OVER my long career in sports journalism, I have never been one for looking too-far ahead when it comes to the major tournaments. Maybe it is a Scottish thing, in football, we have a long track record of peaking a year or so before a World Cup. Indeed in rugby, we won the Grand Slam the year before the 1991 World Cup, but could only finish fourth when it mattered.
I also detest these post-Six Nations pieces: "If the Lions Were PLaying Tomorrow The Team Would Be". Don't the writers realise, a hypothetical Lions squad the year before the tour seldom looks anything like the final party, while the Pencilled-in Test squad as the Lions fly out, is never the match-day 23 for the first test. Someone will always fail to react to the special Lions atmosphere, while someone else will become inspired and kick-on.
So, I have not been too-impressed by this week's rash of pieces in the English medai, rating the top nations in the world.
Of course the All Blacks are best; certainly they will go into next year's World Cup as favourites and, this time, I honestly cannot see them failing to retain "Bill", as the Webb Ellis Trophy is referred to.
And, you always have to fancy South Africa and Australia to be there or there abouts at the sharp end of next year's tournament. After that, it's anybody's guess.
France simply cannot go on being as inconsistent as they have been for the past couple of years. Les Bleus, like the Australians, always get a boost from the World Cup and will come good. Perhaps all that cash floating around the French League has seen the club owners take their eyes off the ball, but, I have no doubts, once they sniff the cordite of a World Cup, the French will come good.
Of course, the worst winners in the world are convinced their heroes can do it. Certainly, with home advantage, England has a chance, but, one year out, they still haven't come-up with a settled midfield, and, their formidable pack, is, for my money, not as formidable as the Ruperts make out.
There are one or two outright bullies in there, who, if stood-up, suddenly are not such big men.
As for the other worst winners in the world - the English in the red shirts. Here too, we have a bunch of bullies who wilt if stood up to. Wales are a particularly one-dimensional team, I think they are now over the top and will fail to make an mpact next year - which will cue unrest and family feuding in the vallies.
I believe, Ireland and Scotland are in a good place. Both Celtic cousins might lack the depth needed to win next year, but, will be at the sharp end and, a year on from where they are now, given an injury-free run and more belief, then, both will go far.
Of the rest, Argentina have perhaps the best chancve of posting a shock, while, at least one of the Pacific island sides will damage one of the big guns. However, that's just my view, a year out, we must wait and see.
THAT charming example of English arrogance, Jeremy Guscott, this week named his Home Nations and Rugby Championship XVs, based on the Autumn Internaitonals, and, jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, he picked a couple of Scots!! SHOCKAROONIE!!!
These were Alistair Dickinson and Ross Ford - no complaints there, both were excelent throughout the three Tests, but, in the second row, he picked England's Dave Attwood and Wales's Alun Wyn-Jone, neither of whom, well though they played, in my view came close to the all-round excellence of the Gray Brothers.
Of course, Guscott picked Chris Robshaw at seven. England captain and all that, has to be in. Not for me, I'd place him behind Blair Cowan and Sam Warbuton - didn't see any of the Ireland games so cannot comment otherwise.
As they say in the playgrounds of the better Edinburgh schools - Guscott's a Fanny.
THAT charming example of English arrogance, Jeremy Guscott, this week named his Home Nations and Rugby Championship XVs, based on the Autumn Internaitonals, and, jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, he picked a couple of Scots!! SHOCKAROONIE!!!
These were Alistair Dickinson and Ross Ford - no complaints there, both were excelent throughout the three Tests, but, in the second row, he picked England's Dave Attwood and Wales's Alun Wyn-Jone, neither of whom, well though they played, in my view came close to the all-round excellence of the Gray Brothers.
Of course, Guscott picked Chris Robshaw at seven. England captain and all that, has to be in. Not for me, I'd place him behind Blair Cowan and Sam Warbuton - didn't see any of the Ireland games so cannot comment otherwise.
As they say in the playgrounds of the better Edinburgh schools - Guscott's a Fanny.
LOOKING even further ahead, Alex Gordon, the man who does such a fine job on the PR side for Glasgow Hawks, is probably Scotland's biggest expert on the FIRA nations. This is due in no small measure to his coverage of Mateus Bartoszek's exploits with the Polish national side.
Big Mat was away last month playing for Poland and he was telling Alex, who in turn passed-on the gen - watch Moldova. Now Mat is a big lump himself, but, if he says the Moldovan pack was "huge", then, they must be some size.
Rugby is on the up in Russia and the former Iron Curtain countries, their big guys, many of them from a wrestling background, simply love the physical confrontation of the forward power game.
We already know Georgia are to be respected, Russia is on the rise. Alex reckons, if they ever bring in promotion and relegaion to the Six Nations, making it a sort of European Elite League, then Scotland, Ireland and Italy will be in bother.
SPEAKING of big men - didn't Welshie put-in a storming shift for Glasgow against the Dragons on Sunday? The big man has worked his socks off to get back to fitness, and, some of his performances while he warmed-up for his Pro12 return by turning out for Ayr were brilliant.
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