Aristotle Does Gogglebox

CLIVE JAMES I am not, but, with three FOSROC Super6 games and a couple of European Challenge Cup quarter-finals on offer on Friday and Saturday, I thought I'd give television criticism a go.

AT TIMES the fare on offer was scrappy in the extreme, but, Friday night's FOSROC Super6 Sprint clash between Stirling county and Boroughmuir Bears made for excellent television.

OK, a good few of the participants need to work on their handling skills under pressure, but not on the physicality and passion that was on-show. This one was in doubt right up until Ian Kenny, who had yet another good game on the whistle, blew for “no side.”

I have good friends in both camps, so while delighted for the likes of Stevie Douglas of the Bears, in having a victory to celebrate, I had some sympathy for my friends from Bridgehaugh; whose players put a lot into the game.

There is certainly quality coming through the S6 ranks – you saw the difference Murphy Walker made to the County scrum when he came off the bench, while Logan Trotter is having a cracking series too for the home side.

For the Bears, young Corey Tait confirms on a weekly basis – they are still producing quality players down in Hawick. Am I going too far in suggesting there is the look of a young Colin Deans about him?

With four of the seven full-time hookers currently on the books of Edinburgh and Glasgow books being on the “wrong” side of 30, and only one of the others under-28, young Master Tait is perhaps well-placed to go on and have a lengthy professional career. If he continues to develop as he has thus far.

SATURDAY'S opening game, the European Challenge Cup quarter-final between Edinburgh and Wasps was great entertainment, featuring two teams determined to attack at every chance, plus, in Andrew Cotter, the top commentator – ably assisted by John Barclay and Ugo Monye.

Wasps made fewer errors and took their chances, but, for me, the game was spoilt by a French referee: Pierre Brousset, who I felt was out of his depth.

He gave Edinburgh nothing and to my mind, he arrived with the conclusion: “Wasps are ze better team, so ze will ween;” then, when it wasn't quite unfolding as he imagined it would, he decided to help them out by giving them a few favours.

He got a few decisions wrong, generally to the detriment of the home side. But, to be fair to Wasps, they made fewer mistakes than Edinburgh, so perhaps in the end deserved to win. I certainly do not begrudge my favourite English player – Joe Launchbury – his victory.

Two flawed sides made for an exciting game, pity about the even-more flawed referee and his assistants.

I SUGGEST, if you asked most people in Scottish Rugby: “Who would you rather see winning, between Watsonians and Heriot's,” the reply might well be: “Neither of them.”

Any way, the battle of the big spenders on Saturday afternoon went to Watsonians, who overturned a half-time deficit to clinch victory with a great second half performance.

I missed the opening 20 minutes, because of the Edinburgh game, but, to be fair, what I did see from Meggetland – Myreside being needed for cricket – was a very good game, deservedly won by the “home” side, courtesy of a great second half, in which the talents of the likes of Joe Reynolds and Lee Millar were on show.

Some cracking tries scored and some glorious running lines in a game which was a good advertisement for Super6.

The match coverage also included a very-interesting half-time filler about Heriot's Stuart Edwards, and his transition from player to coach.

FROM Meggetland, we headed down the A7 to The Greenyards, for Southern Knights v Ayrshire Bulls – a clash which has, in the past decade, first as Melrose v Ayr come to epitomise the best of Scottish club rugby.

Sadly, the home team are struggling, really struggling, and they found themselves on the wrong end of a real hammering, as the Bulls finally hit form. We are not supposed to see such one-sided results in S6, which makes the Bulls' performance all the more satisfying for them.

I felt sorry for the commentary team of Stuart MacFarlane and Dale Clancy, two proud Borderers. They were almost BBC Wales like in trying to make the best of a bad job and not burst into tears.

Unlike the rest of Borders Rugby folk, they cannot simply not turn up when 'Rose are struggling.

That win sets up a cracker of a final regular season game, between the Bulls and the unbeaten Watsonians, at Millbrae, on Saturday week.

MY SATURDAY viewing marathon ended in disappointment, as Glasgow Warriors lost in Lyon. There ought to be no real disgrace in losing to a top French side, in France, but, I feel this was a missed opportunity by Glasgow.

Maybe, if they'd been able to field a full-strength side, Glasgow might have won, but, once again it was the familiar story of unforced errors, wrong decisions under pressure and chances not taken.

I fancy, had the game been in Glasgow, Warriors could have won it, there was so little between the sides, but, it wasn't to be, so a long day of telly watching ended in disappointment.

I HAD a slight deviation away from essentially Scottish viewing, when, between the two S6 games, I watched the second half of Leicester v Leinster.

No matter the sport, it's always good viewing when an English team is losing at home, and their commentators are having to dig deep into excuses mode to justify defeat for the Master Race.

This one was no exception – Leinster won, and won well, and poor old Ellis Genge discovered, he might have fooled Mathieu Raynal once by bending the scrummage Laws, as he had done in the Six Nations match against Ireland back in March. This time round, Raynal was wise to his illegal scrumming and a potent Leicester weapon was blunted.

Leinster v Toulouse, might now be: “The final before the final.”

A good day's television watching, with Finnsanity to come on Sunday.