Scotland And Failure - A Continuing Rugby Tale

I HAVE been thinking for some time now, we need a step change in how we assess the condition of Scottish Rugby. Clearly, over the entire picture, all is not well. Internationally, Scotland's progress appears to be a long-running case of two steps forward – one step back. At full-time professional level, it's a case of occasional bright intervals, but, mainly more doom and gloom, while the ordinary club game is a classic case of requiring intensive care – which is not being given. But, there again, rugby is not the only sphere of life in Scotland where it's a sair fecht.

So, in writing this post, I did a wee bit of research, starting from what is, in terms of rugby today: Year Zero – 1995. The year everything changed and the game went open.

In 26 seasons of Open Rugby, Scotland has posted just one title – the 1999 Five Nations. Worse, only 7 of those 26 seasons have been winning ones – where they have won more competitive games than they lost. Their average finishing position in the four Five Nations tournaments was third, while their average finishing position in the Six Nations has been fifth.

Since 1996, there have been seven Rugby World Cup competitions, in which Scotland has reached the Quarter-finals five times -their average finishing position over these five tournaments has been seventh.

Our full-time professional sides began to compete regularly in the Scottish-Welsh League in 1999-2000, since then in its various guises: Scottish-Welsh League, Celtic League, PRO12 and PRO14, the Scottish teams' results have been under-whelming.

Glasgow has posted one title win, 1 other appearance in the Grand Final and three semi-final appearances, and has had 14 winning seasons over the 22-season history of league play.

Edinburgh has not fared as well, having only one semi-final appearance to boast about, and a mere four winning seasons out of the 22.

Border Reivers' four seasons of league play produced no winning seasons, a mere 16 wins from 82 games just one season in which they were not in the bottom two in the league table.

These figures are not, however, all bad news. Of the 14 Glasgow winning seasons, nine have been posted over the past ten seasons. This season is not yet over, so, a miracle might happen and winning the new Rainbow Cup might turn things around.

Edinburgh, however, has a long history of under-achieving, which seems set to continue. They have only had two winning seasons in the last decade.

OK, I can accept, everyone wants to see their team winning. Nothing succeeds like success, and the lack of success across Scottish Rugby might be a bit wearing on we fans; however, since winning has only become a habit for Glasgow in the last decade, and still isn't a habit across in Edinburgh – maybe we should re-assess our priorities.

Edinburgh has a long history of playing imports – Kilted Kiwis, South African “project players” plus imports from elsewhere.

Glasgow too has seen its share of non-Scots come and go. Yes, some of these – Leone Nakarawa first time round, Niko Matawalu, certainly, however, the great Glasgow leap forward and its continuation was, I believe, down to Sean Lineen recruiting the best young Scottish talent and letting it flourish, then Gregor Townsend following the Lineen blueprint.

Under Dave Rennie, the pattern changed slightly, but, it is good to see Danny Wilson letting young Scots such as Rufus McLean, James Dobie and Ross Thompson show what they can do.

I have said this before, and will doubtless say this again. There is no relegation from the Guinness PRO14, so, the two clubs can safely blood young Scots and let them sink or swim.

If the fans can be persuaded to buy-into this plan, it will be for the long-term benefit of Scottish Rugby. That said, however, we need change at BT Murrayfield, where some of the decisions on player recruitment and development strike me as having been wrong.

Some young players are given a long time to make their mistakes and mature, while others seem to be case aside far too quickly. That's down to the guys at head office getting it wrong. That needs sorting-out.

There was an example of this just today, with the announcement that Adam Nicol is leaving Glasgow, with immediate effect, to join Jersey Reds.

Nicol has been at Scotstoun for four and a half seasons, making just 18 appearances for the club. I do not know how good a player he is, but, I do know, between four and five appearances per season has in no way helped his personal development.

He is not the first player to be under-played by one or other of our two full-time teams; I wager he will not be the last.

Clearly, to me, the SRU has not looked after our emerging players well enough, and this has been going-on for years. This institutionalised failure needs to be addressed, but, under the current Junta, this will not happen.

Scottish rugby is going nowhere under the current regime, we need a clear-out at BT Murrayfield. But, I am not holding my breath for this to happen.