The only podcast that takes an irreverent and irrelevant look at Scottish rugby is back to take a look at the Doddie Weir Cup, problems with the new Super Six and look ahead to the Six Nations. We also find out who gave up professional rugby to take up the oboe and find out which former Scotland captain swore at Brodie when passing him in a cycle lane.
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Acast, Spotify, TuneIn and Audioboom as well as anywhere else that will let you subscribe through an rss feed. You can also just listen through this webpage using your desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile device.
rss feed – https://audioboom.com/channels/4927247.rss
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We’re also putting the podcast up on our YouTube channel for people who prefer that sort of thing so you can also subscribe there – https://www.youtube.com/user/ScottishRugbyBlog
Please leave us a review on Apple Podcast if you like what we do and anywhere else that lets you leave a review. If there’s any other apps or podcast sites you think we should be on please let us know.
We’re also looking for our listeners to get involved in the comments on this page and elsewhere on the blog:
“Comment of the week” – We’ll be picking out our favourite comments from articles across the blog.
“Hands in the ruck” – What’s had it’s hands in your ruck? Let us know in the comments and we’ll pick out the best ones.
“Where’s Dougie Donnelly?” – It’s now mandatory to have a rumours section in a rugby podcast (apparently) so we’re looking for yours as well as news of any Scottish sporting media personalities you’ve spotted out and about. Have you seen Dougie Vipond down Tesco? Has your uncle’s brother’s aunt’s friend heard from someone down the pub that Jonny Gray is getting a new fence put in? Has your plumber been doing some work round Murrayfield and seen Richard Cockerill taking delivery of a new yoga mat? If so then let us know.
“Fantasy League” – Our SuperBru 6 Nations Fantasy League is back! We’ll be covering this regularly through the 6 Nations on the podcast giving shout outs to those of you that somehow manage to do well in these sorts of things. Personally this writer thinks its witchcraft. Keep an eye out on the blog for details of how to join. If you were playing last year you’ll probably have received an invite.
25 Responses
Just a bit of constructive criticism: when you play the ‘joke’music in the background, like the SatC theme, it seems to me that it’s mixed too high and drowns out the conversation. Other than that, keep up the good work!
Thanks TeamCam. I’ve worked out how to deal with that this morning after listening back to it. Hopefully be better for next week.
As an occasional oboist (yes, that is the correct term) I enjoyed the chat about the younger Fagerson brother. If this rumour is true, and it sounds so outlandish it surely has to be, his career choice will be a boon for oboist diversity as there are very few oboe players who are also sufficiently enormous to play prop.
However with my ‘Scotland fan’ hat on I’d much rather see him develop into an enormous tighthead like his brother. I hope he keeps playing rugby and maybe we can see him performing a rousing, if reedy, rendition of Flower of Scotland on his oboe in the Murrayfield dressing rooms pre Calcutta Cup 2024, inspiring the team under coaches Mike Blair and Geoff Cross to a famous victory.
(On a related note, Fagerson 2 was bloody good against Exeter at the weekend. Should be touring in the summer).
On the subject of the summer tour, it’s worth questioning why the 5th ranked side in the world is off to the USA and Canada this year.
I’m assuming it’s a lag effect going back to where we were two and more years ago in the rankings.
Meanwhile, sides below us will no doubt be off to play other Tier 1 sides.
When, I wonder, will we catch up in touring terms with others and where we should be?
I think this your is an ideal opportunity to bring the likes of Horne jnr, Fagerson jnr, Bradbury, Richie, Cummings, Bhatti, Turner, Rae, et al into the International fold – albeit some have a few caps already. Plus a chance to bring Bennett and Hardie back into the fold.
Think it was announced a while back we’d be restarting proper tours (i.e. three tests in New Zealand or whatever) after 2019. I agree the schedule for this summer doesn’t look the most challenging, but we can at least use it to cap Crosbie, Hastings, Matt Fagerson etc. Get them into the national setup earlier and develop our depth
Can’t see us getting a tour to NZ any time soon, they’ll be too scared to take us on!
The podcasts are a good listen. What I don’t like is the constant dissing of players like Parks and Morrison by that pompous g*t who features from time to time. These players may not have been good by the standards applying to the Scotland side of the last two years, but they were just about the best available to us in those dark times and they were trying their best too. Cheap and unnecessary shots, and not funny, even if the rest of the podcast team think it is judging by the chuckling going on.
We went through about 15 years of not being very good. It wasn’t funny at the time and it isn’t now looking back. So please just leave out the jibes at past internationals who were not as good as the ones we have the pleasure of watching and supporting in these better days.
A fair comment, especially given that this blog published a post about the impact of social media criticism.
JohnMc – We’ve a running joke on the blog for years about Dan Parks being the saviour of Scottish rugby which we were semi serious about at one time.
The purpose of the bit you’re talking about was more aimed at people who are criticising Huw Jones at the moment and was firmly tongue in cheek. I think if we started pulling back from that the pod might become quite dull.
We certainly don’t intend to abuse anyone and I’d hope no one would take offense. They always have the option of not listening.
In terms of our article on the impact of social media criticism that was aimed at people who tag or @ players into abuse. The article said criticism of players was fine so long as it wasn’t targeted at them. Of course some *coughs* Hoggy *coughs* are prone to bouts of name searching and that’s their choice to expose themselves to that sort of stuff.
It’s worth checking out the Awards Show interview with John Beattie. He said he gave up being a pundit because he upset some people he considered friends. That’s why you see some former players reluctant to criticise former clubs and colleagues and why their punditry can be a bit dull at times.
Also it was me that brought up Morrison. He was the first former Glasgow centre that popped into my head
Thanks for the reply, Cammy. It’s entirely possible I didn’t get all of the background to this caper on the podcasts. And maybe, as a Scot living in England for most of my life, I’ve become super-sensitive about criticism of Scotland players, having had to read and listen to derogatory comments for years.
I apologise to the podcast contributor I described as pompous. That was out of order and I withdraw that criticism.
Don’t worry about it John. Don’t mind a bit of back and forth between us and our listeners at all. It’s all fun. Just don’t want anyone thinking we’re deliberately going out to insult people off for no reason.
I feel your pain living in England myself. It’s actually been quite pleasant being a Scotland fan down here since the World Cup. Long may it continue
In the discussion about the Super 6, or whatever its being called, there was mention of Aberdeen Asset Management previously being interested in helping to fund an Aberdeen-based pro team, but it had all gone quiet. AAM has now merged with Standard Life, so I would suspect that is completely off the agenda. Doing stuff in the Aberdeen area was important to them when still independent, but I guess not so much now.
I wish the SRU would engage Aberdeen Grammar with the university teams in Aberdeen (RGU and UofA) to create an academy setup (50/50 Funded by SRU and universities) after a few years I think we could develop this into a viable setup for a pro team, Aberdeen Uni has at least 4 XV’s every single week, there must be some talent to tap into there?
I suppose this shows the wisdom of not jumping at every offer of cash, however significant the amount. What if the SRU had gone ahead with a 3rd pro team and then one year later discovers their funder no longer exists.
I personally see the summer games as a great chance for us to blood in some fringe play and gain some confidence and practice in playing are newfound quick games. Against Canada and the USA I would like to see a mix of 1st team and fringe players where everyone gets a chance to impress and we can try out a variety of combinations before going full strength Vs Argentina.
Team vs Canada
15. Kinghorne
14. Maitland
13. Huw Jones
12. Duncan Taylor
11. McGuigan
10. Russell
9. George Horne
8. Matt Fagerson
7. Luke Hamilton
6. Barclay
5. Toolis
4. J.Gray
3. Fagerson
2. McInally
1. Bhatti
Team against the US;
15. Hogg
14. Kinghorne
13. Bennett
12. Dunbar
11. Seymour
10. Jackson
9. Price
8. Du Preez
7. Watson
6. Bradburry
5. R.Gray
4. Gilchrist
3. McCallum
2. Brown
1. Marfo
See no wholesale changes or bringing in people who are nowhere near or ready for international rugby – just giving everyone in and around the squad a chance allowing Townsend to assess them properly and with the 8 replacements he will have the opportunity to try out even more players.
Then against the 8th best team in the world (Argentina) Townsend will have the chance to try out his best 15 against top quality opposition. This will depend very much on who performs in the six nations and the 1st two matches of the tour but I would like to see something like this against Argentina;
15. Hogg
14. Kinghorne
13. Huw Jones
12. Duncan Taylor ( Give Dunbar or Bennett the final 20)
11. Seymour
10. Russell
9. Price (Give George Horne the final 20)
8. Du Preez
7. Watson
6. Barclay
5. J.Gray
4. R.Gray
3. Fagerson
2. McInally
1. Bhatti
Some may question why I would put Kinghorne at 14 but lets face it Hogg and Russell play in his two favorite positions (fullback and fly-half) and they aren’t getting dropped anytime soon so the wing has got to be where his Scotland future lies. He has all the attributes to be a top winger. He already has 8 tries this season, has gained the most meters and beaten the most defenders in the pro 14 and has the joint 2nd most clean breaks. He has pace, trickery, can go past defenders with ease, has a great kicking game and most of the tries he has scored in his career have been true winger like tries.
This guy is too good to be left out of our team for too long and we must find a way to include him into our starting line-up and compared to other positions we don’t have many quality wingers. The Six Nations may be a bit too early for him but I would love to use the summer to integrate him into the starting line up.
A back-line including Hogg, Russell, Huw Jones, Duncan Taylor, Kinghorne, Seymour and Price/George Horne is a truly fearsome prospect and with how well Barclay, Du Preez, Watson, the Gray brothers, Toolis, McInally and Zander Fagerson are performing we only need a decent Loosehead prop and deeper cover for the wings and the front 3 to be a top international outfit. Excting times
I would also blood alot of the younger guys and rest some of our key players who have had niggles/long seasons.
Just with the world cup in mind and needing a full 36 ish squad depth.
Here is the Summer squad i would pick.
Loosehead
Reid
Bhatti
Mcallum
Hooker
Brown
Cochrane
Lawson
Tighthead
Welsh
Berghan
Locks
Richie Gray
Cummings
Gilchrist
Blindside
Ritchie
Bradbury
Openside
Hardie
Hamilton
No.8
Denton
Ashe
Scrumhalf
Horne
Laidlaw
SHC
Flyhalf
Hastings
Jackson
Horne
Centre
Scott
Bennett
Burleigh
Grigg
Harris
Wings
Visser
Maitland
Mcguigan
Jones
Fullback
Kinghorn
So 33 squad for the summer with a mix of youth/experience, some with a point to prove and still alot of arguable first choice players
I think this leaves the balance right for the club teams also to prepare for their seasons properly.
Also , Laidlaw would be tour captain but i want to see who else can step up on game day as we need more leaders developing than just Barclay and laidlaw.
I think Hogg is really developing into a leader. He’s the most vocal and motivational of the backs so that’s got to be encouraged.
I think you are being unfair on the quality of team we could field with just Edinburgh and Glasgow players this November against Wales. This following team would be more than good enough to give Wales a match;
15. Hogg
14. Kinghorne
13. Huw Jones
12. Dunbar
11. Seymour
10. Jackson/Hastings
9. Price
8. Du Preez
7. Watson
6. Barclay
5. Jonny Gray
4. Toolis
3. Fagerson
2. McInally
1. Bhatti
Replacements: Marfo, Brown, McCallum, Gilchrist, Matt Fagerson, George Horne, Peter Horne, Hoyland.
Russell will be off to Racing at this point so is unlikely to be available for this game. With Jackson, Peter Horne and Russell all on international duty for Glasgow’s next 4 Pro 14 games this is the perfect chance for Glasgow to see if Adam Hastings has got something. If he takes his chance you would expect him to get more game time next season with Russell away to France and Scotland’s only other Fly-half options are Jackson, Weir and Horne who is more of a 12 than a 10 so he has a great chance to make his debut.
Don’t know how good a player he is. Already 21 and only made 2 starts and came on twice for Glasgow – by 21 Russell was already Scotland’s 1st choice fly-half – but if he does make an impression over the next 10 months then we may as well try him out and see if he’s got any of his dad’s genes. We’re not really stocked with amazing fly-half’s so we may as well give it a go.
Darcy Graham could also work his way in contention for this match if he impresses over the next 10 months he could come in at 14 with Kinghorne moving to fly-half.
But to summarize our starting lineup of just Edinburgh and Glasgow players is clearly an international caliber side which just shows how far Scottish rugby has come.
That could easily pass as our first choice side with Russell injured in any case.
I agree with you about Hastings, but think you’re jumping the gun a bit to be picking sides to play on tour in the Summer when we haven’t even started the 6N. Never mind picking a side to play Wales in the Autumn!!! You’re also ignoring the majority of (currently) injured players. The fact this will be Toonie’s last tour before the World Cup means he’ll take his strongest squad possible.
Lastly, Blake, any reason you keep putting an “e” at the end of Kinghorn?
Please try to keep things a little bit on topic if you can ladies and gents. This one’s for discussion of the podcast and the topics raised.
“Hands in the Ruck” absolutely has to be the English bleating about their injury crisis and lack of options (e.g.. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jan/24/england-may-lose-18-players-six-nations-italy). Memory suggests you’ve already talked about this, but the crescendo of noise on this nonsense is building, particularly when they talk about the hard work all those poor Lions have had in the last 18 months.
This has got to stop.
1. We’d have been delighted to have our Lions a bit more tired, if we’d had more than a token few. And the one who actually had a chance of making the test team out of those picked, was INJURED ON THE LIONS TOUR!!
2. In the AP, teams have to choose 15 EQ players out of match-day squad of 23. That means, week-in, week-out, there are 180 EQ professional players taking part in top flight games. We’re lucky if we have 40.
3. If you want to talk about injury crisis, just look at our front-row. For the first match of the 6N, we will be without 3 loose heads, 3 hookers and 2 tight-heads, most of whom would comfortably have been in contention for the 23 if fit. Just think about those proportions for a few minutes.
Rant over.