Some thoughts at “half-time” in the 1872 Cup
*Alan Solomons has forgotten more about top level rugby than I’ve probably ever known, so one hesitates to criticise, but the veteran coach is maybe too old-school with his use of his bench.
Sure, subbing for the sake of it – and even changes clearly prescribed pre-match – have become a bit of a blight on modern rugby, even if they are inevitable given the serious business of player welfare. The modern clich is that it’s now a 23-man game, yet Solomons is bucking that trend.
Edinburgh used only two subs in the first 1872 Cup match, three if you count the blood bin swap of Mike Coman for Roddy Grant, which was reversed when the Man of the Match was patched up. Most oddly, there was not a single front-row sub.
The home pack were going pretty well at the scrummage, fair enough. But this was Edinburgh’s third game in 12 days, against Gloucester, Leinster and Glasgow, three of the best clubs in Europe. “Solly” made mention himself in the match programme of the severe schedule his side has until the 6 Nations starts.
Glasgow, meanwhile, were playing their first game in 13 days due to the postponement of last Friday’s Pro12 game against Treviso. Gregor Townsend had to use his bench for injuries but a couple of key switches Chris Fusaro and Moray Low for the last quarter specifically were tactical and very effective.
One just got the impression that Glasgow were fresher for the key last ten minutes. I know some Edinburgh fans, while encouraged by their team’s resurgence from last year’s debacle, are troubled that international prop Geoff Cross isn’t getting any game-time at the moment.
Geoff’s not Ian “The Bear” Milne but he’s a test tight-head, and he shouldn’t be sat on his backside for 80 minutes every week.
*The amusing groundswell for Greig Tonks as a Scotland fly-half contender after just two games shows how desperate some are came to a swiftish conclusion on Thursday.
Tonks was pretty tidy for the third game in a row, and he’s certainly worth persisting with for Edinburgh, perhaps even when Harry Leonard returns. However he carried the ball too far out front for the decisive moment of the match, allowing Duncan Weir to wrestle in and dispossess him.
Later in the counterattack move, he allowed Alex Dunbar to step out of his tackle and DTH van der Merwe had the room to put in the kick-ahead that Stuart Hogg won for Glasgow’s go-ahead try. Just two little errors but crucial in the context of the contest.
Duncan Weir, with that intervention and his five penalty kicks especially since Greig Laidlaw’s range looks a bit off at present underlined that he should be that man at 10 for Dublin on February 2.
Meanwhile, I’m surprised that Edinburgh don’t appear to have even looked at Lee Millar, the former Gala 10, originally from Ellon, who’s playing decently for London Scottish in the English Championship.
*Other Scotland contests at “half-time”: Ross Ford has had his critics in the last year or so but the last three games for Edinburgh have proved that he’s still the best we have at hooker.
Grant Gilchrist looked a more forceful presence than Tim Swinson at lock but Swinno is just back from injury and anyway the second row will surely be Richie Gray and Jim Hamilton.
There’s been nothing to change views on the props or back row but I think there’s a growing feeling that if Weir plays and kicks the goals, then Greig Laidlaw could give way to Chris Cusiter’s swifter service. I’m not sure “Greeg” isn’t carrying an injury at the moment which restricts his kicking range.
In the backs, I’m still for Matt Scott and Alex Dunbar as the centres if fit, and even if Tommy Seymour’s head knock on Thursday sees him miss a couple of weeks, he’s still a good choice on one wing with Sean Maitland and Hogg the others in the back three.
*Looking ahead? I think Edinburgh missed their chance for not just a big win at Murrayfield but one that would have been decisive over both legs.
Had Jack Cuthbert held a pass and Cornell du Preez stretched another yard when they led, the capital side would have headed to Scotstoun with all the momentum and possibly an insurmountable lead.
Edinburgh’s record in Glasgow is truly awful in recent times, and while Townsend’s chief problem is the queue outside the doctor and physio’s room, the Warriors have pretty good strength in depth to win their fifth straight against their old rivals.