1872 Cup Champions

[BaldiePete]

I can’t believe I’m going to complain about a win over Saracens but they should have won that by more and got the home tie in the last 16. In this day and age there’s no excuse for them not knowing what they had to do at the end. On the plus side, Crosbie and Schoeman were both superb today. Crosbie is certainly doing his chances of getting a start for Scotland no harm at all. I can see a Ritchie, Crosbie, Fagerson back row with Dempsey on the bench.

[Mikey Brown]

Well that was a bizarre finish wasn’t it. I think you covered it all. Should have been plenty more than 8 ahead regardless of the final few minutes.

Great to see Crosbie get a sustained run to form in one position. I’d started to think the next step up wouldn’t really happen for him, but I’d be happy to see that backrow line up. He brings a bit of niggle and abrasion that will be missed without Zander Fagerson or Fraser Brown fit.

Dempsey needs to do more to win that starting 8 shirt.

[septic 9]

probably as bad a performance as any of Glasgow's last season tonight from Edinburgh. Powder puff pack and clueless all round. Only Lang gets pass marks, maybe venter and McCallum

[Big D]

probably as bad a performance as any of Glasgow's last season tonight from Edinburgh. Powder puff pack and clueless all round. Only Lang gets pass marks, maybe venter and McCallum

Blair and team had three weeks almost with all that 23. Not a great coaching by the staff and the players were awful. Shiel could have been hooked before half time.

[septic 9]

Javan Sebastian signed for next season. Should have snapped up McCallum but this is a good signing.

I expect lots of crap on social media from Edinburgh fans about how unambitious this is. Sebastian is streets ahead of all current Edin tight head props, bar Nel, and even that is close these days

[Mikey Brown]

Blair steps down.

Feels weird, but fair enough if he just wants to be an attack coach I guess.

[Big D]

He's spoken about not enjoying elements of head coaching before. Fair play to him for liking or for his own wellbeing.

[Cameo]

A shame but good on him. I see he's not ruling out another head coaching job in future once he has more experience.

Interesting choice for his replacement. In an ideal world at least one of our two head coaching jobs would be a you Scot as it will be hard for them to get those gigs elsewhere before they have proved themselves. Equally though, with our small playing base, we need the best coaches available.

If they are looking at the former then I imagine Dalziel is maybe the most likely. He has more rounded experience than Blair too given his time with the Sevens and at Melrose.

If it's the latter, it is hard to gauge how attractive a job it is. Part of that will come down to salary but it is also a potential stepping stone to international rugby.

A third way would be Nigel Carolan, that Irish guy from Connacht who is Glasgow attach coach at the moment.

[switchskier]

A shame, we've played some great, if highly inconsistent, rugby under him. But got to respect his reasons. Indeed that awareness and honesty are part of what make me like him so much as a coach.

What would we think about Roddy Grant as the next coach? Would be a young Scottish option, who has served a proper apprenticeship and who has been marked as a potential head coach for a long time. I'd be in favour, especially if paired with an experienced attack coach (not Hodge or Blair though - if the latter is going then a clean cut is best).

[switchskier]

Who's the Italian attack coach? Like their attack patterns and disrupting the opposition before a big game is always good.

[Cameo]

Think Crawley may be in charge of the attack as well as head coach.

Anyway, strong team named for the game against Leinster. McInally and Bofelli back and Skinner, Crosbie and Watson released by Scotland. I know it's Leinster but on paper there is no reason for that Edinburgh team to go in as big underdogs.

[switchskier]

Full team below. Agree it looks strong but also shows the uneven nature of the squad. That's still a ridiculously strong backrow, even with Ritchie with Scotland and Muncaster injured. But the props still look a problem.

15. Emiliano Boffelli (26)
14. Damien Hoyland (102)
13. Mark Bennett (83)
12. James Lang (34)
11. Wes Goosen (9)
10. Charlie Savala (27)
9. Ben Vellacott (34)

1. Boan Venter (41)
2. Stuart McInally (172)
3. Lee-Roy Atalifo (31)
4. Marshall Sykes (37)
5. Sam Skinner (9)
6. Luke Crosbie (82) CAPTAIN
7. Hamish Watson (136)
8. Viliame Mata (111)

Replacements

16. Dave Cherry (66)
17. Jamie Jack (2)
18. Elliot Millar-Mills (3)
19. Jamie Hodgson (51)
20. Nick Haining (35)
21. Charlie Shiel (54)
22. Jaco van der Walt (95)
23. Chris Dean (132)

Unavailable: Nick Auterac, Luan de Bruin, Matt Currie, Darcy Graham, Henry Immelman, Murray McCallum, Ben Muncaster, Cammy Scott, Angus Williams.

Scotland camp: Grant Gilchrist, Blair Kinghorn, WP Nel, Jamie Ritchie, Pierre Schoeman, Duhan van der Merwe.

[General Zod]

Scotland camp: Grant Gilchrist.

Hmmmm.

[BaldiePete]

Gilchrist was in the stands at the Edinburgh game last night. No idea what’s happened about his disciplinary hearing except that it was held last Tuesday but there doesn’t seem to have been any announcement.

Edinburgh were well beaten by Leinster 2nds last night (27-47, BP for Edinburgh). Edinburgh got off to a decent start but couldn’t keep it up and were well beaten in the end. Leinster were just so efficient, they were scoring on pretty much every entry into the Edinburgh 22, helped by some poor tackling and handling by Edinburgh. If all of the players in Scotland camp had played (plus Darcy) they might have been up to the task but then again looking at the Leinster players held back for Ireland by Farrell, if they’d played even against a full Edinburgh team they’d have monstered any team Edinburgh could put out.

[Big D]

GG banned for 3 games. Apparently the delay was over what 3 games would count.

[BaldiePete]

Rugbypass reporting that Steve Diamond has been appointed head coach until at least the end of the season. Blair might remain as attack coach and possibly Nick Easter coming in as defence coach. Also they’re trying to get Ewen Ashman to come to to Edinburgh, which would be a great signing given the age of McInally and Cherry.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/steve-di ... mediately/

[Big D]

Makes a lot of sense.

Firstly the club needs to look after their employees and MB clearly seems to be unhappy in the HC role. So take him out of the fire so to speak.

Diamond can help set discipline and help with forwards while allowing MB to keep the attack sharp which is what he is good at.

If Ashman is a key target then Diamond may help with recruiting him.

It gives a dry run on whether Diamond will be any good. If not bin him at the end of the season.

[septic 9]

Makes a lot of sense.

Firstly the club needs to look after their employees and MB clearly seems to be unhappy in the HC role. So take him out of the fire so to speak.

Diamond can help set discipline and help with forwards while allowing MB to keep the attack sharp which is what he is good at.

If Ashman is a key target then Diamond may help with recruiting him.

It gives a dry run on whether Diamond will be any good. If not bin him at the end of the season.

helping to recruit Ashman would be the only good thing to come from this. Of course it assumes that Ashman would want to play for Diamond or any team stupid enough to employ a coach whose views are from the same epoch as Rees-Mogg. His pal Cockerill pissed off players big time, so badly some key ones left at the first opportunity. Dimes would be the same.
There isn't a discipline problem at Edin these days as there had been for a decade. There is a need to be respected and treated like a grown up, Not something Dimes does well if at all

[Mikey Brown]

He does give a lot of that sense of ‘hard-nosed, forward orientated, back to basics*’ (bla bla bla) about him, much like Cockerill, which could be great in the right amounts, but Edinburgh also really flourished under Blair as an attacking force (though inconsistent) and it would be a shame to tighten up too much.

If a balance can be found, and obviously Blair will still hold a lot of sway as a very senior coach, if that’s clear he’s actually staying, then it could be a great move.

*I do think Diamond has more to him than all that, to be clear, but I could never quite work out to what extent.

[Big D]

Makes a lot of sense.

Firstly the club needs to look after their employees and MB clearly seems to be unhappy in the HC role. So take him out of the fire so to speak.

Diamond can help set discipline and help with forwards while allowing MB to keep the attack sharp which is what he is good at.

If Ashman is a key target then Diamond may help with recruiting him.

It gives a dry run on whether Diamond will be any good. If not bin him at the end of the season.

helping to recruit Ashman would be the only good thing to come from this. Of course it assumes that Ashman would want to play for Diamond or any team stupid enough to employ a coach whose views are from the same epoch as Rees-Mogg. His pal Cockerill pissed off players big time, so badly some key ones left at the first opportunity. Dimes would be the same.
There isn't a discipline problem at Edin these days as there had been for a decade. There is a need to be respected and treated like a grown up, Not something Dimes does well if at all

They needed someone with experience to take over for the last 4 games or so until the end of the season as there's clearly an issue for Blair in the HC role that has lead to urgent action so late in the season.

If he comes in and pisses everyone off then he'll be gone in may. He might be gone then anyway. Although I don't particularly remember players being in a hurry to leave Worcester due to him.

For the last 4 games, maybe 5 if they beat Leicester then in makes sense given the apparent circumstances around MB.

Then the SRU can assess options in the summer.

[Cameo]

If it is just for this season I can live with it. I would be very concerned about it being made permanent for both rugby and non rugby reasons. If their dealings with Blair is about looking after an employee, appointing Diamond seems a strange step unless they are confident his history is not as it seems.

I wouldn't be surprised by a bounce now and everyone will say how they needed a hard taskmaster and to go back to basics. If it becomes permanent, I suspect it will all go sour. His wanting to keep Blair in is a good sign but if he reverts to forward orientated rugby that is bad for both Edinburgh and Scotland.

[switchskier]

Makes a lot of sense.

Firstly the club needs to look after their employees and MB clearly seems to be unhappy in the HC role. So take him out of the fire so to speak.

Diamond can help set discipline and help with forwards while allowing MB to keep the attack sharp which is what he is good at.

If Ashman is a key target then Diamond may help with recruiting him.

It gives a dry run on whether Diamond will be any good. If not bin him at the end of the season.

helping to recruit Ashman would be the only good thing to come from this. Of course it assumes that Ashman would want to play for Diamond or any team stupid enough to employ a coach whose views are from the same epoch as Rees-Mogg. His pal Cockerill pissed off players big time, so badly some key ones left at the first opportunity. Dimes would be the same.
There isn't a discipline problem at Edin these days as there had been for a decade. There is a need to be respected and treated like a grown up, Not something Dimes does well if at all

This was my first reaction. But the unreasonable optimist in me is wondering if Blair is allowed to just coach the first team and diamond does everything thing else in more a Director of Rugby role, then just maybe it will work. But more likely it's a reactionary move by an old-fashioned organisation obsessed with grunt and tough days on the training field.

[septic 9]

If it is just for this season I can live with it. I would be very concerned about it being made permanent for both rugby and non rugby reasons. If their dealings with Blair is about looking after an employee, appointing Diamond seems a strange step unless they are confident his history is not as it seems.

I wouldn't be surprised by a bounce now and everyone will say how they needed a hard taskmaster and to go back to basics. If it becomes permanent, I suspect it will all go sour. His wanting to keep Blair in is a good sign but if he reverts to forward orientated rugby that is bad for both Edinburgh and Scotland.

bolded bit is 100% on the money

Only idiots go down the hard "taskmaster " shitty route. There is a world of difference between a hard taskmaster and firm management and a shouty bully who offers to fight journalists in the car park and abuses fans; and thinks concussion protocols are a load of mince because players should man up

Franco Smith is a nice man and a very hard taskmaster. For all my other issues with him, so was Rennie. Ditto Townsend

[septic 9]

. Although I don't particularly remember players being in a hurry to leave Worcester due to him.

those whose wages were late and/or unpaid were not too happy. Worcs owners may have been shady but Diamond overspent on players, just like at Sale (who are twice the team with much the same squad after he left)

[septic 9]

This was my first reaction. But the unreasonable optimist in me is wondering if Blair is allowed to just coach the first team and diamond does everything thing else in more a Director of Rugby role, then just maybe it will work. But more likely it's a reactionary move by an old-fashioned organisation obsessed with grunt and tough days on the training field.

the season is virtually over bar the playing/coaching side. Contracts will all have been sorted by now, bar a very very few. Blair can get other support from the SRU and his MD - sounds like he should have been getting more anyway, young head coach in first season does not know it all, far from it.