Challenge Cup

[dolf_lundgren]

Decent team given we are resting some of the international guys, which is fair enough given the games they have had. Not sure why Ali Price needs rested though, he hasn’t played that much over the past month.
Anyone know what the story is with Matt Scott? Not listed as injured and has looked the pick of our entries this year, but seems to be nowhere near now for some reason.

Edinburgh Rugby side to face Gloucester Rugby at Kingsholm Stadium (Friday 7 December, kick-off 8pm) – live on PremierSports.
15. Wes Goosen (38)
14. Ross McCann (5)
13. Matt Currie (45)
12. Mosese Tuipulotu (6)
11. Nathan Sweeney (2)
10. Ross Thompson (7)
9. Ben Vellacott (68) CAPTAIN
1. Boan Venter (73)
2. Paddy Harrison (19)
3. Paul Hill (7)
4. Marshall Sykes (69)
5. Sam Skinner (26)
6. Tom Dodd (11)
7. Freddy Douglas (1)
8. Magnus Bradbury (119)
Replacements
16. Dave Cherry (96)
17. Mikey Jones (1)
18. D’arcy Rae (12)
19.Robert Carmichael*
20. Liam McConnell*
21. Charlie Shiel (63)
22. Ben Healy (27)
23. James Lang (57


Unavailable: Pierre Schoeman, Darcy Graham, Duhan van der Merwe, Ali Price, Ewan Ashman, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie (rest protocol), Ben Muncaster (Illness), Mark Bennett (quad), Emiliano Boffelli (back), Connor Boyle (knee), Luke Crosbie (calf), Robin Hislop (calf), Harry Paterson (hamstring), Glen Young (calf).

[doedin]

Also where is Watson? I presume they are both being held back for Glasgow games?

[The Feral Goat]

Bah, really frustrating. Appreciate we had a lot of young lads and the weather (and ref) were challeging but our attacking 'shape' is honking and still huge number of errors.

On paper our squad is good enough to win that but yet again on pitch we never looked near doing so.

Everitt has to be under pressure, not convinced by him at all.

[liveinhope]

On a pretty awful night for rugby fairlyb sure most on here would have taken a point when they saw the teamsheets. Add in Vellacott's withdrawal then injuries to Douglas and Sheil we had a large number of debutants plus several in first start for 8/12 months.
Thought Goosen was MOM and Currie,Sheil,Dodd and Bradbury all well in credit. Lang looked extremely hungry for work in his cameo and worth a start next weekend.

[The Chiel]

Not great, although as said conditions, injuries and the ref didn't help. Thought the scrum would have been a bit more secure on our ball if Maggie had stayed bound.
Votes on whether, as some have questioned, Goosen simply got the wrong line to dive over, or ( my view ) he thought the dive would take him over the line from that far out even on the artificial hybrid pitch ?

[Castlecannon]

Hard to be critical given the conditions and the disruption to team structure . losing BP a plus as was return of Lang who is hopefully fully fit and ready to bring back some guile and game smart to the 12 role, Tuipolutu and the hard working Currie look more effective options at 13.

[Pitfitter1105]

Thought Goosen dived as he hoped to slide and maybe thought he was about to be grabbed a stride before the line?

[The Feral Goat]

Edinburgh Rugby side to face Aviron Bayonnais at Hive Stadium
Friday 13 December, kick-off 8pm kick-off – live on PremierSports

15. Wes Goosen (39)
14. Darcy Graham (70)
13. Matt Currie (46)
12. Mosese Tuipulotu (7)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (98)
10. Ross Thompson (8)
9. Ali Price (23)

1. Pierre Schoeman (121)
2. Ewan Ashman (26)
3. Paul Hill (8)
4. Marshall Sykes (71)
5. Grant Gilchrist (211) CAPTAIN
6. Jamie Ritchie (120)
7. Luke Crosbie (103)
8. Magnus Bradbury (120)

Replacements

16. Dave Cherry (97)
17. Boan Venter (74)
18. Javan Sebastian (17)
19. Sam Skinner (27)
20. Tom Dodd (12)
21. Charlie Shiel (64)
22. Ben Healy (28)
23. James Lang (58)

Unavailable: Ben Vellacott (ankle), Freddy Douglas (ankle), Ben Muncaster (illness), Robin Hislop (calf), Mark Bennett (quad), Connor Boyle (knee), Harry Paterson (hamstring), Emiliano Boffelli (back).

[The Feral Goat]

Full strength squad except maybe Muncaster in somewhere on current form. Zero excuses, need a good 80min performance running into the Glasgow games.

[dolf_lundgren]

Yes, decent team, we need to put on another good performance, Bayonne as good but should be beatable.

Still a mystery on the whereabouts of Watson & Scott though. Very odd.

[doedin]

Excellent performance - ran the legs off the Bayonne pack and ran good back lines in attack in second half. Darcy just unplayable but big bad Sykes put in a hell of an 80 mins! Well played guys!

[The Feral Goat]

Excellent performance - ran the legs off the Bayonne pack and ran good back lines in attack in second half. Darcy just unplayable but big bad Sykes put in a hell of an 80 mins! Well played guys!

Thought Sykes and Crosbie were both right up for it taking none of Bayonnes SteveWalsh...need that edge every match though.

Lineout still variable a few good attacking positions wasted by whatever element failed.

Good performance overall let's hope everyone through unscathed.

[liveinhope]

THat was as near the mythical "80 minute performance" as I can remember from Edinburgh.As pointed out above signs of a "hard edge" ,not something Edinburgh are known for,from the likes of Sykes,Bradbury,Crosbie and Ritchie.
With likely Vellacott and Muncaster back in the selection mix for next weekend things looking a bit brighter to get some points out of the 1872 matches.

[Pitfitter1105]

Darcy did look to have a little problem with his left leg near the end of the game, hopefully nothing serious, great TEAM effort.

[Castlecannon]

Excellent 2nd half performance from Edinburgh and a World class show from Darcy Graham. Ok Bayonne didn’t send their A team and maybe raised the white flag on the final qtr but Edinburgh have to build confidence from that one . Centres and Darcy and other combinations showing the benefit of time spent together in Scotland camp with Thompson and Price .