Edinburgh seek to flower again in Gardens

Posted on Jan 14, 2011 in Rugby News

Edinburgh’s bid for a strong finish to their Heineken Cup pool campaign begins with a trip to a ground where they recorded one of the best results in the club’s history the last time they visited.

Rob Moffat’s men head to Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night (kick-off 8pm) to take on Northampton Saints in a re-enactment of the October 2000 encounter that saw them win 23-22 against an outfit who were reigning European champions.

The Edinburgh side that will run out this time around shows one survivor, Chris Paterson, from the original clash. Overall, the starting line-up bears six changes from that which began the 21-16 Magners League loss to Scarlets at Murrayfield last Saturday.

In the backs, Jim Thompson replaces Lee Jones on the wing, while Ben Cairns comes in for John Houston and will form a centre partnership with Nick De Luca for the first time since the trip to Leinster in May 2010.

In the pack, meanwhile, Kyle Traynor gets a start at loose-head prop, Esteban Lozada replaces Fraser McKenzie at lock and Roddy Grant comes in at No.8 and will captain the team. Fellow back-row player Netani Talei is suffering from a virus and misses out this week. Ross Rennie replaces Stuart McInally, with Alan MacDonald moving to blindside.

Head coach Moffat today challenged his charges to repeat the level of attacking ambition they showed in the narrow 31-28 defeat in the first meeting between the teams at Murrayfield last October, a match Edinburgh graced with three outstanding tries.

He said: “We played well in a lot of areas last time out against Northampton, and with a little bit more composure at crucial times, could certainly have won the game.

“Franklin’s Gardens is known throughout Europe as one of the toughest away grounds to go and get a positive result, but we’ve named a side that we feel is more than capable of rising to the challenge.

“The guys have already shown that they can live with a team with the sort of quality Northampton have, and we’ll be asking them to really front up again and make sure we do ourselves justice.

“When you go to a place like Northampton, it’s always nice to look back through the history books and see you’ve won there before, but that game [in season 2000/2001] was a long time ago and I’m sure that everyone in this team wants to register an achievement of their own.

“What the last few weeks have underlined is that we need our set-piece to be more consistent if we’re to fully exploit the potential we have in attack. That’s the message we’ve been hammering home all week: do the basics well and give ourselves the platform to push on and win the game.

“We’ve still got a lot to play for in this competition, and we know that a couple of wins in these two games [Edinburgh face Cardiff Blues at Murrayfield next Saturday in their final Pool 1 fixture] would give us a chance of more European rugby in the second half of the season.

“Friday will be one of the biggest tests we’ll face in the entire campaign, but it’s the sort of game that everyone relishes being involved in and we’ll travel in positive mood.”

A decision has yet to be made on who will occupy the final front row berth on the Edinburgh replacements bench.

EDINBURGH TEAM TO PLAY NORTHAMPTON SAINTS IN HEINEKEN CUP POOL 1 AT FRANKLIN’S GARDENS ON FRIDAY 14 JANUARY (KICK-OFF 8PM, LIVE ON SKY SPORTS)

15 Chris Paterson

14 Jim Thompson
13 Ben Cairns
12 Nick De Luca
11 Tim Visser

10 David Blair
9 Mike Blair

1 Kyle Traynor
2 Ross Ford
3 Geoff Cross
4 Scott MacLeod
5 Esteban Lozada
6 Alan MacDonald
8 Roddy Grant (captain)
7 Ross Rennie

SUBSTITUTES

16 TBC
17 Lewis Niven
18 David Young
19 Craig Hamilton
20 Stuart McInally
21 Greig Laidlaw
22 James King
23 Simon Webster

Monday ERC result.

Posted on Dec 21, 2010 in Rugby News

POOL 1

Edinburgh 24 Castres Olympique 22
HT: 14-10 Attendance: 0
Edinburgh: Try – Simon Webster, Tim Visser, Lee Jones; Conversion – Chris Paterson (2) , David Blair; Penalty – David Blair; Yellow Card – Greig Laidlaw
Castres Olympique: Try – Sébastien Tillous-Borde, Rodrigo Capo Ortega; Conversion – Seremaia Bai (2) ; Penalty – Pierre Bernard; Penalty Try
Match points: Edinburgh 4pts, Castres Olympique 1pts

Vernon to start for Scotland

Posted on Nov 24, 2010 in Rugby News

Jacobsen and Lamont reach landmark

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson has challenged his team to step up their performance in Saturday’s final EMC Autumn Test against Samoa at Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen.

Robinson has made one change in personnel from the team that started last week’s victory over world champions South Africa at Murrayfield.  Richie Vernon, the 23-year-old Glasgow Warrior, who enjoyed a considerable impact off the bench, will make his second start for Scotland at No 8, with Nathan Hines switching to his optimum berth of lock and Kelly Brown reverting to blindside flanker.

On the bench, scrum-half Mike Blair has recovered from the head knock he sustained against New Zealand and is preferred to Greig Laidlaw and Max Evans returns after his shoulder injury from the same game instead of Chris Paterson.

Robinson said today: “Our supporters were understandably delighted by our win against South Africa but that game is now history and we have to start afresh against quality international opposition in Samoa.

“They will bring their own very physical, hard-running dimension to Saturday’s game and we need to be absolutely focused on upping our performance this weekend.”

Robinson went on: “I thought Richie Vernon showed his mettle as an international rugby player when he came on for Scott MacLeod last Saturday and he has a chance to demonstrate those traits from the start on Saturday.

“I also want to congratulate Chunk (Allan Jacobsen) and Sean Lamont as this weekend will mark their 50th caps.  Both have had periods of injury adversity in their careers but they have shown the sort of determination we will need on Saturday to return from such experiences to be better players for it.”

Jacobsen becomes the 29th Scot, Lamont the 30th, to reach the milestone, while Dan Parks equalled John Rutherford’s drop-goal record for Scotland when he landed his 12th such score last Saturday.

Scotland’s players will be undertaking a number of visits to primary and secondary schools in and around Aberdeen tomorrow (Thursday) and there is much excitement in the Granite City ahead of Saturday.

Tickets for the big game are selling fast and a capacity attendance of 20,500 is being targeted. Tickets cost £15, £20 and £30 for adults and £7.50, £10 and £15 for under-18s and students.  You can buy in four ways: online at www.scottishrugby.org; via the 24 hour hotline number 0844 335 3933 until 12 midnight on Friday; or in person from 9am-5pm from the Scottish Rugby Ticket Centre, Gate A, Roseburn Street, Edinburgh.

Locals can also buy in person from the Aberdeen FC Ticket Centre at Pittodrie or by telephone on  01224 631903. Please note: there are no ticket sales on match day.

Scotland team (sponsor Murray) to play Samoa in the EMC Autumn Test at Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen on Saturday 27 November (kick-off 2.30pm)

15 Hugo Southwell (Stade Francais) 56 caps, 8 tries, 40 points

14 Nikki Walker (Ospreys) 17 caps, 4 tries, 20 points
13 Joe Ansbro (Northampton Saints) 1 cap
12 Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors) 27 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
11 Sean Lamont (Scarlets) 49 caps, 7 tries, 35 points

10 Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues) 55 caps, 4 tries, 10 conversions, 40 penalties, 12 drop goals, 196 points
9 Rory Lawson (Gloucester) 21 caps CAPTAIN

1 Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh) 49 caps
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh) 42 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
3 Euan Murray (Northampton Saints) 34 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
4 Nathan Hines (Leinster) 66 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
5 Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 5 caps
6 Kelly Brown (Saracens) 39 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
8 Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors) 5 caps
7 John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors) 22 caps, 2 tries, 10 points

Substitutes

16 Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors) 32 caps
17 Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors) 9 caps
18 Jim Hamilton (Gloucester) 30 caps, 1 try, 5 points
19 Ross Rennie (Edinburgh) 3 caps
20 Mike Blair (Edinburgh) 65 caps, 5 tries, 25 points
21 Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) 1 cap
22 Max Evans (Glasgow Warriors) 14 caps, 2 tries, 10 points

Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia RU).  Assistant referees: Marius Jonker and Cobus Wessels (both South Africa).  TMO: Tony Redmond (Ireland).

HEC: Edinburgh look to make it 4 out of 5 at Cardiff

Posted on Oct 8, 2010 in Rugby News

Edinburgh head coach Rob Moffat wants his players to build on the back-to-back victories recorded against Leinster and Aironi and hit the ground running in the club’s first Heineken Cup pool fixture away at Cardiff Blues on Saturday (kick-off 5.45pm). Edinburgh go into the match buoyed by their recent Magners League double success, and with an enviable record in the Welsh capital of late. Moffat’s side have won on three of their last four visits to Cardiff, including victories in the last competitive match played at the Arms Park and the first at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The Murrayfield head coach has backed his players to seize on those memories and construct the sort of fast start so crucial to a successful European campaign. He said: “We go to Cardiff in a very positive frame of mind after the last couple of games, and mindful of the fact that in this competition, how you fare in the first couple of matches is crucial.

“We can take a lot of confidence from the fact we won all our home pool games last season, but we know the next step is picking up points on the road.

“We’ve done well in Cardiff in the recent past and I’ve been really struck by the determination of the guys to maintain that record and get our campaign off to a positive start.

“There’s been an edge to training this week, just what you would want in the run-up to such an important game. It’s now about carrying that into the match itself and making sure we come away with the right result.”

Moffat has today named a 25-man squad for the fixture. Chris Paterson returns to the fold after missing the win over Aironi because of a foot injury, while Mike Blair, who was withdrawn from the replacements bench for that game after sustaining a slight tweak to his hamstring, is also included.

Back-row forwards Ross Rennie and Netani Talei, neither of whom featured in Italy, are both in the squad, alongside wing/centre David Bishop, who joined Edinburgh on a three-month contract earlier this week.

Moffat will confirm his starting line-up tomorrow. The head coach said: “It’s good to have so many guys putting their hand up for selection.

“This is the sort of game that every player wants to be a part of, and the team we send out on Saturday will be absolutely raring to go.

“It’s vital that we set a positive tone for the campaign as a whole, and set ourselves up well for when we come back to Murrayfield to play Northampton next week (Saturday 16 October, kick-off 1.30pm).” 

EDINBURGH SQUAD FOR HEINEKEN CUP POOL 1 MATCH AGAINST CARDIFF BLUES, SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER, CARDIFF CITY STADIUM, KICK-OFF 5.45PM (LIVE ON SKY SPORTS VIA RED BUTTON)

BACKS: Chris Paterson, Jim Thompson, Mark Robertson, Tim Visser, Ben Cairns, Alex Grove, James King, David Bishop, David Blair, Mike Blair, Greig Laidlaw

FORWARDS: Allan Jacobsen, Geoff Cross, Kyle Traynor, David Young, Jack Gilding, Ross Ford, Andrew Kelly, Scott MacLeod, Fraser McKenzie, Craig Hamilton, Netani Talei, Alan Macdonald, Ross Rennie, Roddy Grant.

Edinburgh squad for Aironi clash

Posted on Sep 29, 2010 in Edinburgh, Scottish Rugby

Edinburgh head coach Rob Moffat has challenged his players to step up from their opening Magners League victory of the season for what he believes will be a physically demanding away match against Aironi on Saturday – the first time Edinburgh have faced an Italian club in the competition.
Moffat has made five changes to the team that started the 32-24 success against Leinster. Jim Thompson makes his first appearance of the season – having recovered from tidy-up knee surgery over the summer – in place of Chris Paterson who took a knock to his left foot on Friday.
Elsewhere Greig Laidlaw and Kyle Traynor will start at 9 and 1 respectively – with Mike Blair and Allan Jacobsen on the bench – while in the back-row Fraser McKenzie is in for Delhi bound Scott Newlands at blindside flanker and Alan MacDonald is back from the hip problem which he sustained against Cardiff at openside instead of Ross Rennie.
Moffat said: "It’s important we build on what we did well against Leinster on Friday, especially that spell in the second-half where we scored three tries.
"This weekend is about improvement. We realise Aironi are searching for their first win but they will be tough opposition, particularly up front. We simply cannot afford to drop back into some of the individual errors we made in the first three league games."
Moffat explained that Paterson was now engaged in a rehabilitation programme with the Edinburgh physios with a view to being ready for the Heineken Cup game against Cardiff a week on Saturday. "His X-ray was clear so we are pleased there was no fracture, so we’re hoping he’ll be right for the Cardiff game," he added.
The other changes Moffat put down to managing his squad, while he also congratulated the six Edinburgh players who are flying out today to represent Scotland 7s in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi – Alex Blair, John Houston, Lee Jones, Stuart McInally, Scott Newlands and Andrew Turnbull.

Edinburgh team to play Aironi in the Magners League at Stadio Zaffanella on Saturday 2 October, kick-off 7.05pm local time (live on BBC ALBA):
15 Jim Thompson
14 Mark Robertson
13 Ben Cairns
12 Alex Grove
11 Tim Visser
10 David Blair
9 Greig Laidlaw
1 Kyle Traynor
2 Ross Ford
3 Geoff Cross
4 Esteban Lozada
5 Scott MacLeod
6 Fraser McKenzie
8 Roddy Grant CAPTAIN
7 Alan MacDonald
Substitutes
16 Andrew Kelly
17 Allan Jacobsen
18 David Young
19 Craig Hamilton
20 David Denton
21 Mike Blair
22 James King
23 Tom Brown