Waiting for Victory

Europe over for the pro teams, Super 6 Sprint hots up and Glasgow squad moves

May 09, 2022

WELCOME: it has been a difficult fortnight in Scottish rugby to say the least, with defeats for both Edinburgh and Glasgow in domestic and European competition and the Women picking up the TikTok Six Nations wooden spoon after falling to an agonisingly late defeat to the Irish. Although both Edinburgh and Glasgow are guaranteed URC play offs, recent defeats in the league have made their lives significantly harder, with quarter finals in either Ireland or South Africa to look forward to - eek. At least they no longer have the distraction of Europe to contend to (every silver cloud eh?). This week we look back on the Challenge Cup quarter finals, check in with the Super Six Sprint and bring you all that was good and great in the world of Scottish rugby. Enjoy!

STING IN THE TAIL: Edinburgh are out of the Challenge Cup after losing to Wasps 30-34 in a topsy-turvy encounter that went right down to the wire. The visitors’ heftier pack did enough to just about deserve victory in the end, yet Mike Blair will be disappointed with his side’s error count, and how they failed to capitalize on their 7 point lead midway through the first half.

Edinburgh took an early lead after Boffelli and Gopperth had exchanged penalties, Ben Vellacott diving over against his former club after a flowing move that showed Edinburgh at their best - ambition, offloading and good decision making all on show. However, the visitors quickly replied - symptomatic of the match as a whole - with a converted Gopperth score. Adam McBurney, parachuted into the side after a raft of injuries at hooker, then crossed following a powerful rolling maul, before Boffelli added another penalty early in the second half to take the lead out to 20-13. Yet predictably Edinburgh spilt the subsequent restart, which led to Wasps scoring again to even matters, before hooker West crossed to take the visitors into the lead for the first time in the match. Magnus Bradbury then went under the sticks after a delicious offload from the Sweet Prince/the Scottish SBW Chris Dean, and another Boffelli penalty wrested the lead back to Edinburgh. However, with Connor Boyle in the sin-bin, Barbeary squeezed over late on, which was enough to secure the victory.

Match highlights below:

Make no mistake about it, this defeat will hurt. Although Wasps have some undeniable talent in their ranks (Robson, Willis, Barbeary and Launchbury to name but a few) they have still struggled for form this season, and remain in 9th place in the English Premiership. Edinburgh are mightily improved on last season, but appear to lack the mentality to see out close matches, particularly those that require dusting down the bludgeon rather than a sharpening of the rapier.

There were still plenty of positives to take: the DAM Health was once again bouncing, and Edinburgh showed that when they click in attack very few can live with them. We also need to remember the significant injury list, with the absence of Jamie Ritchie appearing increasingly crucial. In addition, some refereeing decisions - particularly around the Brad Shields incident - were interesting to say the least.

THINK WE’VE SEEN THIS ONE BEFORE: Glasgow crashed out of Europe after once again losing a close encounter from a promising position, going down 27-35 away to Lyon, in what has becoming a frustratingly familiar habit for the Warriors this season. Although the French were always going to prove a stern test, Danny Wilson’s men will be wondering how they managed to throw away a 27-13 lead with Lyon down to 14 men.

Glasgow recovered from a slow start to register the first try of the match, and in truth it was a beauty - Josh Mackay breaking out of the Glasgow 22 before regathering his own kick to cross under the posts. Yet ill discipline from the away side allowed the hosts to stay in the contest, Lyon standoff Berdeu chipping over two penalties. And when Lyon got going they looked dangerous, Saginadze’s try disallowed before scrum half Couilloud scored from a quick tap penalty. However, Glasgow did well to stay in the fight, and struck back with another try straight out of the top drawer, Cole Forbes (aka the most Kiwi man alive) dotting down in the corner after nice hands in the build up from Johnson and Mackay.

The Warriors started the second period well, earning a penalty try from a rolling maul, which took the score to 27-13. A 14 point lead against 14 men - what could go wrong? Glasgow were then reduced to 14 men themselves after Bhatti was (harshly?) sent to the sin bin for halting a Lyon maul. From then on the home side’s power and bulk told, man mountain Roman Taofifenua barging over before a late brace from Georgian winger Niniashvili took the game beyond the Warriors

Match highlights below:

Conspiring to lose after being well placed on the 60th minute mark - at least the Warriors have found some element of consistency this season. In recent weeks we have seen Danny Wilson’s men frequently crumble at the key moments of matches, and we can add Lyon to similar defeats at the hands of the Stormers, Bulls and Cardiff in the URC. Wilson keeps talking about the need to learn from these types of defeats, but the evidence would suggest his charges have left their textbooks at home. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of these second half collapses - fitness issues? lack of depth on the bench? - but there is a growing (and understandable) sense of frustration amongst Glasgow fans right now. Whether Wilson is the right man to take this side forwards remains very much up in the air.

SANTIAGO AWAY? in other news this week the SRU have confirmed recent rumours that a Scotland ‘A’ side will take on Chile in the opening match of the national side’s summer tour to South America. The match will take place on 25th June at the Estadio Santa Laura Universidad SEK in the Chilean capital of Santiago, with a 9pm UK time kick off. Scotland will become the first home nation to take on Chile, and the fixture should present a great chance to blood those youngsters currently pushing for full international honours. How about a team featuring the likes of Glenn Young, Gregor Brown, Kyle Rowe, Cammy Hutchison, Matt Currie, Connor Boyle and with a real bolter/left field hat on, London Irish full back Henry Arundell?

SUPER 6 ROUND-UP: the Super 6 Sprint continues to serve up some interesting results, with Boroughmuir Bears securing their first win of the season against the in-form Stirling County, Watsonians extending their unbeaten streak against capital rivals Heriots and the Ayrshire Bulls thrashing the hapless Southern Knights.

On Friday night the Bears visited the in-form Stirling County looking for their first win of the season, and put in the kind of performance the Meggetland faithful assured us was on the horizon, overcoming their hosts by the narrowest of victories 26-25. Friend of the pod Tom Brown scored the decisive try, with eventual man of the match Cory Tait crossing for a brace from hooker. The result goes to show how tight the competition is this year, and that anyone can pull out a victory on their day.

Saturday’s action kicked off with Ayrshire Bulls putting 60 past the Southern Knights at the Greenyards. The Knights are clearly in a transition phase at the moment, and the gulf in class to their opponents was plain from the outset. Tom Jordan ran rampant throughout, although the hosts’ tackling left a lot to be desired. The lack of crowds at the Greenyards (and if the below the line comments on The Offside Line are anything to go by) would suggest the concept of Super 6 has still to find its feet in the Borders rugby heartlands.

The capital clash between Watsonians and Heriots (played in an unfamiliar setting of Meggetland) was a cracker that went the way of the Myreside men 34-25. Both sides came with an ambition to play, and why wouldn’t you with the likes of Rory Brand, Jason Baggott and Harry Paterson (Soneybums) and Sam Pecquer, Niall Godsmark and Murdo McAndrew (Nails) to call upon? The unbeaten Watsonians now sit at the top of the pile, with the Bulls and Country breathing down their necks.

SQUAD MOVES: although there may be some question marks around whether Danny Wilson will be in charge of the Warriors next season, the head coach continues to mould his squad for next year’s campaign.

Firstly, it was confirmed that four academy graduates - second rows Alex Samuel and Max Williamson, back row Gregor Brown and hooker Angus Fraser - have been handed their first senior professional contracts with the club. Samuel, Williamson and Brown have all impressed at age group level, with Brown making a handful of appearances for the Warriors in the last two years - and most pleasingly, all of them are big old lumps. Angus Fraser, a previous recipient of the MacPhail scholarship, has been going well for Stirling County in the Super 6.

Secondly, the Warriors have announced the players set to depart at the end of this season. While Kiran MacDonald and Robert Harley’s departure had already been confirmed, some of the other names on the list raised some eyebrows. Scotland cap Grant Stewart has rapidly fallen down the pecking order in the hooker ranks, finding himself turning out for the Ayrshire Bulls of late - just 27 years old, it is easy to forget his role in the Glasgow side that reached the Pro 14 final in 2019, and his talent appears to have been wasted slightly. Although earlier in his rugby journey, the same can perhaps be said of prop Tom Lambert, who leaves after signing his first professional deal with the Warriors in just 2021, and who impressed mightily in his first season at the club.

It is also being rumoured that Bulls lock and flanker Sintu Manjezi is on his way to Scotstoun next year (H/T the Rugby Paper). Whether 100% true or not - News24 in South Africa is reporting England as his most likely destination - clearly Wilson thinks it is the pack that needs strengthening, the news following the signings of Vailanu and Du Preez. From the evidence on show he certainly looks like he could be a handy signing:

SCOTS ABROAD:

Challenge Cup

Gloucester v Saracens: Charlie Chapman (9), Adam Hastings (10), Chris Harris (13) and Andrew Davidson (19) v Tim Swinson (4), Sean Maitland (11), Andy Christie (20) and Duncan Taylor (22) - Duncan Taylor, in an unfamiliar scrum cap, crossing late on for a popular try.

Toulon v London Irish: Cornell Du Preez (6) v Ben White (9), Kyle Rowe (14) and Henry Arundell (23) - Scots-qualified Arundell scoring perhaps the try of the weekend - annoyingly his recent form means he may have his pick of the home nations to choose from when it comes to international rugby.

Champions Cup

Racing 92 v Sale: Finn Russell (10) v Tom Roebuck (14), Ewan Ashman (16) and Gus Warr (21) - Russell with this very, very Russell-esque score

Thistle Scottish Rugby Podcast @thistlerugbypod

Finn ❤️

Nice wee vid of the Scotland 7s side in action this season:

PLUGGING: You can subscribe to the podcast here: https://play.acast.com/s/thethistle.

The Thistle Newsletter

Discussion about this post