RugbyRebels

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2024 9:37 am Thanks for doing this. I can't contribute much (other than the endless concerns about front row depth) but will be interested to see what other names pop up.

It's great that some of the Glasgow guys in the back 5 of the scrum are starting to stand up at this level. It felt like Sykes and Hodgson were the next hopes at lock for a while and neither now seem to look like internationals in the making.

Cameo wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2024 8:57 am
15. Paterson - I know he has a few caps so doesn't really belomg here but could either have faded out the picture in a few years or be a solid international. Can't think of any real youngsters.

Cameo wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2024 8:57 am
10. Richie Simpson - big year for him once Jordan leaves. Always highly thought of but not highly enough to get any game time. Hopefully they find an easier game or two to give him a chance this year.

switchskier wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2024 2:46 pm Sweeney is a fullback isn't he? Know he's had a tough time with injuries and you play someone when they're ready, not when they hit a certain age, but he needs games. Heard promising things though.

Who's the young wing at Ealing? Looked good for the U20's though possibly a yard short of pace?

septic 9 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2024 11:25 am

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2024 9:37 am Thanks for doing this. I can't contribute much (other than the endless concerns about front row depth) but will be interested to see what other names pop up.

It's great that some of the Glasgow guys in the back 5 of the scrum are starting to stand up at this level. It felt like Sykes and Hodgson were the next hopes at lock for a while and neither now seem to look like internationals in the making.

Hodgson did improve but TBH was never going to be more than a pro team squad player. Sykes has been the big disappointment. Taken from Glasgow academy to Edinburgh to play 6 according to Cockerill!
Before he moved he looked like the big hard B we always want at lock, and a very good player with it. And ready to move up. A few years later he has basically not moved on. Not seen this week's massacre of Bayonne but hear he really stepped up. Needs to do that consistently against better sides
And not sure if Gregor Brown isn't on the initial list because he is "established", but he is also a genuine back row option

Cameo wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2024 8:57 am There has been a lot of talk recently about our issues bringing players through, and it has been all change with Nucifora, the end of S6, and some more A games and development games. I thought it would be good to track a 15 of players who, all going well, we hope will come through to real prominence in the next year or two.

It's very unscientific and there are nonreal criteria (either for current status or what I mean by real prominence), but I would of thought we should be hoping for many of the below being proper contenders for Scotland squads or teams in two years' time. If they are not, I hope it was because of bad luck or underwhelming performances rather than they've barely played a club game.

Forwards - not really worried about these apart from the front row - largely because Glasgow have done such a good job bringing forwards through.

1. Bad start - a position of okay strength for us but they are all getting on a bit - maybe Mikey Jones of Edinburgh
2. Gregor Hiddlestone - been getting lots of chances, amd taking them, something has gone wrong if he hasn't fully broken through in two years. If we were being more ambitious, could say Harri Morris or the other Blyth-Lafferty
3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty - he'll still be very young for a prop but hopefully won't just be drifting along with the odd A game. Could really do with Murphy Walker coming through too.
4. Jare Oguntibeju - massive few weeks for him. I was a bit sceptical after the Sale game as thought he died a bitnin contact but his performance against Toulon was top draw for someone with so little rugby.
5. Alex Samuel - not counting Williamson as he is probably already first choice for Glasgow and not counting Henderson as he is in England, though really hope he gets an injury free spell.
6. Liam McConnel - Big hopes for him and already got an Edinburgh cap, but we know how hard it is for players to break through in the back row there. Euan Ferrie is the other one but a bit further along and I'm not worried about him getting chances.
7. Freddy Douglas - not forgotten Connor Boyle, but not immune to a bit of hype. Can be phased in slowly, but let's not waste years like we did with Darge and have done with Boyle.
8. Tom Currie - Not seen him play but seems to be rated. Anyone else at 8 (Mann has looked good but a bit older, and Muncaster a bit too established for this list though it has taken a long while).

Backs - Not so many obvious names here.

9. Ashfar - Doing very well. My worry, as always, is the backlog of 9s at Glasgow. I feel Dobie could have had two or three years of regular starts under his belt by now. Other one is McAlpine but the talk of an SA 9 coming to Edinburgh is not good for him.
10. Richie Simpson - big year for him once Jordan leaves. Always highly thought of but not highly enough to get any game time. Hopefully they find an easier game or two to give him a chance this year.
11. Jacob Henry - I think he's on loan this year. Others include Sweeney and Amena Caqusau. You'd have thought wing would be a relatively easy position to give youth a chance (half of New Zealand's wingers peak in their mid twenties), but we seem to struggle to find anyone worth giving minutes to and prefer playing people out of position.
12. Duncan Munn - perennially promising - never playing.
13. Kerr Yule - think he is probably more of a 12 but another who seems to have been getting mentions for a long time without appearing much. Think Ben Salmon is a 13 but don't know anything about him.
14. See 11
15. Paterson - I know he has a few caps so doesn't really belomg here but could either have faded out the picture in a few years or be a solid international. Can't think of any real youngsters.

A bit thin on the ground in some positions in the backs. I know I'll have missed some and we don't need a top international in every position in each year group, but a bit worrying how long it is since a young wing came through for example.

Any glaring omissions? Any thoughts on what it'll take for some of those backs (or props) to break through?

septic 9 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 21, 2025 10:06 am some interesting stuff Cameo

a few thoughts

Jack Brown had a very good 6N, better than Watson who was also good - but much better last year! Both look to have good futures.

Your point about Darge and Turner is well made (altho I think there might have been a bit more to the Turner situation).
Darge and Boyle were excellent contemporaries for the Edin academy and Scot U20. Both looked a cut above but Darge IMG+HO always better, clearly better all round. Darge was moved to no8 to accommodate Boyle for U20 - bigger and carried way better. But even forgetting the plethora of international back rows edin had, those 2 could never both flourish at Edinburgh, especially with an up the jumper dinosaur like Cockerill in charge. (And the dinosaur picked the wrong one to keep)
The point of that ramble is that the SRU DoR should have been insisting (subject to the player's personal circumstances) to allocate one to Glasgow and one to Edin immediately post their 6N debuts
And they have not learned
I think missing in your list is Jamie Stewart. Along with OBL, two 18 yo tight heads of immense promise as seen in the U20s. Both are in the Edin academy.
The U20 loose heads were also very good 9McKenna and Shearer,) both in the Glasgow academy

Cameo wrote: ↑Thu Mar 20, 2025 9:42 pm I actually think Douglas will be okay - he seems to be that highly rated. It's the ones just below the level where it is clear they'll make an immediate impact that can get lost (though Darge and Turner were both held back too long though it was clear how talented they were).