Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues, 23 November

                    
Edinburgh Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Sunday 23 November 2014
KO 16:00
BT Murrayfield

Live on BBC Wicker Man/SC4

Referee: Leo Colgan (IRU, 16th competition game)
Assistant Referees: David Changleng, Stephen Hart (both SRU)
Citing Commissioner: Rob Flockhart (SRU)
TMO: Iain Ramage (SRU)

A. Teams:

Edinburgh Rugby

Nick McLennan, Dougie Fife, Sam Beard, Andries Strauss, Tom Brown, Tom Heathcote, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne; Rory Sutherland, James Hilterbrand, Willem Nel, Ollie Atkins, Ben Toolis, Mike Coman (capt), Roddy Grant, David Denton.

Replacements: Neil Cochrane, Grant Shiells, John Andress, Fraser McKenzie, Tomas Leonardi, Grayson Hart, Greig Tonks, Matt Scott.

Cardiff Blues

Gareth Anscombe, Richard Smith, Adam Thomas, Gavin Evans, Dan Fish, Gareth Davies, Lloyd Williams; Sam Hobbs, Kristian Dacey, Adam Jones (capt), Jarrad Hoeata, Macauley Cook, Josh Turnbull, Ellis Jenkins, Manoa Vosawai.

Replacements: Rhys Williams, Thomas Davies, Scott Andrews, Chris Dicomidis, Josh Navidi, Lewis Jones, Garyn Smith, Geraint Walsh.

B. Form - head to head:

22 Played 22
9 Wins 13
13 Losses 9
0 Draws 0
33 Tries 63
25 Conversions 45
41 Penalties 43
7 Drop Goals 0
359 Points 534
24 Avg. Age 21

C. Form - last season:

Sun 6 Oct 2013
Cardiff Blues 29 - 12 Edinburgh
Rugby Arms Park

Fri 11 Apr 2014
Edinburgh Rugby 22 - 29 Cardiff Blues
Meggetland

Amanda Hendrick and Katherine Jenkins this week's team reps.

Cardiff wins this week's contest hands down!

The pictures that is.....

Scientists can now prove that on a biomolecular level it is technically impossible not to love Katherine Jenkins.

George, why have you got Katherine as the Cardiff mascot, when she is a good Neath girl

Wish we had our new players involved for this games, combined with Patchell out injured and Cuthbert and Allen away with Wales it means our only hope will to smash Edinburgh up from, which will be difficult and i'm not sure if our new weapon Vosawai will be away with Italy.

Be interesting to see the teams

wayne wrote:George, why have you got Katherine as the Cardiff mascot, when she is a good Neath girl

Honestly, wayne, because I have bowed to poster pressure for team mascots to be attractive people with a relatively loose connection to the franchise area rather than the more facially unfortunate/less well known individuals specifically from that area.

Besides, I have already used Shirley Bassey twice in match threads.

Any news on the Embra injury list? Will we be able to get 23 players together for the game?

justified sinner wrote:Any news on the Embra injury list? Will we be able to get 23 players together for the game?

Was gonna say, there's very little point guessing the Edinburgh team given our last run out against Leinster we had 23 players injured and had to select academy players and even an amateur 2nd row, but hopefully some players will be back (especially in the forwards)

I haven't a clue who will feature (and according to the Edinburgh webite no-one is "unavailable", but am going to have a guess based on who I would like to see:

1.Shiells 2.Hilterbrand 3.Nel 4.Bresler 5.Atkins 6.Leonardi 7.Watson 8.Coman 9.Kennedy 10.Heathcote 11.Visser 12.Strauss 13.Beard 14.Fife 15.Tonks

16.Andress 17.Turner 18.Sutherland 19.McKenzie/Toolis 20.Bradbury 21.Hart 22.Bezzy 23.Cuthbert

I suspect Watson is definitely out having fractured his face, and if bresler did ligaments he might be out I while too. As for Coman, Atkins and McKenzies fitness, who knows! Bezzy is long term crocked too

Definitely want to see more of George Turner - his throwing may be crap, but he's done bloody well playing at 6 and on the wing so far!

George Carlin wrote:

wayne wrote:George, why have you got Katherine as the Cardiff mascot, when she is a good Neath girl

Honestly, wayne, because I have bowed to poster pressure for team mascots to be attractive people with a relatively loose connection to the franchise area rather than the more facially unfortunate/less well known individuals specifically from that area.

Besides, I have already used Shirley Bassey twice in match threads.

Ms. Church would do surely?

Hi chaps.

I reckon the Blues team you'll be seeing will be close to: 1. Hobbs, 2 Rees (c), 3. A.Jones, 4. Dicomidis, 5. Normandale, 6. Cook, 7. Navidi, 8. Watts-Jones, 9. Knoyle, 10. Davies, 11. Smith, 12. Evans, 13. Thomas, 14. Walsh, 15. Fish.

Really unsure with the backs. Anscombe has arrived but i'm not sure he'll play. Patchell is injured and our two Ariges are with the national team (I think).

Coleman wrote:Hi chaps.

I reckon the Blues team you'll be seeing will be close to: 1. Hobbs, 2 Rees (c), 3. A.Jones, 4. Dicomidis, 5. Normandale, 6. Cook, 7. Navidi, 8. Watts-Jones, 9. Knoyle, 10. Davies, 11. Smith, 12. Evans, 13. Thomas, 14. Walsh, 15. Fish.

Really unsure with the backs. Anscombe has arrived but i'm not sure he'll play. Patchell is injured and our two Ariges are with the national team (I think).

Would be pretty surprised to see Knoyle start over Lloyd,

Is Vosawai with Italy?

Also won't be surprised to see Ellis Jenkins involved after his heroics in the LV

How many of those blues players would normally be first choice 23?

RDW_Scotland wrote:How many of those blues players would normally be first choice 23?

I'd say the likely team will be

1. Hobbs (2nd)
2. Rees (1st/2nd)
3. A.Jones (1st)
4. Hoeta (1st)
5. Paulo (1st/2nd)
6. Cook (2nd)
7. Navidi (2nd)
8. Vosawai? (1st)/ Jenkins (2nd/3rd)
9. Williams (1st)
10. Davies (2nd/3rd)
11. Walsh (2nd/3rd)
12. Evans (2nd)
13. Thomas (2nd)
14. Smith (2nd)
15. Fish (2nd/3rd/4th)

Just seen that there are players being released back to their teams fro Team Wales, any chance the blues will be getting Cory Allen back?

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Just seen that there are players being released back to their teams fro Team Wales, any chance the blues will be getting Cory Allen back?

Should do, after all Scott Williams is no doubt first replacement if JD or Roberts get injured

wales606 wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Just seen that there are players being released back to their teams fro Team Wales, any chance the blues will be getting Cory Allen back?

Should do, after all Scott Williams is no doubt first replacement if JD or Roberts get injured

No Scott, Priest, and Rh Williams are all released.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

wales606 wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Just seen that there are players being released back to their teams fro Team Wales, any chance the blues will be getting Cory Allen back?

Should do, after all Scott Williams is no doubt first replacement if JD or Roberts get injured

No Scott, Priest, and Rh Williams are all released.

Where are you hearing this,

Teams normally take 2 backups for matchday injuries and I am shocked if Williams hasn't been kept as the backs backup

Its on the beeb site mate, in the article with the team for NZ. By the looks of it, and this is just from what I have gathered, the new deal between the regions and union looks to include players who are not playing for the national team to be released back where possible (or where not possible if your Hibbard). Also Scarlets are at home Fri night, so getting to Cardiff for Sat afternoon should not be too hard.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Its on the beeb site mate, in the article with the team for NZ.  By the looks of it, and this is just from what I have gathered, the new deal between the regions and union looks to include players who are not playing for the national team to be released back where possible (or where not possible if your Hibbard).  Also Scarlets are at home Fri night, so getting to Cardiff for Sat afternoon should not be too hard.

But the union can keep 25 players because of the aforementioned extra 2 for the matchday squad

Also, pretty such that it is IRB rules, nothing to do with the new agreement - hence why it applied to Gloucester

Still it would be unlikely they would hang onto Cory as they have Hook/North in the match day squad to cover the centre. I know he alone will not be a huge help, but it is still another 1st team player for the Blues to call upon.

RDW_Scotland wrote:I suspect Watson is definitely out having fractured his face, and if bresler did ligaments he might be out I while too.  As for Coman, Atkins and McKenzies fitness, who knows! Bezzy is long term crocked too

Definitely want to see more of George Turner - his throwing may be crap, but he's done bloody well playing at 6 and on the wing so far!

That doesn't bother us Edinburgh fans surely?!

We may get Denton back from Scotland I suppose. 80 minutes for Edinburgh may be better for him at this stage than sitting on the Scotland bench.

I assumed Filo would be with Samoa at Twix this weekend. I'm unsure if Vos has been called up by Italy. I also forgot that Hoeata was there. Really hope we get Allen back and also 606 is correct about Lloyd Williams starting over Tavis Knoyle. I seem to have forgot our squad. To much LV action for me.

Squad update: The following players will be released back to their region/club for action this weekend: Baker, King (both Ospreys), E. Phillips, Priestland, R. Williams, S.Williams (Scarlets), B.Davies (Wasps), Amos (Dragons)


No Allen.

Forgot Filo will be with Samoa.

We could see Cook in the second row and Ellis Jenkins at 6

Ouch that's a shame. Allen would have been a welcome sight in the midfield. Could be 6. Cook, 7. Jenkins and 8. Navidi. He has played there a bit this season.

Pleasing to hear the Blues' squad is going to be a bit makeshift, cause ours certainly will be!

Edinburgh desperately need to win this.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Pleasing to hear the Blues' squad is going to be a bit makeshift, cause ours certainly will be!

Edinburgh desperately need to win this.

So do the Blues, which is why I am slightly annoyed we will be playing without our internationals - particularly Vosawai and Amorisino who played so well against Munster and seem to be turning the team around

I'm honestly shocked by the impact Vosawai has made this season. When i read we were signing a 31 year old No.8 from Italy via Fiji i thought we might be scrapping the barrell. So glad i was wrong. He's been huge for us so far. Our front row should be pretty good this weekend, our back row too.

When in his best form Vosawai is one of the most frightening ball carrier around.
Shouldn't the Blues play Lou Reed in the 2nd row? very underrated player imo.

As for Edinburgh, i hope some of the 2nd rows are going to be back from injury as i think it will be a scrappy affair against a competitive Blues side.

I have no idea what is happening with Lou Reed. He was sent the the Tigers on loan i thought, then he was back playing in the A team game vs the Ospreys a week or two later. It's a mystery to me.

BBC is hinting quite heavily that Anscombe will be on the field at some point, particularly given the injury to Patchell.

George Carlin wrote:BBC is hinting quite heavily that Anscombe will be on the field at some point, particularly given the injury to Patchell.

They say he could be involved, and it is possible with Patchell injured,

but from what i've heard they were planning on giving him until December as an off-season for him to adjust

I'd like him to play. Get him on, fill your boots. We really need to start winning and we need a decent flyhalf to get the backline ticking.

Coleman wrote:I'd like him to play. Get him on, fill your boots. We really need to start winning and we need a decent flyhalf to get the backline ticking.

Me too, but I also don't want him to burnout before the end of the season - especially if he plays for Wales and goes to the WC, that would be over 2 years without a proper break

Mind you, he is playing Edinburgh, so at least he'll start with a win...

Anscombe starting at 15 apparently

wales606 wrote:Anscombe starting at 15 apparently

Anscombe vs Jack Cuthbert. Hmmm......

15? Is Davies world class in training? Kept Patchell out of the shirt and now Anscombe.

I think Hammett just really hates fish. will be different when patchell, amorisino and the new argentine are available at 15

also our midfield will be so bad we might as well put our playmaker at 15 to counter

Hard life being a Blues fan. Why hasnt he released Fish if he dosnt rate him.

because Fish has a contract!? You can't just sack players for free and he is still useful

What did we do with Watkins then? I can't imagen Fish is much higher paid he they would have been.

This a slightly worrying paragraph from the official preview (if you're an Edinburgh fan):

Edinburgh have won only one of their last eight encounters with the Blues in the PRO12: 21-19 at the Arms Park on 7th September 2012, whilst the Welshmen's overall record at BT Murrayfield in the competition is an impressive won six lost three.

Good reading that. Nice bit of turf you've added down there. Should be a good game.

George Carlin wrote:This a slightly worrying paragraph from the official preview (if you're an Edinburgh fan):

Edinburgh have won only one of their last eight encounters with the Blues in the PRO12: 21-19 at the Arms Park on 7th September 2012, whilst the Welshmen's overall record at BT Murrayfield in the competition is an impressive won six lost three.

They are our bogey team, along with the other teams in the league.

Visser is playing for Scotland, so that's a relief