Edinburgh 25/26

[BaldiePete]

Fixture list is out for the Champions Cup. Not a hope in hell of getting to the playoffs and probably bottom of the group so no drop down to the Challenge Cup. Maybe a win against Gloucester but I can’t see us beating the French teams or Bath.

Sunday 7th December – 5.30pm – Edinburgh v Toulon
Sunday 14th December – 1pm – Castres Olympique v Edinburgh
Friday 9th January – 8pm – Edinburgh v Gloucester
Friday 16th January – 8pm – Bath v Edinburgh

[Cameo]

Not quite on topic but WP Nel has signed up to play and (mainly) coach at Stirling County, while also doing some coaching at Glenalmond School.

Shouldn't assume all good players make good coaches, but good to have him back in the country anyway. If there is a real injury crisis he might even be a last resort for a pro team!

[BaldiePete]

Not quite on topic but WP Nel has signed up to play and (mainly) coach at Stirling County, while also doing some coaching at Glenalmond School.

Shouldn't assume all good players make good coaches, but good to have him back in the country anyway. If there is a real injury crisis he might even be a last resort for a pro team!

Bad news for loosehead props in National League 1. It’s good to see that he’s stayed here and is contributing back to the game in Scotland.

[septic 9]

Not quite on topic but WP Nel has signed up to play and (mainly) coach at Stirling County, while also doing some coaching at Glenalmond School.

Shouldn't assume all good players make good coaches, but good to have him back in the country anyway. If there is a real injury crisis he might even be a last resort for a pro team!

Bad news for loosehead props in National League 1. It’s good to see that he’s stayed here and is contributing back to the game in Scotland.

not so much stayed here as returned. I think he had gone "home". He had asked the SRU about a coaching role, told no vacancies (probably true and as the are broke a new post for an unproven coach maybe a risk too far)
I very much hope he proves his worth at Stirling and can use that as a lever into a pro team role

I think playing will very much be last resort, and young LHs would relish the opportunity to put one over the old man

[BaldiePete]

Edinburgh have their first pre-season match away to Ulster on Friday and have released injury news. The two best hookers are injured so they’ll have to rely on Ashman and an academy player (Blyth-Lafferty or Morris) certainly for this week and possibly next week. Also, Venter is away with the Boks.

Darcy Graham (ankle) – Continues to recover from injury sustained while playing for the British & Irish Lions. Expected back in late September.
Rob Carmichael (wrist) – Expected to return to full training this month.
Connor Boyle (knee) – Expected to return to full training next month.
Paddy Harrison (back) – Out until mid-September.
Tom Dodd (calf) – Out until mid-September.
Dylan Richardson (back) – Out until early October.
Callum Hunter-Hill (back) – Out until early October.
Mosese Tuipulotu (knee) – Continues to recover from knee injury sustained against Connacht in May. Underwent successful surgery and expected to return to training in December.

[Cameo]

Ouch, that is a long time for Tuipolotu

[BaldiePete]

Team for the Ulster match features a lot of academy and youngsters with a few more experienced players to make up the starting 15. Apparently Christian Lindsay in the 2nd row is only 18 and has come straight into the team from playing for Loretto School.

J Brown, L Wells, M Davidson, F Thomson, R McCann, R Thompson, Hector Patterson; J Whitcombe, J Blyth-Lafferty, R Litterick, C Lindsay, G Young, O Duncan, F Douglas, T Currie

Replacements: M Jones, H Morris, A Williams, E McVie, S Skinner, L McConnell, H Watson, M Bradbury, C McAlpine, C Scott, R McKnight, C McCaig, M Satala

[BaldiePete]

Lost 31-19. It was 19-0 at half time when Edinburgh had nine academy players and five first year professionals playing but the second half saw more experienced players such as Watson, Skinner and Bradbury come on and give the score a bit more respectability. Apparently scrum half McAlpine played well and scored a nice try, as did Satala.

[BaldiePete]

The final warm up is a double header against English Championship teams. The first selection is definitely an A team mostly being youngsters. It’s kind of worrying that they’ve borrowed two players from Glasgow to sit on the bench for this one. The season hasn’t started and they’re already struggling for players.

Team for Doncaster Knights:
J Brown; M Satala, N Moncrieff, M Davidson, R McKnight; R Wolfenden, C McAlpine; J Stewart, H Morris, O Blyth-Lafferty, C Lindsay, G Young, S Byrd, T Currie, O Duncan.

Replacements: J Blyth-Lafferty, B White, A Williams, R Burke*, D Cockburn*, H Patterson, H Widdowson, R McHaffie.
* on loan from Glasgow Warriors academy


This looks like more like the best squad available with the exception of the missing Lions DVDM, Graham and Schoeman. I’d rather they started Harrison but it’s good to see Douglas getting the start. Watson has been a great servant to Edinburgh and Scotland but it’s time to give the younger players a go.

Team for Ealing Trailfinders:
W Goosen; H Paterson, P O’Conor, J Lang, L Wells; R Thompson, B Vellacott; J Whitcombe, E Ashman, P Hill, M Sykes, G Gilchrist, L Crosbie, F Douglas, M Bradbury

Replacements: P Harrison, D Rae, M Jones, S Skinner, L McConnell, H Watson, C Shiel, C Scott, R McCann.

[BaldiePete]

No luck for new signings McCaig and Litterick. Both picked up injuries in the Ulster match which will likely see them miss the entire season. Also, Ross Thomson and Scott have picked up injuries and are unlikely to be available for the Zebre match this weekend. Healy is fit so there will at least be a 10 available. DVDM and Schoeman are up for selection this week but Darcy needs longer.

Full injury list.
Charlie McCaig (knee) – Will undergo surgery and unlikely to return this season.
Rhys Litterick (achilles) – Has undergone surgery and unlikely to return this season.
Cammy Scott (hamstring) – Unlikely to be available this weekend.
Ross Thompson (toe) – Unlikely to be available this weekend.
Matt Currie (vertigo) – Continues to recover. No confirmed date for return to full training (not concussion related).
Darcy Graham (ankle) – Expected back next week.
Dylan Richardson (back) – Out until early October.
Callum Hunter-Hill (back) – Out until early October.
Ben Muncaster (back) – Out until mid-October.
Rob Carmichael (wrist) – Out until late October.
Connor Boyle (knee) – Expected to return to training in November.
Mosese Tuipulotu (knee) – Expected to return to training in December.

[BaldiePete]

Edinburgh team for first URC match away to Zebre. Forwards look fine but that’s a weak backline and a (presumably enforced) weird back selection on the bench. DVDM is not a great replacement because he only plays left wing and presumably Lang is covering 10. Let’s just say I’m not expecting any flowing backs moves (so no change there).


15. Wes Goosen (55)
14. Harry Paterson (17)
13. Piers O’Conor*
12. James Lang (75)
11. Jack Brown (3)
10. Ben Healy (39)
9. Ben Vellacott (75)
1. James Whitcombe*
2. Ewan Ashman (38)
3. Paul Hill (14)
4. Marshall Sykes (84)
5. Grant Gilchrist (220)
6. Liam McConnell (5)
7. Luke Crosbie (110)
8. Magnus Bradbury (134) CAPTAIN
Replacements
16. Paddy Harrison (33)
17. Pierre Schoeman (134)
18. D’arcy Rae (27)
19. Sam Skinner (44)
20. Hamish Watson (179)
21. Charlie Shiel (74)
22. Findlay Thomson (1)
23. Duhan van der Merwe (103)

[BaldiePete]

A pathetic 31-28 loss to a Zebre team who were down to 14 men for 30 minutes. Luckily I was concentrating more on the Ryder Cup than the rugby but they looked like they’d just met in the car park before the match. Utterly clueless and one-dimensional. It’s going to be a long season.

[BaldiePete]

This is about as strong a team as they have available but I’ve no idea how they’ll do. Probably try and get the ball to Darcy and hope.

[BaldiePete]

Team to play Munster.

Dylan Richardson gets his debut, but in the back row not at hooker. Don’t know what to make of that, I thought he was signed as a hooker. Back row is a fairly strong area for Edinburgh and this means Douglas has to settle for a place on the bench. At least he’s in the 23 and not totally binned off. Also significant is the return (on the bench) of Venter after international duty with the Springboks. 6:2 split won’t look to clever if one of the centres goes down. Can Goosen play there? Somehow they won this match last year but as ever I’m not hopeful for a decent result.

Wes Goosen, Darcy Graham, Piers O’Conor, James Lang, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben Healy, Ben Vellacott; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, D’arcy Rae, Marshall Sykes, Sam Skinner, Liam McConnell, Dylan Richardson, Magnus Bradbury (captain)

Replacements: Paddy Harrison, Boan Venter, Paul Hill, Glen Young, Freddy Douglas, Ben Muncaster, Charlie Shiel, Harry Paterson

[switchskier]

Team to play Munster.

Dylan Richardson gets his debut, but in the back row not at hooker. Don’t know what to make of that, I thought he was signed as a hooker. Back row is a fairly strong area for Edinburgh and this means Douglas has to settle for a place on the bench. At least he’s in the 23 and not totally binned off. Also significant is the return (on the bench) of Venter after international duty with the Springboks. 6:2 split won’t look to clever if one of the centres goes down. Can Goosen play there? Somehow they won this match last year but as ever I’m not hopeful for a decent result.

Wes Goosen, Darcy Graham, Piers O’Conor, James Lang, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben Healy, Ben Vellacott; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, D’arcy Rae, Marshall Sykes, Sam Skinner, Liam McConnell, Dylan Richardson, Magnus Bradbury (captain)

Replacements: Paddy Harrison, Boan Venter, Paul Hill, Glen Young, Freddy Douglas, Ben Muncaster, Charlie Shiel, Harry Paterson

I won't get to see many, if any, games this year but that team looks as though it should be competitive. Not a fan of Lang covering ten with a 6-2 bench but it does at least lean into our strength in the back row.

Interested to hear how O'Connor goes. Two years ago it looked like injuries had taken their toll and it was retirement time. Hope that he's found a way back as he was a good player in his prime, but one reliant on his physical gifts.

[paddy no 11]

Liam McConnell sounds suspiciously Irish!

He's a competitor

[paddy no 11]

My god 4 yellows

I didn't see the first one

But Bradbury has cost his team the win here. Munster piss poor and were well beaten only for Edinburgh playing with 13

[BaldiePete]

Finished 20-19 to Munster. Fucking hell, four yellows and I thought Darcy was going to get a fifth after the tackle in the air. Yet another game Edinburgh could and should have won. Better than against Zebre (a very low bar) but there’s something unconvincing about the way they play, you’re just waiting for some massive cock up. At one point the commentator described Edinburgh’s attack as multifaceted. Give me a fucking break, there are two facets to Edinburgh’s attack; one out bashing up and getting the ball to Darcy to hope for a miracle play. To be fair that worked for the 3rd try.