The Junta Don't Do April Fools - It's A 365-day Business For Them

I HAD toyed with the notion of posting an April Fool this morning. You know, a rugby story which was outrageous, but at the same time, with a hint of truth and reality behind it. However, after due reflection I decided not to, I doubted if I could match the high standard of such press releases, as put out by The Junta and Buddy the Elf and their Media mob.

Speaking of which, a nice one this morning from Edinburgh Rugby, with a story about WP Nel changing his name to P & P Nel, to tie-in with the club's principal sponsor, Principal & Prosper. I detect the hand of Stuart Rutherford, the Edinburgh Media Manager behind this. It reeks of the sort of left field move his distinguished father John Rutherford would pull out of the bag for Selkirk, Scotland, the Barbarians and The Lions.

SO, Back to Maverick, and an interesting wee quote which I came across in the online edition of The Sydney Morning Herald. Speaking of the current travails of the New South Wales Rugby Union, who among other issues to be dealt with, are looking for a new Head Coach for the Waratahs, we learned:

“Of the 20 issues they’ve got, 15 ain’t coaching. Think about governance, pathways, talent ID, contracting, use of cap spend, succession planning of lists and the people responsible for that.”

So, the SRU is not the only governing body getting pelters from the media.

Elsewhere, online, we learned that the Irish Rugby Football Union, to give them their full title, had refused Munster permission to sign South African star Pieter-Steph Du Toit as a direct replacement for the now-retired CJ Stander.

So, the SRU is clearly not the only Union looking to buy South African talent. The difference is, Munster were trying to shop in Harrods, while the Junta prefers Poundstretcher.

I HAVE never hidden my belief that Dominic McKay is the Junta member in possession of the brain cell. This was confirmed this week when, in his valedictory act as Chairman of the Guinness PRO14, Oor Dom gave the annual Chairman's Award to the Championship Medical Advisory Group.

Announcing the award, Dom said:

"Summing up the contribution made by our Medical Advisory Group is very simple – without them we would not have been able to kick a ball during this pandemic. Club rugby, and indeed the Guinness PRO14, had to set a high standard when elite sports returned to the field last summer and the protocols and guidance provided to us by the doctors and medical leads at our unions were responsible for keeping players, coaches, match officials and everyone at our stadiums as safe as possible.

“At no point did our Medical Advisory Group take their foot off the pedal. Throughout this pandemic they have been at the leading edge of our medical wing, with so many of our staff feeding into them in trying circumstances where so much has been co-ordinated remotely. The success in returning club rugby to the pitch opened the door for Test matches and international competition – events that only increased the workload for our medics.

“I am privileged to acknowledge the efforts of Dr Vincenzo Ieracitano, Dr Rod McLoughlin, Dr James Robson, Dr Michael Dunlop, Dr Clint Readhead and Dr Prav Mathema as a very small token of gratitude to themselves and to their colleagues. I would encourage anyone who has been heartened by watching our clubs and countries in the past six months to pass on their thanks to the medical teams around the sport, including those I have mentioned. In a team game it is near impossible to think of a group of people who have contributed more to the success of safely returning to the field and staying there.”

Well said Dominic.

SPEAKING OF the PRO14, I am not going to indulge in the renting of garments, wailing and gnashing of teeth, because our two full-time teams failed to get into next season's Heineken Cup.

Shite happens, more often than not to Scottish sport, so, we put it down to yet more bitter experience. I actually feel, a season in the second tier in Europe might well benefit the young plaeyrs on whom we are going to have to depend moving forward.

Looking ahead, beyond the wee European break we have coming, I am hopeful of good things from the new Rainbow Cup, which will finish-up this disjointed Season 2020-21.

A good performance in this from one or both sides, would leave us looking ahead positively to next season. With that competition due to keep us busy until well into June, and the chance of an early start to the FOSROC Super6, and maybe some summer club play, the Lions Tour might not be the only rugby we have to interest us in the coming few months.

Regarding the Super6, there is much interest in who will get the Ayrshire Bulls coaching gig, now that Peter Murchie has been promoted to the Glasgow Warriors' coaching staff.

Apparently, the Glasgow Rugby Rumour Mill is awash with tales of Finn Gillies being lined-up for that one.

Being of limited intelligence and prone to opening my mouth at the wrong time, I put that rumour to Bulls' COO Glenn Tippett. Well, he didn't hit me, merely saying enigmatically: “Hm! Interesting.” They don't give much away in Taranaki, or in Alloway.

I will take Tipps' response as: “No comment.”