THE HERALD REPORTS

KEVIN FERRIE September 04 2008
Massimo Cuttitta, the former Italy captain turned specialist coach who has solidified Edinburgh's scrummage, has been welcomed into the camp at their Inter-City rivals as Glasgow Warriors look to improve their set-piece platform.

With the new Magners League season set to get underway tomorrow, Sean Lineen, the Warriors head coach, and Al Kellock, the club captain, spoke warmly about the impact the scrum doctor is having.

"Massimo's been really good, he is a real expert and his one-on-one work is superb," said Lineen. "Shade Munro is in charge of our forwards and our scrum was much better in the last four or five matches of last season, but he can bounce things off Massimo and it is great to have another voice with that level of technical knowhow."


Cuttitta remains with Edinburgh, whom he joined as a consultant around two years ago, but his jaunts down the M8 have been approved by Andy Robinson, the Edinburgh coach, and Kellock said the players had been delighted to get the extra help.

"Everyone has their theories about scrummaging and there always appear to be a lot of similarities, but it's the little things that make a difference and he is excellent on that," said the lock. "It has been really useful just getting the chance to talk to him about scrummaging in detail."

Kellock will be partnered in the boiler house tomorrow night by Tim Barker, who has shaken off a heel injury to make his first appearance since rejoining the club, as the Warriors field what looks close to being their strongest side. That includes the recall of John Beattie after a dead leg into one of the best back-rows in European rugby, albeit his coach admitted that Richie Vernon, the youngster who has stepped up from the academy this season, had been unlucky to miss out having shown fine pre-season form.

Edinburgh are not quite at full strength, with the absence of Ben Cairns, who will be out for at least a month with a knee injury, a particular disappointment while they are also looking forward to getting new signing Jim Hamilton (shoulder) and Ross Rennie (knee) fit.

Even so there were several difficult decisions for their coaches to make, with Robinson admitting it had been tough to leave out international back-row Dave Callam. Instead, in a bid to strengthen their lineout, Matt Mustchin moves into the back-row to accommodate both Craig Hamilton and Ben Gissing in the second row.

Chris Paterson has been selected him as a winger for tomorrow's match, with the coach explaining that Scotland's most capped player is now seen as a back specialist. But of the prospect of Paterson returning to the playmaker's role, Robinson would only say: "Never say never . . ."

TEAMS

Edinburgh(v Munster, Murrayfield, tomorrow, 7.30pm): HSouthwell; CPaterson, CMacRae, NDe Luca, SWebster; PGodman, MBlair (capt); AJacobsen, RFord, GCross, CHamilton, BGissing, MMustchin, AMacDonald, AHogg. Substitutes: AKelly, GKerr, SNewlands, DCallam, GLaidlaw, MRobertson, ATurnbull

Glasgow Warriors (v Newport-Gwent Dragons, Rodney Parade, 7.05pm) BStortoni; LFa'atau, MEvans, GMorrison, TEvans; DParks, MMcMillan; JVa'a, DHall, MLow, TBarker, AKellock (capt), KBrown, JBarclay, JBeattie. Substitutes: EMilligan, KTkachuk, OPalepoi, SSwindall, CGregor, AHenderson, RJackson

This article was posted on 4-Sep-2008, 06:53 by Hugh Barrow.