Edinburgh 2024/25

[BaldiePete]

DVDM listed as injured but they’re saying it’s a minor knock. Academy player Lewis Wells gets his first pro start in his place. Hill is probably the best of the Edinburgh tightheads so it’s good to see him back.

W Goosen; D Graham, M Currie, J Lang, L Wells; B Healy, C Shiel; P Schoeman, P Harrison, P Hill, M Sykes, S Skinner, T Dodd, L Crosbie ©, M Bradbury. Subs: E Ashman,, B Venter, J Sebastian, G Young, H Watson, A Price, R Thompson, M Tuipulotu.

Unavailable: Duhan van der Merwe (ankle), Nathan Sweeney (knee), Grant Gilchrist (hand), Freddy Douglas (ankle), Ross McCann (calf), Ben Muncaster (ankle), Emiliano Boffelli (back), Mark Bennett (pec), Jamie Hodgson (tricep), Connor Boyle (knee).

[switchskier]

James Whitcome rumoured for next season. Not sure I see the point, even as a mediocre for mediocre replacement for Venter.

[septic 9]

James Whitcome rumoured for next season. Not sure I see the point, even as a mediocre for mediocre replacement for Venter.

is Venter off then? Would be a shame to lose their best loosehead

[BaldiePete]

Easy enough 36-15 win against a poor Black Lion team. That’s despite Bradbury getting a red for a high tackle after 34 minutes and yellows for Schoeman and Healy. At no time time did I think Edinburgh might lose. Aside for the yellow (high tackle) from Healy he had a decent enough game but Edinburgh still can’t get a fluid backs movement going. The young lad on the left wing looked like a decent prospect. I hope he gets more game time in the matches played on the 6N rest weeks.

[Cameo]

How was Skinner? If Cummings is out, there's an outside chance of coming in from the outside and getting onto the bench v Italy.

I hope too that Wells gets more games. The pattern for young wings seems to be that they come in, look promising then we never see them again. That's maybe because it's easier for a young wing to make a good run or two and impress us and we don't notice the poor positioning etc., but we need to find a way to bring through more back three players. Across our two pro teams if everyone is fit, probably only one of the six starters is homegrown.

[BaldiePete]

Skinner was OK, nice support line for his try and did the 2nd row basics. He’s a good journeyman 2nd row and would do a job if asked but he’s not as good as Cummings. Cummings is definitely out but Townsend isn’t adding to the squad at the moment.

[BaldiePete]

Looks like it’ll be Cherry on the bench for Scotland next week. Ashman is certain to start. As Edinburgh teams go, that’s decent enough. Obviously not hit as badly as Glasgow by internationals being retained. Good to see Patterson back. Crosbie is in the injured list not the international list, so he won’t be near the team next weekend.


W Goosen; H Paterson, M Currie, J Lang, L Wells; B Healy, A Price; B Venter, P Harrison, P Hill, G Young, S Skinner ©, L McConnell, H Watson, T Dodd. Subs: H Morris, R Hislop, J Sebastian, R Carmichael, T Currie, B Vellacott, R Thompson, M Tuipulotu.

Unavailable: N Sweeney (knee), F Douglas (ankle), R McCann (calf), B Muncaster (ankle), E Boffelli (back), M Bennett (pec), J Hodgson (tricep), C Boyle (knee), L Crosbie (back), M Bradbury (suspension).

International selection: P Schoeman, E Ashman, D Cherry, G Gilchrist, M Sykes, J Ritchie, D van der Merwe, D Graham.

[General Zod]

There’s a really good interview (apart from about 2 or 3 minutes of inadvertent silence) with the Edinburgh chief exec Douglas Struth on the offside line podcast that has just been released. It lasts about an hour and he goes over their plans for the club/ stadium and how they are planning to be less shit in the future.

Sometimes a word just takes you by surprise. That last line really got me good.

Sounds interesting though.

Having watched 67 minutes this afternoon, I feel my point stands. Good to see some young Scots plying though. Individually, they’ve done ok.

Does Stuart Lancaster need a job? I think he only lives in Yorkshire.

[BaldiePete]

Poor discipline by Edinburgh helped Scarlets immensely. Same old story there. Definitely a plus point to see some youngsters get a chance and they all seemed to have a decent game. Getting two bonus points from an away match is another plus point. Last year they’d have collapsed and got nothing from the game.

[Adder]

Jamie Ritchie off the Perpignan (USAP) next year.

Not a bad move but it does get awfully hot.

https://x.com/usap_officiel/status/1887456089752674495

[General Zod]

Jamie Ritchie off the Perpignan (USAP) next year.

Not a bad move but it does get awfully hot.

https://x.com/usap_officiel/status/1887456089752674495

I think that’s a great move for him (if they stay up) and Scottish rugby. He’s presumably one of the highest earners and it frees up a space for some of the youngsters coming through (he says before they sign Boland Cavaliers’ Stukkie van der Merwe on a 3 year contract).

[Cameo]

Yep, makes sense.

[BaldiePete]

Happy enough with that. He’s probably seen how Kinghorn has progressed at Toulouse and realised it’s the best way to further his career and thought that at 28 it’s now or never.

[BaldiePete]

Club rugby back for this weekend. Edinburgh are playing Zebre at home and have a decent enough team selected. There should be no excuses for not getting a 5 point win. The players unlikely to play against England have been released and it’s good to see Boffelli back but he’s hardly played since the World Cup and will probably be off when his contract is up.

W Goosen (Old Boys University), E Boffelli (Duendes), M Currie (Dumfries Saints/ Merchiston Castle School), M Tuipulotu (Greenock Wanderers RFC/South District Pirates), R McCann (Melrose/ GB 7s), R Thompson (Stewart’s Melville College), A Price (West Norfolk RFC/ Wisbech Grammar); B Venter (High School de Aar), P Harrison (Peebles RFC), D Rae (Marr RFC), M Sykes (Ayr RFC/ Woodbridge), G Young (Jed-Forest RFC ), L Crosbie (Currie Chieftains, CAPTAIN), H Watson (Edinburgh Accies), T Currie (Dumfries Saints/ Merchiston Castle School)

Replacements: H Morris (Melrose RFC), R Hislop (Langholm RFC), P Hill (Doncaster Knights), S Skinner (Topsham RFC), L McConnell (Boroughmuir RFC), B Vellacott (Barnstaple RFC), B Healy (Nenagh Ormond RFC), J Lang (RGC/ London Irish Amateur)

Unavailable: Connor Boyle (knee), Tom Dodd (shoulder), Jamie Hodgson (tricep), Ben Muncaster (concussion), Harry Paterson (concussion), Lewis Wells (ankle).

International duty: Ewan Ashman, Dave Cherry, Grant Gilchrist, Darcy Graham, Jamie Ritchie, Pierre Schoeman, Duhan van der Merwe.

[Mikey Brown]

Heard Tom Currie is a prospect. Matt's brother presumably?

[BaldiePete]

Heard Tom Currie is a prospect. Matt's brother presumably?

That’s right. It’s good to see a young lad (he’s 20) getting a chance.

[BaldiePete]

Utterly pathetic. If Wales can sack Gatland mid-tournament then the SRU can sack Everitt now.

[Cameo]

A top coach for Edinburgh has to be the priority. If it means waiting for the summer I can live with that as long as we don't drift on just on the basis they scrape into the playoffs. Average coaching effects development and directly impacts the national team.

Is that in Nucifora's wheelhouse?

[Mikey Brown]

A top coach for Edinburgh has to be the priority. If it means waiting for the summer I can live with that as long as we don't drift on just on the basis they scrape into the playoffs. Average coaching effects development and directly impacts the national team.

Is that in Nucifora's wheelhouse?

I guess he’s busy with the jamboree or something.

[BaldiePete]

Team for this weeks gubbing by Munster. Ashman starts, which might say something about next week’s team for Wales. Vellacott gets a chance for a start, probably a poisoned chalice given the likely result. With Graham and VDM held back by Scotland and with injuries they’re starting to run out of wingers so Currie is on the right wing. Those injuries include Boffelli, who didn’t make it through even one game after a very long time out (pretty much since the World Cup). On the bench Mark Bennett returns from injury.

W Goosen; M Currie, J Lang, M Tuipulotu, R McCann; R Thompson, B Vellacott ©; B Venter, E Ashman, P Hill, M Sykes, S Skinner, L Crosbie, B Muncaster, M Bradbury. Subs: P Harrison, R Hislop, D Rae, G Young, H Watson, A Price, C Scott, M Bennett.

Unavailable due to injury: Emiliano Boffelli (hamstring), Ben Healy (hip), Connor Boyle (knee), Tom Dodd (shoulder), Jamie Hodgson (tricep), Harry Paterson (concussion), Lewis Wells (ankle).

International duty: Dave Cherry, Grant Gilchrist, Darcy Graham, Jamie Ritchie, Pierre Schoeman, Duhan van der Merwe.

[paddy no 11]

Munster missing a lot too, only saw 2nd half Edinburgh shouldn't have coughed up 2 points at the end

Who is curry? As good as tonight's performance suggests

[BaldiePete]

Fucking hell Edinburgh. Mostly play like shit for almost the entire season then pull out a good result like this or the 2nd 1872 and do enough so that Everrit keeps his job. I suppose Currie had to get player of the match since he scored three tries but I’d have given it to Ventner, he absolutely monstered the Munster tighthead. Currie is a very good player but his normal position is centre and that’s one area where Scotland are very strong so he’s not really had the chances at international level.

[septic 9]

Fucking hell Edinburgh. Mostly play like shit for almost the entire season then pull out a good result like this or the 2nd 1872 and do enough so that Everrit keeps his job. I suppose Currie had to get player of the match since he scored three tries but I’d have given it to Ventner, he absolutely monstered the Munster tighthead. Currie is a very good player but his normal position is centre and that’s one area where Scotland are very strong so he’s not really had the chances at international level.

who saw that result coming?
TBF Munster were total gash. The only thing worse than Edinburgh's defence was Munster's defence.

My MoM just because he carried as he used to was Bradbury, but Currie and Venter were very good also.

[Cameo]

Great win.

Being churlish would say that it was a bit worrying to only win by 5 points when they had such dominance in the scrum. Some good back play, but second half seemed to go too deep and too slow and lose ground.

[BaldiePete]

Some random Facebook page reporting that Watson is off to Japan. Not seen it anywhere else though. If true, that’s fair enough. He’s been a fantastic player for Edinburgh and Scotland but it’s time for him to move on with all our thanks.