Glasgow and Edinburgh 29 - Buckfast & Bollinger

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29 threads. There is officially something wrong with us.

https://www.606v2.com/t70624p1000-glasgow-and-edinburgh-28-and-counting-the-banter-goes-on?ns=7ndk62cdm0w%3D#4069230

And another coast to coast from the kick off, this game is warming up

Huw Jones scores this time

61-26 Glasgow

Well for once Glasgow don't go for the drive

They go back down the blindside and Steyn scores in the corner, great hands from Horne and Darge

66-26 Glasgow

YC for George Horne

Drags score a consolation score from the resulting lineout

66-33 Glasgow

Steyn wraps it up with another flowing try and a great pass from Huw Jones

73-33 Glasgow at FT

Johny Mathews going to get MoM

I have to say though that Rory Darge and Ollie Smith were outstanding for Glasgow, both really pushing their Scotland credentials.

Lions to play at home in the quarters!

Meanwhile heartbreak for Scotland women after getting the scoreline to 22-24 their pack faded away and got physically dominated at two scrums in the final 10 mins. The second was their own put in but they went backwards and the Welsh replacement scrum half picked it and up and dived over.

Not all bad from Scotland though, some great tries by the backs, but the Welsh props caused a lot of damage.

bsando wrote:Meanwhile heartbreak for Scotland women after getting the scoreline to 22-24 their pack faded away and got physically dominated at two scrums in the final 10 mins. The second was their own put in but they went backwards and the Welsh replacement scrum half picked it and up and dived over.

Not all bad from Scotland though, some great tries by the backs, but the Welsh props caused a lot of damage.

I know, right? Heartbroken for them.

I switched off before 70 mins, I knew Glasgow would pass 70, and some of our tackling was pathetic for at least 3 of your tries.

mikey_dragon wrote:I switched off before 70 mins, I knew Glasgow would pass 70, and some of our tackling was pathetic for at least 3 of your tries.

Sorry Mikey, Props to you for coming on.

I know that the Weej looked good here but there are some very serious teams left in the Challenge Cup.

The Lions (whom we're playing next) put 51 points on Racing 92 tonight which is a bit worrying.

Lyon and Toulon also looking very good.

George Carlin wrote:I know that the Weej looked good here but there are some very serious teams left in the Challenge Cup.

The Lions (whom we're playing next) put 51 points on Racing 92 tonight which is a bit worrying.

Lyon and Toulon also looking very good.

I suspect Racing were not to bothered about a trip to Joburg and did not get on to well with Le Altitude!

We really should be beating the Lions at home, they have got a lot of travelling to do this week, but yess there still are plenty good sides left in the comp.

A case of one game at a time!

I think Glasgow should put away the Lions, I think they’ll make light work of them by the full 80.

Morning Peeps (or nighty night Flounder it must be ten past bedtime Down Under).
So many wonderful moments from the demolition of the Drags, just too many to list.
However, my personal fave has to be Allan Dell. In true prop style he exlodes from a standing star, skips round two opponent, accelerates into space THEN remembers that he's not built for this running malarkey and pops the ball to the player on his shoulder, who just happens to be a fellow front rower, and stands grinning as the poor hooker has to run 30 yards to the line.
True Propism that is.

Could not watch the games this weekend but great result for Glasgow. Edinburgh continue the season from hell

Glasgow should make a semi-final and from there all bets are off. Hopefully Scarlets have a tough game with Clermont as we will be playing them the week after and we may need a bit of rotation to compete on two fronts

Was at the Leicester game and it was potentially one of the worst performances I have seen from Edinburgh in quite a while. I appreciate it was close on the scoreboard, but Leicester are gash, or at least were on Friday, a team with a semblance of a plan, or who could execute the most basic skills could have put them away comfortably. As much as this pains me, Glasgow would have wiped the floor with them.

Every Edinburgh player who took the field on Friday, should be looking at themselves in the mirror after that performance, it was not even close to being good enough. The skill levels were abysmal, with our back 3 being unable to take any high balls, and whilst the weather was grim, the Leicester players seemed capable of holding onto the ball so that can’t be used as an excuse (despite what MB said in his post match interview). But taking aside the sheer inability to hold/pass/run with the ball or tackle (see the Leicester try) it was the lack of effort that really stuck with me.

Taking him as an example Duhan was pristine until around the 50th minute, he looked like he had just stepped onto the pitch, Mata did nothing & permanently looks like he has just ran a marathon prior to taking the field. I know some of the Edinburgh coaching staff were furious with the performance of all the players after the game.

What compounded the evening though was the group of Leicester fans who were behind me at the game, calling for the most absurd decisions from the ref, I thought maybe it was ironic to start with, but it quickly became clear the lads had no idea what the hell was going on. Who then ended the evening celebrating like they had won the tournament and asking us if we had brought our “dresses with us”. Not taking this as representation of the fanbase as a whole, as every club have their share of idiots, I was just lucky enough to be in front of some of the Leicester contingent, but they managed to make a terrible evening just that wee bit worse.

Sounds like a pretty terrible evening Spoons!

My brother drove down and back for the game - definitely wasn't worth the effort.

Yeah pretty terrible.

Looking forward to this season being over and really hope the SRU get the recruitment right over the summer for a new head coach....ah crap we're going to tempt Solly out of retirement or some madness like that aren't we.

I hear Duncan Hodge is a free agent

What is the story with Super Six coaches? Are any of them in a position to step up to a fully professional level? Not necessarily as a head coach, but can serve under a Steve Diamond-led programme

Spoons there's not much worse than travelling to an away match and being bitterly disappointed. Maybe having your car die en route to Newport. Sorry to hear your trip to Welford was mince.
However, on the bright side your post makes me feel a lot better. Yes the Luvvies are knickers. Only slightly above Zebre and Drags on current form. I often feel guilty about criticising them on here; I actually want both the Scottish sides to win...just that I want the Rugby Club to win more often. So now we all know it's alright to be disappointed in them. They are the URC's answer to Nigel Farage.

Actually, no. Any side with Shooey, Rambo/Cherry, Nel, GG, Principal, Hamish, Crosbie and Mata as a starting pack should be good. Or at least competitive. Any side with Blarehorn, Duhan, ADHD Kid and Buffalo Buffelli in the backs should be worth watching. But they are seriously utterly dross most of the time. They are Schroedinger's rugby team. In the changing room they are both rubbish and very good. However, once they come out they are as dead as a dead parrot. I realise using the phrase "come out" probably touched a nerve, but hey ho.
As I say Spoons, you have my sympathy.

What is the story with Super Six coaches? Are any of them in a position to step up to a fully professional level?

Hazel, this Friday the Heedrum Hodrum channel, BBC Alba, to give it its Sunday name, start showing the Super Sprint series. It kicks off with Ayrshire Bulls v Glasgow Warriors A. World class rugby players as far as the eye can see.  Sadly, BBC Scotland is showing the Big Glasgow derby at the same time. Queens Park v Partick Thistle.   Mon the Jags. One will have to be taped.Yes I remember videotapes.
Sadly the real action this week will be Glasgow v Lions but this is only on BT and I don't have that. It looks like I will have to wait till it's on Rugby Try Lights so I may stay off here in the hope of watching it as Live.
Anyhoo, the Luvvies need some kind of attitude adjustment therapy. I'm just not sure Diamond is the man.

Edinburgh sign Scott Steele from Quins for 1 season.

He is a good steady, if not quite an international class SH, who will add some depth in an area that Edinburgh are clearly struggling, with none of their current 3 options really stepping up.


Hornito re-signed for Glasgow yesterday, so it does not look like we are planning on giving away any of our SHs!

When did Steele actually start a game for Quins..? He's definitely been a bit part player. 29 too so not going to improve much.

Don't really see him as being much of a step up from what we've currently got..! 1 year deal too so it's not like Edinburgh are massively convinced.

Steele barely played for Quins this season. May have been injured not sure.

This might be his last chance at a pro contract at the top level. He is good enough to play at this level but we will see if he can adapt to the new coaches system. If he is able to, certainly has the ability to be a consistent starter

Pyrgos is 34 in June and it may be with a new coach, he will be moved on or retire. Vellacott and Shiel have regressed dramatically this season though, in the formers case at least, there is a good scrum half in there. Wasn't there supposed to be a good academy SH (maybe Frostwick?) that needed opportunities?

He has been injured

Last season was playing a lot more regularly.

You would imagine HP might be calling it a day this season and the other 2 flatter to deceive. He is not going to solve the SH problems at Edinburgh but he is s decent player who will be hungry to extend his contract.

Glasgow have 3 international class 9s, Edinburgh have a hopefully retiring Pyrgos, Velacott who clearly is not seen as international quality and Shiel who is probably now at an age where he's not stepped up enough to ever be considered a first choice for Edinburgh let alone Scotland, and we've replaced at least one of them with a 29 year old who again is a half decent club pro, but highly unlikely to improve.

Edinburgh's recruitment is not really improving the team, just adding filler. Hislop is a decent player, but doesn't actually improve what we have, same with Steele. Healy might be an exception to this rule, but he's fairly untested (although slightly more games than Shiel)

Thing is, this is the year that both teams will need a bit of squad filler with a sizeable chunk of the squad going to be away for the first part of the season.

Longer term you can only imagine they are looking for some better players. Hopefully SQ as well.

This is true, and potentially why Steele has only a one year deal, but we also need to improve the team, rather than just packing volume in, otherwise next season will be the same as this one.

Edinburgh have largely a good starting 15, but in certain positions it's pretty weak behind the first choice. If we get Ashman then that should be an upgrade as well actually, but improvements probably need to be made in a few positions

BigGee wrote:Thing is, this is the year that both teams will need a bit of squad filler with a sizeable chunk of the squad going to be away for the first part of the season.

Longer term you can only imagine they are looking for some better players. Hopefully SQ as well.

Which makes them very different from all the other teams.

Gee, if you don't start making more of an effort I'll buy you a hand knitted Prince Albert and a Luvvies' season ticket.

EWT Spoons wrote:This is true, and potentially why Steele has only a one year deal, but we also need to improve the team, rather than just packing volume in, otherwise next season will be the same as this one.  

Edinburgh have largely a good starting 15, but in certain positions it's pretty weak behind the first choice.  If we get Ashman then that should be an upgrade as well actually, but improvements probably need to be made in a few positions

There are massive similarities between the Edinburgh of this season snd the Glasgow of last, in that both were/are massively underachieving with the squads they have.

Franco has shown what a difference a coach with a vision and the ability to get the players to buy into it can make.

Edinburgh should be a top 8 team minimum with the squad they have but have just completely lost their way, for reasons that are still not completely clear. At the end of his time, Cockerell had clearly lost the dressing room, but with Blair it does seem that it is him, not the players that has lost his way.

They need to go for a safe pair of hands this time and there is no reason why they should not be back on track.

Is Diamond that man?

It is never clear, unfortunately. He left Sale under a bit of a cloud, but it did seem thst there were things going on in his life at that point (bereavement), and then he largely rehabilitated himself at Worcester.

He certainly has the nous and the experience and maybe the luuvies do need a harder edge coach to push them a bit more than they are comfortable with.

Blair clearly was not able to do that!

Just wait, when the Luvvies finally realise that he's not Neil Diamond and their tracksuits won't have flares and the players names spelt out in rhinestones.....tiny feet will be stamped and doors may even be slammed.

Ewen Ashman signs for Edinburgh! Great signing.

BigGee wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:This is true, and potentially why Steele has only a one year deal, but we also need to improve the team, rather than just packing volume in, otherwise next season will be the same as this one.  

Edinburgh have largely a good starting 15, but in certain positions it's pretty weak behind the first choice.  If we get Ashman then that should be an upgrade as well actually, but improvements probably need to be made in a few positions

There are massive similarities between the Edinburgh of this season snd the Glasgow of last, in that both were/are massively underachieving with the squads they have.

Franco has shown what a difference a coach with a vision and the ability to get the players to buy into it can make.

Edinburgh should be a top 8 team minimum with the squad they have but have just completely lost their way, for reasons that are still not completely clear. At the end of his time, Cockerell had clearly lost the dressing room, but with Blair it does seem that it is him, not the players that has lost his way.

They need to go for a safe pair of hands this time and there is no reason why they should not be back on track.

Is Diamond that man?

It is never clear, unfortunately. He left Sale under a bit of a cloud, but it did seem thst there were things going on in his life at that point (bereavement), and then he largely rehabilitated himself at Worcester.

He certainly has the nous and the experience and maybe the luuvies do need a harder edge coach to push them a bit more than they are comfortable with.

Blair clearly was not able to do that!

Based upon the interview(s) with Dodson, Blair and with Diamond himself I don't think he's going to be around in a head coach/DoR capacity next season, so I do think this is probably just till the end of this season. I think it mutually benefits each party with Blair getting some support and Diamond getting his name in the spotlight again should a DoR job become available...which I think Bath are currently looking for

I don't think we ideally want him longer term anyway, as he's essentially like a less successful Cockers, which is fine, but not really what we need going forward.

RDW wrote:Ewen Ashman signs for Edinburgh! Great signing.

Top notch signing

Ashman and Harrison are likely Scotland's hookers of the future as the old guard wind down their careers.

Just need Ben White or Gus Warr to follow them up the road now!

Looking at potential options for Edinburgh, Dave Walder left Newcastle and was doing a decent job there with an outmatched squad. The lack of money and ability to kick on is part of the reason he moved on.

Edinburgh need to start focusing on getting the most of their squad as is rather than signing more and more players. There is talent there but, outside of the back three, most backs seem to regress over time there. I don't think Lang and Bennett have improved since moving over, same with Vellacott and Pyrgos. The talent is there, it is finding a Baxter or a McCall who can get the most out of it

Ashman is a great signing. McInally has surely got to be hanging his boots up at the end of the RWC (acting as cover until then)?

Tell you what, the Glasgow A team playing Ayr tomorrow evening (Live on Alba) does not look to bad.

This match could well do us a favour in that it gets a couple of injured players, particularly Keeble and Walker, some match time. They may well be needed before the end of the season if our cup run continues and we advance in the playoffs.


1. Oli Kebble, 2,Angus Fraser, 3. Murphy W, 4. Max Williamson, 5. Alex Samuel, 6. Ally Miller, 7. Archie Smeaton, 8. Gregor Brown, 9. Sean Kennedy, 10. Duncan Weir, 11. Ross McKnight, 12 Duncan Munn, 13 Ben Salmon, 14 Logan Jarvie, 15 Christian Townsend.

16 Jamie Drummond, 17 Murry McCallum, 18 Euan Ferrie, 19 Harris McLeod, 20 Ben Afshar, 21 Aminio Bogidrau, 22 Callum Ferrie

The Meatball against the Mighty Mazongas of Milbrae. A true clash of the titans.

Has Gregor Brown been injured or out of favour?

I wonder, with whispers of Newcastle wanting to drop down to the championship due to financial constraints if the SRU would be interested in becoming a main investor as a ready made vehicle for developing young scottish talent? good facilities, not far from the borders...

Tramptastic wrote:Has Gregor Brown been injured or out of favour?

Oddly enough, given that he makes enough personnel changes to make the Tombola look conservative, the General is pretty constant in his back row selections. Matt F-Boxer-Darge or Batman-Big Shona-Mullet. Basically, it's any four from those six most weeks. That means Brown-Miller-Neild aren't getting much gametime at all.

I think when we get to the business end of the season then Matt F-Boxer- Darge-Big Shona will be in his matchday 23 every week.

Thats a shame, Gregor Brown is a player i'd like to see kick on, he needs game time to improve!

Maybe next seen if Batman has left then he'll end up in the rotation proper

Tramptastic wrote:

I wonder, with whispers of Newcastle wanting to drop down to the championship due to financial constraints if the SRU would be interested in becoming a main investor as a ready made vehicle for developing young scottish talent? good facilities, not far from the borders...

Many years ago I was enjoying a few sherberts with some Geordie lads when the subject of Scottish Independence came up. They all agred on one very complex political creed. "Newcassell should be part of bonnie Scotland. because you scots are all mad as fecc an so are we like. Think of the fun we'd have, bonny lad."

So next season Batman retires and becomes Youth Development Officer for the Tyneside Warriors. He could have an office in the Bigg Market.

Warriors team for tomorrow:

Bhatti-Turner-Ragnar McBeth-Matthews-Berghan

Gray-Cummings Squaddie-Groot

Fagerson-Darge-Boxer Mullet

Hornito Aldi Price

Miotti Jordan

House Elf
Wee Shona
Shug
Seaman
Smith

Have we run out of wingers?

Just a passing comment on Domingo Miotti; he is very unflash and never seems to do anything to make you catch your breath...but he is very, very good at getting the backs moving and keeping us in the right areas. I was expecting a more "wow" sort of player but he is rock solid and 100% dependable. Watch him have a mare tomorrow now!

Edinburgh with a bit of a clear out

Props: Atalifo, Courtney, Jack, Auterac, Gamble
Back five: Phillips, Haining
Backs: JVDW, Pyrgos, Hoyland, Hutchison, Blain, Houston

Blain and Gamble are the two most disappointing names on that list. Both had so much potential and failed to kick on. Blain really should be looked at for Glasgow, we are so short of wingers we are having to play Dobie there!

It does suggest Edinburgh need to sign a couple of props and maybe another centre.

I have been watching Hoyland since he was a 7s player and I am deflated that he never seems to have kicked on in the first team. Physically, he seemed to have all the correct attributes but he never seems to have made the shirt (even the 23 shirt) his own.

That's a pretty huge clearout. Don't necessarily have issues with those.being relesed, but given its a WC year we're going to need squad filler. Particularly as our entire starting back 3 will be at the WC and Immelman is leaving.

Surely one of Blain or Hoyland could have stayed?

Haining is a shame - he's a real physical player but can't string a run of games together without getting injured!

That's a lot of props being relesed too who aren't exactly easy to find.

Long delay in the Glasgow Lions game as the SA winger takes a really nasty knock and is out cold. Hopefully he is ok and is all precautionary.

Gasme will restart with a Glasgow scrum

An intricate lineout move leads to the first Glasgow try, Dempsey scores

7-0 Glasgow

Another flowing Glasgow move results in a try for Dobie on the wing

14-0 Glasgow

Despite being 14-0 up, it's all been about the defence for Glasgow, thry have given the Lions absoliutely nothing in their 22.

Game not done yet and the Lions still look up for the challenge, can they stay in the game for 80 mins is the question?

The match is not done yet, Lions score from a quick tap

14-7 Glasgow