Busy Bees at the Hive - Edinburgh 23/24

[BaldiePete]

I was at the match tonight and it was a turgid affair, apart from the excellent Watson try. We were hanging on there at the end. I suppose it’s good to be able to get a win when not playing well (see also the Zebre game a couple of weeks ago) but bloody hell it can get tedious. There just doesn’t seem to be any attacking shape or strategy. Truck it up a few times, try some straightforward passes along the back line then chip over the top and hope for the best (assuming no has dropped the ball already). Edinburgh were so much more interesting when Mike Blair was coach and Kinghorn was doing a few mad things (sometimes successfully). The defence may be better now but the attack offers very little. With the next two matches in South Africa just after the 6N finishes they’re probably going to get reamed in those matches.

[BaldiePete]

One of the advantages of not having so many players in the Scotland squad is that we can send a stronger squad to South Africa for the games against the Stromers and the Sharks. Ali Price isn’t travelling because his wife is due to give birth. The article says that the number of internationals available is TBC but I’d expect Healy, Ritchie and Skinner to definitely be available for the first match. Schoeman and Gilchrist probably not. Losing BPs is probably the best we can hope for.


https://edinburghrugby.org/news-and-fea ... rica-tour/

Forwards [13]
Ben Muncaster
Bill Mata
Boan Venter
Connor Boyle
Dave Cherry
Hamish Watson
Jamie Hodgson
Javan Sebastian
Luan de Bruin
Marshall Sykes
Paddy Harrison
Tom Dodd
WP Nel


Backs [10]
Ben Vellacott
Cammy Scott
Charlie Shiel
Chris Dean
Emiliano Boffelli
Jake Henry
James Lang
Mark Bennett
Matt Currie
Wes Goosen

Scotland internationalists TBC [7]
Ben Healy
Duhan van der Merwe
Ewan Ashman
Grant Gilchrist
Jamie Ritchie
Pierre Schoeman
Sam Skinner

Unavailable: Luke Crosbie (shoulder), Darcy Graham (groin), Robin Hislop (knee), Harry Paterson (foot), Nathan Sweeney (groin), Glen Young (ankle).

[Big D]

Edinburgh should be looking to knock off the Sharks. Sure it'll be tough but they aren't a power house.

[switchskier]

Team for first game of the SA trip against the Stormers. Good to see Muncaster finally back and nice to see an actual singer on the wing. Hope he gets a chance to show what he can do. Don't like that 10-12-13 mix. All fine players but where's the creativity? On pre-6N form we'll do well to come away with a bonus point.

200 appearances for Nel who has been a great servant.

15. Emiliano Boffelli (37)
14. Wes Goosen (23)
13. Mark Bennett (100)
12. Matt Currie (30)
11. Jake Henry*
10. Ben Healy (14)
9. Ben Vellacott (52) CAPTAIN

1. Boan Venter (58)
2. Dave Cherry (84)
3. WP Nel (199)
4. Jamie Hodgson (56)
5. Sam Skinner (17)
6. Ben Muncaster (29)
7. Hamish Watson (151)
8. Viliame Mata (129)

Replacements

16. Patrick Harrison (14)
17. Luan de Bruin (23)
18. Javan Sebastian (10)
19. Marshall Sykes (55)
20. Tom Dodd (8)
21. Charlie Shiel (60)
22. Cammy Scott (6)
23. Chris Dean (144)

Unavailable: Luke Crosbie (shoulder), Darcy Graham (groin), Robin Hislop (knee), Harry Paterson (foot), Scott Steele (hip), Nathan Sweeney (groin), Glen Young (ankle)

[BaldiePete]

Well beaten 43-21 by a superior Stormers team. Zero ambition in attack from Edinburgh. It’s very like the Cockerill era with Van Der Walt at 10. They seem to have no attacking plan except put the ball up in the air and hope whoever is under it drops it.

[switchskier]

Well beaten 43-21 by a superior Stormers team. Zero ambition in attack from Edinburgh. It’s very like the Cockerill era with Van Der Walt at 10. They seem to have no attacking plan except put the ball up in the air and hope whoever is under it drops it.

Yup, if you're going to play like that then you've got to be dominant up front and tough to hear and we are neither. Very little to hang on to there.

[Cameo]

Watched that. Don't get to see many Edinburgh ganes now amd was not impressed. Stormers could have had at least three more tries and Edinburgh were quite lucky to get theirs. Absolutely no threat.

[septic 9]

Well beaten 43-21 by a superior Stormers team. Zero ambition in attack from Edinburgh. It’s very like the Cockerill era with Van Der Walt at 10. They seem to have no attacking plan except put the ball up in the air and hope whoever is under it drops it.

Yup, if you're going to play like that then you've got to be dominant up front and tough to hear and we are neither. Very little to hang on to there.

forward dominance helps. So does a kicking strategy beyond just kicking it. Like being really deep and having a good defensive line come up together; or like making the kick far enough to eb contestable then have a good kick chase. The first is mainly off 10 or 15 and probably OK on the kicks not so great on the defensive line to keep the defenders locked down in their territory. The second nearly always off 9 and is a total mess whether with Vellacott and Shiel, and hasn't been much better with Price due to poor chase

[septic 9]

WP Nel to retire end of season

I don't think he was ever quite as good as the hype we had for him, but a terrific servant to Scottish Rugby. Well played WP

[switchskier]

WP Nel to retire end of season

I don't think he was ever quite as good as the hype we had for him, but a terrific servant to Scottish Rugby. Well played WP

You say that, but...



Great servant and, by all accounts, a really nice guy.

[Mikey Brown]

Ha. Didn’t remember that one. I quite enjoy his glacial movements outside of the set piece. It reminds me of a simpler time. Was he ever hyped up much outside of the scrum?

Obviously he’s not been first choice for a long time now but his input for Scotland has been invaluable. Sounds like he is very much loved by both the club and the city.

[septic 9]

WP Nel to retire end of season

I don't think he was ever quite as good as the hype we had for him, but a terrific servant to Scottish Rugby. Well played WP

You say that, but...



Great servant and, by all accounts, a really nice guy.

I just knew someone would psot that!

[septic 9]

Ha. Didn’t remember that one. I quite enjoy his glacial movements outside of the set piece. It reminds me of a simpler time. Was he ever hyped up much outside of the scrum?

Obviously he’s not been first choice for a long time now but his input for Scotland has been invaluable. Sounds like he is very much loved by both the club and the city.

I remember it well. After he was signed (I didn't really know anything about him) I did some digging and saw some highlights reels. He was mid twenties and really seemed mailny a bench prop for Cheetahs, and useful because he could prop both sides (think initially still only 7 subs). But his USP was definitely not his scrumming, it was his ball carrying in the last 20/30mins

[BaldiePete]

Edinburgh are going to get absolutely reamed on Saturday. Look at the first four names in that, plus Mapimpi and Am in the backs.

[switchskier]

Edinburgh team below. Don't think that I'll be able to watch, which might be a good thing tbh. Wonder if Cammy Scott will ever get any actual game time.

Edinburgh: Goosen, Henry, Currie, Dean, Van der Merwe, Healy, Vellacott; Schoeman, Ashman, Nel, Hodgson, Skinner, Ritchie, Watson, Mata

Replacements: Cherry, Venter, Sebastian, Sykes, Boyle, Shiel, Scott, Lang

[BaldiePete]

Luckily I’m working tomorrow afternoon.

[switchskier]

I see that Paul Hill has signed for next season. Even with Nel retiring we still look quite full at tighthead, or is someone else also leaving? Don't we have Luan de Bruin, Paul Hill, Angus Williams, javan Sebastian, Darcy Rae under contract? Not bowled over by the signing, not sure he's much of an upgrade.

Charlie Shiel, Darcy Rae and Angus Williams also resign. No problem with the latter two , but we do seem to have a squad full of military medium: good players but no blue chippers.

Shiel I'm unconvinced by. I thought that he had a lot of potential when I first saw him but if it's hasn't happened by now then will he ever turn into an international quality player or should we be using that squad slot to give another player a shot? It's unfair, and a product of some poor coaching decisions, but other teams/sports are, I feel, more ruthless.

[BaldiePete]

I’m totally scunnered with the way Edinburgh are playing the game just now and am having difficulty raising any enthusiasm for Saturday’s European diddy cup match. I was hoping it wasn’t going to be on TV but unfortunately ViaPlay are showing it so I’ll probably torture myself and watch it. Whatever, here’s the team.

Edinburgh’s best hope is for dreadful weather as a leveller. I checked the weather in Bayonne and they’re coming from glorious sunshine and temperatures in the high 20s. It’s certainly not going to be like that at the Hive.

Edinburgh (v Bayonne at Hive Stadium in the Challenge Cup on Saturday @ 8pm GMT): W Goosen; J Henry, M Bennett, M Currie, D van der Merwe; B Healy, B Vellacott ©; L de Bruin, E Ashman, W Nel, S Skinner, G Gilchrist, J Ritchie, H Watson, V Mata. Replacements: D Cherry, M Jones, D Rae, J Hodgson, L Crosbie, A Price, J Lang, C Dean

Unavailable: Emiliano Boffelli (back), Darcy Graham (groin), Robin Hislop (knee), Harry Paterson (foot), Scott Steele (hip), Pierre Schoeman (concussion), Nathan Sweeney (groin), Boan Venter (knee), Glen Young (ankle).

[switchskier]

I’m totally scunnered with the way Edinburgh are playing the game just now and am having difficulty raising any enthusiasm for Saturday’s European diddy cup match. I was hoping it wasn’t going to be on TV but unfortunately ViaPlay are showing it so I’ll probably torture myself and watch it. Whatever, here’s the team.

Edinburgh’s best hope is for dreadful weather as a leveller. I checked the weather in Bayonne and they’re coming from glorious sunshine and temperatures in the high 20s. It’s certainly not going to be like that at the Hive.

Edinburgh (v Bayonne at Hive Stadium in the Challenge Cup on Saturday @ 8pm GMT): W Goosen; J Henry, M Bennett, M Currie, D van der Merwe; B Healy, B Vellacott ©; L de Bruin, E Ashman, W Nel, S Skinner, G Gilchrist, J Ritchie, H Watson, V Mata. Replacements: D Cherry, M Jones, D Rae, J Hodgson, L Crosbie, A Price, J Lang, C Dean

Unavailable: Emiliano Boffelli (back), Darcy Graham (groin), Robin Hislop (knee), Harry Paterson (foot), Scott Steele (hip), Pierre Schoeman (concussion), Nathan Sweeney (groin), Boan Venter (knee), Glen Young (ankle).

I'll be traveling and do I'll miss it. Which is lucky for me as I'm sure it would just depress me otherwise. That's a team that is trying to win now, but won't.

Know that injuries mean that we're short on backs but just plain strange to have two players that only play 12 on the bench. Given our limited style of play why not go 6-2 and have Sykes, Boyle or Muncaster primed to give some impetus early in the second half?

[septic 9]

Edinburgh’s best hope is for dreadful weather as a leveller.

Like you I find it difficult to be positive or hopeful about Edinburgh, but Bayonne are sending something well short of a 2nd XV.
If Edinburgh cannot win this at a canter then...............time to shut them down really

[Mikey Brown]

What's the latest on Darcy? Same injury from the 6 nations?

[BaldiePete]

What's the latest on Darcy? Same injury from the 6 nations?

He had an injury late last year which kept him out for the first couple of matches in the 6N. It was hoped he’d be back for the last three matches and he returned to training but got this new injury which has kept him out since.

[Mikey Brown]

He really has no luck does he.

People bang on about VDM (and whether he’s overrated) but Darcy really is the star. Probably said if before but I feel like if he was South African people would laud him similarly to KLA and Kolbe.

[BaldiePete]

He really has no luck does he.

People bang on about VDM (and whether he’s overrated) but Darcy really is the star. Probably said if before but I feel like if he was South African people would laud him similarly to KLA and Kolbe.

My wife once asked me who Cheslin Kolbe was and I replied he was like a South African Darcy Graham.

[General Zod]

This is decent enough from Edinburgh, although they look a bit knackered already. Restarts not great and DVDM losing it in contact, but they are ahead. Nothing flashy and Schoeman finished his try well.

Ashman picking a fight with Etztebeth was quite funny.