Glasgow and Edinburgh 30 - Starting the new season with 2 wins - Long may it continue

First topic message reminder :

Well both Scotland's pro teams got off the mark with a W this weekend, though probably fair to say that Glasgow's was slightly more pleasing on the eye!

Still not to be sniffed at and probably a while since it last happened.

A good omen for the season, let's hope so, though early season games are not always a predictor of longer term performance. Both sides still got plenty of players to bring back into the fold and a lot of improvement to make.

Roll on 2023/24!

I can't say I am feeling very confident about this game.

Bayonne, with a much rotated side, drew with Munster at Limerick, that may have been the result of the round.

You would imagine they will put out a much stronger side at home.

We are going to have to play an awful lot better than we have done recently to get anything from this game. If we lose again, we will be lucky to make the Challenge Cup

Edinburgh getting their squad signings in early again this year. Following on from Boan Ventor, James Lang also signs up for another 2 years.

He has been a very solid centre option for them, maybe not quite international class but a very decent player nonetheless. Another good bit of business.

Down the other end of the M8, Greg Peterson's return to Scotstoun will come to an end in January (it only ever was a short term deal) and he heads off to San Diego. He has actually been pretty good for us this time around and looks a better player than when he left. He has been playing well enough to be kept on, but I guess with Williamson and Samuels both coming through and needing gametime, there was not room for him. A shame, but such is pro sport.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67704934

Sad news, he was lining up for a big six nations campaign. Now it’ll be another long layoff. Hope he can mend up okay.

Big shame, the boy is having no luck at all.

Bill Mata leaving at the end of the season, Bristol rumoured as the favourites. Probably a good move for all really - Edinburgh have had him during his peak years and he's probably now on a downward trajectory. Mata will get a big money deal near the end of his career.

bsando wrote:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67704934

Sad news, he was lining up for a big six nations campaign. Now it’ll be another long layoff. Hope he can mend up okay.  

Yeah he'd had a really good start to the season as well. Big blow for Tigers and probably for Scotland as in that form he'd have definitely made the squad at least. Poor bloke has no luck whatsoever.

Oh the joys of the Facebookie thing, Part 1;
I have an advert for McDonald and Sons Butchers popped up and it features front and centre the slogan "Free Tattie Scones"...I thought he had been a bit quiet on here lately. I wonder what he did this time.

Part 2;
Glasgow Warriors' social media geniuses have put out a teaser for the Bayonne game featuring a clip of Mad Mad Mata running in an outrageous intercept try on one of our previous jaunts across La Manche. This would be very uplifting if we weren't scraping the bottom of an already depleted barrel in order to fill the 9 jersey most weeks. Sean Kennedy ...Glasgow's answer to Oliver Dowding. Dowden

He's such a nonentity even I can't remember who he is.

Going by the squad update, we took a bit of a physical battering as well as a psychological one last friday against the Saints, so am expecting a quite different looking team out this week.

By my reckoning we are 3 THs down now and so are in a bit of trouble there, though a couple of them don't look long term. I would not be surprised to see Ollie Keeble move over and cover TH from the bench against Bayonne.

I guess we will know soon enough.


SQUAD UPDATE | 14 DECEMBER 2023
14 DEC 2023
Ahead of the club’s trip to Bayonne in the Investec Champions Cup, Glasgow Warriors can provide the following squad update:

Jack Dempsey has undergone surgery on a facial injury sustained against Ulster in the BKT United Rugby Championship and has now begun his rehabilitation with the medical team at Scotstoun, with the back-rower expected to be sidelined for the next couple of months.

Murphy Walker also underwent surgery last week, with the prop treated for a knee injury at Ross Hall Hospital; the Scotland international has started his return to play pathway with the medical team at Scotstoun and is also expected to be out for the next couple of months.

Sebastian Cancelliere is undergoing ongoing assessment on a neck injury sustained in last weekend’s Investec Champions Cup clash with Northampton Saints at Scotstoun.

Matt Fagerson, Sintu Manjezi and Lucio Sordoni are also being assessed by the club’s medical team, after sustaining facial, foot and shoulder injuries respectively against Northampton Saints last weekend.

JP du Preez (knee), Fraser Brown (knee), Jamie Dobie (ankle) and Kyle Steyn (ankle) all continue their respective return to play pathways as they recover from long-term injuries.

Enrique Pieretto will miss this weekend’s fixture in Bayonne as he and partner Stefi await the birth of their first child.

Euan Ferrie has begun his reintegration to team training after an ankle injury picked up in the club’s A team fixture against Edinburgh last month.

Facundo Cordero has returned to full training after completing his rehabilitation on an ankle injury sustained in pre-season.

Jack Mann has also returned to full training, the former Scotland U20 back-rower having completed his return to play protocols following a head injury.

Glasgow Warriors team to face Aviron Bayonnais at Stade Jean Dauger, Friday 15 December, kick-off 8pm (UK time). You can watch the match live on TNT Sports or follow the action in our Live Match Centre at glasgowwarriors.org.

1 Jamie Bhatti (94)
2 George Turner (94)
3 Zander Fagerson (134)
4 Greg Peterson (40)
5 Alex Samuel (9)
6 Gregor Brown (14)
7 Thomas Gordon (68)
8 Ally Miller (19)

9 George Horne (103)
10 Ross Thompson (41)
11 Ollie Smith (37)
12 Sione Tuipulotu (C) (41)
13 Huw Jones (62)
14 Kyle Rowe (6)
15 Josh McKay (33)

Replacements

16 Angus Fraser (8)
17 Nathan McBeth (28)
18 Oli Kebble (91)
19 Richie Gray (107)
20 Max Williamson (3)
21 Henco Venter (5)
22 Ben Afshar (3)
23 Tom Jordan (32)

Unavailable for selection: Fraser Brown (knee), Sebastian Cancelliere (neck), Jack Dempsey (face), Jamie Dobie (ankle), Matt Fagerson (face), Euan Ferrie (ankle) Sintu Manjezi (foot), JP du Preez (knee), Lucio Sordoni (shoulder), Kyle Steyn (ankle), Murphy Walker (knee).

A much rotated team this week, part enforced by injury and the need to rest a few players, but also, you might think, because we were cr*p last week.

Keeble covers TH, as predicted

Thompson finally gets a start, with Hornito to keep him company and Afshar benching. You might hope that will lead to a better half back performance this week.

He has gone for a solid front 5, which you generally need in France and some good reinforcements from the bench. Samuels and Williamson continue their development, which can only be a good thing. We do look perhaps, a little light on the carrying department though. Though it will be good to see what Gregor Brown can do on the big stage though.

After last weeks disappointment, I am happy enough with this team, who will hopefully go out there and give it a decent lash.

Solid bench! Good luck to the Warriors

I think that back row could get taught a few lessons tonight. Not all of them enjoyable.

Ross Thompson, short of match fitness, not having played alongside Hornito in months, probably short in confidence, behind a very inexperienced back row go on son it's only Camille Lopez in front of a French crowd. And, of course, if he gets taken to the cleaners how will that affect his confidence?

An awful lot rests on Brown and Miller being able to go full "See you, Jacques" with the Bayone pack. If we get outplayed at the breakdown we are in for a long night. If however, we can get in their faces and stop their half backs playing then we have a chance.

If I was a betting man it'd be heavily on the home side tonight.

Bayone had a great season last year with Lopez arguably the in form 10 playing in the T14.
If they are taking this tournament seriously then Glasgow will be in trouble.

Well if they were not taking it seriously before, getting a draw at Thormond Park with a rotated team will likely have focused their minds and I am sure they will be now!

This obsession of not taking kicks to goal is mystifying!

I think Glasgow got away with one there

The French clearly not agreeing with the officiating

Bit f insanity in this game, but eventually Bayonne decide to take the points

3-0 Bayonne with Zander in the bin for 10

Holy cow! Saints 15-3. Wouldn't have thunk that was going to happen.

doctor_grey wrote:Holy cow!  Saints 15-3.  Wouldn't have thunk that was going to happen.

Sorry boys, wrong thread. I get excited from time to time. Go get cho bum over the line a few times.

Pressure from Bayonne eventually tells at 33 mins, 5m lineout goes over

8-0 Bayonne

What a try from Ally Millar, serious gas

8-7 Bayonne

Keep the commentary coming Bigee - no TV coverage for me in convictland.

Nasty looking one for Ollie Smith

This might be his last game for a while

That could well be an ACL, his knee gave way as he stepped off it

Well 8-7 at HT, at least we can't be accused of a slow start this week!

Think Smith was able to walk off, so hopefully not as bad as it looked at first.

But that was some half of rugby. Far better from Glasgow than I feared!

Bayonne.  Freakin Bayonne.  There is a Bayonne in New Jersey and they have a Rugby club we play n the spring and in the autumn.  Their pitch is on landfill on Newark Bay, which is one big container port.  So it's always hot, humid, and smells like low tide. Except when it's cold and windy and smells like low tide. Go kick some Bayonne Booty. We do...

RDW wrote:Keep the commentary coming Bigee - no TV coverage for me in convictland.

One of the main reason I got into this forum, was when, as a lurker, I was working night shifts as a nurse and Scotland were playing Fiji in the middle of the night. A few brave souls got up in the middle of the night and provided a commentary of some dodgy feed. there was no other way of catching up on the score.

I have always felt obliged to return the favour, in case some stranded Scotsman has no other way of checking the score

Camille Lopez looks so out of shape!

BigGee wrote:

RDW wrote:Keep the commentary coming Bigee - no TV coverage for me in convictland.

One of the main reason I got into this forum, was when, as a lurker, I was working night shifts as a nurse and Scotland were playing Fiji in the middle of the night. A few brave souls got up in the middle of the night and provided a commentary of some dodgy feed. there was no other way of catching up on the score.

I have always felt obliged to return the favour, in case some stranded Scotsman has no other way of checking the score

I was.one of those brave souls! It was a really dodgy feed put on by the Fijian tourist agency or something like that. Commenters were two blokes sitting in a tent.

Matt Scott had a stormer from what I remember.

That was also the test that Niko was discovered!

Just read that Jonny Gray is leaving Exeter after this season and is rumoured to be going to Bordeaux.

Good start to the second half from Glasgow

Lopez wacks over another

11-7 Bayonne

That could be a sensational finish from McKay

Try given!

Fair to say the Bayonne crowd do not agree!

12-11 Glasgow

Downward pressure, baby. Barely, but got it. cool.

Another penalty for Bayonne

Missed!

Glasgow scrum holding up really well, especially with a new front row

Another penalty

Unfortunately our lineout is collapsing

Our lineout is in self destruct mode

Another pen for Bayonne

Hodge misses again

Still 12-11 Glasgow 5 mins to go

Wow, what a defensive set from Glasgow

12-11 Glasgow FT

That was a hard earned win and a truer reflection of where Glasgow are at!

Bayonne will be kicking themselves for not trying the drop goal

Wins for both of us. Now I have to watch the replay of Glasgow. Gawd, that means more beer. Errrrgh

Don't know if I thought or just hoped they could step up. Then saw side and lost a bit of confidence - goodness they proved me wrong. That is one hard place to win, but there we are. So happy after last week's disappointment.

That is even more exceptional considering we probably lost our last 6 lineouts!

Woah quite a bounce back for Glasgow!

Now this is how this Euro Rugby thingy is supposed to go (hoping we can put last weekend behind us, but only just a little).

Great win Glasgow! That makes up for the loss at home last weekend. Another away win would bring Glasgow back into contention.

Ally Miller had a great game and his try will have hopefully caught Toonies eye.

The finish from McKay was spectacular. He did well to hold onto the ball.

Fraser needs to go back to throwing school, some real howlers at the end there. Fagerson again giving away a lot of penalties, so frustrating because he is clearly the biggest lump we have in Scotland on the tight head side but he continually lacks discipline. He’d still easily start for Scotland but it’s a shame no one else is adding a similar level of competition at tight head. Nel, Sebastian, Walker, Kebble etc can all do a job but we need someone else to step up and create a bit more competition.

I digress, great win by Glasgow and great to see Thompson play well. Fingers crossed Smith isn’t too badly injured.

bsando wrote:Ally Miller had a great game and his try will have hopefully caught Toonies eye.  

I was surprised, Miller's try seemed to come from nowhere.  And he has serious speed for an 8.  He is a good player.