These Are Early Days But Ayr Have Problems To Solve

YOU DON'T win the league in September, but, you can make things very difficult for yourself with a bad start. And that is the problem facing Ayr this week. Coach Calum Forrester and his team have to, quickly, solve the conundrum – is this a temporary blip, or are we on the slide?

 Calum Forrester - has problems to solve

There are some players a team never misses until they are not there, and, just maybe, the absence of front five powerhouses George Hunter and Scott Sutherland has hampered Ayr. George and “Queenie” are two of the Millbrae men's principal ball-carriers, for all the great experience Ryan Grant brings, I think they are missing the front foot ball which the missing two give them in the loose.

Then, there is another missing person, whose value may only now be being acknowledged. That is back's coach Scott Forrest. “Fossie” and “Scottie” arrived at Millbrae as a pairing, and they have been together through the past three seasons, but, this season, Forrest isn't there, while he completes his Level Four coaching qualification – and, some of the Millbrae brains trust feel his absence is being felt. Also, Forrester is heavily-involved in professional exams at the moment.

Might it be a combination of these pressures is telling on the Ayr coaching team, also, could it be, as with football's legendary Clough and Taylor pairing, Forrester and Forrest are better together than apart? It's all speculation at the moment, but, what is fact is, Ayr want to be further up the league than they currently are – and the longer it takes before they are again in contention, the more the pressure on coaches and team will increase.

But, winning the Premiership is a marathon, not a sprint and starting badly, then finishing powerfully in the play-offs may still work for Ayr.

MEANWHILE, in the dog-eat-dog world of wider Ayrshire rugby, there is much tittering at the current position, whereby Marr are above Ayr in the Premiership table. One or two guys whose allegiances lie elsewhere other than Millbrae and Fullarton in God's County are rather enjoying the turn-up, and hoping Marr can at least hold their lead until the two South Ayrshire clubs go head-to-head at Troon on 7 October. There will be a lot of alleged neutrals, from the other Ayrshire clubs round the ropes that afternoon, and, I suspect, the majority will be Marr men for the day.

Greg Peterson, enjoyed his run-out with Marr

Winning at Hawick on Saturday was a terrific boost for Marr, but, they are not getting carried away by this success. The Fullarton lads had to withstand a typically powerful second half comeback from the Green Machine, and the knowledge they can withstand that will do them no harm either. I understand big Greg Peterson thoroughly enjoyed his run-out in Marr's colours, Marr certainly enjoyed having him there, while Richard Dalgleish, in the opinion of more than a few Ayr fans, scandalously under-used during his time in pink and black, is thoroughly enjoying being back at Marr.

And, the rest of the Premiership should be now be warned – if you transgress anywhere in your own half, Colin Sturgeon has the boot to make you sorry.

I SEE some things in Scottish Rugby that - “hae aye been”, can still crop-up. It used to be reckoned, somewhere past Peebles, there was a fault line, which acted like Kryptonite to Glasgow rugby teams. No matter how well they had been going, they crossed that line and were immediately rendered impotent. Of course, Borders Rugby Society referees prone to say things like: “oor baw,” when adjudicating on scrum possession didn't help, but, that's another story.

Any how, I noticed on Saturday, GHA's great start to the National League 1 campaign hit the buffers, when they lost, albeit by a single point at JED-FOREST. EDINBURGH ACADEMICALS and SELKIRK are now the only unbeaten sides in the division, both with 15 points from three games, with GALA a point adrift in third.

KIRKCALDY head National League 2, where they are the only side to have taken the maximum five points from each of their first three games. The Fifers have a nice +80 points difference, which just happens to be the amount by which they thrashed Aberdeenshire on Saturday, 80-0 at Beveridge Park. DUMFRIES SAINTS continued their bright start by winning at LASSWADE, to go third.

The long trek to ORKNEY failed to discombobulate NEWTON STEWART'S great start to life in National League 3. The Galloway-Irishmen beat their island hosts 41-3 to remain top of the table, with 15 points from their first three matches. GLASGOW ACADEMICALS are just behind, on points difference, after their third straight bonus-point win, in the West End Derby against HILLHEAD-JORDANHILL, who are, along with HADDINGTON, PERTHSHIRE and DALZIEL, one of four teams still pointless after three games.

In the Regional Leagues, in East 1, there is a three-way tie at the top, with HAWICK HARLEQUINS, LIVINGSTON and FORRESTER all on 15 points, one more than NORTH BERWICK. BARNTON continue to head East 2, they stuck 115 points, without reply, on RDVC on Saturday, while LANGHOLM are in second spot.

In the West, the ALLAN GLEN'S revival continues. They head West 1 by a point from similarly unbeaten CARRICK and GARNOCK; while in West 2, high-scoring PAISLEY lead the table from similarly unbeaten CUMNOCK, with LENZIE two points away in third. GLASGOW UNIVERSITY MEDICS and BISHOPTON are joint-top of West 3, with 15 points from three games, five more than third-plaved COWAL.

ALLOA are clear at the top in Caledonia 1, four points clear of CAITHNESS, with HILLFOOTS and ELLON respectively leading the Midlands and North second divisions.

In the Women's Premier Division, STEWARTRY SIRENS, by virtue of having played a game more, are one point ahead of HILLHEAD-JORDANHILL, the only unbeaten team with three bonus-point wins from their opening three fixtures.