Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby BigD163 on Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:28 pm

Friday Knight Lights wrote:That's the interesting point, I'd have thought Sutherland was a must keep but Dickinson, Dell and Cosgrove look good, Whyte has looked handy in limited time. I don't think we can afford to keep all of them but I don't think all will be happy with limited gametime. I think Sutherland's agent could be putting his feelers out for a club down south. A sneaky one is Glasgow - they don't have the best LH options...


Glasgow like Reid and Allan.

His agent to do well to remember that not many (any except Murray?) props have moved down south and moved up the international pecking order through form/improving rather than there being no one else.
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:33 pm

BigD163 wrote:
Friday Knight Lights wrote:That's the interesting point, I'd have thought Sutherland was a must keep but Dickinson, Dell and Cosgrove look good, Whyte has looked handy in limited time. I don't think we can afford to keep all of them but I don't think all will be happy with limited gametime. I think Sutherland's agent could be putting his feelers out for a club down south. A sneaky one is Glasgow - they don't have the best LH options...


Glasgow like Reid and Allan.

His agent to do well to remember that not many (any except Murray?) props have moved down south and moved up the international pecking order through form/improving rather than there being no one else.


Yeah they are good club players, Reid is pretty useless for Scotland though. I guess it depends if Townsend see's them as internationals because if not it makes some sense for Sutherland to go and play regularly somewhere.

That's the issue we've had with props - there's been nobody. Sutherland is a really quality prop and I think he could do well in the Aviva Prem for a Newcastle or someone. Dickinson aside, Cosgrove and Dell need gametime, it doesn't make sense for us to have 4 starting quality loosehead's and a dearth of quality elsewhere.
Last edited by Friday Knight Lights on Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby royc on Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:04 pm

With the budget looking flat but player wages and expectations rising, thanks to the English and French, something has to give. I think it will be necessary to bite the bullet and let 5 of the higher-paid players move on - Nel, Gilchrist, Hardie, Manu and Helu. That alone would release enough cash to handle the other pay rises, bring in useful replacements and sort out the back line.

Disagree that one can get by with 3 props at LH and TH, the injury rate is too high, ER just about ran out of road due to injuries and had to cast around to bring in McQuillin, Arregui and Whyte just to put a team out. The pack is pretty strong, it could take some thinning out. Something like this:

Hooker - Ford, McInally, Cochrane, Turner
LH - Dickenson, Sutherland, Dell, Cosgrove
TH - Berghan, newboy, Bryce K, McCallum (given a Pro contract, the young lad has earned it)
Lock 4 - Bresler, newboy, Carmichael
Lock 5 - Toolis, Mata, McKenzie
Blindside flanker - CDP, newboy
Openside flanker - Watson, newboy
8 - Bradbury, Fihaki
BR allsorts - Ritchie

Total: 25 (1 down)

The main issue I think is the back line, there is not really a stand-out player who can make things happen with any consistency from 9 to outside centre. The biggest gap is at outside centre, it needs a Huw Jones or Bennet or similar gifted playmaker, and letting some of the top earners go would provide the necessary. It also needs IMO a third flyhalf/inside centre, two 10s is pretty thin if injury strikes. Something like:

Full back - Kinghorn, Bryce
Wing - Brown, Hoyland, Scholes, Northam (if proves his worth), newboy
O/Centre - Newboy, Rasolea, Tofilau (if proves his worth)
I/Centre - Burleigh, Dean, newboy (covering 10 and 12)
Flyhalf - Weir, Tovey
Scrumhalf - SHC, newboy, Kennedy

Total: 18 (+1)

There are a few promising young Scots around, Mitch Eadie at Bristol (6/8), Scott Steele at London Irish (9), Robbie Ferguson at London Scottish (O/centre), etc., plus George Taylor and others in the academy. It would be a good time to get some experienced younger feet on the ladder and helpful to the old budget.
Last edited by royc on Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:41 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby borderflanker on Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:38 pm

Nel has been offered a £400k + by an unnamed French Club, whilst it would be good to keep him , he may think of long term financial gain for his family. But I would let Gilchrist go if we were able to keep both Bresler and Nel.
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Mon Dec 12, 2016 7:43 pm

royc wrote:
Disagree that one can get by with 3 props at LH and TH, the injury rate is too high, ER just about ran out of road due to injuries and had to cast around to bring in McQuillin, Arregui and Whyte just to put a team out. The pack is pretty strong, it could take some thinning out. Something like this:

The main issue I think is the back line, there is not really a stand-out player who can make things happen with any consistency from 9 to outside centre. The biggest gap is at outside centre, it needs a Huw Jones or Bennet or similar gifted playmaker, and letting some of the top earners go would provide the necessary. It also needs IMO a third flyhalf/inside centre, two 10s is pretty thin if injury strikes. Something like:

There are a few promising young Scots around, Mitch Eadie at Bristol (6/8), Scott Steele at London Irish (9), Robbie Ferguson at London Scottish (O/centre), etc., plus George Taylor and others in the academy. It would be a good time to get some experienced younger feet on the ladder and helpful to the old budget.


The issue is not having three top quality props, it's that we have the three at the top of the Scotland depth chart. It's not in the interests of the SRU or the head coach to have the three top options at the position playing for the same club as it means their game time is limited. It probably has a lot to do with why Weir ended up at Edinburgh as Glasgow had Russell, Weir and Horne which is no use if you want your replacement 10 getting good gametime. Also rumours abound that is the reason K Bryce is here playing loosehead because Cotter wanted the switch. If Cotter was staying I'd imagine Sutherland would be moved on to find regular gametime, Townsend probably has more faith in Reid and it's possible we keep him but it would be careless not to consider the international angle.

I think that Burleigh is going to be the centre that can cover 10, I agree with 13 but Bennett will command too much money and have his eyes set higher than us if he were to leave Glasgow. Jones or Grigg (if he leaves them) would suit me fine, Vernon is a solid player but I don't think he solves the flair issue we have. I'd quite like to see more of Glenn Bryce at 13 if possible, he was a good runner for Glasgow and has ball skills.

I think Fraser will be a useful scrum half option, team of the JRWC is good going for him, I also would like to see what Eadie offers us - he's scoring some tries but I wonder about his all round game as Bristol are pretty awful. The academy grads should really add something, I'm hopeful for the graduates next year.
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby biffer on Mon Dec 12, 2016 9:06 pm

Let's not forget the weakness of the pound due to Brexit means the French clubs have even more money than previous years
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby New Gunner on Mon Dec 12, 2016 9:16 pm

biffer wrote:Let's not forget the weakness of the pound due to Brexit means the French clubs have even more money than previous years


True, but on the other hand Pro 12 / EPCR and (I think) Six Nations revenue is in euro also, so we do better as receiving some income in euro and paying players in sterling...
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby New Gunner on Mon Dec 12, 2016 9:20 pm

Friday Knight Lights wrote:
Also rumours abound that is the reason K Bryce is here playing loosehead because Cotter wanted the switch. If Cotter was staying I'd imagine Sutherland would be moved on to find regular gametime, Townsend probably has more faith in Reid and it's possible we keep him but it would be careless not to consider the international angle.


Kevin Bryce is here to play tighthead rather than loosehead, but you're right that it was Cotter's idea.
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby disco on Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:40 pm

Here's the latest squad Depth Chart as we head towards the midpoint of the season:

http://wp.me/p68WtH-4rm
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:54 pm

disco wrote:Here's the latest squad Depth Chart as we head towards the midpoint of the season:

http://wp.me/p68WtH-4rm


Thanks disco!

Is Darcy Graham really aligned with Edinburgh? I thought he'd be with Glasgow, hopefully not as he looks a serious prospect - as does Ross McCann. The future is bright!
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby disco on Wed Dec 21, 2016 12:28 am

Friday Knight Lights wrote:
disco wrote:Here's the latest squad Depth Chart as we head towards the midpoint of the season:

http://wp.me/p68WtH-4rm


Thanks disco!

Is Darcy Graham really aligned with Edinburgh? I thought he'd be with Glasgow, hopefully not as he looks a serious prospect - as does Ross McCann. The future is bright!

Yep you've generally had the guys from the Borders Academy and we've had the guys from Caledonia. All 4 of the wings attached to Edinburgh look like really good prospects (which maybe makes it slightly more odd signing the likes of Scholes...) Glasgow only have Robert Beattie as a winger in the Academy. With Lamont likely to retire and Bulumakau probably not getting renewed we may well be trying to pinch one of your guys :D
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby gowrie on Wed Dec 21, 2016 12:44 am

Glasgow have a serious weakness at FB after Hogg, especially with Murchie a year older and potentially not having his contract extended. Robbins might be a good move, or someone outwith the academy like Elms who has been tearing up the Prem and is still very young.
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby Wottie on Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:33 am

Looking at the BBC sports pages, plenty contract renewals being announced out of Scotstoun, whilst the silence from Murrayfield is deafening!
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby biffer on Wed Dec 21, 2016 8:17 am

New Gunner wrote:
biffer wrote:Let's not forget the weakness of the pound due to Brexit means the French clubs have even more money than previous years


True, but on the other hand Pro 12 / EPCR and (I think) Six Nations revenue is in euro also, so we do better as receiving some income in euro and paying players in sterling...


Pro12 not sure about, pretty sure you're right about EPCR but I can't see the BBC paying for the rights in euros.
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Re: Edinburgh Rugby Squad 2017/18

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Wed Dec 21, 2016 10:23 am

Wottie wrote:Looking at the BBC sports pages, plenty contract renewals being announced out of Scotstoun, whilst the silence from Murrayfield is deafening!


Most of their squad is out of contract to be fair, also two of them are academy lads signing a pro deal - I'd think we'll give McCallum one soon. We need clarity on the coaching staff so the player's know where they stand and soon because I'm sure some of the internationals like Watson, Hardie and Nel aren't short of offers.
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