, has no clue what to do in defence.  Dean is a lightweight backrow, who converted to 12, and is now being asked to play at 13 - no where near enough pace to cover an outside break, so Beard may get some joy there.

[jimbopip]

See me!
See yon quote function!
See Fridays at home.

how do you keep faffing it up you silly silly boy lol

Still, we'll forgive you as I'm still half laughing, half greeting at the story about the lad who runs like he's wearing waders

Thanks Tattie, but you may need to be more specific in future; there are a lot of Luvviefans on here and "runs like he's wearing waders" could cause them no end of confusion.

[RuggerRadge2611]

Saying Tovey is a "better" option than Duncan Weir is the same as saying loosing your arm at the elbow is "better" than losing it at the shoulder.

Edinburgh are desperate for a 10 that can make the most of our powerful pack and pacey outside backs.

[EWT Spoons]

There is a lot to question in this article, such as Hodge suggesting it was a shame we couldn't get a couple of results during the Myerside trial....a couple!! One would be a start!  

But anyway, seems like Cockerill is looking at who stays and who goes as apparently he's asked Hodge to play a couple of players who he's not seen play yet.

Richard Cockerill may not officially take over as Edinburgh head coach until the summer but it appears he is already having a say in selection. Acting boss Duncan Hodge revealed yesterday that it was a chat with Cockerill – who is currently in caretaker charge of Toulon where he has been working since his sacking by Leicester at the start of the year – which has led to hooker George Turner getting a start against Dragons at Myreside tonight.

With internationals Ross Ford and Stuart McInally battling for the No 2 jersey, the 24-year-old Turner has become a bit of a forgotten man, and Hodge explained: “He had a couple of games for us during the Six Nations. He’s a hugely talented player but just hasn’t had much of an opportunity. “There’s a bit of thinking of things going forward and we’ll see how he goes. Speaking to Richard [Cockerill], he’s seen most of the squad but George is one of these guys he hasn’t seen.

“George maybe feels a bit hard done to, he’s not had much game time. We’ve had four hookers who have generally been fit so he’s not had that opportunity. People know he is a very talented player. He’s got a great skill set so it will be good to see him play tomorrow. “There’s a bit of luck and a bit of coincidence but basically we’ve had four hookers who have not been injured all year. You can guarantee next year that will be different! But that’s the way it goes. And with hooker, like nines and tens, they are very specialist positions. Hooking’s their one job so if there are no injuries you can struggle to get game time.

Back-rows and second rows can slot in and get bench slots but that’s not how it is with hooker. “He was at London Scottish to get five or six games in a row and then he came back during the Six Nations.”

Turner is one of four changes from the team that slumped to an eighth successive loss at Treviso two weeks ago, with centre Junior Rasolea also getting a chance to show Cockerill what he can do, with Phil Burleigh rested.

Scotland flanker John Hardie, returns to the bench after recovering from the knee injury he sustained in the bruising Six Nations encounter with France in Paris and, with the New Zealand-born openside out of contract at the end of the season, tonight’s clash with the Welsh side and next weekend’s 1872 Cup return at Glasgow could be his last two games in an Edinburgh jersey.

“It’s a boost. It will be good to seem him play,” said Hodge of Hardie’s return. “We know what he’s about, he’s a good player and will hopefully get some decent game time.”

There may be a real end-of-season feel as Edinburgh’s wretched campaign approaches its conclusion but Hodge and his players are fired up for a match which is not without consequences. A fifth Pro12 defeat at Myreside would see the capital side slip even further down the table and, with the two Italian sides facing each other on the last weekend, would open up the possibility of a bottom-two finish. “Absolutely. We’ve got a huge focus on tomorrow night,” said Hodge. “The Dragons showed two weekends ago against Scarlets that they are a good side with good players. They are always tricky to play against, there is some areas of the game you have to be well aware of, but we need to focus on ourselves and get ourselves right.”

This evening marks the end of the six-game trial period at Myreside, with a consultation process to follow to determine whether to continue at the George Watson’s ground next season. It is clearly a more suitable size of arena than BT Murrayfield, although hopes that a real Myreside buzz could be generated have been hit by poor performances, results and weather. Hodge said: “From a team point of view that we’ve just not been able to get over the line on four occasions.

“As I understand it, the opinions of the team, players, school, residents, everything gets canvassed after this period. We’ve enjoyed it. We’re just gutted we haven’t got a couple of results.

“The weather has been a factor. I think the pitch has been in good nick but probably needs a bit of work as well – but these are all things we understand.”

Then to make matters worse at the end of this article there is a comments section, I won't copy that chat in, but there is someone suggesting that Meggetland has better communication links than Myerside.  I assume they mean transport as that was what their comment was mainly about, which is interesting as they are practically on the same road and are a 10 minute walk from each other.

[RDW]

I did wonder why George Turner was getting a start. He's not had much of a chance but has been a decent squad player when called upon.

Neil Cochrane is getting on a bit so Turner my find himself up the pecking order.

[EWT Spoons]

I found it interesting Hodge talking about a hookers one job being hooking, considering Ford generally doesn't.

[EST]

The rationale given by Hodge for not picking Turner is just total nonsense.  If he is such a talented player, with a great skill set (which I happen to think is true, from what I've seen from him), then, Duncan, you could have played him any time you wanted.

[tigertattie]

It's quiet!

Too quiet!!!

Has Gwlad been banned or something?

[RDW]

We're all still in shock that Jimbo got the quote function right

[tigertattie]

We're all still in shock that Jimbo got the quote function right

he seems to have some sort of 50/50 success rate.

Which to be fair is much higher than Sean Maitland's tries to games played ratio!

[RDW]

We're all still in shock that Jimbo got the quote function right

he seems to have some sort of 50/50 success rate.

Which to be fair is much higher than Sean Maitland's tries to games played ratio!

Or Finn Russell's drop goal success rate (which I think is 0%....)

[IanBru]

Saying Tovey is a "better" option than Duncan Weir is the same as saying loosing your arm at the elbow is "better" than losing it at the shoulder.

Edinburgh are desperate for a 10 that can make the most of our powerful pack and pacey outside backs.

I'm not sure why, but this reminds me of the scene in 'Moneyball' (if you haven't yet, watch it.) where the two baseball managers are discussing how best to tell a player that he's been fired.

"Would you rather get one shot in the head or five in the chest and bleed to death?"
"Are those my only two options?"

[funnyExiledScot]

David Justice: What is your biggest fear?
Scott Hatteberg: A baseball being hit in my general direction...

This always reminds me of my first foray into rugby as a schoolboy.....

[jimbopip]

David Justice: What is your biggest fear?
Scott Hatteberg: A baseball being hit in my general direction...

This always reminds me of my first foray into Rugby as a schoolboy.....

Fixed that for you. No charge.

[RDW]

Both are identical Jimbo?

[Guest]

Always very entertaining threads these, men! Much more fun than the depressing Dragons one

Keep up the good work/banter.

[RDW]

Pitiful crowd at Myreside - the main stand isn't even full! Lucky if it's over 2000.

[Eejit]

Where's this game then. I seem to have Irish basketball on TG4

[RDW]

BBC Alba. An Irish channel is unlikely to be showing it to be fair!

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