Latest news with #JamieRitchie
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Rugby emotions run high after Bulls defeat as five players 'absolutely gutted'
Loss at Bulls brings end of an era for some of squad Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Emotions ran high in the away dressing room at Loftus Versfeld as a number of players came to terms with the end of their Edinburgh careers. The 42-33 loss to the Bulls in the quarter-finals of the United Rugby Championship brought the curtain down on the season for Sean Everitt's side and several long-serving stalwarts will now move on. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jamie Ritchie and Ali Price are both heading to France, while Mark Bennett, Javan Sebastian and Robin Hislop are on the hunt for new clubs. Jamie Ritchie, right, and Ali Price, second right, were playing their last games for Edinburgh. | Getty Images The five were in Pretoria, with all but the latter involved in the 11-try thriller which saw Edinburgh lead 21-8 before being reined back in either side of half-time as the Bulls scored 31 unanswered points. 'It's a very emotional changing room at the moment,' said Sean Everitt, the Edinburgh head coach who took the club into the URC play-offs for the first time in three years. 'We've got five leavers that are sitting in the changing room absolutely gutted. A lot of effort went into this game and the preparation was really good for us. The travel was good. Unfortunately, we just fell short. But yes, very emotional. 'Ali Price has come to work every day since he's joined Edinburgh with a smile on his face, which is really contagious amongst the team and he certainly brought a lot to the table. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'You look at a guy like Jamie Ritchie that's been at the club for 11 seasons. He's been really outstanding since I've been there for the last two years. One of the standout players, Player of the Year last year and was also a nominee for Player of the Year this year. We will miss him. His competitive edge and leadership is something that we will miss and we wish him well going forward. And then there's obviously guys like Javan, Mark and Robin Hislop as well. 'Robin, although he hasn't played much this year, he's been an anchor within the squad, not always available for selection due to injury. And when he came back from injury, he didn't probably get the game time that he wanted. But a guy that carries himself well around the group when things don't go his way, always positive, training to the best of his ability. We miss people like that because it's a good example to our youngsters. Ali Price of Edinburgh kicks clear during the United Rugby Championship quarter-final against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld. | Getty Images 'I think the positive of it all is that Jamie and Ali have got good opportunities in the south of France and they'll enjoy their environment change. It's not the end of their careers. Sometimes a change in environment is good for an individual. It takes them out of their comfort zone. And if possible, we'd welcome them back in Edinburgh, if we can.' Ritchie has agreed a deal to join Perpignan for next season while Price has been heavily linked with a move to Montpellier. In addition, Dave Cherry, Matt Scott, Jamie Hodgson, Emiliano Boffelli, Jake Henry, Nathan Sweeney and Jack Hocking are all also leaving Edinburgh. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Everitt said he was proud of the way his team performed at Loftus Versfeld against last season's URC finalists, and in particular the start they made. 'We knew that the first 20 minutes were going to be vital and I thought that the players reacted very well to that. We wanted a fast start to counteract what the Bulls do to the opposition when they come to Loftus and we certainly got the start that we wanted. 'But then there were a couple of loose kicks, which does happen in rugby, and the Bulls were outstanding in how they cut us there on counter-attack. 'And then they blitzed us in the second half and we conceded three tries in 13 minutes. But the boys fought until the end and did well to come back to within nine points. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think if you look at the penalty near the end, we went for the corner and maybe, if we had got three points there, then the pressure turns on the opposition because you're then within a score. So, I'm proud of the fight that the guys showed.
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Van Der Merwe out as Ritchie starts for Edinburgh in quarter-final
Duhan van der Merwe misses out on Edinburgh's URC quarter-final against Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday as head coach Sean Everitt makes just one Van Der Merwe, who has been sidelined since March with ankle ligament damage, has resumed training and is with the squad in South Everitt said: "He's probably still a few days away from being ready to return to full match action. We're managing his return carefully to ensure he's fully prepared when he does step back onto the field."Jamie Ritchie, who will join Perpignan this summer, starts at blindside flanker as Ben Muncaster drops to the bench from the team that beat Ulster to clinch a play-off spot."We know the Bulls are always a massive physical threat, especially here at Loftus," added Everitt."To compete, and to win, we will need to be at our absolute very best. That means bringing passion and intensity, but crucially, it also demands composure and clinical discipline for the full 80 minutes."Edinburgh XV to face Bulls: Goosen, Graham, Currie, Lang, Paterson, Thompson, Price, Schoeman, Ashman, Rae, Sykes, Skinner, Ritchie, Watson, BradburyReplacements: Harrison, Venter, Sebastian, McConnell, Muncaster, McAlpine, Healy, Bennett.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Key man missing from Edinburgh Rugby's history bid but Jamie Ritchie returns
Scots side short of cover in the second row Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Edinburgh Rugby will be without Duhan ver der Merwe as they bid to make history in South Africa by winning a knockout tie in the United Rugby Championship for the first time. The Scotland and Lions winger travelled to Pretoria with the squad but is still not fit enough to play and has been left out of the match-day 23 for the play-off quarter-final against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Van der Merwe, 30, has not featured since March due to an ankle injury but would be fit for the semi-finals should Edinburgh progress. Edinburgh's Jamie Ritchie (L) is back for the quarter-final with the Bulls but Duhan van der Merwe (R) is missing. | SNS Group Saturday's match with the Bulls also comes too soon for club co-captain Grant Gilchrist who remains sidelined with a hamstring problem and Edinburgh are also without Glen Young who has not made the trip to Pretoria after the recent birth of his child. It leaves them short of cover in the second row where Sam Skinner and Marshall Sykes will start for the third game in a row. There is no lock forward on the bench and Magnus Bradbury, who captains the side and starts at No 8, is the designated back-up should anything happen to Skinner or Sykes. The better news for Edinburgh is the return of the vastly experienced Jamie Ritchie who starts for the first time since sustaining a concussion against Bath in the Challenge Cup semi-finals at the start of May. He comes into the team at six, with Ben Muncaster moving to the bench in the only change to the starting side which beat Ulster to clinch a place in the top eight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's the first time Edinburgh have made the play-offs since 2022, the URC's inaugural season, when they lost to the Stormers in the quarter-finals in Cape Town. They have returned to South Africa this week and been urged by head coach Sean Everitt to go one better to set up a semi-final against either the Sharks or Munster. 'Winning a URC knockout match on the road would be a significant achievement for this club,' said Everitt. 'It's something we've been working towards, and the opportunity to make history is a powerful driver for us. We've got a fantastic group of players who are hungry for success, and we're determined to put in a performance that reflects the ambition of Edinburgh Rugby.' They will have to do it without van der Merwe but Everitt is confident Harry Paterson can be a more than adequate replacement on the left wing for Scotland's record try-scorer who is in South Africa with the Edinburgh squad. Harry Paterson will start on the wing for Edinburgh against the Bulls in Pretoria. | SNS Group 'Duhan has been back training with us here in Pretoria this week, and he's feeling good,' said Everitt. 'However, he's probably still a few days away from being ready to return to full match action. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There's a possibility of a semi-final in Durban so bringing him along made sense. We'd rather have a 100 per cent fit Duhan next week. He's come through the week well, so physically he's good. Obviously, just lacking a bit of match fitness.' Edinburgh have included the inexperienced Conor McAlpine and Liam McConnell on the bench to cover scrum-half and the back row, respectively. McAlpine has made only one previous appearance in Edinburgh's first team and McConnell has made three, and Everitt described it as an exciting opportunity for the pair. The Edinburgh coach is a good friend of his Bulls counterpart, Jake White, and the pair are planning to have a barbecue together on the eve of the match.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Snubbed Scotland duo open up on missing out on Lions tour
Ritchie and Darge remain philosophical after decision Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scotland back-rower Jamie Ritchie insists he is comfortable with the feeling that he did everything he possibly could to put himself in with 'a real shout' for British and Irish Lions selection. The 28-year-old Edinburgh forward was disappointed not to be included in Andy Farrell's squad for the summer tour of Australia after bouncing back strongly this season from a tough start to 2024 when he lost the Scotland captaincy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Speaking for the first time since his Lions snub three weeks ago, Ritchie told the BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast: 'Personally, I feel like I'd done all I could in terms of how I performed and stuff, so I was comfortable with that. Scotland back-row duo Jamie Ritchie and Rory Darge were not picked by the Lions. | SNS Group / SRU 'At the end of the day, it's down to someone's opinion and decision-making and what they feel they need in their squad. At that point, it's outside of my control. For 2021, I feel like I was further away than I was this year, but I was more upset then. 'I'm a bit more mature now in terms of how I react to these things. Obviously, it would have been nice to have that moment, but I'm comfortable with the performances that I've put in to put myself in the mix. I said this to my wife because she was quite upset when we watched it together. 'I said to her, if you look at the position we were in a year ago after Six Nations, where it hadn't gone the way I wanted to in terms of selection and missing out on the captaincy and humming and hawing about whether or not I was going to go on the summer tour, if we'd said we'd be sitting here at the Lions announcement day, feeling like we were in with a real shout and then disappointed when it didn't happen, we would absolutely have taken it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'That's the perspective that I'm taking on at the moment. I felt like I did all I could. The call didn't come, and that's OK.' Standby potential Asked if he had been given any indication that he might be on a standby list, Ritchie said: 'I spoke to JD (Lions and Scotland coach John Dalziel) afterwards around some of the thinkings around selection. 'I've not heard about anything official, but I'm just trying to stay fit and concentrating on playing well for Edinburgh.' Scotland co-captain Rory Darge was in similarly philosophical mood to Ritchie over his own Lions snub, with the 25-year-old Glasgow flanker intent on using it as a 'motivator' to earn future inclusion. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I know how much I put into this game and how much I put into preparing and going out and playing and putting my body through, so why should other people get to experience that?' said Darge, speaking on the same podcast. 'And I'm not saying that from a negative point of view, it's purely a positive point of view. Scotland assistant John Dalziel is part of the Lions coaching set-up. | SNS Group / SRU 'I was delighted for the guys that are involved and it just was a bit of a motivator for me, really, and something to aspire to.
STV News
3 days ago
- Sport
- STV News
Scotland star Ritchie sure he ‘did all he could' to secure Lions selection
Scotland back-rower Jamie Ritchie insists he is comfortable with the feeling that he did everything he possibly could to put himself in with 'a real shout' for British and Irish Lions selection. The 28-year-old Edinburgh forward was disappointed not to be included in Andy Farrell's squad for the summer tour of Australia after bouncing back strongly this season from a tough start to 2024 when he lost the Scotland captaincy. Speaking for the first time since his Lions snub three weeks ago, Ritchie told the BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast: 'Personally, I feel like I'd done all I could in terms of how I performed and stuff, so I was comfortable with that. 'At the end of the day, it's down to someone's opinion and decision-making and what they feel they need in their squad. At that point, it's outside of my control. For 2021, I feel like I was further away than I was this year, but I was more upset then. 'I'm a bit more mature now in terms of how I react to these things. Obviously, it would have been nice to have that moment, but I'm comfortable with the performances that I've put in to put myself in the mix. I said this to my wife because she was quite upset when we watched it together. 'I said to her, if you look at the position we were in a year ago after Six Nations, where it hadn't gone the way I wanted to in terms of selection and missing out on the captaincy and humming and hawing about whether or not I was going to go on the summer tour, if we'd said we'd be sitting here at the Lions announcement day, feeling like we were in with a real shout and then disappointed when it didn't happen, we would absolutely have taken it. 'That's the perspective that I'm taking on at the moment. I felt like I did all I could. The call didn't come, and that's OK.' Asked if he had been given any indication that he might be on a standby list, Ritchie said: 'I spoke to JD (Lions and Scotland coach John Dalziel) afterwards around some of the thinkings around selection. 'I've not heard about anything official, but I'm just trying to stay fit and concentrating on playing well for Edinburgh.' Scotland co-captain Rory Darge was in similarly philosophical mood to Ritchie over his own Lions snub, with the 25-year-old Glasgow flanker intent on using it as a 'motivator' to earn future inclusion. 'I know how much I put into this game and how much I put into preparing and going out and playing and putting my body through, so why should other people get to experience that?' said Darge, speaking on the same podcast. 'And I'm not saying that from a negative point of view, it's purely a positive point of view. 'I was delighted for the guys that are involved and it just was a bit of a motivator for me, really, and something to aspire to. 'You have to have that initial bit where you are gutted and you're like, 'why can't I be involved in that?' But then, really quickly you're able to be like, that's something to aspire to, that's something to hopefully one day be a part of.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
