New Edinburgh and Glasgow Teams Thread - 2013/2014

[George Carlin]

First topic message reminder :

We exhausted the other thread, so here we go with a new one for all of your pre-season banter needs.
 
1. Edinburgh   
 
Chairman: Jim Calder
CEO: Craig Docherty
Coach: Alan Solomons  
Captain: Greig Laidlaw
 
(a) Squad:
 
Props
Geoff Cross, WP Nel, Lewis Niven, Alasdair Dickinson
 
Hookers
Ross Ford, Steven Lawrie, Aleki Lutui, Alun Walker,
 
Locks
Sean Cox, Grant Gilchrist, Perry Parker, Izak van der Westhuizen, Robert McAlpine,
 
Loose Forwards
Dimitri Basilaia, David Denton, Roddy Grant, Stuart McInally, Ross Rennie, Hamish Watson,
 
Half Backs
Alex Black, Greig Laidlaw, Chris Leck, Harry Leonard, Piers Francis,
 
Centres
Ben Atiga, Ben Cairns, Nick De Luca, John Houston, Matt Scott,
 
Back Three
Tom Brown, Lee Jones, Greig Tonks, Tim Visser, Nikki Walker, Dougie Fife, Jack Cuthbert
 
(b) Transfers 2013/2014:
 
Players In
 
Nikki Walker from Worcester Warriors
Jack Cuthbert from Bath Rugby
Aleki Lutui from Worcester Warriors
Alasdair Dickinson from Sale Sharks
 
Players Out
 
Richie Rees to Newport Gwent Dragons
Netani Talei to Newport Gwent Dragons
Sep Visser released
Mike Penn to Moseley
Andy Titterrell to London Welsh
John Yapp to London Irish
Allan Jacobsen retired
James King retired
Steven Turnbull retired
 
(c) Elite Development Players 2013/2014:
 
Alex Allan (Edinburgh Accies)
Chris Auld (Gala)*
Magnus Bradbury (Boroughmuir)*
Phil Cringle (Heriot’s)
Bruce Dick (Melrose)*
Jamie Farndale (Edinburgh Accies)
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Heriot’s)
Neil Irvine Hess (Watsonians)*
Ewan McQuillin (Gala)*
George Turner (Heriot’s)
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Accies)
 
* = new EDP player 
 
2. Glasgow  
 
Chairman: Charles Shaw
CEO: Nathan Bomrys
Coach: Gregor Townsend
Captain: Alastair Kellock
 
(a) Squad:
 
Fraser Brown, Hooker
Finlay Gillies, Hooker
Dougie Hall, Hooker
Pat MacArthur, Hooker
Michael Cusack, Prop
Ryan Grant, Prop
Ed Kalman, Prop
Moray Low, Prop
Gordon Reid, Prop
Jon Welsh, Prop
Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Prop
 
Jonny Gray, Lock
Alastair Kellock, Lock
Tom Ryder, Lock
Tim Swinson, Lock
Leone Nakarawa, Lock
 
James Eddie, Flanker
Chris Fusaro, Flanker
Rob Harley, Flanker
Tyrone Holmes, Flanker
 
Ryan Wilson, Number 8
Richie Vernon, Number 8
Josh Strauss, Number 8
 
Chris Cusiter, Scrum-half
Nikola Matawalu, Scrum-half
Henry Pyrgos, Scrum-half
 
Ruaridh Jackson, Fly-half
Duncan Weir, Fly-half
Scott Wight, Fly-half
 
Gabriel Ascarate, Centre
Mark Bennett, Centre
Alex Dunbar, Centre
Peter Horne, Centre
Byron McGuigan, Centre
 
Sean Lamont, Wing
Sean Maitland, Wing
Tommy Seymour, Wing
D.T.H. van der Merwe, Wing
 
Stuart Hogg, Fullback
Peter Murchie, Fullback
 
(b) Player Transfers 2013/2014:
 
Players In
 
Richie Vernon from Sale Sharks
Tyrone Holmes from Petrarca Rugby
Jerry Yanuyanutawa from London Irish
Gabriel Ascarate from US Carcassonne
Leone Nakarawa from Fiji Barbarians
 
Players Out
 
John Barclay to Scarlets
Nick Campbell to Jersey
Ofa Fainga'anuku to Worcester Warriors
Taylor Paris to Agen
Graeme Morrison retired
Rory Lamont retired
 
(c) Elite Development Players 2013/2014:
 
Gavin Lowe (Ayr)
Rory Hughes (Stirling County)
Jack Steele (Dundee)
Finn Russell (Ayr)
Ali Price (Bedford Blues)
Adam Ashe (Stirling County)
Will Bordill (Sale Sharks)
Andrew Redmayne (Dundee)
Fergus Scott (Currie)
George Hunter (Ayr)
Darcy Rae (Ayr)

[RDW]

What do you mean new Edinburgh defence coach?

[justified sinner]

What do you mean new Edinburgh defence coach?

According to SA sources Omar has signed as our defence coach, following Solomon from Kings. Decent record there and prior to that for Italy under Mallet.

Edit - Missed the irony, long day doing the Fringe and associated refreshments.

[RDW]

Sounds like he did well with the kings - looks a character too!

[InjuredYetAgain]

Sorry, Nick but I am on an I-pad and struggle to copy and paste. RDW summarised it pretty well as it also mentioned uncertainty about Laidlaw

[InjuredYetAgain]

Does anyone know how season tickets sales are going (not well for Edinburgh,I guess but it will be interesting to see what Glasgow's numbers are like I.e. have Cash Converters been busy?

[RDW]

Injured - pretty sure fes and ibd are the only people in existence to buy an Edinburgh one, and Glasgow have announced they have under 100 left so I'm assuming they're doing well!

[justified sinner]

Injured - pretty sure fes and ibd are the only people in existence to buy an Edinburgh one, and Glasgow have announced they have under 100 left so I'm assuming they're doing well!

Plus me

[InjuredYetAgain]

Injured - pretty sure fes and ibd are the only people in existence to buy an Edinburgh one, and Glasgow have announced they have under 100 left so I'm assuming they're doing well!

That sounds good for Glasgow but 100 out of how many? If it is out of 3,000 that is a good effort but if it is out if 1000, less so.

[RDW]

2000 from memory

[InjuredYetAgain]

A decent effort but surprisingly low given the success they had last year

[RDW]

I'm fairly sure both teams usually manage around 1500-1800 so relatively speaking I think its fairly decent

[InjuredYetAgain]

Fairly decent us right but it does she the challenge that the sides and SRU have in trying to expand the spectator base.
You would imagine that, after last season, Glasgow's sales would be up a good few more hundred than that. Still, it is up about 10% which is more than Edinburgh can boast

[Tramptastic]

If Laidlaw leaves then I can see Edinburgh having very few leaders in the team, would need the likes of Rennie, De Luca, Cox, Ford and Cross stepping up as the senior figures!

Think Laidlaw would do well for a French team like, reliable goal-kicking scrum-half controlling play from 9!

On a side note I well and truely hate the fringe - my flatmates (two girls) have their old flatmate staying rent free in my room whilst I bunk with my girlfriend (also a flatmate) and she keeps coming in at 5-6am after work (drunk), waking us up and wrecking my freshly cleaned kitchen! All in the name of comedy, what a frickin joke!!

I needed to vent...

[InjuredYetAgain]

You're complaining about sharing a flat with 4 birds? You need to reassess your life style.
I really think Laidlaw needs to move back to 10 where he has less time to think about the game. He did very well for edinburgh there but, when they moved him to 9, coastal erosion was faster than his service from the base of rucks as he felt the need to make sure everyone was exactly where he wanted them to be before he passed. A player of undoubted talent but needs to have more focus

[RDW]

I’m concerned about this talk of making Laidlaw a versatile player. Although he did just fine at 10 for Edinburgh and Scotland he was very much a stop-gap and I think will make a significantly better 9. We all saw in the Summer tour that when he had a good length of time at 9 and a number of games under his belt he was significantly better, and looked an international class 9 who would even have been an asset on the Lions tour (yes, I went there!).

There’s been a few articles from him recently saying he wants to be a utility player (even playing 15!!) but I really hope that’s just journalists taking things out of context or exaggerating things. He needs to stay at 9.

In related news, Grayson Hart has pretty much been confirmed as signing for Edinburgh – numerous sources are proclaiming it now, including BBC Rugby on Twitter.

[George Carlin]

A decent effort but surprisingly low given the success they had last year

2,000 is the maximum number of season tickets that the club allows people to buy - given their doubtless corporate commitments and Rabo rules about tickets being able to be purchased on the day. So in other words, my understanding is that Glasgow will by now probably have sold every season ticket membership that they have available to sell.

[George Carlin]

If Laidlaw leaves then I can see Edinburgh having very few leaders in the team, would need the likes of Rennie, De Luca, Cox, Ford and Cross stepping up as the senior figures!

Think Laidlaw would do well for a French team like, reliable goal-kicking scrum-half controlling play from 9!

On a side note I well and truely hate the fringe - my flatmates (two girls) have their old flatmate staying rent free in my room whilst I bunk with my girlfriend (also a flatmate) and she keeps coming in at 5-6am after work (drunk), waking us up and wrecking my freshly cleaned kitchen! All in the name of comedy, what a frickin joke!!

I needed to vent...

Your gf is your flatmate? So she pays some of the rent? So, by extrapolation, she is paying to do the bad thing with you on a 'on demand' basis. Trampy - you are the man.

[RDW]

If Laidlaw leaves then I can see Edinburgh having very few leaders in the team, would need the likes of Rennie, De Luca, Cox, Ford and Cross stepping up as the senior figures!

Think Laidlaw would do well for a French team like, reliable goal-kicking scrum-half controlling play from 9!

On a side note I well and truely hate the fringe - my flatmates (two girls) have their old flatmate staying rent free in my room whilst I bunk with my girlfriend (also a flatmate) and she keeps coming in at 5-6am after work (drunk), waking us up and wrecking my freshly cleaned kitchen! All in the name of comedy, what a frickin joke!!

I needed to vent...

Your gf is your flatmate? So she pays some of the rent? So, by extrapolation, she is paying to do the bad thing with you on a 'on demand' basis. Trampy - you are the man.

I’ve lived with my GF for 3 years – there’s definitely no ‘on demand’ about it! 

[Tramptastic]

If Laidlaw leaves then I can see Edinburgh having very few leaders in the team, would need the likes of Rennie, De Luca, Cox, Ford and Cross stepping up as the senior figures!

Think Laidlaw would do well for a French team like, reliable goal-kicking scrum-half controlling play from 9!

On a side note I well and truely hate the fringe - my flatmates (two girls) have their old flatmate staying rent free in my room whilst I bunk with my girlfriend (also a flatmate) and she keeps coming in at 5-6am after work (drunk), waking us up and wrecking my freshly cleaned kitchen! All in the name of comedy, what a frickin joke!!

I needed to vent...

Your gf is your flatmate? So she pays some of the rent? So, by extrapolation, she is paying to do the bad thing with you on a 'on demand' basis. Trampy - you are the man.

I’ve lived with my GF for 3 years – there’s definitely no ‘on demand’ about it! 

  haha gonna agree with RDW here, desire and reality are often two very separate things (comments the gf often makes with regards to my increasingly broad belly - although this may change with a new job at north face rather than sitting behind a desk!)

[George Carlin]

If Laidlaw leaves then I can see Edinburgh having very few leaders in the team, would need the likes of Rennie, De Luca, Cox, Ford and Cross stepping up as the senior figures!

Think Laidlaw would do well for a French team like, reliable goal-kicking scrum-half controlling play from 9!

On a side note I well and truely hate the fringe - my flatmates (two girls) have their old flatmate staying rent free in my room whilst I bunk with my girlfriend (also a flatmate) and she keeps coming in at 5-6am after work (drunk), waking us up and wrecking my freshly cleaned kitchen! All in the name of comedy, what a frickin joke!!

I needed to vent...

Your gf is your flatmate? So she pays some of the rent? So, by extrapolation, she is paying to do the bad thing with you on a 'on demand' basis. Trampy - you are the man.

I’ve lived with my GF for 3 years – there’s definitely no ‘on demand’ about it! 

  haha gonna agree with RDW here, desire and reality are often two very separate things (comments the gf often makes with regards to my increasingly broad belly - although this may change with a new job at north face rather than sitting behind a desk!)

Reminds me of the Woody Allen response to the question 'how long does it take you to make love?':
 
"Two hours, if you include the Begging Time."

[funnyExiledScot]

I’m concerned about this talk of making Laidlaw a versatile player. Although he did just fine at 10 for Edinburgh and Scotland he was very much a stop-gap and I think will make a significantly better 9.  We all saw in the Summer tour that when he had a good length of time at 9 and a number of games under his belt he was significantly better, and looked an international class 9 who would even have been an asset on the Lions tour (yes, I went there!).

There’s been a few articles from him recently saying he wants to be a utility player (even playing 15!!) but I really hope that’s just journalists taking things out of context or exaggerating things.  He needs to stay at 9.

In related news, Grayson Hart has pretty much been confirmed as signing for Edinburgh – numerous sources are proclaiming it now, including BBC Rugby on Twitter.

Totally agree. Laidlaw's best performance in a Scotland jersey was the South Africa match in the summer, unsurprisingly on the back of a decent run in the 9 jersey. 9 is a specialist position, and when Laidlaw went back to 9 having played at 10, his basic distribution skills had become rusty, thus the slow service. In his defence I also think team orders played a big part. The instructions were to kick slow ball, and because our pack had the dynamism of a soap dispenser in Glasgow, the ball was always slow. Momentum is everything in rugby, and when the Scotland pack was tearing into the Saffa pack in the summer, led by Tim Swinson and Al Strokosch, Laidlaw suddently had quick ball and options, and reminded us how good a 9 he can be. Moving him back to 10 would be a huge mistake for Scotland, although I can see the argument from an Edinburgh perspective if we sign Hart.

[InjuredYetAgain]

A decent effort but surprisingly low given the success they had last year

2,000 is the maximum number of season tickets that the club allows people to buy - given their doubtless corporate commitments and Rabo rules about tickets being able to be purchased on the day. So in other words, my understanding is that Glasgow will by now probably have sold every season ticket membership that they have available to sell.

I didn't know they had a self imposed restriction. If they shift a few hospitality suites per game, in that case, they should get some good crowd numbers when you include the "walk up" fans plus away supporters.
On a good night, Scotstoon (as the guy from Welsh TV insists on calling it) should be rocking

[funnyExiledScot]

I'm going to make an effort to get down to Scotstoun at some point this season, I still haven't been.

Was hoping to make it to a game in which Bennett was starting, thus the long wait. With every man and his dog injured at Glasgow, hopefully there will be a nice early fixture this season when I can make it over and see the great boy play.

[InjuredYetAgain]

FeS, you best bet is an afternoon HC game.
I'm not sure Bennett's mum lets him stay out late in Glasgow.

[funnyExiledScot]

Injured - pretty sure fes and ibd are the only people in existence to buy an Edinburgh one, and Glasgow have announced they have under 100 left so I'm assuming they're doing well!

Plus me

Excellent! That makes three of us (plus RDW whenever he gets lucky with those competitions). Quality not quantity!

[IanBru]

I hope you're not suggesting Glasgow are lacking in supporter quality!

We've got quality, quantity, loquacity, turgidity, drinking ability and morbid obesity. And pies.

[funnyExiledScot]

I'd never suggest that Glasgow fans lack quality! You won't find that sort of snobbery in Stockbridge.....cough......splutter.....

[George Carlin]

I would love to see a 'Gangs of New York' style face off between rugby fans from Newton Mearns and Stockbridge.  
 
They could face off with dry put-downs about open pores, house prices, received pronounciation and the weather. If it got really bitchy and brutal they could accuse the other side of having cashmere sweaters that are "so last season" and perhaps even veer off into the territory of suggesting that opposing individuals have 'chubby ankles' or are 'in negative equity'.
 
Not sure I'd have the stomach to watch that kind of viciousness.

[funnyExiledScot]

I'd give the Stockbridge gang the edge. The garish clashing of multi-coloured corduroy and tweet ensembles would be hard for any rival gang to stomach.

I also think the "negative equity" banter would be brief - no-one has needed a mortgage in Stockbridge for many a year. Evading inheritance tax is where it's at......

[RDW]

Have you seen the 'Comley Bank Massive' Youtube videos FES? Jim Thomson and some other Prem 1 rugby players put them together - very enteratining

[funnyExiledScot]

I'll have to have a look when I get home. Sounds ridiculous!

[RDW]

Think Ali G but in Comley Bank...

[justified sinner]

Fixtures out. Looks like Edinburgh have got their usual Friday slots for home games.

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/matchcentre/fixtures_list.php

[RDW]

Thought they were released a while ago JS? Or is this the actual dates whereas before it was just weekends of each fixture?

[21st Century Schizoid Man]

I would love to see a 'Gangs of New York' style face off between rugby fans from Newton Mearns and Stockbridge.  
 
They could face off with dry put-downs about open pores, house prices, received pronounciation and the weather. If it got really bitchy and brutal they could accuse the other side of having cashmere sweaters that are "so last season" and perhaps even veer off into the territory of suggesting that opposing individuals have 'chubby ankles' or are 'in negative equity'.
 
Not sure I'd have the stomach to watch that kind of viciousness.

Wee Junior Schizoid stays in Newton Mearns and he is more mental than I am George !!!!!  

[justified sinner]

Thought they were released a while ago JS? Or is this the actual dates whereas before it was just weekends of each fixture?

Dates, times and broadcasters. The earlier announcement was 'Weekend of xxx'.

1872 is Boxing Day at Murrayfield and New Years Day at Scotstoun. Not great for transport, but at least most folks will be on holiday.

[RDW]

he is more mental than I am  

Is that humanly possible?? 

[George Carlin]

Thought they were released a while ago JS? Or is this the actual dates whereas before it was just weekends of each fixture?

Actual dates and times now RDW. Hoping to hell we'll get the whole squad to choose from before Leinster at home on 20 September. Wouldn't like to face them without Grant, Hogg, Maitland and Niko back in the side.

[21st Century Schizoid Man]

Yes.  Strictly in terms of full on lunacy I can assure you it is. 

[maestegmafia]

Edinburgh have apparently signed Grayson Hart the scrum half from the Warratahs. He is a former auckland blue kilted Kiwi and qualifies for Scotland through a maternal Grandmother.

[RDW]

Thanks maestag - we're well ahead of you though! (see earlier I'm the thread)

[maestegmafia]

Oh, I did scan through to see if it had been announced.

If this lad is as good as Maitland has been he could really pick old Edinburghs socks up...!

The RP12 is gonna be a blwdi tough league this year.

[RDW]

Tbh I think were discussing it in the old thread that hit the posts limit, and have definitely on this thread. Either way it is a positive move for Edinburgh, as long as Laidlaw doesn't shift to 10!

[IanBru]

he is more mental than I am  

Is that humanly possible??

Yes.  Strictly in terms of full on lunacy I can assure you it is. 

I can echo this - when I moved to Glasgow last year I was relatively normal, at least to the casual observer. This afternoon, I was eating my lunch at Blytheswood Square and saw flames rising from the back of a bin lorry. My first thought was that I'd better just... finish my sandwich.

[21st Century Schizoid Man]

he is more mental than I am  

Is that humanly possible??

Yes.  Strictly in terms of full on lunacy I can assure you it is. 

I can echo this - when I moved to Glasgow last year I was relatively normal, at least to the casual observer. This afternoon, I was eating my lunch at Blytheswood Square and saw flames rising from the back of a bin lorry. My first thought was that I'd better just... finish my sandwich.

NFG Ian. NFG dude ! You got your season ticket yet btw?

[IanBru]

NFG Ian.   NFG dude !   You got your season ticket yet btw?

Ha, Do you even have to ask?

I'm there like swimwear.

[RDW]

he is more mental than I am  

Is that humanly possible??

Yes.  Strictly in terms of full on lunacy I can assure you it is. 

I can echo this - when I moved to Glasgow last year I was relatively normal, at least to the casual observer. This afternoon, I was eating my lunch at Blytheswood Square and saw flames rising from the back of a bin lorry. My first thought was that I'd better just... finish my sandwich.

Is blythswood square still shut after that hippy protest a couple of years ago that trashed the place, but achieved absolutely nothing?

[IanBru]

RDW - they re-opened it last month, but only on sunny days and with a security guard at the gate. I work just around the corner from Blytheswood, and a grassy place to eat/snooze between 1 and 2pm is mana from heaven.

I have to say though, I'm all for justice, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness... but I bloody hate hippies.

[George Carlin]

Presumably residents of Edinburgh could not think of a category of people more able to dodge soap than Glaswegian hippies.

[Artful_Dodger]

Ollie Atkins from Waratahs to Edinburgh been mentioned on here? He's a second row, recently played against the Lions.

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/latest/rugby-waratahs-ollie-atkins-in-line-for-edinburgh-1-3031610

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