The Tennent's Leagues Are Providing Excitement But, Let's Sort Out The Forward Posturing

Results round-up

JED-FOREST'S attacking flair has earned them a try bonus-point in all seven National League 1 fixtures this season. They collected another in Saturday's 36-6 win over Dundee HSFP at Mayfield, and that has taken them to the top of the division, two points clear of a chasing pack, led by GHA, who beat Aberdeen GSFP 40-21 at Braidholm on Saturday.

GHA are one of a quartet of clubs with a 5/2 win/loss record, the other three are Marr, Musselburgh and Selkirk. They are separated only by their bonus points, Marr having six, Muss' five and the Soutars, who edged out the Ayrshire side 14-13 at Philiphaugh on Saturday four. The top half of the table is completed by Gala, who got back to winning ways by beating Kelso 23-15.

This reverse leaves Kelso propping-up the table, along with Cartha-Queen's Park, both on seven points, after CQP lost 27-37 at home to Musselburgh. The Hamilton v Kirkcaldy match was called-off, with the Laigh Bent pitch waterlogged.

BIGGAR'S stately progress at the top of National League 2 continued on Saturday, with a 47-7 win over Glasgow Academicals, their seventh straight bonus-point win. They now have a five-point lead over Stewart's-Melville, who beat Peebles 22-7 at Inverleith on Saturday.

Highland, following their 22-8 home win over Dumfries Saints, lie third, a further three points off the pace, with Preston Lodge, who scraped home 21-20 at Falkirk, in fourth spot, a further three points off the pace.

Lasswade are propping up the table,having yet to win in their seven games, but, their penchant for picking-up bonus points continued as they were just edged-out 17-14 at Whitecraigs on Saturday, to pick up their fifth bonus point, and stay a mere two points adrift of Glasgow Accies.

The other teams in the relegation zone are Howe of Fife and GHK, who drew 19-19 a Duffus Park on Saturday.

Gordonians beat West of Scotland 26-0 in Saturday's meeting of the unbeaten sides in National Division 3. That victory puts the Aberdeen lads two points clear at the top of the table. The Granite City team has now beaten their closest challengers, Newton Stewart and West in successive weeks.

Newton Stewart bounced back from losing to Gordonians, by beating Murrayfield Wanderers 36-0. Gordonians have 32 points, Newton 30 and West 29 points, giving the top three a clear nine-point lead over the rest, who are led by Perthshire, who lost 13-20 to Hillhead-Jordanhill, at Hughenden on Saturday.

Next come Carrick, who won 9-3 at Maybole on Saturday, to leap-frog visitors Ardrossan Academicals, in a typically hard-fought Ayrshire Derby.

In the other two fixtures in this division, Caithness travelled to bottom club Haddington, to win 25-15, while St Boswell's edged out visitors Orkney 17-12.

WITH it being the turn of table-topping Strathmore to be the odd team out in the nine-club Caledonian Regional League 1, there was a chance for either of their closest challengers, Dunfermline and Grangemouth Stags to narrow the gap at the top, by winning their meeting at Glensburgh Road. In the end it was the visitors who took the winning points back to Fife, triumphing 31-5.

Strathmore are on 30 points, Dunfermline on 24 while Stags remain third, on 19 points. Glenrothes are next, after a 24-16 win at Ellon on Saturday. Just ahead of Hillfoots, who beat Aberdeen Wanderers 40-7, and Alloa, who beat bottom club Harris Academy FP 60-5.

IN East Regional League 1, the league leaders, Royal High, also found themselves the odd team out in an 11-club division. Their idle Saturday allowed North Berwick, unbeaten like Royal High, to cut the leaders' advantage to a single point, courtesy of a 59-7 home win over North Berwick. Royal High are on 28 points, Berwick on 27.

The top two are eight points clear, but, below them it is tight. Third-placed Hawick Harlequins lead Duns by a single point, just as they did at time-up on Saturday, when the score at Wilton Lodge Park was 24-23 to the 'Quins.

THERE was something of a shock in West Regional League 1 last week, when table-topping Greenock Wanderers could only draw 31-31 at bottom club Kilmarnock. But, on Saturday, normal service was resumed as the Fort Matilda boys thrashed another of the basement dwellers, Dalziel, 56-12.

Holding Wanderers to a draw has seemingly given Killie some belief. They were on dangerous ground on Saturday, travelling to Netherthird to face Cumnock in a fixture which, back in the day when Killie were a top-flight club and Cumnock struggled to put a team out, never seemed possible.

But, there they were, going head-to-head, with Killie emerging victorious by 15 points to 7. This means, Dalziel now prop-up the table, on five points, with Cumnock and Killie on eight, just above them.

I HAVE curtailed my review of the club matches this week, because there is something I want to get off my chest.

I understand Aristotle is required reading in the BT Murrayfield corridors of power, and elsewhere in rugby. I have not yet learned of Nigel Owens and Wayne Barnes being fans, but, I live in hope.

How I wish these two would take the lead and sort out the macho posturers

Any way, I wish one of the top officials, such as Nigel or Wayne would take a stand and do something about a wee thing which is beginning to niggle with me – the macho posturing of some front five forwards when they win a small battle, such as a scrum penalty, or score off a driving maul. Then, some clown who proudly wears his IQ on his back, will go up to one of the opposition and sneer in his face.

 

Maro Itoje, who seems to be harbouring the delusion that: “Ah'm da man,” was at it frequently at Scotstoun yesterday, and he got a broken nose for his troubles. Mind you, to be fair, so-too was Ryan Wilson, so we cannot simply blame it on London arrogance.

Maro Itoje, hopefully learned on Sunday, it doesn't pay to play the big man in Glasgow

I noticed it too in a recent Premiership game, when a couple of props went nose-to-nose after a particularly dominant piece of scrummaging. Of course, rugby has now become so cleaned-up. In my day, if you had done that, you'd have got a good old-fashioned “Glesca Kiss” for your trouble. In today's softer game, maybe a penalty against the offender would work.

Today, it's handbags at noon. I wonder how some of today's supposedly “hard” props would have got on with the likes of Wee Beastie, Jock Craig or Norman Pender?

There were never any verbals with “Wee Beastie” for instance. The punch came first, followed by: “That was your warning, don't do it again.”