England Declare Their Intent

Stuart Lancaster revealed the England team he believes can win at Murrayfield for the first time since 2004.  His selection has thrown up 8 debutants in the 22, 3 of whom are starting.  The backs heavily rely on Saracens players and the back row looks as dangerous as it has for a long while for England.  So here's the full team:

Ben Foden; Chris Ashton; Brad Barritt, Owen Farrell, David Strettle; Charlie Hodgson; Ben Youngs; Alex Corbisiero, Dylan Hartley, Dan Cole; Mouritz Botha, Tom Palmer; Tom Croft, Chris Robshaw (captain), Phil Dowson.

Reps: Rob Webber, Matt Stevens, Geoff Parling, Ben Morgan, Lee Dickson, Jordan Turner-Hall, Mike Brown.

The most notable combination in the line-up is the centre pairing of Saracens duo Owen Farrell and Brad Barritt, both of whom are earning their test debuts.  It's a risky strategy from Lancaster to field two international novices, but one where he is relying on the success of the partnership at club level to transpire in the test arena. 

Brad Barritt makes his debut alongside

Saracens teammate Owen Farrell

With 4 of the 7 backs plying their trade at Saracens (the others being David Strettle and Charlie Hodgson who have both endured long spells out of the English set-up), it would be easy to assume that the style of rugby Lancaster is looking for would be similar to that employed by the club, but Lancaster suggests otherwise, stating at today's press conference that "[Hodgson, Farrell and Barritt] are used to playing together, but we will use them slightly differently to how Saracens do."

In the forwards, the fifth Saracens player, lock Mouritz Botha, earns only his second cap whilst the back row includes a mix of experience and otherwise with Phil Dowson earning his debut, new captain Chris Robshaw and seasoned campaigner Tom Croft.  All three are good ball carriers and handy at the lineout, no doubt a specific tactic to confuse the likes of Hamilton and Gray.

The bench sees Lancaster continue to pick on form, with no evidence that he will be relying on experience if things start to go pear-shaped on Saturday. Harelquins duo Jordan Turner-Hall and Mike Brown are joined by Geoff Parling, Ben Morgan, Lee Dickson with Matt Stevens and Rob Webber completing the line-up.

Lancaster has hailed his selection as "...a team for now, and a team for the future – we’re trying to achieve both."  Certainly, the first part of that statement is true as he has picked a team very much based on current form.  As for the second part of that statement being true?  Well I guess we'll find out over the coming weeks.  There are certainly a lot of players that will be looking to cement a place in the England team for years to come.

Scotland Announce Calcutta Cup Team

The Scotland team for the Murrayfield clash against England has been announced:

15 - R Lamont
14 - Jones
13 - De Luca
12 - S Lamont
11 - Evans
10 - Parks
9 - Cusiter

1 - Jacobsen
2 - Ford
3 - Murray
4 - Gray
5 - Hamilton
6 - Strokosch
7 - Rennie
8 - Denton.

On the bench: Scott Lawson, Cross, Kellock, Barclay, Blair, Laidlaw, Morrison.

Andy Robinson has made some bold calls with the inclusion of Lee Jones on the wing who has played very well for Edinburgh this season.  Perhaps the biggest surprise is the omission of John Barclay from the starting XV where Ross Rennie takes his place alongside David Denton and Ally Strokosch in the back row.

Superbowl XLVI Preview

This Sunday sees 'the biggest show on earth' take place in Indianapolis for the first time.  Yes, it's the Superbowl, and it sees two of the NFL's oldest and most prestigious teams slog it out for the Vince Lombardi trophy.

As has happened a few times this postseason, the Superbowl sees one of the best defences in the league up against one of the very best quarterbacks the league has ever seen.  So far, the defences have come out on top, so can Brady & Co stop the Giants to claim a 4th Superbowl since 2001?

I defy anyone to claim that they saw this match-up coming, even deep into the regular season.  After week 12, neither team could be regarded as Superbowl material, especially the Giants.

Head coach Tom Coughlin had been coming under fire after the Giants went 6-6 after week 12 in a very tight NFC East division.  Fast forward to now and the Giants are one of the most rounded and balanced teams in the NFL on a 5 game streak coming into the game in Indianapolis.  That streak started after narrowly losing to the Packers in week 16 at Meadowlands 38-35.  That game did two things: It showed the defensive vulnerabilities of the Packers, but also signs from the Giants that they could mix it with the best.

In Eli Manning, they have one of the best quarterbacks outside of the 'top 4' (Brady, Rodgers, Brees & brother Peyton Manning) and certainly the best of the remaining bunch that have stayed fit all year.  The irony isn't lost on NFL fans that Eli will be leading his team out for the first Superbowl to be hosted in Indianapolis, the home of his elder brother and rival QB Peyton and the Colts.

It's generally recognised that Peyton is the superior quarterback, and certainly the more consistent, but to many, quarterbacks are ultimately judged on how many Superbowl rings they get.  So far, both Eli and Peyton have one apiece.  If Eli wins on February 5th, in many peoples eyes, that will promote him to being the top Manning quarterback.

I've had this very debate a couple of times over the last week that rings reflect the overall quality of a quarterback.  If Eli does get a second, can he really be considered a better QB than Dan Marino, Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger who each have one?  I'm not so sure.

Tom Brady doesn't need any such justification.  Already the owner of 3 Superbowl rings, Brady is looking to win a record equalling fourth to sit in the rarefied atmosphere alongside Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.  Let us not forget that Brady will be motivated to exact the misery he suffered at the hands of the Giants at Superbowl XLII.  He claims he still hasn't watched that game back.

Tom Brady is going for his 4th Superbowl ring

Many would argue that the New England Patriots team going into this years Superbowl aren't the force they were in 2008.  They don't have the wide receivers they had then to provide the options for Brady that allows his game management to flourish.  In Rob Gronkowski, they do have a tight end that has broken the mould this season, scoring more TD's than any other tight end in NFL history.  If the Giants can close him down, the Patriots' attacking options suddenly look sparse.

For the Giants, Manning has a little more to aim at. In Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks, Eli has 3 guys that have improved immeasurably over the course of the season.  The Nicks/Cruz combination has really started to click and has given headaches to the best defences in the post season.  On the other side of the ball, they also have Jason Pierre-Paul, the one-man offensive play wrecking ball who always rises to the occasion.

In many ways, Superbowl XLVI is too close to call.  As has happened a few times already in the postseason, both sides may have to depend on their special teams to get an edge on the other.  Whatever happens, it promises to be an epic battle.  It was a close contest when they met earlier in the regular season, and I expect nothing less this time around.

Ultimately, I fancy the Patriots just because of the impetus they will have following the defeat in '08 which saw the Giants put an end to the perfect season.  Brady is too wise and too good for that kind of thing to happen to him twice.

Djokovic Shows What It Takes

For anyone that may have had doubts about Novak Djokovic’s credentials as world number 1 player, surely they were dispelled following epic semi-final and final victories in the Australian Open. 

Between the two games, Djokovic played 10 sets of tennis and for over 10 hours as he took on and beat a spirited and quite unlucky Andy Murray before competing in the longest Grand Slam final of all time in a colossal contest with world number two Rafael Nadal.  

The semi-final was very much down to who could take their chances.  With 3 break points at 5-5 in the deciding set, it was Murray that looked to be holding the advantage and possibly knocking out the Serbian in what would have been the greatest victory of Murray’s career.  But ultimately, it was Djokovic that showed the resolve to save each break point and go on to hold serve before breaking Murray to take the match clinching game.

Djokovic in full flow

In the aftermath of the semi-final, Murray was upbeat about his performance and stated that he was definitely closing the gap on the top 3 players.  Certainly, his performance in the semi was a marked improvement from the final a year ago where Djokovic dispatched him in straight sets.  I’ve always believed that Murray’s best chance of winning a Grand Slam will come on hard courts, which implies either the Australian or US Open.  With a winter break, it may even be more likely that the Australian Open is his very best chance of the year.  Recent results in the tournament (2 finals and a semi in his 3 last appearances) show that Murray comes out of the blocks very strong after winter training.  Physically, he is close but not perfect.  It was clear in the fifth set on Friday that Murray was starting to struggle with cramp.  Had he gone on to win that game, I’m not convinced he could have gone the distance with Nadal in the final.

And that may be the most impressive part of Djokovic’s victory this week.  This will go down as his greatest Grand Slam victory to date because of the way he did it.  He was pushed all the way in two matches against two very good competitors and came through the other side with flying colours.  Not only were the physical demands extraordinary, but the mental toughness to see out both of those games was astonishing.

Last year was one of the most remarkable for any tennis player in any era for Djokovic.  This year, he has to cement that success.  Getting to number one in the world is the easy bit.  Holding on to it is the tough part.  As everyone around him improves, it is a true sign of a champion that he can see off these ever-changing and ever-increasing challenges with consistent success.  His victory on Sunday certainly showed everyone that he is every bit the number one in the world.

Starter For 10?

With number 1 fly-half choice Ruaridh Jackson unlikely to be available for Scotland's opening games of this year's RBS 6 Nations tournament, Andy Robinson will have to re-evaluate his options, of which he has many. But who will he pick?

Andy Robinson has a tough decision to make

Dan Parks

Of all available options to Robinson, Parks has by far the most experience. However, his inclusion into the starting 15 would force the coaches hands to play a very particular style of rugby, playing for territory and relying on Parks kicking abilities from hand, a style synomonous with the Scots in recent years and one they seem to be trying to get away from.

There's no doubt he has improved in this area, but he still has games where it comes unstuck and so the performance of the team suffers severely due to it's setup around him.

His goal kicking is also much improved over the years, but he is not currently the first choice at Cardiff where Leigh Halfpenny has taken over the duties since Christmas.

I suspect that Robinson will favour Parks' style in what will likely be a war of attrition in the Calcutta Cup. His experience alone will probably sway the Scotland coach to start him at Murrayfield.

Greig Laidlaw

A versatile half back, Laidlaw has shone for Edinburgh this season in both pivot positions. His latest outing against London Irish in the Heineken Cup was such a convincing performance, it put him top of the pile for many.

Much more of a creative number 10 than Parks, he would be considered a risky choice for the England clash. In addition, he won't have the wide players like Tim Visser and Lee Jones to feed and kick to. A relative newcomer to the international scene, he may struggle to secure a berth come next Saturday.

Duncan Weir

The uncapped Weir has been in great form at Glasgow and is now considered an equal to Jackson in the Warrior setup rather than the understudy.

He has a huge boot on him, and has shown great composure at times this season in big games. His goal kicking is very good and only improving.

I see him being on the bench come the 4th as a stand in very much in the mould of his Glasgow colleague. Ruaridh Jackson has been seen as Andy Robinson's 'project' the last couple of seasons, so I see Weir's similar attributes currying favour with the coach. He also has the advantage of being familiar with Chris Cusiter at scrum half who I see as being the number one choice.

Phil Godman

The Edinburgh fly-half has seen a recent renaissance in form, particularly with his performance in Paris against Racing Metro in the Heineken Cup, knocking over a last minute drop goal to win his team what turned out to be a crucial extra couple of points to contribute towards a table topping campaign.

Godman has never been the most incisive fly-half, and much more the link man.  He performs in that role but in a team that is striving to score more tries in games, I don't see his skill set being top of the priority list for Robinson.  Some more consistency at club level may well see him feature later on in the tournament depending on results and potential injury.

Robinson will be pleased he has the back up for Jackson as his starting fly half recovers from his recurrent thigh problem. Neither option is the optimum, but as mentioned, I think he will start with Parks and introduce Weir late in the game against England. What an experience, an arena and fixture it would be for the young man on his debut.

6 Nations Preview

The 6 week long extravaganza that is the RBS 6 Nations officially launches today, and each nation will be heading in all with optimistic expectations.

After a world cup that saw some home nations excel and others ultimately leave disappointed, every team will be looking to improve during the 6 Nations.

I'll state now that I don't think there will be a Grand Slam winner this year. As the gaps in class between the 6 teams get smaller, everyone has the ability to take points from each other, this year more than ever.

Here's my rundown on each country, their key issues, expectations and players and what it'll take for each to take home the title.

England

England fans surely can't wait for the tournament to start. It'll be the first opportunity to see their team since the disappointing RWC campaign in New Zealand, to hopefully wipe the slate clean and of course to see if they can defend their 6 Nations title.

A new era has brought in a new interim coach with Stuart Lancaster calling the shots. His elite squad includes 9 uncapped players who are all based in England with the exception of Ben Morgan (Scarlets) and who have all performed well for their respective clubs.

Stand out additions include Owen Farrell who has been superb at Saracens. Playing at 12 lately with the resurgence of Charlie Hodgson at 10, Farrell looks a player well beyond his 20 years, exciting and with a good kicking boot. A useful kicking option at inside centre, he provides a Mike-Catt-style midfield option and of all the new faces, will most likely find a starting berth in February, or at least a place in the 22.

Owen Farrell

Harlequins prop Joe Marler brings his significant bulk and skill (and ridiculous haircut) into the fray. At 21, he again looks every bit an established player, though he admits he has lots yet to learn. With a secure berth in the Quins front row, he has managed to progress significantly and consistently through the season and deserves his squad place.

It's hard to assess the prospects of a largely new squad and new coach. Personally, I can only hope that the style of rugby that Lancaster will instill into his team will be an improvement on Martin Johnson's ethos, so it will be intriguing to guage England's efforts when they start their defence at Murrayfield. With that trip and a visit to Paris, I just feel they might struggle a little in this time of transition.

Key players for England will be the same ones they pinned their hopes on during the world cup but who never really shone; the likes of Foden, Ashton, Lawes and Hartley.

Prediction: Fourth

France

The French look to be going into the tournament as favourites following a turbulent but reasonably successful RWC in New Zealand, reaching the final and losing by only 1 point to the hosts (making it 3 appearances and 3 losses in RWC finals).

New coach Phillipe Saint-Andre looks to have a steadier head on him than his predecessor Marc Lievremont who tinkered constantly with his selections. Saint-Andre has stuck to the majority of those who performed at the RWC and added a couple of new faces, most notably the exciting young Clermont centre Wesley Fofana.

France didn't part with many of their players through retirement after the RWC, and the team will be very similar to the one that took to the field against New Zealand. Given that consistency and that they have 3 home games it is hard to see them doing anything other than triumph, although maybe not with a Grand Slam (thinking specifically of their trips to Wales and Scotland).

Morgan Parra

The key player for me is scrum half Morgan Parra. Still only 22, the Clermont nuumber 9 has proved to be the best in his position in the world at the moment. He packs every skill required of his demanding role with the added responsibility of goal kicking. He calls the shots, marshalls his forwards and distributes always when required, reading the game so comprehensively. When Clermont played Leicester in the Heineken Cup earlier this season, he showed England's Ben Youngs exactly how it should be done, and in his own back yard.

Prediction: First

Ireland

After a world cup that promised so much, particularly after topping their group with the win over Australia, the Irish were ultimately left disappointed after their quarter-final loss to the Welsh in New Zealand.

Declan Kidney has named a small squad that excludes the injured talisman and captain Brian O'Driscoll through injury. Munsterman Paul O'Connell will lead the team in BO'D's absence. Other notable exclusions include Luke Fitzgerald, once seen as the longterm replacement for O'Driscoll. The news that he has not even been selected for the Irish 'A' Wolfhounds team shows everyone that he has a lot of work to do to earn a place in Kidney's thoughts again.

Paul O'Connell

Domestically, the Irish are doing extremely well. 2011/12 is the first season in the Heineken Cup that 3 Irish teams have made the quarter-finals with Ulster joining the perennial winners Leinster and Munster. All 3 teams provide the vast majority of the Irish squad and given the way those clubs are playing at the moment, it would take a strong will to bet against the Irish this time around.

Ireland host Scotland, Wales and Italy where they will be fully expected to win all 3. The trips to Twickenham and the Stade de France will certainly prove to be trickier, but recent history shows that the Irish have had their fair share of results at those stadiums.

Prediction: Second

Italy

The Italians always had it to do when placed in a RWC group with Ireland and Australia. They held their own for the first half against the Aussies but got decimated in the first half by Ireland.

There seems to be no question that the overall quality of the Italians has increased following the introduction of Benetton Treviso and Aironi into the RaboDirect Pro12 league. With much of the Italian squad based either in these two teams or in the French Top 14, nearly every player is now exposed to top level European rugby on a consistent basis.

Italy recorded their most famous victory of the 2011 tournament over the French in Rome, and it's the French they face first up, this time in Paris. It's difficult to see any kind of upset, that really would be the biggest result in the history of the 6 Nations following the intorduction of the Italians in 2000.

Their key man, as it seems to be every year, is number 8 Sergio Parisse. With the sort of ability that would see him claim a place in any international team setup, Parisse carries much of the responsibility of his team and country's expectations. And yet he either seems to thrive on it or manages to block it out as he is the most consistent performer when he takes to the field.

Sergio Parisse

Italy will be targeting home wins against England and Scotland in the final weekend. In the past, they have pushed the English close at least once and following their result against the French last time out, they'll believe they can do it again. On the basis that Scotland will pick up a couple of results prior to the game with Italy, I see the Italians once again struggling at the bottom of the table, but they will almost certainly provide a shock result somewhere.

Prediction: Sixth

Scotland

It's fair to say that Scottish rugby is on something of a high at the moment. Edinburgh's success in topping their Heineken Cup group and earning themselves a home quarter-final against 4 time winners Toulouse is testament to Michael Bradley and the style of rugby they promote. Glasgow meanwhile are still harbouring ambitions of grabbing a league play-off place for the second time in 4 seasons as their consistency of success in the RaboDirect Pro12 league continues.

Once again, it these teams that provide the bulk of Andy Robinson's squad members. He has selected hooker Ross Ford to lead out the country during the tournament after his first choice for captain Kelly Brown was injured last weekend playing for Saracens at Treviso and will be out for at least 8 weeks. Ford will win his 54th cap against England on February 4th.

Ross Ford

Injuries are a key worry for Scotalnd in the final fortnight leading up to the first weekend, most notably to Robinson's first choice fly-half Ruaridh Jackson (thigh), former captain Al Kellock (respiratory infection) and props Alasdair Dickinson (shoulder) and Ed Kalman (calf). The prop positions particularly are a worry as Moray Low is already ruled out and Euan Murray chooses not to play on Sundays, ruling him out of 2 of the 5 games.

Scotland's successes in the tournament have traditionally come in the 'even' years when they host England and France and travel to Ireland, Wales and Italy. Should they get off to a great start against England, and away in Cardiff against the Welsh, who knows what could happen. Having a two week gap before and after the French game could also prove to be beneficial.

Scotland's shortcomings, highlighted particuarly at the recent world cup in New Zealand, include the inability to capitalise on the possession and territroy they make. Scoring tries has been a real struggle in previous seasons, and it's hard to see where they will come from this time around. With no notable strike players added to the core group from the World Cup (it should be noted that game changing Edinburgh winger Tim Visser qualifies for Scotland this June, a little late for this tournament), Scotland will again be relying on the tactical nouse of either Dan Parks, the inexperienced Duncan Weir and Jackson when he returns.

The burden of scoring tries in the backs will fall to the household names of Sean Lamont, Joe Ansbro, Max Evans and Nick de Luca.

I believe that Scotland have a chance of achieving a top 3 place this year, provided they can secure the crucial home victories against England and France, which they are well capable of doing. England go to Murrayfield on February 4th having not won there since 2004 (and only twice since 1998) and Scotland will want it to stay that way.

Prediction: Third

Wales

There is perhaps greater expectation than ever on the Welsh team following their heroics at the world cup which some them knocked out at the semi final by the French, and by a single point. Many Welsh fans will still be debating the red card given to inspirational young captain Sam Warburton that day, but there is no point dwelling on the past. The 6 Nations provides an opportunity to cement the form they showed during the world cup and even exact some revenge against the French.

Warren Gatland has selected a squad that has a healthy mix of experience and new talent, the possible excpetion being the inclusion of Gavin Henson who has arguably only bagged a place due to first choice number 12 Jamie Roberts being out injured. As discussed previously in The Skene Skrum, Wales have more than enough options to cover for Roberts without Henson.

Wales are one of the hardest teams to predict for tournaments. Who would have thought after the 2007 RWC where they crashed out of their group, they would come back to claim a Grand Slam in 2008? That came 3 years after the Grand Slam that seemed to come out of nowhere. Having had a good world cup this time around, who's to say that the Welsh won't flunk and be competing for the wooden spoon this year?

George North

The key player for me is George North.  The natural try scoring successor to Shane Williams, North enters the tournament after a very impressive world cup.  Along with fellow winger Leigh Halfpenny, the pair will be looked upon to bag a few tries this time round.

Wales have three home games this year, but travel to Dublin and Twickenham. The home fixture with Scotland threw up a thriller two years ago and will no doubt do so again. Wales have proved by winning the Grand Slams in '05 and '08 that they can beat all teams home and away, but can they do it this time? I have a sneaky feeling they may struggle this year with the likes of Jamie Roberts, Alun Wyn-Jones and Luke Charteris out and Gethin Jenkins an injury doubt.

Prediction: Fifth

Henson Picked For Wales' 6 Nations Squad

Both Wales and Ireland released details of their 6 Nations Squads today, and both coaching parties have gone about it a different way.

In Ireland, head coach Declan Kidney has named 24 players he seems clear will be in the reckoning during the tournament, and named a further 6 in the Ireland 'A' or Wolfhounds team, allowing them an opportunity to further prove their worth for the first squad.

In Wales, Warren Gatland has named a large 35 man squad with the intention of downsizing closer to the tournament.  The overriding headline with his announcement is the inclusion of Gavin Henson in the 35.

29 year old Henson has played only 3 times for his latest club, Cardiff Blues, since returning from the wrist injury that kept him out of the World Cup and has been left out of their crucial Heineken Cup squad for this weekend as the Blues look to top the table and secure an automatic quarter final place.

The 35 man squad also includes Scott Williams, Jonathan Davies, George North, the uncapped Ashley Beck and French based player James Hook in the squad, as well as the currently injured Jamie Roberts with a view to having him included in the latter games of the tournament.  All of these players can play at centre.

Gavin Henson has been icluded in the provisional

Wales 6 Nations squad

So why pick Henson as well?

It has been well touted that George North will play at 13 as he has in the past at junior level, with the choice of Williams, Davies and Hook all playing inside him at 12.  Is his inclusion purely an insurance policy until Roberts is fit again?

It seems that this is backward step in an otherwise progressive looking selection from Gatland. As well as Beck, there are 5 other uncapped players with Rhys Webb, Liam Williams, Rhodri Jones, Lou Reed and Harry Robinson.

Gatland's biggest headache comes in the second row, where first choice picks Alun Wyn-Jones and Luke Charteris are both out through injury.

All-in-all, Gatland has stuck to his successful RWC squad that reached the semi final stage for the first time since 1987.  But with a number of injuries and notable retirements like Shane Williams, there are some excellent opportunities for some new blood to make an impact when the 6 Nations kicks of on 4th February.

Strength In Depth Growing In Scotland

Scottish rugby proved again that it is in good shape after another fine round of Heineken Cup action.  The weekends games saw a lot of the young Scottish talent come to the fore, boosted no doubt by their recent inclusion in Scotland's 6 Nations squad.

At Firhill, a lapse in concentration at the beginning of the second half was all that really separated the Warriors from claiming a result against the reigning European Champions Leinster.  In a spirited display, led by the outstanding Al Kellock who had his best game of the season so far, the Warriors were tireless in their work around the pitch, particularly at the breakdown where they didn't allow the likes of Sean O'Brien or Jamie Heaslip anywhere near the amount of ball they are accustomed to.

Duncan Weir was excellent at fly half, with his kicking boots very much on his feet.  His excellent place kicking was backed up with some well considered kicks into space in around the pitch.  For such a young player in such a crucial position, he showed real level headedness throughout the game, showing everyone that he should be the number one pick at Glasgow over Ruaridh Jackson.  The competition for positions at Glasgow is refreshing to see, and head coach Sean Lineen has done an excellent job with his squad rotations to maintain a high quality of rugby.  It's bittersweet for Lineen that he sees his two top fly halves selected for Scotland duty which could well undermine Glasgow's playoff hopes in the RaboDirect Pro12 league.

Duncan Weir produced a mature display against

champions Leinster

Stuart Hogg, after a shaky start, grew into the game well, with one particularly chase and catch from a Duncan Weir up-and-under being a particular highlight.  Richie Gray had a very good game, setting his stall out early by nicking the first Leinster lineout after a few minutes.  His ball carrying was excellent, covering every inch of the pitch.

Ultimately, Glasgow came up short, losing 16-23 and as a result, fail to qualify for the quarter finals of the competition.  With a win away at Bath next week however, there is every incentive to make it into the Amlin Cup.

Friday night saw Edinburgh travel to Paris to take on Racing Metro 92.  The return fixture at Murrayfield saw one of the greatest games ever in the Heineken Cup when Edinburgh staged the biggest comeback in competition history to win 46-45.

It may have been ambitious to hope for the same, but both teams went out looking for tries.  With the game tied after 3 converted tries each, it was Phil Godman who showed the composure to kick a 35 yard drop goal in the dying seconds to clinch a 24-21 victory. 

Scottish victories in France are rare gems indeed, and this one meant that Edinburgh had pipped Racing on both occasions with an aggregate score over two games of 73-69.

The hunt for the quarter finals is still very much on, and provided they beat London Irish at Murrayfield next week, regardless of Cardiff's result, should mean they qualify as either group winners or one of the two highest scoring second placed teams with 21/22 points.

So both clubs are flying high either domestically or in Europe, and rarely do both prosper simultaneously.  With Glasgow fielding a 100% Scottish side on Sunday, it goes to show the strength in depth that Scotland is amassing as we head into the international season. 

The key for the SRU now is to hold on to that talent and keep it in Scotland.  They let a big fish through the net with Richie Gray securing a deal at Sale from next season, but lessons like that must be learnt if we are to see our players progress and play with each other over the coming years.