The Official Scottish Rugby Thread

[Tichtheid]

Must win game for Edinburgh and Everitt does make it more risky to play Douglas.

Yup, if only he'd had lots of opportunities up to now he might be pushing for a starting place, as it is we'll go into next season without Ritchie and maybe Boyle still recovering and McConnell and Douglas will still be wet behind the ears without game time.

I'm going to wager that Douglas will get more time on the park for Scotland over the summer than in recent games for Edinburgh.

Big call to be made on where Douglas plays his rugby this summer. Personal development is probably better served being away with the full Scotland team - although I think Darge and Ritchie will tour which might limit his opportunities.

He could probably make a bigger difference to the u20s as they look to avoid relegation. Skipper and pretty much a guarantee of at least 4/5 turnovers a game would be massive for the placing games and potential relegation playoff.

Tough decision for the coaches.

I had actually forgotten about the U20s championship

[Big D]

He should go with the 20s.

They have a tough set of fixtures and he'll get a lot out of it. It is important that they try and avoid relegation.

[Yr Alban]

He should go with the 20s.

They have a tough set of fixtures and he'll get a lot out of it. It is important that they try and avoid relegation.

I’ve just looked at our pool fixtures. F***ing hell. Hopefully there is at least one team there we can beat. Spain?

[Big D]

He should go with the 20s.

They have a tough set of fixtures and he'll get a lot out of it. It is important that they try and avoid relegation.

I’ve just looked at our pool fixtures. F***ing hell. Hopefully there is at least one team there we can beat. Spain?

I think being the senior leader in the team with a bit of pressure to "do something, anything, please god help us" will be good for him. Plus, not many Scots these days get to play at an U20 WC.

[clydecloggie]

He should go with the 20s.

They have a tough set of fixtures and he'll get a lot out of it. It is important that they try and avoid relegation.

I’ve just looked at our pool fixtures. F***ing hell. Hopefully there is at least one team there we can beat. Spain?

Unlikely to be Spain. Their youth set up is stronger than ours. Wales maybe?

[Blackmac]

Scottish Rugby

47m ·
Scottish Rugby is saddened to learn of the death yesterday [Friday 9 May] of former Scotland A back-row forward Graham Dall. He was 49.
Obituary: https://scottishrugby.org/obituary-graham-dall/

I was hoping someone had posted this. My wife knew him through work and an all round great guy apparently, who did a huge amount of community work. RIP.

[KingBlairhorn]

He should go with the 20s.

They have a tough set of fixtures and he'll get a lot out of it. It is important that they try and avoid relegation.

I’ve just looked at our pool fixtures. F***ing hell. Hopefully there is at least one team there we can beat. Spain?

Unlikely to be Spain. Their youth set up is stronger than ours. Wales maybe?

Is it? Wasn't our last game against them the one in summer 23 when we hammered them by 25 points in Spain? I think that was only a friendly but it's the best reference point we have...

[Simian]

I’ve just looked at our pool fixtures. F***ing hell. Hopefully there is at least one team there we can beat. Spain?

Unlikely to be Spain. Their youth set up is stronger than ours. Wales maybe?

Is it? Wasn't our last game against them the one in summer 23 when we hammered them by 25 points in Spain? I think that was only a friendly but it's the best reference point we have...

They’ve been a lot more competitive against the big sides at u18 than we were. Spain gave England a game. From memory, England stuck over 70 points on us, I think?

[Dogbert]

Time to hide behind the Sofa

Real Baptism of fire for Seb Stephen and Macenzzie Duncan

1 Jamie Bhatti (122)
2 Seb Stephen (0)
3 Fin Richardson (6)
4 Jare Oguntibeju (8)
5 Alex Samuel (37)
6 Macenzzie Duncan (1)
7 Rory Darge (64)
8 Euan Ferrie (36)

9 Ben Afshar (21)
10 Adam Hastings (67)
11 Kyle Steyn (C) (89)
12 Sione Tuipulotu (65)
13 Huw Jones (80)
14 Sebastian Cancelliere (57)
15 Kyle Rowe (34)

Replacements
16 Gregor Hiddleston (24)
17 Nathan McBeth (55)
18 Murphy Walker (14)
19 JP du Preez (31)
20 Scott Cummings (139)
21 Stafford McDowall (91)
22 George Horne (136)
23 Tom Jordan (68)

Unavailable for selection: Gregor Brown (knee), Jack Dempsey (hamstring), Matt Fagerson (ankle), Zander Fagerson (calf), Angus Fraser (head), Johnny Matthews (knee), Josh McKay (ankle), Ally Miller (back), Duncan Munn (shoulder), Patrick Schickerling (foot), Rory Sutherland (shoulder), Henco Venter (suspension), Duncan Weir (shoulder), Max Williamson (shoulder).

At least Leinster have decided to go easy

15. Hugo Keenan (74)
14. Tommy O’Brien (44)
13. Robbie Henshaw (103)
12. Jordie Barrett (11)
11. Jimmy O’Brien (98)
10. Sam Prendergast (30)
9. Fintan Gunne (14)

1. Andrew Porter (136)
2. Dan Sheehan (69)
3. Thomas Clarkson (55)
4. RG Snyman (18)
5. James Ryan (93)
6. Ryan Baird (81)
7. Scott Penny (84)
8. Jack Conan (162) CAPTAIN

Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher (75)
17. Jack Boyle (24)
18. Tadhg Furlong (154)
19. Diarmuid Mangan (14)
20. Max Deegan (132)
21. Luke McGrath (230)
22. Ciarán Frawley (100)
23. Jamie Osborne (61)

[topofthemoon]

He should go with the 20s.

They have a tough set of fixtures and he'll get a lot out of it. It is important that they try and avoid relegation.

I’ve just looked at our pool fixtures. F***ing hell. Hopefully there is at least one team there we can beat. Spain?

Pool stages will be a write off. It'll be all about the 9th-12th playoffs which will most likely feature us, Spain, Georgia and either Wales or Italy.

Need one win from 2 games to avoid relegation.

[Biffer]

He should go with the 20s.

They have a tough set of fixtures and he'll get a lot out of it. It is important that they try and avoid relegation.

I’ve just looked at our pool fixtures. F***ing hell. Hopefully there is at least one team there we can beat. Spain?

Pool stages will be a write off. It'll be all about the 9th-12th playoffs which will most likely feature us, Spain, Georgia and either Wales or Italy.

Need one win from 2 games to avoid relegation.

They got better through the 6Ns, beat Wales in game 4, very good performance against France in the last game. Hope that continues through the next few months and we steer clear of a relegation playoff.

[KingBlairhorn]

Unlikely to be Spain. Their youth set up is stronger than ours. Wales maybe?

Is it? Wasn't our last game against them the one in summer 23 when we hammered them by 25 points in Spain? I think that was only a friendly but it's the best reference point we have...

They’ve been a lot more competitive against the big sides at u18 than we were. Spain gave England a game. From memory, England stuck over 70 points on us, I think?

I'm not sure U18s are necessarily relevant to U20s. We struggle at U18s to put out a team of big athletic guys who are also good ball players but by U20s the boys less physically developed at U18 have often caught up. We still get found lacking against the best top8/10 sides at U20s who can steamroller us in the set piece despite broadly similar skill levels, but that happens less against the lower ranked sides. I wouldn't expect our pack to get rolled over by Spain despite their progress, I think our skills are likely still superior.

[Simian]

Is it? Wasn't our last game against them the one in summer 23 when we hammered them by 25 points in Spain? I think that was only a friendly but it's the best reference point we have...

They’ve been a lot more competitive against the big sides at u18 than we were. Spain gave England a game. From memory, England stuck over 70 points on us, I think?

I'm not sure U18s are necessarily relevant to U20s. We struggle at U18s to put out a team of big athletic guys who are also good ball players but by U20s the boys less physically developed at U18 have often caught up. We still get found lacking against the best top8/10 sides at U20s who can steamroller us in the set piece despite broadly similar skill levels, but that happens less against the lower ranked sides. I wouldn't expect our pack to get rolled over by Spain despite their progress, I think our skills are likely still superior.

I was more agreeing with ClydeC’s point about the strength of the Spanish youth rugby system than making a prediction about the u20s. Having said that, at u20s they came up to the top tier comp the year we were relegated to the trophy comp and then they did well and stayed up. So I’m not as optimistic as you are that we’ll be stronger than them. Getting relegated again would be a disaster for us.

[topofthemoon]

[Biffer]

Cardiff game kicks off 1800

[KingBlairhorn]

Not a Lion?

[Jock42]

Not a Lion?

Needs to get an Andy Farrell tattoo

[KingBlairhorn]

So 1 point for Cardiff. So we want one of Benetton or Munster to smash the other and any Edinburgh win?

[KingBlairhorn]

Not a Lion?

Needs to get an Andy Farrell tattoo

Not a lion.

[KingBlairhorn]

Classic Edinburgh performance so far this.

Stephen Ferris is such a shit co-comms. Man he is annoying and myopic.

[topofthemoon]

So 1 point for Cardiff. So we want one of Benetton or Munster to smash the other and any Edinburgh win?

Any win for Edinburgh is now enough bar one specific circumstance - a draw in Cork with Munster also collecting the try BP.

BP win guarantees top 8 for Edinburgh.

[KingBlairhorn]

Thanks TOTM.

As it stands Leinster would be the only Irish team in the playoffs. Obviously a long way to go but if it finished that way it would be astonishing given the stranglehold they had over the league for so long. In fact, two Welsh teams currently in the playoffs is also pretty crazy given their current malaise.

[Jock42]

Maggie having a great game

[KingBlairhorn]

Huge 20 minutes here for Edinburgh. Keep doing the same and they’ll have a great chance.

[Jock42]

Get in Schoe

[westport]

Pulling away now

[KingBlairhorn]

Pulling away now

*First time gif*

[KingBlairhorn]

Tell you what, Ross Thompson has been very very good

[Big D]

Tell you what, Ross Thompson has been very very good

One of the playing things about the recent form has been Thompson, Muncaster, Currie and Sykes starting to show the deserve the 1st XV selection on merit.

Good performances all round tonight.

[dkm57]

Where the feck has that kind of performance been all year.

[Slick]

First time since 2022, European semi, best get Everitt signed on

[Jock42]

Where is Sebastian off to? I didn't realise he was leaving.

[Yr Alban]

Well, we said that Embra didn’t turn up for big games. They seem to have kicked that habit.

[Biffer]

Most complete Edinburgh performance for a good few years. On top of a team and in control, and for a change we didn’t step back and invite them back into the game.

Great stuff, into the champions cup next year

[I like neeps]

Bradbury was really impressive yesterday. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall post that home loss to Zebre they've been a different team.

[Slick]

Only saw very small bits of the game but every time Paterson seemed to be doing something, was that just luck on my part of was he that good?

[Tichtheid]

Only saw very small bits of the game but every time Paterson seemed to be doing something, was that just luck on my part of was he that good?

He’s that good.

Being hyper critical, he could have done better with a tackle on their centre but he’s the Next Big Thing, imo

[Slick]

Only saw very small bits of the game but every time Paterson seemed to be doing something, was that just luck on my part of was he that good?

He’s that good.

Being hyper critical, he could have done better with a tackle on their centre but he’s the Next Big Thing, imo

Completely agree, really, really excited by him

[KingBlairhorn]

Only saw very small bits of the game but every time Paterson seemed to be doing something, was that just luck on my part of was he that good?

He’s that good.

Being hyper critical, he could have done better with a tackle on their centre but he’s the Next Big Thing, imo

I agree, he’s one of those players that is just ‘classy’. Even his assist for the last Graham try, it looks easy but his delay to allow Darcy to catch up, his line to open the space for Darcy, and then the timing of the draw and pass were all absolutely perfect. All relatively simple skills but to put them all together so effortlessly is what, at least in my opinion, defines classy.

[Slick]

Only saw very small bits of the game but every time Paterson seemed to be doing something, was that just luck on my part of was he that good?

He’s that good.

Being hyper critical, he could have done better with a tackle on their centre but he’s the Next Big Thing, imo

I agree, he’s one of those players that is just ‘classy’. Even his assist for the last Graham try, it looks easy but his delay to allow Darcy to catch up, his line to open the space for Darcy, and then the timing of the draw and pass were all absolutely perfect. All relatively simple skills but to put them all together so effortlessly is what, at least in my opinion, defines classy.

Was going to say almost exactly the same, he just looks so easy and classy and that’s not things you can really coach. To come back from a series of injuries at that age and then immediately start putting performances in is outstanding