Rassie's No Daft - His Message Has Resonance For Scotland

RASSIE ERASMUS – the Bobby Bouchet of international Rugby Union, might be the dick-head a lot of my media colleagues try to make him out to be; I certainly feel, he lacks a filter on his emotions, but, he has a good track record as a Coach and DoR, so, when he speaks, we should pay attention.

Take a look at the above Erasmus quote. Sure, it refers to South Africa, but, it could just as easily refer to Scotland. How much per year in salaries and perks does the SRU save, through having the likes of Stuart Hogg, Chris Harris, Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell and Jonny Gray off the pay-roll?

I know, I'd rather see them as centrally-contracted players, still based in Scotland and available for Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors; however, the reality is, the likes of Russell is able to command a salary which the SRU could not possibly justify or sustain.

That's the down-side to the free market economy. However, the bit in the Rassie quote which interests me is this one: “Meanwhile, back in South Africa, we have the next South African lock coming through because there is no financial incentive for players to come here.”

Unfortunately, there is a financial incentive for South African, Australian, New Zealand, Pacific Island and Argentinian players to come to Scotland. Even with our two full-time professional clubs, players not in the Superstar bracket and therefore too-expensive for the SRU can earn more at Scotstoun and the DAM Health Stadium than they can back home.

However, there is a down side to this. If the Head Coaches of our two teams decide – they want to go with an Australian or a Pacific Islander at Number Eight – then the best home-based Scottish players in that position don't get the quality game time they need to develop.

OK, then because we don't have the money in Scottish Rugby to satisfy the salary demands of our top talent, they move away to the richer pastures in England and France, but, in moving on, they create a space which I suggest we would be better-off filling with another young Scot, than by recruiting an NSQ (Non-Scotland Qualified) player.

Then there is Rassie's final paragraph: “Is it good for England that Faf de Klerk is starting ahead of Raffi Quirke at Sale? No. Is it good for South Africa – yes, it works for us.”

By the same token, is it good for Scotland that Jack Dempsey, Bill Mata or Sebastian Cancelliere starts ahead of Matt Fagerson, Magnus Bradbury or Rufus McLean? I don't think so.

Interestingly, change is a-coming to England's Gallagher Premiership. Yesterday's Guardian had a piece which indicated that the “Commonwealth” plaeyrs in that league, who are not considered “foreign” might lose that status by 2024. The Premiership's eligibility rules will change then, the plan at the moment is that 15 of the 23-man match-day squad will have to be “England-qualified” from the start of season 2024-25.

At the same time, the likes of the South Africans and Pacific Islanders will suddenly become “foreigners” and given Priti Patel's distaste for such people, not-nearly such a tempting recruitment target. And, given Wee Nippy and the Woke Faction in our SNP-Green |Scottish government are unlikely to have moved us one inch closer to Independence by then, well, we will be tied to what England decides.

Mind you, to be fair, we're a lot closer to fielding a minimum of 15 Scots in a match-day squad than the English clubs are to fielding 15 Englishmen.

Regular readers of these ramblings will know by now, I am probably the only rugby writer in Scotland who thinks the FOSROC Super6 is a good thing for Scottish Rugby. I see this as the future – always assuming the elves inside BT Murrayfield can ever get it right. To date, they have, either through deliberate sabotage, or, as I suspect, complete ineptitude, managed to mess things up royally.

The Spring Sprint part of the S6 season kicks off on 16 April, that's just over a fortnight away. You might think the SRU Media Department would have announced the fixtures by now, but, no, it's apparently a state secret.

I do some work for Ayr Rugby Club's excellent newsletter – Pink and Black. My current task is to do a write-up on the Ayrshire Bulls' squad for this; who's in, who's out, where the new boys have come from. However, the new squad list is embargoed, until Murrayfield says it can be released, I understand they are putting all six squads out at the same time.

Except, Boroughmuir Bears have been drip-feeding their new signings on Facebook all this week, maybe they have different protocols in the capital.

The failings of the SRU Media Department is a familiar complaint on these pages. As I have been saying for years, Buddy the Chief Elf couldnae run a bath. Rugby has to now fight for every scrap of media attention, so it doesn't help to have a honcho who couldnae fight his way out of a match day team sheet.

IT WILL be a wee bit emotional at Scotstoun tonight, when “Big Bad Rab Harley” takes to the field for perhaps the final time as a Glasgow Warrior. And a Warrior he has been over these 12 years and 260 games, he deserves a raucous and winning send-off.

In my years covering fitba, I was always of the opinion – every team needs its “Fan on the Park.” This is particularly true of the two largest Glasgow football teams; it's all very well importing loads of big-money badge-kissing foreign imports, but, the guy on the park who has graduated from being lifted over the turnstyles to get into the game, and who now plays for all his mates who never made it – that sort of player is worth any two or three badge-kissers.

That is not, as yet, a part of the professional rugby scene, but, Rob fits it well. He's a direct heir of some great West of Scotland players in the back five of the scrum who played with distinction for Glasgow; the type of player you hated facing. I hope he has a winning send-off tonight. As we say in God's County: "He'd be in my team at Kilbirnie."