Rugby officials have done a U-turn and decided to offer John Hardie, the New Zealand flanker who was drafted into the Scotland squad in July and then played a leading role in every World Cup match for which he was fit, the chance to play in Scotland
When he joined the national squad, the Scottish Rugby Union made it clear he was being drafted in to play for Scotland without the offer of a contract once his involvement in the World Cup was over. Throughout the tournament he was listed as “unattached” and the background briefings were all about what a great shop window it was while he hunted a contract elsewhere in Europe.
Now that Scotland’s involvement in the World Cup has finished, they have wasted no time in signing up Hardie, with Edinburgh the club to get the benefit of his services for the two years of the deal.
What makes the decision to allocate him to the capital slightly curious is that the club is already well served in his position. Hamish Watson was being lined up to lead the next generation of Scotland back rows and was capped in the spring, Roddy Grant — who is 18 months older than Hardie and therefore may well be the biggest loser from this signing — has been a loyal servant to the club for years, and Cornell Du Preez was signed on the basis that he covers all three back row positions equally well.
That is all without taking into consideration the presence of David Denton, Nasi Manu and Mike Coman, who make sure the other back row roles are also well covered, while Jamie Ritchie and Magnus Bradbury are both regularly mentioned by Alan Solomons, the head coach, as players he expects to break through this season.
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Glasgow, in contrast, do not have the same crowd around the No 7 shirt . They have Chris Fusaro as a regular but rarely play Tyrone Holmes, his specialist understudy, and in the Guinness PRO12 final last May pressed Ryan Wilson, normally a No 8, into the role.
For both Edinburgh and Hardie, however, it is an exciting move. The player has demonstrated at the highest level of the international stage how good he is. With 35 tackles in the three matches he played — he missed two games under concussion protocols — and two tries he was one of Scotland’s outstanding contributors. In tandem with Blair Cowan, another openside specialist, they got the better of the feared Australian back row in the turnover battle at Twickenham last Sunday.
“It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to stay in Scotland and play for a Scottish club,” was Hardie’s reaction. “I see it as an exciting new challenge in my career and I am really looking forward to joining up with the squad and competing for a place in the team. Edinburgh have made a strong start to the season and I hope I can help the boys and contribute to continuing that success.”
Since he moved from Dunedin — New Zealand’s echo of Edinburgh in the southern hemisphere with street names copied from the Scottish capital — he undoubtedly feels at home in the city where he was based during most of the Scotland training camp before the World Cup.
He is also familiar with a a few of the present Edinburgh squad, having played with both Phil Burleigh, the fly half, and Manu, the No 8, when they were at the Highlanders and of course has become familiar with the Scotland players during his time preparing for, and playing in, the World Cup.
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“I have heard the supporters are a really passionate bunch and the club has a strong history,” he added. “I have heard all about that and the tough match-ups they have with Glasgow and other clubs as well.
“All the loose forwards have been outstanding. Hamish Watson, Roddy Grant, Cornell [du Preez], Nasi [Manu] — throughout the loose forwards it is going to be tough competition because they have been playing really well.
“It will be great to challenge them.”