New Head Coach: Mike Blair

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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby robdinsdale on Fri Aug 13, 2021 2:41 pm

dolf_lundgren wrote:Roddy Grant if we could get him would be ideal.

Yes think Barclay would need a bit more
Experience at a club or junior level before being that senior coach. Dicko going to Glasgow is an excellent move.


Roddy Grant signed a 2-year extension with Ulster this year, so that's probably out.
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby Croft_No.6 on Fri Aug 13, 2021 3:25 pm

Peter Walton maybe?
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Sun Aug 15, 2021 10:29 am

https://www.theoffsideline.com/the-mess ... d-of-golf/

Good interview with Mike Blair. I still hope the SRU interviewed other candidates to ensure he was the man for the job but he definitely speaks well.

The interesting nuggets are we need a loosehead as it seems Sutherland wasn't a planned move. From the questions on his Instagram live by fellow Lions it seems as if he really was not a fan of Mr Cockerill so I guess the agreement was between them not an SRU plan.

We don't need a 10 as we have 3 professional tens now - thank God they've seen sense as Cockers was still havering about signing another one in the rainbow cup. But also Blair wants to see more of Kinghorn at first receiver. Hopefully, he doesn't mean at 10 but means how Scotland have used Hogg as I'm sure Kinghorn would do that well.

Also reiterates you can be demanding and have high standards without the macho macho shouting man. He makes the old environment sound like Barclay did.
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby BigD163 on Mon Aug 16, 2021 9:52 am

Mike Blair wrote:“One of the first things I did when I came in was take three guys – Connor Boyle, Jordan Venter and Nathan Chamberlain – out of pre season and get them involved in Super6,” he explains. “These are young guys who didn’t play much rugby last year so I wanted to get them into Super6. My plan will be to get guys games unless they’re playing for us.”

“We’re not professional weightlifters or runners, we’re rugby players, and the only way I’m going to select people is based on what they do on a rugby pitch.”


Revolutionary - young guys need games. Glad to see Blair take that step. It is important these guys get minutes under their belts.
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby dolf_lundgren on Mon Aug 16, 2021 10:47 am

it is a good interview and all sounds sensible totally agree Chamberlian and others need minutes, losing out on 18months of Super 6 which shoudl have been the stepping stone has been damaging, but hopefully they will catch up.

Not sue how to take the comment on Kinghorn, I do think there is still mileage in him as a playmaker, at least covering during games, if not starting. He has shown he can play well there, but like others he needs game time to get fully up to speed, whether we have that time to give him im not sure, we have brought in a lot of cover for the back 3 though.

Im not sure I can see any mention or hint to the previous culture being wrong though, Blair is pretty diplomatic and even if he thought it i doubt he would talk about it to the press.

Kudos to TOL line, fantastic the way they manage to dredge up the name of Keith Russell in a story which has no real link at all!, keep flogging that horse guys!
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby Tichtheid on Mon Aug 16, 2021 4:17 pm

dolf_lundgren wrote:it is a good interview and all sounds sensible totally agree Chamberlian and others need minutes, losing out on 18months of Super 6 which shoudl have been the stepping stone has been damaging, but hopefully they will catch up.

Not sue how to take the comment on Kinghorn, I do think there is still mileage in him as a playmaker, at least covering during games, if not starting. He has shown he can play well there, but like others he needs game time to get fully up to speed, whether we have that time to give him im not sure, we have brought in a lot of cover for the back 3 though.

Im not sure I can see any mention or hint to the previous culture being wrong though, Blair is pretty diplomatic and even if he thought it i doubt he would talk about it to the press.


Aye, he mentioned in a video on the club site that he has inherited a lot of good stuff and he wants to keep the attention to detail going - eg being punctual and well-turned out, it might seem like small potatoes but it's all part of a professional environment and sets the tone - no drop in standards in any part of the preparation.


Kudos to TOL line, fantastic the way they manage to dredge up the name of Keith Russell in a story which has no real link at all!, keep flogging that horse guys!


Ha! Yes, it used to annoy me but now I just think it makes them come across as sad DavePearson or like Homer Simpson's dad shaking his fist at a passing cloud.
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby New Gunner on Wed Aug 18, 2021 2:51 pm

Why not Barclay as breakdown coach? Don't think his comments re: Cockers would rule him out from a SRU perspective, he is respected and very experienced at the highest level. He lives in Edinburgh, and aside from media duties I assume he has time on his hands? Has he previously commented re: aspirations to coach or otherwise?
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby doedin on Wed Aug 18, 2021 7:06 pm

New Gunner wrote:Why not Barclay as breakdown coach? Don't think his comments re: Cockers would rule him out from a SRU perspective, he is respected and very experienced at the highest level. He lives in Edinburgh, and aside from media duties I assume he has time on his hands? Has he previously commented re: aspirations to coach or otherwise?


He was in my local boozer on Monday night, if you had suggested this earlier I could have asked him.
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby djphilp on Wed Aug 18, 2021 10:10 pm

BigD163 wrote:
Mike Blair wrote:“One of the first things I did when I came in was take three guys – Connor Boyle, Jordan Venter and Nathan Chamberlain – out of pre season and get them involved in Super6,” he explains. “These are young guys who didn’t play much rugby last year so I wanted to get them into Super6. My plan will be to get guys games unless they’re playing for us.”

“We’re not professional weightlifters or runners, we’re rugby players, and the only way I’m going to select people is based on what they do on a rugby pitch.”


Revolutionary - young guys need games. Glad to see Blair take that step. It is important these guys get minutes under their belts.


Definitely! Too much young talent has foundered in Scottish professional rugby due to a lack of actual game time. Skills and rugby nous don’t develop in the gym and it’s about time a coach actually acknowledged that and did something about it.
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:34 am

https://www.theoffsideline.com/

Think this may be a wee bit too honest.
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby dolf_lundgren on Sun Aug 29, 2021 5:06 pm

Saying everything and nothing, time to move on.
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby Tichtheid on Tue Aug 31, 2021 11:53 am

The SRU have announced AB Zondagh as attack specialist coach for Scotland, he was with Toulouse.

He is to be made available to Edinburgh and Glasgow plus the academy players.

From reading around he sounds like a bit of coup signing, though tbh I don't know the name.
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Fri Oct 15, 2021 2:11 pm

Fiji sevens coach Gareth Barber appointed skills and assistant attack coach. Quite exciting news!
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby Tichtheid on Fri Oct 15, 2021 2:25 pm

Friday Knight Lights wrote:Fiji sevens coach Gareth Barber appointed skills and assistant attack coach. Quite exciting news!


Exciting news indeed, good pedigree for an attack coach.
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Re: New Head Coach: Mike Blair

Postby The Feral Goat on Fri Oct 15, 2021 3:48 pm

Tichtheid wrote:
Friday Knight Lights wrote:Fiji sevens coach Gareth Barber appointed skills and assistant attack coach. Quite exciting news!


Exciting news indeed, good pedigree for an attack coach.


Very good news. May even have a few player contacts
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