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'URC licking their lips that it's all come down to the final game'

By PA
(Photo by Paul Devlin/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Nigel Carolan believes Glasgow can benefit from the fact they do not have to visit Edinburgh’s compact DAM Health Stadium this Saturday in the URC. The crucial second leg of the 1872 Cup will instead take place at the much bigger BT Murrayfield in order to accommodate a larger number of supporters.

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Edinburgh were unbeaten at DAM Health until losing to Ulster at the end of last month, and assistant coach Carolan hopes the fact they have relinquished home turf will play into Glasgow’s hands. “Up until the last couple of games, they have made the DAM Health a fortress,” he said.

“Ulster and Wasps pipped them there but certainly they have made life really difficult for the teams they have played there. So to some degree, this is a neutral venue, it’s common to the internationalists in both squads. It probably levels the advantage in some ways.”

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      Carolan believes Saturday’s Glasgow versus Edinburgh match promises to be a spectacular occasion for Scottish rugby with derby bragging rights, Champions Cup qualification, and a slightly more favourable URC quarter-final the reward for the winners.

      “There is a lot on the line,” he said. “The 1872 Cup in itself has a lot of tradition and history, the play-offs to get seventh position over eighth, and the Champions Cup is on the line, so there is a lot at stake.

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      “If I was a neutral fan I’d be expecting to see two teams who want to play some ball. The URC will be licking their lips that it has all come down to the final game.”

      Carolan confirmed Glasgow have no fresh injury concerns. “Everyone’s fit and available apart from our long-term injuries,” he said. “I’d love to be able to call on Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Fraser Brown and Rory Darge but everyone else is in reasonable health so we plough on.”

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      J
      Jfp123 29 minutes ago
      Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

      It will be great if Jalibert improves in defence, but unless and until he improves substantially, I think he should be out of the running for the national team. If you look at the French A side, attack is not usually so much of a problem - they scored 200 points in the last 6 nations without MJ on the pitch. Defence however can be an issue, Penaud isn’t the greatest in that area for a start. So a 10 who is solid in defence is badly needed. And given his poor defence record, MJ would be bound to be targeted by shrewd coaches like Rassi and Razor, so he needs to be able to withstand that.

      Also, given sufficient improvement in defence, there are still factors which tell against MJ. I think the 7/1 bench has been a very successful experiment, and for that you need flexible backs who can play in more than one position in case of injury. Then there’s how well the 10 plays with France’s best 9, Dupont. And even if you think MJ is better when there’s no Dupont or 7/1 split, stability in a test team is important, so it’s better not to go chopping and changing the 10 needlessly. There’s also the question of temperament - MJ doesn’t shine at his brightest when it really matters, eg WC quarters and Top14 finals, and look at his test record over the past 2 years.

      I see Ntamack as by far the best option at 10. Rugby is a team game, and apart from his excellent defence, there’s his partnership with Dupont, his versatility, and all the other skills that go to making a great team player and a great 10. He’s excellent under the high ball, an area where France tend to have a weakness, and has fine strategic and team management skills, great handling skills and so on.

      While having star quality is important, it’s not the be all and end all, as illustrated by UBB this season. Imo, though undoubtedly very good, they underperformed. With best wings, best 9, as Dupont barely played in the Top14, with Jalibert and leading centres and 15, plus a strengthened forward pack, they couldn’t match ST in points scored, despite the latter’s huge injury list which left some positions seriously weakened, at least on paper.

      For next season, I hope ST are back to their scintillating best with injuries healed, that LBB is back to rude health for UBB, that the exciting promise of La Rochelle’s and Toulon’s new recruits bears fruit, Bayonne continue to defy their budget and we have a cracking, highly competitive Top14 and Les Bleus triumphant in the autumn internationals and six nations!

      262 Go to comments
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