The Official Scottish Rugby Thread

[Yr Alban]

In better news, Torygraph says Ewan Ashman will turn down a call-up for England in favour of us. Which is what we expected, but it’s still a bit worrying they made a serious play for him.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.tele ... avour/amp/

Why worrying?

Oh, just because up till now it was just rumours. If the papers are running stories that he actually got offered a call-up, shit got real. And there’s always the risk they might actually have turned his head.

[Yr Alban]

Seems the same article says Bevan Rodd will declare for England though. Ah well.

[KingBlairhorn]

Cam Redpath has done his ACL. Shite for the player, shite for Bath, shite for Scotland.

Fuck. Sake.

https://www.bathrugby.com/club-news/cam ... ry-update/

Jeez, poor lad.

On a more mercenary note, where’s our bloody luck

Pretty much my exact thoughts. Maybe even in the same order.

Terrible for the lad, apparently this is his 3rd serious knee injury?

Does anyone know if it is the same knee as last time?

[KingBlairhorn]

Seems the same article says Bevan Rodd will declare for England though. Ah well.

I'd hold my breath on both until the announcement is made and they have both accepted and then been capped. Ashman I am fairly convinced wants to play with us and expect to see him capped this summer. Rodd, I have no idea - Cam Redpath was previously called up and toured with England without playing and then changed his mind so there is always a chance. If he were a tighthead I would be extremely keen for him to play for us, as a loosie it's not as vital given our depth. It's always good to add another to the succession planning though.

On Ashman, I wonder if taking a cap means he is likely to move to one of our pro teams - his value in England instantly plummets as soon as he loses EQ status - for a non-established player its quite a risk to take.

[Big D]

Seems the same article says Bevan Rodd will declare for England though. Ah well.

I'd hold my breath on both until the announcement is made and they have both accepted and then been capped. Ashman I am fairly convinced wants to play with us and expect to see him capped this summer. Rodd, I have no idea - Cam Redpath was previously called up and toured with England without playing and then changed his mind so there is always a chance. If he were a tighthead I would be extremely keen for him to play for us, as a loosie it's not as vital given our depth. It's always good to add another to the succession planning though.

On Ashman, I wonder if taking a cap means he is likely to move to one of our pro teams - his value in England instantly plummets as soon as he loses EQ status - for a non-established player its quite a risk to take.

Redpath missed that England tour with a knee injury IIRC.

[westport]

D'arcy Rae will join Bath Rugby in the summer. The tight-head departs Scotstoun after seven years with the club.

[KingBlairhorn]

D'arcy Rae will join Bath Rugby in the summer. The tight-head departs Scotstoun after seven years with the club.

Good move IMO. He gets very little to no gametime with Glasgow now, with Berghan incoming that will only diminish. Bhatti has managed to gametime at Bath so I would expect Rae to also. He's probably not going to trouble their first choice, but if he can get some bench/sub time then he could remain a depth option for Scotland.

[KingBlairhorn]

D'arcy Rae will join Bath Rugby in the summer. The tight-head departs Scotstoun after seven years with the club.

Good move IMO. He gets very little to no gametime with Glasgow now, with Berghan incoming that will only diminish. Bhatti has managed to gametime at Bath so I would expect Rae to also. He's probably not going to trouble their first choice, but if he can get some bench/sub time then he could remain a depth option for Scotland.

Looking at his stats he has actually played a little more than I thought. 20/21 he has played in 12 games of which 3 were starts for 378 minutes (just over 4 full games). In 19/20 he played 9 games of which 4 were starts for 338 minutes (again just over 4 full games). Not amazing, but more than I thought.

[I like neeps]

D'arcy Rae will join Bath Rugby in the summer. The tight-head departs Scotstoun after seven years with the club.

Good move IMO. He gets very little to no gametime with Glasgow now, with Berghan incoming that will only diminish. Bhatti has managed to gametime at Bath so I would expect Rae to also. He's probably not going to trouble their first choice, but if he can get some bench/sub time then he could remain a depth option for Scotland.

He's going from fourth choice at Glasgow to fourth choice at Bath.

Bhatti did well to get gametime once the injured and England boys returned. Schoeman's brother is ahead of him at bath in the pecking order and he gets folded up every scrum - don't see how Bhatti isn't playing more.

[Slick]

Pretty annoyed I’ve been looking forward all day to watching Finn play in the Stade Francais game on Premier Sports this evening and he is nowhere to be seen.

Yeah, I know

[Tichtheid]

Pretty annoyed I’ve been looking forward all day to watching Finn play in the Stade Francais game on Premier Sports this evening and he is nowhere to be seen.

Yeah, I know

Ha ha ha, what an eedjit!

I did exactly the same,

but I’ve turned over to watch Sale v Brizzle now

[Slick]

Pretty annoyed I’ve been looking forward all day to watching Finn play in the Stade Francais game on Premier Sports this evening and he is nowhere to be seen.

Yeah, I know

Ha ha ha, what an eedjit!

I did exactly the same,

but I’ve turned over to watch Sale v Brizzle now

It has however given me an idea to try and organise a mega cabal to Racing next season...

[Jock42]

Their stadium looks gleaming, definitely on the bucket list.

[Tichtheid]

Pretty annoyed I’ve been looking forward all day to watching Finn play in the Stade Francais game on Premier Sports this evening and he is nowhere to be seen.

Yeah, I know

Ha ha ha, what an eedjit!

I did exactly the same,

but I’ve turned over to watch Sale v Brizzle now

It has however given me an idea to try and organise a mega cabal to Racing next season...

A couple of mates went last season with their sons, they said it was a great experience, a couple of the Racing legends gave the lads the boots they had used in the game

[Begbie]

Chris Harris went off with a hand injury last night. Hopefully nothing serious.

[Yr Alban]

Chris Harris went off with a hand injury last night. Hopefully nothing serious.

Saw that. Described as ‘a bang on the hand which will have to be assessed’. Could be anything really.

[Slick]

Utter bullshit call on Fagerson there. His hand made first contact. You can’t sanitise rugby this much. Ref was very reluctant to call it

Also, didn’t know Grigg was from NZ!

[Tichtheid]

Good comeback from Glasgow, they look like there are several more gears to come

That last try was a belter

[Slick]

Good comeback from Glasgow, they look like there are several more gears to come

That last try was a belter

They look very good. Johnson looking back to his best.

Darge is a player and Turner knocking folk back.

[Slick]

This Captains Challenge is an affront to rugby. Hate it

[Slick]

Hastings has been class all night

[KingBlairhorn]

Hastings has been class all night

For a guy with his pace, he looked like he was running in treacle on that penultimate break he made. I thought Thomson and Darge were outstanding, some seriously good young lads coming through.

Did I honestly see a penalty reversal on Lambert for ruffling the opposing prop’s hair btw?

[Tichtheid]

Hastings has been class all night

For a guy with his pace, he looked like he was running in treacle on that penultimate break he made. I thought Thomson and Darge were outstanding, some seriously good young lads coming through.

Did I honestly see a penalty reversal on Lambert for ruffling the opposing prop’s hair btw?

Yes on the penalty, it was a shocking display of bias from the tmo all night.

Thompson really looks the business, Edinburgh need to keep going with Chamberlain and Savala, we all know Jaco's ceiling, or at least under this game plan.
I'm getting near a football style call for the overthrow of the coaching staff at Edinburgh, we have an "attack coach" apparently, though you'd never know it.

Darge and Miller made the right move, there are nine guys ahead of them at Embra

[Slick]

Hastings has been class all night

For a guy with his pace, he looked like he was running in treacle on that penultimate break he made. I thought Thomson and Darge were outstanding, some seriously good young lads coming through.

Did I honestly see a penalty reversal on Lambert for ruffling the opposing prop’s hair btw?

Yes, and I actually agree with it, it was a dick move

[KingBlairhorn]

Hastings has been class all night

For a guy with his pace, he looked like he was running in treacle on that penultimate break he made. I thought Thomson and Darge were outstanding, some seriously good young lads coming through.

Did I honestly see a penalty reversal on Lambert for ruffling the opposing prop’s hair btw?

Yes, and I actually agree with it, it was a dick move

Like all things, if it’s consistently applied. Which it isn’t, it wasn’t even applied consistently in that game. If it was applied consistently then the cheap shot on Fagerson at the ruck around 60-70 mins when he was smashed in the chest should have been a pen for instance, but it wasn’t.

[Big D]

Hastings has been class all night

For a guy with his pace, he looked like he was running in treacle on that penultimate break he made. I thought Thomson and Darge were outstanding, some seriously good young lads coming through.

Did I honestly see a penalty reversal on Lambert for ruffling the opposing prop’s hair btw?

Yes on the penalty, it was a shocking display of bias from the tmo all night.

Thompson really looks the business, Edinburgh need to keep going with Chamberlain and Savala, we all know Jaco's ceiling, or at least under this game plan.
I'm getting near a football style call for the overthrow of the coaching staff at Edinburgh, we have an "attack coach" apparently, though you'd never know it.

Darge and Miller made the right move, there are nine guys ahead of them at Embra

Cockerill has said he wants another 10 IIRC. Mallinder and Dodson should give that a firm no.

[KingBlairhorn]

For a guy with his pace, he looked like he was running in treacle on that penultimate break he made. I thought Thomson and Darge were outstanding, some seriously good young lads coming through.

Did I honestly see a penalty reversal on Lambert for ruffling the opposing prop’s hair btw?

Yes on the penalty, it was a shocking display of bias from the tmo all night.

Thompson really looks the business, Edinburgh need to keep going with Chamberlain and Savala, we all know Jaco's ceiling, or at least under this game plan.
I'm getting near a football style call for the overthrow of the coaching staff at Edinburgh, we have an "attack coach" apparently, though you'd never know it.

Darge and Miller made the right move, there are nine guys ahead of them at Embra

Cockerill has said he wants another 10 IIRC. Mallinder and Dodson should give that a firm no.

I don’t think we are particularly bad at bringing through young players, we’ve turned out a lot of internationals from academy rugby over the last few years, but given the fact we have the fewest pro routes of any tier 1 nation, we probably need to be the best at it.

It’s a tough balance to strike, as we need our pro teams to remain competitive, however we probably do need to think hard about the makeup of our squads. There are so many competing demands: we want the pro teams to win, so do we sprinkle in some non SQ international quality; we want to ensure depth of internationals, so do we hoover up journeymen Scots to ensure they have pro contracts; we want to encourage youth, so do we pack all the best Scottish youth onto pro contracts and have them compete against each other; we want our best internationals well managed, so do we try to contract our top players and them limit their gametime? It’s such a hard balance to find, and there are many more competitive demands than just these.

[robmatic]

For a guy with his pace, he looked like he was running in treacle on that penultimate break he made. I thought Thomson and Darge were outstanding, some seriously good young lads coming through.

Did I honestly see a penalty reversal on Lambert for ruffling the opposing prop’s hair btw?

Yes on the penalty, it was a shocking display of bias from the tmo all night.

Thompson really looks the business, Edinburgh need to keep going with Chamberlain and Savala, we all know Jaco's ceiling, or at least under this game plan.
I'm getting near a football style call for the overthrow of the coaching staff at Edinburgh, we have an "attack coach" apparently, though you'd never know it.

Darge and Miller made the right move, there are nine guys ahead of them at Embra

Cockerill has said he wants another 10 IIRC. Mallinder and Dodson should give that a firm no.

Agreed, I don't think Chamberlain and Savala have been that great in the last few games but they both obviously have potential and will get better with more games (and they would look better in any case if the team had a different attacking mindset). In some ways, Edinburgh have a bit of scope to develop these young 10s because with Kinghorn at fullback he can take the pressure off with the penalty kicks and restarts. Lang next season is supposed to be a playmaking option at 12 as well.

[Big D]

Yes on the penalty, it was a shocking display of bias from the tmo all night.

Thompson really looks the business, Edinburgh need to keep going with Chamberlain and Savala, we all know Jaco's ceiling, or at least under this game plan.
I'm getting near a football style call for the overthrow of the coaching staff at Edinburgh, we have an "attack coach" apparently, though you'd never know it.

Darge and Miller made the right move, there are nine guys ahead of them at Embra

Cockerill has said he wants another 10 IIRC. Mallinder and Dodson should give that a firm no.

I don’t think we are particularly bad at bringing through young players, we’ve turned out a lot of internationals from academy rugby over the last few years, but given the fact we have the fewest pro routes of any tier 1 nation, we probably need to be the best at it.

It’s a tough balance to strike, as we need our pro teams to remain competitive, however we probably do need to think hard about the makeup of our squads. There are so many competing demands: we want the pro teams to win, so do we sprinkle in some non SQ international quality; we want to ensure depth of internationals, so do we hoover up journeymen Scots to ensure they have pro contracts; we want to encourage youth, so do we pack all the best Scottish youth onto pro contracts and have them compete against each other; we want our best internationals well managed, so do we try to contract our top players and them limit their gametime? It’s such a hard balance to find, and there are many more competitive demands than just these.

All the above is true, but bringing in another journey man 10 isn't really going to cut it. It is another excuse for Cockerill.

We know we have quality youngsters, with quality coaching or even regular opportunities they could easily be better than
the journeymen.

Some positions probably need the odd journeyman (prop) but you can't be scared to give the younger guys a run because it could mean we are missing out they young guys reaching their potential.

It is a piss take Glasgow needed the journeymen back rowers when real talent like Darge and Boyle were tackle bag holders in Edinburgh.

If some of the SQ journeyman are fading away or struggling to pick up contracts then the SRU may just need to let that happen. Vellacott has it all to prove next season.

[Big D]

Apparently the summer squad is announced on Tuesday,

I had originally thought we would see a load of players get the summer off but the more I think about it I think the Lions may mean that isn't the case. If say Turner and Gray are on the standby list they probably need to stay in an elite sporting bubble. It shouldn't impact too many selections as I can't see us having many on the stand by list.

[Slick]

Apparently the summer squad is announced on Tuesday,

I had originally thought we would see a load of players get the summer off but the more I think about it I think the Lions may mean that isn't the case. If say Turner and Gray are on the standby list they probably need to stay in an elite sporting bubble. It shouldn't impact too many selections as I can't see us having many on the stand by list.

I'd have thought there might be quite a few on the stand by list actually. If they are coming in late they might want them to already be up to speed on what Toony is doing and unlikely to be starting tests anyway.

[Big D]

Apparently the summer squad is announced on Tuesday,

I had originally thought we would see a load of players get the summer off but the more I think about it I think the Lions may mean that isn't the case. If say Turner and Gray are on the standby list they probably need to stay in an elite sporting bubble. It shouldn't impact too many selections as I can't see us having many on the stand by list.

I'd have thought there might be quite a few on the stand by list actually. If they are coming in late they might want them to already be up to speed on what Toony is doing and unlikely to be starting tests anyway.

I had originally thought that but the more I thought about it the more I thought realistically it will only impact probably a couple selections.

Potentials on standby:
Hookers - Turner - May have been tempted to give him the summer off to play Ashman and run Brown/Rambo back into fitness but I would imagine he'd have toured with Scotland anyway.
Props - None on standby. Would think Healy and Sinckler are first off the rank a LH and TH.
Second row - Gray potentially on standby with Ryan. Scotland may have been tempted to rest him.
Back row - No one who may have been rested would be on stand by. Ritchie and Fagerson are probably behind a couple and would tour anyway.
9 - None in the conversation.
10 - Doubt Hastings would be called up and would be touring with Scotland anyway.
Centres - Would think Tuilagi, Ringrose and Slade all ahead of Scots and they would all be touring anyway.
Back 3 - Only Maitland probably in with a shout of being on stand by and he may have been a rest candidate.

So ultimately I think only Gray and Maitland are the only two who potentially could be on stand by (and it would only be a maybe) that may have been rested this summer.

[westport]

Edinburgh Rugby can confirm a squad player has tested positive for COVID-19.

The player started self-isolation as per Scottish Government guidelines.

Subsequent internal contact tracing identified a small group of potential contacts and they are also isolating. To respect medical confidentiality Edinburgh Rugby will not name the individuals affected.

Today’s (Monday) training at the club has been cancelled as a precaution and the entire squad and playing staff were tested early this morning (Monday). Further updates on the squad will be issued as appropriate.

The club continues to operate an extensive health and safety coronavirus mitigation plan and follow all respective health guidance aligned through Scottish Rugby's Threat Management Group.

The club’s Guinness PRO14 match against Ulster at BT Murrayfield this Saturday (5 June) is still scheduled to go ahead as planned.

[I like neeps]

Apparently the summer squad is announced on Tuesday,

I had originally thought we would see a load of players get the summer off but the more I think about it I think the Lions may mean that isn't the case. If say Turner and Gray are on the standby list they probably need to stay in an elite sporting bubble. It shouldn't impact too many selections as I can't see us having many on the stand by list.

Quite excited for the squad announcement. Surely they'll have an extended training squad with the experienced heads dropping out of the A game. However, England A will be very good, so putting a reasonable Scotland side against them will be more interesting for everyone.

Hoping Ashman does declare for Scotland otherwise we're in a lot of trouble for the foreseeable at hooker. Wonder if Isaac Miller who has been in and around the Worcester 23 might get a call up.

Second rows would like to see Cammy Henderson as Leicester on signing him did note he was EQP. Wonder if England have their eyes on him. Alex Craig, Sam Skinner, Cammy Henderson and Scott Cummings could be a good developmental group.

Backrow of Ritchie Crosbie and Fagerson is exciting. We'll see if Gary Graham is really done for Scotland now.

9 is very interesting too. Will Dobie go or be under20s captain? Charlie Chapman has overtures from England, Italy and Scotland. See who gets him. Think Shiel will be capped, wonder if Vellacott will travel.

10 it's time for Ross Thomson and Adam Hastings. We don't need to worry about VdW or Weir.

Centres I'd hope to see Rory Hutchinson return. I reckon Johnson, Grigg will probably go. Maybe a return for Matt Scott who really deserves it. Gutted about Redpath.

I expect to see Forbes and McLean in the back 3. Wonder if McGuigan or Maitland will go. Kinghorn for 15 and needs some good performances.

Captain between Jamie Ritchie and Scott Cummings I think.

[Slick]

Apparently the summer squad is announced on Tuesday,

I had originally thought we would see a load of players get the summer off but the more I think about it I think the Lions may mean that isn't the case. If say Turner and Gray are on the standby list they probably need to stay in an elite sporting bubble. It shouldn't impact too many selections as I can't see us having many on the stand by list.

I'd have thought there might be quite a few on the stand by list actually. If they are coming in late they might want them to already be up to speed on what Toony is doing and unlikely to be starting tests anyway.

I had originally thought that but the more I thought about it the more I thought realistically it will only impact probably a couple selections.

Potentials on standby:
Hookers - Turner - May have been tempted to give him the summer off to play Ashman and run Brown/Rambo back into fitness but I would imagine he'd have toured with Scotland anyway.
Props - None on standby. Would think Healy and Sinckler are first off the rank a LH and TH.
Second row - Gray potentially on standby with Ryan. Scotland may have been tempted to rest him.
Back row - No one who may have been rested would be on stand by. Ritchie and Fagerson are probably behind a couple and would tour anyway.
9 - None in the conversation.
10 - Doubt Hastings would be called up and would be touring with Scotland anyway.
Centres - Would think Tuilagi, Ringrose and Slade all ahead of Scots and they would all be touring anyway.
Back 3 - Only Maitland probably in with a shout of being on stand by and he may have been a rest candidate.

So ultimately I think only Gray and Maitland are the only two who potentially could be on stand by (and it would only be a maybe) that may have been rested this summer.

Yeah, that's a good post.

[Slick]

Apparently the summer squad is announced on Tuesday,

I had originally thought we would see a load of players get the summer off but the more I think about it I think the Lions may mean that isn't the case. If say Turner and Gray are on the standby list they probably need to stay in an elite sporting bubble. It shouldn't impact too many selections as I can't see us having many on the stand by list.

Quite excited for the squad announcement. Surely they'll have an extended training squad with the experienced heads dropping out of the A game. However, England A will be very good, so putting a reasonable Scotland side against them will be more interesting for everyone.

Hoping Ashman does declare for Scotland otherwise we're in a lot of trouble for the foreseeable at hooker. Wonder if Isaac Miller who has been in and around the Worcester 23 might get a call up.

Second rows would like to see Cammy Henderson as Leicester on signing him did note he was EQP. Wonder if England have their eyes on him. Alex Craig, Sam Skinner, Cammy Henderson and Scott Cummings could be a good developmental group.

Backrow of Ritchie Crosbie and Fagerson is exciting. We'll see if Gary Graham is really done for Scotland now.

9 is very interesting too. Will Dobie go or be under20s captain? Charlie Chapman has overtures from England, Italy and Scotland. See who gets him. Think Shiel will be capped, wonder if Vellacott will travel.

10 it's time for Ross Thomson and Adam Hastings. We don't need to worry about VdW or Weir.

Centres I'd hope to see Rory Hutchinson return. I reckon Johnson, Grigg will probably go. Maybe a return for Matt Scott who really deserves it. Gutted about Redpath.

I expect to see Forbes and McLean in the back 3. Wonder if McGuigan or Maitland will go. Kinghorn for 15 and needs some good performances.

Captain between Jamie Ritchie and Scott Cummings I think.

Darge in a back row wouldn't look out of place juding by his last couple of performances either.

[I like neeps]

Apparently the summer squad is announced on Tuesday,

I had originally thought we would see a load of players get the summer off but the more I think about it I think the Lions may mean that isn't the case. If say Turner and Gray are on the standby list they probably need to stay in an elite sporting bubble. It shouldn't impact too many selections as I can't see us having many on the stand by list.

Quite excited for the squad announcement. Surely they'll have an extended training squad with the experienced heads dropping out of the A game. However, England A will be very good, so putting a reasonable Scotland side against them will be more interesting for everyone.

Hoping Ashman does declare for Scotland otherwise we're in a lot of trouble for the foreseeable at hooker. Wonder if Isaac Miller who has been in and around the Worcester 23 might get a call up.

Second rows would like to see Cammy Henderson as Leicester on signing him did note he was EQP. Wonder if England have their eyes on him. Alex Craig, Sam Skinner, Cammy Henderson and Scott Cummings could be a good developmental group.

Backrow of Ritchie Crosbie and Fagerson is exciting. We'll see if Gary Graham is really done for Scotland now.

9 is very interesting too. Will Dobie go or be under20s captain? Charlie Chapman has overtures from England, Italy and Scotland. See who gets him. Think Shiel will be capped, wonder if Vellacott will travel.

10 it's time for Ross Thomson and Adam Hastings. We don't need to worry about VdW or Weir.

Centres I'd hope to see Rory Hutchinson return. I reckon Johnson, Grigg will probably go. Maybe a return for Matt Scott who really deserves it. Gutted about Redpath.

I expect to see Forbes and McLean in the back 3. Wonder if McGuigan or Maitland will go. Kinghorn for 15 and needs some good performances.

Captain between Jamie Ritchie and Scott Cummings I think.

Darge in a back row wouldn't look out of place juding by his last couple of performances either.

Agree. I think Scotland A openside flanker will be Darge with Scotland's openside flanker being Crosbie or Gordon. I favour Crosbie for the athleticism but both will probably get some minutes.

[Jock42]

Would rather see someone like Blain in over Mcguigan

[I like neeps]

Would rather see someone like Blain in over Mcguigan

I think he'll get in the A team. I don't really think he's done anything to merit a senior call up. He seems to run a good line and is a solid enough player. But he seems a bit slow and not quite agile enough for internationals.

McGuigan is playing very well for a very good sale team.

[Begbie]

A few surprises in there.