The Official Scottish Rugby Thread

[Tichtheid]

McCallum apparently going to Glasgow. I've heard nothing about Sutherland.

That's the wrong move, imo, McCallum would get more game time at Edinburgh

Depends what he's moved as. If he's moved as a loosehead I think he'll struggle. As a tighthead, obviously Zander is number one, but Berghan has been a non-entity for a couple of years now, Sordoni I know little about and Murphy Walker is predominantly a loosehead. Is there anyone else? From that list I would put him at number two or three, which would mean plenty gametime you would think.

Walker started against Edinburgh last year as a looshead and more than held his own. He then switched over for the last third of the game and gave Venter a hiding.
His strength is very much at tighthead, it's also where we are short of quality in Scotland.
Berghan has struggled with injuries, but his experience can't be bought.

I'll be gobsmacked if the mighty WP is still playing next year. After him Edinburgh have very little in the way of quality, even for the league, let alone Scotland. I've yet to be impressed with de Bruin, Atalifo is game but a journeyman, same goes for Williams.

With the improvement shown at Wuss, McCallum could make it as our first choice tighthead.

[weegie01]

I have just noticed that the message I received said McCallum 'might' be going to Glasgow. It came at the same time and from the same source as the DvdM message so I thought both were firm whereas McCallum is less so and I may have jumped the gun.

Apologies.

[robmatic]

Whilst it’s very sad that Wuss have been shafted by those owners, it’s great to see Duhan back.

I hope we get Muzza too, Sutherland would be a total luxury, but if we have the dosh then bring it on.

I think Sutherland is a luxury as Schoeman and Venter are as good as it gets in the URC already.

vdm best signing a Scottish pro team has made ever?

Venter OOC end of season.

I expect Venter's contract might be worth a bit more next time around as well. He'd basically had a handful of starts (7) for the Cheetahs when we signed him, and I would say he's now proven himself to be an excellent prop in the URC.

[Biffer]

That's the wrong move, imo, McCallum would get more game time at Edinburgh

Depends what he's moved as. If he's moved as a loosehead I think he'll struggle. As a tighthead, obviously Zander is number one, but Berghan has been a non-entity for a couple of years now, Sordoni I know little about and Murphy Walker is predominantly a loosehead. Is there anyone else? From that list I would put him at number two or three, which would mean plenty gametime you would think.

Walker started against Edinburgh last year as a looshead and more than held his own. He then switched over for the last third of the game and gave Venter a hiding.
His strength is very much at tighthead, it's also where we are short of quality in Scotland.
Berghan has struggled with injuries, but his experience can't be bought.

I'll be gobsmacked if the mighty WP is still playing next year. After him Edinburgh have very little in the way of quality, even for the league, let alone Scotland. I've yet to be impressed with de Bruin, Atalifo is game but a journeyman, same goes for Williams.

With the improvement shown at Wuss, McCallum could make it as our first choice tighthead.

Nel is 36, no age at all for a prop when you consider he had two years out with the neck problem, so he's onyl really got miles on the clock of a 34yo.

Basically it depends whether or not he wants to, hell still be well capable.

[Tichtheid]

Nel is 36, no age at all for a prop when you consider he had two years out with the neck problem, so he's onyl really got miles on the clock of a 34yo.

Basically it depends whether or not he wants to, hell still be well capable.

I think he'll certainly be capable.

as an aside, Brok Harris came on for the Stormers on Saturday and helped steady their scrum, although it was still under pressure.

Harris will be 38 in February.

[Biffer]

Nel is 36, no age at all for a prop when you consider he had two years out with the neck problem, so he's onyl really got miles on the clock of a 34yo.

Basically it depends whether or not he wants to, hell still be well capable.

I think he'll certainly be capable.

as an aside, Brok Harris came on for the Stormers on Saturday and helped steady their scrum, although it was still under pressure.

Harris will be 38 in February.

Also he's well managed - he has played 19 & 20 games the last two seasons and only started in 10 & 11 of those.

That's Edinburgh and Scotland coombined

[westport]

Boff is back for tomorrow night

[robmatic]

Boff is back for tomorrow night

I hope he gets a bit of a rest at some point.

[I like neeps]

I think Sutherland is a luxury as Schoeman and Venter are as good as it gets in the URC already.

vdm best signing a Scottish pro team has made ever?

Venter OOC end of season.

I expect Venter's contract might be worth a bit more next time around as well. He'd basically had a handful of starts (7) for the Cheetahs when we signed him, and I would say he's now proven himself to be an excellent prop in the URC.

Potentially but it's only clubs in France and Ireland who are in any position to be offering big contracts.

McCallum should go to Edinburgh. At TH says the dearth at TH is a huge worry.

[Jock42]

Boff is back for tomorrow night

I hope he gets a bit of a rest at some point.

Goosen fit in a week or 2 (isnt he?) and presumably VDM good to go next week.

[Big D]

Main thing for them is to get them under SRU contract and some certainty of wage. Can't imagine McCallum was on huge money so losing 6-8 weeks wages will have hurt.

He is more than capable of playing for either club but that can be sorted out in the wash. In a world cup lead in year all 3 might be important to the national team (2 certainly will be).

[Big D]

He is NSQ but Joe Bately would do a turn for Glasgow. Bug second row/blindside.

[robmatic]

Venter OOC end of season.

I expect Venter's contract might be worth a bit more next time around as well. He'd basically had a handful of starts (7) for the Cheetahs when we signed him, and I would say he's now proven himself to be an excellent prop in the URC.

Potentially but it's only clubs in France and Ireland who are in any position to be offering big contracts.

McCallum should go to Edinburgh. At TH says the dearth at TH is a huge worry.

I'm not even meaning a big contract for Venter, I'm just presuming he's worth more than whatever we signed him for when he was a Cheetahs bench option.

[KingBlairhorn]

He is NSQ but Joe Bately would do a turn for Glasgow. Bug second row/blindside.

The one I've seen mentioned most for Glasgow is Tom Dodd (big back row) following the injury to Darge and the soon to be international/rest periods for Dempsey (maybe).

Jack Owlett is also SQ at tighthead, not sure how much impact he would have on either squad though. Given the rumours about Wasps, the SRU might need to keep something in the emergency budget for Bomber Hislop and Keiran Mcdonald too.

[Margin__Walker]

Sutherland to Ulster by the look of things.

[Big D]

Good move for him.

[KingBlairhorn]

Given Ulster have/are close to (not sure which) signing Steven Kitshoff I hope its a short term deal. I'm a huge Sutherland fan, but he isn't as good as Kitshoff and we need him somewhere he is first choice. Back to Edinburgh to replace the departing Venter at the end of the season perhaps?

[robmatic]

Given Ulster have/are close to (not sure which) signing Steven Kitshoff I hope its a short term deal. I'm a huge Sutherland fan, but he isn't as good as Kitshoff and we need him somewhere he is first choice. Back to Edinburgh to replace the departing Venter at the end of the season perhaps?

It is just to the end of the season apparently.

[Tichtheid]

Given Ulster have/are close to (not sure which) signing Steven Kitshoff I hope its a short term deal. I'm a huge Sutherland fan, but he isn't as good as Kitshoff and we need him somewhere he is first choice. Back to Edinburgh to replace the departing Venter at the end of the season perhaps?

I'd be okay with that, I wonder if we'd have the dosh to keep all three?

I think the Cockers effect was a big reason for Sutherland leaving, from what was going around at the time, anyway.

[robmatic]

Venter OOC end of season.

I expect Venter's contract might be worth a bit more next time around as well. He'd basically had a handful of starts (7) for the Cheetahs when we signed him, and I would say he's now proven himself to be an excellent prop in the URC.

Potentially but it's only clubs in France and Ireland who are in any position to be offering big contracts.

McCallum should go to Edinburgh. At TH says the dearth at TH is a huge worry.

Thistle Rugby Podcast lads are saying Javan Sebastian is heading to Edinburgh, which isn't too surprising given that he's getting in Scotland squads.

[weegie01]

Given Ulster have/are close to (not sure which) signing Steven Kitshoff I hope its a short term deal. I'm a huge Sutherland fan, but he isn't as good as Kitshoff and we need him somewhere he is first choice. Back to Edinburgh to replace the departing Venter at the end of the season perhaps?

I'd be okay with that, I wonder if we'd have the dosh to keep all three?

I think the Cockers effect was a big reason for Sutherland leaving, from what was going around at the time, anyway.

Sutherland lead the player revolt against Cockerill. He was the one knocking on Dodson's door once he had his own future secured.

[Tichtheid]

Given Ulster have/are close to (not sure which) signing Steven Kitshoff I hope its a short term deal. I'm a huge Sutherland fan, but he isn't as good as Kitshoff and we need him somewhere he is first choice. Back to Edinburgh to replace the departing Venter at the end of the season perhaps?

I'd be okay with that, I wonder if we'd have the dosh to keep all three?

I think the Cockers effect was a big reason for Sutherland leaving, from what was going around at the time, anyway.

Sutherland lead the player revolt against Cockerill. He was the one knocking on Dodson's door once he had his own future secured.

I seem to remember Hoggy tweeting to Sutherland whilst they were on the Lions tour that Cockerill had been hired as head coach at Wuss :-)

[I like neeps]

That's just outrageous by Horne.

First time I've seen Glasgow with Smith - this will do nicely.

[Slick]

More and more to impressed with Jordan. A bit more game time and growing confidence he could become a real option down the line

[I like neeps]

Maybe the best counter rucking performance I've seen in a long while from Glasgow here.

[Tichtheid]

Glasgow have been as good as Edinburgh were bad.

It's great to see Horne and Fagerson (both to be fair) playing this well

[robmatic]

First time I've seen Glasgow with Smith - this will do nicely.

The away performances have not been great but at home they've played like the Glasgow of a couple of years ago.

[Slick]

Very hesitant to say this, especially with some poor team displays at for both sides, but a lot of the Scotland 1st XV squad playing well at the moment

[Tichtheid]

Very hesitant to say this, especially with some poor team displays at for both sides, but a lot of the Scotland 1st XV squad playing well at the moment

Redpath looked okay in patches this afternoon, not as good as I've seen him, but he made it through another 80 minutes, which is a big deal for him at the moment.

In the same game Hastings had some good moments.

[Slick]

Very hesitant to say this, especially with some poor team displays at for both sides, but a lot of the Scotland 1st XV squad playing well at the moment

Redpath looked okay in patches this afternoon, not as good as I've seen him, but he made it through another 80 minutes, which is a big deal for him at the moment.

In the same game Hastings had some good moments.

After posting that I realised I have no idea how any of the “foreign” based players have been going. I’d read that Finn hasn’t had a great start. Has Hoggy been playing?

[Lobby]

Very hesitant to say this, especially with some poor team displays at for both sides, but a lot of the Scotland 1st XV squad playing well at the moment

Redpath looked okay in patches this afternoon, not as good as I've seen him, but he made it through another 80 minutes, which is a big deal for him at the moment.

In the same game Hastings had some good moments.

After posting that I realised I have no idea how any of the “foreign” based players have been going. I’d read that Finn hasn’t had a great start. Has Hoggy been playing?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/63180885

[dkm57]

Ebra - argh!!
Weegies - brilliant all round performance last night. Tuipulotu best I've seen him play and I can finally see what the coaches see in him. Frustrating inconsistent team ATM but when they on form just WOW!!

In the brief glimpse I had of Hastings he seemed to be going nicely at Glos.

[robmatic]

Tuipulotu has been a revelation for me this season, last season I thought he looked a limited player and should never have been near the Scotland team. Now it turns out that he can actually pass and last night was picking good options with his tactical kicking.

[dkm57]

I admit I used to dispairingly joke that Tuipulotu was the black hole where Scottish moves went die. I have now totally reversed my opinion after the last couple of Weegie games, just hope he can maintain that standard for Scotland. Maybe he's one of those players that thrives on being given the captaincy/vice captaincy.

[weegie01]

More and more to impressed with Jordan. A bit more game time and growing confidence he could become a real option down the line.

TJ is a good chum of one of my sons. He is a pleasant young man, and has worked hard for his success. He still has two years before he is Scottish qualified.

As I have posted on the Glasgow forum, what is remarkable is that he has spent all his time training at 12 for Glasgow and had only two sessions training at 10 before his first game. He's enjoying himself and Smith has shown a lot of confidence in him and given him a run to prove himself. I think he is growing into it well.

[SaintK]

I admit I used to dispairingly joke that Tuipulotu was the black hole where Scottish moves went die. I have now totally reversed my opinion after the last couple of Weegie games, just hope he can maintain that standard for Scotland. Maybe he's one of those players that thrives on being given the captaincy/vice captaincy.

Make the most of it. Sounds like he could be off to Sale next season according to The Rugby Paper

[Slick]

I admit I used to dispairingly joke that Tuipulotu was the black hole where Scottish moves went die. I have now totally reversed my opinion after the last couple of Weegie games, just hope he can maintain that standard for Scotland. Maybe he's one of those players that thrives on being given the captaincy/vice captaincy.

I wouldn’t dwell on it, he has been fucking rubbish up until now. But well done to the guy, looks seriously exciting now he has got going

[Dogbert]

Great to see Scotstoun bouncing again last night - fantastic atmosphere - just ike the old days

The fist half sets the benchmark - we just need to improve it to an 80 minutes performance , and show we can do it away from home

Lots of great individual performances - so really hard to just pick out a couple of names - no one had a poor game.

But for me Brown and Gordon didn't take a step backwards - with Darge & Dempesy , Glasgow now have a decent depth in the backrow

[Slick]

Didn't see it yesterday but it sounds like a heartbreaker for the ladies

[Big D]

Rumours from the Thistle:
Ashman to replace Rambo
Sebastien to replace Nel or Atalifo (Atalifo please)

Tuipolotu's brother and Healy to Glasgow. Gray leaving.