Allan Massie: Edinburgh look in better shape than Glasgow

Last season Richard Cockerill’s side were improving while Warriors were at best marching on the spot

Richard Cockerill's Edinburgh have a European Challenge Cup quarter-final to look forward to in September. Picture: Ross Parker/SNS/SRU

With dates fixed for the resumption of the tail-end of last season’s Guinness Pro14 and a September date for Edinburgh’s European Challenge Cup quarter-final in Bordeaux, it’s possible to look forward, hesitantly, with fingers crossed, to the live game.

The hesitation is natural. The demanding conditions set for the Test series between England and the West Indies show just how precarious things still are, and this has been emphasised by the penalty imposed on the young fast bowler Jofra Archer for breaching the “bio-security” regulations. We are still a very long way from a return to normality, and it looks as if it will be months before we get there.

In the circumstances, looking ahead must be more speculative than it usually is. Nevertheless there has been a good deal of action, even if not yet on the pitch. Two or three times a week announcements come from Ireland and Wales of new signings made by clubs. The market is active even if few of the names are very eye-catching. It’s certainly not a case of what are called “marquee” signings. It’s been a little different in England where Exeter and Sale, both financially stable clubs, have been more ambitious, Sale’s recruitment of Manu Tualagi being the most notable signing. Otherwise, from a Scottish point of view Sean Maitland’s decision to re-sign for Saracens even though they will be only playing in the Championship, is interesting. However, I doubt if Gregor Townsend will think this a reason to call time on Maitland’s international career.

Neither Edinburgh nor Glasgow have been on a recruiting spree. No doubt the money isn’t there. Glasgow’s new coach Danny Wilson has said the squad may be a bit lacking in depth, but it looks as if he is going to have to make good with what he has got. The same goes for Richard Cockerill at Edinburgh, but he is perhaps in a happier situation than Wilson. Last season Edinburgh were improving while Glasgow were at best marching on the spot.

At full strength Edinburgh have a pack that need yield to nobody. A front row of Rory Sutherland, 
Stuart McInally and Willem Nel is solid and skilful, and it will be interesting to see if Sutherland continues last season’s development that enabled him to establish himself as first-choice for Scotland. A lock partnership of Grant Gilchrist and Ben Toolis is more than satisfactory, though here there may be some question about the quality of back-up.

It’s in the back-row, however, that Edinburgh are a match for anyone and better than most. Jamie Ritchie, Bill Mata and Hamish Watson must be as good a back-row as any Scottish team has ever fielded, and Luke Crosbie and Nick Haining offer excellent support.

Behind the scrum the back three of Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe are all natural try-scorers. Kinghorn may not – yet anyway – have fully established himself at international level; his progress has been slower than one had expected and he is still liable to make surprising handling errors and to choose wrong options too often. But at club level he is formidable, while, given half 
a chance, Graham and Van der Merwe, in their contrasting styles, are as dangerous a pair of wingers as any club in the Pro14 can field.

It’s in midfield that one has doubts about Edinburgh. The two best Scottish scrum-halves, Ali Price and George Horne, are both with Glasgow. Charlie Shiel may now be third in the pecking-order, but he still hasn’t been starting regularly for Edinburgh, and there will certainly be days when Cockerill opts for the experience of Henry Pyrgos or Nick Groom. Jaco van der Walt is a sound and intelligent fly-half, but not one who often makes things happen as Adam Hastings does for Glasgow or Joey Carberry can for Munster on the rare occasions when he is fit. Likewise Chris Dean and James Johnstone are a very decent pair of centres, but neither has pushed hard for international recognition, which says something about their limitations.

A question-mark follows Mark Bennett’s name, and the answer to the question may go some way to deciding what sort of season Edinburgh enjoy. Five years ago, in the 2015 World Cup, Bennett, then very young, looked like being the centre
Scotland has been seeking for a long time. Fast, alert and twinkle-toed in the manner of Jim Renwick of old, he was a wonderfully
exciting player. A succession of injuries, one serious and costing him a whole season, interrupted his development and caused his career to stall. Last season, pretty
well injury-free, there were at least glimpses of what he had promised to be. Edinburgh will be a much more dangerous team if he can build on this, and, moreover, he would be knocking on the Scotland door again.

Edinburgh are now good enough to be one of the four best teams in the Pro14 and to make a creditable showing in European competition.
A rejuvenated Bennett might be just what they need to lift them that bit higher.

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