Squad 19/20

[Friday Knight Lights]

I think a few things have done it for Ceccerelli - one is his improvement (and Italy's regression) so he gets in their squads again. Less value if he's not here. Two Fagerson is Scotland's rightful on form tighthead so we have one of Nel and Berghan is available and then McCallum and now Winning with Gamble highly rated.

I think Hickey has been our best 10 this year. I think he's shown he can be a starter in the Pro14 but probably isn't worth the contract he's allegedly on. Interesting times ahead. I hope we sign Chamberlain the u20s 10. A lot of potential.

[BigD163]

Update from Cockers via TOL article about Lord Darcy:

https://www.theoffsideline.com/darcy-gr ... j0M-Ma6ixo

Headlines:

1. Jaco and WP have triggered a further year in their deals.

2. Hickey situation unresolved, and smells like he is off, but it would be leave us short as there is no obvious option to come in.

3. Ceccarelli may find himself unrenewed due to budget constraints. (Winning's cameo on Friday can't have helped him).

That will probably see Nel through to retirement. VdW statying on makes sense given the SRU will probably cap him.

Hickey shouldn't be renewed on the money he is on.

[joe soap]

Hickey shouldn't be renewed on the money he is on.

not exactly hindsight but he shouldn't have been signed on the money he is reputedly on, way over-valued. Beggars couldn't be choosers I guess. As for Hickey,if he is wanting more starts, perhaps showing he is worth them would be a start! He would have been better not answering questions about what next, he sounds like exactly the type of player Edinburgh do not want, someone with an over inflated opinion of his own ability.
Disappointing that Cockerill has not managed to find another player (Scottish or not) to try develop in the meantime

[robdinsdale]

How much is he on?

Cockerill clearly doesn't rate the conveyor belt of Scottish talent at 10 but to be fair we've had high hopes of a few players over the years who have turned out to be quite mediocre.

[The Feral Goat]

How much is he on?

Cockerill clearly doesn't rate the conveyor belt of Scottish talent at 10 but to be fair we've had high hopes of a few players over the years who have turned out to be quite mediocre.

A rumoured £300k+ if i recall, think only Mata a higher earner at ER on £350k

Depends how that compares to the other similar 10s in the league i guess.

[Tichtheid]

Really good fly halves are worth their weight in gold. France have 28 professional teams, seemingly bags of money, a fiercely competitive domestic structure and yet Ntamack is possibly the first really good 10 they've had in a long time, and he is only starting. Similarly England have Ford and Farrell, Smith coming up and Cipriani who is too flaky for the modern game.

Wales have done okay at developing tens, but even they brought in Anscome. Ireland, after all the domestic success, have had O'Gara then Sexton, the former very good, the latter one of the best in the game but his star is on the wane. Carberry was developed in Ireland and the young laddie Byrne at Leinster looks like he is the future, but it's hardly a conveyor belt.

Who was the last truly outstanding South African fly half? When you think of how many players they have you'd think there would have been someone since Naas Botha who would challenge for the World XV of their era, but I can't think of one who would get in front of Wilkinson or Carter or Sexton.

New Zealand is about the only country that produces really good 10s consistently.

I don't really have a point regarding who Edinburgh should be looking at, but I reckon it's more difficult to find the right one than some might think.

I've said it before, it's a real shame McLelland didn't take to life and rugby in Scotland

[The Feral Goat]

I don't really have a point regarding who Edinburgh should be looking at, but I reckon it's more difficult to find the right one than some might think.

I am not a fan of his but we could take Owen Farrell on loan for a year and save him a season in the championship

[BigD163]

I don't really have a point regarding who Edinburgh should be looking at, but I reckon it's more difficult to find the right one than some might think.

I am not sure anyone is suggesting it is to be fair. It is more people saying Hickey isn't the right one so lets keep looking.

[Tichtheid]

I don't really have a point regarding who Edinburgh should be looking at, but I reckon it's more difficult to find the right one than some might think.

I am not a fan of his but we could take Owen Farrell on loan for a year and save him a season in the championship

There's zero chance of it, I reckon, but I'd bite your hand off for him to play in an Embra jersey.

I actually don't mind his antics, he does it all with a twinkle in his eye, he's not a moaning-pussed git like Biggar, or Sexton for that matter

[dolf_lundgren]

I agree with Tichthied

Hickey isn’t a world beater but I reckon he is our best. 10. We can say have and see who else is around, but we have had the likes of Carl Bez, Jade Te Rure andrhen we got excited about how good Jason Tovey was! Hickey is different league from them and it is a risk to let him go without another option which we are sure about, which is unlikely to cost any less.

It’s a no brainer for me, if he wants to stay and we an stretch to afford him then we should do it. If Weir wants to come back or the Robbie Robinson rumour finally turns out to the tru then fair enough but short of that it’s a huge risk to let him go, particularity if VDW is going to be capped and away with Scotland.

[sammy]

Will no doubt ridiculed, but how mad would it be to see if Kinghorn could convert back to his old position. Just thought I'd float the idea.

[Friday Knight Lights]

Will no doubt ridiculed, but how mad would it be to see if Kinghorn could convert back to his old position. Just thought I'd float the idea.

It'd be mad. We'd weaken 10 and 15 at the same time. He's not played 10 in 5 years and when he did at school it's probably just because the best player usually finds himself there. SHC and Scott also school 10s.

[Tichtheid]

Will no doubt ridiculed, but how mad would it be to see if Kinghorn could convert back to his old position. Just thought I'd float the idea.

It's not a ludicrous idea by any means, but I think that boat has sailed, if he was going to make the grade as a ten he should have been starting there when he first signed.

As it is he is one of the best full backs in the league, there aren't too many I'd take over him, he has some stuff to learn in defence but I see no reason why he can't be as good as Hoggy.

[sammy]

More thinking if he could cover in an emergency. Looking like a bench option at best for Scotland in the near future if Hogg, Darcy and VDM are all fit. We also have more cover for fullback, if we include Darcy as an option, than at 10 in the Edinburgh squad, particularly if Hickey leaves. Probably too much for the lad to be competent-good at fullback, wing and stand-off though.

Did think it was a daft idea myself, just thought I'd float it anyway.

[Tichtheid]

More thinking if he could cover in an emergency. Looking like a bench option at best for Scotland in the near future if Hogg, Darcy and VDM are all fit. We also have more cover for fullback, if we include Darcy as an option, than at 10 in the Edinburgh squad, particularly if Hickey leaves. Probably too much for the lad to be competent-good at fullback, wing and stand-off though.

Did think it was a daft idea myself, just thought I'd float it anyway.

With the proviso that "Austin Healy isn't always wrong about everything, even a stopped clock is right twice a day", Healy made a point about a tall fly half which probably applies to Kinghorn, he said that the long levers take that wee bit longer to get a kick away, which is probably okay if you are Beauden Barrett playing behind an All Black pack, or Sexton behind Leinster and Ireland.

I don't know if it is an issue or not, but it did come to mind. Kinghorn is great as the occasional first receiver because he is so much faster off the mark than someone of his height usually is.
The best case scenario is to get someone as good at ten as he is at fifteen.