No Vaccine For Stupidity
Hello and welcome once again to the Thistle newsletter, freshly delivered to your inbox every week. Despite the relative lack of action on the pitch this week, the world of Scottish rugby never disappoints in throwing up weird and wonderful stories for fans to digest. We hope you are enjoying reading our ramblings as much as we enjoy writing them. Please do subscribe below and share with your mates.
CHALLENGE CUP TIME: Edinburgh remain in the hunt for silverware this season, with the chance to make amends for their PRo 14 semi-final loss to Ulster in Saturday’s rearranged Challenge Cup quarter final away in France against Bordeaux Begles (12.30 KO).
While Bordeaux have lost the services of superstar Semi Radradra, their side is a potent mix of current French internationals - such as Mathieu Jalibert - and a collection of more than handy imports, most notably Ben Lam and Ben Tameifuna. The French side won the previous group stage meeting back in January, yet Edinburgh were bereft of a number of first choice players, particularly in the pack.
We have a sneaking suspicion Edinburgh have enough quality to edge this one, which would set up a semi final with either Bristol or the Dragons. Hopefully Richard Cockerill can channel the hurt of last week to get his charges over the line.
THE RETURN OF INTERNATIONAL RUGBY: the Six Nations organizers have confirmed that an extended Autumn Nations Cup will take place to replace the traditional Autumn international test window. How good?!
Scotland have been drawn in Pool B alongside France, Italy and Fiji, which looks a far more appealing prospect versus Pool A’s Group of Death, which consists of England, Ireland, Wales and Georgia.
Having dispatched France during the Six Nations, Scotland fans may be reasonably confident of delivering a clean sweep of victories. Would this count as a Grand Slam? Please?
Amazon has bought the broadcast rights for 13 of the tournament’s 16 matches, including all of Scotland’s pool matches. If Bezos and co are in the hunt for enthusiastic and competitively priced pundits/anchors our DMs remain firmly open.
THE RENNIE PUNCHING BAG: It seems there are three things that are certain in life: death, taxes and a former Glasgow player sandbagging Dave Rennie in the press. This week it was the turn of Adam Ashe - as our very own Nostradamus Alan predicted on last week’s podcast episode - for a tell-all interview with Jamie Lyall on RugbyPass. Despite ongoing injury issues, Ashe felt he had done everything asked of him to regain his place in the starting side, but to no avail in the eyes of the selectors. To be fair to Ashe, his views on Rennie have been the most balanced - “Dave is a top man and I have a lot of time for him regardless of our disagreements” - of recent takes and the end of his contract might simply reflect a loss of form and the toll of multiple injuries over the years.
Former Glasgow centre Alex Dunbar, not content with his first swipe at Rennie, came back for seconds in this interview (paywall) with Mark Palmer for the Times, once again outlining his frustration at being left out in the cold during his time at the club. Dunbar is currently searching for new employers following a short spell in France with Brive - is a scorched earth policy the best approach given this context?
Dave Rennie: professional rugby coach or makeshift punching bag?
SRU GRIEVANCE BINGO: There is nothing worse than when you go and see a band and they try out new material. That is why it is always so re-assuring that Times hack Alasdair Reid can always be relied on to play the hits. This week, reflecting on Edinburgh’s semi final defeat to Ulster, he used his column to launch another broadside against the SRU. Glossing over the fact that Edinburgh did in fact manage to reach the semi finals in pretty good fashion, he railed against the governing body’s “grassroots neglect” in contrast to the thriving IRFU.
Reid is the most recent contestant in the hottest new game amongst rugby journos, SRU Grievance Bingo! Reid achieved top marks for identifying within a mere 800 words:
Dodson bonus!
Typhoon Hagibis!
Private school bias!
Super 6!
Project players!
While his latest concerns of “players wearing headphones” and posing for social media were not on the original scorecard, we at Thistle HQ were so impressed at these fantastic and banal examples that we are happy to award a bonus point. If only Alasdair had included the Keith Russell saga, he would have walked away with a full house.
CONSPIRACY CRANKS XV: Covid-19 has been a trying time for most, and it appears to be getting to some former Scotland internationals, with a conspiracy cranks XV slowly starting to take shape.
Max Evans - who now appears to be making a career as a professional Instagrammer-ish-type personality - has long been a fully paid-up member of the 5G truther bunch, and it seems he has been joined in crankdom by former teammate Rory Lamont, who decided this would make good copy:
To give Lamont his dues, seeing as he once used to social media to describe Barack Obama as a “whore”, it appears he has mellowed somewhat over time.
SOCIAL MEDIA WATCH: a couple of things caught our eye this week, firstly former Scotland favourite Jim Hamilton hinting at a potential return to the sport. The Instagram evidence shows him moving as gracefully as ever:
Credit where it is due, former Glasgow scrum-half Nick Frisby was never one to shirk hard work, putting his hand up for extra shifts with the Malcolm Group when not selected in Dave Rennie’s matchday squad. Here he is on Instagram promoting the “softness” and “durability” of Australian toilet paper brand Quilton, proving that it is in fact possible to combine a rugby career with outside interests.
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SCOTS ABROAD WRAP UP:
Only one place to start this week, and that is Finn Russell’s mesmerising performance in Racing 92’s tight victory over Montpellier. It was the full box of tricks from the star pivot, who appears to have fully bought into his side’s “suck it and see” playing style. Wonder if there is a 2-beer limit at the La Defense Arena? Check out the best bits below:
In a close 2nd place is Stuart Hogg’s superlative performance in Exeter’s comfortable midweek victory over Gloucester, with a graceful 70-metre run (see below) the major highlight. Distressingly Hogg later left the pitch with an as yet undiagnosed injury; Scotland fans will be fervently praying that it is nothing serious. Jonny Gray - or “Jonny Cash” as teammate Jack Nowell revealingly referred to him this week - once again impressed in a manner that suggests he has added a few strings to his bow in the West Country, while Sam Hidalgo Clyne and Sam Skinner continue to push for a starting spot from the bench.
It is a difficult time to be a Leicester Tigers player at the moment, yet young lock Cammy Henderson has impressed in a struggling side, while Edinburgh cast-off Matt Scott appears to have nailed down the 12 shirt in the ‘A’ side
Robin ‘Bomber’ Hislop made his Saracens debut, the former Edinburgh prop recently joining on a loan spell from the Doncaster Knights, while in the same match, it was great to see Duncan Taylor back on the rugby field for the first time since February
The Cambuslang Afro a.k.a. ‘The Pudding’ a.k.a Duncan Weir was on fire today for Worcester - a few nice passes in attack and the usual 100% off the tee
Further afield, Hamilton Burr packed down in the row for Waikato as the Mitre 10 Cup started in New Zealand, the flame-haired Fraser Christie was pulling the strings for Tasman from 9, and former Edinburgh second row Murray Douglas will be hoping he is named to start in the Brumbies Super Rugby AU final versus the Rebels next weekend
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