The Nigels Didn't Relish The Jocks Getting In Their Faces

I FINALLY got round to watching my recording of Saturday's Edinburgh v Harlequins European Challenge Cup match, this afternoon. The result was great, the performance the usual mix of good, bad and indifferent from Edinburgh.

I thought Harlequins were disgrace. It was the all-too-familiar case of a team from England, believing their boosters in the media and going into the game, convinced they were better than the “Sweaties” from the allegedly inferior Pro12. They had a bad case of the Corporal Jones's – they didn't like it up 'em, when Edinburgh matched 'Quins' physicality with their own.

To me, once again, the French referee, Romain Poite went into the game with the pre-determined view, the English team was the superior one, and should get all the favours. A couple of the scrum penalty calls which went to the Lond team, were clearly wrong, but, I suspect, as is often the case, Mr Poite was guessing.

Take the double yellow-carding just before the break; in ice hockey, both Jason Tovey and 'Quins' winger Charlie Walker would have been binned, but, Walker, as the aggressor, would hav got a two-plus-two “roughing” penalty, while Tovey would have got a two-minute roughing penalty, which seems fairer to me.

I also thought Poite got the other yellow cards – those flashed at Joe Marler and Grant Gilchrist – wrong. Now, I know Joe Marler is not the sharpest knife in the canteen, but, I honesty did not think he deliberately tried to upend Ben Toolis. Not the French official's finest 80 minutes.

Mind you, when you see the promise of the likes of Blair Kinghorn, Damien Hoyland, Chris Dean, the two young scrum-halves, Alan Dell, Toolis and the young flankers, Edinburgh is in a good place. However, many more such displays and the big English and French clubs will advancing on Edinburgh waving big cheques.

GLASGOW were always likely to be on the wrong end of the result at Thomond Park. In previewing the game, I suggested it would all come down to how Munster reacted to the tragic loss of Anthony Foley. As I suspected they might, they rose magnificently to the challenge of giving him the ideal send-off.

I had hoped, Munster might run out of passion at around an hour, but, by then they were so far on top, Glasgow had no chance of recovering. However, all is far from lost in that European Cup group. If Glasgow keep believing, they can still qualify. I also fancy, they will win, and win well, when Munster come to Glasgow. And, if they get anything like forward parity against Racing 92, they can win home and away.

THE SRU really needs to come up with some means of getting a third pro team up and running. When you see the quality of the young talent in the BT Premiership, there simply are not the openings in a mere two fully-professional clubs to satisfy the amount of talented kids coming through.

I was at Old Anniesland on Saturday and while neither Glasgow Hawks nor Currie will win the Premiership this season – the Alan Hansen Rule still applies. These clubs have bright futures.

But, with Ayr losing at Watsonians, Melrose are now back on top of the league, an, with Ayr suffering a spate of injuries to key men, particularly in the backs, and visiting Currie on Saturday, the 'Rose may bloom at the top, just as Autumn turns to Winter.

VERN Cotter will name his squad for the Autumn Internationals tomorrow. It will be interesting to see who is in, and who is out. This blog will comment once the announcement is made.