RugbyRebels

Edinburgh are so frustratingly inconsistent it does my head in. 19 points scored in the first 20 minutes. Fail to trouble the scoreboard for the rest of the game and lose 20-19. There’s just something wrong with this team but I’m damned if I know what it is. Certainly the failure to develop half-backs has something to do with it, neither Shiel or Scott were up to standard today, the midfield is sluggish and the back three rarely get decent ball to work with. Goosen was excellent though, they’d really be up the creek without him.

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Sat Oct 25, 2025 10:12 pm Edinburgh are so frustratingly inconsistent it does my head in. 19 points scored in the first 20 minutes. Fail to trouble the scoreboard for the rest of the game and lose 20-19. There’s just something wrong with this team but I’m damned if I know what it is. Certainly the failure to develop half-backs has something to do with it, neither Shiel or Scott were up to standard today, the midfield is sluggish and the back three rarely get decent ball to work with. Goosen was excellent though, they’d really be up the creek without him.

they are incredibly inconsistent. Consistently inconsistent.

Too many too often sit back on their laurels.
Goosen did some good things but also made a few howlers. Wells was excellent so I don't expect to see him again this season after another who does not work as he should gets fit again
Half backs I agree were poor although had to feel for the young 9 coming on to try to manage that mess, but I do think he needs a run of games to establish himself, not the odd cameo when Vellacott or Shiel pull out. He has the potential to be much better than those two. So again that won't happen. Under pressure coach will revert to his tried and trusted. Problem being the are very trying and fail their tests

I honestly think it would be worth almost writing off the season to bring through the next generation (and who knows, that might even lead to better results).

Playing experienced players in a bit to scrape 8th seems pointless to me at this stage. McConnell is getting the games which is good, but Morris, Douglas, Currie, McAlpine, Scott, Finn Thompson, Wells and Brown should all be getting very significant minutes this season and OBL and JBL should be getting a taster too.

FFS, Alex Williamson the SRU chief executive has said that he wants Everitt to stay as head coach because he wants continuity in the coaching group. What the fuck is the point of continuity if that just means continuously under-performing?


https://www.scotlandrugbynews.com/sport ... union-agm/

Earlier this week, Sean Everitt indicated he is keen to stay on as Edinburgh Rugby boss beyond the end of his contract in the summer.  Williamson said he wants the South African to remain in charge of the capital club.  
“We're in conversation with Sean right now and we'll update you once we've got through those conversations.   "I don't want to pre-empt what we're talking about with Sean but continuity in our coaching group was a really important part of our evolution." 

Mr Williamson must just like continuity over performances or results because he's doing exactly the same thing with Gregor Townsend as Scotland coach.

Edinburgh just need to consistently play well and pick up results or turn close losses into close wins but, my opinion as a neutral is, their not far off being a good team, it's just small margins losing them games rather than poor performances etc .

Maybe I'm just being generous to them as a neutral though .

I agree it's fine lines (between them and around 5th, bigger gap to the top 3 or 4), problem is it has been for a while and the failings seem similar.

Anyway, OBL apparently in for some gametime off the bench this week with Rae out for a while apparently. Ospreys should be very weakened so hopefully a chance for some other youngsters too.

Team against the Ospreys on Saturday. They’ll be significantly weakened because of the out of window pummelling Wales are going to get against South Africa. Some of the academy and younger players are getting a run out. Given Scotland’s continuing problem of building depth at tight head it’ll be interesting to see how Ollie Blyth-Lafferty goes. Richardson is listed as replacement hooker which will be his first game there since moving to Scotland in the summer. Healey is still persona non grata.

15. Wes Goosen (59)
14. Lewis Wells (3)
13. Piers O’Conor (4)
12. Findlay Thomson (1)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (106)
10. Ross Thompson (28)
9. Ben Vellacott (78)
1. Pierre Schoeman (138)
2. Harri Morris (5)
3. Paul Hill (18)
4. Callum Hunter-Hill (21)
5. Grant Gilchrist (223) CAPTAIN
6. Liam McConnell (9)
7. Ben Muncaster (49)
8. Tom Currie (2)
Replacements
16. Dylan Richardson (3)
17. Boan Venter (93)
18. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty*
19. Marshall Sykes (87)
20. Magnus Bradbury (138)
21. Conor McAlpine (2)
22. Cammy Scott (20)
23. Harry Paterson (19)

Unavailable: Charlie McCaig (knee), Rhys Litterick (achilles), Matt Currie (head), Rob Carmichael (wrist), Mosese Tuipulotu (knee), James Lang (calf), Luke Crosbie (hamstring), D’arcy Rae (ankle), Darcy Graham (rest), Ewan Ashman (rest)

19-17 win in an absolutely dreadful match. If the scrum hadn’t got the upper hand once Schoeman pointed out the illegality of the Ospreys tight head to the ref, giving us a steady supply of penalties we’d probably have lost. McConnell was very good. I didn’t see who got POTM but I hope it was him. Backs were terrible, Ross Thompson did fuck all, terrible kicking from hand and tee. Another player ruined by Edinburgh. #EverittOut

Team to play Toulon. It’s interesting that academy player Findlay Thomson is getting another game when James Lang is available. I suspect he’ll find this one a bit tricker than playing the Ospreys 3rds last week. Speaking of which, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty is being thrown in as tight head up against Jean-Baptiste Gros after a grand total of about one minute of professional rugby. Good luck lad, let’s see what you’re made of. Out in the backs, Goosen is at 13, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him play there before and Cammy Scott is at 10, which is fair after Thomson’s shocker last week. Everitt must really hate Healey since he’s not even on the bench where I presume Lang is covering 10.

My prediction - a solid gubbing.

15. Harry Paterson (20)
14. Darcy Graham (85)
13. Wes Goosen (60)
12. Findlay Thomson (2)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (107)
10. Cammy Scott (21)
9. Ben Vellacott (79)
1. Pierre Schoeman (139)
2. Ewan Ashman (42)
3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (1)
4. Marshall Sykes (88)
5. Grant Gilchrist (224)
6. Liam McConnell (10)
7. Dylan Richardson (4)
8. Magnus Bradbury (139) CAPTAIN

Replacements
16. Harri Morris (6)
17. Boan Venter (94)
18. Paul Hill (19)
19. Glen Young (52)
20. Freddy Douglas (9)
21. Charlie Shiel (78)
22. James Lang (79)
23. Piers O’Conor (5)

Unavailable: Charlie McCaig (knee), Rhys Litterick (achilles), Matt Currie (head), Rob Carmichael (wrist), Mosese Tuipulotu (knee), Tom Currie (knee), Luke Crosbie (hamstring), D’arcy Rae (ankle), Sam Skinner (hamstring), Paddy Harrison (back), Ben Muncaster (knee).

How long is Healy contracted until? I'm surprised he's not been loaned out if he's that out of the picture.

His performances have been pretty poor for the last couple of seasons so I'm not shocked.

sharvey44 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 05, 2025 4:46 pm How long is Healy contracted until? I'm surprised he's not been loaned out if he's that out of the picture.

His performances have been pretty poor for the last couple of seasons so I'm not shocked.

He signed on a two year contract in 2023 and got a one year extension this year. That covers this season, so I expect he’ll be off in the summer unless Everitt gets booted and the a coach likes the look of him.

Huge gane for OBL. Last 50 mins amd hold his own in the scrum and he could get 5-10 games this year. Struggle badly and he may not be seen for a while.

cracking and deserved win for Edinburgh, albeit in conditions which were a bit of a leveler.

I’m just home from the game. A great win in dreadful conditions. I thought OBL did very well and McConnell was outstanding. How the hell Ribbans didn’t get a straight red I’ll never know. Cammy Scott may have done enough to help solve Edinburgh’s perennial fly-half problem. Maybe we should play in pishing rain against teams from the south of France more often.

Yeah, very very good win (from 10 behind as well). Looked powerful and composed, with Ashman adding some spark in attack with some good lines.

Think straight red would have been harsh for Ribbans.

Was very pleased with OBL. There was one penalty conceded (even that nay have been Schoeman) but scrum looked solid. A couple of solid carries too. Hopefully enough that Everitt doesn't see it as a big risk giving him regular minutes.

How good is Venter too!

Cameo wrote: ↑Sat Dec 06, 2025 6:37 pm Huge gane for OBL. Last 50 mins amd hold his own in the scrum and he could get 5-10 games this year. Struggle badly and he may not be seen for a while.

OBL was hooked at HT. Which was poor management IMHO.

still a big worry for me (as a Scotland fan) that OBL, McConnell, Douglas will disappear as soon as Rae, Muncaster, Crosbie etc are ft and the pressure comes on. They are only getting chances because of injury. Which is fine if those performances are rewarded by retention is starting teams 23s. And that also puts pressure on more established players to up their game. Virtuous circle

As a Warriors fan I wouldn't now whether to smirk or giggle, but I would give a huge "told you so"

The other worry is that a big performance in a wet weather game doesn't really tell us much about their big weakness over the last few years, an inability to play at pace or create much in the backs.

Even Scotland in the early 2000s won the odd big game in the wet. Great days but don't make for great seasons.

It’s funny how getting taken off at 47 minutes is totally normal but taken off at 40 feels like a slap in the face.

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Wed Dec 10, 2025 9:17 am It’s funny how getting taken off at 47 minutes is totally normal but taken off at 40 feels like a slap in the face.

that's the thing, taken off at 40 isn't normal, unless there is an injury or the scrum has been going backwards. Wouldn't it have been better to keep him on for another 10mins and go off to applause? The fans appreciate him more than Everitt does.

Anyway, in good news, OBL has just signed his first full pro contract.

Taken off at 40 is never because of fatigue having given it your all. It's injury, tactical, or because you're not trusted to play the 2nd half gameplan (usually as a result of how you played the first half gameplan)
Taken off at 47 is usually that you've given your all in the first half, had a 10 minute rest at HT, and only had enough in the tank for another 7 - whilst acknowledging that every minute you can stay out there is a minute your replacement doesn't have to play and fatigue themselves with

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Thu Dec 11, 2025 12:18 pm Taken off at 40 is never because of fatigue having given it your all. It's injury, tactical, or because you're not trusted to play the 2nd half gameplan (usually as a result of how you played the first half gameplan)
Taken off at 47 is usually that you've given your all in the first half, had a 10 minute rest at HT, and only had enough in the tank for another 7 - whilst acknowledging that every minute you can stay out there is a minute your replacement doesn't have to play and fatigue themselves with

exactly

Even though he had played well, carried well, made his tackles, hit rucks and scrummed as well as any, he was taken off at HT.
So he wasn't trusted.
Everitt is a shit coach and a worse player manager

I wasn’t trying to defend it, if that wasn’t clear.

Unless you’re trying to make a statement or they’re really getting torn apart it just feels like poor management, especially with a young player.

septic 9 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 11, 2025 1:39 pm

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Thu Dec 11, 2025 12:18 pm Taken off at 40 is never because of fatigue having given it your all. It's injury, tactical, or because you're not trusted to play the 2nd half gameplan (usually as a result of how you played the first half gameplan)
Taken off at 47 is usually that you've given your all in the first half, had a 10 minute rest at HT, and only had enough in the tank for another 7 - whilst acknowledging that every minute you can stay out there is a minute your replacement doesn't have to play and fatigue themselves with

exactly

Even though he had played well, carried well, made his tackles, hit rucks and scrummed as well as any, he was taken off at HT.
So he wasn't trusted.
Everitt is a shit coach and a worse player manager

As an Edinburgh supporter I completely agree with this assessment.

Rested players means Edinburgh are sending quite a few young players out for the Castres game. It’ll be interesting to see Douglas and McConnell in the same back row and it’s very good that OBL is getting another start.

15.⁠ ⁠Jack Brown (4)

14.⁠ ⁠Ross McCann (15)
13.⁠ ⁠Matt Currie (64)
12.⁠ ⁠Piers O’Conor (6)
11.⁠ ⁠Lewis Wells (4)

10.⁠ ⁠Cammy Scott (22)
9.⁠ ⁠Ben Vellacott (80) CAPTAIN

1.⁠ ⁠Boan Venter (95)
2.⁠ ⁠Harri Morris (7)
3.⁠ ⁠Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (2)
4.⁠ ⁠Callum Hunter-Hill (22)
5.⁠ ⁠Glen Young (53)
6.⁠ ⁠Liam McConnell (11)
7.⁠ ⁠Freddy Douglas (10)
8.⁠ ⁠Tom Dodd (15)

Replacements

16.⁠ ⁠Ewan Ashman (43)
17.⁠ ⁠Mikey Jones (1)
18.⁠ ⁠Paul Hill (20)
19.⁠ ⁠Connor Boyle (42)
20.⁠ ⁠Hamish Watson (180)
21.⁠ ⁠Charlie Shiel (79)
22.⁠ ⁠James Lang (80)
23.⁠ ⁠Wes Goosen (61)

Unavailable: Pierre Schoeman, Duhan van der Merwe, Darcy Graham, Magnus Bradbury, Grant Gilchrist (all rest protocol), Charlie McCaig (knee), Rhys Litterick (achilles), Rob Carmichael (wrist), Mosese Tuipulotu (knee), Tom Currie (knee), Luke Crosbie (hamstring), D’arcy Rae (ankle), Sam Skinner (hamstring), Paddy Harrison (back), Ben Muncaster (knee), Marshall Sykes (arm), Harry Paterson (hamstring), Findlay Thomson (hand)

I struggle more every week to comprehend how Everitt is kept on
Beat a favourite last week to give yourself a chance of qualifying, so put out close to second string this week with loads of inexperience, and 3 out and out opensides in the 23
Funny how Glasgow managed to manage their squad for europe. One team giving it a go, one isn't

Hope the kids do well