Glasgow and Edinburgh 21st Century Banter

First topic message reminder :

Something is going on this year

Both Glasgow and Edinburgh are playing quite well!

Is it a dream, am I imagining it, am I going to wake up in a cold sweat and find out that we are really cr*p again?

Someone please reassure me!!

Eejit wrote:Forum admins should be able to manually reset that for you.

I wouldn't trust them. Heard they're a bunch of idiots.

George Carlin wrote:

Eejit wrote:Forum admins should be able to manually reset that for you.

I wouldn't trust them. Heard they're a bunch of idiots.

In 1972, a crack Admin unit was sent to prison by a 606v2 court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum-security stockade to the Glasgow underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem... if no one else can help... and if you can find them... maybe you can hire... The Admin-Team.

A lurk over to the Glasgow forum found a very reasonable response on the A. Dunbar situation from a certain Jimbopip. The post itself was a nugget of gold amongst the sea of doodoo that is the argumentative oddballs that populate that place. Well done sir.

As Eejit,
You are right though ; you do get a better class of bampot on here.

Wait, Jimbo is posting on another forum?? He told me it was his last time and he'd never do it again!! 

Although saying that we must be talking about another Jimbo given it was apparently a ''reasonable response"

jimbopip wrote:As Eejit,
You are right though ; you do get a better class of bampot on here.

I’m a bampot but I’m a classy bampot

Alex Dunbar making it pretty clear in an Instagram post that he won't be coming back to Glasgow at the end of his loan.

He actually sounds quite positive about the move to Newcastle, probably realises that he needs to move on and rejuvenate himself, if that is possible.

He has been a great player for Glasgow and to his great credit he has moved on in the right way, full of praise for the club and his team mates
No bridge burning there.

Hopefully he can find some fitness and form in a new environment

Ooh Gee you big tease.

Text from Eck's instagram for those not down with the kids

After an amazing 9 years with @glasgowwarriors the time has come to move on with my rugby and challenge myself in new ways.
Looking back on my first years with the warriors as a kid never could I have imagined the life that this club would give me. I've had the opportunity to play alongside world-class players, travelled all over and best of all made friends for life.
I want to thank the club for all the opportunities they have gave me and the support along the way.
To the #warriornation for making the club so special to play for and creating an atmosphere that makes every game memorable.
Lastly to the boys, for all the good times, support and friendships over the years, it's been fun.
Now I'm looking forward to the future, getting more game time and getting myself back to where I want to be as a player.
Glasgow will always have a special place in my heart.
Thank You

World Class players?

Was Eck assigned to Ayr???

Edinburgh going to announce a re-signing later. I reckon it'll be Darcy

And it is. 2 year deal for Darcy

Just to complete the hat-trick of talking to myself

Edin Rugby wrote:Winger Darcy Graham has become the latest player to commit his future to Edinburgh after the Scotland international today signed a two-year contract extension, which will see him remain in the capital until at least 2021.

Now in his second season with the club, the winger has cemented his place in the starting XV, scoring seven tries in 12 appearances in both the Guinness PRO14 and Heineken Champions Cup.

The Hawick flyer was rewarded for his form earlier this season when Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend called him up for his international debut against Wales in the 2018 Autumn Tests - becoming the 1098th player to represent Scotland.

On extending his stay in the capital, Graham, said: "I’m absolutely buzzing to be staying at Edinburgh for the next two years.

"The club is building towards something very special, on and off the field, and I can’t wait to be a part of it moving forward.

"I've grown up watching Edinburgh and I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d be going into my third season with the club. I’m loving it here and I can’t wait to see how much I can push myself and learn over the next two seasons and beyond.”

Head Coach Richard Cockerill added: “Darcy is a really important part of this team, so I’m delighted that he has chosen to commit his immediate future to Edinburgh.

“His attitude and hard work ethic are an example to anyone looking to make a name for themselves in the modern professional game. I’m excited to see him progress further in the years ahead.”

At just 17-years-old, Graham helped lead his hometown team, Hawick RFC, to the Scottish Cup Final against Boroughmuir in 2015, whilst he proved to be a show-stopping talent on the Borders Sevens circuit.

Following impressive performances for Scotland under-18 and Hawick, Graham was inducted into the Fosroc Scottish Rugby Academy, based in the Borders.

The winger was named in the Scotland U20 squad for the 2016 Six Nations, where he made his debut in the 24-6 win over England in the Championship opener.

Graham signed his first professional deal with Edinburgh in the summer of 2017 and made a try-scoring debut in the 50-20 European Challenge Cup win over London Irish in December that same year.

Now a Scotland international, Graham has played a vital role in Edinburgh’s run to the Heineken Champions Cup Quarter-Finals, scoring the winning try in last month's crucial pool stage victory over Montpellier at BT Murrayfield.

According to Mark Palmer in the Sunday Times, Barclay is planning his comeback for the 21st march, the week before the champs cup quarter final. Though looking at the form of some of the other Edinburgh players, he may struggle to make the team if they are all fit.

He also said that Edinburgh had made an offer to Chris Harris to come up from Newcastle. It seems he has turned it down though and is likely going to re-sign with the Falcons.

John Barclay Interview from the Times


As he continues his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon, the closest John Barclay will get to Saturday’s Scotland v Ireland match is as a pitchside TV analyst. It was from a similar spot, this time among the home substitutes, that the back-rower watched the first half of the last Murrayfield meeting two years ago.

Barclay had the perfect view as two Stuart Hogg tries added to the suspicion that a formidable Irish defence is vulnerable out wide, before centre Alex Dunbar stole into a lineout and scored an impudent third. When the replay appeared on the big screen, Romain Poite could be heard over the ref mic letting slip an appreciative “nice”. Barclay himself was struggling to speak.

“I burst out laughing,” admits the 32-year-old, who got the last half hour. “All week, I’d been the cynical older guy, saying, ‘This is never going to work; I’ve seen them all and none of them ever work.’ It was Jonny Gray’s call to pull it out and, fair play, they then did it again [last November through Hamish Watson] against South Africa. I’m glad they listened to Jonny.”


Scotland’s triple blast in the first 30 minutes put them 21-5 up, and though Ireland fought back strongly in the second half, two late Greig Laidlaw penalties delivered a first opening day win since 2006.

Last March in Dublin, Scotland suffered a 28-8 defeat that underlined the need to be clinical against a side who themselves always are. Gregor Townsend’s team scored another back-three try, a first in Test rugby for Blair Kinghorn, but fluffed several other glaring chances and struggled to contain Ireland’s close-range power game. Peter Horne also gift-wrapped an intercept score for Jacob Stockdale.




“We butchered three two-on-ones,” recalls Barclay, Scotland’s captain that day. “I hate when people say, ‘We should have won that game’, because you get exactly what you deserve. But we created enough to beat one of the best teams in the world away from home. We don’t want to change too much from that day; just do it better.”

The common theme in the last two head-to-heads has been the extraordinary physicality. Barclay’s 28 tackles at the Aviva is the most a Scot has ever managed in a Six Nations match, one more than Gray’s tally in both Dublin and Edinburgh. Scotland’s combined total in 2017 (242) was also a record, run close by the 230 in the same fixture last year.

“It’s that Leinster DNA,” says Barclay. “I played them with Scarlets in the semi-final of the Champions Cup last year, and we just couldn’t get the ball off them. I don’t think they made one handling error. It’s the same with Ireland: they’re ridiculously efficient and accurate in the way they put pressure on you, and if they’re down in your 22, how do you get out? Kick the ball out and they’ll come again. Once they’ve got you, they pin you.”

Barclay has his sights fixed on another crack at the Leinster machine on March 22, the week before Edinburgh host Munster in the Champions Cup quarter-finals. He is yet to make his debut for the capital club, having sustained one of rugby’s most awkward and unpredictable injuries in what turned out to be his last game with Scarlets, the Pro14 semi-final at Scotstoun.

“I jumped to catch the ball and went to push off, and I actually thought somebody had kicked me. The noise it made was like studs shearing off each other. But when you watch it back, there’s nobody near me. I had severed everything — it basically exploded.”

With much of the rehab focused on rebuilding strength in the affected calf, recovery times for Achilles injuries vary widely. Barclay is no spring chicken in sporting terms, and at over 17 stones is also much heavier than, say, a marathon runner who might be back in six months. It has already been almost nine for Barclay, who has learned, if not quite to be patient, then certainly to be pragmatic.

“I had to do 20 calf-raises before I could even consider running, and after seven months I still couldn’t even do one. Some injuries you can bluff your way through a bit — not this one.

“At one point, I was probably chasing it, trying to be fit for the Kings game [last week] which would have given me a slim chance [of Six Nations involvement]. But I still wasn’t running, and you think, ‘This just isn’t going to be possible’. At that point, it was almost better to resign myself, write off the Six Nations for this year, and get fit for the latter part of the season.”

He is now finally back outside, working his way through a checklist of movements: swerving, side-stepping, stepping off, back-peddling, turning. All being well, he will be back in full training in four weeks’ time.

“I’m up to 27 calf-raises now, so they’ve let me out into the daylight,” Barclay laughs. “I had eight months of literally doing the same stuff, but now I’m outside and doing some running, I feel like I’m getting there and am not a million miles away, like I did in the autumn. I was begging them, ‘Please just let me go outside, get some fresh air, this is killing me’. There’s no natural light in the gym, I don’t think there’s even a window. It’s basically a prison. It was great to get back outside, but the novelty pretty quickly wears off when you’re breathing through a straw trying to catch a breath, it’s freezing and the pitch is rock hard. You’re like, ‘Inside wasn’t so bad…’”

Barclay has not been resting. He’s had a university thesis to finish, a new house to renovate and three sons under the age of six to entertain. You can tell he’s desperate to be back out there, though. In this of all years. “The closer you get to the end [of your career], the more you take a moment to take a step back to realise it’s such a special thing to be involved in. I’ve been watching all the lorries come into Murrayfield the last few weeks, everything getting set up, and that’s when you realise how much you want to be playing.”

With any luck, it won’t be too much longer.

So apparently there is something to do with a Suberb Owl on today. I think it’s some terrible American thing.

I think I’d rather watch the Tonga game from 2012.

Harris signs 2 years with Newcastle, which may include a year in the championship.

The way that LI and Falcons are signing up players atm, you really do wonder if there is some other knowledge out there that suggests that the English league will become ring fenced sooner rather than later.

Tickets for non Edinburgh season ticket holders went on sale yesterday for the Heineken cup match against Munster. East stand sold out on day one.

Hoping for a good crowd

Aye over 15000 already

Have a go

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47134696

I couldnt get number 6

tigertattie wrote:Have a go

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47134696

I couldnt get number 6

Got all but number 7. Seems obvious now

EWT Spoons wrote:

tigertattie wrote:Have a go

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47134696

I couldnt get number 6

Got all but number 7.  Seems obvious now

I just can't beleive he's actually one of the scorers!

tigertattie wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:

tigertattie wrote:Have a go

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47134696

I couldnt get number 6

Got all but number 7.  Seems obvious now

I just can't beleive he's actually one of the scorers!

Nailed it with 3 minutes to spare. I need to get out more.

Apparently DTH and Matt Smith are out for the rest of the season with shoulder injuries.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nic_Groom

This bloke is signing for Edinburgh apparently

Well Edinburgh need another SH, he certainly has the experience. Could be a decent signing, not going to cost a fortune either.

I've lost track of these threads a but can I rant about how useless we were against Ireland here? Or do I need to change my shoes and click somewhere else?

You're in a safe place here!

Watching how utterly adject France are I don't think we've ever had s better chance to win in France.

Being France though I bet they choose our game as the one to put in an 80 minute performance...

Agree. France were tosh yesterday, but they completely destroyed Wales in the first half in Paris so we should be extremely cautious using the England game as the marker. Scotland will need to be prepared to come from behind in the game, and really back fitness levels. For some reason we are poor in the 2nd 40 these days, which is a worry in this particular game. Would be nice if Nel or Fagerson could be fit. The French front row is colossal, and Berghan and Dell will have their hands full, and I doubt France will be dumb enough to pick Parra again to take the sting out the French attack.

I bet they also decide to pick players in their actual positions this time - you know, wingers on wings etc...

From the SRU site,

Scotland back-row Ryan Wilson will play no further part in the 2019 Guinness Six Nations.
The Glasgow Warriors forward sustained knee ligament damage in the national team’s round two defeat to Ireland at BT Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday and will return to the care of his club’s medical team.
Centre Huw Jones and full-back Stuart Hogg suffered knee and shoulder ligament injuries respectively in the same game.
Both remain part of the Scotland squad and will be assessed by a specialist this week to inform their programme of rehabilitation.

So as far as Scotland go; Batman has been playing and leading as well as he ever has and this will be a big loss, Hogg could miss the trip to Paris, and while Blarehorn is an exciting prospect the French are a contrary bunch and will produce the performance of the decade to stuff us, Huw Jones...knee ligaments, this could mean Battleship Griggtempkin lining up against the behemoth Bastaraeu who is slightly more mobile than my fridge freezer.


As far as Glasgow go; Smith, DTH, Jones,Hogg and Batman...not to mention Alex Dunbar Not the best weekend we've ever had.

All this pessimism. And I'm one of them!

Can we flip things the other way and look at it from another angle?

All these injuries are giving youngsters/fringe players a chance and Toonie is getting to see what they can or can’t do. We’re also using up all our injury bad luck and when the WC comes round, we’ll get a run of good luck. The Ref’s might also start being a bit less bewildering by then to!

Or are we still just doomed?

Can anyone else hear Staford McDowall's  theme music?

Gutting about Wilson who has had a few good games on the trott. Glasgow may need to call back Lewis Wynne. Ashe for Scotland? Maybe Bradbury or M Fagerson are back in time for France?

Can Dunbar be recalled from Newcastle? He's only on loan isn't he?

tigertattie wrote:All this pessimism. And I'm one of them!

Can we flip things the other way and look at it from another angle?

All these injuries are giving youngsters/fringe players a chance and Toonie is getting to see what they can or can’t do. We’re also using up all our injury bad luck and when the WC comes round, we’ll get a run of good luck. The Ref’s might also start being a bit less bewildering by then to!

Or are we still just doomed?

(d) All of the above.

Glasgow have announced the signing of winger Kyle Steyn from Scotland 7's. He will be on a 1 year deal from the start of next season, although for the remainder of this season when he's not "sevening" he'll be at Scotstoun getting familiar with DR's winning ways. I'm not sure he's Fijian enough for us.

Both Dunbar and Wynne can be recalled as part of the terms of their loans.

Now Stafford McDowall up against Bastaraeud That could be entertaining.

Dunbar lasted 2 weeks then! His big goodbye Instagram post makes this a bit awkward...

I don't think Dunbar will be coming back, it sounded like a permanent goodbye when he went away. I am not sure he has been setting the heather on fire down in Geordie land since his departure in any case.

I thought that Max McFarland from the sevens might have been worth a look at as well, he seems to have some serious gas. Robbie Fergusson has been playing very well as well if we were in the market for another centre.

jimbopip wrote:Glasgow have announced the signing of winger  Kyle Steyn from Scotland 7's. He will be on a 1 year deal from the start of next season, although for the remainder of this season when he's not "sevening" he'll be at Scotstoun getting familiar with DR's winning ways. I'm not sure he's Fijian enough for us.

Both Dunbar and Wynne can be recalled as part of the terms of their loans.

Now Stafford McDowall up against Bastaraeud That could be entertaining.

No contest. Bastaraeud would be hammered back from our 22 to France's dead ball zone. The only reason Toonie hasn't played Stafford is that he's saving him for the championship decider at Twickenham, don't want to show our hand too early.

Stafford McDowell has counted to infinity, twice!

I've heard the 3G pitches get turf burns from Stafford, and he got banned from playing on them.

Just seen a little video clip that Glasgow put out of them training for the game in Cardiff on saturday. A certain Zander Fagerson looked like he was taking a full part in it.

If he comes through this game ok, then he may well be back on the bench against the French at TH. That would certainly help our toothless bench atm

https://theoffsideline.com/magnus-bradbury-edinburgh-return/

Cockers being unusually open about the injury situation at Edinburgh:

Bradbury back this Friday for Edinburgh.

Carmichael has done an ACL after recovering from head injury, out for season

Watson not ready for France game, maybe for the last two

Bennett maybe back for Treviso

Scott and Hamilton still suffering concussion symptoms.

Good news on Bradbury and Bennett.

Worrying about Matt Scott still having symptoms 4 months later - there's probably a chance we won't see him again this season.

Real shame for charmichael too just as he made his breakthrough.

This injury situation is remarkable. Dust off your boots RDW!!

The Bradbury news is most encouraging though. We could really use him firing on all cylinders for the back of the 6 Nations and World Cup, but more importantly Edinburgh's European Cup run....

Bit of a warning shot to Townsend about Watson too - Cockers making it pretty clear he won't be playing the France game just at in case Townsend was thinking about rushing him back.

Sounds like there's going to be a pretty strong Edinburgh team available for the Dragons on Friday - they've certainly got a lot to prove after the Kings shambles. There's no two ways about it - we need a BP win and to beat Treviso afterwards.

1 Schoeman
2 Cherry
3 Ceccarelli
4 McKenzie
5 Toolis
6 Bradbury
7 Crosbie
8 Mata

9 Pyrgos
10 VDW
11 VDM
12 Dean
13 JJ
14 Graham
15 Fife

Subs - Sutherland, Fenton, McCallum, CHH, Millar, Fowles, Hickey, Socino

Cockers being Cockers I'd put money on that being the exact team!

I don't know if they will get Graham back with Hoggy's injury. He will likely be involved against France.

Cockers does like a grumble about the international windows!

Should be okay on Friday though, the team is pretty close to full strength for it by the sounds of it.