Glasgow & Edinburgh Discussion Thread 31: The Roadmap for Success Vs The Perpetual Roadworks of Incompetence

[NeilyBroon]

First topic message reminder :

As requested, another thread connected by the M8. Two teams about as comparable as Adam Peaty and Eric the Eel.

Will Glasgow build on their title win next season?

Will Edinburgh even make the top half of the table?

Speculation and more on another volume of the patter papers.

[BigGee]

Nearly a year for Ollie Smith now but apparently should be back in December

[bsando]

Big shame about McBeth. I was expecting him to be involved. So that’ll be Shoe, Sutherland and Bhatti covering loosehead I imagine? Tighthead looks scarily weak after fagerson, but getting used to it now.

[EWT Spoons]

Not that he would be in contention, but Bennett is out until Feb following surgery.

I don’t know when his contract is up, but he must be surely considering throwing the towel in on his rugby playing career. If he didn’t have bad luck with injuries he would have no luck at all

[Hazel Sapling]

Bennett will always be a what could have been if his injury luck was remotely neutral. Same with Duncan Taylor.

With Fiji coming up a week Saturday, are many of the Glasgow boys going to be sent home or rested this weekend? Got to think Zander will at most be on the bench for example with Talakai asked to put in 50+ minutes

[jimbopip]

Three Prime Ministers ago.

[TJ]

I just watched the latest Edinburgh game - a good performance but only in parts. Front rows looked good and nice to see price and Graham looking on form DVM was in the game a bit more and Thompson looked decent at 10.

[Hazel Sapling]

Glasgow team for Stormers

Bhatti - Matthews - Talakai (Sutherland - Hiddleston - Zander)
Brown - Gray (Cummings - Williamson)
Fagerson - Dempsey - Darge (Venter)

Horne - Hastings (Dobie - Jordan)
Huwipulotu
Rowe - McKay - Cancelliere

[Hazel Sapling]

Rotating the entire front five, swap fly halves and bring H Jones in for McDowall.

I don't like the view of Gregor Brown as second row cover but with R Gray there, we should be alright.

The fairly fresh legs rotated in after the test match last week should help though surprised not to see some light rotation in the back-row.

[BigGee]

A bit of rotation, as imagined and still looks a strong team.

Huw Jones gets to play against his old pals and Ritchie Gray plays his last game for Glasgow.

[Hazel Sapling]

Edinburgh rugby

Venter - Ashman - Rae (Williams - Cherry - Hill)
Sykes - Hodgson (Young)
Ritchie - Muncaster - Watson (Crosbie)

Vellacott - Thompson (Shiel - Healy)
Scott - Currie (Tuipulotu)
DVDM - Paterson - Goosen

[BigGee]

Edinburgh have rested a few internationals for this one, so they will all likely be playing against Fiji!

[EWT Spoons]

Edinburgh have rested a few internationals for this one, so they will all likely be playing against Fiji!

Quite possibly, but the team announcement has them rested as per rest protocol, so might just be a timing coincidence.

[BigGee]

Edinburgh have rested a few internationals for this one, so they will all likely be playing against Fiji!

Quite possibly, but the team announcement has them rested as per rest protocol, so might just be a timing coincidence.

Good timing in truth, the Glasgow players will have a lot of traveling in their legs by the time they rock up for training on Monday or Tuesday and not a lot of time to prep.

You would imagine a few more Edinburgh players starting than might otherwise be the case and the bench bring Warriors heavy

[EWT Spoons]

100%.

With Glasgow coming back from a tough SA tour and as you say probably not able to join up with the squad until middle of the week, it would make absolute sense for Edinburgh to make up most of the team for the Fiji game.

I would expect the roles to reverse for the SA game the following week.

[jimbopip]

Evening peeps. Sadly, Caz the quiet bok has had to pull out of our Murrayfield trip. So there's a ticket available. Just saying.

[BigGee]

Harlem Globe Trotters stuff at Stellenboch, but sides chucking it around with complete abandon but also making right hard work of scoring.

7 all at HT, which seems pretty fair

[BigGee]

And Glasgow tighten it up in the second half and move clear

28-17 Glasgow at FT

Heading home from SA with 7 points in the bag, a pretty impressive return against 2 stacked sides away from home.

[TJ]

*sings*
Thats entertainment!

Cracker of a game, some top quality play if a little frantic at times. Huwipiloto great, mixed bag from Hastings with some nice touches but some dumb errors, decent cameo from Jordan, Horne very good I thought. Decent forward performance but too many lost lineouts

[mikey_dragon]

Penalty against Van der Merwe for assaulting the ref, thug

[mikey_dragon]

And Glasgow tighten it up in the second half and move clear

28-17 Glasgow at FT

Heading home from SA with 7 points in the bag, a pretty impressive return against 2 stacked sides away from home.

Absolutely. Are Glasgow going to be able to keep Tuipulotu? I feel he needs to stay if Glasgow have aspirations of being among the best in Europe.

[BigGee]

Penalty against Van der Merwe for assaulting the ref, thug

That was bonkers

If he thought it was deliberate then it was a card

If not deliberate then surely play on!

[BigGee]

And Glasgow tighten it up in the second half and move clear

28-17 Glasgow at FT

Heading home from SA with 7 points in the bag, a pretty impressive return against 2 stacked sides away from home.

Absolutely. Are Glasgow going to be able to keep Tuipulotu? I feel he needs to stay if Glasgow have aspirations of being among the best in Europe.

He is on the form of his life for sure and will have plenty suiters.

Maybe there is some method in Toonie making him captain, it could make it harder for him to leave.

Also he is young enough to do another contract cycle with Glasgow while they are playing so well and still go for a big bucks move next time around

[BigGee]

Jamie Ritchie remains a penalty magnet.

Probably the one thing that stops him becomming a really great player

[BigGee]

If Owen Williams could kick, Osprey would be home and dry by now

[mikey_dragon]

Owen Williams has been a shocking signing, with all his experience he should be better.

The ref for Ospreys vs Edinburgh seems inexperienced.

[BigGee]

That should be the game for Osprey.

Another pretty lame performance from Edinburgh, they don't really deserve anything from this game

[bsando]

Sad result. Had hoped for much better than that.

[TJ]

[RDW]

What a result for Glasgow! 7 points from a South Africa trip is a very good result - not many teams will match that.

Edinburgh meanwhile

Reading the comments it sounds like a other dour performance. Everitt' go to seems to be to keep it simple but if we don't get dominance in the pack then it leads to a stodgy game and we lose.

Hope the international break gives him a chance to re-think - if this keeps up I don't see him being coach next season.

[RDW]

Just watched the Edinburgh highlights - shoulder charge to Sykes' head for the last ospreys try. Right in front of the ref!

[bsando]

Such a dour result heading into the international window. And frankly I am in agreement with disgruntled Matthew’s fans. Why is he not in this Scotland squad? One eye on the future is all well and good, but leaving out an in form hooker for two young hookers in a faltering Edinburgh side feels a bit wrong to me.

[EWT Spoons]

With Rowntree leaving Munster (and before I say this I know there is zero chance of it happening) it would be amazing if Edinburgh could tempt him as a replacement for Everitt.

I think he would be a nice mix of getting the culture right at Edinburgh, whilst also being able to coach.

However as Edinburgh as shopping in the bargain basement section of coaches, we’re going to stick with Everitt.

[bsando]

What’s so confusing with Edinburgh is no one really has an awnser for why they’re so poor. Who is calling the shots there? Who hired Everitt for example? Time for the new CEO to roll up his sleeves and start firing some people.

[BigGee]

I''d be putting out some feelers to Greg Laidlaw if I was in charge of Edinburgh.

[EWT Spoons]

I''d be putting out some feelers to Greg Laidlaw if I was in charge of Edinburgh.

I think it's too early for Grieg and Edinburgh.

By that I mean Edinburgh is in too much of a mess for an inexperienced coach. I would love to have him coaching the club in the future, once the club isn't a total basket case. I think we need a coach with experience of winning something and can pass on his knowledge to the club.

Unfortunately though, I imagine that coaching Edinburgh is about as appealing as being the only non-white person at a Nigel Farage party, so our options are going to be limited to coaches who are not wanted elsewhere

[TJ]

I still am not buying that Everitt is the sole issue and given that attracting a high quality head coach is so difficult then what purpose does sacking him serve? Unless they have someone top notch lined up I want to see his stay for the meantime

[EWT Spoons]

I still am not buying that Everitt is the sole issue and given that attracting a high quality head coach is so difficult then what purpose does sacking him serve?  Unless they have someone top notch lined up I want to see his stay for the meantime

Can I ask, why you want him to stay?

What have you seen from him that makes you think he's capable of turning around Edinburgh's fortunes?

[TJ]

Better the devil you know - unless as I said we could get a top coach. Even Baxter at Exeter is having real troubles this year and I think he is one of the best coaches around. Given the issues at Edinburgh have been going on for the last few coaches I do not see how changing the coach will change a great deal

[EWT Spoons]

See I would understand that if Everitt had shown anything to suggest he was up to the job, such as Baxter has

Changing the coach isn't going to make us worse, I don't think it's possible to be worse. We're either going to be the same or better, sticking with being badly coached, because the next coach might also not be great doesn't seem like a sensible long-term plan. He's been with the club for 2 years now and there has been no improvement in performances or results, we still don't look like a club who know what they are trying to be

[TJ]

OK maybe. I see it more as changing the steering wheel when the problem is in the engine. To me there is something happening that is beyond the coaches ability to alter no matter who the coach is given we have had the same issues under multiple coaches

No idea what tho

[formerly known as Sam]

Better the devil you know - unless as I said we could get a top coach. Even Baxter at Exeter is having real troubles this year and I think he is one of the best coaches around.  Given the issues at Edinburgh have been going on for the last few coaches I do not see how changing the coach will change a great deal

It is worth noting that Exeter lost a lot of money through the COVID period and so have steadily reduced their running costs whilst they make up the cash they've lost. They've got one of the lowest salary spends in the Prem and over performed last year. As the financial position is coming back to where they want it to be expect them to spend a bit more next summer as part of a rebuild. They've managed to unearth some really bright young talent during this period though.

Having said that they've also just binned off their defence coach so aren't that happy. How good are Edinburgh's assistant coaches?

[EWT Spoons]

OK maybe.  I see it more as changing the steering wheel when the problem is in the engine.  To me there is something happening that is beyond the coaches ability to alter no matter who the coach is given we have had the same issues under multiple coaches

No idea what tho

In a way I agree with you, but to continue that metaphor, we need the direction of the club to change. We need a coach who has the drive and standing to steer us in the right direction. Everitt doesn't come over like a leader, getting someone in who can manage upwards as well as the players is what's needed.

I'm saying all this with the absolute knowledge that finding that coach who is willing to turn Edinburgh around is easier said than done but sticking with a coach who isn't working is not going to improve things, it's just going to maintain the status quo.

As I said several posts back, someone like Rowntree would be ideal as he has the standing and presence to influence how the club operates, but he'll have significantly better offers than Edinburgh.

[BigGee]

Sione Tuipolotu signs on the dotted line for Glasgow for another 3 years.

A very good bit of business for the Warriors and a statement of some intent.

[RDW]

Sione Tuipolotu signs on the dotted line for Glasgow for another 3 years.

A very good bit of business for the Warriors and a statement of some intent.

Huge statement signing! He could lead to others staying too.

[TJ]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx2lp55jrkeo

More from Tuipiloto

[RDW]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/stuart-hoggs-secret-girlfriend-claims-34075199

The sordid stories are coming out

[George Carlin]

Oh dear. I think there was probably a gentlepersons agreement to lay off Hoggy whilst he was a figurehead for a national sporting side, but now it's open season on gobsh!tes. And it's looking increasingly like he has been one of them. If not, a C suite gobsh!te, certainly middle management.

[TJ]

I see him more as a very troubled figure who has now lost the plot totally. More to be pitied than hated tho his ex wife and kids certainly are victims

[Hazel Sapling]

Rugbypass running a story that Tom Jordan has been offered £300k a year to go to Bristol

Would be a decent fit for Bristol considering they have Van Rensburg there to play the Tuipulotu role.

Not the end of the world for Glasgow. Hastings is the starter, Simpson gets upgraded to back-up and we will need to find another 10 as cover. Perhaps we will fix Healy

[TJ]

Jordan would be daft to do that at this point in his career IMO. maybe in 3 years time?

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