Podcast: Episode 248 – Small Margins

35 responses

1. Leicester v Edinburgh
   Far too many unforced errors but Edinburgh well in this match, Watsons best 1/2 for ages, Lang playing well, Darcy still to get his eye in (after injury)
   Excellent physicality (should be given the amount of internationals in orange) and great attitude.
   Need to get VDM opportunities in their 22

2. Can’t question the commitment but Edinburgh simply did not deserve to win this game, must’ve been approaching 20 unforced errors, Pygros charged down twice, McInally at fault, Graham nowhere near his best. Kinghorn showing yet again hes a FB. (Pollard showed what a proper 10 does) Ritchie bounced for the Leicester try
   The commentators kept on mentioning the conditions….. why did Edinburgh play no-one who can kick the ball. Should’ve signed Healy with immediate effect.
   On the positives Crosbie, Watson, Cherry did well.

   1. Edinburgh were absolutely rubbish tonight and once again bottled a knockout match.
      Many of us spent a lot of time and money to travel to a cold, sodden Leicester to watch us play like a bunch of muppets.
      There should be no way that a team featuring so many Test level players can deliver up such a poor performance. But they found a way, as they usually do in big matches.
      Simply sick fed up of watching this side stack it when it counts.

3. Sorry to post this on the Women’s 6 nations, but can’t see where else to put it. Good luck tomorrow against Wales, though.
   At Welford Road tonight and just so disappointed. Awful first half with mistakes by both sides and a 3-0 deficit. Leicester fans I spoke to couldn’t believe, after stuffing a resurgent Bristol last week, that Edinburgh were still in the game after so little possession and only one break into Leicester’s 22 in the first half, after 35 minutes. Hope for the second half when Boff kicked us ahead was snuffed out by a Leicester try really poorly defended. At no point during the game did the ball get to our two world class wingers. At no point did Edinburgh ever look like breaching Tiger’s defence. There was absolutely no innovation in our attack and my mother could have defended Edinburgh’s advances. This was particularly galling because Leicester weren’t that good and we could easily have won this game with a bit more belief. Too many mistakes from a team that matched a great Premiership side upfront but lacked the creativity behind to unleash a world class attack, albeit none of the back three caught a ball all night! (Ok, maybe a couple).

4. IMO Edinburgh’s main issue presently is they are rudderless on and off the pitch, on it – Kinghorn cannot (not his fault as he is an excellent 15) control a game from 10, last night Edinburgh were sort of playing with 2 FBs. Furthermore with the backs chosen you NEED quick ball Pygros Kinghorn will not provide this. Pygros had some mice kicks but he is as slow as a week in jail.
   Crosbie was the positive from last night, front foot ball was provided by his muscular breenges…..

5. Awful performance from Edinburgh. It was a miracle they were only 3-0 down at the break. I appreciate the conditions in the first half were challenging but it was unforced error after unforced error. Lineout looked a shambles, handling errors and turnovers galore. Ref didn’t help as I saw two squint Leicester line out throws and a scrum penalty earned by Nel that went the other way. That said Edinburgh didn’t deserve to win and have avoided a drubbing at Leinster in the QF.

   1. I probably agree with you Saint but I refuse to sign up entirely, with some of that ranty comment. It is better to leave the rants to me BTW, I am seriously good at it.

      Blaming the referee now, how scottish, that blaming someone attutude is so very scottish, doing ourselves down. Do you ever thing Jim Telfer would blame the referee ? would he ? no , he would say a few unprintable words when he looks in the mirror and get back to improving the only think he really can improve. By that I mean himself, I can tell I must spell it out.

      Edinburgh were dire. Something wrong. They did not need the ref to be dire, no they did that all on their own without his assistance.

      Oh dear ! Where is my fags, where is my beer, where is the swear box, where is ma punchbag. I will be glad to get back to the cricket nets this season. It has been a howler at the Damhealth.

6. Line out improved when Cherry came on.
   It’s clearly a leadership issue. The players on view last night are better than that.
   VDW would’ve been perfect for the conditions last night but……………
   Aye Saint I accepted the defeat knowing that a thrashing in Dublin was prevented

   1. A thrashing against Leinster could have been the best thing for us, look what happened to Glasgow

7. Glasgow immense tonight

   1. I hope the match analysts are have a good long look at how Glasgow shipped five tries. The upcoming opposition certainly will.

      1. CSC: I suppose because the game was an easy win before the first ball was kicked. Most people who play the game have heard of , and played in, the classic mismatch.

         A human factor , not a skills gap, win the game , get off the pitch, avoid serious injury. Job done , yawn , yawn, yawn.

   2. CSC has a sort of point, but I dont agree with the harshness of the criticism. It wasn’t ‘ immense ‘really, maybe that is a bit strong . 6 tries were lineout drives and we did play 7’s against 14 men, when the game was well won. It is hard to take anything from a game like that, we set a team and personal try scoring record, so what ! It was a walkover and we switched off.

8. Is Matthews eligible for Scotland? Has he not played for Scotland A?

9. His Mother is from Glasgow and he represented Scotland at under 18 level, so he is well eligible for Scotland. Five tries scored tonight, surely he should be in the mix for the RWC.

   1. Eh no : Fraser Broon is Toonys pick.

10. Everything Edinburgh aren’t just now, Glasgow are- cohesive, well coached, confident, playing with a smile on their respective faces.
    I’ve often deemed it odd (given the travails at the line out) that the tremendous Matthews was never in any of the nations squads.
    Darge back to his best, R Gray imperious, Steyn getting better and better. OK it was against 14 men for a half but this was a joy to watch. The Forbes and Jones trys were sensational, the Dempsey and Darge breaks world class.
    Franco Smith has done an excellent job.

    1. No one is a Danny Wilson fan now ! are they ? Well done the board on making the right decisions. Some tried to blame the sacking of our former coach on a season Ticket Holders protest about prices rising. Well it clearly was not about that and no one is complaining now, are they !!!

11. Just to highlight Glasgow’s depth at the moment, who would win:

    The XV who started yesterday

    Vs.

    This team that weren’t in the 23:

    1. Jamie Bhatti / Oli Kebble 2. Fraser Brown 3. Zander Fagerson 4. Sintu Majezi 5. Alex Samuel 6. Ally Miller 7. Tom Gordon 8. Matt Fagerson
    9. Ali Price 10. Ross Thompson / Tom Jordan 11. Facundo Cordero 12. Sam Johnson 13. Stafford McDowall 14. Sebastian Cancelliere 15. Josh McKay

12. So can Glasgow win the tin, the ‘Mickey Mouse cup’ as FF called it, as I recall ? It just begs the question ‘I wonder what kind of watch Mickey Mouse wears? Guesses are permitted.

    I wonder who wears a MM watch ? Jaco the ref for starters , now known as Red Jako (I just made it up dont spread it).

13. CSC has a sort of point, but I dont agree with the harshness of the criticism. It wasn’t ‘ immense ‘really, maybe that is a bit strong . 6 tries were lineout drives and we did play 7’s against 14 men, when the game was well won. It is hard to take anything from a game like that, we set a team and personal try scoring record, so what ! It was a walkover and we switched off.

14. Is it a peculiarly Scottish thing or just a peculiar thing that after a 40 point victory, 73 points scored, some genuinely exhilarating tries, club records broken that some people are still no happy

    1. I know right. Bit like a boxer fighting a groggy opponent and letting his or her hands go in order to get the KO. That comes with risk as they could get caught. I’m sure if it was a tighter game Glasgow would have been less gung ho and would have picked their shots more carefully.

       1. Hello , here is a couple of groggy boxers saint and John. Would you rather beat Leinster by a few points or hammer the Dragons , the worst side, in a union that has just imposed a wage bad ?

          Beating Leinster is amazing , hammering them is immense. Sending the scruffy dragons home to think again, just another day at the office , I suggest , IMO , others will differ, but they should not , if they really think about it.

          Gubbing a bunch of disillusioned welsh men, playing for the worst of their pro sides, in a union that has been found out , is not the kind of thing that we need to be over the moon about . Yes it is good, It moves us forward in a european match, but immense , come on , lets do this with dignity.

15. Team for Lions

    Smith – Dobie – McDowall – Johnson – Horne – Miotti – Price – Dempsey – Darge – Fagerson – Cummings – Gray – Fagerson – Matthews – Bhatti

    Steyn – Jordan – Vailanu – Du Preez – Samuel – Walker – Turner – Kebble

    Going for the triple scrum-half attack play. Set-piece with the lock pairing and lots of box kicking (shown to work with the Dobie/Price combo against Ulster) will keep the lions pinned in their 22.

    McDowall/Johnson to do the hard yards for the box kicks.

    Both Horne and Dobie have played wing this season and not looked out of place… + offers fast ruck passing.

    1. Price – ? Only a few weeks ago you got a lecture about overdoing the criticism in case his mammy was reading it and now you are all ‘Bunny ears’ and easter cheer. Get a grip new, he is not suddenly going to perform , is he ? well !

       1. That one was for Neil not new!

16. Might of missed this at some point but it appears Jaco van der Valt has signed for Bulls from next season (according to rugby transfers)

17. Pleased for him.On the very few opportunities he’s had in the past 18 months-whether at 10 or 15- he’s always looked to be giving 110%.I feel he’s been poorly treated by Blair and could have been given more game time.

18. In my opinion VDW the best 10 at Edinburgh.
    Something smells off, VDW strong, good defence, excellent kicker, decent passing game

    1. That happens. A team which was really performing well , seemed to drop overnight to the underachievers they are. I don’t even bother to watch now.

       So yes , something stinks, anyone wish to share ? It is stating the obvious ? What is it? Even great s like Hamish Watson are off the boil. I actually think he has had a hard hand to play, but his time at this level, and with this side, may well be over. Get a new Job Hamish, you have done your best with this lot. It will mean moving to a new city with all the crud that involves, Edinburgh is a great place to live, but, it is a short life.

       1. And they played BK instead of him ….. hhhhmmmmm

19. Looks like Tam Dim opened a new tin of catnip last night

    1. I feel the same today as I did yesterday. Still gloating after gubbing the dragons then. They are well named , they do drag on a bit.

20. Ewan Ashman is to join Edinburgh from Sale Sharks this summer with a four-year deal.