The Official Scottish Rugby Thread

[Biffer]

If Wee Darcy had a full season without injury I hate to think what his stats would be, as it is these are his for the last season. Needless to say he was top for Edinburgh, apart from one

8 tries scored (1st)
990 metres made (1st)
28 linebreaks (1st)
79 defenders beaten (1st)
21 turnovers won (2nd)

Think he actually played 19 out of 25 games for Edinburgh this year, which is more than I thought, plus 7 games for Scotland. 15 tries in 26 games, pretty good return.

[KingBlairhorn]

When is the summer tour squad announced, must be around about now? As far as I know, no tv coverage yet announced?

[Slick]

Scottish Rugby account on FB claiming there will be a ‘big announcement’ later today. How underwhelming do we expect this to be?

(Also bumping the thread so it doesn’t fall off page 1)

Moving the women's six nation games into Murrayfield.

Was that the announcement? If so, what a fucking stupid idea.

[Biffer]

When is the summer tour squad announced, must be around about now? As far as I know, no tv coverage yet announced?

I was wondering about this as well. First game is 5th July.

[KingBlairhorn]

Scottish Rugby account on FB claiming there will be a ‘big announcement’ later today. How underwhelming do we expect this to be?

(Also bumping the thread so it doesn’t fall off page 1)

Moving the women's six nation games into Murrayfield.

Was that the announcement? If so, what a fucking stupid idea.

A stupid idea from the SRU? Never.

[robmatic]

Scottish Rugby account on FB claiming there will be a ‘big announcement’ later today. How underwhelming do we expect this to be?

(Also bumping the thread so it doesn’t fall off page 1)

Moving the women's six nation games into Murrayfield.

Was that the announcement? If so, what a fucking stupid idea.

It is just the England game, not all of them.

[KingBlairhorn]

When is the summer tour squad announced, must be around about now? As far as I know, no tv coverage yet announced?

I was wondering about this as well. First game is 5th July.

I think it was about this time last year the 24 squad was announced.

I'm hoping that huge fella playing in France is picked, begins with an M but I can't remember his name, he has a profile we haven't really had before for Scotland.

Edit: looked it up, Masibaka

[Tichtheid]

When is the summer tour squad announced, must be around about now? As far as I know, no tv coverage yet announced?

I was wondering about this as well. First game is 5th July.

I think it was about this time last year the 24 squad was announced.

I'm hoping that huge fella playing in France is picked, begins with an M but I can't remember his name, he has a profile we haven't really had before for Scotland.

Edit: looked it up, Masibaka

He's smaller than Bradbury who has been in really good form these past few months and he's a littler heavier but shorter than Muncaster, who has also been playing well. That being said, it wouldn't hurt to give Dempsey all the time available for recovery and take the two Edinburgh lads plus Masibaka
I expect Darge will captain the side, so it leaves spaces in the back row at a premium, especially with Ritchie also playing well. Mann and Ferrie could also be in with a shout.

To be honest, for me Watson has been the form flanker in the last month, but I don't see him getting a recall. I'll be very disappointed if Bradbury doesn't tour, it will send out the message that form doesn't matter.

I know those two sentences contradict each other.

[Dogbert]

I was wondering about this as well. First game is 5th July.

I think it was about this time last year the 24 squad was announced.

I'm hoping that huge fella playing in France is picked, begins with an M but I can't remember his name, he has a profile we haven't really had before for Scotland.

Edit: looked it up, Masibaka

He's smaller than Bradbury who has been in really good form these past few months and he's a littler heavier but shorter than Muncaster, who has also been playing well. That being said, it wouldn't hurt to give Dempsey all the time available for recovery and take the two Edinburgh lads plus Masibaka
I expect Darge will captain the side, so it leaves spaces in the back row at a premium, especially with Ritchie also playing well. Mann and Ferrie could also be in with a shout.

To be honest, for me Watson has been the form flanker in the last month, but I don't see him getting a recall. I'll be very disappointed if Bradbury doesn't tour, it will send out the message that form doesn't matter.

I know those two sentences contradict each other.

If your talking about the form Flanker over the past Season , then Gregor Brown makes it before anyone else

[Biffer]

Definitely supported it as did Emma Thomson, Jack Louden, Doug ray Scott, Alan Cummings, etc etc

Not just opening as it was either - there's a fourth screen in, all the seating has been replaced, building maintenance that had been left for years completed, new bar and restaurant etc etc. They were also quite lucky in that the guy who bought the building (same guy who owns the Renaissance Club, so not short of a bob) is also an enthusiastic patron of the arts in Edinburgh, and gave them good terms, a long lease, ensured all the repairs etc were done at his cost and was flexible with timings to allow them to raise the necessary funds.

I put money into the Open The Doors fund, so I get an exclusive screening of something at some point, looking forward to that.

Definitely a feelgood story. One of my best friends and also my brother worked for the Film Festival back in the day. I watched Pulp Fiction as the Surprise Film at the Filmhouse the year it was released in 1994 (and with no preconceptions about it, which was amazing). Good times.

Worth noting that the Filmhouse isn’t taking on the leadership role it used to have in the Film Festival. It’ll stay separate. In the interview I saw it highlighted that the two things are very different, with conflicting pressures, which was one of the difficulties with the old Filmhouse. It’ll still be a big part of it, obviously, but won’t be running it.

Filmhouse reopens on 27th June

[Tichtheid]

I think it was about this time last year the 24 squad was announced.

I'm hoping that huge fella playing in France is picked, begins with an M but I can't remember his name, he has a profile we haven't really had before for Scotland.

Edit: looked it up, Masibaka

He's smaller than Bradbury who has been in really good form these past few months and he's a littler heavier but shorter than Muncaster, who has also been playing well. That being said, it wouldn't hurt to give Dempsey all the time available for recovery and take the two Edinburgh lads plus Masibaka
I expect Darge will captain the side, so it leaves spaces in the back row at a premium, especially with Ritchie also playing well. Mann and Ferrie could also be in with a shout.

To be honest, for me Watson has been the form flanker in the last month, but I don't see him getting a recall. I'll be very disappointed if Bradbury doesn't tour, it will send out the message that form doesn't matter.

I know those two sentences contradict each other.

If your talking about the form Flanker over the past Season , then Gregor Brown makes it before anyone else

Brown hasn't played for coming up six weeks - is he available for the Leinster game?

[Tichtheid]

Definitely a feelgood story. One of my best friends and also my brother worked for the Film Festival back in the day. I watched Pulp Fiction as the Surprise Film at the Filmhouse the year it was released in 1994 (and with no preconceptions about it, which was amazing). Good times.

Worth noting that the Filmhouse isn’t taking on the leadership role it used to have in the Film Festival. It’ll stay separate. In the interview I saw it highlighted that the two things are very different, with conflicting pressures, which was one of the difficulties with the old Filmhouse. It’ll still be a big part of it, obviously, but won’t be running it.

Filmhouse reopens on 27th June

[Dogbert]

He's smaller than Bradbury who has been in really good form these past few months and he's a littler heavier but shorter than Muncaster, who has also been playing well. That being said, it wouldn't hurt to give Dempsey all the time available for recovery and take the two Edinburgh lads plus Masibaka
I expect Darge will captain the side, so it leaves spaces in the back row at a premium, especially with Ritchie also playing well. Mann and Ferrie could also be in with a shout.

To be honest, for me Watson has been the form flanker in the last month, but I don't see him getting a recall. I'll be very disappointed if Bradbury doesn't tour, it will send out the message that form doesn't matter.

I know those two sentences contradict each other.

If your talking about the form Flanker over the past Season , then Gregor Brown makes it before anyone else

Brown hasn't played for coming up six weeks - is he available for the Leinster game?

Brown is unlikely to make the Leinster game, but from what I hear would be fit in time for the Summer tour ( a bit like Zander in that respect for the Lions )

Brown was one of the few players to come out of the 6 nations campaign with an enhanced reputation

[vball]

League rugby fixtures out today.
Dropping down to Nat 2 means Highland play Berwick and Newton Stewart which is a rather long return journey in a day from Inverness in a day.

[Tichtheid]

Brown was one of the few players to come out of the 6 nations campaign with an enhanced reputation

I can never remember games unless there is a truly outstanding performance, this is proved by the fact that when I went to look up player ratings from our 6N games I had forgotten that Brown was used as a lock replacement for Wee Johnny, rather than a backrow.

He got very good write ups in defeat against France and had another good performance against, I think, Italy (I’ve trawled through hunners of them).

[Slick]

Moving the women's six nation games into Murrayfield.

Was that the announcement? If so, what a fucking stupid idea.

It is just the England game, not all of them.

Yup, saw that.

I know that’s the one game they sold out - although Ireland was close this year - but I can’t see that they would add more than a couple of hundred to the total so don’t really see the point of giving up a really good atmosphere.

Players seem up for it mind you, and if that really is the case, then fair enough

[Tichtheid]

League rugby fixtures out today.
Dropping down to Nat 2 means Highland play Berwick and Newton Stewart which is a rather long return journey in a day from Inverness in a day.

Cheers, I’ve been checking the SRU site every day this week for the fixtures.

The national leagues are tough, one team pulled out of Nat 4 last season because they couldn’t get players to travel.

[robmatic]

Was that the announcement? If so, what a fucking stupid idea.

It is just the England game, not all of them.

Yup, saw that.

I know that’s the one game they sold out - although Ireland was close this year - but I can’t see that they would add more than a couple of hundred to the total so don’t really see the point of giving up a really good atmosphere.

Players seem up for it mind you, and if that really is the case, then fair enough

If it were me, I would keep it in a sold-out Hive but I can see the argument for giving that game in particular a bit of a marketing push.

[Biffer]

It is just the England game, not all of them.

Yup, saw that.

I know that’s the one game they sold out - although Ireland was close this year - but I can’t see that they would add more than a couple of hundred to the total so don’t really see the point of giving up a really good atmosphere.

Players seem up for it mind you, and if that really is the case, then fair enough

If it were me, I would keep it in a sold-out Hive but I can see the argument for giving that game in particular a bit of a marketing push.

Let's them do a whole load of deals for schools and clubs I auppoae

[Slick]

Yup, saw that.

I know that’s the one game they sold out - although Ireland was close this year - but I can’t see that they would add more than a couple of hundred to the total so don’t really see the point of giving up a really good atmosphere.

Players seem up for it mind you, and if that really is the case, then fair enough

If it were me, I would keep it in a sold-out Hive but I can see the argument for giving that game in particular a bit of a marketing push.

Let's them do a whole load of deals for schools and clubs I auppoae

Yeah, was thinking about it earlier, if they start now and do a load of deals for schools and clubs and can reach, say, 15-20k then that’s great.

Only problem is, it’s England and they will get pumped

[Yr Alban]

I can totally get that the players want the experience of playing at the national stadium. Anyone who grew up watching Scotland dreamed of running out at Murrayfield. It’s a shame it’ll be fairly empty though (and as previously mentioned they will get pumped)

[Big D]

League rugby fixtures out today.
Dropping down to Nat 2 means Highland play Berwick and Newton Stewart which is a rather long return journey in a day from Inverness in a day.

They'll do some overnight stays I would think.

[Dogbert]

URC current Champions team for the SF against Leinster

The big points to note - Hastings at 10 . Jordan to 12 , and Sione to 13.

In the forwards -Murphy Walker hands the 'not Zander' baton to Fin Richardson, hopefully to stabilize the scrum , which creaked badly against the Stormers, probably a 3rd of the optimum starting team on the injured list.

Dum spiro spero as they say in Hyndland

1 Jamie Bhatti (124)
2 Gregor Hiddleston (26)
3 Fin Richardson (7)
4 Alex Samuel (39)
5 Scott Cummings (141)
6 Euan Ferrie (38)
7 Rory Darge (66)
8 Henco Venter (35)

9 George Horne (138)
10 Adam Hastings (69)
11 Kyle Rowe (36)
12 Tom Jordan (70)
13 Sione Tuipulotu (67)
14 Kyle Steyn (C) (91)
15 Josh McKay (63)

Replacements

16 Johnny Matthews (96)
17 Rory Sutherland (11)
18 Sam Talakai (20)
19 Max Williamson (30)
20 Jack Mann (14)
21 Macenzzie Duncan (3)
22 Stafford McDowall (93)
23 Jamie Dobie (87)

Unavailable for selection: Gregor Brown (knee), Jack Dempsey (hamstring), Matt Fagerson (ankle), Zander Fagerson (calf), Huw Jones (Achilles), Ally Miller (back), Duncan Munn (shoulder), Patrick Schickerling (foot), Sione Vailanu (knee), Duncan Weir (shoulder).

[Wylie Coyote]

What's the deal with Dempsey? Feel he's been out for months and months.

Zander and Huw have been on the verge of a comeback for quite a while too.

How bad is Gregor Brown's injury?

I worry for the scrum. It just feels like a pile of injuries to key players this season, it would be truly enormous upset if we turned Leinster over with that injury list.

[Dogbert]

What's the deal with Dempsey? Feel he's been out for months and months.

Zander and Huw have been on the verge of a comeback for quite a while too.

How bad is Gregor Brown's injury?

I worry for the scrum. It just feels like a pile of injuries to key players this season, it would be truly enormous upset if we turned Leinster over with that injury list.

Dempsey is under the same timeline as Zander, both could possibly make the final if Glasgow got past Leinster, so both due back pretty imminently.

Gregor another couple of weeks out from that, but should be fit for the Summer Touring team if selected.

Shuggy has an ongoing Achilles Tendon issue that will be with him for the rest of his career, so it's a process of managing it

Nigel Carolan gave the following update earlier this week

"Huw is not the worst," said Carolan. "We need to track him and see how he's progressing through the week. We pulled him [out] last week. He was just a little bit tight in that area. He had a scan and a jab in it. We'll see how he progresses this week.

"He's on track but we're going to have to wait and see. He won't train [on Monday] but we'll see how he is on Tuesday and Thursday.

"Huw wants to do what's best for himself and the club first of all. Maybe if there was no Lions tour he could risk it. But he wants to put the best version of himself out there as well. At the moment, he just has to hold back. He's afraid to just let loose on that, until it settles down.

"Everyone wants to see Huw Jones at full strength and full stride. But if he's holding back, I don't think it"s good for anybody."

[Yr Alban]

Sadly, I think the mental block about playing Ireland (who are essentially Leinster plus) will kill off any real Glasgow challenge.

[Dogbert]

Sadly, I think the mental block about playing Ireland (who are essentially Leinster plus) will kill off any real Glasgow challenge.

[KingBlairhorn]

Sadly, I think the mental block about playing Ireland (who are essentially Leinster plus) will kill off any real Glasgow challenge.

Can say I’m any more optimistic. I’d say that’s realism rather than pessimism.

[robmatic]

I think scrum and field position might be too big of a handicap for Glasgow.

However, it would be very funny if Leinster fail again so I am holding out for them.

[vball]

Glasgow best player is Pendergast!

[KingBlairhorn]

Well that was a less than enjoyable sporting weekend.

[Tichtheid]

Well that was a less than enjoyable sporting weekend.

I'll be supporting Finn next weekend, hopefully Redpath and Bayliss too.

[Yr Alban]

Well that was a less than enjoyable sporting weekend.

Quite.

[Slick]

Well that was a less than enjoyable sporting weekend.

Ahh it wasn’t all bad, I scored 3 tries, including the winner, at our Pride beach touch game.

Can barely move this morning

[SaintK]

Well that was a less than enjoyable sporting weekend.

I'll be supporting Finn next weekend, hopefully Redpath and Bayliss too.

Russsell came off injured though it only looked like cramp so should be ok
Redpath should start
Bayliss will likely be on bench as the 6th forward

[Tichtheid]

Well that was a less than enjoyable sporting weekend.

I'll be supporting Finn next weekend, hopefully Redpath and Bayliss too.

Russsell came off injured though it only looked like cramp so should be ok
Redpath should start
Bayliss will likely be on bench as the 6th forward

Since Premier Sports acquired European rugby I ditched my TNT subscription, so I haven’t seen many GP games this season, but Bath seem to have been very strong over the course.

[SaintK]

I'll be supporting Finn next weekend, hopefully Redpath and Bayliss too.

Russsell came off injured though it only looked like cramp so should be ok
Redpath should start
Bayliss will likely be on bench as the 6th forward

Since Premier Sports acquired European rugby I ditched my TNT subscription, so I haven’t seen many GP games this season, but Bath seem to have been very strong over the course.

Bath have been easily the best team in the league, they've got some solid depth in most positions
Should be a good final as Tigers have steadily improved as the season has gone on.

[Tichtheid]

Russsell came off injured though it only looked like cramp so should be ok
Redpath should start
Bayliss will likely be on bench as the 6th forward

Since Premier Sports acquired European rugby I ditched my TNT subscription, so I haven’t seen many GP games this season, but Bath seem to have been very strong over the course.

Bath have been easily the best team in the league, they've got some solid depth in most positions
Should be a good final as Tigers have steadily improved as the season has gone on.

What happened to Saints?
They had a relatively poor league season compared to their terrific cup run.

[SaintK]

Since Premier Sports acquired European rugby I ditched my TNT subscription, so I haven’t seen many GP games this season, but Bath seem to have been very strong over the course.

Bath have been easily the best team in the league, they've got some solid depth in most positions
Should be a good final as Tigers have steadily improved as the season has gone on.

What happened to Saints?
They had a relatively poor league season compared to their terrific cup run.

Lost a lot of core players at the end of last season particularly in the pack so were a bit lightweight and underpowered. Got better as the season went on and the youngsters in the pack gained more experience. Suffered a lot of injuries in the forwards as well.
Should be better next season even though they will lose Augustus to Ulster and the big Fijian second row is going home to play for Fiji Drua. Have signed Callum Chick from Falcons to replace Augustus and hopefully the 2 young locks Lockett and Prowse wil step up.
Just need more quick ball to feed the backline which on it's day is the best in England. Not that I'm biased at all

[Yr Alban]

Bath have been easily the best team in the league, they've got some solid depth in most positions
Should be a good final as Tigers have steadily improved as the season has gone on.

What happened to Saints?
They had a relatively poor league season compared to their terrific cup run.

Lost a lot of core players at the end of last season particularly in the pack so were a bit lightweight and underpowered. Got better as the season went on and the youngsters in the pack gained more experience. Suffered a lot of injuries in the forwards as well.
Should be better next season even though they will lose Augustus to Ulster and the big Fijian second row is going home to play for Fiji Drua. Have signed Callum Chick from Falcons to replace Augustus and hopefully the 2 young locks Lockett and Prowse wil step up.
Just need more quick ball to feed the backline which on it's day is the best in England. Not that I'm biased at all

I’m slightly concerned that if we don’t start actually playing Rory Hutchinson, he might use the 3-year stand-down rule to make himself available for England.