RugbyRebels

New season, new stadium sponsor and a new thread after seven years of the old and unfortunately inaccurate thread title.

Edinburgh start in Wales at the Dragons. Normally this is a game where we’d expect a win but I’ve no idea how things will go this season, especially at the start of the season when the internationals are slowly being fed back into the team. I’m hoping for Healy to make a good start given how problematic the stand off position has been for Edinburgh for more years than I care to think about. I thought Watson might get a game, he only had one game at the World Cup, the same as Healy. I’ve actually no idea who some of these guys are.


15. Cammy Scott (3)
14. Ross McCann*
13. Mark Bennett (88)
12. Matt Currie (18)
11. Wes Goosen (10)
10. Ben Healy*
9. Ben Vellacott (38) CAPTAIN
1. Boan Venter (46)
2. Dave Cherry (71)
3. Javan Sebastian*
4. Glen Young (22)
5. Jamie Hodgson (53)
6. Sam Skinner (14)
7. Cameron Neild*
8. Tom Dodd*

Replacements
16. Adam McBurney (20)
17 Robin Hislop (19)
18. Angus Williams (20)
19. Marshall Sykes (41)
20. Luke Crosbie (84)
21. Charlie Shiel (56)
22. Chris Dean (135)
23. Jordan Edmunds*

Unavailable: Luan de Bruin (back), Darcy Graham (hip), Mikey Jones (ankle), James Lang (calf), Ben Muncaster (knee), Scott Steele (hip), Nathan Sweeney (hamstring), Tim Swiel (ankle), Jamie Ritchie (shoulder).
International rest: Ewan Ashman, Grant Gilchrist, Blair Kinghorn, Viliame Mata, Duhan van der Merwe, WP Nel, Pierre Schoeman, Hamish Watson.
International selection: Emiliano Boffelli

Interesting team for a first selection:

- I saw little last year but I wasn't impressed by Venter, whereas Hislop was good for wasps. I hope it's a fair competition between them.
- Hodgson and Young is theoretically a good mix but neither are exactly star names. Similar to above, I'd hoped Sykes would cement himself
- Again in the back row, Neild is only a good solid player and Boyle doesn't appear on the injured list.
- Currie at 12 will be interesting. It could work, he's a smooth, strong runner and has good hands.
- Interested to see McCann. He seems to have been around for years without ever getting a chance.

Where are games televised this year?

The games are still on Viaplay this year.

switchskier wrote: ↑Fri Oct 20, 2023 11:51 pm
- I saw little last year but I wasn't impressed by Venter, whereas Hislop was good for wasps. I hope it's a fair competition between them.

you sure you are not mixing up your Bok props? Venter is a proper player, De Bruin would struggle for Auchtermuchty 3rds. Hislop as all his career very good in the loose but too often struggles in the set piece, but v Dragons TBH that should not be an issue

septic 9 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 21, 2023 11:17 am

switchskier wrote: ↑Fri Oct 20, 2023 11:51 pm
- I saw little last year but I wasn't impressed by Venter, whereas Hislop was good for wasps. I hope it's a fair competition between them.

you sure you are not mixing up your Bok props? Venter is a proper player, De Bruin would struggle for Auchtermuchty 3rds. Hislop as all his career very good in the loose but too often struggles in the set piece, but v Dragons TBH that should not be an issue

Ah, I may well have done. I just remember a South African getting folded over in the scrums and looking quite svelt in the loose but doing nothing with it.

20 minutes in, 14-0 down. There are headless chickens pissed off they haven’t been selected for this team. The internationals need to get back ASAP.

22-17 to Edinburgh. Much better 2nd half, Healy by some distance the best player on the pitch.

Looking at the positives for Edinburgh:
- Healy seemed to settle well.
- Held them to 3 points for last 50-60min
- Won
- Bench had some impact.
- Scott did OK playing 15 for the 1st time.
- Scotland players who have had very little game time got minutes in their legs. Healy particularly has played very little rugby through the warm ups and RWC.

Team for the visit of Lions. More internationals returning after the World Cup but no sign yet of Schoeman or DVDM, neither of whom are listed as injured. This is undoubtedly a better team than last week and hopefully they have a better performance than against the Dragons where we were particularly shambolic in the first half before being saved by Healy. Good to see Kinghorn in his best position and good to know that we’re not relying on his kicking.

Kinghorn, McCann, Bennett, Currie, Goosen, Healy, Vellacott, Venter, Cherry, Sebastian, Young, Gilchrist, Crosbie, Watson, Mata.
Substitutes: Ashman, Hislop, Nel, Sykes, Boyle, Shiel, Scott, Dean

Unavailable: Luan de Bruin (back), Darcy Graham (hip), Jake Henry (knee), Mikey Jones (ankle), James Lang (calf), Ben Muncaster (knee), Sam Skinner (knee), Scott Steele (hip), Nathan Sweeney (hamstring), Tim Swiel (ankle), Jamie Ritchie (shoulder).

I picked this up on Twitter about Mata’s recent game time. I hope we’re not going to flog him too much, I think the Scottish clubs have a reputation for looking after players better than some other countries.

80 mins v France
77 mins v Eng
80 mins v Wales
80 mins v Aus
59 mins v Geo
72 mins v Por
80 mins v Eng

Thirteen days later, he starts at 8 for Edinburgh.

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Fri Oct 27, 2023 1:44 pm Team for the visit of Lions. More internationals returning after the World Cup but no sign yet of Schoeman or DVDM, neither of whom are listed as injured. This is undoubtedly a better team than last week and hopefully they have a better performance than against the Dragons where we were particularly shambolic in the first half before being saved by Healy. Good to see Kinghorn in his best position and good to know that we’re not relying on his kicking.

Kinghorn, McCann, Bennett, Currie, Goosen, Healy, Vellacott, Venter, Cherry, Sebastian, Young, Gilchrist, Crosbie, Watson, Mata.
Substitutes: Ashman, Hislop, Nel, Sykes, Boyle, Shiel, Scott, Dean

Unavailable: Luan de Bruin (back), Darcy Graham (hip), Jake Henry (knee), Mikey Jones (ankle), James Lang (calf), Ben Muncaster (knee), Sam Skinner (knee), Scott Steele (hip), Nathan Sweeney (hamstring), Tim Swiel (ankle), Jamie Ritchie (shoulder).

A Duhan short of full noise given the injury list and the one still at the RWC.

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Fri Oct 27, 2023 1:47 pm I picked this up on Twitter about Mata’s recent game time. I hope we’re not going to flog him too much, I think the Scottish clubs have a reputation for looking after players better than some other countries.

80 mins v France
77 mins v Eng
80 mins v Wales
80 mins v Aus
59 mins v Geo
72 mins v Por
80 mins v Eng

Thirteen days later, he starts at 8 for Edinburgh.

we have that reputation and in general its fair. But Mata has been flogged before at Edin (I think early Cockerill) and TBH altho he is still a top player he has never reached the exalted heights he did before that

Schoeman is in SA BTW, death in the family

Scraped it 17-16. I only caught the latter part of the 2nd half, it looked like Edinburgh were hanging on for grim death. Lineout was hopeless, Ashman is fantastic in the loose, no hooker should be able to run the line he did for his try, but his throwing in is not up to scratch.

Team v Leinster 2nds (or is it 3rds) at the RDS.

Replacement scrum-half Hector Patterson is an 18 year old academy player who was playing for Hawick last season. I’m really interested to see how that goes. Good to see Schoeman back in the team. DVDM hasn’t really done anything since coming back to Edinburgh and he didn’t exactly have a stellar World Cup. It’s time for him to put in a performance.

Edinburgh: Blair Kinghorn, Wes Goosen, Mark Bennett, Matt Currie, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben Healy, Charlie Shiel; Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, WP Nel, Glen Young, Grant Gilchrist (capt), Tom Dodd, Hamish Watson, Luke Crosbie.

Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Boan Venter, Javan Sebastian, Marshall Sykes, Connor Boyle, Hector Patterson, James Lang, Chris Dean.

Unavailable: Luan de Bruin (back), Darcy Graham (hip), Jake Henry (knee), Mikey Jones (ankle), Viliame Mata (shoulder), Cam Neild (knee), Ben Vellacott (personal reasons), Sam Skinner (knee), Scott Steele (hip), Nathan Sweeney (hamstring), Tim Swiel (ankle), Jamie Ritchie (shoulder).

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Fri Nov 03, 2023 6:39 pm Team v Leinster 2nds (or is it 3rds) at the RDS.

Replacement scrum-half Hector Patterson is an 18 year old academy player who was playing for Hawick last season. I’m really interested to see how that goes. Good to see Schoeman back in the team. DVDM hasn’t really done anything since coming back to Edinburgh and he didn’t exactly have a stellar World Cup. It’s time for him to put in a performance.

Edinburgh: Blair Kinghorn, Wes Goosen, Mark Bennett, Matt Currie, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben Healy, Charlie Shiel; Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, WP Nel, Glen Young, Grant Gilchrist (capt), Tom Dodd, Hamish Watson, Luke Crosbie.

Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Boan Venter, Javan Sebastian, Marshall Sykes, Connor Boyle, Hector Patterson, James Lang, Chris Dean.

Unavailable: Luan de Bruin (back), Darcy Graham (hip), Jake Henry (knee), Mikey Jones (ankle), Viliame Mata (shoulder), Cam Neild (knee), Ben Vellacott (personal reasons), Sam Skinner (knee), Scott Steele (hip), Nathan Sweeney (hamstring), Tim Swiel (ankle), Jamie Ritchie (shoulder).

Weird bench for the backs. Two inside centres while two who are better one further out start. We better hope that none of the back three get injured. Also interesting to see Crosbie start at 8 with Eadie nowhere near the team - that's looking like a good signing.

Eddie was only world cup cover iirc.

Currie can play 13, Lang can cover full back and move Kinghorn to the wing. I suspect Lang isn't quite ready to go the full 80.

Boffelli out until xmas, injured in RWC SF

septic 9 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 04, 2023 10:35 am Boffelli out until xmas, injured in RWC SF

Last season that would have been disastrous given that he was the only Edinburgh player who was a competent kicker. With the arrival of Healy that problem has been solved but his quality under the high ball will be sorely missed. With Graham injured I suppose we’re stuck with Goosen for a while yet.

Refs give leinster penalties for nothing, the one against dave cherry for coming through the ruck was ridiculous.

Maybe leinster are very disciplined and I'm a biased munster supporter

Leinster are just so efficient. The teams have had about the same amount of possession and Leinster have scored three tries but Edinburgh have never looked close to scoring one.

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Sat Nov 04, 2023 4:12 pm Leinster are just so efficient. The teams have had about the same amount of possession and Leinster have scored three tries but Edinburgh have never looked close to scoring one.

They had the lineout in the 22 at the start of the 2nd half and marius digs into the rule book to come up with a pen for leinster - completely unnecessary and has an undue impact on game

Pants from healy there

Pants from ashman, must have thought he was fakatava

Edinburgh are so frustrating. They play some good stuff then make a stupid mistake. Case in point, Ashman kicking the ball away when there’s only a minute to play.

paddy no 11 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 04, 2023 4:15 pm

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Sat Nov 04, 2023 4:12 pm Leinster are just so efficient. The teams have had about the same amount of possession and Leinster have scored three tries but Edinburgh have never looked close to scoring one.

They had the lineout in the 22 at the start of the 2nd half and marius digs into the rule book to come up with a pen for leinster - completely unnecessary and has an undue impact on game

the one for leaving the lineout early. Was a good call. Except he then allowed Leinster to do the same. And it happens from nearly every team every game. If that was penalised Exeter for example would have won fuck all. It should be penalised but it has to be consistent, from all refs. Consistency from the same ref in the same game would be a start