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'You like to think he has put himself in a good position for selection': Cockerill sizes up the Lions chances of his Edinburgh four
Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill feels he has several strong British and Irish Lions contenders in his squad but has warned that none of them might make the cut. Back row forwards Jamie Ritchie and Hamish Watson, the Guinness Six Nations player of the tournament, are in the mix, along with the likes of Duhan van der Merwe, the Six Nations top try-scorer, and prop Rory Sutherland.
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But Cockerill feels there could be some nervous moments before the squad for the summer tour of South Africa is announced on Thursday. “Of course it would be great for Edinburgh to get some guys in the Lions squad, so we will be waiting in anticipation for Thursday lunchtime,” he said. “Hopefully we will at least get a couple in there if we are lucky.”
South African-born winger van der Merwe burst on to the international scene this season and scored five tries in the Six Nations. Cockerill said: “The timing for him couldn’t have been better – qualifying to play for Scotland, scoring lots of tries and making lots of metres – he is very quick and very powerful – and there have been some injuries in and around that wing spot, with Jonny May being potentially out and George North.
“So, it wouldn’t surprise me if Duhan was well in the mix to get picked. Then there is Rory, who has put himself in the frame, Jamie Ritchie wouldn’t be out of consideration and Hamish Watson had a very good tournament, so you would like to think that some of those guys are in the mix. But, look, to pick 36 out of all those players, you could easily have none – so it will be a nervous half-an-hour for some guys on Thursday.”
Scots have not fared well in the selection in recent Lions campaigns and Cockerill knows having that experience to call upon next season would be a major boost for his Edinburgh club. “If you get a couple of Lions tours and you are good enough to get picked, that is a brilliant achievement,” he said.
This will be special?? ? https://t.co/pofXFObBej
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“Potentially for Hamish Watson for example, this may be his only opportunity to be in a Lions tour. He would have been close last time and after his Six Nations, you like to think he has put himself in a good position for selection. But also, playing with the world’s best players and playing against the world champions, to bring that experience and know-how back to your team, would always be very welcome.”
Sutherland’s chances were hit when he suffered a shoulder injury in Scotland’s victory over France. “Rory’s rehab is going well,” Cockerill said. “He is out on the field doing lots of running and whatever he can at the gym to rehab that shoulder. Exact timescales can’t be given, but if selected it will be tight. He is working hard and is very optimistic around him being fit sooner rather than later.”
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Meanwhile, Edinburgh co-captain Stuart McInally is set to return for Friday’s Rainbow Cup clash with Glasgow, but 20-year-old centre Matt Currie will miss out after his try-scoring full debut against Zebre. “Unfortunately Matt Currie is not available for selection, he got injured playing an internal trial game for the 20s last Thursday,” Cockerill said. “He’s got a shoulder injury which is a shame because it would have been good to see him play again. But the rest of the young guys who stood up will be in and around the 23, the 15, for the next couple of games.”
The Warriors boss has been liked to the vacancy created by the January exit of Paul Gustard https://t.co/7JlKKDnChV
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 4, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments