Matt Scott

[Wottie]

Get ourselves a proper 10 who can manage the game and play flat off SHC and we will see Scott slicing through defences at all sorts of angles (as he did during RWC off Russell). Possibly the last player we should be considering shipping and as others have said, I think it's more a case of whether he stays. Playing in our backline with the competition for midfield in the national team just now would make me thing long and hard about it.

[The Nudger]

Must agree with most posters on this. If Edinburgh have any kind of ambition at all Matt is exactly the sort of player we should be building our side around. I think the dip in his form is totally understandable given the problems he has had with injuries over the last two years, the way he has been mucked about positionally and the game plan he has been playing in.

We see less of him as a runner as for the lovely angles that he cuts to be in any way effective he has to be getting the ball flat and at pace. 10 yards behind the gain line and static all you can do is bash it up! As for his distribution - distribute to who? I still think Matt can be a very good distributor but you have to have some sort of moves on/players coming hitting angles etc for him to distribute too! Our current game plan of 'pass the ball along the line like its 101 best tries from the 70s' is a complete waste of his undoubted talents.

Agree with others that if Edinburgh move him to 13 (he's not a 13, never will be) he should consider a move somewhere where his considerable gifts might be appreciated!

[New Gunner]

Just like glasgow felt they werent getting enough from maitland who was a top earner , there is nothing wrong with asking the same question.

There is indeed nothing wrong with asking questions about the value for money we get from certain players, it was maybe just an odd/unfortunate choice to direct those questions at our best back as opposed to, say, those that Doedin mentions !

Changing tack slightly, I don’t disagree with what you said in your original post about keeping an eye on Huw Jones though. A young SQ fullback with huge potential is definitely something that should be of interest to Edinburgh Rugby.

On Matt Scott - we need him to get a run of games at 12 for Edinburgh, which he hasn't really had for a couple of years. Thought he was good in the World Cup, think he can be excellent again for us.

On Huw Jones - sounds interesting, clearly a highly rated player. From the link someone shared though, it sounds like his heart is with England (who he was supporting at the World Cup). Mind you, I'm sure Budge Pountney and a few others thought the same...

[Tichtheid]

I remember last year (pre injury) Matt Scott talking enthusiastically in the press about building a playing partnership with Phil Burleigh and how they mostly played left and right.

I agree with the consensus that what is missing is a quality ten, having a left and right partnership mixes it up and keeps the opposition guessing. So does having the likes of Helu, Beard and Dean to call on, but we keep arriving back at the same problem regarding stand off.

btw, I think Edinburgh have to fight tooth and nail to keep Scott, that is a line in the sand, he is that important - but all due respect to the OP for stirring some debate on the forum.

Great stuff.

[Friday Knight Lights]

To be honest considering the form he is in I don't think suitors will be lining up to offer him silly money to prise him away. Not playing well enough for Scotland to get attention from big English and French clubs.

[Wottie]

To be honest considering the form he is in I don't think suitors will be lining up to offer him silly money to prise him away. Not playing well enough for Scotland to get attention from big English and French clubs.

Form is temporary, class is permanent my friend. Most in the long line that would prise him away will know that!

[Wullyjum]

Sunday Times are reporting that Gloucester may be after Matt Scott in the summer when he goes out of contract

[gowrie]

Sunday Times reporting that Gloucester are chasing him.

"Edinburgh face a fight to hold onto Matt Scott as Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys considers a move to bring the centre, out of contract in the summer, south".

[macdone]

Sunday Times reporting that Gloucester are chasing him.

"Edinburgh face a fight to hold onto Matt Scott as Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys considers a move to bring the centre, out of contract in the summer, south".

I think we are all getting worried about out of contract players. I don't understand the logic of leaving 32 players out of contract. The success of munster and leinster was built round keeping their best players. If they had let ogara, oconnell and odriscoll leave they would have won nothing. The players im most worried about are nel, du preez and toolis. No idea how you would replace those guys.

[Friday Knight Lights]

When's duPreez SQ? Presumably he'll wait until then to leave, if he's looking to go. I think Nasi Manu and Bradbury will offset his (potential) loss though. Very impressed with Bradbury in the 7s I watched yesterday. Nel is irreplaceable and why he commands such a high price. I don't think Ben Toolis will leave because he's not an established international yet which is the shop window for Scottish players looking for big salaries.

On Scott if he leaves I hope he goes to a team like Glaws. They play some pretty good rugby at points which will suit Scott's best attributes.

[Frenchy]

When's duPreez SQ? Presumably he'll wait until then to leave, if he's looking to go. I think Nasi Manu and Bradbury will offset his (potential) loss though. Very impressed with Bradbury in the 7s I watched yesterday. Nel is irreplaceable and why he commands such a high price. I don't think Ben Toolis will leave because he's not an established international yet which is the shop window for Scottish players looking for big salaries.

On Scott if he leaves I hope he goes to a team like Glaws. They play some pretty good rugby at points which will suit Scott's best attributes.

du Preez qualifies some time next summer. He would become unqualified if he moved away from Scotland before being capped, though, so he might need to stick around till the November internationals (if he even gets into the Scotland team, of course). So I'd guess that he'll be here next season anyway.

[doedin]

If they can’t hold onto Scott then we are well and truly AlainRolland! If we have any ounce of ambition then we need to keep Nel and Scott. Throw the cheque book at them cause we aint going to get anybody remotely as good as them in the open market. If they go then we are firmly consigned to the bottom half of the league and the Diddy Cup for some time to come and that just spells slow gradual downward spiral and years more in the wilderness of pro rugby. This is a real test for Edinburgh and SRU, if we lose these guys then it tells us a lot about their plans for our club.

[The Feral Goat]

Do wonder if all these out of contract players is a hangover from Davies reign. Hopefully the players engage a bit more with Petrie and we get some signings done before the end of the year.

If it is true that players cant be spoken to by other clubs until January we have a short window to get them signed back up but comments like that in the Sunday Times will make them think twice, the Denton transfer is a perfect example linked with Toulouse one week then signs a big contract with Bath the next. Could easily be agent talk to get their players bigger offers, Scott been offered something by Edinburgh agent leaks something hoping to get a bigger contract.

Edinburgh have to offer something more than money as we simply cant compete financially be that a leadership role, a longer term deal, a vision for the club they can buy into or something else we need to do everything we can now. Scott is young enough to maybe sign for a couple more years before moving on for a bigger contract at that point.

[Friday Knight Lights]

If they can’t hold onto Scott then we are well and truly AlainRolland! If we have any ounce of ambition then we need to keep Nel and Scott. Throw the cheque book at them cause we aint going to get anybody remotely as good as them in the open market. If they go then we are firmly consigned to the bottom half of the league and the Diddy Cup for some time to come and that just spells slow gradual downward spiral and years more in the wilderness of pro rugby. This is a real test for Edinburgh and SRU, if we lose these guys then it tells us a lot about their plans for our club.

I don't think the SRU can sell the house to keep the jewellery though, so won't throw the cheque book at anyone. I think Scott will stay though, I don't think he's quite hit the kind of form to get a big club offering him big money. I also have a sneaky feeling he'll be made captain with Coman (hopefully) off. I also think if Nel wants a lot of money he'll find it somewhere understanding the club he goes to gets their pound of flesh. But if he wants good money and rest he'll stick around. A world class 3 leaving doesn't say too much about the SRU's attitude to Edinburgh though unless (god forbid) they give him to Glasgow *shivers*.

[macdone]

When's duPreez SQ? Presumably he'll wait until then to leave, if he's looking to go. I think Nasi Manu and Bradbury will offset his (potential) loss though. Very impressed with Bradbury in the 7s I watched yesterday. Nel is irreplaceable and why he commands such a high price. I don't think Ben Toolis will leave because he's not an established international yet which is the shop window for Scottish players looking for big salaries.

On Scott if he leaves I hope he goes to a team like Glaws. They play some pretty good rugby at points which will suit Scott's best attributes.

We should ideally be keeping Nel and recruiting another top class tighthead so we can keep pressure on teams for 80 minutes. If we can keep our current pack and add recruit just one player (at tighthead) i will be delighted. But if we don't tie Nel up by the 6 nations and he plays well against England he is gone.