Edinburgh vs Agen 15th January, BT Murrayfield

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Edinburgh vs Agen

Tournament: European Rugby Challenge Cup
Date: Friday 15th January 2016
Venue: BT Murrayfield
Kick-off: 7:30pm
TV: TBC
Match Officials: TBC

Previous Match: Agen 6 - 27 Edinburgh

Form:

Edinburgh last 6

08/01/2016 Guinness PRO12

28 - 13 v Treviso (h)

02/01/2016 Guinness PRO12

14 - 11 v Glasgow (a)

27/12/2015 Guinness PRO12

23 - 11 v Glasgow (h)

18/12/2015 Euro Challenge Cup Pool 5

18 - 15 v London Irish (h)

12/12/2015 Euro Challenge Cup Pool 5

6 - 38 v London Irish (a)

04/12/2015 Guinness PRO12

7 - 14 v Ulster (a)

Agen last 6

02/01/2016 Top 14

16 - 33 v Clermont (h)

27/12/2015 Top 14

20 - 45 v Montpellier (a)

18/12/2015 Euro Challenge Cup Pool 5

45 - 48 v Grenoble (a)

10/12/2015 Euro Challenge Cup Pool 5

20 - 40 v Grenoble (h)

05/12/2015 Top 14

23 - 53 v Toulon (a)

28/11/2015 Top 14

18 - 23 v Castres (h)

Standings:

[th]POS[/th][th]Team[/th][th]P[/th][th]PD[/th][th]PTS[/th]

1	Grenoble	4	+12	14
2	London Irish	4	+60	12
3	Edinburgh	4	+10	12
4	Agen	4	-82	2

even if Edimburgh gets the 5 points against Agen they would still have to get a result in Grenoble who 1) looks interested 2) might still be with a chance to qualify and 3) has improved a bit since the start of the season.

That is certainly the case whocares, but if Grenoble lose away to London Irish (and we beat Agen) then a win of any kind next weekend will see us through (unless Grenoble get 2 bps against LI).

Given that we have rested a lot of players this week we should put out a strong team next week so we have a good chance.  We actually have a fairly good record in France in recent years!

I can't see us beating Grenoble tomorrow if I am honest. they have a first choice pack out and a very good set of backs. We have 2nd choice props, 3rd choice hooker, two 6's at lock and Tom Guest first game back from injury at 6 in our pack, along with second choice half backs, 3rd choice 10 (academy) at 12, 3rd choice 13 at 13 and 4th choice 13 on the wing. If we manage to win I will be absolute delighted and doubly amazed. I would expect Grenoble to be fully in control of the pool this time tomorrow, us out and you guys with a really tough job to do out in France next week.

RDW_Scotland wrote:That is certainly the case whocares, but if Grenoble lose away to London Irish (and we beat Agen) then a win of any kind next weekend will see us through (unless Grenoble get 2 bps against LI).

Given that we have rested a lot of players this week we should put out a strong team next week so we have a good chance.  We actually have a fairly good record in France in recent years!

How do you work that out RDW? - if LI win tomorrow (although as Ozzie points out it would be amazing given the two team selections) I don't see how all Edinburgh need to do next week is win?  If we both get 4 points against Grenoble and 5 against Agen for example, LI would be top surely?

Yes but we'll be 2nd and qualify! Assuming Grenoble pick up no more points.

Ah I see - I haven't really been keeping tabs on the other pools to see what the runner up spots look like

Chris Dean replaces Allan with Brown brought into the bench.

So an even more young-Scottish team!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Yes but we'll be 2nd and qualify! Assuming Grenoble pick up no more points.

Shame we gifted them 2 points at the end of our away game ...

Sounds like our scrum isn't fairing well. In the referees mind anyway!

Who's the player on the radio with the commentator and Peter Wright? Just called Wright fat and got away with it   

EDIT. Agen just wasted a couple of chances to score points and just got a prop yellow carded. Edinburgh penalty kicked to corner, drive held up over the line. 5m Edinburgh scrum to come...

Colin Gregor usually - he's very good!

Sounds like we're making hard work of it! 13-0 after 60 mins, 2 tries both from forwards at close range...

Simon Bergan actually getting some game time so we can see how he is!

Berghan playing well by the sound of it! And Tonks has scored a try but missed the conversion! One to go...

18-0

Watson with BP try! WOOHOO!

Other than knocking over his first kick - a penalty on 20mins - Tonks has had a shocker from the tee. Missed all 4 conversions.

Bradbury, Coman, Tonks and Watson with the tries.

FT 23-0

I missed about 10 minutes in the 2nd half but it sounded as if Andress was struggling in the ref's mind and when Berghan came on, Edinburgh were dominant.

Hopeful for Berghan on the bench next week behind Nel (for 50 mins) and the week after in Cardiff to see what he can do. At the very least with the 6 nations on, he will have to get an opportunity.

Otherwise Ritchie sounded as if he provided nothing of real note which is a shame. Needs game time.

Delighted with a BP win and keeping them scoreless. That was a reserve Edinburgh team packed full of young Scots.

Anyone at the game care to tell us who played well in particular?

Hazel Sapling wrote:I missed about 10 minutes in the 2nd half but it sounded as if Andress was struggling in the ref's mind and when Berghan came on, Edinburgh were dominant.

Hopeful for Berghan on the bench next week behind Nel (for 50 mins) and the week after in Cardiff to see what he can do. At the very least with the 6 nations on, he will have to get an opportunity.

Otherwise Ritchie sounded as if he provided nothing of real note which is a shame. Needs game time.

Berghan should have always been ahead of Andress in the pecking order. Rate Bradbury higher than Ritchie myself.

Sounds like a good win for the young lads.

Great to get a BP win - there's life in the reserves yet! Great experience for so many youngsters.

Worth remembering that Ritchie is still only 19 and a baby in the professional game.

That sounds like a shocking kicking performance by Tonks which is a shame, because his goal kicking hasn't been to bad this season.

Also, Andress has done quite well for us whenever he's played this season - reading various reports it sounds like much like it was a very fussy ref who took a dislike to him.

Good to say Berghan getting game time though.

I didn't see Watson do anything like enough to get MoM. Not bad but not good either.
Kennedy was awful. All fur coat an nae nickers. Should be 4th choice after Lee Jones on loan.
Fowles was on for 20 minutes and was at the root of everything good we did, along with Comon odly enough.

des wrote:I didn't see Watson do anything like enough to get MoM. Not bad but not good either.
Kennedy was awful. All fur coat an nae nickers. Should be 4th choice after Lee Jones on loan.
Fowles was on for 20 minutes and was at the root of everything good we did, along with Comon odly enough.

What about the rest of the team?

Fair play for braving the cold!

Good win, what's the odds of Embra making the KO stages again this year?

We looked very inexperienced for most of the first half. We only had 8 points for 30 minutes of possession and territory. When Bradbury was held up it kind of summed it up.

Fife, Comon and Fowles were good when they came on. Hard to be too positive about anyone else but it showed that AS's system works. Everyone knew what to do but there were no game breakers.

However you look at it, it was a decent win for the young Edinburgh team. They got the bonus point which was what they had to do. They were young and inexperienced team and the only way they will improve is by playing. Perhaps Solly might rotate them into the mix now, rather than putting them out on mass and wondering why they struggle!

Its up to the A team to do the job next weekend now!

I didn't mean to sound so critical and it was a good win eventually.

I think Kennedy is truly terrible though. Unbelievably slow to the breakdown which undoes most of the hard work done by the forwards and often hands possession back to the opposition. His contrived SH posturing does my head in.

When Fowles came on it made an immediate difference. Agen might have been tiring but I don't think our improvement can be solely attributed to that. It was probably the best performance by one of our SHs this season and I hope Solomons thinks he's paid his penance for the London Irish abomination.

des wrote:I didn't mean to sound so critical and it was a good win eventually.

I think Kennedy is truly terrible though. Unbelievably slow to the breakdown which undoes most of the hard work done by the forwards and often hands possession back to the opposition. His contrived SH posturing does my head in.

When Fowles came on it made an immediate difference. Agen might have been tiring but I don't think our improvement can be solely attributed to that. It was probably the best performance by one of our SHs this season and I hope Solomons thinks he's paid his penance for the London Irish abomination.

I would agree with that. Unfortunately Kennedy, after a promising start to his professional career has just not pushed on and has been far from impressive every time I have seen him play. The jury is still out on Fowles, but he is probably just about ahead but I am not convinced he is the real deal either.

Edinburgh are actually a bit light on SHs, with even S H-C not really setting the heather alight this season. It is an area they could certainly be looking at strengthening. You could say that about their half back roster in general!

Im not too concerned. SHC is definitely improving after a slow start post world cup. He was fairly chunky on his first game back. Probably gym chunk but it seems to have gone now.

I didn't see the away LI game but Fowles must have been truly awful for Solomons to see Kennedy as 2nd choice all this time.

Both Kennedy and Fowles have had their ups and downs (they've both generally done better off the bench, as tends to happen) but I would agree that Fowles has generally looked the better.

I would put scrum half quite far down the list in positions needing strengthened though!

Good to read that Berghan played well last night, as tighthead is a problem position for Scotland beyond Nel it's a real pity that Berghan hasn't had much opportunity to date to show what he can do. Really hope he gets regular opportunities to start matches over the 6Ns.

Well done to the cashmere wearers and to the young Scots in particular.

Nilling anyone is worth a separate pint all on its own. Wonder if highlights will pop up anywhere?

Grenoble dished up an arsekicking to Irish but thankfully without a TBP so that puts them 1 point ahead of us with the critical trip to the Stade des Alpes to come on the 23rd. It's in our hands to top the group. Surely we will?

Would be a big win indeed if we manage to win in Grenoble - they seem to be on decent form.

Although I think a LBP may be enough...

A win will give Edinburgh a home tie and they would fancy their chances against any of the others in that. Got to go for it next week and should have a fresh well rested team, Solly having belatedly discovered the concept of rotation!

BigGee wrote: A win will give Edinburgh a home tie and they would fancy their chances against any of the others in that. Got to go for it next week and should have a fresh well rested team, Solly having belatedly discovered the concept of rotation!

I suspect that McKie threatened to hide his woolly jumpers and emergency bottles of Sanatogen unless Solly gave half of the team a rest.

George Carlin wrote:

BigGee wrote: A win will give Edinburgh a home tie and they would fancy their chances against any of the others in that. Got to go for it next week and should have a fresh well rested team, Solly having belatedly discovered the concept of rotation!

I suspect that McKie threatened to hide his woolly jumpers and emergency bottles of Sanatogen unless Solly gave half of the team a rest.

McKie! - it seems that Solly might not be the only one needing Sanatogen and Woolly jumpers

BigGee wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

BigGee wrote: A win will give Edinburgh a home tie and they would fancy their chances against any of the others in that. Got to go for it next week and should have a fresh well rested team, Solly having belatedly discovered the concept of rotation!

I suspect that McKie threatened to hide his woolly jumpers and emergency bottles of Sanatogen unless Solly gave half of the team a rest.

McKie! - it seems that Solly might not be the only one needing Sanatogen and Woolly jumpers

I meant Dodson. Where I am? Who's the Prime Minister?

I need to go to the toilet. AAaaaah. Too late. Warm.

George Carlin wrote:

BigGee wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

BigGee wrote: A win will give Edinburgh a home tie and they would fancy their chances against any of the others in that. Got to go for it next week and should have a fresh well rested team, Solly having belatedly discovered the concept of rotation!

I suspect that McKie threatened to hide his woolly jumpers and emergency bottles of Sanatogen unless Solly gave half of the team a rest.

McKie! - it seems that Solly might not be the only one needing Sanatogen and Woolly jumpers

I meant Dodson. Where I am? Who's the Prime Minister?

I need to go to the toilet. AAaaaah. Too late. Warm.

Never mind, it comes to us all eventually

#shamewhentheoldonesgo

BigGee wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

BigGee wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

BigGee wrote: A win will give Edinburgh a home tie and they would fancy their chances against any of the others in that. Got to go for it next week and should have a fresh well rested team, Solly having belatedly discovered the concept of rotation!

I suspect that McKie threatened to hide his woolly jumpers and emergency bottles of Sanatogen unless Solly gave half of the team a rest.

McKie! - it seems that Solly might not be the only one needing Sanatogen and Woolly jumpers

I meant Dodson. Where I am? Who's the Prime Minister?

I need to go to the toilet. AAaaaah. Too late. Warm.

Never mind, it comes to us all eventually

#shamewhentheoldonesgo

I used to wonder which side of the family I took after.

Now I know:

Back to the rugby if I may (i know I know), hopefully Friday showed Solomons that his reserve resources are better than the LI away game suggested.

I know it was the Agen B team, but it was our B team too so it is a real positive to get a BP and nil the opposition. Even if it wasn't the best of performances judging by the match reports.

Anyway I'd go for this against Grenoble:

1 Dickinson
2 Ford
3 Nel
4 Bresler
5 B Toolis
6 Coman
7 Hardie
8.The incredible Hulk

9 Hidalgo-Clyne
10 Burleigh
11 Hoyland
12 Judas (JOKE)
13 Allan
14 Brown
15 Cuthbert

Subs Sutherland, McInally, Berghan, Toolis, Watson, Fowles, Tonks, Dean

Agree with that team RDW. We need to throw the kitchen sink at Grenoble and make this physical and nasty. Shame Manu isn't fit to come off the bench.

Judas and the Messiah has a nice ring to it at 12/13 for Scotland.....