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!

Glasgow Warriors team to face Benetton at Scotstoun, Saturday 18 November, kick-off 7.35pm – tickets are still available at glasgowwarriors.org.

1 Jamie Bhatti (91)
2 George Turner (91)
3 Lucio Sordoni (19)
4 Sintu Manjezi (12)
5 Richie Gray (104)
6 Matt Fagerson (97)
7 Thomas Gordon (66)
8 Sione Vailanu (23)

9 George Horne (102)
10 Tom Jordan (28)
11 Kyle Rowe (3)
12 Stafford McDowall (C) (61)
13 Sione Tuipulotu (38)
14 Sebastian Cancelliere (28)
15 Josh McKay (29)

Replacements

16 Johnny Matthews (54)
17 Allan Dell (6)
18 Enrique Pieretto (32)
19 Greg Peterson (36)
20 Max Williamson (0)
21 Ally Miller (17)
22 Sean Kennedy (25)
23 Ross Thompson (39)

Unavailable for selection: Fraser Brown (knee), Facundo Cordero (ankle),Jamie Dobie (ankle) Huw Jones (foot) JP du Preez (knee), Kyle Steyn (ankle), Murphy Walker (calf), Duncan Weir (suspended)

So GH gets his holiday cut short to play SH with Kennedy on the bench.

Turner is back to start at hooker, with Johnny the Scouser presumably to come on and score a few tries in the second half.

A pototential debut for Big Max Wiiliamson, another decent second row prospect and hopefully we will finally get to see Ross Thompson.


Our injury list is really not all that bad and Franco keeps the team rotating about nicely, which should keep everyone fresh and interested.

Good side, bit meh on the bench outside of Johnny the try machine.

Fingers crossed Thompson can come on with 20-30 minutes to go and puts on a controlled performance.

We need to find a way to get another SQ tighthead to Glasgow. Having an NSQ for every position is fine but having no minutes for an SQ at a key position for the national team is a problem even if Walker is injured.

The House Elf has undergone surgery on an ankle.

I did notice that in the 39th minute against the Ospreys Dobie was tackled and went to ground and lay North-South to present the ball, the Ospreys rucked over and when he got to his feet he was hobbling. The ball was kicked dead for half time and Dobie was assisted from the pitch. There's no word as to when he can be expected back but with him and Meatball unavailable this week then selection must have been fun.

Ali Price's kidnapping looks even worse now.

jimbopip wrote:Lads! Lads!!
I  shall refrain from commenting on Hogg's miserable situation.
However I shall say this; I am very, very disappointed with you lot.
He's riding a jockey ffs. This is comedy gold. Not one of you has even tried to make anything of it.

Baby
Stable
Second coming
A great ride
Retired to stud
Fined for excessive use of the whip
Up and under
He had the bit between his teeth..

Come on boys you can do this.

"How could you? I don't care how hung he is...have you seen those gnashers?"
" As they said at Jockey school, never look a gift horse in the mouth."

The ladies at our rugby club have been saying this for a while about Hogg. Apparently very familiar with secluded spaces in the night club "Why Not".

In addition players who's names rhyme with Blaidlaw, Mott & Renton were serial womanisers whilst engaged in formal relationships.

Tramptastic wrote:The ladies at our rugby club have been saying this for a while about Hogg. Apparently very familiar with secluded spaces in the night club "Why Not".

In addition players who's names rhyme with Blaidlaw, Mott & Renton were serial womanisers whilst engaged in formal relationships.

Woah don't ruin the image of the saint that is Craig Blaidlaw!

Close first half Edinburgh against a powerful Bulls outfit. Again we're doing some things well but poor in other areas. Healy again guilty of forcing things that aren't on, and has missed a relatively straightforward conversion. I wonder if he loses concentration too easily?

We're still well in the game but it's a close one. Brutal speed and intensity too - can see the bench coming in early.

Red card for the Bulls for a shoulder to head on Schoeman - correct call.

Bulls down to 13 man after a rampaging rolling maul was brought down.

It's very pleasing to see Edinburgh finally having a decent maul - it's been pretty rubbish for as long as I can remember.

Edinburgh well in control now with another try - Duhan made it a lot closer than it needed to be though!

Another Healy miss - that's 7 points missed which is keeping Bills in touching distance.

Well for some unfathomable reason Edinburgh have found themselves at real danger of losing this game. 28-23 Edinburgh with 5 to go,.both teams down to 14 men

Hell of a game that - had everything. BP win for Edinburgh at home to the table toppers is a great result. What is pleasing is we still have plenty room for improvement that's for sure. Edinburgh look to be getting into their groove in fits and starts but then doing stupid things at times too. We should never have let the Bulls back in that.

Very weird seeing Ali Price in Edinburgh colours!

Good win for Edinburgh, even if they tried to chuck it away a couple of times.

Very impressed with Connor Boyle, a worthy MoM, Edinburgh not really missing Watson with him on the pitch.

Been quietly impressed with Boan Ventor these past few weeks. He made a really solid impact from the bench again. He is playing as well, if not better than Schoe atm!

Agreed on Venter - he's made a real impact. In fact the whole Edinburgh bench has. I heard in commentary that Edinburgh are the highest scoring side in the league in the last 20 minutes of the game, which is the complete opposite of last year. Sean Everitt is certainly bringing the South African ethos of having a bomb squad to call upon from the bench!

A good result for the Luvvies.
I'm still trying to get my head round the idea that Benetton could be top of the league tomorrow.
Both Italian sides have started really well.
Also, I know whenever I close my eyes tonight I'll see Hornito pulling a hamstring in the warm up tomorrow. Then Richie Gray landing on Kennedy as he catches the kick off.

jimbopip wrote:A good result for the Luvvies.
I'm still trying to get my head round the idea that Benetton could be top of the league tomorrow.
Both Italian sides have started really well.
Also, I know whenever I close my eyes tonight I'll see Hornito pulling a hamstring in the warm up tomorrow.  Then Richie Gray landing on Kennedy as he catches the kick off.

Don’t worry lads, we’ll loan you Charlie Shiel if you ask really nicely.

Great result for Edinburgh, had to laugh at Duhan trying to make a relatively simple finish into a display of acrobatics for reasons unknown! Healy and Ashman proving to be every bit the big signings that we hoped they would be.

Glasgow don't seem to worry about a little bit of rain to stop them playing

Kyle Rowe gets our second try

14-6 Glasgow

YC card for Josh Mckay

That one was touch and go, he won't be arguing with that

Benetton don't take much advantage of rhe extra man

14-9 Glasgow at HT

Glasgow steal a try from a quick lineout

19-9 Glasgow

Jeezo the weather really is minging! Just what you want when you've got a 10 who cannae kick...

And now the BP, Hornito now playing on the wing!

26-12 Glasgow

RDW wrote:Jeezo the weather really is minging! Just what you want when you've got a 10 who cannae kick...

Glasgow don't seem to base their game plan around the weather!

Aye Glasgow have done well to get the BP.in this weather. Bennett have been pretty terrible it must be said.

Lord Stafford MoM, though Hornito probably should have been.

Another 5 pointer against a side who have been playing well, in awful weather. Can't complain to much about that.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/sru-statement-apology-to-the-family-of-the-late-siobhan-cattigan-scotland/?fbclid=IwAR3Zo0w_sufcQYE77cyWdwXhsBqcFNZNFUrl5qVk3OLAa35KQVW93gckgaA

Better late than never! SRU finally admitting their got things badly wrong.

Bit of a cop out getting the new chairman to do it given he had nothing to do with what happened, but maybe the relationship between the family and Dodson and Co was so fractured it was the best option.

Well it needed to be said

Almost unbelievable what went on there!

Hopefully it brings some kind of clisure to them in dealing with their tragedy

Although they continue to make a mess of this as from what I have seen they haven't posted it on any social media account and only published it on their website, which no-one looks at any more.

Given that they literally post about everything, they should have about this too.

FFS!

BigGee wrote:Lord Stafford MoM, though Hornito probably should have been.

Another 5 pointer against a side who have been playing well, in awful weather. Can't complain to much about that.

Great seeing both Scottish sides putting away decent teams this weekend. I'm starting to see something in McDowall as well. He's got more strings to his bow than I'd previously thought.

The Ali Price perspective, from the Scotsman: Perhaps he was recognising that after 10 years at Glasgow, he did need a change or that his time there was just coming to its natural end.



The Scotland scrum-half admitted it had been a “strange” time but that he was happy to challenge himself in a new environment after a decade at Scotstoun. Price, 30, has joined Edinburgh on a season-long loan deal but is out of contract at the end of the campaign so may not play for Glasgow again.

Warriors said the move came about after an approach was made by the national team but Price said he had had no contact with Gregor Townsend, the Scotland coach. “Gregor didn’t speak to me about it,” said the 66-times capped scrum-half. “I’ve made this decision for myself, when the opportunity got given to me. Whatever has happened above me or behind the scenes doesn’t concern me.”

It was assumed that Townsend pushed for the move to ensure Price was given more game-time. He started just eight times last season for Glasgow where scrum-half is a fiercely contested position, with fellow internationals George Horne and Jamie Dobie vying for the No 9 jersey along with Sean Kennedy. Price lost his Scotland place to Ben White during the Six Nations but won it back for the final two matches of the World Cup.

“It’s nobody’s right to be in an international team,” said Price. “Everyone knows you have to play rugby. I wasn’t guaranteed anything; it wasn’t a case of go here, we’ll play you every week and you’ll get in the [Scotland] squad. That’s just not true. Like everybody else, I have to fight for my place. Given the opportunity, or in the minutes I get given, I’d like to show my value and we’ll go from there.”

He came off the bench to help Edinburgh to a 31-23 win over the Bulls on Friday night in his first appearance since the World Cup and admitted that pulling on his new club’s jersey took a bit of getting used to. “I have been going into Scotstoun for ten years,” he said. “This is strange, don’t get me wrong. I never thought that last Monday I would be turning up at Murrayfield to train for Edinburgh or that I would be wearing this kit, to be perfectly honest with you. But here I am. I gave my all over at the Glasgow side of the M8 and I’m excited for this new challenge. It’s something that is good for myself and I’m looking to throw myself into it, enjoy playing my rugby and we’ll see what happens.”

Price, who has recovered from a groin strain, will have the chance to return to Scotstoun next month when Edinburgh take on Glasgow in the first leg of the 1872 Cup on December 22, with the return at Murrayfield six days later. “Those games will come around, they are big occasions over the festive period,” said the scrum-half. “I would love the opportunity to be involved, but I’d quite like to get myself back playing a bit more over the next few weeks first.”

funnyExiledScot wrote:

BigGee wrote:Lord Stafford MoM, though Hornito probably should have been.

Another 5 pointer against a side who have been playing well, in awful weather. Can't complain to much about that.

Great seeing both Scottish sides putting away decent teams this weekend. I'm starting to see something in McDowall as well. He's got more strings to his bow than I'd previously thought.

Careful now You get on that train and the next thing you'll be telling us is that the ECHR has some good points...or that a National Health service which is actually able to staff hospitals and treat sick people is not really a bad idea.

At 77 minutes I was wondering just what Thompson had done to make the General hate him, and how the General would justify not putting him on, when he came on for Jordan. You do get the feeling that if we had had anyone else, and I mean ANYONE, available at 10 Thompson would have been nowhere near the 23.

Towards the end last night, once the 5 points were safely in the bag, I was wondering who we still had to return to the side. I think we have four still to add....

Jack Dempsey and Dimples Jones : Both the back row and centres are looking very good at the moment so they should be very competitive once those two are fit again.

But also.... a 9 and a 10. We're not going to stay at the top of the league without adding to the squad.

I am a bit more relaxed about the SH situation than others (particularly most of the posters on the Glasgow Warriors Forum!)

It will be interesting to see how Hornito responds to being the bona fida No.1 choice as SH, a position he has never really occupied in the whole of his career up to this point. To often, he has been guilty of trying to hard, maybe sub-consciously knowing that he has to make an impression. Maybe this will relax him a bit and his game management might improve as a result of it, the signs so far seem reasonably promising.

In terms of back up, I have been pleasantly surprised by Sean Kennedy, who I had never massively rated and I felt was really not brought on by Edinburgh when he was there. So far though, a bit like at his first emergency stint at Glasgow, he has stepped up to the plate and looked very comfortable. He looks grateful for the chance that he has go and looks like he is planning to take it.

Ben Ashfar also looks like a young SH who is worthy of a bit of senior game time, so you would have thought he might get some in the next few weeks before Dobie manages to get fixed.

We clearly do need some more SH cover though, as another injury would leave us up the proverbial creak without a paddle and Hornito who has had his holiday cut short, will need another rest at some stage in the proceedings.

FH though really is where we are falling short at the moment and that was the case even before Duncy got his ban. I don't see that being resolved this season, though surely it must be top of The General's shopping list going forward.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

BigGee wrote:Lord Stafford MoM, though Hornito probably should have been.

Another 5 pointer against a side who have been playing well, in awful weather. Can't complain to much about that.

Great seeing both Scottish sides putting away decent teams this weekend. I'm starting to see something in McDowall as well. He's got more strings to his bow than I'd previously thought.

Wait. Did FES complement a former Ayr alumnus?

It seems that Blarehorn will be having les croissants avec saucissons Toulousaise for petit dejeuner from now on.
I do find that hard to swallow.

Kinghorn now being linked with an imminent move to Toulouse, replacing Jaminet so it seems.

Well that will pay for Ali Price wages I guess.

Edinburgh are not short of back three options and he seems to have decided its time to move on, so they may as well get some money for him.

I know its bad for Edinburgh but thats such a good move for Kinghorn. That squad is hoachin with talent and being able to play on a weekly basis with the likes of Dupont, Ntamack, Guitone, Capuzzo, Ramos - thats just the backs mind! I think it'll get the best out of him.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/blair-kinghorn-poised-for-an-immediate-switch-to-the-top-14-report-edinburgh-toulouse/

Seems a bit of a waste of resources by Toulouse. They have Mallia, Capuozzo and Ramos at FB, Ntamack injured at 10 and Searle is the main guy there. Whilst Searle is fine, why not get a 10 who can cover 15 like Hastings if they want extra cover at FB?

For Kinghorn though, good move. If he wants to play, he will have to tackle. When Ntamack gets fit, he can rotate around the back three.

As BG says, it is a good move for Edinburgh. Boffelli can start there and Patterson/Scott should get more opportunities to play. If they are not comfortable with the options at 10, Thomson may follow Price. No point wasting away in Franco's doghouse

Despite all the caps I've never been fully convinced by Kinghorn. I'm hoping he will evolve into an excellent fullback with the talent around him, can't see him making it at Flyhalf. Interesting thought about Hastings but not making the WC squad might have dropped him below the radar. Both he and Kinghorn have never been good tacklers even at club level.

Be great if we're talking positively about this move at the end of the season.

Kinghorn is probably a 9/10 in attack and with a 9/10 boot. 

Problem is he's probably only 6//10 with high balls and 3/10 on tackling.

He'd never make the England team with those stats but he fits in well with Scotland and should with Toulouse!

Blairhorn to Toulouse confirmed, after next weeks game v Ulster and subject to medical. Edinburgh getting a 6 figure release fee for him.

You just hope he does not get injured in either of these 2 games!

Apparently he had already told them he was going at the end of the season, so it makes the decision to let him go early a good one.

Need to refill the coffers so take any cash we can

Also it’s a good move all round. Should bring Blair on as a fullback and boff can play 15 at Edinburgh with van der Darcy on the wings. Boff is too good a player not to be playing for us.

Kinghorn's physicality may take even more of a dip the next two weeks. What is the over/under on collisions he will be involved in?

.

1 Jamie Bhatti (92)
2 George Turner (92)
3 Zander Fagerson (131)
4 Greg Peterson (37)
5 Scott Cummings (109)
6 Matt Fagerson (98)
7 Rory Darge (35)
8 Jack Dempsey (39)

9 Sean Kennedy (26)
10 Tom Jordan (29)
11 Kyle Rowe (4)
12 Stafford McDowall (C) (62)
13 Sione Tuipulotu (39)
14 Sebastian Cancelliere (29)
15 Josh McKay (30)

Replacements

16 Johnny Matthews (55)
17 Oli Kebble (88)
18 Lucio Sordoni (20)
19 Richie Gray (105)
20 Sintu Manjezi (13)
21 Sione Vailanu (24)
22 Ben Afshar (0)
23 Duncan Weir (137)

Unavailable for selection: Fraser Brown (knee), Facundo Cordero (ankle),Jamie Dobie (ankle) Huw Jones (foot) JP du Preez (knee), Kyle Steyn (ankle)

That's a pretty strong Glasgow lineup with some definite heft on the bench.

Good to see Dempsey back and Ben Afshar likely to make his debut off the bench.

Ulster will also be strong no doubt, so it has got the makings of a cracking game.

From a purely Scottish point of view that pack looks good. If Richie was starting instead of Peterson that would be avery strong Scotland pack.

The big question, surely, is will Brim Full of Afshar get more minutes than Meatball. Fecc, I think whoever brings the matchball out for kick off will probably get more minutes than Meatball.

Just a thought; last year we had four (4) 10's: in order, Miotti, Thompson,Meatball and Jordan. The General has shown a marked reluctance to play 1-3 but has invested heavily in a 12 who has no real kicking game. I wonder if Meatball is slipping into retirement soon and Thompson flat sharing with Aldi Price.

Ulster team up
(15-9) Will Addison, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Luke Marshall, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Tom Stewart, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson (C), Harry Sheridan, Reuben Crothers, James McNabney.

Apparently the Ulster posters are as bemused by McNabney as I am.

Edinburgh are going to miss Blairhorn!

Great kick from Healy and Matt Curry scores

12-0 Edinburgh