Scottish Rugby

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  1. Listen: 'Big win on fantastic day for Graham'published at 21:14

    Media caption,

    Reaction as Scotland win comfortably against Fiji in their opening Autumn Test match

    Stuart McFarlane, Peter Wright and Johnnie Beattie join Andy Burke and Tom English in a post-match bonus Scotland Rugby Podcast to provide analysis and reaction after Scotland beat Fiji 57-17 at Murrayfield in the opening match of their Autumn Test series.

  2. Scotland 57-17 Fiji: Have your saypublished at 20:41

    Have your say

    A record-breaking win over Fiji but what did you make of that, Scotland fans?

    What went right for the hosts, and what went wrong?

    Who impressed you the most? And who do you want to start against South Africa next Sunday?

    Let us know your thoughts here., external

  3. Scotland 57-17 Fiji: What the head coach saidpublished at 20:35

    Gregor TownsendImage source, SNS

    Gregor Townsend, on a record-breaking 83rd match as Scotland head coach, told BBC Scotland: "We were tested in that second quarter, and sometimes we put ourselves under pressure. We responded in the second half. The bench did well when they came on, some of them playing at Murrayfield for the first team, so that was pleasing.

    "We showed our intent to get the ball in the last 20 minutes and our fitness came through. There's a few things to work on, but it's a good start.

    [On Darcy Graham's four tries] "Brilliant, wasn't it? He's so good here, so good with that Scotland jersey. He's so hard to read because he doesn't offer the same picture every time. His running lines were excellent today and he's a finished. We're delighted he's been able to play and play so well.

    "We will be [ready] come next Sunday. We've got to assemble the game next week with players added to our squad. Tough for Kyle Rowe, whose been in great form. He looks to have picked up a hamstring injury. That's a blow.

    "Tom Jordan at fullback played very well and that was his first cap for Scotland. We know we'll have to work hard and build that performance. We have to go in with the mindset and belief that we can win."

  4. Scotland 57-17 Fiji: Who impressed?published at 20:33

    Darcy GrahamImage source, SNS

    Darcy Graham. It has to be him, doesn't it?

    His first appearance in a Scotland jersey since the 2023 World Cup after injuries beset him, but boy did he come back with a bang.

    Four tries took him to 28 for Scotland - tying Duhan van der Merwe's record set in the summer. However, the bigger, blonder winger scored a few moments later to make number one position his own again.

    Graham spoke to Andy Burke after the match: "It wasn't bad, was it? I've loved pulling that jersey back on.

    "When you're out that long, you start wondering when it's going to happen again, if it's going to happen again. You have doubts in your head, but I'm just chuffed to be back.

    "The next thing for me is to chase that 50th cap - that's my boyhood dream.

    "I joined him for five minutes! It's good fun, good competition between me and Duhi [van der Merwe]. We'll take it all the way into the thirties I reckon."

  5. Tuipulotu happy at Glasgow 'for now'published at 19:08 1 November

    Andy Burke
    BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

    Sione TuipulotuImage source, SNS

    Sione Tuipulotu says he is happy at Glasgow Warriors "for now", but has refused to be drawn on his future beyond the end of the season.

    The centre's contract at Scotstoun expires at the end of the current campaign, with leading clubs in England and France reportedly interested in signing the Scotland captain.

    "I've got six months left at Glasgow and I'm desperate to win," Tuipulotu said.

    "I really feel like Glasgow at the moment is a winning team and it's fun to play rugby for Glasgow under Franco [Smith] and I'm happy where I am.

    "In terms of the future after that, there's not much I can say about it, but all I can say is that I'm happy in Scotland, I'm happy in Glasgow.

    "Of course as a rugby player you have to look at your future, it's a short career, but I believe that my happiness outside of rugby has a heavy influence on how I play on the field and I know my family's happy at the moment in Glasgow, at least for the next six months.

    "I'm happy there as well so yeah, I'm happy to be at Glasgow for now."

  6. 'My Greenock granny has been replying to fans online'published at 14:54 1 November

    Media caption,

    Sione Tuipulotu reveals his gran's new-found love for interacting with Scotland fans on social media as he prepares to captain the national side for the first time in the opening Autumn Test against Fiji on Saturday.

  7. 'Townsend now divides opinion as a coach'published at 14:25 1 November

    Andy Burke Q&A

    As Scotland prepare to begin their Autumn Nation Series campaign, BBC Sport Scotland's Andy Burke has been answering your questions.

    Alex asked: Why is Gregor Townsend continually handed contact extensions without the expectation of performance targets, and how harmful has this been to Scotland's elite performance ambitions?

    Andy answered: I do not believe there is no expectation of performance targets, but I do feel at this point in Townsend’s reign - over seven years in the job - preaching progress is no longer enough. Scotland need to demonstrate they can go into the next Six Nations with a genuine shot at winning the title.

    Much like he did as a player, Townsend now divides opinion as a coach.

    Some will point to two World Cup pool stage exits and the failure to mount a serious Six Nations challenge and say he has underperformed as head coach.

    Those on the other side of the debate will highlight an unprecedented run of Calcutta Cup success and other notable victories over top nations, the development of a deeper well of resources than Scotland has ever had before, and the general heightening of hope and expectation around the national team on his watch.

    I lean towards the latter. I think Townsend has been a good Scotland coach – his win percentage of 57% is the best in the history of the national team – and it has been his misfortune his tenure has coincided with the emergence of the best Ireland team of all time and one of the great French sides.

    All that being said, Townsend needs to provide evidence this autumn and in the Six Nations that this Scotland team is still moving forward, otherwise the calls for a fresh voice and new ideas will become more compelling.

  8. Hapless Edinburgh and unlucky Matthews?published at 12:51 1 November

    Andy Burke Q&A

    With Edinburgh struggling in the URC, and Scotland about to begin their autumn series, BBC Sport Scotland's Andy Burke has been answering your questions.

    David asked: The Johnny Matthews saga really is beyond belief. Who do you believe, Franco Smith or Gregor Townsend? And where do a hapless Edinburgh go from here?

    Andy answered: I feel for Matthews. He appears to be one of those faces that just doesn't fit for Townsend.

    I've heard various theories as to why he has not been selected. He’s not physical enough. His set-piece numbers are down this season. Does his personality not fit into the culture the coaches are seeking to create?

    None of those reasons really wash with me. Matthews has proved himself in the big games time and again for Glasgow and clearly has the trust of Franco Smith.

    Maybe Townsend believes Matthews has reached the peak of his potential whereas the hookers he has selected for this squad – Ewan Ashman, Patrick Harrison and Dylan Richardson – have more potential for growth.

    I think Matthews has earned his shot at Test level – and injuries may yet open the door for him – but it feels like his hopes of winning more caps may be slipping away.

    As for Edinburgh? Where to start!

    I think the problems for Edinburgh are myriad, but for me they have too many players with big reputations who are no longer operating at a good enough level.

    They have too many players who do not produce anything like their Test level in an Edinburgh shirt. They have also been ravaged by injuries to key players who could make a difference, the likes of Darcy Graham and Emiliano Boffelli.

    Throw into the mix a head coach in Sean Everitt who, after 16 months in the job, has yet to prove he can improve individual players and the side collectively, then you have a team who seemed pretty directionless at the moment.

    I would love them to prove me and many other people wrong, but I foresee yet another season of maddening inconsistency ahead for Edinburgh.

  9. Who fills Gray's boots? Can Glasgow keep Tuipulotu?published at 11:27 1 November

    Andy Burke answers your questions

    With Glasgow charging on in the URC and Scotland about to start their autumn Tests, Andy Burke answers your questions.

    David asked: With the Champions Cup approaching, how far do you think Glasgow can make it without Richie Gray?

    Andy answered: Gray is undoubtedly a big loss, David, but I do feel Scott Cummings has amassed enough experience at this stage of his career to step up as a leader and fill that void.

    Throw in the emergence of the likes of Max Williamson and Alex Samuel and Glasgow's second row will continue to be an area of real strength.

    As for the Champions Cup, I'm hopeful that, given a kind enough draw, Warriors can finally break through that quarter-finals glass ceiling.

    When they went out to Harlequins in the last eight last season it was a credible showing, going down to the Stoop and giving a top English side a real run for their money.

    Reflecting on it now, after seeing what Glasgow produced at the tail-end of last season to win the URC and the form they have shown at the start of this term, I look back on that Quins defeat as a real missed opportunity.

    Franco Smith has avoided making any public statements about Champions Cup targets this season, but privately I'm sure he'll feel this is a squad now capable of reaching the business end of the competition.

    Keith asked: In order to build on last year’s success and become 'significant' in Franco Smith's words, should Glasgow and the SRU be doing everything within their powers to retain key players such as Sione Tuipulotu, rather than let them be lured to other clubs, as happened after the 2015 Pro12 winning season?

    Andy answered: I view Sione Tuipulotu differently to the likes of Duhan van der Merwe in terms of the importance in keeping them in Scotland.

    Van der Merwe has been playing in Scotland for many years – aside from a brief spell at Worcester – and while his value to the national team is unquestionable, there is a question mark on whether Edinburgh are getting real bang for their buck from the big winger.

    There's a compelling argument to be made for allowing him to pursue other opportunities this summer and use the freed-up wages to strengthen the Edinburgh squad.

    Tuipulotu is different. His form in both the Scotland and Glasgow shirt since he arrived has been nothing short of magnificent and he only seems to be getting better.

    You only have one career and I certainly would not blame Tuipulotu if he were to maximise his earnings elsewhere, but I get the impression money will not be the decisive factor when it comes to deciding his future.

    He is loved in Scotland and loves the country. His brother Mosese is now at Edinburgh and Sione has spoken of how much it means to him to have family close to him. He has now been given the Scotland captaincy which he says is a great honour to him.

    That would be a lot to give up – not that he would necessarily lose the captaincy by leaving – and the SRU needs to pull out all the stops to convince Tuipulotu he can achieve all he wants, professionally and personally, by remaining in Scotland.

  10. Townsend goes for tried & tested against Fijipublished at 20:29 31 October

    Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has named his team to take on Fiji on Saturday - and it's a strong one, packed full of experience.

    Ali Price starting at scrum-half has raised a few eyebrows, Darcy Graham is back and Tom Jordan is set for a debut from the bench.

    Tom & Andy pick over the bones of selection and we hear from Townsend at his media conference.

    Listen in to the latest Scotland Rugby Podcast.

    Scottish Rugby Podcast
  11. Townsend defends Van der Merwe and opens up on team selectionpublished at 20:12 31 October

    Scotland head coach Gregor TownsendImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Townsend is excited to reunite Edinburgh winger Van der Merwe and Graham at Test level

    Gregor Townsend defended winger Duhan van der Merwe after the Scotland star's performances at Edinburgh came under scrutiny.

    The 29-year-old winger is Scotland's leading try-scorer, with 28 from 41 appearances, but has struggled to repeat his dazzling Test level form in the United Rugby Championship.

    "We love what Duhan does in training," Townsend said, after selecting Van der Merwe to play Fiji in the opening game of Scotland's Autumn Nations series.

    "He's one of the hardest-working players. I can only comment on what he's doing with us, and he's able to thrive in the bigger occasions. That's a real compliment to him as a person, but he also knows that scoring tries isn't everything."

    The South Africa-born flyer will start in the back-three alongside Darcy Graham, who makes his first Scotland appearance since the 2023 World Cup.

    "He's excited," Townsend said. "That last game he played as well against Cardiff, he got a number of touches on the ball. It's probably taken him a few games to grow into that form, which is understandable, but he's trained really well this week.

    "We're excited about the back three. Duhan’s obviously played a lot of very good Test matches for us and scored a number of tries. Then you've got Kyle Rowe, who's in excellent form.

    "He is a very intelligent rugby player, he runs really good lines, he brings others into the game, but he's been showing over the last few weeks that he's a brilliant finisher too."

    Elsewhere, tighthead prop D'Arcy Rae is in line to pick up just his second cap - more than five years after winning his first one against Ireland in the 2019 Six Nations.

    "I'm so pleased for D'Arcy to win his second cap if he gets off the bench this weekend," Townsend added. "He's been on form this year. When the scrum's gone well with Edinburgh, D'Arcy's been at the heart of that."

    There is also a starting spot for Adam Hastings, whose last start at Murrayfield came against Fiji in the autumn Tests two years ago.

    “He's been really good," the head coach said. "He's not had probably the minutes he would like, and that's partly because of injury. The way Glasgow play, you're seeing a lot more of Adam making decisions in attack, whether it's the area to attack with ball in hand or use a kicking game.

    "I believe the competition between him and Tom [Jordan] are bringing the best out of each other, so they're a very good complement for us."

  12. Townsend on 'physical' Fiji, scrum-half selection and 'settled' sidepublished at 18:31 31 October

    Andy Burke
    BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

    Gregor TownsendImage source, SNS

    Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has been speaking to the media after naming his side to face Fiji in the first game of the Autumn Nations Series on Saturday.

    Here are the key points:

    • He's expecting a "physical" Fiji side with "terrific individual skills" and more "cohesion" than they've ever had before, as most of the squad plays for Fijian Drua in Super Rugby.

    • Ali Price was picked because "he's in the best form right now" and that's why he's been selected over "unlucky" Glasgow scrum-halves George Horne and Jamie Dobie.

    • Townsend also says there "were a number of close calls" but admitted it is a "settled side" with "combinations that play a lot together for us".

    • He admitted to having "sleepless nights" as WP Nel and Simon Berghan came towards retirement, but the emergence of Elliot Millar Mills and Will Hurd has soothed that worry, as has D'Arcy Rae, who's been "at the heart of" Edinburgh's scrum.

    • Townsend has picked an experienced XV because he wants "players to get up to speed with Test rugby" before the game with South Africa next week.

    • The head coach spoke of his excitement at getting Darcy Graham back involved after almost a year without a cap due to injury, and welcoming Tom Jordan into the Scotland side.

  13. 'Should Edinburgh really be desperate to keep Van der Merwe?'published at 17:14 30 October

    Tom English
    BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

    Behind the mic

    Sean Everitt was asked a few weeks back about the growing rumours linking Duhan van der Merwe with a move to France once his Edinburgh contract expires in the summer.

    Everitt said the club was "desperate" to keep him. If they are as desperate as Everitt suggests, then they're wrong.

    To borrow a line from Ian McGeechan, Van der Merwe is a Test match animal. He's not an animal for club rugby. His financial cost to Edinburgh? Significant. His return on that cost? A whole lot less.

    It wasn't always this way. When Van der Merwe joined Edinburgh in 2017, club rugby was his be-all and end-all. He scored 10 tries in 18 games in his first season, 10 in 23 in his second and 11 in 19 in his third.

    Then he became a Test player and all those Edinburgh tries started to dry up and were replaced by scores on the bigger stage.

    The Edinburgh wing has 28 tries in 41 Tests. It's thunderously impressive. In his four full seasons as an international he's scored eight in nine, four in nine, five in nine and 11 in 13. The stats are off the scale.

    His numbers for Edinburgh in those seasons? One in seven, two in eight, seven in 17. That's not counting his season at Worcester. In relative terms, Van der Merwe draws a huge wage. If Scotland are still getting the benefit of his Test tries wouldn't they be better off getting him off the wage bill?

    Edinburgh, toiling badly again, are in need of a shake-up and cutting loose some of their biggest (and underperforming) earners is not a bad place to start a required rebuild.

    Van der Merwe is by turns thrilling and infuriating. He has extraordinary running power and a penchant for scoring mesmeric tries, but nobody has ever accused him of being a fiend for work or a complete rugby player.

    The (sadly injured) Kyle Steyn is a far more rounded performer; less dynamic but far more consistent. Kyle Rowe, tough and intelligent, is playing better than Van der Merwe right now.

    There's a default setting with Van der Merwe. He drifts in and out of matches for Edinburgh. Whole games can pass him by. He can be defensively suspect and weak in the air.

    But the reason he's undroppable for Scotland is that knowledge of what he can do when the ball is in his hands and his head is in the game. Pure devastation. Nobody else can do what the big man can do. You just wish he'd do it more often.

    When fit, he'll always be picked for Scotland, but Edinburgh ought to be having conversations internally now. Is he worth it? Should they really be "desperate" to renew his deal? Does the reality of Van der Merwe at Edinburgh, as opposed to the potential, justify the vast expense?

    In his time as a Scotland player Van der Merwe has a wonderful try return of 0.68 per game. Since he became a Scotland player, his try return for Edinburgh is 0.35 per game.

    He'll most likely come into his own again this autumn. Everybody at Edinburgh would be entitled to ask: "Where's that Duhan when he plays for us?"

    The club has many issues. What to do with their star wing is just one of them.

  14. 'There's nothing in doubt about Glasgow anymore'published at 17:13 30 October

    Media caption,

    Listen to the full episode of BBC Radio Scotland's Rugby Podcast as Tom English and Andy Burke discuss Glasgow and Edinburgh's results and look forward to the Autumn Test Series.

  15. Dobie eyes 'massive campaign' to cement Scotland placepublished at 10:38 30 October

    Andy Burke
    BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

    Jamie DobieImage source, SNS

    Jamie Dobie says the Autumn Nations Series is a "massive campaign" on a personal level as he looks to cement his place in the Scotland squad.

    The Glasgow Warrior has been selected as one of four scrum-halves in the squad alongside George Horne, Ben White and Ali Price, but has played much of his recent rugby for club and country on the wing.

    Price's departure from Warriors to Edinburgh last season has opened the door for Dobie, 23, to get more game time, and he featured in all four Tests in Scotland’s summer tour of the Americas.

    "I think it's a massive campaign and season," Dobie said.

    "I got my first cap three years ago from this series and had to wait almost two years to get my second cap.

    "I missed out on that World Cup squad but I think coming back to the summer tour, it was a great opportunity for me. I ended up being involved in all four matches there, so that was massive for me personally.

    "The start of the season with Glasgow has been relatively positive so I'm happy with where my rugby's at and the direction it's going.

    "Hopefully this is going to be a big few weeks to really cement a place in the squad and be involved in as many of the matches as possible.”

    Dobie views himself primarily as a scrum-half but says he is happy to play his part on the wing if it increases his chances of being involved in the coming weeks against Fiji, South Africa, Portugal and Australia.

    "I'm definitely happy playing both positions now and obviously the main thing is being involved,” he said.

    "So whether that's at scrum-half or wing, that would be the main benefit.

    "I still see myself as playing scrum-half mostly and the additional benefit of being able to cover the wing.

    "Obviously on summer tour the two starts that I got were on the wing. So I only see that as a benefit for me, being able to cover those positions and obviously in the last couple of years with Franco (Smith) running the 6-2 (bench) and especially with that, I've spent plenty of time on the wing.

    "So I'm more than comfortable to do that and I'm glad the coaches have the faith for me to play either."

  16. No Scotland concerns over Edinburgh confidence - Tandypublished at 18:37 29 October

    Andy Burke
    BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

    Steve TandyImage source, SNS

    Scotland defence coach Steve Tandy says he has no concerns about the confidence of Edinburgh players ahead of the Autumn Nations Series despite the capital club's poor start to the URC season.

    Sean Everitt's men have lost four of their opening six matches, including a humiliating thrashing by the Lions in Johannesburg and a dispiriting loss to an Ospreys side who had been bottom of the league table going into Saturday’s match in Bridgend.

    Glasgow Warriors, conversely, are riding high after collecting seven points from 10 from their double-header in South Africa, including an outstanding bonus-point victory over the Stormers in Stellenbosch.

    Tandy does not believe Edinburgh's struggles will affect their players when they pull on the blue of Scotland for the matches against Fiji, South Africa, Portugal and Australia.

    "I think with the boys, they just get excited to come back into (Scotland) camp," Tandy said.

    "It is not so much a fresh start, but everyone's energised to see and get a group back together, so I don't have any concern around that.

    "Obviously the Glasgow boys fly in great coming off the back of the win, it does probably help your recovery a little bit, winning games, but the (Edinburgh) boys, I can't see any issue with them and they're just excited to be back and can't wait for Saturday."

  17. 'Statement win in South Africa leaves Glasgow in good place'published at 13:08 29 October

    Grant Young
    Fan writer

    Glasgow Warriors fan voice

    Warriors ended their first block of games of the URC season with big smiles on their faces.

    With the difficult South Africa trip ticked off, Glasgow returned north with seven points from a possible 10 after a convincing and clinical second-half display against Stormers.

    The league leading attack showed its full might with some incredible play by the much-spoken-about Sione Tuipulotu and the constantly overlooked Kyle Rowe, both scoring standout tries and assisting in others. Both, you would assume, will play a big part in Gregor Townsend's autumn plan.

    Glasgow have emerged from a difficult opening run of fixtures, which has taken them to Italy, Cardiff, Ulster and finally South Africa, in a strong second place in the URC standings. A brilliant platform to build from.

    A few weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of winning on the road to truly be in the chase for top spot. Well, Glasgow were the only away victors last weekend.

    The win over Stormers also brought the curtain down on Richie Gray's second Glasgow stint, which has elevated his status as a legend of our game.

    The way that he impacts the game is a real cornerstone in how successful the Warriors have been these past seasons. It is now up to the younger second rows to battle it out for his jersey.

    So now for a break, Scotland duty for many players awaits, while for others it is a chance to recover and get healthy. Franco Smith and Warriors fans will be hoping a fully-fit squad returns for the resumption of domestic action at the end of November.

  18. 'Break is welcome after old failings quickly return'published at 12:57 29 October

    Sandy Smith
    Fan writer

    Edinburgh fan's voice

    If we had beaten Ospreys we would have all breathed a sigh of relief, congratulated the team for sticking at it even when we weren't at our best, and moved on.

    There may have been a few grumbles but a first win against Ospreys in Wales since 2009 would have been welcomed going into the international break.

    Had we lost to a great display by Ospreys you might even have been able to point out that we were unlucky. The team gave their all in terms of spirit and commitment but it just wasn't to be this week.

    You could even moan about the referee. I've been around a bit and I've never seen a ref give a penalty because a player ran into him. It wasn't crucial to the outcome of the match, but in a way that would have been easier to take.

    What did make this particular defeat hard to swallow was that Ospreys were terrible, especially in the first half. Any other team in the league would probably have been at least two scores ahead at that point.

    We didn't make them look like world beaters like we did with Lions. We just made them look marginally better than us, which didn't seem to be much of a stretch for them.

    Grant Gilchrist has been pretty vocal over the last couple of weeks in asking for a level of pride or passion or commitment, call it what you will, but it appeared those qualities were left back in Scotland with him.

    We got a reaction to the loss to Lions, but the boost that followed it appears to have disappeared like a politician's promises after just two decent displays.

    All we took to Wales was inaccuracy and ill-discipline, and again, Ospreys were poor enough that even those frailties, if backed by a little belief, might have been sufficient to get the job done.

    I always want to see Scotland play and win but dislike the disruption to the league, especially when it comes to games scheduled for outside the international window.

    Right now though it's a welcome break.

    Sandy Smith can be found at The Burgh Watch, external

  19. Send your questions for Radio Scotland Rugby Podcastpublished at 17:23 28 October

    Have your say

    After Glasgow's big win and Edinburgh's defeat in the URC this weekend, are there any questions you would like to put to Tom English and Andy Burke?

    Send them in via this link, external and they will be answered either on this week's Radio Scotland Rugby Podcast or in written form on this very page.

  20. Ospreys 22-13 Edinburgh: Three things we learnedpublished at 16:10 28 October

    Andy Burke
    BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

    Sean EverittImage source, SNS

    Underperforming? Or overhyped?

    It was interesting reading some comments from Ospreys fans after their team’s victory over Edinburgh on Saturday.

    Some of them could not fathom why Edinburgh or their fans would assume they would be favourites heading to Bridgend.

    Maybe because Ospreys were bottom of the URC table going into the game? Or Edinburgh are stacked with internationals?

    The Ospreys fans mostly asked one very basic question – what have Edinburgh ever done to justify their confidence in beating anyone on the road?

    Maybe some of us have been guilty of overhyping Edinburgh in recent times. Maybe we inflate the reputation of some of these players off the back of the occasional good performance in a Scotland shirt.

    Aside from a couple of seasons early in Richard Cockerill’s reign when they really did appear to have turned a corner, Edinburgh have been a big let-down for a long time.

    Some of those players with big reputations in the Edinburgh squad are on the downward curve of their careers, some have been beset by injuries and some consistently fail to perform for their club to anywhere near the same standard they do for their country.

    Should Edinburgh be better than they are? Yes.

    Should they be in the mix at the top end of the table? There is little historical evidence to suggest that’s where they belong.

    Sean Everitt under the microscope

    Inevitably the head coach will come back under the microscope after yet another dismal performance.

    Sean Everitt is a good man and there is nothing coming out of the dressing room to suggest the players are anything other than right behind him.

    Over a year into the job it’s reasonable to ask, though, what has he improved at Edinburgh?

    Certainly not the mentality of the squad, which seems as fragile as ever.

    Why are they so infuriatingly inconsistent? How long have we being saying Edinburgh’s big players – all their players – need to step up?

    The international break will give the Edinburgh coaches some time to reassess where this team is going, and if they don’t emerge after the Test window with some new ideas, they will continue to wallow in the back alleys of underachievement.

    Misfiring attack and fly-half conundrum

    Edinburgh’s attacking game is in a dire state. It’s hard to detect what it is they are actually trying to accomplish when they have possession of the ball.

    Even in the victories over the Stormers and Cardiff, it was very much a stick-it-up-the-jumper, pick-and-go strategy.

    It’s uninspiring stuff and the coach has yet to prove he can find a system that gets the back-line into the game at all, far less hurting teams.

    Everitt has a problem at 10 because rather than pushing each other to new heights by competing for the fly-half jersey, neither Ben Healy nor Ross Thompson has looked convincing as the chief creative force of the team.

    Against Ospreys, Thompson’s decision-making was questionable. He aimed a couple of cross-field kicks towards Duhan van der Merwe when it looked like it was on to put it through the hands.

    At one point he attempted a drop-goal from 45m which smacked of desperation, of trying his luck purely for the lack of a better idea.

    Thompson needs some help from the experienced heads around him, and perhaps a clearer picture of what the game plan is actually supposed to be.

  21. Stormers 17-28 Glasgow: Three things we learnedpublished at 15:34 28 October

    Andy Burke
    BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

    Kyle RoweImage source, Getty Images

    Sensational Sione

    In the week he was announced as Scotland captain for the upcoming autumn internationals, Sione Tuipulotu gave yet another reminder of his game-altering abilities.

    From the first whistle, the centre set the agenda, punching holes in the Stormers defence with powerful bursts.

    He showed good anticipation to telegraph Seb Cancielliere’s clever kick through to grab a try, and fired a long pass out to Kyle Rowe – some would argue it may have been a shade forward – to set the winger free for Glasgow’s third try. Rowe still had plenty to do, and he did it brilliantly.

    Tuipulotu has become a player that opposition teams fear. He can carry like a train, handle like a surgeon and his understanding of where holes may appear means he can put the likes of Huw Jones through those gaps time and again.

    He has become one of the best, most complete centres in world rugby and much of Scotland’s hopes for a successful autumn rest on his shoulders.

    Matthews sends a message

    As Scotland squad announcements under Gregor Townsend go, the latest for the Autumn Nations Series was fairly routine, with only a couple of controversial calls – the main one being the non-selection of Johnny Matthews.

    The omission of the Glasgow hooker continues to bemuse those who have watched him become a key cog in a winning Warriors machine.

    He looked like a man on a mission in Stellenbosch. He put in some monstrous hits, made two clean breaks, carried for 50m, beat six defenders and bagged his customary try.

    Townsend’s only reasoning for leaving Matthews out has been to point to the form of others, but none of those selected ahead of him - Ewan Ashman, Dylan Richardson or Patrick Harrison - can point to the successes Matthews has enjoyed in the past year or so.

    Clearly the national head coach sees flaws in Matthews’ game that he feels make him unreliable in the Test arena. It would be good to know what they are because Franco Smith clearly believes his first-choice hooker is a man who can handle the big occasion.

    Venter the unsung hero

    Henco Venter was a Glasgow signing that attracted a bit of criticism when it was announced in the summer of 2023.

    Why were Warriors signing a 31-year-old South African journeyman while releasing young Scottish back-rows who had never been given a fair crack of the whip?

    Nobody is questioning the signing now. Venter has been an influential presence, particularly during the Test periods when the likes of Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey are away with the national team.

    Venter is tough and when he comes off the bench in the biggest games he brings an edge and an intensity that is priceless in the heat of a knife-edge contest.

    He may not be the player who grabs the headlines, but you sense Franco Smith would trust his compatriot to be thrown into any situation and deliver for his team.