1
Ali Price extends Edinburgh stay but hints at future move abroad
Scotland scrum-half Ali Price is not ruling out a move abroad in future but says signing a one-year extension to his contract with Edinburgh is the “right decision” for now.
ADVERTISEMENT
Price, 30, made a surprise loan move in November from Scottish rivals Glasgow – where he spent the previous nine years – in a bid for more game-time and to stay in Scotland contention, with George Horne the preferred starting nine at Warriors.
Price was a reported target for French club Perpignan as he weighed up his options but having become a father for the first time last month, has opted to put family considerations first and continue commuting from his Glasgow home rather than uproot his young family.
“There will still be time, and at the right time and at the right stage for me and my family, if I feel it’s the right thing to do then a new challenge or looking somewhere else would probably be an option,” he said. “But for me now, I’m pretty happy.
“I looked at what I think is right for me at this stage and potentially where I could have gone, was I going to get the best out of myself? I just felt the right thing for myself and partner and daughter was to stay here where I’m enjoying it. For the sake of me taking an extra hour out of my day to come through and drive back, it wasn’t really a conversation to be had.
“But look, in a year’s time, if we’re stood here and another decision has been made and I’m going somewhere else, we’ll be a year further down the line. That might be the right thing for me at that time.
“You get to a stage where you see where you are internationally – all these factors will play into the decisions I make. While I still feel I can compete and give my all in a place where I am happy and settled, I think this was the right one.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Price was Gregor Townsend’s first-choice scrum-half for Scotland from 2020 until the emergence of Ben White last year and played in all three Tests for the British and Irish Lions in 2021 in South Africa.
He was preferred to White for Scotland’s decisive final World Cup pool game against Ireland last October, only to be relegated to third choice during the Six Nations behind White and Horne.
Price did win a 67th cap off the bench against Italy but insisted trying to regain his previous status in the Scotland pecking order was not a decisive factor in opting to stay at Edinburgh.
“That’s not a given, I think the last six months would tell you that,” he said. “I just know that if I’m playing well and enjoying my rugby, that will give me the best chance to be in the mix. I believe, especially if I was to go anywhere in Europe, that would still be the case. It wasn’t really a factor in why I stayed.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I’ve really enjoyed this environment, to be honest, so when I got approached about staying it made it a bit more straightforward for me. I obviously knew about my home situation, and not wanting that disrupted too much.
“And I think at this stage I wasn’t probably ready to just go anywhere. There are always going to be other clubs that need players, but for me at this stage of my career I still want to challenge myself and be in a professional, strong environment and I feel that that’s here.”
Price missed Edinburgh’s two recent URC games in South Africa to be with partner Annie for the birth of their daughter Luna, but has featured in 12 of their 15 games since joining the club, sharing starting duties with co-captain Ben Vellacott.
“He’s played well,” said Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt, who described Price as a “seasoned campaigner and a world-class scrum-half” as he welcomed the player’s decision to stay on.
“It’s not only what he brings on the field, it’s also what he brings from a leadership point of view. He’s an integral part of our strategy group and his input there is invaluable.
“He’s the link between the forwards and backs and with the experience he’s had with Scotland and the British and Irish Lions, we can only be delighted to have him for another year. Not only that, he’s a good person, he’s very coachable and he brings energy to the team.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
3 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments