Glasgow and Edinburgh 28 and Counting - The banter goes on!

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28 and counting, where do we get the energy!

Another Glasgow re-signing coming up this afternoon, following on from the White Rhino, the animal theme is hinted at again. Who could that be?

Ancient history:

https://www.606v2.com/t70348p1000-glasgow-and-edinburgh-unceasing-banter-thread-27#4033843

Can't ask for a better start really - job done Edinburgh

Who was the Saffer co commentator?

Bobby Skinstat

He lives in UK now. I think he is a very good summariser

BigGee wrote:Bobby Skinstat

He lives in UK now. I think he is a very good summariser

He was good. Quite a random choice...!

Plenty entertainment from Edinburgh with no real test from Dragons. The players would benefit from a good blow out before a tough SA trip.

Darcy Graham is the definition of electric. Kinghorn made a huge impact when he came on.

Bennett isn't a frontline kicker!

I was having a chat with the Schizoid One (all of them) last night and he commented that The Luvvies looked like they were playing for HMQ.

I couldn't help thinking that Glasgow had looked like they wee playing for HMP.

RDW wrote:

Bennett isn't a frontline kicker!

Thst was about the only blackspot for them, good job it was not a close game.

I thought Immelman kicked a bit for them last year, surprised he did not take over.

Kicking could bd an issue for them till Boff gets back. Other than VDW, who is unlikely to be in the starting team these days, none of the others are really top drawer kickers

https://youtu.be/UfFNaYMsZPg?t=915

Russell starting well with Racing this season which is good to see. Clip above is an assist he created in first half.

Watched Worcester v Exeter this afternoon

Got to say, both Macallam (despite picking up a YC for a high tackle) and Sutherland both played well and certainly looked up for the fight. DVDM was on the sidelines (assuming injured).

Macallam in particular, looks like he might still be a TH option for Scotland going forward.

JG was prominent for Exeter as well, so hopefully rediscovering his mojo.

Macallum alway struck me as a player who just needed a run of games under his belt buy successive coaches (who admitted he had huge potential) kept knocking him down the pecking order because he didn't have enough experience

Glad to hear he's doing well!

He seems to be Worcester starting TH atm.

Lets hope that continues after the next few days!

bsando wrote:https://youtu.be/UfFNaYMsZPg?t=915

Russell starting well with Racing this season which is good to see. Clip above is an assist he created in first half.

Did I hear correctly that he went off injured early?

RDW wrote:

bsando wrote:https://youtu.be/UfFNaYMsZPg?t=915

Russell starting well with Racing this season which is good to see. Clip above is an assist he created in first half.

Did I hear correctly that he went off injured early?

I don't think so, he slotted 17 points in total for Racing. Great to see him with the kicking duties actually! Saw some post match comments from the coaches saying he did well and no mention of injury.

Apparently Barrett might be replacing him next season though, so this is his last shot at Champions Cup glory realistically. That is unless he can get a new contract at another one of the big money sides in Europe. I'll be interested to see where he goes next if he does end up leaving Paris at the end of this season. If I were to guess I would probably say a southern French side or the EP.

If Finn wants to stay in France it will be hard to find a starting berth at most of the bigger clubs . Toulouse have Ntamack( Les bleus starter), Bordeaux have Jalibert ( Les blues back up), Montpellier have Carbonnell (Les blues third choice) and Garbisi (Italy starter), La Rochelle have Hastoy ( Les bleus fourth choice!), Toulon have West, Clermont have 2 former French tens in Belleau and Plisson.
After a decade when France failed to produce a couple of quality 10's there is now a surplus of top notch stand offs.

It might depend on whether he decides to carry on playing for Scotland after the WC.

Given his well known issues with the SRU and the fact that he will be 30 plus by then might make him decide to concentrate on his club career and cash in on the last few years of his career. He would be a more attractive option in France if he was avsilsble all season long and could cover a French players international absences.

The other place he might go for the cash is the Japanese league! Finn seems the adventurous type so he might jet out there post-world cup for a good payday!

Otherwise in the Prem where would he fit? No one has cash in the bank at the moment but he could get picked up by Bath, London Irish or Bristol? all 3 of which can splash cash when wanted but aren't top level enough to think they dont need to

If Finn is old, slow and expensive by the end of this season, then that's catnip for Toulon.

Delighted for Edinburgh. Nearly threw the kids' hamsters against the wall after watching Glasgow.

Bit of a Scottish (sort of in Jack's case) influx to LI today.

Patrick Harrison and Jamie Jack join on loan from Edinburgh as injury cover, whilst Logan Trotter also signs after a successful trial. All three are in the 23 to play in the Prem Cup tomorrow (Trotter and Harrison starting)

That's a really excellent opportunity for those boys.

George Carlin wrote:
. Nearly threw the kids' hamsters against the wall after because I was watching Glasgow.

GC Enough of the hamster juggling. Didn't the whippets teach you anything?

Why not make a thread for the Glasgow v Cardiff game on Friday?

Oh! Don't bother speculating about Shug or The Wonder Kid. The injury update says another 7 and 5 weeks respectively.

Margin_Walker wrote:Bit of a Scottish (sort of in Jack's case) influx to LI today.

Patrick Harrison and Jamie Jack join on loan from Edinburgh as injury cover, whilst Logan Trotter also signs after a successful trial. All three are in the 23 to play in the Prem Cup tomorrow (Trotter and Harrison starting)

Terrific news. LI have some very talented players in the squad. Some good enough to be ignored by Eddie Jones, which is the highest praise you can pay an English player.

George Carlin wrote:
Delighted for Edinburgh. Nearly threw the kids' hamsters against the wall after watching Glasgow.

Seriously. Get them a proper pet, like a dog.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

George Carlin wrote:
Delighted for Edinburgh. Nearly threw the kids' hamsters against the wall after watching Glasgow.

Seriously. Get them a proper pet, like a dog.

Dogs are harder to throw. Work smart, not hard.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

George Carlin wrote:
Delighted for Edinburgh. Nearly threw the kids' hamsters against the wall after watching Glasgow.

Seriously. Get them a proper pet, like a dog.

Makes me sad. We got a dog - a lovely golden retriever, 3 months old.

It transpired that even with my wife, our nanny and I spending all of our non-working time with him and the kids all over him when they came back from school - he was still bored at home, hence him digging up the whole garden and ripping the cushions from our garden furniture to shreds. He also got big quite fast and that intimidated my wife, despite being the nicest natured dog on earth. The solution was that we gave him to good family friends who lived 10 minutes away, as one of their 4 goldens died.

Turns out he just needed to be around other dogs all day. Now we can see him but without him wrecking our house.

Still wish we had him though - it looks weird when a 40 year old man goes out for a walk without a dog. It seems you don't have a good enough reason to do it solo, in the eyes of some.

GC, when we ever meet up for a "drop o' the cratur", as Para Handy would say, I'll tell you my own dog owning story. Bring tears to a glass eye it would.

Interesting line up for tomorrow's match. still going with a 6/2 split.

George Carlin wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:

George Carlin wrote:
Delighted for Edinburgh. Nearly threw the kids' hamsters against the wall after watching Glasgow.

Seriously. Get them a proper pet, like a dog.

Makes me sad. We got a dog - a lovely golden retriever, 3 months old.

It transpired that even with my wife, our nanny and I spending all of our non-working time with him and the kids all over him when they came back from school - he was still bored at home, hence him digging up the whole garden and ripping the cushions from our garden furniture to shreds. He also got big quite fast and that intimidated my wife, despite being the nicest natured dog on earth. The solution was that we gave him to good family friends who lived 10 minutes away, as one of their 4 goldens died.

Turns out he just needed to be around other dogs all day. Now we can see him but without him wrecking our house.

Still wish we had him though - it looks weird when a 40 year old man goes out for a walk without a dog. It seems you don't have a good enough reason to do it solo, in the eyes of some.

Now I feel bad (ish). Agreed on the last point. I really enjoy walking, and like a munro, however if you do it solo folk just think you're weird (an assumption I now make when I see such folk). Go with a dog and it just makes sense.

I sense Edinburgh are in for a rude awakening down in South Africa!

Worrying times in the AP with Worcester and Wasps looking in serious trouble. A very stark reminder of how precarious professional rugby is as a business entity.

Again reinforces the complex relationship fans have with Mark Dodson. There's no denying he's steered the SRU ship through incredibly choppy waters, and has recently posted the financial statement which showed an increase of revenue of 5M compared to last year.

But with that has certainly come great controversy!

Who is this Tom Jordan bloke at 10 for Glasgow btw?

TJ is an Auusie who has been syong for Ayrshire Bulls.

Made a good impression and got a pro contrsct during last season, without ever playing.

Jury very much out as to how he is faring as a pro.

He was mainly a 12 not a 10 at Ayr and it was always going to be a big step up.

Glasgow showing their lack of options though.

Duncy looked past his best last year and Miotti either out of favour or injured. We badly need him fit again and it is good to see him on the bench this week.

Jordan may deserve another chance though. A bit hard to place to much blame on a new FH, playing his first pro gsme, when his forwards played like Jessie's and his SH could not throw a decent pass.

We may know more by 22.00 tomorrow!

Miotti is on the bench, which very much shows how he's regarded given how you just described Jordan!

BigGee wrote:TJ is an Auusie who has been syong for Ayrshire Bulls.

Made a good impression and got a pro contrsct during last season, without ever playing.

Jury very much out as to how he is faring as a pro.

He was mainly a 12 not a 10 at Ayr and it was always going to be a big step up.

Glasgow showing their lack of options though.

You had me at Ayr. I smell World Class.

RDW wrote:Miotti is on the bench, which very much shows how he's regarded given how you just described Jordan!

Just back from an injury, so that may not be entirely the case.

Truth is. We don't really know much about the Argentinian either, as he did not get a look in last season, for reasons that were never clear.


It seems Thompson won't be back for a good few weeks, so we may have a better idea of the FH pecking order by then.

BigGee wrote:

RDW wrote:Miotti is on the bench, which very much shows how he's regarded given how you just described Jordan!

Just back from an injury, so that may not be entirely the case.

Truth is. We don't really know much about the Argentinian either, as he did not get a look in last season, for reasons that were never clear.


It seems Thompson won't be back for a good few weeks, so we may have a better idea of the FH pecking order by then.

It's a bit out there, but I wonder whether George Horne has the versatility gene and could dabble at 10? He's certainly got the passing range, gas and eye for a gap.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

BigGee wrote:

RDW wrote:Miotti is on the bench, which very much shows how he's regarded given how you just described Jordan!

Just back from an injury, so that may not be entirely the case.

Truth is. We don't really know much about the Argentinian either, as he did not get a look in last season, for reasons that were never clear.


It seems Thompson won't be back for a good few weeks, so we may have a better idea of the FH pecking order by then.

It's a bit out there, but I wonder whether George Horne has the versatility gene and could dabble at 10? He's certainly got the passing range, gas and eye for a gap.

Jeez I thought we had finally moved on from forcing players out of position!

Horne is also incredibly tiny - he'd make Laidlaw at 10 look like Francois Steyn by comparison

He is also struggling to even put in a decent game at SH atm, so asking him to try and control a game from stand off does not bear thinking about!

You can thank Innis & Gunn for that suggestion!

Well with us speculating what Finn will be doing next season, he comes out with an interview with Mark Palmer to steer us in the right direction and it looks as if he wants to stay in France. He is also about to become a father, so let's see if that changes him at all.




Finn Russell has warned Scotland that they must overcome the inconsistencies which have dogged them since the 2021 Six Nations if they are not to suffer a second successive pool-stage exit at next year’s World Cup.

Gregor Townsend’s team claimed historic away wins over both England and France last year but have since flattered to deceive in the 2021 Autumn Nations Series and this year’s Six Nations and summer tour.

At the 2023 World Cup, which takes place in France next September and October, they are in a group with the defending champions South Africa and Ireland, the world’s No 1 ranked team, who thrashed them in the 2019 tournament.

Only two teams progress to the quarter-finals from each group and Russell, who turns 30 today, is in no doubt that Scotland must improve — and quickly — to stand any chance of being one of them.

In an exclusive interview with The Times, Russell said: “It was frustrating this year, we didn’t have our best tournament [in the Six Nations]; we were up and down. I don’t know what we’re lacking. It’s a big year so we need to nail it. If we go into it[the World Cup] and play like that, we’ll struggle to get out of the group.

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“Japan [the last World Cup] was poor, we lost the two games [to Ireland and the tournament hosts] and didn’t get out of the group. I don’t think we showed how well we can play, which was really frustrating. It was the same in this year’s Six Nations. How can we not let that [the same thing] happen? It’s easy to ask the question, but something is going to have to change for us not to be back there again when it comes to the next World Cup.”

Stuart Hogg, another Scotland talisman who himself turned 30 earlier this year, has already confirmed that the 2023 tournament will be his last World Cup. Russell, by contrast, remains open-minded about whether he will go on until the 2027 event in Australia.

“Will this be my last World Cup? I don’t know; it could be. I’ll be 31 when it comes round, so 35 at the next one. What age was Greig [Laidlaw] at the last one in Japan? 34? I suppose it depends who comes through. Look at Ireland and Johnny Sexton; they’ve got a few boys coming through but not at his level. I’m not going to say it’s definitely my last World Cup because you never know what can happen. Look at Jimmy Gopperth, 39 and still going strong in the Premiership [with Leicester Tigers].

“There’s no point in shutting the door and making my mind up yet. I’ll take it as it comes, as I do with most things.”

Russell revealed that he intends to stay in France after the tournament, despite having been heavily linked with a move to Japan.

It had been thought that the Scotland fly half could be tempted to cash in on a big-money switch to one of the game’s new financial hotspots when his Racing 92 contract expires next summer, but the British & Irish Lion told The Times that a desire to win more meaningful silverware will see him remain in the Top 14.

Russell has so far won only one senior title — the 2015 Pro12 with Glasgow Warriors — and says it is his priority to rectify this in the latter stages of his career.

Green Rockets Tokatsu, the Japanese side where Michael Cheika is the director of rugby, last year tried to buy out the remainder of Russell’s Racing deal and, while the playmaker admits he gave the offer “serious consideration”, he does not believe the time is right for him to leave one of Europe’s leading leagues.

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“I looked at it, for sure,” said Russell, who is about to become a father for the first time. “But to go to Japan right now is probably not right for me. It would mess season timings up for the international stuff, and being over there with a newborn would be tough. If the money’s right, of course you have to look at it. In rugby, you’ve not got a long career — the money is good but it’s not like being a footballer.

“When you’re limited in what you can make with the salary cap, if you can go and double it somewhere else, especially at 30 years old you have to look at that, and be like, how much longer am I going to play for? Could a couple of years of this set me up for after rugby? I’m not against the idea, I just don’t think I’m ready for it yet.

“I spoke to Racing a little bit about it [a potential contract renewal] last year. Last year wasn’t my best so I wasn’t in a position to start demanding the figures I’d want. For me, this year, it’s a case of get out and play as well as I can. Hopefully Racing still want me, but if not, that’s how it goes.

“It’s different when you’ve got a little one coming. It’s not just me saying I’m going here or there. I definitely want to stay in France for the little one growing up. I can get a passport after this year, the baby can get a passport on day one, and it’s a nice life here. I like it.

“I don’t know where [what club he will be playing for]. I’ll wait and see. Definitely in France. I still want to win things. It’s not about completely selling myself for an extra 50k a year. I want to play and win things: that’s still my main goal.

“Everyone wants to win things. If you play sport and don’t want to win things, it doesn’t make sense. Racing have been in three Champions Cup finals and lost them all. The 2020 one [against Exeter Chiefs] was annoying — we probably should have won that final. The way I was playing that year, the way the team was going, it would have been good to win it.”

Interesting chat from Russell - getting to the latter stages of his career, he's starting to reflect on his achievements and is clearly discovering his trophy cabinet is quite bare. For all people herald him as a fantastic player, he's not won a huge amount of silverware!

Maybe we'll see a new focus from him with regards to Scotland?

Tramptastic wrote:Interesting chat from Russell - getting to the latter stages of his career, he's starting to reflect on his achievements and is clearly discovering his trophy cabinet is quite bare. For all people herald him as a fantastic player, he's not won a huge amount of silverware!

Maybe we'll see a new focus from him with regards to Scotland?

If he wants to win something I don't think Scotland is where he should be looking!

We've had a golden generation the last 6-7 years there is no doubt, but I suspect their best days are behind them. I hope I'm wrong.

RDW wrote:

We've had a golden generation the last 6-7 years there is no doubt, but I suspect their best days are behind them. I hope I'm wrong.

A few, Hoggy and Gray, have picked up some honours elsewhere, but certainly this golden generation has underachieved, especially at international level!

i do believe that Hornito started out, at Howe Of Fife?, as a 10.

jimbopip wrote:i do believe that Hornito started out, at Howe Of Fife?, as a 10.

Played 10 for the u20s as well, but neither of those things mean he should go back there now. Apart from his well documented game management skills, can you imagine the damage that would be caused by every opposition team sending their biggest back row down the 10 channel every single play.

Even a Roman Emperor would have struggled to dream such a cruel spectacle. He would be lucky not to be in intensive care by half time!

RDW wrote:

Tramptastic wrote:Interesting chat from Russell - getting to the latter stages of his career, he's starting to reflect on his achievements and is clearly discovering his trophy cabinet is quite bare. For all people herald him as a fantastic player, he's not won a huge amount of silverware!

Maybe we'll see a new focus from him with regards to Scotland?

If he wants to win something I don't think Scotland is where he should be looking!

We've had a golden generation the last 6-7 years there is no doubt, but I suspect their best days are behind them. I hope I'm wrong.

Being a delusional scottish sports fan is part of our culture. We dared to dream of more than 2 scots on the lions tour and we got more! 5 i think?

Aye maybe i framed the comment around silverware too much but the intention to do something significant at international test level or win more stuff at club level is clearly a motivation. Imagine if he retires at 35 and when people ask him "what did you achieve?" and his best answer is "mind that sweet miss pass that found Huw Jones in the 2018 test against England? Yeh that...". What a sorry end like.

It does make you wonder what an excellent club player has a right to expect in terms of silverware over a career. I think back to Johnny Wilkinson showing a staggering loyalty to Falcons despite it being very obvious that they were never going to be challenging for the title. It wasn't until Toulon came calling that St Johnners really started to clock up the silver.

You basically have to be in the right club at the right time. Johnny Sexton isn't necessarily a better player than Russell but he has won 3 Heineken/ECR Champions Cups just by virtue of being involved in the Leinster Robogym Juggernaut at the time their move to world domination started. Makes you wonder what a satisfying career really is.

Law, for example, is not one of them.

RDW wrote:

Tramptastic wrote:Interesting chat from Russell - getting to the latter stages of his career, he's starting to reflect on his achievements and is clearly discovering his trophy cabinet is quite bare. For all people herald him as a fantastic player, he's not won a huge amount of silverware!

Maybe we'll see a new focus from him with regards to Scotland?

If he wants to win something I don't think Scotland is where he should be looking!

We've had a golden generation the last 6-7 years there is no doubt, but I suspect their best days are behind them. I hope I'm wrong.

He should move to Edinburgh. At least he'll bag a few 1872 cups.

George Carlin wrote:It does make you wonder what an excellent club player has a right to expect in terms of silverware over a career. I think back to Johnny Wilkinson showing a staggering loyalty to Falcons despite it being very obvious that they were never going to be challenging for the title. It wasn't until Toulon came calling that St Johnners really started to clock up the silver.

You basically have to be in the right club at the right time. Johnny Sexton isn't necessarily a better player than Russell but he has won 3 Heineken/ECR Champions Cups just by virtue of being involved in the Leinster Robogym Juggernaut at the time their move to world domination started. Makes you wonder what a satisfying career really is.

Law, for example, is not one of them.

I love the law. Can't imagine how boring it must be to be a professional sportsman and have 60 000 people cheering you on each week. Marking up contracts is much cooler.

Alan Shearer is a football parallel that springs to mind. Turned down Man Utd to play for his home side and won hee haw. In his case winning the Prem earlyish with Blackburn seemed to scratch that itch.

Just realised I was doing the Edinburgh commentary on the wrong thread!

Darcy gets another, really bizarre, as a Bennett penalty comes off the post and all the Bulls players just watch it, Graham follows up and scores

22-19 Bulls

and another for Darcy, his third, Bulls look the more tired side.

25-24 Bulls

Bulls score and get their BP

Misses' conversion though, so stays a one score game

30-24 bulls

Wow, another great try for Edinburgh, Hoyland scores and narrows the angle for the conversion