Glasgow welcomed 7th placed Cardiff to Scotstoun on what seemed like a lovely night for some flowing PRO12 rugby, until the rain came down in buckets.
Gregor Townsend rang the changes, with Stuart Hogg given the night off under SRU player management protocols. Finn Russell returned to anchor the side from standoff fresh from his own rest, and Jonny Gray and Tim Swinson renewed their profitable partnership in the second row. Cardiff featured ‘almost’ Scot Steven Shingler, Welsh captain Sam Warburton and Samoan centre Rey Lee-lo.
The home side had the first swathe of possession, testing the Cardiff defence with plenty of hard carries before a poor Russell kick was comfortably marked by Welsh international Alex Cuthbert. Glasgow continued to press with Russell visibly directing the forwards on every play. Another big carry from Josh Strauss got the home side within five metres but solid Cardiff defence saw them hold up Ryan Wilson. The resulting scrum was solid, but inaccuracy of the final pass from Russell saw the chance lost.
It was clear, though, that the Warriors had come to play.
Glasgow continued to camp inside the Welsh 22, and the pressure was mounting on the defence. Carry after carry was met with solid hits from the Welsh, with Ali Price, Swinson and Strauss all going close but it was Pat MacArthur who finally broke the deadlock, powering over from a metre out. Russell added the extras to give the home side a deserved 7 point lead after 13 minutes.
Clearly Glasgow had identified the maul as a potential weapon in this game and in the early exchanges Cardiff had no answer to the power of the home pack with a penalty giving Glasgow more field position. Small errors in handling kept the scoreboard stationary but Glasgow were clearly dominant; 20 minutes in and Cardiff had barely touched the ball.
They finally got a shot with a penalty to the Glasgow 22m line. The resulting lineout was easily stolen by Glasgow but Cardiff continued to press and some weak tackling saw Alex Cuthbert get to the line in the corner. The big wing knocked on it the tackle though so Glasgow were spared. Cuthbert’s poor season continues.
The resulting scrum was well cleared and another big hit in midfield saw Glasgow given the scrum for a Cardiff knock on.
Glasgow had clearly got the better of the referee, with the penalty count starting to stack up against Cardiff. Another lovely kick to touch from Russell saw the Glasgow maul go very close from a fifteen metre drive. The ball was recycled well but another handling error spared Cardiff. Really by this point it should have been 21-0, which would have really disappointed the home coaching team.
Not to worry though, the Glasgow pack had other ideas and a massive scrum gave Russell an easy penalty which he dispatched, extending the lead to 10 with 6 minutes of the first half remaining. Cardiff had the last play of the half and some thunderous defence from Glasgow seemed to have secured the ball.
Russell wanted to clear, but tried a silly chip which was charged down and Cardiff waltzed in for the score. Really poor work from Finn, who had a mixed first 40. The extras went over from way out wide and suddenly Cardiff were in the game, despite not really being in the game.
Half-time: Glasgow 10 – 7 Cardiff
The same fifteen Warriors returned to the field, no doubt after a rocket from Townsend and his team in the changing room but the first penalty of the second half went Cardiff’s way. Shingler lined up a shot at the posts, and nailed it to draw the Welshmen level. Not the start the home fans wanted at 10-10.
Things were just not sticking for the home side, with niggly knock-ons, silly passes and missed tackles costing them but finally some quality came from Russell and Seymour. A lovely inside ball and some slick dummy runs saw the wing break the defence, and a pop to Dunbar seemed to have done the trick. The Cardiff defence scrambled well and Dunbar ignored two men free outside him, but Peter Murchie joined the ruck instead and was able to power through and dot the ball down. Russell nailed the extras to open up a good lead.
Russell in particular seemed to have got the message, kicking much more sensibly and keeping Cardiff pinned in awkward positions on the park. Glasgow continued to pressurise the Cardiff set piece, with the Blues resorting to smashing the ball high into the Glasgow skyline. Murchie was very assured under this air bombardment but it was Tommy Seymour who was causing all the issues for Cardiff, with another searing break giving the aforementioned Murchie the opportunity for his second try. No mistake made, and the extras gave Glasgow a 14 point lead 24-10. Bonus point time, the crowd sensed.
Glasgow came straight back up the park, with Seymour again punching massive holes in the Cardiff rear-guard. The ball was carried up well in the forwards but some excellent breakdown work saw Cardiff secure the penalty to clear. The away side were swaying, however.
Rob Harley joined the second row for his 151st Warriors cap, and the back row secured another penalty for the home side. Russell battered the ball to touch on the Cardiff 22, and another secure lineout saw the maul formed once more. This time Cardiff illegally stopped it, with the only sensible option to put the ball out once more. Another penalty, and a warning for Sam Warburton’s men but the end result seemed inevitable. The maul formed for the third time and James Malcolm was the man to smash over for the bonus point try. This time Russell couldn’t add the conversion, leaving the score 29-10 with 15 minutes remaining.
Cardiff were not disheartened by the deficit they faced, and a poor defensive lineout from Glasgow cost them big, with the ball moved wide for the Cardiff backs allowing Rhun Williams to dot down. They missed the conversion and with only 2 minutes to play the only option was to attempt to get a losing bonus of their own. Another penalty put the Welsh in a useful position with the clock red, but some massive defence saw the Blues knock on one last time.
A deserved win for Glasgow who in reality made a harder job of the bonus point than they should have. Every point is a prisoner at this stage of the season, so denying the Blues their losing point may be a big plus.
FT Glasgow 29 – 15 Cardiff Blues
Man of the Match: The pack played a big part in this win, but it was Tommy Seymour who provided all the magic to ensure the bonus point was clinched. Sensationally rounded performance from the winger.
Teams
Glasgow: Peter Murchie, Tommy Seymour, Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, Lee Jones, Finn Russell, Ali Price, Gordon Reid, Pat MacArthur, D’arcy Rae, Tim Swinson, Jonny Gray (capt), Josh Strauss, Simone Favaro, Ryan Wilson.
Replacements: James Malcolm, Alex Allan, Zander Fagerson, Rob Harley, Adam Ashe, Grayson Hart, Rory Clegg, Sean Lamont.
Cardiff Blues: Matthew Morgan; Alex Cuthbert, Rey Lee-Lo, Willis Halaholo, Blaine Scully; Steven Shingler, Lloyd Williams; Rhys Gill, Kristian Dacey, Anton Peikrishvili, Macauley Cook, James Down, Ellis Jenkins, Sam Warburton (capt), Josh Navidi
Replacements: Matthew Rees, Brad Thyer, Scott Andrews, Jarrad Hoeata, BJ Edwards, Tomos Williams, Nicky Robinson, Rhun Williams
Attendance: 7,251
Referee: Andrew Brace
69 Responses
Brilliant performance from Seymour, right now I would have him and Nowell as the lions wingers.
To say that Russell had a mixed first 40 is the understatement of 2017 – so far! He had a shocker! Thankfully in the 2nd half he looked like Toony had told him to stop trying to be quite so “Hollywood” and he improved a lot.
Seymour had a great game, and based on form he may tour with the Lions. His ability under the high ball is also something that need to be acknowledged and maybe Russell could make more use of crossfield kicks to Seymour’s wing in the future for Glasgow and Scotland.
The Glasgow set piece worked well last night. The scrum had the nudge, the line-out was good, and the driving maul gained ground most times.
A deserved win, but not a convincing performance. Leinster and Munster are more ruthless and would have put many more points on this Cardiff team.
The next 5 games will define the season for Glasgow, with the most important being next week at home to Munster. If they win and get 4 or 5 points, it will be down to the last game. Glasgow away to Leicester is undoubtedly much tougher than Munster at home to a second string Racing side.
If Glasgow can get a 5 point win and deny Munster a bonus point, they would be 2 points ahead going into the last match. Then any kind of win against Leicester would be enough.
They are capable of winning both matches, but need to match the brutality and intensity of Munster next week. We all know that Munster will be offside most of the game, will be taking people out off the ball, and generally trying everything to bully the Glasgow team. Time to stand up and be counted for Glasgow players.
Munster will cheat all day long if they’re allowed to ( and yes, so would any team ). All dependent on who the ref is – I’d actually like Barnes ( can’t believe I’ve written that ! :) ). But if it’s O’wens Glasgow are in big trouble.
Neil – have you been opening doors wi yir heid?
Russell had a curate’s egg of a game, some lovely kicks, offloads but some mistakes, it appears GT has given him carte blanche to play as he wishes & its pretty promising that your team wins comfortably when your 10 has a mixed game.
Munster next week is a tremendous occasion, Pragmatic optimist puts it eloquently above
With all the doom about the new tackle sanctions resulting in teams ending games with 12 players on the field, worth noting that in the Glasgow -Cardiff game there wasn’t a single high tackle. Not one. Which demonstrates that it can be done. Brad Barritt, take note.
Russell always shows up for the big games, hopefully that trend will continue against Munster next weekend.
As pragmatic optimist says, Munster will be typically “Irish” at the breakdown, and the referee will not penalise, so we need to be on top form.
Against Munster a few weeks ago I though Glasgow were well below their best, and it still took a late DG for Munster to win. I fancy us to get a BP win out of this game, which makes the last game against Leicester absolutely crucial.
Actually there is a very good analysis of Glasgow’s prospects of qualifying on Planet Rugby, the ‘Official Scottish Thread’ page 426. It may be enough to win one of the two games to go through as one of the best second placed finishers.
I’m sure we would all want Glasgow to win both though.
I thought last night’s win was excellent prep for the massive, forthcoming Munster fixture. A bit of slackening off in the last 15 or so minutes against Blues was a bit of a worry, as nothing less than a full-on 80 plus minutes will do against Munster. I really hope the Warriors do the business.
Me? I’m going to the Stoop to watch the Gunners through my fingers play Harlequins.
PS, I’m getting more convinced that Finn has indeed put more work into his kicking from hand. Distance-wise at least, he’s definitely added a few yards since November.
Agreed very mixed bag from Russell, his second half performance had some of his touches of brilliance though. Murchie had a good game which is reassuring if Hogg gets crocked or has a form dip. Seymour a deserved MOTM, there can’t be many guys better in the air than him just now? Nice to see Bennett have a decent game also although I thought he potentially looked a bit slow.
Haven’t watched many Glasgow games recently apart from the 1872 However I thought Ali Price was superb, fast around the base, flat zippy passing and a threat himself with ball in hand, he was instrumental in the absolute dominance Glasgow had in the first half hour, from a Scotland point of view, everything that Greig laidlaw (despite his many attributes) isn’t.
Fraser Brown is also good in the air…..at least according to Keith E*rls…hoping we get over Munster this weekend, its about time.
Keith Earls is very good with the ‘hot air’. Hopefully Glasgow can target the little gobs**te and get him carded.
Whether he’s a new ‘neil’ or a re-emerging old Neil, nothing he/she has said so far has been worth replying to. Best ignored, JM. Trolls absolutely hate being ignored.
And they’ll get the banhammer eventually…
For an hour the ruck clearance and quick presentation of the ball to Price was the best I’ve seen in a long time. Everything got distinctly sodden later, which didn’t help. Thought Cardiff didn’t have a lot going forward for most of the game, but that was some defence they put up.
Credit to Mr Brace for not desperately seeking a head tackle to tick the box and prove he was looking for it. The point above about Barritt is well made – what a Horlicks by the ref and the TMO. Keep to the list of questions, and forget any common sense. Quite simply, in spite of the TV evidence, they sent off the wrong man.
Interesting point made in a retweet by SRB about Cardiff’s scrum causing problems, and whether this was due to them being used to an artificial pitch.
And finally Finn Russell – if ever a player reflected his coach, it’s him. So there will always be the odd rick amongst the genius. The trick is in the quantity of each he produces . . .
I thought a good game and credit to both sides for maintaining their discipline and a healthy dialogue with the referee. Once again I think the rotation policy has determined selection and a great success in terms of full points and the players we need during the 6N (Murchie for example) coming through with credit.
A lot of good performances including Ryan Wilson and for a 4th choice hooker, James Malcolm would get a game most weeks in any pro 12 side.
Finn Russell had one of his ‘inconsistent’ moments with the kick that gifted their first try, however I am sure will be ‘mercurial’ next week.
Now 4th in the table, backup squad ready for 6n and squad rested for Munster. Job done …
You know what , Cardiff were a good side and really made it a good game, credit to them also however beaten by the best side all night long.
Malcolm was good apart from the overthrow at the end that gave away a try…
As I recall Fraser Brown botched throw to the back cost us the RWC semi..and he is the first choice ahead of Flynn.
Big game,the big players will step the pace up.We are the home side,let Munster do the worrying.We seem to be getting into our game as the season goes on .With a full squad all twenty three players,we should get the win.
Team selection for Saturday will be fascinating
Centres – I like the look of Grigg but is Bennett too good to be left out?
Wings – Is Junior B in with a shout
10 – I’d assume Hogg will provide cover
9 – Price or Pygros
Back Row – Harley or Strauss
Fascinating
Wow! How good a game did Seymour have? Hitting the gap off Russell at pace, shredding the Cardiff defence with ease. I thought Cardiff defended very well given the amount of ball that Glasgow had, but they could do nothing about Seymour – it was wonderful to watch. I was also impressed with Dunbar and Bennett – they dovetail together so well.
Up front – what can you say? Glasgow were so dominant. A little sharper and they would have scored a barrel load. There were at least 2 mauls that were driven 20 metres. In the past Glasgow wouldn’t have had the power to play that game, but now they can take the option of playing it tight, or a wider game and they have the players capable of doing both. Jonny Gray was again excellent – I don’t want to put the mockers on him but for me he has and touch of Martin Johnson about him in how is imposes himself on games. Ali Price must feel like pulling up a chair and tucking in his napkin he gets such quality ball on a plate from that pack.
Can’t wait for the game against Munster next week!
Price certainly looks promising with a fast service and in my humble opinion has moved ahead of Pyrgos this season.
Seymour’s workrate and intrusions from the blindside were impressive.
I liked Bennet’s handling and accurate passing putting the receiver into space.
Surprised that no-one has so far mentioned Dunbar’s butchering of an overlap in the lead-up to the first Murchie score.
Interesting article yesterday in the Sunday Times on the work of Derrick Patterson in developing skills training for the Edinburgh scrum-halves. Reading between the lines some of SHC’s recent problems may be down to the fact that he converted to the role relatively recently. Something to bear in mind for those on here who believe players can convert to new positions readily.
It was in John’s report…
Yes I agree that Price is ahead of Pyrgos, and in my opinion is the obvious successor to Greig Laidlaw as the starting 9 for Scotland as and when Vern or Toonie remove the captaincy and/or starting berth from Greig. Pyrgos to me just falls tantalisingly short of Test standard, and SHC hasn’t built on his early high promise – still plenty of time for him to be a genuine international contender though.
I was pretty happy with the game also. Like mentioned above, Glasgow managed to claim a 5 point victory even considering Finn wasn’t firing on all cylinders. I had a feeling he would have a mixed game due to all the hurrah around him being poached by other clubs on the run up to the game. He knows he is a huge talent and perhaps was playing with just a little too much arrogance. Still, he is the real deal. I am a huge fan. He could well be considered the best 10 ever to come out of Scotland if his development continues.
On Munster….It’s going to be a fascinating game. I have been watching them closely and have been really impressed with many aspects of their game. No team right now is performing the choke tackle as effectively as they are. They are winning scrum after scrum with this tactic and Glasgow are going to have to figure out how to address this because it sucks possession out of the game. I don’t think we will see Strauss play this weekend for this very reason.
Secondly, their kick-chase is top quality. Murray and their 10’s kicking is so accurate and Zebo/Earls are chasing really well. Our back 3 are going to have to be on the very top of their catching game this weekend.
I am fascinated to see GT’s game-plan this weekend. He’s a clever cookie and I am sure he has identified a way to win against a top quality outfit. How do you score tries against such a good defending team?
The new application of the tackle law has the potential to penalise choke tackling so over time it may become more of a liability. Glasgow need to win this match, full stop. If it takes penalties and drop goals to build a lead and keep the score accumulating, so be it. Forcing try-scoring opportunities will be self-defeating.
I for one will be looking for the Glasgow players to make up for the shambles of a team they were at Thomond in October.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, the team I would like to see would be.
1- Allan, 2- Brown, 3- Fagerson, 4- Swinson, 5- Gray, 6- Strauss, 7- Favaro, 8- Wilson, 9- Price, 10- Russell, 11-Jones, 12- Johnson, 13-Dunbar, 14- Seymour, 15- Hogg
16- Flynn, 17- Reid, 18- Puifisi, 19- Harley, 20- Ashe, 21- Pyrgos, 22- Bennett, 23- Lamont
I know some people will worry Strauss will be easily choked tackled, however I thought the same when Scotland played Ireland in the 6N but Strauss was brilliant and purposely went lower than usual. Also I have put Johnson ahead of Bennett as his defense has really impressed me recently. Also, putting this team together has made me realise the lack of options in the second row with Brian out.
The lack of second row options is surely because Unanivi, Cummings and Peterson are also out. We have plenty of locks otherwise!
Not too many questions about your team. Not sure if I’d fancy Jones on the wing getting peppered with up and unders.
I think we’ll be seeing Bennett move on from Scotstoun next year. As an international he’ll be due a big pay hike but is a lower priority to resign than many of his colleagues and Glasgow have very good cheaper options in Grigg and Johnson. On the Thistle podcast they reported their sources in the squad said Bennet had not yet been made an offer. Presumably the management are waiting to see how much budget they’ll have left after securing their priorities.
It’s a shame as Bennett is potentially world class but he’s struggled a little to back up the world cup and the Rio jaunt probably didn’t do him much good. He does look like he’s getting back to his best though.
He has had very little game time since Rio. I think, like you, he may benefit from a move and for me he should move south.
Without the SRU rotation policy he should be capable of getting a game every week in the premiership and that is what he needs.
He is likely to be a West of Scotland home bird (nothing wrong with that) , however even being given the choice, might just be enough to motivate him to kick on.
Home bird? He went to Clermont as an espoir instead of joining the Glasgow academy. But I’d rather he ended up in England than France, our players seem to improve more in the premiership which is less slog and fitness levels are reportedly higher.
A year in France with no ties, different from selling up etc..
It feels like the money is in France…The BBC recently published Stuart Hogg’s wages and that might get a few of them looking around.
Decent team. I’d have Reid starting rather than Alan as the better scrummager, and I’d have preferred Big Brian to Tim Swinson if he was available. Munster have a lot of ‘dog’ in them, and we need the aggressive types this weekend.
You must have seen something in Corey Flynn that I haven’t, as he seems well past his ‘sell by date’ to me as well as having an erratic line out throw. Pat Mac is still the best line out thrower by a long way, so he’d be my sub in case Browns aim starts going awry.
The back row I’m unsure about, but think your back row is a good one. That said, Harley and Ashe might be more suited to a dogfight than Ryan Wilson.
I’d also have Bennett rather than Johnston to start, as he is capable of supplying some match winning magic.
Given the opposition, I do wonder whether what kind of game we will play. We might be playing into their hands by going for arm wrestling tactics.
Maybe we should be true to our natural game if the weather allows.
I also would give Reid the start, maybe even Puafisi at TH. Replace both at 45- 50 mins and bring some legs to close off the game.
Brown is first choice ahead of Flynn however IMO he will edge it as the replacement hooker because of his experience. When he has come on in the past he has brought leadership, so if John Gray is hooked he will be keeping the front 5 in order.
There is nothing positive to say about Munster and an experienced old lag like Flynn will be needed.
Either way both Flynn and MacArthur will need game time in the next 2 weeks as the backups must be ready for the 6N exodus.
Glasgow must clobber the Scarletts on 10th Feb and get daylight between 4 and 5 in the table.
I am glad it is not me selecting the side on Saturday.
Just wanted to say thank you admins for putting the troll back under his bridge. Much appreciated.
No problem.
I second that Rory
That trollwas not was not the real deal, I much preferred the real Neil.
Do not feed.
As for the team for Saturday – Hogg, Seymour, Bennett, Dunbar, Lamont, Russell, Price, Strauss, Favaro, Wilson, Gray, Swinson, Fagarson, Brown, Reid.
REPS – Jones, Johnston, Pygros, Ashe, Harley, Rae, McArthur, Allan
My team for Munster.
1. Gordon Reid
2. Frazer Brown
3. Zander Fagerson
4. Tim Swinson
5. Jonny Gray
6. Ryan Wilson
7. simone Favaro
8. Adam Ashe
9. Ali Price
10. Finn Russell
11. Sam Johnson
12. Alex Dunbar
13. Mark Bennet
14. Tommy Seymour
15. Stuart Hogg
Johnson for me has been very good so far this season so cant leave out, but that dunbar/ bennett combo clicks so well.
I overall like the team but is Johnson fast enough to play wing
On a slightly different note today it has been announced that Tommy Seymour and Tim Swinson have renewed their contracts. Well done lads , delighted for you.
The question is , is that a good or a bad thing ?
It strikes me that if Glasgow have a good run in the European Cup and / or win the Pro 12 again, the player’s market value, will have increased ? It might be in his interests to put the for sale sign up after that as opposed to now ?
Do you think there will be win bonuses in the contract? If not , what is to push them on to win other than self motivation.
Now in the case of those yet to sign, their market value will go up based on good runs. So it could be argued those who are renewing at the end of the season, have a greater incentive to win big. ?
When do we think is the right time to seal the deal …………from a fans perspective !
Any sports agents tuning in ?
Just realised the smart answer will be sign when your contract expires , however IMO you have less bargaining power then and in the real world, both parties often go for a contract extension as it allows business as usual without the distraction of negotiations at a bad time.
It has been well publicised that Glasgow have 20-30 players out of contract at the end of the season, largely due to the fact that in rugby the majority of contracts are 1-2 years because there is no transfer system in place so it does not make sense for teams or players to tie themselves into long deals. So, for a host of Glasgow’s priority re-signings the best time to extend their contracts for the team and players alike is as soon as possible – assuming players don’t pro-actively wish to move on. The biggest pull factor isn’t just the deal on the table, it is the chance to work with Dave Rennie (one of the most highly rated coaches in the world), the chance to remain in a squad with such a positive culture and the chance to remain at a club that is competing for trophies.
The difficulty is because almost all of Glasgow’s players market values will have increased over the last two years so some layers will have to compromise on salary demands or leave. Also, some players will feel undervalued because contract negotiations will not begin until others are tied up and it is clear how much budget remains. It’s why we lost DTH and it is why we’re likely to lose Bennett if rumours are to be believed. Others, like Ashe, will get tied up quickly because their deals won’t be much better as they haven’t added many more caps or first team appearances (partly due to injury). But Gray, Hogg, Seymour, Swinson, Pyrgos are signing now as they are senior players who will be priorities for management team. Hopefully Dunbar and Horne are next. I think any signing news like this is massively positive as it gathers its own momentum. We’ll lose some favourite players but keep the core of the team and bring through more young guys like Grigg, Fagerson, Malcolm etc.
I’d add that financial bonuses have been shown to have less of an effect on performance that intrinsic motivation and a desire to improve, and rewards such as more responsibility. It’s often better just to pay people are higher basic rate.
Rumour on glasgow forum that Leone spoke to Gregor after Racing tie at Scotstoun and asked to be brought home – presumably with a big pay cut!
All valid comments FF. I think Scottish Rugby is now in a similar position to that of the Argentines a few years back – players will be gently “encouraged” to move on to free up finance and to allow younger players to progress. This needn’t be a bad thing so long as a commensurate proportion of the monies received are re-invested into the Academy system to ensure a ready supply of fresh talent. Young guys like Cummings, Bradbury, Kinghorn and others are all evidence of this. The trick will be in managing the flow so that both Glasgow and Edinburgh can be credible challengers for trophies while keeping the conveyor belt turning.
@FF I was not aware that the Leone chat was public . We need to secure Jonny Gray if not we are in the market for a second row.
Good points on the transfer, running a pro side is a pandoras box when we start to consider all of this. I wonder if the BBC publishing Stuart Hogg’s wage was with the blessing of the Warriors mangement .It could cause resentment or a stabalising benchmark dependant on where you are in your negotiations.
I’m not sure whether the SRU would be up to paying a transfer fee to Racing to buy Nakarawa out of the remainder of his contract. Suspect there can’t be much substance as the player and Glasgow would be in deep doo-doo with the international governing bodies over tapping a contracted player.
With players on 1 or 2 year contracts, contract management is key at club level to maintain the core players who have bought into the culture and delivered. It says a lot for the way the Warriors are being run that experienced players are happy to re-sign, although at some point the likes of Hogg and Seymour will move on for a big payday or to develop as a player. Success on the field is a big sell and I suspect Edinburgh will suffer far more than Glasgow from the better players moving on this close season.
There is a risk of players becoming stale at a club, or when a seasoned international see club duties a a distant second to the international team (Ford is a prime example of someone who has regressed as a player through not moving). Bennet would be a loss but with a finite budget and having to choose between him and Dunbar I would go for the latter as more core to the club.
Glasgow clearly has a strategy but things seem a lot quieter at Edinburgh. I know Watson , Kinghorn and Bradbury have signed new contracts which is good news but does the silence signify a clearing out of the dead wood?
Gray signed a new 3 year deal in May last year.
Rory : I feel sure he is a wanted man, deal or no deal.
So how else could he be secured more than they have already done?
I might be wrong HB, but I don’t think there are any rules against tapping-up players under contract because there isn’t a regulated transfer market in rugby. Primarily because there is only a small number of clubs with the financial means to pay out transfer fees by buying out contracts, so most players see out relatively short term contracts. It’s why Toonie was fuming about the Russell speculation.
Also – Seymour is now contracted until he’s 30 and cited the player-welfare management as being one of the big draws for staying at Glasgow. He’s basically nailed his colours to the Glasgow mast and will probably cash in after the next world cup.
Rory- I cannot disagree however he has an agent to take care of contract terms and he is very marketable at the minute. That can change for better or worse over time. I like FF’s point on Dave Rennie, its never all about money however might be if the SRU need cash etc.
World Rugby Regulation 4.9.1 states that no individual, club or union should attempt to induce a contracted player to leave their Union or Club without consent from that Union or Club.
Paraphrased a little but that is the gist of it – you shouldn’t tap up a player without their employers consent. But it’s worth noting that there is only 1 regulation on this, whereas there are several relating to compensation for younger players. It would seem that World Rugby are relying on a very broad-brush approach tied to a gentlemans agreement. I think this was behind Gregor Townsend bemoaning the lack of clarity on this recently when rumours surfaced of Finn Russell being tapped.
With the money now in the game due to television contracts you would think – and fervently hope – that World Rugby will be looking to stiffen Reg 4.9.1 to make it more relevant to the current financial landscape.
@Ade – Time will tell , we will come back to it when appropriate.
Given the money that is washing around in the Aviva and Top 14, and with owners like Mourad Boudjellal and Bruce Craig showing scant regard for the progression of other clubs – see the restructuring of the Heineken Cup for example – you would hope that World Rugby would see this coming and decide to get ahead of the curve rather than wait for the inevitable fall out. I’m not holding my breath on that mind……
Re: the rumours of Bennett leaving Glasgow, wonder if Glasgow are freeing up room to try and bring Huw Jones in?
Rumour mill currently has Jones linked to La Rochelle.
He is better than that , as I understand it he is happy in SA however the Union is cash stapped. Once again safest place for him is probably a premiership side.
Nothing wrong with La Rochelle right now, second in the FR league so must be a great place to play. HJ has a much better chance of game time and the Euro clubs will soon snap him up if he hits the headlines.
Would still love him to play for the Warriors first. Autumn tests showed he’s the real deal and it’s awesome Scotland has that quality to select from now.
Roll on Feb!
Scotsman reporting that Dickinson will miss Ireland game. I think Sutherland is yet to return from injury so that leaves us with Dell and Reid (I think?)
Huw Jones would be better served by going to a French or English club IMO.
Playing for one of the two Scottish clubs is a bit too ‘narrow’ a focus and is too restrictive (weather is a bit shit as well).
There are other advantages. As we can’t compete financially against the big French or English clubs, having lots of players playing abroad and being paid by others must be a good thing, both in terms of the size of our overall player pool, and in husbanding the resources we do have.
I’d much rather see 30 or 40 Scottish international players playing across Europe rather than just in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
As long as they have clauses built into their contracts allowing international leave, where is the issue. The players also want the best deals for themselves, quite rightly.
Much better to play in England than France. French teams are notoriously poor at strength and conditioning – Noves us currently using the additional squad time he has negotiated with the clubs on fitness programmes – and will happily flog players into the ground.
Glasgow would be a great place for Jones to end up. They look after their players well, they play an ambitious heads-up style of rugby, and they are about to welcome one on the most highly thought of coaches in the world. I agree though that Scotland needs more players to play outside of Scotland to widen our player pool.
FF/PO : I agree with you both. I know Jones likes playing in SA , he is proud to be Scottish though educated at Millfield in England. Would Glasgow or Edinburgh be first choice for him ? This feels like an enthusiastic lad who is enjoying his life to me , and so he should.
France or England IMO and for the sake of his rugby, England and probably a London side would meet his personal needs. However he was educated in England, that may not feel adventurous to him . France would be another life experience. Unlike England, France is struggling for International success and they are now concerned that their overseas players are stifling home grown talent, so that might not be the best environment.
I have no view on the French coaching methods other than its a long time since the top side was Beziers and they trained in the town square in front of the townsfolk every Wednesday afternoon.
All of this brings training on a rainy day in Glasgow into perspective.
Takes a certain type of grit for that.
Not an ideal situation, and with the lack of news on Nel are we to assume that he will be missing too? Still, we learned a lot in the AI about the younger guys and their ability to step up, so like the squad themselves we’ll just have to get on with it.
Nel starts for Edinburgh tomorrow.
excellent news, thanks Rory