I've Seen The Future Again

RABBIE BURNS used to get a good view of proceedings at Millbrae – well, at least his statute in the adjacent Burns Monument gardens did; but, nowadays the trees have grown to the extent his view is blocked.

“Why is he invoking Alloway's great man of letters?” you ask, perhaps assuming the Old Fool has gone even-further doolally. Perhaps the result of too-much sun as Aristotle watched Saturday's Ayrshire Bulls v Watsonians FOSROC SUPER6 Sprint match, but, on reflecting on what I am about to write I would suggest: Tam O' Shanter's encounter with Cutty Sark and Co in the environs of Millbrae had Kate, Tam's guid wife, forecasting: “In Hell, they'll roast ye like a herrin'.” I will only get roasted in the BTL (below the line) comments section of this blog and on social media, when I repeat my belief: “Super6 is the future.”

The game, deservedly won 29-26 by the visitors was the best S6 game I have seen yet. The competition remains a work in progress, and it remains handicapped by some daft decisions from the powers-that-be at BT Murrayfield when it comes to how it is run, but, the quality of this game was way above what we see in the Tennent's Premiership.

One spectator I spoke to afterwards, a guy who has been there, done it and got the tee-shirt, said: “Either of these two teams would put 60 points on any team from the Premiership, they are that far ahead.”

I would not perhaps go that far, but would reckon the S6 outfit would finish at least 40, possibly 50 points ahead of the hypothetical Premiership side.

Mind you, it is difficult to get the right line on this Sprint series of games. I believe this could well be a one-of venture. Hopefully, in a year's time, we will finally get to see the longed-for cross-border games with the top Welsh, and maybe too the Irish club sides, at this time of year. However, given this season's wee effort allows more game time to younger Scottish talent, I believe the competition has proved its worth.

The key to any future success in cross-border games, and in Super Rughby Scotland's secondary aim of young player development is getting the balance right. In this respect, Watsonians and Stirling County deserve to top the standings, since these two clubs have, I reckon, come closest to getting the ideal balance of youthful promise and guiding experience correct. 

Lee Millar

The qualities of Lee Millar and Man-of-the-Match Iain Moody were crucial in Watsonians' win. Millar pulled the strings beautifully, while, whenever the visitors needed a big individual play – Moody appeared to come up with it.

Edinburgh's Matt Currie was another key player for the capital side, with a sensational solo try and a brilliant assist for a second touchdown. Perhaps S6's USP is that it allows other players to test themselves against full-time pros. In the past, we have, both in S6 and in the Premiership before that, seen drafted professionals go through the motions, doing the minimum and by their body language making it clear: “I think I'm better than this, I shouldn't be here and am only playing because I am contractually obliged to.”

Such selfish behaviour only shows that player up for the dickhead he is. When you get guys like Currie, who has a connection with Watsonians and buys into the ethos of the team, well, you've got a wee bonus. Also, having to deal with a full-timer, giving of his best, raises the game of his semi-pro immediate opponent, who realises: “This is the standard I have to reach if I want to advance my playing career.” a win-win all round.

We hear, the Sprint Series will be a one-season wonder, but, at least it gives the S6 clubs a chance to look at the new talent coming through, while it allows some Premiership players to try out the performance game and, who knows, perhaps win a contract.

I am more than ever convinced, the way ahead for the game in Scotland is for S6 to become S8, and possibly S10. Below that, we find a way of keeping players playing by adapting the Laws to provide a less-physical recreational game.

Some will say: “No, you have to provide rugby for the poorer players.” Recreational rugby will do this – take the excessive physicality out of the game and encourage running rugby, they will still want to play. However, increasingly we are seeing, the youngsters emerging from youth rugby are less willing to carry-on playing the full-fat game for fun, and increasingly too, don't like the idea of having to start off as bench warmers.

Provide a performance game for the elite players and a fun game for the rest – that's the way ahead.

The longed-for third professional side may never happen. As one shrewd and highly-experienced clubman told me recently: “The third full-time pro side, when it comes, will either be a women's side competing in England's Premier 15s, or a women's side competing in the suggested United Rugby Championship's women's league.”

That way, the best option for giving game time to the fringe Edinburgh and Glasgow players is via S6/8/10 – the SRU simply could not fund the women's side plus a third men's side, or even, as has been suggested, Edinburgh and Glasgow A teams.

Given my advanced years, I may well be deid and gone before reality hits, but, I am more and more convinced, a small number of “performance Clubs”, all feeding into a national system dedicated to providing the best platform for Scotland's best talent, under-pinned by a healthy club game, concentrating on genuinely fun recreational rugby, on a regionalised basis, that's the way forward.

How we get there, however, this being Scotland will always be problematic. After all, the club game's Aye been an' aye will be, run to suit a few clubs.

An interested spectator at Millbrae on Saturday was former Glasgow Captain Alan “Luigi” Brown, currently over here from Vancouver for the Scottish leg of his daughter's marriage. Alan was impressed by the quality of the rugby on-display in the game.