Edinburgh V Scarlets

Edinburgh Rugby team to play Scarlet at Murrayfield Stadium tomorrow night (Friday 30 March, kick-off 7.35pm): 15 Tom Brown; 14 Lee Jones, 13 Nick De Luca,12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser; 10 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN, 9 Mike Blair; 1 Allan Jacobsen, 2 Ross Ford, 3 Geoff Cross, 4 Grant Gilchrist, 5 Sean Cox, 6 David Denton, 7 Ross Rennie, 8 Stuart McInally

Substitutes: 16 Andrew Kelly, 17 Kyle Traynor, 18 Jack Gilding, 19 Esteban Lozada, 20 Roddy Grant, 21 Chris Leck, 22 Phil Godman, 23 Jim Thompson

Have to say I almost danced a jig of joy when I saw the returning Scotland players!

I've said this for months but we've really got to win this - need some confidence in the squad as we can't be heading to play Toulouse having barely won any games since before Christmas.

Good to see Lee Jones back too - would have thought this week would be too soon for him but hopefully he is 100% and hasn't just been rushed back.

Really important for Edinburgh to put in a big shift prior to welcoming Toulouse to Murrayfield next weekend. Only surprise is that there's no room for Talei, and lord knows why he's gone for WCP over Leonard on the bench

Talei is being rested as a precaution for a back injury or something. Save him for next week I suppose!

What does WCP stand for??

Your danger players I see as being Jones, Visser (he always is!), Blair and Rennie. Blair was on v good form in the 6N's I thought.

I'm also hoping Laidlaw is still having nightmares from the Wales match, and we can just send Georgie and Foxy at him.

Scarlets should be announcing their team at lunch time I think.

Getting really nervous about this one, had butterflies in my stomach when i was thinking about it earlier on. Such an important match for Scarlets to win, and Edinburgh are going to want to put in a really good performance in prep for next week.

Big big game.

World class phil. Haven't we err used that phrase on here or is it just the supporters club forum?

I've heard a few people say it but no one has said what it stands for.

Scarlets Team:

Liam Williams, George North, Gareth Maule, Jon Davies, Andy Fenby, Rhys Priestland, Gareth Davies

Rhodri Jones, Matthew Rees, Deacon Manu, Dom Day, Sioni Timani, Josh Turnbull, Johnathan Edwards, Kieran Murphy

Bench: Ken Owens, Phil John, Damien Welsh, Matt Gilbert, Liam Davies, Stephen Jones, Sean Lamont


Pretty gosh darn happy with that one. Shame Ben Mogs didn't pass his late fitness test though. Am liking the look of our bench too. Should be a good game!

Don't recognise many of your forwards, but that is quite a scary backline!

Rhodri was in the Wales squad this 6N's but didn't start, Rees you should know , Manu is the captain of Fiji, Timani played for Tonga in the RWC, Turnbull was involved with the Wales squad last season but the other three aren't all that well known I guess.

They're all on form though! Just hope Edwards keeps a grip on his penalty conceding instincts. We shall see.

It's almost full strength for us really. Only Reed, Shingler and Morgan missing with injuries (although we have other long term ones on the books like Stoddart and Knoyle)

Momentum, momentum, momentum. The rabo is a write off for us, we need a win before Toulouse come next weekend.

I've heard that Stoddart and (I think) McCusker won't play for the rest of the season unfortunately.

Looks a good side, just a shame like you say that Morgan isn't back - problem is that that Edinburgh side looks very good as well.

hmmm would have liked Mogs to start to counter act Denton. Why is he starting at 6, anyways?

He usually plays there for Edinburgh, dreamer, with either McInally or Talei at no.8

hmm okay, diolch As, haven't seen Edinburgh play much this season so only really know about Denton from him playing for Scotland.

Both teams look very evenly matched really, guess it's going to depend how quickly the Edinburgh returning internationals gel back in with the team. Think the Scarlets have the advantage there as at least our got a run out last week (except for Rhys).

Fingers crossed our pack can keep up the good work from last week, and then allow the backs to do what they do best. Should be a good match. Is it on TV?

Unfortunately not!

That's rubbish that it's not on TV as it should be a really good game against 2 evenly matched sides, and the Scarlets should (hopefully) be going hammer and tongs, especially after our shocking performance last time we were in Scoltand

Smirnoffpriest wrote: the Scarlets should (hopefully) be going hammer and tongs, especially after our shocking performance last time we were in Scoltand

......and there goes any good feelings I had about our momentum.

BBC Alba have the Glasgow Cardiff game, which is a bit more important just now to be fair!

RDW_Scotland wrote:BBC Alba have the Glasgow Cardiff game, which is a bit more important just now to be fair!

Yeah that is true enought, and if it were on BBC Wales then I guess it would be the other way around. Also from a Scarlets point of view the Blues V Glasgow game is probably just as important for us too.

Both BBC2 Wales and BBC Alba are showing the Glasgow match. Ridiculous that two BBC channels are showing the exact same game.

Shared resources I suppose - only need one camera crew and they can split the costs!

Still seems a bit daft to me, that one match is covered by two channels, and the other not covered at all! I'm assuming there will be a camera crew at the Edinburgh ground also as we always have clips of the highlights.

Just doesn't make too much sense to me!

Edinburgh could do their Weegie pals a big favour here -please chaps

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Edinburgh could do their Weegie pals a big favour here -please chaps

As a Glasgow fan, I want Edinburgh to win for once!

The Blues are out of the run in for the play off's but they want to have good game for the HC quarter final but they could do the Scarlets a favour if they win or draw i.e., if the Scarlets win. Should be two good games with strong teams. Good luck for both Welsh teams.

Edinburgh desperately need some good news after an appalling 3 months without a win and leaking points. They currently have the worst defence in the Rabo12.

If they cannot drag a win out of this one then next week is looking very ominous.
What is clear is that the second choice Edinburgh front row struggles against just about everyone, god knows how they will fair against the Toulouse bench.

If chunk isnt fit (if that's the correct term for his current physical shape!) then the scrum will really struggle. traynor really hasnt shown any progression over the last 2 seasons.
Compare his preformances with those of Ryan Grant, disgarded by Edinburgh, and now an integral part of the Warriors sqaud.
If Edinburgh's season ends in a whimper then I think questions should be asked about Tom Smith's abilites as the forwards coach.

sensiball, I think that the SRU made a mistake sending Swinson to Glasgow - with Nick Campbell coming thru there, they have a ready made (nearly) replacement, plus good support from Ryder and they're unlikely to lose the ruck inspector during international windows - Edinburgh could really have done with another lock

I'm just hoping that there's going to be another announcement that we've signed a new lock - especially since Lozada (who wasn't great anyway) is leaving.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:sensiball, I think that the SRU made a mistake sending Swinson to Glasgow - with Nick Campbell coming thru there, they have a ready made (nearly) replacement, plus good support from Ryder and they're unlikely to lose the ruck inspector during international windows - Edinburgh could really have done with another lock

But that would involve finding a player who hasnt already been signed up by glasgow in their current state of signing everyone under the sun.

Strong line-up from Edinburgh. Hopefully Bradley has ordered them to treat this as a cup final rather than another chuck it around training session. If so the Scarlets will win easy.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Strong line-up from Edinburgh. Hopefully Bradley has ordered them to treat this as a another chuck it around training session rather than a cup final . If so the Scarlets will win easy.

Fixed that for you FES

Got my tickets for the game! Good to see the introduction of the "e-ticket" - one of my many gripes from going to Edinburgh games has been the hassle you have trying to pick up tickets. With the e-ticket you just print it out and scan it at the gate - nice and easy!

Another good initiative by Edinburgh this year.

Shame I can't join you this evening RDW. Got the mother in law visiting....

Reckon it should be a good game. Hopefully the returning internationals can add some steel.

3 - 3 currently

13 - 3 To Edinburgh. Denton try under the posts converted, and they had another penalty also

Edinburgh 20-3 up.
12 minutes into the 2nd half

Make that Edinburgh 20-9

Edinburg 23-16
Better not blow their half time lead...

Fenby scord according to bbc

Ross Rennie yellow card with about 13 minutes left - Scarlets could still win this.

23 all at Murrayfield (63mins)
What's going on Edinburgh????

26-23 to embra, think only about 3 mins left.

Edinbugh 26-23 up
2 minutes to go...

Edinburgh win the game 26-23.
They almost blew it, bit finally we get the win!!!!

Gutted.

Amazing effort 2nd half by Scarlets not to concede any points when down to 13 and outscoring Edinburgh then.

Full credit to Edinburgh though, sounds like they really bossed the first half, and got the kicks that mattered

(we missed 3 I think )

Play offs pretty much over. I am a very sad Dreamer

Guttd yet again we seem to fall just short

I dunno, considering the disastrous 2nd quarter and being down to 13, we did well to get back in it. Just annoyed we missed 2 pens in the 2nd half. we always seem to miss the crucial kicks

Good feeling to end the 7 game loosing streak.
Now if only Scotland could follow suit...