20th Gathering of Edinburgh and Glasgow Discussion

First topic message reminder :

Edinburgh Squad

LH's: Schoeman, Dell, Marfo, Sutherland
Hookers: McInally, Ford, Fenton, Cherry
TH's: Nel, Berghan, McCallum, Ceccarelli
Second Row: Gilchrist, Toolis, McKenzie, Carmichael, Hunter-Hill
Back Row: Barclay, Hamilton, Crosbie; Watson, Ritchie; Bradbury, Mata, Miller, Nayalo

SH's: Pyrgos, Fowles, Kennedy, Shiel
FH's: Hickey, VDW, McLelland, Baggott
Centres: Scott, Socino, Bennett, Dean, Johnstone, G Taylor
Back 3: Fife, VDM, Hoyland, Brown, Graham; Kinghorn

Forward Total: 26
- Internationals: 16 (14 Scots, 1 Italian, 1 Fijian)
- NSQ: 4 (1 of whom is a project)
- Under 25 (as of September 1st, 2018): 7 (2 capped)
Backs Total: 20
- Internationals: 8 (Socino lone non-Scot)
- NSQ: 4 (2 projects)
- Under 25 (as of September 1st, 2018): 10 (2 capped)

Total: 46

Glasgow Squad

LH's: Bhatti, Allan, Kebble
Hookers: Brown, Turner, Stewart, Bryce
TH's: Fagerson, Nuka, Rae, Nicol
Second Row: Gray, Swinson, Cummings, McDonald, Brian, Peterson, Davidson
Back-Row: M Fagerson, Harley; Gibbins, Smith, Fusaro; Wilson, Ashe, Tameilau, Flockhart

SH's: Price, G Horne,Frisby, Mata, Baletto
FH's: Horne, Hastings, Jackson
Centres: Dunbar, H Jones, Johnson, Dunbar, Grigg, P Kelly
Back 3: Seymour, VDM, L Jones, Masaga, Tagive, Hughes, Beattie, Nairn; Hogg, Thomson

Forward Total: 27
- Internationals: 15 (12 Scots, 2 Americans, 1 Tongan)
- NSQ: 6 (2 projects)
- Under 25 (as of September 1st, 2018): 11 (4 capped, both projects)
Backs Total: 24
- Internationals: 14 (10 Scots, 1 Fijian, 1 Kiwi, 1 Canadian, 1 Aussie)
- NSQ: 4 (No projects if Thomson is already tied to SA)
- Under 25 (as of September 1st, 2018): 8 (1 capped)

Total: 51

Overall: 97 players
- Internationals: 53 (43 Scots)
- NSQ: 19 (5 projects)
- Under 25: 36 (9 capped)

MrLlama

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/exclusive-youll-get-the-blame-whether-it-is-your-decision-or-someone-elses-cockerill-fires-warnings-to-murphy-over-leicester-job

Great interview with Cockers about Leicester, Edinburgh and all sorts. He must be a delight to interview as he is so refreshingly honest about everything!

Edinburgh’s champions cup squad - https://www.epcrugby.com/club/edinburgh-rugby/#players
 
Seems that Marfo has been left out, which ties in with something I was told at the weekend.  I’m not sure how long his contract has left to run, but I would be surprised if he’s offered a new one.  He’s very much 4^th choice at Edinburgh, and given he’s now an international player I assume he’ll be asking for a bit more come contract time.

https://www.epcrugby.com/club/glasgow-warriors/#players

and here is Glasgow.

Squad reflects the TH prop crisis, as ZF is included even though he will miss all the group games, they need to have 10 front row players in the squad. Kevin Bryce is named as a TH even though he will more likely play hooker, we only have 2 other hookers named. If and when we source another TH, they will be subbed into the squad, presumably in Zanders place. I think you can bring academy players in, in cases of dire emergency, should we need another TH. It may still come to that!

Otherwise a few surprises in the squad. Stafford McDowell is named, ahead of Paddy Kelly, who seems to have fallen further down the pecking order. No Matt Smith either, who played well in his euro appearances last season, but is also not getting a look in this year so far. Bruce Flockhart is in, despite not playing for Warriors yet. Kiran McDonald is in as a second row, despite being long term injured as well. Hopefully he may make it back for some of the group games and no Big Brian, for well publicised reasons!

There is an advert on some rugby recruitment site for a pro14 team looking for a TH who is capable of playing LH.  Without a shadow of a doubt that has to be Glasgow

EWT Spoons wrote:Edinburgh’s champions cup squad - https://www.epcrugby.com/club/edinburgh-rugby/#players
 
Seems that Marfo has been left out, which ties in with something I was told at the weekend.  I’m not sure how long his contract has left to run, but I would be surprised if he’s offered a new one.  He’s very much 4^th choice at Edinburgh, and given he’s now an international player I assume he’ll be asking for a bit more come contract time.

I am sure that Marfo will get his chance at some stage in the season. He was interviewed during the Edinburgh games last week and said that he had been injured in pre season and was just getting back to full fitness. He played well when he got the chance last season and did not look out of place in the Scotland LH jersey. If he gets his chance, he may make another run towards it as non of our SQ LH are really pulling up trees at the moment. Dell is coming back from injury and Sutherland has never shown his form of a few years ago since his time out. Bhatti has not played well for Glasgow and I think Gordon Reid will struggle for recognition in the second tier. Alex Allen has looked the pick of the Glasgow SQ LHs so far this season but he has never really been seen as international quality up to now.

The two LH who are doing the business Kebble and the Shoe won't be putting on a blue short for a good while yet.

EWT Spoons wrote:There is an advert on some rugby recruitment site for a pro14 team looking for a TH who is capable of playing LH.  Without a shadow of a doubt that has to be Glasgow

I think it is going to be a bit tight for the first round of Euro games, hopefully Nuke will be back for the second round of games in December, but I don't think that is certain.

BigGee wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:Edinburgh’s champions cup squad - https://www.epcrugby.com/club/edinburgh-rugby/#players
 
Seems that Marfo has been left out, which ties in with something I was told at the weekend.  I’m not sure how long his contract has left to run, but I would be surprised if he’s offered a new one.  He’s very much 4^th choice at Edinburgh, and given he’s now an international player I assume he’ll be asking for a bit more come contract time.

I am sure that Marfo will get his chance at some stage in the season. He was interviewed during the Edinburgh games last week and said that he had been injured in pre season and was just getting back to full fitness. He played well when he got the chance last season and did not look out of place in the Scotland LH jersey. If he gets his chance, he may make another run towards it as non of our SQ LH are really pulling up trees at the moment. Dell is coming back from injury and Sutherland has never shown his form of a few years ago since his time out. Bhatti has not played well for Glasgow and I think Gordon Reid will struggle for recognition in the second tier. Alex Allen has looked the pick of the Glasgow SQ LHs so far this season but he has never really been seen as international quality up to now.

The two LH who are doing the business Kebble and the Shoe won't be putting on a blue short for a good while yet.

Perhaps, but from what I was told on Friday, Cockers was talking about letting Marfo go.  Also even when he's fit, he's the slowest member of the squad by a long way.
 
I think with Marfo he's being seen as better than he actually is.  Expectations of him were so low, that when he played pretty well for Scotland, he was seen as being amazing.  If you see what I mean?
                                                                   
He might get a chance at Edinburgh during the AIs & 6 nations, but given he’s now an international player I would be amazed if he was offered a new contract when his current deal expires.  Unless either he improves massively or one of the 3 in front of him have a total nightmare.  Which isn’t beyond the realm of possibility, but as things stand just now he is pretty far down the pecking order and is unlikely to see much gametime.
 
Oh and Cockers and Shoeman are over the moon with the length of ban he got.  They thought it would be far worse.


EDIT:  With this said, given Shoe is banned for 4 weeks and Dell will need a rest during that time, I would imagine we'll likely see Marfo on the bench (at least) during that time.

BigGee wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:There is an advert on some rugby recruitment site for a pro14 team looking for a TH who is capable of playing LH.  Without a shadow of a doubt that has to be Glasgow

I think it is going to be a bit tight for the first round of Euro games, hopefully Nuke will be back for the second round of games in December, but I don't think that is certain.

Yeah can't see anyone they bring in will be for the cup.  I assume if the club are posting on a recruitment site they aren't hoping to get a first team player.  I'd imagine it would be someone to fill the squad out a bit, maybe play in some of the 'easier' pro14 games

EWT Spoons wrote:

BigGee wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:Edinburgh’s champions cup squad - https://www.epcrugby.com/club/edinburgh-rugby/#players
 
Seems that Marfo has been left out, which ties in with something I was told at the weekend.  I’m not sure how long his contract has left to run, but I would be surprised if he’s offered a new one.  He’s very much 4^th choice at Edinburgh, and given he’s now an international player I assume he’ll be asking for a bit more come contract time.

I am sure that Marfo will get his chance at some stage in the season. He was interviewed during the Edinburgh games last week and said that he had been injured in pre season and was just getting back to full fitness. He played well when he got the chance last season and did not look out of place in the Scotland LH jersey. If he gets his chance, he may make another run towards it as non of our SQ LH are really pulling up trees at the moment. Dell is coming back from injury and Sutherland has never shown his form of a few years ago since his time out. Bhatti has not played well for Glasgow and I think Gordon Reid will struggle for recognition in the second tier. Alex Allen has looked the pick of the Glasgow SQ LHs so far this season but he has never really been seen as international quality up to now.

The two LH who are doing the business Kebble and the Shoe won't be putting on a blue short for a good while yet.

Perhaps, but from what I was told on Friday, Cockers was talking about letting Marfo go.  Also even when he's fit, he's the slowest member of the squad by a long way.
 
I think with Marfo he's being seen as better than he actually is.  Expectations of him were so low, that when he played pretty well for Scotland, he was seen as being amazing.  If you see what I mean?
                                                                   
He might get a chance at Edinburgh during the AIs & 6 nations, but given he’s now an international player I would be amazed if he was offered a new contract when his current deal expires.  Unless either he improves massively or one of the 3 in front of him have a total nightmare.  Which isn’t beyond the realm of possibility, but as things stand just now he is pretty far down the pecking order and is unlikely to see much gametime.
 
Oh and Cockers and Shoeman are over the moon with the length of ban he got.  They thought it would be far worse.


EDIT:  With this said, given Shoe is banned for 4 weeks and Dell will need a rest during that time, I would imagine we'll likely see Marfo on the bench (at least) during that time.

I would agree on Marfo. There is no doubt he performed well during the AI games last year, but he has never managed to tie down a starting spot at a decent club and i'd question why that is. I still hold out some hope for Sutherland, he was very good when he first broke through.

https://www.606v2.com/t68020-glasgow-warriors-v-zebre-friday-5th-october#3739337

Match thread time!

Sutherland made great impact off the bench against Treviso - he's defintely got a future for Edinburgh and Scotland too if he can regain his old form.

Marfo hasn't played since he was out injured for a long time - we need to see him back before we can judge.

Both clubs already have a top Saffa project (Kebble/Schoeman), a young SQ starlet (Bhatti/Sutherland) and a seasoned fringe international (Allan/Dell).

Marfo has little leverage. If he prices himself out, who is realistically going to bid for him? Second tier in France or England?

Having said all that, I think he will be in Scotland next year IF he gets 500+ minutes this season (i.e. proves his health). It is the World Cup next year.
- Three of Bhatti, Sutherland, Allan and Dell are going to be away from club rugby until December and will almost immediately be going into the 6 nations
- Kebble is injury prone and Schoeman has a history of bans
- Marfo has shown some ability and is SQ'd. He can be put out against most front rows and hold his own in the scrum. That is the first task of a prop.

As for who Glasgow should be targeting, if Low is unavailable, what about Traynor? I know he gets stick (and Jimbo/Schiz may ban me), but he is cheap squad filler. The other option is looking at someone like Elliott Millar-Mills from Ealing who did alright for Edinburgh last season.

I'd say dell is more than a fringe international - he's probably in the hot seat to start in the AIs!

RDW_Scotland wrote:I'd say dell is more than a fringe international - he's probably in the hot seat to start in the AIs!

Probably right. He has 13 caps in 3 seasons. Rather call him fringe than Allan established.

Huw Jones Article from The Scotsman

“The fans expect, the coaches expect and, obviously, I expect a lot from myself,” he continued. “I set myself quite high standards and if I don’t meet those then I get pretty disappointed about it. That was my first actual pretty good performance for Glasgow, so I have felt that the pressure has been on. “I had put all my energy into the end of the South African season and the Currie Cup, then came over here and went straight into the Autumn Tests so gave everything there, and it was another step then to try and gel here with a new club – it didn’t really work at the time.

Read more at: https://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-union/glasgow-warriors/huw-jones-is-only-now-feeling-confident-in-a-glasgow-jersey-1-4809556

I think he has a good point about the whirlwind season he had. Glad to hear him admit his form was impacted by the crazy schedule he had last season and even better to hear that he is feeling confident about his current form and Warriors upcoming fixtures.

I'd also just point out that Dell, Bhatti, Sutherland and Allan are all pretty much the same age (25/26), so probably wouldn't separate them into young starlets etc.

Dell currently is 1st choice for Scotland.  I'm not sure who would be 2nd choice currently, so that spot is (in my opinion) up for grabs.

Certainly if Sutherland gets a run out and can step up to the level he was before his injury he could nail down 2nd choice and possibly take 1st, but he needs to play to the level he can, which he hasn't yet.  Early days still but it's possible.

In terms of the Glasgow LHs I haven't seen as much of them, but certainly last season Bhatti and Allan would be seen as ok players, but not amazing.  However the scrum seems to have improved this season, so hopefully one of Allan or Bhatti can make a challenge for the Scotland scrum.

EWT Spoons wrote:I'd also just point out that Dell, Bhatti, Sutherland and Allan are all pretty much the same age (25/26), so probably wouldn't separate them into young starlets etc.

Dell currently is 1st choice for Scotland.  I'm not sure who would be 2nd choice currently, so that spot is (in my opinion) up for grabs.

Certainly if Sutherland gets a run out and can step up to the level he was before his injury he could nail down 2nd choice and possibly take 1st, but he needs to play to the level he can, which he hasn't yet.  Early days still but it's possible.

In terms of the Glasgow LHs I haven't seen as much of them, but certainly last season Bhatti and Allan would be seen as ok players, but not amazing.  However the scrum seems to have improved this season, so hopefully one of Allan or Bhatti can make a challenge for the Scotland scrum.

I'd say that's fair - although we have a lot of depth in that position, we perhaps lack a bit of quality, with all the players being of a similar standard.

Over in Glasgow, i'd say Bhatti seems to have regressed this season, whereas Allan has improved and is playing well.

Big Vern interview with Mark Palmer in the Sunday Times. He certainly does not seem to see GG as a waste of space!



We did all the nostalgia stuff with Vern Cotter last year, before the big Kiwi took Montpellier to Glasgow. And though his personal and professional fondness for Scotland still shines through, one of the world’s most refreshingly straightforward coaches has good reason to be focusing on the present.

Cotter is clearly loving life back in France, and what’s not to like between a reputed £1m-a-year contract, a fabulous home city and a star-studded squad? Yet to imagine this as some kind of pressure-free existence would be wrong. With all that investment comes a hefty slab of expectation. Now in the middle chunk of a three-year contract, Cotter knows it’s not only billionaire owner Mohed Altrad who is watching with keen interest.



Firing on all cylinders: Vern Cotter is getting his star names back from injury as the Champions Cup gets under way

Firing on all cylinders: Vern Cotter is getting his star names back from injury as the Champions Cup gets under way
CRAIG WATSON

The 56-year-old north islander made a bright start on the Mediterranean, knocking the lopsided structure Jake White left into some kind of shape and finishing first in the Top 14 regular season. Alas, they were beaten by sixth-placed Castres in the final, a bitter pill made even harder to swallow by a raft of end-of-season injuries and planned surgeries that left Cotter without 13 front-liners for the early weeks of the new campaign.


They’re all coming back now, however, just in time to face Edinburgh on Saturday. Fulgence Ouedraogo gets his first involvement of the season against Toulon today, and the likes of Louis Picamoles, Nemani Nadolo, Jan Serfontein, Mikheil Nariashvili are all now fit and firing.

Bad news for Richard Cockerill, then, but quite the opposite for Cotter and his European ambitions. Nobody around the newly renamed GGL stadium needs reminding that the only wins Montpellier managed in last year’s pool stage both came against Glasgow in the December double-header.




“The only comforting thing was that Leinster went on to win [the trophy] and we’d had them in our group,” says Cotter. “It was a learning process for us. Compared to the Top 14, the Heineken Champions Cup is a little bit more open, a little bit faster, more ball in play. We know we have to change the way we play, how we defend especially. We didn’t get the shift we needed quickly enough last season.”

Having seen their campaign speared by back-to-back losses to Leinster and Exeter this time last year, there is little prospect of Montpellier being anything other than fully loaded this weekend. Cotter also has a healthy respect for Cockerill, whom he never coached at Clermont but who came as close as anyone to ending his astonishing run of home wins at the Stade Marcel Michelin.

When Cotter joined Scotland in 2014, Clermont made an approach to have Cockerill replace him, but the former hooker stayed at Leicester.

“He’s a bloke I’ve seen over the years, spoken to and appreciate,” says Cotter. “I appreciate his open and upfront manner of saying things as they are and getting on with it, being practical and pragmatic in what he does.

“He’s brought that very serious, well-organised and no-nonsense approach to Edinburgh and I think it’s been good for them. They’ve got a purpose about them now and you can see that. We’ve been watching them since the start of the season, and we’re impressed with their workmanlike, well-organised rugby and the good individuals they have.

“For us, Edinburgh are very dangerous because it’s so exciting for them to get back in. They come with no expectation and that’s probably when teams are at their most dangerous. We know that on an emotional level they’ll be up and that they’ll want recognition. We’ll have to work hard to put our game in place and check that emotional enthusiasm. I think it will be a decent arm-wrestle.”

Of all the success stories in the Edinburgh pack since Cockerill took charge, Cotter takes the most pleasure from Grant Gilchrist’s. The lock was, of course, his initial choice as Scotland captain, before a sustained run of injuries killed the best part of two years.

“When that happens to a player, people start asking questions about whether they’re ever going to get back. Then when you do come back, you’re expected to be at 100% [straight away] and it’s not like that. It takes time to get performances on the paddock.

“He’s doing that now, and for the man and the rugby player I’m happy. You can see he’s a far more confident individual. Sometimes a little bit of difficulty in life can be a good thing — he’s come through it and now he’s surging forward.”

Cotter enjoyed his night at Scotstoun, both because of the result and the opportunity it gave him, Nathan Hines and Richie Gray to catch up with their former national team colleagues Jonathan Humphries and Jason O’Halloran.

While his family have been back to North Berwick to visit friends, Cotter himself has not set foot in Edinburgh, never mind Murrayfield, since he left the Scotland job. That will change on January 18 when Montpellier are due.

“We’re all very excited about coming back,” says a man whose attitude towards superlatives isn’t the most enthusiastic. “There’s a few games before we get there, but we’re certainly looking forward to it.”

Greig Laidlaw, Cotter’s on-field lieutenant with Scotland, was a recent dinner guest in Montpellier, and he’s due to run into Finn Russell and Racing on November 3, the same day Scotland play Wales in an extra autumn Test for which no exiles are expected to be released. It was Cotter who gave Russell his first cap, in his own first outing against the United States four years ago.

“He’s playing really well over here — I’ve been very impressed with what he’s doing. He’s brought another dimension to the Racing team and he’s still very obviously enjoying his rugby.

“For ourselves, with the injuries we had we knew it was going to be a diesel start, but what it’s done is allow us to have a good look at what we’re doing and how to make things better. Having team leaders come back in is good: Nemani Nadolo is back in and setting up tries, Louis Picamoles is back in and scoring tries, and though we’ve lost Aaron Cruden, Johan Goosen is doing a good job of running the game at ten.”

The names trip off the tongue. With Cotter at the helm, you can guarantee there will be substance too.

BigGee - but what does he ( and Cockers and Townsend) know compared to me sitting in my armchair with my computer!  pah!

It's true, surely Scotland would do much better if the posters of 606 were allowed to pick the Scotland team!

Boost for the AIs - Ritchie Gray returned for Toulouse yesterday.

Anyone have any idea of pubs in Glasgow that will have some rugby on Saturday afternoon. Thinking the 1pm and 5pm fixtures.

You won't need a pub.  You need to be hiding behind the sofa.  I have already started building my nest behind the sofa to hide in.  comfort blanket, comfort food. bullet to bite on - you know its the right thing to do.

Nothing good will come out of trying to watch the game in a conventional manner.  Hiding behind the sofa is the only safe way to get thru the weekend

TJ wrote:You won't need a pub.  You need to be hiding behind the sofa.  I have already started building my nest behind the sofa to hide in.  comfort blanket, comfort food. bullet to bite on - you know its the right thing to do.

Nothing good will come out of trying to watch the game in a conventional manner.  Hiding behind the sofa is the only safe way to get thru the weekend

As a Glasgow fan our trouncing comes Sunday rather than Saturday. Its not cricket season so I'm not ready for the cricket score that will be Montpellier Edinburgh.

I was hoping to catch a bit of Bath Toulouse then one of Scarlets Racing or Ulster Leicester somewhere in town.

Glasgow have just signed Petrus du Plessis.

Decent signing - he's vastly experienced but at 37 was probably well and truly gearing up for retirement. A great prop in his prime but he's an OAP now!

Had slipped to third choice for us at Irish. Offers next to nothing around the park, but still very strong at scrum time and a great player for the younger props in your squad to learn off.

Glasgow can probably live with that to be fair - if he holds up the scrum but is anonymous everywhere else that's probably enough! They've got plenty ball players in the pack to make up for it, and scrums are where they are weak (with Fagerson now injured).

Well I guess he is mainly going to have to manage 10 to 20 mins off the bench on most occasions and if he can hold up the scrum adequately, that will be fine and anything else will just be a bonus.

Hopefully as SirBurger says, his experience will add something to the squad.

When du Plessis started playing, apparently the scoreboard was in Roman numerals.

Big Brian move to Toulon confirmed, a one year contract with the option of a second.

Well we knew that was coming, I guess his wages will now be used to pay Petreous!

It will be interesting to see how he gets on there. Can he get himself fit? Will he be any more than a squad player for them?

Will he be lining up for Samoa against Scotland in the WC?

Anyone know anything about young Edinburgh tighthead Jack Stanley? He appeared in a photo tweeted by Edinburgh today of some training shots.

Quick Google says he's England under 20s and Exeter academy. Been playing for Watson's this season. 

Most impressively he's 6ft 2 and 142kg apparently so is an absolute unit! I suspect that weight has dropped a bit at Edinburgh but he'll still be huge.

He's got some great players to learn from at Edinburgh, and with the Edinburgh front row likely to be propping up Scotland in the AIs we may see him in November.

He was talked about at the beginning of the season, he is SQ as well as having played England u20s I believe.

There is a reason though why he did not progress down south and his weight I would imagine was a massive part of it. There is no way he is going to be able to get around the pitch in the fashion of a modern prop at that size.

If they can knock him into shape and that would probably mean losing 20kg, there may be a decent player under there. It is a big if though and you wonder why he allowed himself to get so out of shape in the first place!

To be fair judging by his Instagram pictures he definitely doesn't look 142kg - that stat came from ESPN when he was in the academy so is probably very out of date / not overly accurate.

As you say fitness is usually the issue with these humongous young props so let's see how he develops - he's still a baby in propping terms.

Think he was included in the home preseason friendly. Don't recall him getting on the pitch though. I assume he's in an around the 1st team though.

Magnus Bradbury brother was a bit like that as well as I remember, absolutely massive but pretty ineffective and has now dropped out of rugby completely. Clearly did not fancy putting in the hard yards.

You can get away with just being a massive lump at school boy level, pretty much every team has one like that. It does not wash as you start to climb the ladder though, then you meet big lumps who can also run long, hard and fast and you soon get showed up.

BigGee wrote:Magnus Bradbury brother was a bit like that as well as I remember, absolutely massive but pretty ineffective and has now dropped out of rugby completely. Clearly did not fancy putting in the hard yards.

You can get away with just being a massive lump at school boy level, pretty much every team has one like that. It does not wash as you start to climb the ladder though, then you meet big lumps who can also run long, hard and fast and you soon get showed up.

Saw Fergus Bradbury play for Stirling uni 1st team recently and he is massive but didn't really do anything during the game. Just seemed to run from ruck to ruck. Didn't use his size to good use at all.
My wife's cousin goes to uni with him and was saying that Bradbury just has no interest in taking rugby any further than playing with his mates at uni.
He was also at Bradbury's 21st and said both Bradbury brothers were smoking like chimneys and magnus hadn't slowed down on the drinking front after last years indiscretion.

That's a shame to hear, but he is a young lad and as long as he's producing on the pitch (which he currently is) then it isn't such a big deal. He's certainly not a Mossy-esque squeaky clean pro, and hopefully this doesn't become his downfall over his career.

From what I've heard Bradbury's indiscretion wasn't totally drink related, not saying it was other substances, just to be clear.

Only mention it as he might not have anything to learn from in that regard, if you see what I mean.

With that said, the story I was told was from a 3rd party who was not there at the time, so could be inaccurate.

I'm sure Cockers said at the time it he was drunk and fell over and hurt his head so drink was definitely involved. We obviously don't know all the details, but if he was involved in a scrap or anything like that I'm sure it would have come out in the wash - these things don't stay quiet.

EWT Spoons wrote:From what I've heard Bradbury's indiscretion wasn't totally drink related, not saying it was other substances, just to be clear.

Only mention it as he might not have anything to learn from in that regard, if you see what I mean.

With that said, the story I was told was from a 3rd party who was not there at the time, so could be inaccurate.

There in is the rub

"My Mum's pal down the hairdresser know's a woman who walks a dog that likes to pee in the garden of a woman who works in a school that once had a game of rugby against Oban High School where Magnus Bradbury used to go to and apparnetly he likes to wear red underpants. It must be true, as why would the dog that pees in the garden make something like that up?"

It was one of his teammates who told me something different, so not massively removed from the incident, but there have been so many stories on this it's hard to say.  The version Cockers has put out seems to be slightly different from what I was told, not hugely, but there are key parts missing.

Spoons I really want to know who your inside man is!!

Would love to share, but on the very very very remote off chance anyone from the club actually reads this board they'd probably get in bother from Cockers.  But more importantly my source of info would dry up. 

EWT Spoons wrote:Would love to share, but on the very very very remote off chance anyone from the club actually reads this board they'd probably get in bother from Cockers.  But more importantly my source of info would dry up. 

I think you're safe, I doubt very much that anyone who is in any way respectable reads this board.

Can we play 20 questions to try and guess?