HomeTributes & FuneralsView PhotoFuneral NoticesMcDowall The Funeral Mass for FRANCES will be offered Vigil Prayers will be offered at the above Please visit Guyetts Funerals webpage for Nearly 500 gigabytes of data was allegedly stolen in a ransomware attack on West Australian firm McDowall Affleck Australian engineering firm McDowall Affleck has confirmed it is the victim of a ransomware attack after it was listed on RansomHub’s darknet leak site The ransomware gang posted the details of the hack overnight on 1 August saying that the initial hack took place last month If you check the box above before you log in you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return even if you close your browser and come back later and confidential data was extracted,” a RansomHub spokesperson said in the leak post “A total of 470 gigabytes of data was uploaded to our server including: all blueprints and documents related to past and current projects was personally notified several times with details about the incident and was informed that if he did not pay us all the data would be published on our blog.” though RansomHub did share the contact details of Connell and another employee The gang also called out McDowall Affleck’s alleged insurance company McDowall Affleck confirmed the incident when contacted by Cyber Daily “McDowall Affleck recently experienced a cyber incident We also engaged forensic experts to investigate what [had] happened Our system is secure and operational,” a spokesperson from McDowall Affleck said in a statement “We are aware of an online claim relating to McDowall Affleck We are continuing to investigate the veracity of this claim “The protection of our employees and clients’ information is our upmost priority We have communicated with all employees and clients and provided steps that they can take to protect their information.” McDowall Affleck added that it has informed the Australian Cyber Security Centre and Western Australia Police Force and will work with law enforcement on any investigation “We are committed to communicating with our employees and clients as soon as we have relevant information to share,” the spokesperson said “We apologise for any concern that notification of this incident has caused.” McDowall Affleck is an engineering firm with a global client base First seen in February 2024, RansomHub has become a prolific operator in the scene. While McDowall Affleck was only the gang’s second victim, after retail design firm Intoto in April RansomHub has listed 146 victims on its leak site with five other victims already in August alone David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security especially when it lets him talk about Lego Be the first to hear the latest developments in the cyber industry playIs this the year Scotland can finally win their first Six Nations title (2:19)ESPN's Tom Hamilton and James Regan join Mark O'Connor to debate whether this is the year Scotland can finally earn their first Six Nations title Stafford McDowall will earn a ninth cap at inside centre for Scotland in the place of injured captain Sione Tuipulotu in an otherwise experienced backline to face Italy in their Six Nations opener at Murrayfield on Saturday Tuipulotu is expected to miss the entire competition in a huge blow for coach Gregor Townsend but McDowall will be able to show his quality as he partners Huw Jones in the midfield "Stafford has been very consistent for Glasgow (Warriors) and for us when he has had the opportunity," Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said "He really brings a physicality and an edge to the game with Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham on the wings Co-captain Finn Russell is at fly-half with Ben White making up the halfback pairing Stafford McDowall has been named in place of the injured Sione Tuipulotu. Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty ImagesMatt Fagerson is at No with flankers Rory Darge (also co-captain) and Jamie Ritchie in the back row Jonny Gray and Grant Gilchrist make up the lock pairing Hooker Dave Cherry has props Pierre Schoeman and Zander Fagerson either side of him Cherry will play his first game since the 2023 Rugby World Cup Scotland are seeking to lift the trophy for the first time since 1999 the last year it was known as the Five Nations and before Italy's entry into the competition "Getting to start at home is massive and it has been a good training week Italy are a quality side and have shown that for two or three years," Townsend said "They have been a difficult opponent for us and other teams They really upped their game in last year's Six Nations with two wins and a draw They are a quality side and play with a lot of passion." play1:05Italy beat Scotland to set new Tier 1 recordRelive three classic Six Nations games between Italy and Scotland ahead of the 2025 tournament this weekend so that's an achievement that won't be missed by us but we know we've got three more games to keep building on that." Northampton Saints found a way of beating the fabled Jacques Nienaber blitz and inflicting another 'horrific' Champions Cup loss on the Leinster giants Glasgow Warriors centre Stafford McDowall will start at inside centre for Scotland against Italy on Saturday in the opening match of their Guinness Six Nations campaign filling the void left by injured captain Sione Tuipulotu In what is otherwise a settled Scotland side with 10 players in the starting XV with more than 40 caps the question leading into the Championship was always who would take Tuipulotu’s No The eight-cap McDowall has been chosen initially by Gregor Townsend, and will partner his Glasgow team-mate Huw Jones in the midfield While Scotland will be without one stalwart in Tuipulotu, they also welcome back second-row Jonny Gray who is in line to earn his first cap in almost two years in Edinburgh “The players know that this is the biggest tournament that they play in and getting to start at home is massive for them,” Townsend said “[Italy] are a really quality side and they’ve shown that now for two or three years. They’ll come into this tournament full of confidence. They had a really good performance against New Zealand but in last year’s Six Nations they had upped their game and were competitive in four out of five games drew one and one of those victories was against us so they’ll be very confident feeling they can beat us again Looking at the return to the squad for Gray and hooker Dave Cherry – who will play his first Test since the 2023 World Cup – Townsend said: “The fact that both of them have not been involved since the World Cup and Jonny before the World Cup I’m sure they’ll be desperate to play their best ever game in a Scotland jersey.” he said: “Stafford’s been very consistent for Glasgow and for us when he’s had the opportunity over the last two or three years He really brings his physicality and his edge to the game Glasgow are confident their European Champions Cup group game against Racing 92 on Friday will go ahead at Scotstoun despite freezing overnight temperatures Going on his performance for Glasgow against Quins I’m surprised he’s in the team and starting Join free and tell us what you really think Northampton Saints found a way of beating the fabled Jacques Nienaber blitz and inflicting another 'horrific' Champions Cup loss on the Leinster giants Warren Gatland forged a sense of togetherness in his 2013 Lions but faced personal 'vitriol' after leaving out a legend The Welsh legend may have played his last game for his beloved Ospreys but the tributes will come from far and wide when he steps away BIL have to win the series 3-0 A first half of defensive failures is a problem That left them with a points-difference mountain to climb and spent minutes at the end of the game three points adrift Forget anything else that happened in the game … top teams convert that and sharpen their focus for those moments that matter And the question for fans is simply one of why their team could not do this patiently and accurately retaining possession while creating a scoring opportunity Different teams would have done different things with that penalty A dominant scrumming team might have called the scrum a successful mauling team might have gone for the lineout a team with a rock star kicker and a sense of late game superiority might have taken the kick for goal and a another team might have set a Rassie-esque midfield maul to allow an easy dropped goal But don’t pick an option involving forwards smashing into gainline tackles if you have less than 100% confidence in your ball retention In the end it all came down to whether Leinster could convert that penalty to points and it was time for the killer blow (to mix a few metaphors) The coaching team need to stare at those few minutes of tape 1,000 times and ask themselves why the team could not land that winning blow It is a question of attitude and Big Match Temperament You write like our Fijian friend Rugby RedWarrior has never said anything wrong and is always right The Irish are the most humble and best in the world while South Africa together with NZ are the most arrogant That will pretty much summarise everything he posts Oh and I almost forgot about some ex ref named Doyle that said something about the intent of the bench was a 5-3 split Agreed hard to get consistency when injuries throw a spanner in the works … Mate you're the one that brought up financials saying they have to run a 12 month season to make ends meet If they were in the SRP they would be struggling more financially If you think financials don't have an impact a teams competitiveness I would argue different More money means more capacity to retain and develop talent to develop rugby pathways and most importantly keep the lights on during the ebb years Secondly if we are calling SRP and URC a domestic comp I feel like we're colouring well outside the lines But if we are drawing parallels to SRP and URC “domestic” comps and you're question of dominance I'd point out that SA have had 3 teams in each quarter final since they joined and either won or been a runner up to the tournament every year subscriptions or bums on seats and CC is still ahead on the fanbase vs SRP the benefit of a rugby nation with double the population of AU Other than financials the benefits of URC are also as you mentioned more games but also more teams and players getting exposure to professional rugby (it's actually 5 teams if you include the repechage of the SA teams) With the schedules and competition setup all URC teams are required to have enough players to field 2-3 teams across the season Previously under the SR you had 5 teams being forced into 4 squads with minimal change between squads week in week out See the thing about the SR or URC being better for competitiveness falls over pretty quick when you understand its a too way street Arguing that SA is better or worse off because they left the SRP implies that AU and NZ aren't impacted and that they some how stay sharp without outside competition All teams are worse off in the regard that they are no longer exposed to the different playing styles But When you consider RWC I would argue that being in the URC is a benefit to SA because they are far more likely to face a European team in the pool stages than AU or NZ Wizard James remains your greatest bet for retrieving bitcoin that has been scammed A bitcoin trade and investment program I discovered on Instagram cost me £240,000 of my trading and investing strategy I kept investing more money as I began to see profits coming in and ultimately I became a victim of deception I began to have my suspicions after making unsuccessful attempts to withdraw and looking at the plan they claimed was because of Brexit I sent the reports to Instagram and my bank I found a bitcoin website where I saw a widow tell how she recovered her husband's retirement money from an online scammer via Wizard James Recovery After I emailed Wizard James Recovery to explain my predicament they were able to retrieve every money that had been stolen from me I 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Contact Information for Support at: Wizardjamesrecovery(@)usa.com   Wizard James remains your greatest bet for retrieving bitcoin that has been scammed I’m sure it will be a great read when I can Nick but what did you think of Jordie reverting to type I think he must have carted the ball up on about 3 occasions Much needed impetuous at that point or just his own personal belief for how best to contribute I really thought the attack needed some life at that point Ahh I see you’re/alterative title when viewing you’re articles in list far more accurate and informative to the discussion You can even view French players being rested from club and country alternatively as ‘sabbaticals’ Like this idea of Jordie taking a rest during the 6N (were some weeks there was still footy right?) was a sabbatical from his sabbatical lol idea’s like introduced in the article widen and enhance the mean for a lot of nations It really is the most hotly contested and shared sport on the world and sabbaticals are just one strange way to try and make it work Well Nick I have a theory why Leinster seem to lose so often at this stage of the season and it has to do with the Six Nations and what happens after that In all of the seasons Leinster have come up short they have dominated going into the 6N Then after that with Irish players coming out of camp they have some breathing space in the URC so they rest the lads The SA tour almost always follows between week 12-16 of the URC Leinster send weakened teams and have lost all games but one against the Sharks this year They invariably ship one more in the URC regular season to an Ulster or a Munster and this year it was the Scarlets They usually do so when starting weakened sides or teams that are half baked with a few of their internationals and their bench strength in what can be described as some kind of odd trail mix The Irish lads come back battered and some come back injured They also spend time in Irelands camp training within Irish systems with the coaches and these are slightly different to what they do at Leinster and in the last 2 seasons have been massively different on D In the last 4-6 weeks of the URC the boys coming back from the Irish camp are not featuring They are managed either side of the knockouts in the Champions cup They sometimes play just 3-5 games over a 10 week period They go from being battered and bruised to being underdone and out of whack They lose all momentum with the losses they accrue and doubts start to set in they make mistakes and they just cant deal with the pressure At this time the weather also turns from cold Suddenly the tempo is lifted on fields and conditions that are great for attractive rugby Leinster start to concede points and dont put in the shift they used to When will the coaching staff realise that they need to do something different at this point They keep trying to manage the players and their systems in the same way every season when the boys come back from Ireland duty and its always the same result A disaster in the last 3-4 weeks of the season With 2 rounds left in the URC they can focus their attentions Perhaps thats where Leinsters attention needs to be anyway They need to reclaim their bread and butter competition title before pushing onto the next star Pablo Feijoo is not spanish coach Donald spews an inordinate amount of ignorant 💩 He really is a SH rugby supporter at heart Lions win the tour 3-0 or we don’t let Farrell come back to the NH CURSE OF BAMBINO Could someone explain why poor Jordie is so freaked out?……and seemingly blamed for the loss He just looked forward to learning from Irish sabbatical?😰most reports said he was playing so well BTW I have not seen the cursed game and JB should not suffer For the first time since the scam TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY kept me updated throughout the entire process ensuring I knew exactly what was happening every step of the way just when I thought it was too good to be true the impossible happened: 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scammers and hacking into systems to recover fradulently acquired funds they also track down blackmailers and internet bullies They are basically specialized in tracking anyone that uses a fake identity or hides behind a fake page Contact them via email DIGITALFUNDSINVESTIGATION @ GMAIL cryptocurrency scam has become very popular in this present time It’s not the early 1980s You think the WBs are going to run the Lions off their feet Glasgow Warriors travelled to Parma to face Zebre in what proved to be a close battle with only two tries scored by the Glasgow side Stafford McDowall caught up with glasgowwarriors.org to share his thoughts on the match and the way they played in South Africa against the Sharks and their games against Edinburgh and Ulster “We know that coming here as a team is hard   It was a really good test of us to come here and ground out a win heading into the business end of the season.” McDowall was the scorer of the second try which secured the win for Glasgow after Sam Talakai made a break right in front of the posts “Sammy did all the work and I just fell over the line!” He said “The boys going off had done a lot of hard work and the ones coming on did their jobs in the second half as Zebre started to tire a bit “We really clicked into gear for those 10/15 minutes there and it was enough to get it over the line.” Hear from the boss after last night’s win 👇 https://t.co/P7AggwhyMu — Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) April 20, 2025 The Glasgow side now head into their final regular season home game agsint the Bulls on Friday evening McDowall is sure there will be learnings from the Zebre game to take into this next match “We know Zebre really targeted our breakdown this game and we know that Bulls will do the same They are a really tackle and jackal heavy team and will bring a lot of physicality We know it’s a big game with a lot to play for it’s something we love is playing there with our fans and our families so it’s something we hope our results can keep us playing there as long as possible.” Home Quarter Final Secured 🏠 pic.twitter.com/kOowNat5bA — Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) April 19, 2025 Sign up to our newsletter today to receive the latest updates content and releases from Glasgow Warriors Scotland and Glasgow Warriors back Stafford McDowall could face a lengthy ban after an alleged eye gouge during the Investec Champions Cup clash against Toulon A citing complaint has been issued against McDowall after he is alleged to have made contact with the eye or eye area of Toulon number eight Facundo Isa during the round two clash McDowall could face a suspension ranging anywhere from a four-match ban – reduced by a maximum of 50% – to a 208-week ban depending on the severity of the action The incident occurred in the 23rd minute of the match at the Stade Mayol when the Top 14 club were on the attack inside the Glasgow 22 Isa carried the ball hard to the line and was met in defence by McDowall and Rory Darge and was held up with referee Matthew Carley awarding a scrum to the visitors It was in the tackle that McDowall attempted to grapple the ball and seemingly made contact with Isa’s eyes with the Argentine forward receiving treatment from the Toulon medical staff afterwards The Scotland and Glasgow midfielder will learn the fate of his suspension on Thursday with his involvement in the 1872 Cup and URC clashes against Edinburgh now in doubt ‘We won with 23 players. Maybe Glasgow had 24’ – Toulon boss hits out ‘referee’s interpretation’ after narrow win Stafford McDowall's alleged eye gouge on Facundo Isa EPCR have confirmed that he cited and will face a disciplinary panel on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/O4hLmwRhCn — Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) December 18, 2024 “EPCR has received a citing complaint against Glasgow Warriors centre Stafford McDowall (No 13) during the EPCR Challenge Cup Round 2 match between RC Toulon and Glasgow Warriors at Stade Mayol on Sunday 15 December 2024,” a statement read “McDowall is alleged to have made contact with the eye or eye area of RC Toulon No 8 Facundo Isa which actions were deemed reaching the threshold of a red card The complaint was made by the match Citing Commissioner Deker Govender (South Africa) Law 9.12 states: A player must not physically abuse anyone under World Rugby’s Sanctions for Foul Play carries the following sanction entry points – Low-end: 12 weeks; Mid-range: 18 weeks; Top-end: 24-208 weeks ‘Rassie Erasmus bomb squad was copied from us’ – Franco Smith jokes carries the following sanction entry points – Low-end: 6 weeks; Mid-range: 12 weeks; Top-end: 18-208 weeks carries the following sanction entry points – Low-end: 4 weeks; Mid-range: 8 weeks; Top-end: 12-52 weeks Ken Owens (Wales) and Stefan Terblanche (South Africa) have been appointed to sit as an independent Disciplinary Committee to hear the Citing Complaint The hearing will take place on the morning of Thursday 19 December 2024.” READ MORE: United Rugby Championship: Round Eight match officials, kick-off times and TV coverage Our five takeaways from Toulon's 72-42 victory over Saracens in their Investec Champions Cup encounter Our winners and losers from Toulon's ridiculous 72-42 victory over Saracens in the Champions Cup round-of-16 we take a look at the Bayonne-Bordeaux feud and it's impact on a Springbok hopeful as Toulon complete a massive signing Stafford McDowall has played his final game for 2024 Scotland approached this Six Nations in full knowledge that there would be a significant hole in their midfield for the duration of the Championship With captain Sione Tuipulotu ruled out due to injury, Gregor Townsend always knew that his hand had been weakened before the action even got under way. They were always going to be big boots to fill. Indeed, such had been the form shown by Tuipulotu over the past 18 months, they are some of the biggest boots in world rugby right now. Trying to follow in the footsteps of the Glasgow Warriors centre would be a thankless task. Quite simply, there aren’t many players in the game who can combine raw power and sublime skill. He is two players in one, a bulldozer and a magician, a destructive runner capable of moments of sublime artistry. He’s also a leader. How do you replace someone like that? Is it even possible? All of these questions will have been running around Townsend’s mind in the build-up to this Saturday’s opening clash with Italy at Murrayfield. Stafford McDowall has now emerged as the chosen one, the player who will try to fill the sizeable void left by Tuipulotu at inside centre. McDowall is a fine player in his own right. He captained Scotland against Portugal back in the autumn. He has captained Glasgow Warriors on countless occasions and was a key figure for them in their URC triumph last season. McDowall also started away against Ireland in Dublin last year - and played well - when Tuipulotu missed that match due to injury. He’s 26 years old and certainly no rookie. But, truthfully, McDowall might just have one of the toughest jobs in world rugby right now. Because, rightly or wrongly, everything he does over these next couple of months will be viewed through the prism of Tuipulotu; can he fill the giant Sione-shaped hole in Scotland’s midfield? ‘You look at that selection in real depth, you debate it, what is the best for the individual and also the team. We feel Stafford has good cohesion in that he’s played a lot of rugby with Huw [Jones],’ said Townsend. ‘Stafford has earned it, too. Sione didn’t play against Ireland last year. Stafford played and played very well. It was one of our best performances of the Championship last year. ‘Whenever Stafford has been given the opportunity, whether on summer tour or November Test, he’s really stepped up. He’s a quality Test player. He will bring his own strengths.’ McDowall always looked to be the most likely choice. He will bring bulk and muscle to Scotland’s midfield. There were some suggestions that Townsend may look to utilise Tom Jordan at 12, but that was never really on the cards. Whilst Jordan can cover centre in the event of injuries or an emergency, the prospect of him starting alongside Huw Jones would leave Scotland’s midfield looking far too lightweight. McDowall, on the other hand, is defensively sound and a battering ram with ball in hand. From growing up on the family farm in Dumfries and Galloway, he will add some solid beef to Scotland’s backline. Especially given that Italy have gone for a six-two split, Townsend is well aware of the threat that could be posed by the Italians and their power game. Their centre combination of Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex can be lethal, with Brex scoring in Italy’s 31-29 win over Scotland in Rome last year. Ange Capuozzo is obviously another dangerous flyer in the Italian ranks. ‘Italy have a lot of threats in that backline from their 10 right through,’ said Townsend. ‘Obviously Capuozzo has been in great form for Toulouse on the wing and at full-back. ‘So wherever he’s going to be is a real threat and a lot of their game goes through their centres, especially Brex as a ball-player, Menoncello as a carrier, so we’ve got to be really switched on defence throughout the 80 minutes.’ Whilst the selection of McDowall was to be expected, Townsend looks to have taken a gamble with Scotland’s lineout. Dave Cherry gets the nod at hooker and will win his first cap since the World Cup. But Cherry is largely under-cooked, having only started four games for Edinburgh this season. His set-piece work is generally a strength, but the reality is that he hasn’t played a huge amount of rugby at the top level. He wasn’t even making it into a 30-odd man squad this time last year. He had seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. Now, he’s catapulted in ahead of Ewan Ashman. It should be said that Ashman’s work in the lineout wasn’t exactly stellar in the autumn. But it does feel like a bold call from Townsend to revert back to a 34-year-old hooker who was miles out of the picture for all of last year. ‘Dave has been playing well for Edinburgh,’ said Townsend. ‘We feel Dave’s strengths will suit what we want him to do. ‘His experience will be his No 1 strength, his set-piece accuracy and experience in the scrum, and yeah, we feel that’s the right blend for what we want to achieve as a team on Saturday. ‘Regarding the selection [ahead of Ashman], as I said before we feel Dave’s strengths will suit us as we start the game, and Ewan off the bench will be very motivated and brings different strengths, which is his power and his speed.’ Elsewhere, there is a fairly settled look to the Scotland team. Darcy Graham comes back in and will play his first Six Nations game since 2022 after missing the last two championships due to injury. Jamie Ritchie is rewarded for his performance against Australia in the autumn and lines up in the back row alongside Matt Fagerson and Rory Darge, with Jack Dempsey on the bench. Jonny Gray returns at lock to win his first cap in two years, having overcome a recent injury niggle with Bordeaux. Scotland know they will be strong favourites to beat Italy. Even without the talents of Tuipulotu, only a victory will do. McDowall is the most natural option to replace him. A heavyweight operator who will add bulk and ballast to Scotland’s midfield in the face of Italy’s power game. That’s the plan, at least. No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first. {{message}} Scotland and Glasgow Warriors centre Stafford McDowall has been handed a three-match ban for making ‘reckless contact with the eye’ of Toulon forward Facundo Isa McDowall was not punished for the incident during the 30-29 defeat but was cited afterwards and faced a Disciplinary Committee on Thursday which decided his suspension A statement from EPCR confirmed that the midfielder ‘accepted he had made reckless contact with the eye’ with the Disciplinary Panel decided the offence warranted low-end entry point which is a six-week suspension McDowall received a full 50% reduction of his suspension due to his good disciplinary record and timely acceptance of the charge This means that he will miss both of Glasgow Warriors‘ 1872 Cup matches against Edinburgh over the festive period as well as the Scottish outfit’s Investec Champions Cup round three fixture against Racing 92 WATCH: Scotland back’s alleged eye gouge on Facundo Isa that could result in a HEFTY ban He will be available for selection again for Franco Smith’s side’s clash with Harlequins on January 18 “The independent Disciplinary committee of Antony Davies (England Ken Owens (Wales) and Stefan Terblanche (South Africa) heard the case via video conference on the morning of Thursday 19 December 2024,” the statement read “The player accepted he had made reckless contact with the eye and the independent Disciplinary Panel decided the offending was at the low-end of the scale of seriousness imposing an entry point of 6 weeks’ suspension ‘World-class’ Scotland star signs Glasgow Warriors contract extension ahead of 1872 Cup clash “The player received a 3-week reduction in the length of his suspension due to his good disciplinary record and timely acceptance of the charge and has therefore been suspended for 3 weeks Taking into account the playing schedule over the festive period he will be free to play from 13 January 2025 Both the player and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.” READ MORE: ‘More than half our revenue comes from South Africa’ – URC boss hails ‘game changers’ The ban could range anywhere from four weeks to 208 Scotland and Glasgow Warriors centre Stafford McDowall has been banned for three weeks after making ‘reckless’ contact with the eye of Toulon’s Facundo Isa on Sunday in the Investec Champions Cup The 26-year-old was cited following Glasgow’s narrow loss at the Stade Mayol and attended a hearing on Thursday where he admitted to ‘reckless contact with the eye,’ as opposed to ‘intentional contact with the eye’ or ‘contact with the eye’ Though there was a potential 208-week ban for a severe case, an independent disciplinary committee of Antony Davies (England, Chair), Ken Owens (Wales) and Stefan Terblanche (South Africa) deemed it to be a low-end offence though it was determined that it did warrant a red card due to McDowall’s good disciplinary record and acceptance of the charge meaning he can return for his club’s Champions Cup round four clash with Harlequins Ahead of the hearing, Glasgow assistant coach Peter Murchie defended his player, saying: “Knowing Stafford Obviously it’s a disappointment from his side.” Elsewhere, France and Stade Francais back-row Sekou Macalou has also received a three-week ban for his red card tackle on Saracens scrum-half Ivan van Zyl The Frenchman also received a six-week ban but saw it halved due to the mitigating factors that were submitted on the player’s behalf Meanwhile, in the Challenge Cup, Zebre full-back Alessandro Fusco has been banned for three weeks following his red card for a dangerous tackle against Lyon, while Black Lion lock Lado Chachanidze has had his red card against the Scarlets dismissed Racing 92 will hold an emergency meeting today with head coach Stuart Lancaster to determine his future with the club Rugby’s best of the best, ranked by experts. Check out our list of the Top 100 Men's Rugby Players and let us know what you think!  An extended Christmas break for contact with the eyes Nor should it be for an incidental rugby episode with no malice aforethought involved Unless ofc you have an agenda for a rival team… It’s not the early 1980s, you know. You think the WBs are going to run the Lions off their feet? I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Stafford McDowall intends to savour every moment of Saturday’s Test against Portugal in case it proves to be the only time he gets to lead Scotland out at Murrayfield The 26-year-old Glasgow centre has been selected to captain a much-changed side this weekend in the absence of regular skipper Sione Tuipulotu and a string of other senior players McDowall performed co-captain duties along with Luke Crosbie in Scotland’s summer Test victory over Canada in Ottawa and will now fly solo as skipper for the first time on the occasion of his eighth cap “I think the closer we get to the game the more it’ll probably hit me and I’ll get a bit more nervous,” said McDowall at his captain’s run press conference on Friday “It hit me a bit more today when I had to do a bit more talking and stuff like that than the last couple of weeks but it’s something that I might never get a chance to do again so I’ll try and embrace and enjoy the moment “It’s something I didn’t think I’d have the chance to do It is a dream come true to play for Scotland and to start a game here at Murrayfield So it’s hopefully something I’ll be able to take in a lot of and remember for the rest of my life.” Townsend has made 14 changes to the team that started last weekend’s 32-15 defeat by South Africa as he gives several of his less-established players a chance against a Portugal side ranked 15th in the world Edinburgh back-rower Ben Muncaster and Glasgow lock Alex Samuel will make their debuts in the starting XV while 19-year-old Edinburgh back-rower Freddy Douglas is in line for his first cap off the bench despite never having played a competitive game at club level McDowall is expecting the Scots to be loaded with motivation as their fringe players bid to stake a claim for a place in the 23 to face Australia the following weekend. “That’s the big thing we’ve talked about this week with the amount of changes: it doesn’t matter who we’re playing,” he stressed, dismissing any notion of complacency. “This is your chance to play for Scotland at Murrayfield, an almost sold-out Murrayfield. I think we’ve taken away the fact of who we’re playing and what we’re playing against and just focused on ourselves and said if you’ve sat the last two weeks and been frustrated that you’ve not played then you can’t go out on Saturday and not perform to the best of your ability. “Give it everything you’ve got physically and mentally. So hopefully the opposition will be taken out of it and we’ll just do what we need to do. “Obviously, it’s a big occasion for a lot of us, but it’s a big occasion for Portugal as well, getting to play here, so we’re expecting a really tough test from a team that throws the ball around a lot with a lot of confidence and is good defensively as well.” Blair Kinghorn is at fullback, with Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham on the wings Co-captain Finn Russell is at flyhalf with Ben White making up the halfback pairing while Jonny Gray and Grant Gilchrist make up the lock pairing Hooker Dave Cherry has props Pierre Schoeman and Zander Fagerson either side of him "They bring experience and a real motivation to play well The Scotland jersey brings that out in you," Townsend said of the pair the last year it was known as the Five Nations and before Italy's entry into the competition "Getting to start at home is massive and it has been a good training week Italy are a quality side and have shown that for two or three years," Townsend said "They have been a difficult opponent for us and other teams They really upped their game in last year's Six Nations with two wins and a draw "There is intelligence in how they play They are a quality side and play with a lot of passion." Follow the game with Flashscore. Scottish Rugby CorrespondentMonday January 20 2025 The TimesRome is the sort of place that can gladden even the heaviest heart but no amount of stunning backdrops or architectural delights will likely have raised Gregor Townsend’s spirits when the Scotland head coach flew into the Italian capital for Tuesday’s Six Nations launch Promotional pictures of all the coaches and captains are due to be taken at the Colosseum but two big thumbs-down have already rocked the Scots before the big kick-off on February 1 Monday brought confirmation that both Sione Tuipulotu (pectoral muscle tear) and Scott Cummings (fractured forearm) will play no part in the Championship: one gut-punch swiftly followed by another and then that sinking feeling that is so familiar to all those who know how quickly high hopes can dissolve into Scotland centre Stafford McDowall has become the latest player to pledge his future to Glasgow Warriors after putting pen to paper on a new contract with Franco Smith’s side A lynchpin in the midfield in Glasgow colours the Stewartry RFC product has made 81 appearances – as well as crossing for 16 tries – for the Warriors to date having made his professional debut against the Southern Kings at Scotstoun back in 2017 McDowall’s landmark campaign in 2023/24 saw the centre play an integral role to Glasgow’s BKT United Rugby Championship title victory; having featured in 17 of Glasgow’s 18 regular-season matches he also picked up the Denholm Energy Services Players’ Player of the Season trophy at the club’s end-of-season Awards Dinner in recognition of his sterling campaign Having captained the Warriors for the first time in a 40-26 win over Perpignan in January 2023 the 26-year-old continued to deputise for club captain Kyle Steyn during 2023/24 including in back-to-back victories over the Dragons and Benetton earlier in 2024 – winning Player of the Match in both fixtures to boot His form in a Glasgow shirt saw him earn a senior Scotland debut ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup pulling on the dark blue jersey for the first time against Italy at Scottish Gas Murrayfield McDowall’s leadership qualities were also recognised by the Scotland coaching team first handing him the co-captaincy in July’s win over Canada in Ottawa before the centre was asked to lead the team against Portugal at Scottish Gas Murrayfield earlier this month in a performance capped off by running in an interception try from halfway he also helped Ayr RFC to a league and cup double in the 2018/19 campaign in addition to his outings in a Glasgow shirt “I’m really pleased to renew my contract,” McDowall told glasgowwarriors.org “It’s the club that I grew up supporting and a club that I take great pride in representing on and off the field The brand of rugby we play is a really exciting one and its one that I hope the fans enjoy watching as much as we enjoy playing “Taking on a leadership role is also definitely something I’ve enjoyed in the last year or two There are so many great leaders at the club currently which really helps to drive the standards within the club “I want to play my part in helping this group defend the URC title as well as help push us forward to challenge in Europe as well I can’t wait to get back out there on Friday night if selected.” adding: “Stafford has developed into a key leader in our playing group and is someone who regularly drives our standards and our values on and off the field “His skillset enables him to contribute effectively both in attack and defence whilst also bringing out the best in the players around him “He has fully bought into the journey that we are on as a club and is fully committed to helping this group achieve its potential.” Glasgow Warriors stormed to victory against Emirates Lions on Saturday night despite the weather The game also raised in over £20,000 for Glasgow Children’s Hospital as part of the club’s Fighting For Our Families campaign Stafford McDowall caught up with glasgowwarriors.org after the game to share his thoughts on the match “I was really happy with the first half,” McDowall said “We were very very clinical and got into the 22 and obviously with the conditions we did dominate the game in that first half “We knew going into the second half it was going to be tough batting into the wind and we would have to mix up our game and be smart with how we played “We probably gave them less opportunities than they thought they would in the second half but we managed to keep a zero on the board which is the first time we have done that this season which is great!” George Horne was in true Geore Horne form and set the new try scoring record after equalising it last weekend knows that he is the most competitive person in the world so you can see what it meant to him when he scored straight away “You can also see how much all the boys respect him and are proud of him because we all were straight up to him We didn’t even talk about it before the game but I think everyone knew he was going to get one We are just so happy for him and hopefully he is going to put a few more on that now and hold on to it for as long as possible The all-time leading try-scorer for Glasgow Warriors It sounds good, right? 💜#WhateverItTakes pic.twitter.com/KwEYt94rLz — Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) March 30, 2025 who was playing out of position on the wing McDowall spoke about the versatility of the squad in being able to play across positions and we have seen him play on the wing before Teddy presented Jamie Dobie with his @URCOfficial Player of the Match medal 🥇 #PlasterItPurple pic.twitter.com/LxwG1IZGZJ — Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) March 29, 2025 “You can see that we are all really good at moving around a bit with Steyno shifting into 13 and the fact that we can all play different positions it helps massively he works really hard and played really well and totally deserves the recognition!” McDowall spoke about the charity aspect of the game with Plaster It Purple raising money for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity “It is a massive charity that is close to a lot of us and we love getting the opportunity to go in and visit It’s so good to see so many people raising money for the charity and getting involved We had an auction tonight in the club that went really well and it really means a lot to us that people are so willing to support us on and off the pitch “Massive thank you to everyone who came out tonight when the conditions aren’t that great but still coming out and supporting us it really means a lot to us.” Sorry there was an error with your request One of the year’s most prominent ransom gangs has set its sights on Australian engineering and construction companies hitting three targets in less than a fortnight First observed in February 2022, RansomHub is a ransomware threat actor which rose in notoriety after claiming an attack at global auction house Christie’s in May this year the gang has posted nearly 90 additional victims to its dark web leak site – and most recently appears to have set its sights on Australian firms RansomHub added a leak listing for Perth-based engineering company McDowall Affleck the company McDowall Affleck was attacked,” wrote RansomHub The gang claimed to have stolen blueprints and project documents the personal information of employees and “much more” all the data would be published on our blog,” threatened RansomHub McDowall Affleck later confirmed to Cyber Daily it had “experienced a cyber incident” and had notified both Western Australian police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre as it investigates RansomHub’s claims The gang’s dark web site currently threatens a 4-day countdown timer for McDowall Affleck RansomHub went on to claim two more Aussie victims late last week: Victorian engineering firm Kempe Engineering and Tasmanian construction outfit Hudson Civil Products The listing for Hudson Civil is notably scant threatening to have stolen some 112GB of data while pointing to a ransom timer with 2 days remaining at the time of writing RansomHub advertised fully 4 terabytes of data and provided alleged samples to back up its claims These samples include an ANZ ‘payment and cash’ management request form a purported life insurance statement belonging to a senior employee and an alleged list of nearly 100 Kempe employees (alongside personal details such as phone numbers RansomHub works by threatening to either dump or sell its stolen data under threat of ransom – using an affiliate model where the gang itself collects 10 per cent of extorted profits while criminal “affiliates” carry out its ransomware attacks for a bulk of the payload the group claims its listings for Kempe Engineering Hudson Civil and McDowall Affleck have collectively attracted nearly 8,000 visitors to its leak site While it is by no means unusual for a threat actor to target high-value industries such as engineering and construction RansomHub’s latest Aussie streak signals a marked shift in the gang’s behaviour Kempe Engineering nor Hudson Civil responded when asked by Information Age whether RansomHub’s alleged attacks are legitimate or if they occurred through a third-party vendor RansomHub is believed to be an international operation with either an affinity or affiliation with communist states and has largely targeted a mix of victims in US The gang has also repeatedly victimised critical sector organisations – particularly in healthcare Hudson and McDowall have all serviced clients in critical infrastructure RansomHub’s alleged attacks could be related to wider criminal goals for Australian critical infrastructure organisations Other Australian victims claimed by RansomHub include Sydney jewellery company Pierre Diamonds and design firm Intoto – the latter of which saw the gang publish alleged client data for the likes of KFC Stafford McDowall will lead Scotland on Saturday as they take on Portugal in the third match of The Famous Grouse Nations Series at Scottish Gas Murrayfield in front of more than 55,000 supporters McDowall has previously captained Glasgow Warriors and co-captained Scotland against Canada in the summer who has impressed for Northampton Saints and will play for Scotland for the first time since the 2022 summer tour against Argentina Darcy Graham returns after recovering from sustaining a concussion in his sensational four-try display against Fiji earlier this month Arron Reed will play on the opposite wing after making his debut on summer tour Glasgow Warriors duo Adam Hastings and George Horne will be the half-back pairing with  scrum-half Horne named as vice-captain Patrick Harrison and Will Hurd will add to the two caps they gained on summer tour with Jamie Bhatti also starting in the front row Alex Samuel is set for a first Scotland cap He made his professional debut in a Glasgow Warriors 37-0 victory over Benetton in November 2022 and has been involved in previous national training squads He will be partnered with Scarlets’ Alex Craig Josh Bayliss remains in the matchday 23 following his involvement in the thrilling clash against South Africa last weekend Joining the Bath number eight in the back row is vice-captain Luke Crosbie and Ben Muncaster who is also primed to make a Scotland debut Muncaster has been involved in the squad previously playing for Scotland A against Chile in the 2022 summer tour in a try-scoring performance over Romania at the 2023 Rugby World Cup Elliot Millar Mills retains his place among the replacements along with Rory Sutherland Ewan Johnson is selected as a second row replacement the young Oyannax lock having made his debut during the summer 19-year-old Freddy Douglas could make his Scotland debut from the bench and would become Scotland men’s youngest debutant since Donald White in 1963 The powerful back-rower represented Scotland U18 just 18 months ago in the 2023 U18 Six Nations Festival and joined the Scottish Rugby Academy aligned to Edinburgh Rugby in the summer of 2023 He has featured for Edinburgh A this season and also represented Scotland U20 in the U20 Six Nations and World Rugby U20 Trophy in 2024 He made the most tackles (77) and breakdown steals (12) in the U20 Six Nations After being involved in the first two matches of the autumn Jamie Dobie is selected on the bench alongside Kyle Rowe who returns after missing the South Africa match through injury and Matt Currie who is set to make his first Scotland appearance at Scottish Gas Murrayfield There is still time to get your tickets and join 60,000 other Scotland fans.  Scotland to face Portugal at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Saturday 16 November Sign-up for our newsletter today to receive the latest updates We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Whanganui's Bradley McDowell placed third in the world at the SASS World Championships of Cowboy Action & Wild Bunch Shooting in the United States Whanganui’s Bradley McDowell has placed third overall at the SASS World Championships of Cowboy Action & Wild Bunch Shooting in the United States The former Whanganui High School student has been on a 12-year quest to be the best in the world at his sport, climbing through the ranks and establishing himself as the best shooter in New Zealand he placed third of more than 700 global competitors with a 192.09s performance The 23-year-old finished less than five seconds behind Missouri’s Matt Black building on his fifth placing in 2023’s event I went over there going for top three in the world,” McDowell said “You have to have a perfect match to beat those guys but I know I’ve got it.” McDowell was one of 35 competitors to shoot a perfect match but was let down on his shotgun recharges about 150 competitors shoot a perfect match highlighting the difficulty of this year’s competition The world champs requires competitors to memorise 12 courses of fire with four stages a day with double pistols a rifle and a side-by-side double-barrelled shotgun Each course can range from 13 to 17 seconds and the times are added together to reveal the final time McDowell is 12 years into his cowboy career but his enthusiasm for the sport is still there “What keeps me interested in it here is the people We all go to the range and have a match but afterwards it is really social; it is another big family,” he said The Kiwi Rooster reckons it was easier when he was in school to practise and be available for competitions but “I’m definitely changing my attitude towards that and making shooting the main purpose now because it is something I want to do and I’ve always wanted to be world champion so I’ll keep going for it,” he said “They are the ones that help me and get me over there to make the dream come true.” McDowell said the sport was tough to fund but he would return to the US in 2026 for that “big buckle” first place I know I can do it and a lot of people around me know I can do it as well,” he said This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Bradley McDowell’s name Taranaki has 277 farms with consent to discharge effluent into waterways Stafford McDowall is confident Glasgow can retain their United Rugby Championship title even though he expects the league to be more competitive than ever Three months on from their stunning play-off final victory over Bulls in South Africa, the Warriors begin their URC defence away to Ulster on Saturday “Obviously after winning the league last year there’s a massive buzz around the place and we’re really excited to go out and defend our championship,” said centre McDowall WATCH as the Boks Office crew share their views on why South African players are so sought after around the world Watch the full episode on RugbyPass TV on Tuesday afternoon Watch NowBoks Office on why South Africa’s youth structure is brutal | RPTVWATCH as the Boks Office crew share their views on why South African players are so sought after around the world Watch Nowwindow.scriptsToInit.push('BrightCoveEmbeddedScrollVideo.init("6362064209112");'); “We put a lot of hard work in to win that championship last year and we’re taking it as a privilege that we’ve now got the pressure of defending it There’s going to be a target on our backs but I think we have to thrive on that “We’ve managed to keep most of the same group together so there’s no reason we can’t go back-to-back with the South African teams settling properly into the league now after a few years and more and more players joining the league from other leagues so it is getting harder each year to win it McDowall – capped five times by Scotland – is aiming to continue his impressive ascent amid his ongoing battle with established centres Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu for game time at both club and international level “I want to keep playing regularly for Glasgow and keep my standard of performance consistent and high,” said the 26-year-old. “And if I’m playing well here, hopefully I can keep pushing for a place in the Scotland squad and the matchday 23 “It’s challenging because Huw and Sione are both unbelievable players but I like to think they push me on and I push them on I’d rather be in a place like this than somewhere I was starting every week with no competition.” family man - the in-depth tale of Smith's journey to glory with Glasgow New data has revealed the Queensland capital now boasts 73 suburbs with a house price median of seven figures or more – up from 66 in December – with Nudgee, McDowall, Calamvale, Mount Gravatt East and Wynnum among those to reach the milestone. Experts say “unstoppable” demand for the city and swelling gentrification of blue-collar suburbs in the city’s mid to outer rings fuelled the latest figures, with the capital now just over $75,000 away – or about 12 months – from reaching an overall median of $1 million.  “Brisbane is unstoppable. It’s only going to take 8.2 per cent more of overall median growth for the citywide house price figure to reach seven figures and that’s highly achievable in the next year,” she said. “We will see more and more suburbs edging to that median, and this is the impact of gentrification. 2 Baths4 ParkingView listing “When you’ve got those premium suburbs like New Farm that are now edging towards a house median of $3 million and then even more suburbs moving towards the $2 million median mark, this is what happens.  “Even at the higher end, buyers must opt for the next tier down. So, from Hawthorne (where the house median is now $2.075 million) buyers go to Balmoral, for example.” As to the next suburbs that will likely reach that median house price of $1 million in the next couple of months, they will be Scarborough (where the median is teetering on the cusp at $999,000) and Salisbury, which currently has a median of $986,750. 1 Bath1 ParkingView listing Next to reach the seven-figure mark will likely be Cornubia, where the median is now $985,000 and Manly West, where it’s currently $980,750.  The growth has led to old workers’ cottages in areas like Stafford achieving eye-watering prices, said Coronis North agent Jackson Oram, sparking mass gentrification with only first-home buyers hailing from generational wealth able to afford a slice of the pie. The northern suburb and its neighbouring Stafford Heights are both just a few months away from reaching a million-dollar house price. Their medians sit at $972,000 and $971,250, respectively, and both pockets benefit from soaring buyer demand. 1 Bath2 ParkingView listing “We have had consistent price growth for about three years now. Pre-COVID-19, if you had a three-bedroom, one-bathroom post-war home in tidy condition, you’d get 10 groups through it and then sell it for $650,000. But now they sell for $900,000, and you’ll get 50 groups through – it’s absolutely chaos,” Oram said. “The biggest thing driving that is Stafford’s location to amenities. While it might not be a suburb with a nice coffee strip like Mitchelton or a shopping centre like Chermside, it’s only a five-minute drive from those things.” The demand is changing the way both the suburbs look, Oram said, with the glut of old government housing homes and post-war cottages being extensively renovated.  1 Bath1 ParkingView listing “A lot of the older residents here were in that lower-middle-class demographic. But they are an ageing population, and they’re at the point where they are retiring. So, they’ve been able to sell their little old house that was only worth $400,000 for the majority of their time in it for $850,000,” Oram says. “Which means now almost every house has either had a renovation or it has three or four tradie utes out the front.” Oram said most buyers were upgrading from their first home and typically “leveraging themselves to the eyeballs” to shoulder $700,000 of debt while still having to drop $150,000 on renovations. 1 Bath2 ParkingView listing “I think the growth will continue, so the socialist in me is in a direct fight with a guy that owns a house in the area, but I don’t think we have the affordability in the area to see another three or four years of growth like we’ve had,” he says. Over in Sunnybank, Place Estate Agents’ Owen Chen said Chinese buyers relocating from China had helped the suburb sail past the magic seven-figure median to $1,199,500, with house prices swelling by 19.8 per cent over the past year, according to Domain data. 3 Baths2 ParkingView listing He said that for the region’s strong Taiwanese, Hong Kong, and mainland Chinese cohort, the suburb had become a thriving community, with buyer demand only growing thanks to the sought-after school catchment. In Wynnum – where house medians climbed to $1.05 million this year after 11.3 per cent annual growth – Raine and Horne’s Margaret Vote said southern buyers were a big price growth driver, alongside inner Brisbane locals seeking bigger blocks and better bang for their buck. 2 Baths2 ParkingView listing “Lifestyle is what is bringing people here. It’s still a village, it’s still quiet and the community is huge here,” she says. But prices, Vote warned, were increasingly on the rise. “I sold a two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit that’s about 30 or 40 years old in a pack of three for $700,000 last week … and that’s gobsmacking because that’s your first-home-owner market,” she says. The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. where we are privileged to live and operate It wasn’t the night for Glasgow Warriors on Saturday down at the Twickenham Stoop as Harlequins came away with the win in the final pool game of the Investec Champions Cup Stafford McDowall was back in action for the Glasgow side and spoke with glasgowwarirors.org following the match “We didn’t create enough opportunities in the first half.” McDowall said and got in our flow and didn’t allow us to get into our structure We still created a bit but we just weren’t clinical enough.” The game was defensive heavy for the Glasgow Warriors for large portions of the game “I think we defended well in parts but they had a lot of ball and they are  good attacking team and they just broke us down we came out and we played a lot of the game in their final quarter btu again we just couldn’t get over the line “A couple sloppy errors which are fully on ourselves The McDowall/Rowe link up at The Stoop yesterday. https://t.co/CayIYGLYsb — Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) January 19, 2025 With the team now heading back in to the URC while many are away on International duty McDowall is keen that the squad learn from this weekend but we have to look at ourselves and say well why didn’t we take these opportunities “We put a lot of pride in ourselves about how clinical we are in that red zone It is something we will need to go and look at and see how we can get better.” Glasgow Warriors still made club history and have secured a home game for knock out European rugby “It’s so massive to be at Scotstoun for the Round of 16 The club has never had a home knock out tie “We have out in some really good performances in the Champions Cup both home and away and we are looking forward to playing at a hopefully sold out Scotstoun with our fans behind us” We will take on @LeicesterTigers at Scotstoun in the @ChampionsCup Round of 1️⃣6️⃣ 👊 Full fixture details will be confirmed in due course by EPCR.#WhateverItTakes ⚔️🛡️ pic.twitter.com/FJA8WI0Edn — Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) January 19, 2025 Stafford McDowall will lead out Scotland A in Edinburgh this weekend after the centre was selected as captain for Saturday night’s clash with Chile at Hive Stadium The Stewartry RFC product – who scored his first try at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on his first outing as senior Scotland captain in Saturday’s win over Portugal – is one of seven Glasgow Warriors set to take to the field this weekend in Scotland A’s first home fixture since a 2014 draw with England Saxons at Scotstoun we’re back in action on Friday 29 November 🙌 Get your tickets for our upcoming fixtures in Glasgow, including our biggest home game ever at Hampden Park 👉 https://t.co/X4CVuBDT3V pic.twitter.com/cgR7tTKWbn — Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) October 27, 2024 Jamie Dobie joins captain McDowall in the back-line for this weekend’s clash the scrum-half also appointed as one of the squad’s vice-captains by Scotland A Head Coach the prop having crossed for his first try in a Scotland jersey during Saturday’s victory over Portugal He’s joined in the front-row by Gregor Hiddleston with the Dumfries-born hooker set to appear in a senior Scotland representative jersey for the first time in this weekend’s clash Three further Warriors await their opportunity after being named amongst the replacements who is selected as the replacement tight-head a fortnight on from serving as 24th man in the win over Fiji Jare Oguntibeju is named in the number 19 jersey the Glasgow Warriors academy second-rower selected after a series of impressive performances in both pre-season and Glasgow Warriors A fixtures to date in 2024/25 Ben Afshar rounds out the Glasgow cohort selected by Horne the scrum-half another set for his first senior Scotland representative outing after being invited to join the 2024 summer tour as a development player Tickets are still available for Scotland A’s clash with Chile – click here for more. Scotland A team to face Chile at Hive Stadium Sign up to our newsletter today to receive the latest updates, content and releases from Glasgow Warriors. I then had the pleasure of mentoring Nancy's doctoral journey. It was a mentorship of equals as I learned as much about research, psychology and life as I endeavoured to pass on to Nancy. Well, she certainly did learn because she passed her examination without corrections. This is rare in doctoral examinations, as asking people to make corrections that satisfy the examiner, rather than enhance contribution to our field of study, has become a rite of passage.  The other thing to understand about paradoxes is that they shift and change in front of our eyes. Dr Wendy Smith and Professor Marianne Lewis make the point about leadership skills for managing paradoxes that leaders need to be open and accepting rather than stepping aside from any tensions. They put four skills at the heart of shifting paradox navigation, which Nancy embodies in abundance:  • The first is cognitive complexity. Nancy reflects on her own journey in becoming a leader, recognising the good (the chance opportunities to enact leadership), the bad (school wasn't great, right?) and the ugly (Nancy's struggles with her mental health).  • The second skill is confidence, which Nancy demonstrates throughout her book, but particularly in the middle section about enacting leadership, and how leadership can be ambitious yet also carries risks of 'doing' rather than 'being'.  • The third skill is conflict management. For this I signpost you to Section 3 of the book, on sustainable leadership. Overwhelm and drama happen in every organisation, but are more likely in a cognitively diverse organisation. Lucky for us, Nancy brings us tangible solutions.  • The fourth and final skill for navigating shifting paradoxes is communication. Nancy's book speaks to all of us, and through reflection on her experience, and her collaborators' experiences, invites us to consider our leadership in a relatable and authentic way. Nancy, I look forward to experiencing many more paradoxes with you.  I am honoured to have inspired Almuth as much as she has inspired me. Her stewardship, insight, and commitment to quality have significantly enhanced the field of neurodiversity research in the workplace. Through mentorship, collaboration, and a shared dedication to developing future leaders, we continue to shape a more inclusive and impactful professional world. © Copyright 2000-2025 The British Psychological Society Tuipulotu is expected to miss the entire competition in a huge blow for coach Gregor Townsend, but McDowall will be able to show his quality as he partners Huw Jones in the midfield. “Stafford has been very consistent for Glasgow and for us when he has had the opportunity,” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said. “He really brings a physicality and an edge to the game, both in attack and defence.” Listen | 40:51Blair Kinghorn is at fullback, with Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham on the wings. Co-captain Finn Russell is at outhalf with Ben White making up the halfback pairing. South African-born Van der Merwe has a Scotland record 30 Test tries and Graham has 29, providing an intriguing sideshow for the two speedsters. Matt Fagerson is at number eight, with flankers Rory Darge (also co-captain) and Jamie Ritchie in the backrow, while Jonny Gray and Grant Gilchrist make up the lock pairing. Hooker Dave Cherry has props Pierre Schoeman and Zander Fagerson either side of him. Cherry will play his first game since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and Gray won the last of his 77 caps in March 2023. “They bring experience and a real motivation to play well. The Scotland jersey brings that out in you,” Townsend said of the pair. Scotland are seeking to lift the trophy for the first time since 1999, the last year it was known as the Five Nations and before Italy’s entry into the competition. “Getting to start at home is massive and it has been a good training week. Italy are a quality side and have shown that for two or three years,” Townsend said. “They have been a difficult opponent for us and other teams. They really upped their game in last year’s Six Nations with two wins and a draw, and one of those victories was against us, so they will be confident. “There is intelligence in how they play, when they look after the ball, when they move it. They are a quality side and play with a lot of passion.” Italy have made five changes from their last international as Tommaso Allan returns and Michele Lamaro takes over as captain. Allan, who skipped last season’s Six Nations, earns his 82nd cap at Murrayfield and plays at fullback, meaning influential Ange Capuozzo switches to wing in place of Jacopo Trulla, who played in their last game against New Zealand in November. The other changes to the team are in the pack as Lamaro replaces Manuel Zulinai on the flank and takes over the captaincy from Juan Ignacio Brex, who led the team in the 29-11 defeat to the All Blacks in Turin. Lamaro missed the November clash against the Kiwis because of a shoulder injury. Lorenzo Cannone replaces Ross Vintcent at the base of the scrum while Simone Ferrari comes into the frontrow for Marco Riccioni and Giacomo Nicotera takes over at hooker from Gianmarco Lucchesi. All of the four forwards dropped for Saturday’s game are on the replacements bench. There will be a Six Nations debut for Dino Lamb in the secondrow, while uncapped prop Luca Rizzoli will likely get a chance for a debut off the bench. Italy finished fifth in last year’s tournament, beating Scotland and Wales and drawing with France in their last fixtures and therefore take an unprecedented three-game unbeaten streak in the tournament to Murrayfield. SCOTLAND: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Stafford McDowall, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell (co-capt), Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, Zander Fagerson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Jamie Ritchie, Rory Darge (co-capt), Matt Fagerson. Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Will Hurd, Gregor Brown, Jack Dempsey, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe. ITALY: Tommaso Allan; Ange Capuozzo, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari; Dino Lamb, Federico Ruzza; Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro (capt), Lorenzo Cannone. Replacements: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Luca Rizzoli, Marco Riccioni, Niccolo Cannone, Manuel Zulinai, Ross Vintcent, Alessandro Garbisi, Simone Gesi. Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC Alex Samuel is set to make his senior international debut at Scottish Gas Murrayfield this Saturday after the second-rower was named in Scotland’s starting XV to take on Portugal this weekend The former Scotland U20 captain has been a near ever-present for Glasgow Warriors in 2024/25 to date featuring in all bar one of the club’s six fixtures so far this campaign Samuel is one of 10 Warriors given the nod for Scotland’s first meeting with Portugal since the 2007 Rugby World Cup as Gregor Townsend’s men look to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat to South Africa Stafford McDowall is promoted to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in both of Scotland’s opening two matches of The Famous Grouse Nations Series the centre also assuming the captaincy of his country for the first time on a solo basis Tom Jordan retains his place at full-back after an impressive display against the Springboks making more metres with ball in hand than any other Scottish player Adam Hastings returns to the starting XV after missing out on the clash with South Africa the fly-half having impressed with three try assists in the 57-17 win over Fiji a fortnight ago He is joined in the half-backs by George Horne the scrum-half making his first appearance of The Famous Grouse Nations Series as well as being named as one of his country’s vice-captains Jamie Bhatti is another to make his first outing of the autumn the loose-head joining Samuel in the pack for Saturday’s encounter Johnny Matthews is set to make his first-ever Scotland appearance at Scottish Gas Murrayfield after being named on the bench the hooker – called into the Scotland squad earlier this week – having won his only Scotland cap to date against Romania in last year’s Rugby World Cup in France Rory Sutherland wears the number 17 jersey for the third successive match with Jamie Dobie similarly continuing his run of being involved in each matchday 23 of the autumn Tests thus far Kyle Rowe rounds out the Glasgow contingent the winger returning to the matchday squad after recovering from an injury sustained in the win over Fiji Kick-off for Saturday’s match is scheduled for 3.10pm with tickets still available at scottishrugby.org Get behind your Warriors on the international stage — Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) November 13, 2024 SCOTLAND A have not played a home game since 2014 and have made only the odd appearance elsewhere in recent years so it is no surprise that the team to play Chile tonight [Saturday] should have an untried and unfamiliar look about it Stafford McDowall – who skippers the second string this week after captaining the full national side to victory over Portugal last week – is confident that his new-look squad are ready to rise to the occasion at the Hive Seven other members of the matchday 23 selected by head coach Pete Horne for this evening’s game were also in action for the full national team against the Portuguese – Matt Currie Yet while this game represents a step down in representative level for them for other members of the squad this is definitely a step up has only played a handful of games for Edinburgh since arriving in the summer Glasgow lock Jare Oguntibeju is in a similar position while former Scotland Under-20 captain Liam McConnell and his Edinburgh team-mate Douglas have yet to turn out for the capital club Warriors centre McDowall has seen enough of his less experienced team-mates – especially the Glasgow players – to be convinced that they have what it takes to thrive at this level “I’ve seen Jare and these guys train at Glasgow and they’re unbelievable athletes with a huge amount of potential,” he said “So for them it’s a massive opportunity and I just know seeing them come in on Monday they were massively excited to be involved “It’s a massive week for Mosese,” he continued “It’s his first chance to pull on a Scotland jersey and his granny has been flown home for the game “He’s very similar to Sione in a lot of his ball play I know he’ll be up for it and he’s excited for it so hopefully I can give him some ball and let him run “We talked to the group on Monday and said: ‘Look the biggest thing for us is just getting our head around our role knowledge’ Once we’re all on the same page in what we’re trying to do then we know we’re all good enough rugby players to go out and execute on the pitch he hasn’t played in any pro rugby either but he fitted right into a national team squad for the whole of the last three weeks and then he didn’t look out of place at all when he came on on Saturday Hopefully they’ll take confidence from seeing someone like that go out and play so well at the weekend in front of 60,000 at Murrayfield against a good Portugal side “Just be yourselves: that was the message at the start of the week You’ve been called into this group for a reason either because you’re here to maybe bring a bit of experience and lead the group or you’re here because they see you’ve got massive potential for the future It’s not like we’re a team of nobodies who’ve been pulled together at the last minute: there’s been some thought put into it.”  Scotland A’s last home outing was a 16-16 draw with England back in 2014 while the second strong’s last appearance was the 45-5 win against tonight’s opponents in Santiago in 2022 the full Scotland side have also played Chile recently But although the result was comfortable enough in the end McDowall – who came off the bench in the second half – knows his side had to fight to get on top so we’re expecting a good tough Test match against a strong Test team who’ve had games together recently,” he said “I know they lost to the Netherlands at the weekend but they had a good result against Canada the week before It’s going to be hard to break them down.” The match will be shown live on the BBC Sport website and on the iPlayer does anyone know if programmes are available Why didn’t you ask someone at the ground in fact gave up after asking three members of staff Sorry Joe that looked a rather sharp reply by me Absolutely crucial Scotland A have regular games to develop players and give them a door into the test squad Let’s hope this is going to be a regular occurrence although I’ve heard nothing concrete in this regard (might be wrong) from the SRU I hope they all get a run out against a good Chilean side I’ll be watching on I Player down here in Suffolk but hope a good crowd makes it to the Hive 🏉👍🙂 Important to have Scotland A fixtures if we’re serious about developing our game for it gives upcoming youngsters and those already knocking on the door a place to go and prove themselves To see Dobie’s name there is disappointing though “We showed a lot of fight and a lot of pride in the jersey but unfortunately we fell just a little bit short” … The true heart of the festival lies beyond the tackles and tries. Beneath the noisy surface, quieter, subtler stories unfold. Connections are reforged. Histories are honoured. Lives, briefly, are knitted closer. … “We’ve got experienced players within our group, and international players too, so we’re not daunted by the task ahead of us.” … Enjoyed this article? Quality journalism like ours is made possible by readers like you. If you value our in-depth coverage of Scottish rugby at all levels and want to see more, please consider supporting us with a subscription or donation It helps us keep delivering the news you love Thank you for being a part of The Offside Line community independent and up-to-date coverage of all aspects of Scottish rugby photographers and business minds bring their talents and enthusiasm to our unrivalled coverage of the game © 2016-2025 Scottish Rugby News from The Offside Line | Kept onside by webporty Stafford McDowall will lead Glasgow Warriors out under the Friday night lights at Scotstoun this weekend after the centre was named as captain upon his return from injury for the visit of Zebre Parma tomorrow night The Scotland international is one of seven changes to the starting XV that recorded a bonus-point win away in Cardiff last weekend as the Warriors run out at Scotstoun for the final time before their South African double-header and the November international window Always got to bring it in the #BKTURC 💪 🎟️ https://t.co/rnswFM1AoR https://t.co/mmbrHk6cze — Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) October 7, 2024 An all-international front-row sees Johnny Matthews retained at the coal face as the starting hooker as Scotland props Jamie Bhatti and Zander Fagerson draw into the starting lineup for tomorrow night’s encounter Gregor Brown moves into the second-row after starting last weekend’s clash on the blindside flank Scott Cummings continuing alongside the Aberdonian in the engine room Euan Ferrie takes Brown’s place on the blindside whilst Rory Darge’s recovery from a head injury sustained against Benetton sees him return at openside in a back-row completed by Jack Dempsey George Horne and Adam Hastings form the half-back combination having both also recovered from their respective head injuries to take their places in the starting XV McDowall takes the place of last weekend’s captain with Huw Jones continuing in the number 13 jersey A re-shuffled back-three sees Kyle Rowe move to full-back in place of the rested Josh McKay as Jamie Dobie and Facundo Cordero line up on the wings to complete the starting lineup Grant Stewart is in line for a first appearance of the 2024/25 campaign after being selected amongst the replacements in what will also be the hooker’s first outing at Scotstoun since returning to the club on a full-time basis at the end of last season Patrick Schickerling – who made his competitive Glasgow Warriors debut last weekend – and Nathan McBeth join Stewart as the front-row cover with Alex Samuel and Max Williamson named in the matchday 23 to continue their respective run of being involved in every matchday squad so far this season Henco Venter returns from injury to complete a six-two split of forwards and backs on the bench as Ben Afshar and Tom Jordan round out the squad for tomorrow night’s encounter Head Coach Smith told glasgowwarriors.org: “We were pleased to come away with five points from Cardiff last weekend but we know there are still more levels to come from our performance “Zebre have shown this season already that they will be a match for any team and will compete hard in all areas of the field tomorrow evening “We look forward to running out in front of the Warrior Nation tomorrow night as we look to continue our recent run of results against a tough opponent.” Glasgow Warriors team to face Zebre Parma at Scotstoun, Friday 11 October, kick-off 7.35pm. Tickets are still available at glasgowwarriors.org. Unavailable for selection: Sebastian Cancelliere (foot) PETE MURCHIE insists Stafford McDowall isn’t a “malicious” player as Glasgow await to discover the outcome of the centre’s citing for allegedly making contact with the eye of Toulon No An independent Disciplinary Committee will hear the Citing Complaint on Thursday morning with McDowall facing a “low-end” sanction of a four-week suspension if found guilty of Contact with Eye area and anything up to 208 weeks if found guilty of Intentional Contact with Eye(s) Murchie admits he missed the incident at the time that allegedly took place during Sunday’s Champions Cup match at Stade Mayol but said the prospect of being without McDowall for the first leg of the 1872 Cup this weekend hasn’t disrupted Warriors’ preparations too greatly Zander Fagerson targeting more titles after committing his future to Glasgow Obituary: Norman Davidson: dual rugby and cricket internationalist who immigrated to New Zealand in 1961 TOL POD #21: Jamie Dobie, Calum Forrester, Schools Cup Finals Day and Premiership upsets The defence coach said: “I didn’t see the incident in real time I wouldn’t want to say too much until he’s had the hearing but it’s really unfortunate We’ll have to see what happens in the hearing in terms of the ramifications “We’re cracking on until we know what the outcome of the hearing is but obviously it’s disappointing for him and for us He was excellent against Toulon with his short We’ll have to see what happens.I guess you’re always open-minded [about team selection] but around the back three “Clearly with Adam [Hastings] being injured But we do have multiple players that can play in that centre position You just have to roll with the punches at this time of year and just keep going.” Murchie also revealed Kyle Steyn and Ollie Smith could be in the selection mix for the weekend, the latter having made his return for the Emerging Scotland select after a year on the sidelines We just need to make that call on who we go with I think he got 50 minutes for the Emerging team so that was good and played a bit at 13 too so It’s pretty much been a year he’s been out For him to pick up those minutes is going to be really important because we have got so many important games coming up “They’ve still got a little bit to go,” confirmed Murchie It was obviously this game here last year where it happened The last thing you want to do is rush guys back when they’re getting to the end point but they just need a little bit more time.” Glasgow Warriors have kindly provided The Offside Line with two tickets for the 1872 Cup game vs Edinburgh this Sunday at Hampden You can find all the details on how to win them by reading our latest podcast update  Tickets are still available for this game.  For all the information including pricing and how to buy them – please visit GLASGOW WARRIORS V EDINBURGH – Glasgow Warriors Just found the video on planet rugby … From the video he reaches over from the back of the players head as far as the eyes and pulls him back … I don’t believe he would have done it deliberately but unfortunately it looks like it is deliberate Looks very much like it will fit the middle seriousness category of “reckless” Won’t help that the Toulon player had to get treatment on the pitch (or that the TMO/ref did not give a red card on the day) but I’d be surprised if it’s less than four weeks after reductions Stafford needs to cop his plea and move on The citing system may have its flaws but players who fall within its remit need to accept that as do the more febrile commentators on here Almost certainly not intentional but players doing a choke tackle need to learn to simply let go if they get up to the head area Potentially blinding or partially blinding someone needs to be removed from the game I expect and hope for a lower end sanction Amazing that some folks disagree with this you need to get out and about and travel a wee bit if you want to witness those that are really suppressed and politically constrained give it a rest with the myopic and narrow minded view we Scots are always hard done by intellectually we are a world force in some eyes therefore move on and champion the Scottish nation Plenty of examples George (a lot with Owen Farrell come to mind) Scot Cummings getting Red and a ban in Autumn Series yet Ireland and England got away with penalties/Yellow cards for worse events Someone needs to run an analysis of the average length on ban time for players depending on their Club/Country And its not just Scotland that are hard done by they punish tier 2 countries far worse than us How can Big Brian of Toulon not get cited for shoulder charging Alex Samuel in the back while he’s exposed on the ground with no way to protect himself Anyone who doesn’t think the citing system isn’t biased especially in favour of SA English and Irish is frankly the one that needs to get out more There are dozens of examples where players from smaller nations like Scotland and Fiji are given far harsher judgements and cuttings than others POM taking Hogg out off the ball and putting him out of the tournament wasnt even a pen or cited but Cummings was banned Kriel wasn’t sanctioned for head contact in RWC Of course the system is corrupt and being servile enough to suggest otherwise is utterly naive I remember the “assault” on Hogg by POM I was (& remained) utterly incredulous at the lack of immediate/subsequent action against POM No doubt Stafford will get a ban which conveniently includes the Harlequins game If it was an English or French player from a top club there would be 1 week only for good behaviour and admitting guilt GLASGOW WARRIORS will break new ground on Saturday evening when they play their first ever home Champions Cup knock-out match and they know that a win in that match against Leicester Tigers would represent another step beyond anything the club has achieved before Whilst competing and winning in end of season do-or-die matches in the URC/PRO14/PRO12 has become part of the yearly routine for the Scotstoun outfit their elevation to truly elite status in northern hemisphere club rugby will not be confirmed until they are breaking opposition hearts with the same sort of regularity in the knock-out phases of the flagship EPCR competition Warriors lost away to Harlequins in the Round of 16 of last year’s Champions Cup and previously lost away to Saracens at the quarter-final stage (before the Round of 16 was introduced) in 2017 and 2019 While there have been some excellent one-off performances and results in this competition over the years Glasgow have not yet proven that they have what it takes to succeed against the best England and France as well as the URC has to offer when the heat is really turned up Wes Goosen on course to qualify for Scotland in time for next World Cup after signing new Edinburgh contract Christine Belisle decides to sit out remainder of Six Nations Breadalbane Finance Community Rugby Story Of The Month … Aberdeenshire Franco Smith‘s side have a chance to start rewriting their European history when they host another English heavyweight in the shape of Leicester Tigers at Scotstoun on Saturday night and centre Stafford McDowall agrees that it is high time that Warriors prove that they can replicate the form which carried them to URC glory in Durban at the end of last season in this competition “I think we showed last year when we got to big games and the way the boys carried themselves to that quarter semi and final [of the URC] that when we play the right style of game in these big knock0out games we can definitely get it right,” he said Maybe a couple of years ago we’d be sitting here saying of this group ‘we believe we can do it’ but the boys have proven that it can be done going to tough places like Munster and Bulls away and getting big wins We’ve got a little bit more confidence in ourselves and our game-plan but we know it’s not going to be easy “We’ve seen what this Leicester team can do and they’ve obviously got that European pedigree from the past that they’ll back themselves to come up here Leicester are currently third in the Gallagher Premiership table They lost 22-29 at home to Saracens last Sunday but hammered last season’s English champions Northampton Saints 0-33 away the weekend before that South African double-World Cup winning stand-off Handré Pollard Argentina captain and hooker Julián Montoya England second-row Ollie Chessum (although there has not been an update since he was a late call-off for the Saracens match) and Welsh tearaway flanker Tommy Refell are among the big names likely to be in the Tigers squad this weekend Scotland second-row Cameron Henderson – formerly of the Glasgow Warriors Academy – will be a familiar face to the Scotstoun faithful and Scotland back-up tight-head prop Will Hurd will hope for his first run-out for the club since prior to the Six Nations “We love these games when you get to play teams you don’t get to play very often,” added McDowall “It’s the same when you get to play the French teams They probably bring a different mindset to what a lot of the teams in our league do we know that they’re going to be a physical team “They’ve had a couple of good results Obviously a big win away to Northampton a couple of weeks ago and now they’re coming off the back of a defeat everyone knows a bit about Michael Cheika [the well-travelled former head coach of Leinster Argentina and Australia] and what he brings “I think they definitely bring a more direct game they’ve got star names loaded right through the backline “I guess that’s what you get with some of these big Premiership clubs is those names on the team-sheet [who] you’ve probably not had a chance to play against before at club rugby level “It’s not one for getting too over-emotional for during the week Hopefully we’ll bubble up nicely come Saturday night and we’ll be ready to go and hopefully put on one of our best performances of the season it’s out first knockout game at home I don’t think we deserve it … because we’ve won the URC We know it’s a tough competition and we know how hard it is to win “That’s why no Glasgow team has been further than this stage yet It’s not getting too far ahead of ourselves but it’s knowing that we need to have the belief in ourselves that we can go and do this “There is always a bit more of an extra buzz [on weeks like this] they’re going to be full of confidence that they can come roll us It does bring a bit of extra edge out in training “We’ve talked about it this week we know training is not going to be perfect and we can’t expect that but just trying to be excellent through the week so that when it comes to Saturday we’re full of confidence Everyone’s just excited for a big occasion.” Duncan Weir reveals that his season is over Slightly off topic but I much prefer the old style knock out phase of straight to quarters I know it was to stop so many teams fielding weakened teams in the group stage if they knew they were out of the comp But the fact the quarters are now next week really takes away from the event Like you wouldn’t have had those crowds at Murrayfield for the 2 quarterfinals if they’d only been a weeks notice Maybe there is a way to space the knockouts out a bit more the current format has had the opposite effect of that intended I think Leinster still very much expect to pack out the Aviva for their quarter final against Glasgow assuming they both get through Given in their last Champions Cup away game to a seeded side Leicester were absolutely pumped 80-12 you would have to think Glasgow should be looking for a very strong win here to take them into the Quarter Finals But if there’s to be a strong run in Europe now for Warriors this is the time to show what they are really capable of A Quarter Finals will likely be against Leinster in Dublin but that’s something Glasgow are going to have to face shortly in the URC anyway this is a very different side to the one Glasgow totally destroyed The head coach of Leicester start of that season was one R Cockerill ran it into the ground and failed to move with the times He was in charge for the first leg but sacked by the time of the 2nd leg his shambles who met a very good Glasgow side on top form If Glasgow play as they did for the first half last week Start like the previous few matches and could struggle again against a big streetwise English pack And Glasgow will be missing so many first picks (both parts of Huwipolotu I was referring to Leicester’s 80-12 loss to one of the other 4 seeded sides back in January to be honest That is very much the side Glasgow will be facing My excuse is that last time Warriors did post over 80pts over the 2 legs and conceded something like 12 As good as Glasgow are they aren’t Toulouse though thankfully they don’t need to score 80 points GLASGOW WARRIORS centre Stafford McDowall has been been cited for allegedly making contact with the eye or eye area of Toulon No 8 Facundo Isa during Sunday’s EPCR Challenge Cup clash at Stade Mayol An independent Disciplinary Committee will hear the Citing Complaint on Thursday with McDowall facing a “low-end” sanction of a four-week suspension if found guilty of Contact with Eye area McDowall is alleged to have made contact with the eye or eye area of RC Toulon No 8 Facundo Isa Law 9.12 A player must not physically abuse anyone Ken Owens (Wales) and Stefan Terblanche (South Africa) have been appointed to sit as an independent Disciplinary Committee to hear the Citing Complaint The hearing will take place on the morning of Thursday 19 December 2024 Guest column: time to properly tackle the club rugby call-off crisis Remember this incident during the live transmission and was surprised it wasn’t looked at as it was clear from the TV replay that Staff’s hand came into the eye area of Isa Happened in the 23rd minute during an upright choke tackle as Isa was clamped by several Glasgow players and tried to free his arms and the ball by lifting his arms to his head level Isa stayed down for treatment after the incident and there was a break in play but to be fair the ref asked him if he was ok and Isa said yes and then took his position in the scrum without making any fuss it’s clear that Staff’s hand starts on Isa’s arm but Staff then closed his eyes during the grapple and his fingers moved from Isa’s arm and came into the eye area Seems like Staff was trying to get his hands on the ball to stop it being freed difficult to say it is intentional when Staff had his own eyes closed but the fingers came into contact with Isa’s eye area Pity the citing commissioner didn’t see the need to also cite Alainuise for the no arms hit from behind on Alex Samuel at the maul just before half time The maul had gone to ground and Samuel was completely exposed and had no way of bracing for the impact and was also wedged into other players below him on the ground which made it even more painful as there was no “give” in his body when the hit came in You could hear the groan from Samuel on the microphone as the hit came in Cheap shot by Alainuise – deliberately targeting a player’s back who was prostate in a collapsed maul Happened right in front of the touch judge who was no more than a few metres away Pity the Toulouse player wandering about on the pitch between Duncan and the post can’t be cited It certainly is outrageous if a Toulouse player was on the pitch given they were supposed to be all the way over in Exeter… You sure it wasn’t a player from Racing 92 GREGOR TOWNSEND has made 14 changes to his Scotland line-up for the visit of Portugal on Saturday Ben Muncaster and – potentially off the bench – Freddy Douglas Tom Jordan is the only starting player from last weekend’s defeat to South Africa to retain his place – due to an injury to Harry Paterson in training – in a team captained by Stafford McDowall Jordan, who will move to Bristol Bears in the summer in a back-three also featuring fit-again Darcy Graham on one wing and Arron Reed on the other Autumn Series: Scotland v Portugal: Freddy Douglas is ‘world-class alread’: John Dalziel Annual Report: Plenty to do. No time to spare. And lots more money required Annual Report: Scottish Rugby reports £11.3m loss as Mark Dodson cashes in McDowall starts in midfield alongside Rory Hutchinson the latter making his first Scotland appearance since 2022 while George Horne gets his first run-out of the autumn alongside Warriors team-mate Adam Hastings It’s all change in the pack with Patrick Harrison starting at hooker in a new front row also comprising Jamie Bhatti and Will Hurd with Alex Craig and the uncapped Samuel in the boiler room behind him There’s another debutant in Muncaster in the back row who starts alongside Josh Bayliss and Luke Crosbie A 5-3 bench split includes another possible first cap in teenager Douglas who could become the youngest debutant since 1963 if he takes to the field while Kyle Rowe returns from injury to make the matchday 23 Townsend said: “Tom is the only person that started last week to start again this week “Harry Paterson unfortunately got injured halfway during our training session yesterday But Tom stepped in really well at the full-back and Fiji game and played an even better game against South Africa So we expect him to play well again this week “Portugal showed enough in the World Cup that they’re not to be taken lightly at all I thought they were one of the most exciting teams to watch in the World Cup they were cohesive and they got some good results drew with Georgia and pushed Wales really close So we’re expecting that level of performance from them “They may not have played teams like Wales Now they have a big opportunity this weekend to play a Six Nations team that accuracy and a really tough Test match.” Scotland (versus Portugal at Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday @ 3.10pm):  T Jordan Competition: Win a five-star hospitality package to watch Scotland versus Portugal at Murrayfield this Saturday If he’s going to be stand-in ten and fullback behind Russell and Kinghorn It literally says in the article that he got injured during training 🙄🙄🙄 Tuipulotu the younger the only fit player not selected in the 1st 3 matches That in its own way is good selection – picked for his potential but not given a full cap for the sake of it Presumably he gets tied to Scotland next week in A game Agree with those that are saying GT has got this one right Looks like the right balance and delighted for the debuts Great selection for Portugal with all the top back-up players getting a game Should be a high tempo game with hopefully plenty of tries Portugal are no mugs so will need to get the forward platform right before playing it wide Well done Scotland for playing one of the smaller sides and in front of what looks like a great crowd As for the team great to see some new guys getting blooded and what looks like a fine back line All our Hutchinson supporters should be happy Along with some new faces in the forwards as well the welcome return of Mathews Looks like a good and fair 23 selection to me Seriously hope it doesn’t mean Ritchie is being rested for Australia…he just isn’t test level He has become a penalty machine in recent games His inability to make ground going forward means he attempts a very I saw it happening right in front of me last week He should be dropped but his ” experience” means he keeps getting picked by Toonie Back line has a lot of pace and a fairly mobile pack congratulations to new caps but imagine your first cap being that shirt and sponsor and it’s in a frame for the rest of your life sensibly) resting everyone who is likely to be a starter next week in years gone by no way could we have picked a team on that basis and ended up still with such a strong squad Good to see so many fringe/young guys getting opportunities Would have preferred Paterson at full-back and Jordan saved for next week (unless the former is injured which I see no mention of but seems to be forever the case) In the u-20s match earlier this year Douglas completely outshone his opposite number who seems to be the hyped young darling of the English media Hopefully Saturday is the start of a long and highly-distinguished professional career (with Mr Everitt watching on) Paterson will get his shot in the Scotland A game against Chile He’s mostly been playing with Edinburgh A’s so not really much justification for giving a full team Scotland role for this one From the selection here it looks like GT will be keeping TJ as a bench slot next week I think the article has been updated and Patterson is out injured for this one Hopefully he is back in time for the A game next week He’s not been lucky with injuries this season At least this one seems to be a training accident rather than a sauna one… Hopefully he’ll get sorted by the A game – at least it’s still over a week away Have you actually bothered to read the article It explicitly states that he was injured during training But bit does beg the question – how and why is this player being constantly injured The article didn’t originally include that information – that was added later in an update after my comment was published Though maybe he is now considered Zander’s back up so will feature against Aus which would be the right call IMO Jordan providing cover at FH so will hopefully see him at 10 at some point Will be interesting to see how this team goes – though always the caveat that it’s Portugal to justify not picking any outstanding performers to move up to the team to play the Aussies I don’t often say it but I’m pleased with the team Townsend has picked which gives all of the lads who turned up for him a chance Particularly excited to see what Hutchinson brings although he’s better at inside centre – which Big Staff already occupies who but for injury would already be a Scotland cap Freddy Douglas has a huge burden of expectation on his shoulders although it is a good game to blood him in Is this Edinburgh’s back-row new firm we see emerging Johnny Matthews belatedly gets his reward and what price him coming off the bench and scoring a choo-choo special?!And of course Wee George has not been forgotten and I look forward to seeing him tussle with Dobie in a sub-plot for the Warriors top-dog nine jersey which allows Hastings to claim his reward for playing so brilliantly against the Fijians welcome back the dancing feet of Wee Darcy Really hoping that we see some bite and energy from Craig and Samuel amongst others… Could very well be a thrilling try filled game Funny thing with Hutchinson on occasion he has seemed a brilliant player but very very few caps GLASGOW WARRIORS and Scotland centre Stafford McDowall has been suspended from playing for three weeks after acknowledging that he had made reckless contact with the eye of Toulon No 8 Facundo Isa during Sunday’s EPCR Challenge Cup clash at Stade Mayol An independent Disciplinary Panel decided the offending was at the low-end of the scale of seriousness imposing an entry point of six weeks’ suspension with a three-week reduction in the length of his suspension applied due to McDowall’s good disciplinary record and timely acceptance of the charge he will be free to play from 13th January 2025 meaning the 26-year-old will miss both of Glasgow’s 1872 Cup matches against Edinburgh at Hampden this Sunday and at Murrayfield on 28th December plus their home EPCR Champions Cup pool clash against Racing 92 on the 10th of January The independent Disciplinary committee consisted of Antony Davies (England Ken Owens (Wales) and Stefan Terblanche (South Africa) heard the case via video conference this morning Both the player and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors announce line-ups for Celtic Challenge opener Somewhat inconsistent standards considering Etzebeth recent hand in face of Venter during Stormers v GW game Minimum low end sanction is 4 weeks foe contact with the eye area It’s higher for reckless contact and severe for deliberate contact 3 weeks means they have taken into account Staff’s explanation that it was accidental and his good disciplinary record Eye area is a bg “no no” in rugby so he had to cop a ban of some sort thanks in no small part to Isa not making a fuss about it at the time Had he done so and the ref was asked to review it This incident highlights just how poor quality some of the TMOs are in world rugby at the moment The replay on live transmission clearly showed contact with the eye area Seems like this TMO needs to go for an eye test! but these things happen in the hurly burly of rugger clearly the citing committee after reviewing all the videos written & oral evidence thought the same and think Glasgow & Scotland should be satisfied with the outcome I look forward to Stafford getting back into the 🏉 fray 🙂👍 Aye would have been a 1-week ban if he was playing at an English or French Club Completely OTT – when you consider players who commit deliberate offenses get 2wks Because he recklessly stuck his fingers in some guys eyes Glasgow were lucky to escape a red during the game The number of people on here who seem to want to legalise sticking fingers in eyes just so long as it’s a Glasgow Warriors player doing it is very weird Definitely went beyond pure accident given the extent and length of contact the punishment is pretty mild as these things go I saw it during the game and although it wasn’t deliberate he did make contact with the eye and therefore it could be considered reckless I was surprised it wasn’t checked at the time and ultimately I think a 3 week ban is fair Very unfortunate timing with three massive games Between injuries and suspensions Glasgow are looking fairly light at the moment Seems harsh but maybe just one that has to be taken on the chin Perhaps an opportunity for Richie Simpson finally if Tom Jordan has to move to the centre for one of these matches tuipoluto and Jones all fit then there’s your 10,12,13 They definitely won’t start all three of the games SMcD is banned for though Kyle Steyn is available for the next game onwards I believe and he can cover 13 He was converted to the wing from 13 sometime ago Stafford McDowall revealed his shock at being told he would be Scotland co-captain for the first time in the summer tour opener against Canada on Saturday The 26-year-old Glasgow Warriors centre was asked by Gregor Townsend to lead the side along with Edinburgh flanker Luke Crosbie for the game at TD Place Stadium, Ottawa, where five players will make their debuts with five other uncapped players on the bench. It will be only a third Scotland appearance for McDowall, who won his first cap  in a World Cup warm-up game against Italy in 2023 before making his Six Nations debut against Ireland in Dublin earlier in the year. He said: “Gregor told me when we first came into camp last week, he told me and Luke together that we’d be co-captains, so it was bit of a shock. “I was a bit overwhelmed and was straight on to the phone to my dad and told him and he’s actually coming out to the game on Saturday. So I think he’s pretty excited for it as well. “He was always planning to come to one game and then as soon as he heard I was co-captain he said, ‘OK, that’s the one, I’ll be there for that one’. “It is a special day for my family as well. My dad has obviously played such a massive role in my career that I’m glad to share that day with him as well.” McDowall believes his status at Warriors will help him cope with the pressures of leading his country. If I can lead by playing my own game and playing my own game well, then that's probably the best way to do it He said: “I think being part of the leadership group at Glasgow has been massive for my development, having the confidence to put my thoughts forward. “The leadership group is so open that everyone can share their thoughts and everyone contributes in their own way. “I don’t think it changes much in terms of what you want to get out of the tour, first and foremost it is your performance. “Obviously I don’t have a lot of caps myself but I am probably one of the older, more experienced pros in that team. “If I can lead by playing my own game and playing my own game well, then that’s probably the best way to do it. “I think everyone’s just really excited to play for Scotland. Obviously we have a lot of new caps in the same game and they’re all just really happy to put the best foot forward here.” After taking on the Canadians in Ottawa, the Scots face the United States in Washington on July 12, then meet Chile in Santiago on July 20 before finishing off the tour against Uruguay in Montevideo seven days later. McDowall believes the confidence from Glasgow’s stunning success against Bulls in the United Rugby Championship final in Pretoria last month, where they came back from 13-0 down to win 21-16, will percolate through the Scotland squad, albeit he did not play in the game due to a hand injury. He said: “The boys who played in that final and everyone in the squad I guess, has just taken so much confidence from the fact that they went to a place like Pretoria and definitely didn’t have their own way. “They went 13-0 down before the end of the first half. It shows everyone that it can be done in probably one of the toughest places to play rugby in the world, against a good team as well. “It’ll give everyone massive confidence that when it comes to those tough points in games, they just know we’ve got the players and we’ve got the systems in place to stick it out. “Obviously I didn’t get the chance to play in the final but to be a part of it, seeing the way the team prepared through the week and the confidence they took into that game and the way they handled the tough moments, it definitely filtered right through the whole squad and hopefully will filter down to here as well.” Following Scotland’s 31-19 victory over Italy in their opening Six Nations match here is how we rated Gregor Townsend’s men at Murrayfield 15 Blair Kinghorn: Safe as houses in the backfield and under the high ball. On occasion, he did run into too much traffic on the counter but it was not detrimental. Held onto an average pass well for Scotland’s first try 14 Darcy Graham: Scoffed what would have been a clear try-scoring opportunity for a finisher of his pedigree as he looked up at what was coming before he had caught the ball He had threatening moments but was unable to take full advantage until the 61st minute as he cantered away to set-up Jones for his second 13 Huw Jones: Lethal A hat-trick hero today as he took all three of those chances superbly His third try was perhaps not the flashiest but it was certainly the most impressive A glorious all-round performance as he lay down a marker for the Lions’ number 13 jersey 12 Stafford McDowall: Gave as good as he got against the brilliant Italian centre partnership for just under an hour His biggest crime was not being Sione Tuipulotu but few can be as good as him 11 Duhan van der Merwe: A threat with every touch of the ball as he attracted Italian defenders and often rampaged through them You’d usually expect him to pin his ears back and charge for the line but he smartly tried to get the ball back in field and luck was on his side as it landed perfectly for Jones 10 Finn Russell: Blew so hot and so so cold throughout the match and it was almost incredibly costly for Scotland Sure he had moments of sheer brilliance but often he overplayed his hand his lacklustre pass that Nacho Brex pounced on being a prime example but not the only time Today it mattered little as Scotland still secured the win but teams like Ireland and France will punish him more 9 Ben White: Kept Scotland’s attack flying at a rapid pace and on the whole He smartly offered the offload opportunity for Dave Cherry and was rewarded for doing so Scotland 31-19 Italy, AS IT HAPPENED: Huw Jones hat-trick steers hosts to victory 8 Matt Fagerson: A pivotal member of the Scotland pack as is often used as the battering ram to straighten up the attack and he did so excellently again today he got stuck into everything and pestered the Italian breakdown while clearing out the Scots masterfully 7 Rory Darge: The kind of performance that will do his ambitions of representing the Lions a world of good Much of Scotland’s success came through their breakdown prowess and Darge led the charge in that facet of the game He was simply magnificent as he terrorised the Italian attacking ball but also had some great touches with ball in hand 6 Jamie Ritchie: Completing the dominant trio Ritchie also impressed on the deck but showed off his softer touches too 5 Grant Gilchrist: Another busy performance in all facets of the game and offered a safe pair of hands at lineout time 4 Jonny Gray: A strong return to Test rugby by the tireless lock who came into the match rather cold he was not needed too much on defence but was effective in the rucks and got his hands on the ball plenty 3 Zander Fagerson: Went deep into the second half once again and while Italy threatened in the scrums Fagerson held his shape to avoid being penalised – an underrated skill of a tighthead prop He impressed with his hands and carries too and was yet another who led the charge at the breakdown 2 Dave Cherry: ‘A hooker in Finn Russell’s clothing’ one commentator brilliantly remarked as Cherry threw a stunning offload to send White over The Edinburgh hooker last played Test rugby back in 2023 but he did not look out of place for a second His lineout darts were sharp and threw his weight around well 1 Pierre Schoeman: Held his own in the scrums as the Italians proved to be a real test for the Scots Schoeman carried rather effectively and hit breakdowns with real ferocity Replacements: Scotland needed their bench to swing momentum as Italy started to threaten a stunning comeback Tom Jordan and George Horne certainly did through their performances while Jack Dempsey was excellent in the close quarters READ MORE: France v Wales winners and losers: ‘Hulking’ Gregory Alldritt and Antoine Dupont star as Romain Ntamack blunder ‘opens door’ to fly-half Francois Cros backs Jack Willis for British and Irish Lions selection and reflects on the Champions Cup defeat to Bordeaux Bath defeated Edinburgh 24-39 on Saturday afternoon to progress to the final of the 2024/25 Challenge Cup Following a 39-24 victory for Bath over Edinburgh in the Challenge Cup semi-final here's our five takeaways from the game at Hive Stadium on Saturday Finn Russell heads into his final audition for British & Irish Lions selection hailed for his ability to bring calmness and control