1872 Cup Champions

[Mikey Brown]

Sounds like Sarries snatch it right at the death?

[Mikey Brown]

Try ruled out and Edinburgh win. That was pretty tense even just following the text updates.

What a boost for Blair and the whole team.

[switchskier]

Did anyone actually watch the game in the end? Sounds like a good win and there's only so long that you can keep writing off this sides results due to quality of opposition or the competition it's played in.

I see that Skinner is seemingly on his way for next season. Delighted with that as he instantly makes the team better. You have to wonder who is leaving though to pay for it. Second row doesn't feel like a high cost position group at the minute, especially with hodgson and sykes playing and playing well. But they're going to want pay rises soon as there's probably not enough cash or minutes for all of Gilchrist, Toolis, Young and Philips too.

[septic 9]

Second row doesn't feel like a high cost position group at the minute, especially with hodgson and sykes playing and playing well. But they're going to want pay rises soon as there's probably not enough cash or minutes for all of Gilchrist, Toolis, Young and Philips too.

[Big D]

So Toolis is going to Japan. Great club servant. Still probably the best line out forward in Scotland when fit.

Good move all round. He'll do well, get paid well and Edinburgh look likely to bring in a quality replacement who is younger and international ambitions.

Good work by all parties.

[switchskier]

So Toolis is going to Japan. Great club servant. Still probably the best line out forward in Scotland when fit.

Good move all round. He'll do well, get paid well and Edinburgh look likely to bring in a quality replacement who is younger and international ambitions.

Good work by all parties.

Feels like a while since he's been fit. Skinner is an upgrade, so good result all round.

[septic 9]

So Toolis is going to Japan. Great club servant. Still probably the best line out forward in Scotland when fit.

Good move all round. He'll do well, get paid well and Edinburgh look likely to bring in a quality replacement who is younger and international ambitions.

Good work by all parties.

yes, excellent line out and also packed down at TH lock allowing Gilchrist to be the free running lock

With Skinner coming, Hodgson and Sykes on new contracts, Gilchrist going nowhere and Young signed from Quins (yet to appear this season TBF) I can't see anyone coming in unless from the academy

[Big D]

So Toolis is going to Japan. Great club servant. Still probably the best line out forward in Scotland when fit.

Good move all round. He'll do well, get paid well and Edinburgh look likely to bring in a quality replacement who is younger and international ambitions.

Good work by all parties.

yes, excellent line out and also packed down at TH lock allowing Gilchrist to be the free running lock

With Skinner coming, Hodgson and Sykes on new contracts, Gilchrist going nowhere and Young signed from Quins (yet to appear this season TBF) I can't see anyone coming in unless from the academy

They are running with 6 locks now. Toolis out and the still tbc signing of Skinner should be enough movement.

[Mikey Brown]

So is this being televised somewhere accessible? Please don’t tell me it’s premier sports. Every experience I’ve had with that has been deeply traumatic.

[whatisthejava]

So is this being televised somewhere accessible? Please don’t tell me it’s premier sports. Every experience I’ve had with that has been deeply traumatic.

Premier sports is ok.

[Mikey Brown]

Well… obviously I don’t agree, but okay. Does that mean that’s the place to watch?

Teams if anyone is interested.

Glasgow Warriors (v Edinburgh at Scotstoun, Monday 27 December, 7pm): J McKay; S Cancelliere, K Steyn, S Johnson, C Forbes; R Thompson, A Price (captain); J Bhatti, G Turner, Z Fagerson, S Cummings, R Gray, M Fagerson, R Darge, J Dempsey. Substitutes: J Matthews, O Kebble, M Walker, K McDonald, T Gordon, G Horne, D Weir, S McDowall.

Edinburgh (v Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium, Monday 7pm): E Boffelli; D Graham, M Bennett (VC), C Hutchison, R Moyano; J van der Walt, H Pyrgos (C); P Schoeman, S McInally (VC) L-R Atalifo, M Sykes J Hodgson, L Crosbie, H Watson, M Bradbury. Substitutes: D Cherry, H Courtney, A Williams, J P Phillips, G Young, B Vellacott, C Savala, C Dean.

[switchskier]

A couple of big calls there with Hutchison starting and is that Cancelliere's first start? Not too pleased with VDW and Pyrgos coming back in for us though.

Backrow battle should be fun but for the first time in ages you'd give glasgow the edge. Think that they also have an edge in the front give, though I give it to Edinburgh in the outside backs, if henry and Jaco can get them some opportunities to attack. Overall I reckon a 4-5 point Glasgow win, unless their discipline let's them down.

Sadly I won't get to see it tonight.

[switchskier]

And now I see that it's been postponed due to positive tests in the Glasgow squad (and Blair is also isolating). Probably a good move, not least as it'd be good to play these games in front of crowds and get the gate receipts.

[Big D]

Edinburgh will get a chance for their injury/covid list to clear up.

[Big D]

Sunday off too. Makes a lot of sense to agree this even if they could maybe have strung sides together.

[switchskier]

There's an actual game this weekend, and I think it's on bbc wales (though it's increasingly hard to figure out how to access it). Anyways, team is:

Schoeman, McInally, Nel, Hodgson, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Watson, Bradbury
Vellacott, Kinghorn, Moyano, Lang, Bennett, Boffelli, Immelman

Cherry, Venter, DeBruin, Young, Haining, Shiel, vdW, Dean

Unavailable: Luke Crosbie, Nathan Chamberlain, Darcy Graham, Damien Hoyland, Cammy Hutchison, Mesu Kunavula, Viliame Mata, Henry Pyrgos, Ben Toolis

Thought that Cherry might have got a start after his new contract but getting a lot of players back. Sone need game time ahead of the 6N

[no sleep]

Happy New Year everyone, and thanks Switch for the heads-up about BBC Wales. The Weeg game is on S4C for those like me too tight-fisted to shell out for crap subscription channels. Not understanding the commentators' banalities is another bonus.

[whatisthejava]

I forgot how poor the welsh commentators are.

[General Zod]

Very good first half. Second half somewhat disjointed, but it had uncontested scrums and a couple of bad injuries for cardiff, so fair enough.

Bradbury was really good - pity he didn’t get an 1872 game v Fagerson under his belt as in that form he’s giving Townsend a selection poser for the England match. Deserved MOTM, but did manage to bollox up a try after a lot of good work though!

Similarly, Bennett was good as well. Not sure he’d displace Harris at the moment, but I’d expect him to be in the squad playing like that.

[switchskier]

Very good first half. Second half somewhat disjointed, but it had uncontested scrums and a couple of bad injuries for cardiff, so fair enough.

Bradbury was really good - pity he didn’t get an 1872 game v Fagerson under his belt as in that form he’s giving Townsend a selection poser for the England match. Deserved MOTM, but did manage to bollox up a try after a lot of good work though!

Similarly, Bennett was good as well. Not sure he’d displace Harris at the moment, but I’d expect him to be in the squad playing like that.

Exactly what I was going to say. Bradbury led the line well in defence and hit hard. He can still be a bit upright in the carry sometimes but he's always a handful. Bennett will always have that low centre of gravity power to him and he defended really well.

Overall we look like a well drilled side atm. Didn't beat ourselves, were clinical when it was on and were pretty disciplined. On that evidence Blair is doing a great job.

[switchskier]

I forgot how poor the welsh commentators are.

I don't know. They're happy to criticise Cardiff players if they're born in Georgia.

[Mikey Brown]

I was hoping to see something of Bradbury ball in hand in these highlights, but Bennet certainly looks more like his old self. How has his defence been?



Just looked and he's only 28. Really felt like his Scotland career had passed him by but who knows. His last start was in 2016!

[Big D]

I was hoping to see something of Bradbury ball in hand in these highlights, but Bennet certainly looks more like his old self. How has his defence been?



Just looked and he's only 28. Really felt like his Scotland career had passed him by but who knows. His last start was in 2016!

He was more of an influence in defence at the weekend. A key turnover leading to a try and a few big hits.

Bennett's defence has been solid, I think he is benefitting from an extended injury free run and some real competition from Currie who has been good in his appearances so far.

On the Edinburgh defence I saw this on twitter:
Callum McRae at @EdinburghRugby has not only crafted one of the best defences in European rugby this year. They are the only team in the 43 in the main European leagues to have fewer than half (49%) their total penalties come in defence. Next lowest is Stade with 55%.

They haven't played Glasgow or the provinces yet but that is pretty disciplined defence.

[Mikey Brown]

Bollocks.

https://www.edinburghrugby.org/the-club ... retirement

I’d wondered why he’d dropped off the map for Edinburgh. Looked a real talent, and Scotland always seem short of aggressive, hard-running centres.

[Big D]

Sad news. Was unlikely to be a 20capper but would have won a cap and had a good club career.