WELL, I don't think many of us saw Edinburgh's magnificent win over Bayonne, at The Hive, on Friday night coming; but, the victory was all the more-welcome, because the size of it was entirerly unexpected.
It is a known facet of European games, that you never quite know which version of any French club will turn-up on these shores on European nights. Every domestic league campaign is a marathon, but the race for the French title is perhaps Les Marathon Des Sables of such competitions. It goes on longer, is played over more-difficult terrain and the attrition rate is greater than for any comparable Championship.
Thus, those French teams also competing on the pan-Eurpean stage have developed a reputation for sending weakened teams to the away legs of European games. Mind you, British teams are now also indulging in wholesale squad rotations in Europe, so the fashion for fielding weakened teams is spreading.
Even without one or two of their bigger names, however, and Edinburgh's 40-point advantage at the final whistle not withstanding, Bayonne still had sufficient star quality to give the home side some awkward moments. But, one of the perhaps under-valued aspects of Edinburgh's play this season has been their defence, which was never better than during that final first half set, in time added-on for injuries.
One of my favourite books is George MacDonald Fraser's 'The General Danced At Dawn' – a fictionalised tale of th author's time as an officer in a Highland Regiment in the years immediately after World War II.
Part of the tale takes the Regimental football team on a tour of North Africa, during which a particularly glaiket winger, who is to an extent seen as: “No awe there”, after a heavy blow to the head suddenly turns into a combination of Stanley Matthews, Garrincha and Jimmy Johnstone. To become unplayable.
“Feed him, he's bewitched,” was the instruction from the Team Captain. Watching on TV on Friday night, I sensed Grant Gilchrist had given that self-same instruction to the other 13 Edinburgh players – in this case, to get the ball to Darcy Graham. On Friday night, Hawick's Finest was indeed bewitched, winning the Man of th Match award by the length of Hawick High Street.
I would not advocate wrapping him in bubble wrap and putting him in a cupboard out of harm's way, but, Sean Everitt has to continue to carefully manage Graham's appearances – we will need him firing on all cylinders come the Guinness Six Nations.
Might it be that, with Fitba in our Capital in the ICU at the moment, and Glasgow Warriors in such a rich vein of form, there is additional pressure on Edinburgh to perform at the moment. If so, on Friday night Everitt got a gtrerat response from some of the less-vaunted “Gunners”.
While I continue to regret the lack of front-line Scottish tight-heads behind Zander Fagerson, Englishman Paul Hill, on Friday night showed what a valuable recruit he has been. Then, when he went off, Javan Sebastian came on to seamlessly slot-in.
I'm a wee bit of a Sebastian fan, from his time at Ayr; while another of the Scottish-Qualified recruits to have passed through Millbrae, Marshall Sykes, again demonstrated the value of a big lump of a lock who never takes a backward step.
Elsewhere, the rise of Matt Currie continued; Tuipulotu Two again impressed, while Ross Thompson is growing into that ten shirt – before allowing Ben Healy to pilot the ship safely to harbour.
It was a very-satisfying win, such a pity it was Premier Sports' third-choice game for coverage, it deserved to be shown on a broader canvas.
I FIND MYSELF running a tad late on my weekend round-up this week – blame it on Number Three Grandson and his birthday long lunch on Sunday. This meant I missed the Toulon v Glasgow game and wasn't able to watch it until Premier Sport replayed it in full on Monday evening.
OK, in common with every other supporter of Warriors, I would far-rather I had had a victory to celebrate, but, to go to one of the real fortresses of French rugby and come within a missed conversion of a win – a conversion we would normally have expected the kicker to nail, wasn't a bad outcome.
The young guns in the Glasgow squad gained valuable experience and will be better for this outing, while Franco Smith's use of a “Bomb Squad” off the bench was another demonstration of the depth he has added to the Warriors' squad.
Not that long ago, if any of the three fully=professional squads: The National Team, Edinburgh or Glasgow went with a starting XV one-third of whom were not “First Choices”, the Rugby Uniion battalions of The Tartan Army were distinctly worried. Nowadays, Messers Townsend and Smith and to a lesser extent Mr Everitt have choices and can leave out players who were previously “Shoo-Ins” for a starting slot, since they have squad depth and options.
Our teams may not have the depth, of talent or pockets, of the likes of Toulouse, where oor ain Blair Kinghorn is one of four full-backs, each of whom is first-choice in that position for his national team, competing for the number 15 shirt. But they are building impressive depth elsewhere.
If you had offered anyone at Scotstoun other than the Head Coach, two points from the visit to Toulon, when the draw was made, they'd have bitten your hand off. Glasgow is in a good place in Europe right now.
Their next four games may not define Season 2024-2025 for them, but will definitely enhance the feel-good factor, for both the club and Scotland, if they can post even three wins out of four.
These are exciting times. I bet the Whats App messages among the naitonal squad will be good this week.
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