Edinburgh woes and where is Nucifora?
BBC Scotland rugby reporter Andy Burke has been answering some of your questions.Davie asked: When is someone going to read the riot act to these Edinburgh players? Time for coaching/player overhaul to sort this shambles. Slash the wage bill and give more Under-20s a chance??Andy answered: If I had a pound for every time we have had to discuss Edinburgh's infuriating inconsistency, either online or on air, I would be a very wealthy man.I have no idea what it will take to get these Edinburgh players to perform to their potential on a weekly basis. Crucially, Sean Everitt does not, after almost two years in the job, seem any closer to solving the puzzle either.When Richard Cockerill first arrived in 2017, reading the riot act was exactly what he did and exactly what was required. I always recall Simon Bergan telling us how Cockerill had toughened him up a bit.The Englishman's combative style was only ever going to have a limited shelf life, but it seems the current squad are once again at that point that they need an authoritative figure to come in and sort them out.To your point about fielding more U20s, I think Edinburgh should – and will – move on some older players whose best days are behind them, but the youngsters replacing them need to be of the required standard or else you are simply putting out lambs to the slaughter.Freddy Douglas looks ready now, he's a special talent and should play a prominent role between now and the end of the season.James asked: In December the SRU announced the appointment of David Nucifora with great fanfare given by the media yet we've heard nothing since other than his impending absence with the Lions. Known as a man of action, and in light of Edinburgh's dire form, Franco Smith's uncertain future and Scotland's poor Six Nations, when will we see the first signs of his influence?Andy answered: The Nucifora situation is an interesting one. When we spoke to new SRU chief executive Alex Williamson on the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast at the end of January, he said he could not see any downsides to Nucifora going off on tour with the Lions. I'm not so sure about that.Here we are with Scotland coming off an underwhelming Six Nations and many people questioning whether Gregor Townsend is still the right man to take the national team forward, Sean Everitt looking more and more like a lame duck at Edinburgh, and Franco Smith seemingly itching for his next move.There is uncertainty surrounding the three top jobs in Scottish rugby right now and the man tasked with overseeing it all presumably has his head in all things Lions.A post-tournament review is standard after every Six Nations and it will be interesting to see what, if anything, comes from this one.If it is radio silence and business as normal, there will be a sense that Nucifora's priorities are not where they need to be from a Scottish rugby perspective.
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