Edinburgh Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Date: Fri 28th February 2020
KO: 19:35
Venue: BT Murrayfield
As usual, an excellent back row unit should provide the backbone to this Edinburgh side who welcome a struggling Cardiff side to BT Murrayfield. Cardiff will be led by Edinburgh old boy Jason Tovey while Simon Hickey continues to steer the ship, picked ahead of Jaco van der Walt – who has re-signed for next season while Hickey has not, as of yet.
The game will also mark a first home start for Charlie Shiel as well as a rare start for loosehead Jamie Bhatti, while there is plenty of oomph and experience on the bench.
Updated: We’ve added the unavailable list. Matt Scott mixed in with the injured group rather than the international group so seems more likely to be last week’s head knock the cause, than an impending start for Scotland…
Edinburgh Rugby: Damien Hoyland, Eroni Sau, James Johnstone, George Taylor, Duhan van der Merwe, Simon Hickey, Charlie Shiel; Jamie Bhatti, Mike Willemse, Simon Berghan, Lewis Carmichael, Grant Gilchrist (capt), Nick Haining, Luke Crosbie, Viliame Mata.
Replacements: Cameron Fenton, Pierre Schoeman, Pietro Ceccarelli, Sam Thomson, John Barclay, Henry Pyrgos, Jaco van der Walt, Chris Dean.
Cardiff Blues: Hallam Amos, Jason Harries, Garyn Smith, Ben Thomas, Aled Summerhill, Jason Tovey, Lloyd Williams, Brad Thyer, Kristian Dacey, Dimitri Arhip, Seb Davies, Rory Thornton, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Olly Robinson, Josh Turnbull.
Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Corey Domachowski, Keiron Assiratti, Ben Murphy, Will Boyde, Lewis Jones, Max Llewellyn, Dan Fish.
Referee: George Clancy
Unavailable: David Cherry, Mark Bennett, Matt Scott, Jack Blain, Fraser McKenzie, Stan South, Darcy Graham, WP Nel, Rory Sutherland, Stuart McInally, Ben Toolis, Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Magnus Bradbury, Blair Kinghorn
Leinster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors
Date: Fri 28th February 2020
KO: 19:35
Venue: RDS Arena
A much trickier proposition for Glasgow who travel to face Leinster. The Irish province are probably top of the teams you don’t want to play during International windows given their frightening depth and a stream of talent flowing faster and wider than the Liffey.
Still, the chance to be the first team to beat Leinster in any competition this season is too tasty to pass up and Dave Rennie does have a pretty useful squad available. Once again Huw Jones returns from Scotland duty to bolster the backline while Glenn Bryce continues to impress from fullback.
Updated: Having signed a new contract this week. Grant Stewart gets the week off with George Turner starting and try machine Mesulame Dolokoto on the bench. Glasgow as usual leading the way with their unavailable list, full transparency!
Leinster: Hugo Keenan, Dave Kearney, Jimmy O’Brien, Joe Tomane, James Lowe, Harry Byrne, Luke McGrath, Peter Dooley, Sean Cronin, Michael Bent, Ryan Baird, Scott Fardy, Josh Murphy, Will Connors, Max Deegan.
Replacements: James Tracy, Michael Milne, Jack Aungier, Jack Dunne, Rhys Ruddock, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ciaran Frawley, Fergus McFadden.
Glasgow Warriors: Glenn Bryce, Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Nick Grigg, Kyle Steyn, Pete Horne, George Horne; Aki Seiuli, George Turner, D’arcy Rae, Rob Harley, Tim Swinson, Ryan Wilson (capt), Tom Gordon, Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: Mesulame Dolokoto, Alex Allan, Ewan McQuillin, Andrew Davidson, Callum Gibbins, Jamie Dobie, Ruaridh Jackson, Nikola Matawalu,
Referee: Nigel Owens
Unavailable due to injury: Adam Ashe, Bruce Flockhart, Jonny Gray, Siua Halanukonuka, Oli Kebble, Kiran McDonald, Stafford McDowall, Robbie Nairn, Leone Nakarawa, Adam Nicol, Grant Stewart, Jale Vakaloloma, DTH van der Merwe.
International: Fraser Brown, Scott Cummings, Zander Fagerson, Adam Hastings, Sam Johnson, Ali Price, Ratu Tagive (all Scotland)
31 Responses
After the Pro14 Covid-19 announcement and the potential ramifications for qualifying for Europe, what are the chances of Dodson going “full Dodson” if any fixtures are cancelled that might impact either Scottish club in the Pro14?
Warriors on course for a record hiding. Utterly pathetic so far. Think I’ll watch Edinburgh get beaten by their bogey team instead. Or just not watch rugby for a while… Jones looking good in defence so far, mind.
Jones with 9/10 tackles made in the first half against the best side in Europe. Statement? Warriors’ capitulation is definitely a statement, too, though the two forward passes in the build up to Lowe’s try were clearer than Watson’s against Italy and Vakatawa’s (I think) against Wales. Owens doesn’t really care about accuracy, or player safety, judging by the number of aide entries and neck rolls and high tackles he lets go.
Leinster look outstanding, though, even without home advantage. I could actually see them making it an entire season without a loss. That would be unprecedented, right?
Not a bogie team anymore! 2 from 2 this season against the Blues.
PH having a mare…
agreed Horne having a mare of a first half. Let’s hope he never again appears at 10 for scotland
There needs to be something done to control how long an advantage can be played for.
A bonus point for Leinster by half time with the Majority of their first team rested for international duty can’t see any progress here under Rennie on this evidence. Horne hasn’t helped matters but Warriors are needing some heft up front soon. Hope Danny Wilson gets a big cheque book.
Well, Owens is a Leinster fan boy. I remember he mercilessly shafted Benetton a couple of years back to earn Leinster a draw with some utterly bizarre interpretations. Today blue four climbed over the maul, then collapsed without sanction, “it looked touched but it wasn’t”, ignoring all sorts of infringements, penalising made up ones like saying Glasgow failed to roll when blue sealed off a counter ruck, then decided it was for offside and in at the side… Leinster the better team, but they’re not three tries better so far. All that said, our tactics in the first 15 minutes were idiotic. That’s what’s cost us so far.
Rennies post match analysis usually includes the phrase that ‘the boys didn’t look after the pill’ . Well they hsvent looked after it again tonight. Whats the common denominator here.
A 50+ humping from a second string team just is totally unacceptable. Both Horne brothers were POOR. Dobie was an improvement over young George. Shepherd’s crook should have hooked Horne senior after 15. The centres Grigg and Jones were careless personified with the ball. No surprise Jones has been dropped by Scotland.
As ever, if our line speed is down, we get pumped. Made far worse with both Hornes. George needs to grow up and learn and kick, his Achilles heel. Peter was utterly abysmal in the first half. These aka Russell game changers of cross field kicks are terrific when they come off but oh my. Together they looked like 7s players…at Leinster. Ratchet over to Edinburgh in a tight game. If its dodgy, be tight, keep it tight. Then Cockerill brings on a scrum half who can kick. Kicking being anathema to our coach who dumps Pyrgos, Weir. No rugby game is won by a construct. I will play the fastest game in the world etc . Like Cockerill its won by far more subtle and immediate strategy.
Edinburgh was grim. Fair to say Cardiff were more under strength than Edinburgh, including 4 late changes, yet there was nowt in it. Some balding fella called Dan Fish who plays on the Welsh club scene was the most influential player until Schoeman came on. Sutherland should go to Glasgow and nobody is budging Schoeman. Certainly not Bhatti who looks a poor man’s Marfo. Almost 3 years now since he looked promising. Edinburgh can grind out wins though. Let’s face it though the best anyone else can do is lose to Leinster in the final of the pro14.
Bhatti had all-comers on toast just before he left Glasgow, including Leinster’s much-vaunted Lions props. Of course, he’s no Dan Parks.
The commentator kept saying Cardiff were under strength – Kinghorn, Graham, Bennett, Scott, Bradbury, Watson, Ritchie, Toolis, Nel, Mcinally, Sutherland were out. Schoeman is a superb player (hoping SA leave him until he’s Scottish), Shiel played well but Pygros showed what he can do, I’m not sure ,given Scotland’s “new” game-plan, if he’s not the best suited 9
Can’t see anyone beating Leinster this season at all. Why Andy Farrell is head coach of Ireland when Leo Cullen has a team playing like that, is beyond me. I’d hoped Glasgow might sneak a 4 try bonus point. But not this time.
May not be all Leo Cullen. Who is also a senior coach and ex England …… Lancaster. I feel he has a huge part to play in this.
I suspect Lancaster has made more of an impact than he’s probably given credit for. Maybe Glasgow played badly but Leinster just looked like they’d score from anywhere and far quicker and tackled much harder. Maybe Townsend should stop watching Guardiola and try watching Leinster instead.
Helps to have the best academy in Europe, if not the world
On that showing Leinster 2nds would beat Leinster 1sts
Charlie Shiel’s box kicks were bag on the money. Shame the chase didn’t do them justice. It’s not what his game is built on but on this evidence he has the best box kick of any Scottish 9.
Finn Russell to sign for Edinburgh.
Obviously a joke. But Russell is in the form of his life – every time he plays Racing are destroying all comers. Yesterday 49-0 against La Rochelle with his 60 yard intercept taking them to 15-0. This was a racing side shorn of their French internationals. Across the league and Europe easily best French side this year, and he at their heart. Playing with a smile on his face and clearly appreciated by coaches and team mates. Stark contrast to the current misery that is Scottish rugby, well Scotland and Glasgow at least.
Racing are third in the league and face an away QF in Europe – both Clermont and Toulouse earned home QFs (Toulouse unbeaten). Could be argued Racing had the toughest group but they also managed to lose away to Saracens despite leading at half time with sarries playing the whole second half with 14 men.
Russell is in the form of his life, but every chance Racing finish another season without winning a thing.
True, but Racing almost destroyed Saracens and Munster at home and away. Clearly tougher group and walked it, bit unlucky with draw. Russell was off the pitch when Saracens won too. Clermont and Toulouse are 6 and 7th in Top 14. Better chance of silverware than Glasgow or Scotland.
Rugby press stating that Russell will be back for the Summer tour after talks with Townsend
Grim weekend.
Glasgow completely smashed by a 2nd string Leinster side…When I switched over to watch Edinburgh I may have watched the most boring game of rugby I’ve ever seen…I say that having watched Scotland vs England and Italy vs Scotland.
Combine all this with our abysmal world cup, russellgate, corruption in the SRU the first 3 rounds of the 6N and I’m starting to wonder why I even follow Scottish rugby anymore.
I also noticed a little stat that sums up Glasgow’s night.
Ryan Baird :
– 20yrs old, 6 appearances for Leinster, uncapped
– 92 metres from 21 carries
– 0 penalties conceded
– 3 tries scored
His opposite man was Rob Harley:
– 29yrs old, 229 appearances for Glasgow, 21 caps
– 0 metres from 4 carries
– 3 penalties conceded (as much as the entire Leinster team!)
Leinster were at home, yes, and they have a really strong arsenal of talented young players.
But, realistically, you’d take George Horne over McGrath. You’d take Seiuli over Bent. You’d take Rae over Dooley. You’d take Huw Jones over O’Brien, you’d take Seymour over Dave Kearney, you’d take Swinson over Murphy, you’d take Grigg over Tomane, you’d take Gordon over Connors, you’d take Dolokoto over Tracy, you’d take Allan over Aungier, Davidson over Dunne, Matawalu over McFadden, you’d back Glasgow to win on paper.
Being squashed like that is infuriating, even by a side as buoyant as Leinster.
I wouldn’t take all those Glasgow players.
Also, Harley isn’t why Glasgow lost. He made a real pest of himself at the breakdown and put in a couple of tackles. Yes he won no turnovers, made 0 meters on carries and gave 3 penalties away but apart from that he was quality. Carmichael has been called up to the test squad and Rob should be banging Townsend’s door down asking why it wasn’t him.
I’ll give you a hint why….club rugby is his absolute ceiling. It’s so evident even Townsend knows it.
Didn’t Glasgow play almost exactly the same game back in 2018?
Smashed by Leinster 2nds with PH at the helm.