The Official Scottish Rugby Thread

[KingBlairhorn]

For me the lack of news tells me it is likely a world cup coach/assistant who is joining - it is only right not to announce the departure / arrival of a coach before the tournament. I am not worried at all tbh.

[Biffer]

Mark Palmer saying that Kieran Crowley is not a candidate for the Edinburgh job after his departure from Italy.

Has anyone seen anybody actually being linked with it?

I wonder if this basically confirms there is already somebody lined up? You'd think that otherwise Crowley would be definitely worth enquiring about.

It is getting to the "A bit concerning" stage

This is partly why I think something might be already sorted and they are having to keep it quiet. Edinburgh and Glasgow (when they are hiring coaches externally and not promoting from within the SRU) have almost always attracted a respectable calibre of coaches recently, even if they haven't always been successful. They shouldn't be struggling this time around, when the club is probably a better sporting proposition than ever.

This is what I'm hoping, that they have someone who is coming in maybe post World Cup, but have agreed to keep it quiet in the meantime to not disturb the RWC prep in their current role.

[Slick]

For me the lack of news tells me it is likely a world cup coach/assistant who is joining - it is only right not to announce the departure / arrival of a coach before the tournament. I am not worried at all tbh.

When does the URC season start this year?

[Biffer]

For me the lack of news tells me it is likely a world cup coach/assistant who is joining - it is only right not to announce the departure / arrival of a coach before the tournament. I am not worried at all tbh.

When does the URC season start this year?

October 21-22

[KingBlairhorn]

For me the lack of news tells me it is likely a world cup coach/assistant who is joining - it is only right not to announce the departure / arrival of a coach before the tournament. I am not worried at all tbh.

When does the URC season start this year?

October 21-22

It's going to be a brutal start for the Scottish sides. Even being totally pessimistic, our WC squad will not play their last game until 7th October. I expect we will see shadow sides in the URC until perhaps December and some players like Gray Senior and Nel may not play significant minutes again until well into 2024.

It is of course a good opportunity for some of the younger players to get some good gametime, the likes of Paddy Harrison, Marshall Sykes, Connor Boyle, Ben Muncaster, Matt Currie, Jacob Henry and Harry Paterson should all feature heavily for Edinburgh. Similarly at Glasgow I would expect Alex Samuel, Max Williamson, Gregor Brown and Ross Thompson to get good gametime. We might even see some of the better U20s like Richie Simpson feature a bit too.

[Biffer]

When does the URC season start this year?

October 21-22

It's going to be a brutal start for the Scottish sides. Even being totally pessimistic, our WC squad will not play their last game until 7th October. I expect we will see shadow sides in the URC until perhaps December and some players like Gray Senior and Nel may not play significant minutes again until well into 2024.

It is of course a good opportunity for some of the younger players to get some good gametime, the likes of Paddy Harrison, Marshall Sykes, Connor Boyle, Ben Muncaster, Matt Currie, Jacob Henry and Harry Paterson should all feature heavily for Edinburgh. Similarly at Glasgow I would expect Alex Samuel, Max Williamson, Gregor Brown and Ross Thompson to get good gametime. We might even see some of the better U20s like Richie Simpson feature a bit too.

I wouldn't be surprised to see an Edinburgh side for the first weekend looking like

Hislop
Harrison
Sebastian
Sykes
Hodgson
Boyle
Muncaster
Dodd
Vellacott
Healy
Henry
Lang
Bennett
Goossen
Patterson

subs McBurney, Venter, de Bruin, Campbell, Young, Shiel, Savala, Dean

Maybe some swaps in the front row. There's also the possibility of some less used RWC players being involved e.g. Skinner, Crosbie, Kinghorn.

But players will be brought back in before the European games which are the second and third weekends in December.

[Slick]

Well that fitba was fun! Superb effort.

Youngsters won’t believe it but having a rugby and football team both competing doesn’t come around very often!

[Biffer]

Well that fitba was fun! Superb effort.

Youngsters won’t believe it but having a rugby and football team both competing doesn’t come around very often!

Fuck yeah

Best the Scottish football team have been since the seventies or early eighties


I have a little hope this is following on from individual success to know we can beat the world and produce exceptional sportsmen and sportswomen. You don't need the be part of a 60 million person state to win

[Tichtheid]

Interview with Jaco van der Walt in the Times

https://archive.is/AHUfR

[robmatic]

Interview with Jaco van der Walt in the Times

https://archive.is/AHUfR

I think Jaco was a bit unfairly done by during the Mike Blair period, especially this last season when he was basically shut out of the team in favour of Savala (who didn't really perform).

[Biffer]

Interview with Jaco van der Walt in the Times

https://archive.is/AHUfR

I think Jaco was a bit unfairly done by during the Mike Blair period, especially this last season when he was basically shut out of the team in favour of Savala (who didn't really perform).

Bit of a no win situation though - if VdW had played a lot more, Blair would have been criticised for not giving the young Scottish player an opportunity.

[Margin__Walker]

Ben White's in advanced talks with Toulon according to the French press (Midi Olympique)

https://www.rugbyrama.fr/2023/06/18/tra ... 285252.php

[Tichtheid]

Ben White's in advanced talks with Toulon according to the French press (Midi Olympique)

https://www.rugbyrama.fr/2023/06/18/tra ... 285252.php

That would be a good move for him, I think, though obviously I'd rather see him at Edinburgh. There was some talk about the SRU wanting to bring him north and that was why Charlie Shiel and Scott Steele only singed one year contracts, but you never really know with all of these internet rumours.

It must be really weird seeing this happen to your team, your players, I'm very sorry this has happened to 'Irish and of course Wasps and Wuss.

[Margin__Walker]

Ben White's in advanced talks with Toulon according to the French press (Midi Olympique)

https://www.rugbyrama.fr/2023/06/18/tra ... 285252.php

That would be a good move for him, I think, though obviously I'd rather see him at Edinburgh. There was some talk about the SRU wanting to bring him north and that was why Charlie Shiel and Scott Steele only singed one year contracts, but you never really know with all of these internet rumours.

It must be really weird seeing this happen to your team, your players, I'm very sorry this has happened to 'Irish and of course Wasps and Wuss.

Cheers. Yeah, it's very strange seeing them scattered in the wind. Leaves a big void for me. The club was a big part of my life and I watched rugby for them first and England second. Other than to see how ex players get on for perhaps the first season, I can't see me being too interested in prem rugby in future without that vested interest of having a team involved.

[Jock42]

Steve Scott has signed as an assistant coach at Bath.

[Slick]

Interview with Jaco van der Walt in the Times

https://archive.is/AHUfR

I think Jaco was a bit unfairly done by during the Mike Blair period, especially this last season when he was basically shut out of the team in favour of Savala (who didn't really perform).

Bit of a no win situation though - if VdW had played a lot more, Blair would have been criticised for not giving the young Scottish player an opportunity.

Not sure I agree with this, wasn't VdW a Scotland cap by then? As I've said before, I think he was hard done by. He was pretty underwhelming for the first period, and didn't deserve his cap at the time, but was actually really coming on to his game and showing some great running and game management before being dropped well to the back. I feel a bit for him.

[Biffer]

I think Jaco was a bit unfairly done by during the Mike Blair period, especially this last season when he was basically shut out of the team in favour of Savala (who didn't really perform).

Bit of a no win situation though - if VdW had played a lot more, Blair would have been criticised for not giving the young Scottish player an opportunity.

Not sure I agree with this, wasn't VdW a Scotland cap by then? As I've said before, I think he was hard done by. He was pretty underwhelming for the first period, and didn't deserve his cap at the time, but was actually really coming on to his game and showing some great running and game management before being dropped well to the back. I feel a bit for him.

I feel for him as well, but considering people were mithering about him playing and blocking young Scot's chances pretty much all the time he ways at Edinburgh, it would still have happened.

[FalseBayFC]

Not rugby in Scotland but a bit of Scottish tradition in South Africa school rugby. St Andrews College and Kingswood College of the Eastern Cape are piped onto the field by the school band.

[Slick]

Bit of a no win situation though - if VdW had played a lot more, Blair would have been criticised for not giving the young Scottish player an opportunity.

Not sure I agree with this, wasn't VdW a Scotland cap by then? As I've said before, I think he was hard done by. He was pretty underwhelming for the first period, and didn't deserve his cap at the time, but was actually really coming on to his game and showing some great running and game management before being dropped well to the back. I feel a bit for him.

I feel for him as well, but considering people were mithering about him playing and blocking young Scot's chances pretty much all the time he ways at Edinburgh, it would still have happened.

Genuinely didn’t know that was the case

[Tichtheid]

Not rugby in Scotland

Not yet, give them a few years.


That's a cool welcome for the players, though

[robmatic]

Not sure I agree with this, wasn't VdW a Scotland cap by then? As I've said before, I think he was hard done by. He was pretty underwhelming for the first period, and didn't deserve his cap at the time, but was actually really coming on to his game and showing some great running and game management before being dropped well to the back. I feel a bit for him.

I feel for him as well, but considering people were mithering about him playing and blocking young Scot's chances pretty much all the time he ways at Edinburgh, it would still have happened.

Genuinely didn’t know that was the case

Some of that was due to Cockerill's point-blank refusal to play Nathan Chamberlain when he was on the books, despite him looking decent for the u20s.

I think there is also a segment of Scottish fans who will grumble about literally every imported player because they are blocking young Scots' chances.

[KingBlairhorn]

I feel for him as well, but considering people were mithering about him playing and blocking young Scot's chances pretty much all the time he ways at Edinburgh, it would still have happened.

Genuinely didn’t know that was the case

Some of that was due to Cockerill's point-blank refusal to play Nathan Chamberlain when he was on the books, despite him looking decent for the u20s.

I think there is also a segment of Scottish fans who will grumble about literally every imported player because they are blocking young Scots' chances.

I agree that Scottish pro team coaches have a development brief and Cockerill clearly made some poor choices in that respect - not playing and then letting Rory Darge leave amongst the worst of them. However, Chamberlain is a Championship level player, Edinburgh aspire to be a team playing at a level far above that. He was not necessarily wrong not to play Chamberlain who it appears was not of the required level.

[Tichtheid]

Wasn't Chamberlain considered to be in front of Thompson when they were in the 20s? Or am I misremembering that?

Going back, I read the other day that Toonie is keen on Savala, and that is more likely to be the reason that Jaco got so little game time, possibly the same for Chamberlain too.

Also, I don't particularly think that letting Darge go over to Glasgow was a mistake, at the time Boyle was considered to be the real deal and he is still stuck behind Watson and Crosbie, if it had been Boyle who had gone over he may well have had the same impact that Darge has had.

[weegie01]

Steve Scott has signed as an assistant coach at Bath.

There was dancing in the streets of Myreside.

He'd lost the dressing room at Watsonians. Lots of stories of poor communication with players, especially players being dropped without knowing why, players repeatedly asking what they need to do improve and getting no answers etc.

On a different topic, I discovered yesterday that under the standard Super 6 contract, if you have an injury that will take 8 weeks or more recovery, the contract is terminated. There are a surprising number of 7 week recoveries.

[Tichtheid]

Steve Scott has signed as an assistant coach at Bath.

There was dancing in the streets of Myreside.

He'd lost the dressing room at Watsonians. Lots of stories of poor communication with players, especially players being dropped without knowing why, players repeatedly asking what they need to do improve and getting no answers etc.

On a different topic, I discovered yesterday that under the standard Super 6 contract, if you have an injury that will take 8 weeks or more recovery, the contract is terminated. There are a surprising number of 7 week recoveries.

aka, players going back to training and playing before they are fully fit?

[Tichtheid]

btw, has anyone found info on whether the U20s trophy event is being streamed?

Scotland play Zimbabwe at 8am our time on Saturday

edit, I got that way wrong, the first game is on the 15th of July

[robmatic]

Genuinely didn’t know that was the case

Some of that was due to Cockerill's point-blank refusal to play Nathan Chamberlain when he was on the books, despite him looking decent for the u20s.

I think there is also a segment of Scottish fans who will grumble about literally every imported player because they are blocking young Scots' chances.

I agree that Scottish pro team coaches have a development brief and Cockerill clearly made some poor choices in that respect - not playing and then letting Rory Darge leave amongst the worst of them. However, Chamberlain is a Championship level player, Edinburgh aspire to be a team playing at a level far above that. He was not necessarily wrong not to play Chamberlain who it appears was not of the required level.

Yeah, I agree and in retrospect Cockerill was probably not wrong but I admit I was baffled at the time.

I'm not sure Savala is much better than Chamberlain from what I've seen though.

[westport]

btw, has anyone found info on whether the U20s trophy event is being streamed?

Scotland play Zimbabwe at 8am our time on Saturday

edit, I got that way wrong, the first game is on the 15th of July

I think they are being shown on World Rugby site or WR youtube

[westport]

Some pool Edinburgh have in Challenge Cup
Castres, Montpellier, Clermont, Invitee 2, Gloucester and Scarlets

[Slick]

Some pool Edinburgh have in Challenge Cup
Castres, Montpellier, Clermont, Invitee 2, Gloucester and Scarlets

I am going to one of those France away games! That's ridiculous though.

[westport]

Some pool Edinburgh have in Challenge Cup
Castres, Montpellier, Clermont, Invitee 2, Gloucester and Scarlets

I am going to one of those France away games! That's ridiculous though.

I would recommend Montpellier, it is gorgeous and has a huge stadium

[Biffer]

Some pool Edinburgh have in Challenge Cup
Castres, Montpellier, Clermont, Invitee 2, Gloucester and Scarlets

Yeah, that might be fun. I'm presuming we won't play Scarlets. And the invitees will most likely be champions of Spain / Portugal / Romania or something similar? Or will we end up with Ealing and Jersey?

[westport]

Some pool Edinburgh have in Challenge Cup
Castres, Montpellier, Clermont, Invitee 2, Gloucester and Scarlets

Yeah, that might be fun. I'm presuming we won't play Scarlets. And the invitees will most likely be champions of Spain / Portugal / Romania or something similar? Or will we end up with Ealing and Jersey?

They said the two invitees will be announced soon

[westport]

Champions Cup - Glasgow get Exeter again and Finn going to play Racing

Pool 1:
Saracens
Bordeaux-Belges
Vodacom Bulls
Bristol Bears
Connacht Rugby
Lyon

Pool 2:
Toulouse
Cardiff
Bath Rugby
Racing 92
Harlequins
Ulster Rugby

Pool 3:
Munster Rugby
Bayonne
Glasgow
Exeter Chiefs
Toulon
Northampton Saints

Pool 4:
La Rochelle
Stade Français
Leicester Tigers
DHL Stormers
Leinster Rugby
Sale Sharks

[clydecloggie]

Beat Bayonne and Saints and we're in the round of 16. Woohoo. Garbage format.

Pool 4 though

[Biffer]

Pool 4 is mental - but that's what European Rugby should be about, surely? Big games in the pools, teams knocking lumps off each other.

[robmatic]

Pool 4 is mental - but that's what European Rugby should be about, surely? Big games in the pools, teams knocking lumps off each other.

Four of them go through though so not necessarily high stakes games.

[robmatic]

Some pool Edinburgh have in Challenge Cup
Castres, Montpellier, Clermont, Invitee 2, Gloucester and Scarlets

Yeah, that might be fun. I'm presuming we won't play Scarlets. And the invitees will most likely be champions of Spain / Portugal / Romania or something similar? Or will we end up with Ealing and Jersey?

Cheetahs?

[weegie01]

Some pool Edinburgh have in Challenge Cup
Castres, Montpellier, Clermont, Invitee 2, Gloucester and Scarlets

My son and I have always said that the Stade Marcel-Michelin was the one stadium we would make a point of going to if Edinburgh never played them.

We never imagined we'd end up playing them as we were both poor, and the frenzy had abated. Watch us get them at home.

Never been to Castres, nor Montpellier for many years. But depending on the draws there are some decent potential away trips in there.

[weegie01]

Steve Scott has signed as an assistant coach at Bath.

There was dancing in the streets of Myreside.

He'd lost the dressing room at Watsonians. Lots of stories of poor communication with players, especially players being dropped without knowing why, players repeatedly asking what they need to do improve and getting no answers etc.

On a different topic, I discovered yesterday that under the standard Super 6 contract, if you have an injury that will take 8 weeks or more recovery, the contract is terminated. There are a surprising number of 7 week recoveries.

aka, players going back to training and playing before they are fully fit?

Nail, meet head.