IT IS the unofficial motto of Scottish Rugby, a phrase we rugby writers always have to hand, ready for an explanation for the next bout of Scotland's national sport – fighting among ourselves. As Principal Seymour Skinner so-correctly pointed-out: “You Scots sure are a contentious people.” That trait is summed-up by the phrase I have in mind: “It's aye been – and aye will be.”
It's particularly apt this week, as we sort through the wreckage of another failed Guinness Six Nations campaign. I've been doing a bit of digging this past week, and here is our record in the Five and Six Nations, since the competition resumed in 1947, after World War II, set out in decades:
1940s – P.12 – W.4 – D.0 – L.8 – wins % 30.8% - pos. 5,3,4.
1950s – P.40 – W.10 – D.3 – L.27 – wins% 25% - pos.2,4,5,5,5,3,5,4,4,5.
1960s – P.40 – W.15. - D.3 – L.22 – wins% 37.5% - pos.4,3,2,3,2,5,3,4,5,4.
1970s – P.39 – W.13 – D.2 – L.24 – wins% 33.3% - pos.4,5,3,4,2,2,3,4,5,5.
1980s – P.40 – W.16 – D.2 – L.22 – wins% 40% - pos.5,3,2,4,1,5,2,3,4,3.
1990s – P.40 – W.21 – D.1 – L.18 – wins% 52.5% - pos.1,3,3,2,5,2,2,4,4,1.
Start of the Six Nations
2000s – P.50 – W.14 – D.1 – L.35 – wins% 28% - pos. 5,3,4,4,6,5,3,6,5,5.
2010s – P.50 – W.14 – D.1 – L.35 – wins% 28% - pos.5,5,6,3,5,6,4,4,3,5.
2020s – P.15 – W.8 – D.0 – L.7 – wins% 53.3% - pos. 4,4,4.
Our average finishing position in the Five Nations was between third and fourth. Since five became six, our average finishing position has been between fourth and fifth. If we leave Italy out of the equation, England, France, Ireland and Wales have improved, we have stagnated and gone backwards.
This unpalatable fact can be proved by a single comparison:
Scotland's wins percentage in the amateur era: (up to 1995) – 38.2%
Scotland's wins percentage in the professional era: (post 1995) – 33.6%.
Now, isn't that wonderful ammunition for the Aye Been brigade. I can hear them now, down at their old boys rugby clubs, in the wood-panelled bars of Scotland's top golf clubs, or the gentlemen's clubs of the New Town, in the pubs in the Borders and in the West End of Glasgow: “Yes Farquhar, I warned them when they allowed professionalism, it was the beginning of the end; better we go back to an unofficial championship, inter-District games and put the whole game back in the hands of chaps who can give and take a pass – get rid of the money men.”
Sadly, it's not that simple, more a case of Scotland not adapting to the altered landscape of professionalism as-quickly or as-well as the other nations. In the period I am looking at here, since the end of WWII, our best decade in the Five Nations (as it was then), was the 1990s, during which we won 52.2% of the games and had an average finishing position of between second and third.
However, in the six amateur era years of that decade (1990-1995) we won 54.2% of the games and had an average finishing position of between second and third. In the four seasons at the start of professionalism, we won 50% of the games, again, on average finishing second or third.
At the start of that decade, most of the Grand Slam-winning squads of 1984 and 1990 were available to us – then they retired and we slumped. Having a squad of outstanding players helps, but not that much.
We have made a good start to the current decade, the 2020s, but, in spite of a higher wins percentage, our average finishing position in the Six Nations is fourth.
OK, I can accept, we have fewer players than the other five nations against whom we compete annually. Certainly, in the professional era, we've got less money in Scottish Rugby than in the other competing nations, so, to compete, we have to be smarter, and work harder. Do we do this?
We have to expect more, perhaps set higher standards for our brightest and best – do we do this, and, perhaps more-importantly given recent events, will they buy into this mind-set?
So much of the modern game is based around the Rugby World Cup, so I thought I'd have a look at how that competition has impacted on our results.
If we are to analyse our performance in terms of World Cup rounds (the four years between one RWC and the next) we have to include all games – internationals when on-tour and the Autumn Internationals, when we host touring sides.
The base line figures here, are as follows (1947 to the kick-off of the first RWC):
1947 – 1987: P.203 – W.76 - D.10 – L.117 – wins % - 37.4%
Our results in each of the subsequent RWC rounds are as follows:
1987 – 1991: P.36 – W.21 – D.2 – L.13 – wins % - 58.3%
1991 – 1995: P.31 – W.13 – D.1 – L.17 – wins % - 41.9%
1995 – 1999: P.31 – W.11 – D.1 – L.19 – wins% - 35.5%
1999 – 2003: P.41 – W.16 – D.1 – L.24 – wins% - 39%
2003 – 2007: P.44 – W.16 – D.0 – L.28 – wins% - 36.7%
2007 – 2011: P.39 – W.16 – D.1 – L.22 – wins% - 41%
2011 – 2015: P.48 – W.18 – D.0 – L.30 – wins% - 37.5%
2015 – 2019: P.45 – W.28 – D.1 – L.18 – wins% - 57.8%
2019 – 2022: P.24 – W.14 – D.0 – L.10 – wins% - 58.3%
In the amateur era (1947 – 1995) our results were:
P.274 – W.112 – D.14 – L.148 – wins% - 40.9%
In the professional era (1995 – 2022) our results have been:
P.326 – W.145 – D.6 – L.175 – wins% - 44.5%
In real terms, that's an 8.8% improvement in results over a quarter of a century or more. Is that satisfactory, the Italian effect, or, should we be looking for more?
FINALLY – If we think we've got problems, compared to those of our neighbours to the South, we're in good nick.
England have been shown to be second-rate, and that is not going down well in the Sudentenland, or in the shires. Wee Eddie Jones' coaching jacket might appear to be on a shoogly nail – why they are even talking in the media of recruiting Warren Gatland to replace him.
Right enough, if there's one nation who might embrace boring “Warrenball” - that nation is England. But, only if it brought them Grand Slams and a Rugby World Cup.
As for Wales – no, I am not going there.
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