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Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Guinness PRO14 match between Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh at Scotstoun.
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Mark Bennett is relishing the chance to properly go up against former club Glasgow after kick-starting his Edinburgh career. Bennett endured an injury-blighted first two years in the capital after making the move along the M8 but has built up some momentum this season with five tries to his name.
Now he is looking to take his form into this PRO14 clash, the first of two consecutive meetings between the Scottish teams. “I really wanted to be involved in them and the only times I have been in the last couple of years is off the bench,” the 26-year-old said.
“I have not really had a fair crack at the whip. Hopefully this weekend we will go out there and get to go at them. The atmosphere is always good and it’s always funny playing against people you know, and know well. I have some real good friends over in Glasgow that I am looking forward to taking on and having a bit of craic with as well.
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“It’s a massive derby game and it’s really exciting, especially for me playing against my old club, so it’s something I am really looking forward to. But I have got to keep a level head. It’s another game of rugby. We really want the points in the league.”
Bennett is also pushing thoughts of a Scotland recall to one side. Nominated for the World Rugby breakthrough award after the 2015 World Cup, Bennett has not featured in the past two Six Nations and missed out on the Japan World Cup.
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His form is sure to have alerted Gregor Townsend but he is not focusing on ending his 18-month international exile. Bennett said: “I have played more rugby this season than the last two put together so I am just enjoying myself and taking each week as it comes.
‘We need to have another 20, 30 players that are playing at a high level’
– @15GavinHastings tells @heagneyl what is needed to help @Scotlandteam, his pride in @adamhastings96 and @GlasgowWarriors, and his support for old pals @DoddieWeir5 and Tom Smithhttps://t.co/Z2bYF21t2M— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 14, 2019
“It’s getting there. It’s weird backing it up week by week, it’s something I have not done. My body has been sore during the week but I am really enjoying myself. We are wanting to play a bit more and get more hands on ball so I can show what I am capable of and it’s been really enjoyable.”
Coach Richard Cockerill said: “If we get it right, we can beat any team on its day which we are slowly doing and proving.
“We’re going there to perform and try and take the points because that’s what we want and we want to beat our local rivals because rivalry is good. That little bit of tribalism is good and I want us to go there and show what a good team we are.”
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"Getting both knees done at 18… I’m a winger; I’m thinking, where’s my speed going to go?"
In South Africa, Duhan van der Merwe had lost his way. Edinburgh helped him find it again.
His first Scotland caps could come against the Springboks. Interview?https://t.co/9bzwbvetNG
— Jamie Lyall (@JLyall93) December 6, 2019
Beaten by La Rochelle last weekend in Europe, Glasgow have chosen a matchday squad containing 17 internationals and have nine players who started April’s 34-10 victory over the capital outfit. Coach Dave Rennie said: “I’d expect to see a little bit of desperation in how the players perform.
“Edinburgh are a tough side with a good kicking game, so we need to be able to deal with that. It’ll be an arm wrestle and we shouldn’t be lacking motivation.
“We’ve been away from home in this fixture in the last few years, so it will be nice to play in front of our family and friends ahead of Christmas this season. We are looking for a performance that reflects the importance of the occasion.”
GLASGOW: 15. Ruaridh Jackson; 14. Tommy Seymour, 13. Huw Jones, 12. Sam Johnson, 11. Kyle Steyn; 10. Adam Hastings, 9. George Horne; 1. Aki Seiuli, 2. Fraser Brown, 3. Zander Fagerson, 4. Scott Cummings, 5. Jonny Gray, 6. Rob Harley, 7. Callum Gibbins (capt), 8. Ryan Wilson. Reps: 16. George Turner, 17. Oli Kebble, 18. Adam Nicol, 19. Adam Ashe, 20. Tom Gordon, 21. Ali Price, 22. Nick Grigg, 23. Niko Matawalu.
EDINBURGH: 15. Blair Kinghorn; 14. Darcy Graham, 13. Mark Bennett, 12. George Taylor, 11. Duhan van der Merwe; 10. Simon Hickey, 9. Henry Pyrgos; 1. Pierre Schoeman, 2. Stuart McInally (capt), 3. Pietro Ceccarelli, 4. Ben Toolis, 5. Grant Gilchrist, 6. Magnus Bradbury, 7. Hamish Watson, 8. Viliame Mata. Reps: 16. Mike Willemse, 17. Jamie Bhatti, 18 Simon Berghan, 19. Lewis Carmichael, 20. Jamie Ritchie, 21. Nic Groom, 22. Jaco van der Walt, 23. James Johnstone.
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Comments on RugbyPass
A lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
1 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
2 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
2 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
21 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
21 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments