'It's so unfair, they are throwing us out of the bus'
Harold Verster vows to fight fire with fire after Cheetahs were unceremoniously kicked out of the PRO14 by an SA Rugby vote on Tue…
Jamie Lyall
01 Oct 2020, 9:06
Contributors
Jamie Lyall
@jlyall93
After abandoning a career in veterinary medicine, Jamie turned to sports journalism six years ago, aiming to harness his passions for sport, writing, and complementary pre-match buffets. While his career has not grown as prolifically as his body fat percentage, he was fortunate enough to learn his trade with Planet Rugby and BBC Scotland before entering the freelance world. He has since been offered several brilliant opportunities to launch his commentary career, and when not writing for RugbyPass, can often be found bellowing names into a microphone for the BBC, BT Sport and others.
The forgotten man
Once heralded a superstar, Huw Jones saw his stock plummet but his self-belief has never waned
Jamie Lyall
30 Sep 2020, 8:30
The plan to turn Fiji into a team that 'consistently beats tier one nations'
New Fiji assistant Daryl Gibson will always cherish the people of Glasgow, the tsunami of love and support he felt across Scotland…
Jamie Lyall
27 Sep 2020, 3:12
'We could name hundreds of coaches - Jose Mourinho, Steve Hansen, Eddie Jones - who have coached higher than they played'
Finished as a player at the age of 25, new Glasgow boss Danny Wilson has had to work hard all the way through his coaching career …
Jamie Lyall
26 Sep 2020, 2:37
'After almost 10 months straight of rugby, I blew out... but I'm down to 146kgs today'
Ben Tameifuna landed himself in hot water with Racing after the World Cup but he now has his weight under control at new club Bord…
Jamie Lyall
20 Sep 2020, 2:40
Edinburgh can't afford a repeat in France having 's**t the bed' against Ulster
The recent defeat to Ulster was the fourth knockout stage Edinburgh defeat on Richard Cockerill’s watch, a habit that must be br…
Jamie Lyall
18 Sep 2020, 13:23
'In spite of everything the past turbulent year, Saracens is a club that does a lot of stuff right'
Now coaching at Glasgow, Kelly Brown has nothing but a fondness for Saracens despite a turbulent year that has seen them relegated…
Jamie Lyall
18 Sep 2020, 3:37
Embracing the chaos
The Scotland captaincy and domestic stability have left Stuart Hogg re-energised at Exeter
Jamie Lyall
18 Sep 2020, 2:20
'I've read somewhere that I can curl 80kg; I'm not sure anyone alive can do that. But the truth is...'' - Etzebeth
There is a great Eben Etzebeth fable, enshrined in rugby legend, that feeds the narrative of physical freakery and rampant aggress…
Jamie Lyall
13 Sep 2020, 5:16
'I felt really frustrated and angry and there was many a sleepless night'
The career of Scotland international Adam Ashe withered under Dave Rennie at Glasgow, but the now free agent isn't holding a grudg…
Jamie Lyall
10 Sep 2020, 13:16
'We've got to sharpen ourselves up... we're a bit frightened about upsetting English clubs'
Alan Tait identified some gems for the Scotland rugby set-up during his time as an SRU scout, but he is worried about shortcomings…
Jamie Lyall
09 Sep 2020, 13:14
'Fraser Brown can think what he wants - he's on holiday'
Edinburgh boss Richard Cockerill has been good value in the lead-up to their first PRO14 semi-final appearance, a match they shoul…
Jamie Lyall
04 Sep 2020, 9:40
'I've had about 6 concussions but the one at Murrayfield really knocked me around - that was the one I struggled to come back from'
Blade Thomson encountered a whole cocktail of bad things in late 2018, including concussion which delayed his Scotland debut and n…
Jamie Lyall
30 Aug 2020, 4:06
They seem an incongruous old match, the pugnacious, bull-headed Englishman and the decaying Scottish pro team - but they have hit it off spectacularly
Edinburgh looked like a fix-up-and-quickly-flip chance for Richard Cockerill to re-establish his credentials rather than a club he…
Jamie Lyall
27 Aug 2020, 13:38
There are reservations about some Cockerill methods, but this is Edinburgh's chance to turn PRO14 promise into substance
Richard Cockerill inherited a disparate and unreliable squad with little discernible culture but winning PRO14 derbies will see Ed…
Jamie Lyall
22 Aug 2020, 4:22
'I was going from 3 Tramadol pills a day to 9 a day, within a week'
Having grown up seeing his father battle heroin addiction, Grayson Hart is now in the painkilling CBD business which is popular wi…
Jamie Lyall
20 Aug 2020, 12:21
'I am a bit worried, to be fair...There just aren't the numbers now in terms of boys actually playing'
Eight months ago, Darcy Graham ripped Glasgow apart, his searing double at Murrayfield ensuring Edinburgh seized an 1872 Cup victo…
Jamie Lyall
16 Aug 2020, 3:27
Fans and journalists don't rate him, but this Scottish 'nobody' hasn't given up on winning them over
Chris Harris sputters into view on the screen sporting what might best be described as a divot in his forehead, as though Bryson D…
Jamie Lyall
15 Aug 2020, 4:51
The 6'8, 120kg Scottish qualified, Nigerian lock unearthed in SA but who's now caught Edinburgh's eye
When Olujare Oguntibeju played his first game of rugby, only around 18 months ago, he was so perplexed at stealing an opposition l…
Jamie Lyall
09 Aug 2020, 4:45
Nadolo can't wait to form 39-stone partnership with Tuilagi
Nemani Nadolo gets bashful when asked about wiring money to his Pacific Island brethren, as though taking credit for acts of kindn…
Jamie Lyall
25 Mar 2020, 6:38
