Glasgow and Edinburgh - Unceasing Banter Thread 27

[George Carlin]

First topic message reminder :

For those Scottish and Scottish-rugby interested posters who just cannot seem to shut the feic up about it.

26,000 posts of abject nonsense and incorrect usage of the quote function (and counting).

We should be proud.

[Geordie]

CHeers Hazel, so its pretty much a Falcons Fringe and Academy XV v Edinburgh Fringe and Academy game.

[RDW]

CHeers Hazel, so its pretty much a Falcons Fringe and Academy XV v Edinburgh Fringe and Academy game.

These are exactly the type of games that Edinburgh and Glasgow really need in this period! A lot of those players have barely played this season. Some of them not at all.

[Geordie]

Any info on the game. I heard our youngbwinger Stephens scored a cracker

[BigGee]

https://www.theoffsideline.com/southern-knights-beat-newcastle-falcons-to-claim-doddie-club-trophy/


Here is a write up of the game, might have a slightly Scottish perspective though!

[Hazel Sapling]

Wasn't sure where to put this, watched the second half of Northampton vs Leicester this morning (BT do it without the restarts or having to watch the scrums unless something happens).

At 15, Hutchinson did brilliantly to set up a try and was used as an extra playmaker to good effect. He did make a terrible mistake getting charged down when he really should not have kicked. Got taken out by Proctor when it was a 1 vs 2 defenders and Proctor got handed off into him taking him out as well. Not sure I can blame him for that. Overall did not look out of place at 15 and may get a bit of run there.

Dingwall did not look too bad either though more of a straight runner. At international level, not sure he has the overall game to get by being a smaller centre who carries hard.

[Margin_Walker]

Kyle Rowe looking sharp off the bench for LI yesterday in the loss to Bristol. Cracking solo try

https://youtu.be/zO69FMUGlSc?t=254

[BigGee]

Good try the boy has got some gas

Nice to see him getting some game time at Irish, he seems to be settling in well

[BigGee]

https://twitter.com/theoffsideline/status/1456692053996359682


Super 6 this season, somewhat against the naysayers expectations, has proved a rip roaring success and it seems the plans are in place to increase it to 8 then 10 teams.

The next candidates for a franchise it would seem and as soon as next season, are Glasgow (which it never made any sense to miss out on initially) and London, with London Scottish keen to pick up the challenge.

It seems the English Championship is going to be revamped and LS clearly are not at the races financially as can be seen by their recent 100 point thrashing by Ealing! They could however likely put together a suitable squad for Super 8 and this would be a natural pathway for SQ youngsters in the South East of England, of which their are many, towards Scottish pro rugby and international honours.

This is a well worn pathway, LS has provided more Scotland caps than any other clubs.

Lots of horse trading to go before anything is signed up but there is likely a market for it down here. I certainly watched and enjoyed the Super 6 on TV this year and would happily go and watch LS if they played in that league.

Will watch this one with interest.

[RDW]

Kyle Rowe scored a hattrick for LI!

Quite remarkable that he's gone from a relatively unknown 7s player who was soon to be looking for a normal job, to one of the top Prem try scorers.

[BigGee]

Another good winger coming through, there is quite a queue now!

[Margin_Walker]

Kyle Rowe scored a hattrick for LI!

Quite remarkable that he's gone from a relatively unknown 7s player who was soon to be looking for a normal job, to one of the top Prem try scorers.

Scored the try to draw deep in injury time. His second was another superb solo effort from his own half. He looks a real talent

[BigGee]

Gordy Reid goes from playing amateur club rugby for Marr (in the second row!) to wasps to help out with their prop crisis on a short term deal!

That is quite a step up for someone who has not played pro rugby for at least 2 years!

It kinda makes you think that he was not really ready to pack it in at the top level (though he did not have that at his control necessarily at the time) and you do wonder how he is in the kind of shape to do this, it is a massive step up and unless he has been keeping himself in that sort of condition, he could be in a bit of trouble.

Maybe Wasps just want him there for some scrummaging practice and to fulfil contractual obligations in having available props, they could loss points and be heavily fined if they failed to fulfil a fixture due to no available front rows. It will be interesting to see if he does get any game time.

[tigertattie]

Is this a safe space? Sorry but it looks like a finger on the eye to me. It’s even worse in video which I’m not techy enough to know how to post

[BigGee]

He was a lucky boy!

[Tramptastic]

aye that looks dodgy as anyhin like, although, and its a very small saving grace, his fingers arent curled in the eye area (the curled forefinger is holding his gum shield)

But still, i'd of banned him

[tigertattie]

That’s why the video is worse Trampy, he starts to curl his fingers

Lucky lucky laddie

Or silly silly boy

[George Carlin]

Gordy Reid goes from playing amateur club rugby for Marr (in the second row!) to wasps to help out with their prop crisis on a short term deal!

That is quite a step up for someone who has not played pro rugby for at least 2 years!

It kinda makes you think that he was not really ready to pack it in at the top level (though he did not have that at his control necessarily at the time) and you do wonder how he is in the kind of shape to do this, it is a massive step up and unless he has been keeping himself in that sort of condition, he could be in a bit of trouble.

Maybe Wasps just want him there for some scrummaging practice and to fulfil contractual obligations in having available props, they could loss points and be heavily fined if they failed to fulfil a fixture due to no available front rows. It will be interesting to see if he does get any game time.

Marr is my club.

[Hazel Sapling]

Skinner now rumoured to being chased by Worcester after rumours of him going to Wasps. Looks like he is after a starting berth.

No natural fit at a Scots club but would rather he goes to Wasps who really could use a guy entering his prime to take over from the old guard.

[BigGee]

Warriors put out a video this morning of the international players back at training, emphasizing the debutants.

One of them was fuzzed out on the video, so we could not see who it was.

Could it be Ashman?

There was talk of a loan and with Brown still out, it may perhaps make more sense to come to Glasgow for some game time until he gets back up and running. He certainly needs to be playing more regularly than Sale are doing so at the moment id his international ambitions are to kick on.

[BigGee]

And it was indeed Ashman, at Glasgow for the rest of the season!

Good move for him and for the Warriors!

[Hazel Sapling]

Bit of a strange one how quickly Grant Stewart fell down the pecking order.

I guess if Turner is away with Scotland and Brown either in the same boat or injured, Ashman has the potential to be much better than Matthews or Stewart. Would have thought Edinburgh made more sense with McInally the same as Brown and only Cherry really blocking the way.

At the very least, good for Scotland to get him game time which was unlikely to be given at Sale.

[George Carlin]

How is everyone? I was going to come back to the UK for Christmas but apparently everyone is superspreader partying without masks like it's 1989. I still have an infarction in my left lung so it's not really a great time to get COVID.

If I postpone the trip until the new year, I might be able to be in Exfoliation Land just in time for the first 6N game against England.

[RDW]

We've been having a similar deliberation - as much as it would be nice to spend Christmas at home, we're suspecting the UK will be in a bit of a mess by then too. No point going home to see lots of people if we are either highly likely to get Covid ourselves, or end up spreading it round our friends and loved ones!

So we're thinking March when hopefully the situation will be a bit better. That'll be 2 years since seeing our families.

Could time it for a 6N game...

[BigGee]

Hard to judge how covid will go this winter George.

In London and in Scotland rates are actually pretty low at the moment but there is no guarantee they will stay that way. One thing we have learnt about Covid is that trying to prrdict its path often makes you look foolish.

The big worry atm is that people are going to get the double whammy combo of flu and covid this winter at the same time, which would stress anyone. Getting fully vaccinated for both, especially as you are slightly compromised at tbe moment would be a very good idea.

Having been in Scotland ladt weekend for the match though i was impressed by the genrral compliance with mask wearing that was going on, unlike London where most people seem to have just given up on it.

The exception to that though was the Horseshoe Bar in Glasgow where the belief that beer kills all known germs still seems to hold sway!

A great pub though - you frrl as if you are in a time warp!

[bsando]

I’m venturing to France for a week with the expectation that something will mess things up one way or another. Only five weeks away but everything went sour pretty fast last Christmas. Saying that you’d hope it’ll be better this Christmas and governments across Europe won’t lockdown en mass.

Big Gee and weegie fans, you excited for the resumption of the URC? Thé new signings that have arrived look like they could help Glasgow kick on well.

[Hazel Sapling]

Saw my Dad after 2 years earlier this month and due to see my sister after 2 years at Christmas. Travel to and from the USA has been a struggle. Mates of mine are off to Peru and Australia for several weeks after similarly not seeing family. Good thing for all sets that we saw them late 2019 or else it would have been much worse.

GC, got to look after yourself and the UK is going to be a bit of a mess this Christmas. I am in London where not many wear masks outside morning rush hour. There is no stomach for a lockdown so it is going to be a tough winter for the health services.

As for URC, I am looking forward to seeing how the sides get on. I am assuming Price, Fagerson's x 2 and Turner will get a break so Dobie, McCallum, Dempsey and Ashman will have a chance to impress.

[tigertattie]

Stay at home GC. write some amusing threads on here to keep you occupied.

Scotland isn't too bad with mask-wearing still being the law and while our cases are high they aren't rising as fast as England where Boris decided mask-wearing was too much of an infringement on civil liberties so said folk don't have to!

The vaccine really is saving the UK's bacon but things will get worse (pvt Fraser) as we head into the middle of winter. We won't go into another national lockdown but restrictions will come back in some way. For example, I can see nightclubs being closed again (not that it will worry us old folk) and perhaps pubs will be told to close at 10pm again. I also fear that 100% capacity crowds could be binned again with maybe 50% being the maximum. I don't think we'll go back to being told not to go into folks homes or only having 6 people in a house at a time or the like.

This is all dependant on how the rates peak or flatten though. Why the governments aren't doing easy things like mandating mask-wearing, or bringing back easy to do social distancing like keeping 2m away from folk at the check out in Tesco is beyond me. Those are such minor minor inconveniences that could stop bigger measures from having to be taken.

Where's Guy Fawkes when you need him?

[jimbopip]

GC, stay away! The UK should have a red cross painted on it and "UNCLEAN" smeared across the forehead of every politician seen without a mask on. Which is most of the government side during PMQ's
Although most members of the Cabinet should be wearing a mask and stripey jumper after the "PPE and Test And Trace :How To Rob The Taxpayer Blind And Not be Noticed" seminar.

Keep everybody's spirits up with lots of your subtle and understatedly humorous threads.

Gee you said The Horseshoe was like a time warp: I mentioned this to MrsPip and she pointed out it was a time warp when we drank there....in the 1980's!!!

Ashman to Glasgow? Fighting it out with Stewart for 4th/5th place? Or is Chuckles more severely hors de combat than we suspected?

Backs v Benneton

Dobie (Hornito)
Wonder Kid
Miotti-Steyn (Stafford)
Titman-McKay-Forbes (Cancillieri)
I think a 10 playing at 12 gives us a lot of kicking options. He's a Puma so he'll be able to tackle.

Fat Boys
1. Lambert (Kebble)
2. Matthews (Ashman)
3. Pieretto (Berghan)
4. Cummings
5. Ritchie (BigBad)
6. Miller
7.Darge (Mullet)
8. Dempsey

Time to put those uppity Italians in their place. Coming over here and winning our Bake Off.

[BigGee]

Gee you said The Horseshoe was like a time warp: I mentioned this to MrsPip and she pointed out it was a time warp when we drank there....in the 1980's!!!

I can beleive that!

I have been there twice, the first time during the Comonwealth Games in 2014, when i was with my son (17 at the time), it was a bit if an eye opener at the time but we both loved it.

I told my dad when i got home and he got quite misty eyed as apparently he and his father used to go there and i had the story of Roy Rogers visiting with Tirgger ( which i had heard a few times before) regaled again.

This time i went with 2 English friends, first time in Scotland and Glasgow and they loved it as well. Possibly the most authentic pub experience in Glasgow.

I can't imagine how it was in the 1980s when everyone smoked, i would imagine you could not see from one side of the bar to the other!

[BigGee]

Getting away from Roy Rogers and the Horseshoe Bar for a moment, Ross Thompson has extended his contract with Glasgow today.

A bit of a no brainer for both sides but good to see him getting his reward for being capped and the pay rise that aught to go with it.

[Anglobraveheart]

GC, stay away! The UK should have a red cross painted on it and "UNCLEAN" smeared across the forehead of every politician seen without a mask on. Which is most of the government side during PMQ's
Although most members of the Cabinet should be wearing a mask and stripey jumper after the "PPE and Test And Trace :How To Rob The Taxpayer Blind And Not be Noticed" seminar.

Keep everybody's spirits up with lots of your subtle and understatedly humorous threads.

Gee you said The Horseshoe was like a time warp: I mentioned this to MrsPip and she pointed out it was a time warp when we drank there....in the 1980's!!!

Ashman to Glasgow? Fighting it out with Stewart for 4th/5th place? Or is Chuckles more severely hors de combat than we suspected?

Backs v Benneton

Dobie (Hornito)
Wonder Kid
Miotti-Steyn (Stafford)
Titman-McKay-Forbes (Cancillieri)
I think a 10 playing at 12 gives us a lot of kicking options. He's a Puma so he'll be able to tackle.

Fat Boys
1. Lambert (Kebble)
2. Matthews (Ashman)
3. Pieretto (Berghan)
4. Cummings
5. Ritchie (BigBad)
6. Miller
7.Darge (Mullet)
8. Dempsey

Time to put those uppity Italians in their place. Coming over here and winning our Bake Off.

I like your side Jimbo, but from the press release yesterday, it sounded like McKay would be allowed to acclimatise for a while prior to playing? - Maybe he'll be taken for a few days out at the aforementioned Horseshoe Bar?
I wonder also if we will see Bhatti and Fagerson junior somewhere in the squad. Both were involved last week, but Fagerson wasn't the week before, and Bhatti only had half game - on that note, I don't know who looked more pee'd off? Bhatti for copping for the accumulation yellow, or Hamish for being forced to come off to bring a temporary front row on. They both looked like they were licking bad stuff off of a nettle as Hamish walked past him to the exercise bikes!
Do we know if Darge is fit to play again after his training squad injury? I also think that Ashman will start in front of Matthews.

[EST]

I’m venturing to France for a week with the expectation that something will mess things up one way or another. Only five weeks away but everything went sour pretty fast last Christmas. Saying that you’d hope it’ll be better this Christmas and governments across Europe won’t lockdown en mass.

Big Gee and weegie fans, you excited for the resumption of the URC? Thé new signings that have arrived look like they could help Glasgow kick on well.

I think the recruitment of McBeth & Asham will definitely improve the front row and i'm excited to see if young Tom Jordan can translate some of his Super 6 form into the fully pro game - he looks an exciting talent.

Still a way to go in the re-imagining of Glasgow under Wilson, but the recruitment since he has come in appears to have been good.

[BigGee]

Glasgow have got a pretty decent opener against Benetton this weekend, both will be minus a decent amount of their internationals you would imagine.

I think some of the teams who have flown down to SA this weekend to play a rested team may find it a whole lot harder than what we have got!

I was pretty happy with the first section of the season, but we do need to improve our discipline from here on in as harder games await and we can't be giving points away the way we did at times in sept/oct.

[jimbopip]

I’m venturing to France for a week with the expectation that something will mess things up one way or another. Only five weeks away but everything went sour pretty fast last Christmas. Saying that you’d hope it’ll be better this Christmas and governments across Europe won’t lockdown en mass.

Big Gee and weegie fans, you excited for the resumption of the URC? Thé new signings that have arrived look like they could help Glasgow kick on well.

I think the recruitment of McBeth & Asham will definitely improve the front row and i'm excited to see if young Tom Jordan can translate some of his Super 6 form into the fully pro game - he looks an exciting talent.

Still a way to go in the re-imagining of Glasgow under Wilson, but the recruitment since he has come in appears to have been good.

Murray McCallum is to join Worcester at the end of his short term deal with Glasgow. For a laddie with huge potential he doesn't seem able to find a slot anywhere.
It may well be that Mckay's acclimatisation to the Glasgow way of life may take a little bit longer than previously imagined: Batman is in that London this week with the BaaBaas so it'll be early nights and Ovaltine for the new boy until he meets his captain next week.

[Hazel Sapling]

At least McCallum built some form up and will get a shot at Worcester. He may end up pushing Owlett (another SQ) out. I do hope we use him rather than flogging Zander for the next couple of weeks against Treviso and Dragons. Looking for something like (depending on injuries used /)

Kebble - Turner - Pieretto   (Lambert/McBeth - Stewart - Berghan/McCallum)
Cummings - R Gray (BBB)
Dempsey - Miller - Gordon (G Brown)

Dobie - Thompson (Price - Weir)
McDowall - Tuipulotu (Grigg)
McLean - Forbes - Steyn (Cancelliere)

[BigGee]

Well at least McCallum is still in the game and who knows, maybe he will get a decent shot down at Worcester, they have given him 18 months on a contract.

Good luck to him down there.

[RDW]

Well the Ashman move didn't last long - he's been recalled by Sale this weekend as they have a hooker crisis!

[EST]

I'm sure there are plenty of meetings going on at URC HQ this morning - the latest travel ban to SA will no doubt have a huge impact on the tournament over the next block of games.

[RDW]

Real bad timing in SA again. I can't see them being able to host foreign teams for quite a while now - league will be in turmoil.

[EST]

Real bad timing in SA again. I can't see them being able to host foreign teams for quite a while now - league will be in turmoil.

Yeah, very difficult to see how they will be able to sort this out - I do wonder how wise it was to push ahead with this format in the world we currently live.

[Hazel Sapling]

At least Ashman will get the game time he came to us for. He may come to us later if Sale get healthy

Side out for Treviso. S Johnson as captain is interesting

Bhatti - Turner - Kebble (McBeth - Matthews - Pieretto)
Harley - R Gray (McDonald)
M Fagerson - Dempsey - Darge (Gordon)

G Horne - Thompson (Dobie - Weir)
Johnson - Tuipulotu
McLean - Forbes - Steyn (O Smith)

[Hazel Sapling]

Edinburgh side out for Dragons

Venter - McBurney - Nel (Courtney - Cherry - Williams)
Syles - Hodgson
Haining - Bradbury - L Crosbie (Boyle - Muncaster)

Vellacott - Kinghorn (Pyrgos - Savala)
Lang - Currie (Hutchison)
Moyano - Boffelli - Hoyland

Had to look up Courtney. Flatmate with Williams, a 24 year old from NZ. Plays for Watsonians in the Super Six so opportunity knocks. Young side though the back row is massive.

[EST]

Strong team, although frustrated we're continuing with the Kebble at 3 experiment.

I like the backrow and interested to see how Dempsey and Fagerson go, would expect them to be the other way around. Happy to see Ollie Smith there too, he has not adapted to the pro game as quickly as McLean or Thompson, so I hope he can push on now things are a bit more settled at the club.

[BigGee]

A couple of interesting sides out there.

Good to see such a strong Glasgow side, even without Ashman. I suspect the Kebble to TH trial is here to stay, so he might as well get some time in the saddle. We are still not seeing much of the Argentinian boys, but I am sure their time will come.


Edinburgh look a bit light in the front row but otherwise a good team. Great to see Matt Currie, who looks a player of great promise getting a start as well. Him and Lang could be a pretty potent centre partnership. Munchester and Boyle coming off the bench deserve their opportunities as well.

[EST]

A couple of interesting sides out there.

Good to see such a strong Glasgow side, even without Ashman. I suspect the Kebble to TH trial is here to stay, so he might as well get some time in the saddle. We are still not seeing much of the Argentinian boys, but I am sure their time will come.

Edinburgh look a bit light in the front row but otherwise a good team. Great to see Matt Currie, who looks a player of great promise getting a start as well. Him and Lang could be a pretty potent centre partnership. Munchester and Boyle coming off the bench deserve their opportunities as well.

Probably right BigGee, although I had hoped the underwhelming performances over the autumn might have put paid to that.

[jimbopip]

It may be a sign that I am finally growing up: while contemplating the implications of the latest strain of Covid it never once occurred to me that it could affect URC fixtures in the Land Of The Bilious Biltong.
Apparently Scarlets have a fixture there tomorrow. If they had flown before the travel ban then that means a 10 isolation period when they return. So even if they play their fixtures out there they may be cancelling/postponing at least one match when they return.
If other teams are unable to travel out there then more fixtures will be snafued. Doesn't look to good.

On a lighter note...


Bhatti - Turner - Kebble (McBeth - Matthews - Pieretto)
Harley - R Gray (McDonald)
M Fagerson - Dempsey - Darge (Gordon)

G Horne - Thompson (Dobie - Weir)
Johnson - Tuipulotu
McLean - Forbes - Steyn (O Smith )

That is a very good starting XV and the bench should be more than enough.. Great to see McDonald back in the frame. I think we'll take 5 points from this; if Treviso are without their internationals they will feel it more keenly than most clubs.

[RDW]

Edinburgh resting their international players, Glasgow chucking them straight back in.

Good to see Boffeli start but the guy must be knackered - he's played every game for Argentina since June and has been in a bubble for most of that time. Given the injuries and omissions there's no one else!

[BigGee]

Well just watched the Glasgow game and we were awful, hard to say we deserved a point really.

In amongst the mediocrity, it was hard to pick anyone out good or bad, but you would have to say that George Horne just looks a shadow of the player he was a couple of years ago, he had a terrible game. He won't be playing for Scotland much longer if he carries on like this!

I am trying to think of a worse Glasgow performance and unfortunately I keep coming back to Benetton last season. Something about Italy is not agreeing with us these days.

No disrespect to Benetton, who are a stuffy old side these days, but we really did our best to lose that game!

[jimbopip]

Can't disagree with any of that. A very poor performance all round. There was plenty of effort on display but it never really coalesced into a coherent whole.
Horne's box kick after 30 seconds was very poor and seemed to knock him out of his stride for the rest of the game. I think Dobbie is ahead of him and should be starting over him.
Just to put the cherry on the cake...Batman will be isolating now.

[BigGee]

We missed a few leaders today, Batman being the conspicuous one!

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