Ali Price extends Edinburgh stay but hints at future move abroad
Scotland scrum-half Ali Price is not ruling out a move abroad in future but says signing a one-year extension to his contract with Edinburgh is the “right decision” for now.
Price, 30, made a surprise loan move in November from Scottish rivals Glasgow – where he spent the previous nine years – in a bid for more game-time and to stay in Scotland contention, with George Horne the preferred starting nine at Warriors.
Price was a reported target for French club Perpignan as he weighed up his options but having become a father for the first time last month, has opted to put family considerations first and continue commuting from his Glasgow home rather than uproot his young family.
“There will still be time, and at the right time and at the right stage for me and my family, if I feel it’s the right thing to do then a new challenge or looking somewhere else would probably be an option,” he said. “But for me now, I’m pretty happy.
“I looked at what I think is right for me at this stage and potentially where I could have gone, was I going to get the best out of myself? I just felt the right thing for myself and partner and daughter was to stay here where I’m enjoying it. For the sake of me taking an extra hour out of my day to come through and drive back, it wasn’t really a conversation to be had.
“But look, in a year’s time, if we’re stood here and another decision has been made and I’m going somewhere else, we’ll be a year further down the line. That might be the right thing for me at that time.
“You get to a stage where you see where you are internationally – all these factors will play into the decisions I make. While I still feel I can compete and give my all in a place where I am happy and settled, I think this was the right one.”
Price was Gregor Townsend’s first-choice scrum-half for Scotland from 2020 until the emergence of Ben White last year and played in all three Tests for the British and Irish Lions in 2021 in South Africa.
He was preferred to White for Scotland’s decisive final World Cup pool game against Ireland last October, only to be relegated to third choice during the Six Nations behind White and Horne.
Price did win a 67th cap off the bench against Italy but insisted trying to regain his previous status in the Scotland pecking order was not a decisive factor in opting to stay at Edinburgh.
“That’s not a given, I think the last six months would tell you that,” he said. “I just know that if I’m playing well and enjoying my rugby, that will give me the best chance to be in the mix. I believe, especially if I was to go anywhere in Europe, that would still be the case. It wasn’t really a factor in why I stayed.
“I’ve really enjoyed this environment, to be honest, so when I got approached about staying it made it a bit more straightforward for me. I obviously knew about my home situation, and not wanting that disrupted too much.
“And I think at this stage I wasn’t probably ready to just go anywhere. There are always going to be other clubs that need players, but for me at this stage of my career I still want to challenge myself and be in a professional, strong environment and I feel that that’s here.”
Price missed Edinburgh’s two recent URC games in South Africa to be with partner Annie for the birth of their daughter Luna, but has featured in 12 of their 15 games since joining the club, sharing starting duties with co-captain Ben Vellacott.
“He’s played well,” said Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt, who described Price as a “seasoned campaigner and a world-class scrum-half” as he welcomed the player’s decision to stay on.
“It’s not only what he brings on the field, it’s also what he brings from a leadership point of view. He’s an integral part of our strategy group and his input there is invaluable.
“He’s the link between the forwards and backs and with the experience he’s had with Scotland and the British and Irish Lions, we can only be delighted to have him for another year. Not only that, he’s a good person, he’s very coachable and he brings energy to the team.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Pacific Lions, cry me a river
123 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
123 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
123 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
123 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
123 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
123 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
123 Go to commentsHo hum.
123 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
123 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
123 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
123 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
123 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
123 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
123 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
123 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
123 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
13 Go to comments