Friday Knight Lights wrote:macdone wrote:Of course our recruitment is p*sh and of course we should compare ourselves to Glasgow - we have the same owner and the same guy recruiting for both teams. We have become the Connacht of Scottish rugby (although they are better than us at recruiting developing players).
It's the recruitment of young \ developing players that's most worrying. We could really use Jack Cosgrove right now. We should have snapped up Vellacot, Eadie and Steele, not to mention Huw Jones. There was a time when we could have signed Duncan Taylor but that ship has sailed - we were too slow.
We have ended up giving contracts to Fraser and Galbraith, neither of whom would have got contracts for a mid table Championship team down south. Meanwhile George Horne and Paddy Kelly are sitting twiddling their thumbs as Glasgow´s 4th choice rather than playing in our first team.
I understand Scott Johnson feels he has to maintain Glasgow´s incredible success. But letting Edinburgh slide won't be good in the long run.
But for the points BigD and others have said we're not on a level playing field - same owner, same money but a world of difference in terms of where the clubs are. If I am a rugby player with no affinity for either team, I go to Glasgow. That is where the comparison falls apart unfortunately, it isn't a level playing field competitively and culturally. Also Johnson isn't the only scout, Rennie has had a huge say in recruitment over there.
Nonsensical point about Galbraith and Fraser compared to Kelly and Horne. Horne is a year older than Fraser and had the sevens, granted, but neither have done anything pro level. Worth noting, Fraser was injured at LS whereas Horne just wasn't picked. Notwithstanding sevens is a different sport and Fraser had the better under20 career. Kelly a year older than Galbraith and the Chiel might know more detail but neither set the Richmond heather alight. There is absolutely no way of knowing how their careers will pan out.
Huw Jones is a tough point as off the back of that deal we got Bennett, I'd rather we had Jones sure but beggars can't be choosers. Vellacot turned Glasgow down and when he's doing well at his boyhood club so very doubtful he'd want to join Edinburgh. He also might not want to commit to Scotland so early? Eadie will be on good coin at Saints as he replaced Picamoles/we didn't need a back row. Not sure when we could've signed Taylor, he's always been rated at Sarries. I agree on Steele and Hutchinson is the other exile I'd seriously look at. But the better ones we've seen like Eastgate there is a question if they want to commit to Scotland so early.
Glasgow got out of their malaise playing these young guns who would do anything to be success. Problem is we play established pros who don't mind losing annually to Italians. Glasgow had a 19 year old for them at 6 and we're talking about why Miller isn't big enough for pro rugby .. That is the difference between the clubs fundamentally. Over there they put faith in young players whereas here it's the opposite.
Agree with much of what you say but on Horne - he played 15 times for London Scottish and was probably one of the most successful loanees we had down there. He is though a late convert to scrum half so while he has more highlight reel stuff I'd say Fraser is a more complete 9. Long-term they will be playing quite different styles. Fraser (and Charlie Shiel) may well be a better fit for what Edinburgh need over the next 2-3 seasons.