SATURDAY Night television is, and has been for many years – shite. I prefer real ballroom dancing to the fandango which is passed off as art on Strictly. So, I don't watch that, and I gave up on Casualty the first time Charlie and Duffy split up. So, in general, if at home, I get my Saturday night kicks from Amazon Prime or Netflix.
So, on Saturday, while I await Season Five of Yellowstone on Paramount+, thanks to having Premier Sports via Amazon Prime, I could settle down for a genuine belter, watching Glasgow Warriors beat the Bulls at Scotstoun.
This was a cracking response to the disappointment of defeat at The Ospreys, with the Warriors making a real statement – we are very-difficult to beat at home. I honestly thought they might scrape a narrow win, perhaps allowing the Bulls a losing bonus point. I honestly never expected them to win and score more than four tries.
Some of those tries were top drawer, particularly that absolutely jaw-dropping solo score from wee George Horne. That was a try for the ages, I bet, when he sees it, wee Niko Matawalu will be telling everyone at Pontypridd: “I taught him all he knows.”
The challenge for Warriors now is to back-up this great win. By the time you read this they will be somewhere between Scotland and South Africa, where their next two games see them tackle, firstly, the Sharks, in Durban, before they head up to the high veldt to face the Lions in Johannesburg.
I have no doubts, the two South African teams would never under-estimate the challenge Warriors will pose to them, but, the way they de-powered the Bulls will have the Sharks and Lions better-warned.
What happened to the Bulls on Saturday night just might see one or two of the Springboks, who were being eased back into club play after the internationals, fast-tracked into the match-day squads.
The win over the Bulls wasn't without its wee problems. Warriors surrendered a couple of easy tries – which will have the coaching staff keen to tighten things up. But, it's a terrific baseline from which to build for the tougher task of winning in South Africa.
What did strike me is, one or two first-choice players were anonymous in Swansea, but, I reckon nobody scored less than 7 out of 10 back at Scotstoun on Saturday. It's one thing raising your game when you've got that crowd behind you, but, I would like to see that level of commitment and effort on the road as well.
It is beyond dispute, the introduction of the four South African clubs has deepened and grown the quality in the United Rugby Championship. It is now a far-tougher competition to win and our clubs know, they have to up their game if they wish to remain competitive.
On the evidence of Saturday night, it's a challenge which Warriors are ready to meet.
By the way – I thought George Horne lost the Man of the Match award to a couple of rushes of shite to the brain. One cost us a try, the other cost him a yellow card. But, he's a Fifer, so two rushes of shite in one game is probably good going.
Speaking of Fifers; I recall an ice hockey game I covered in Paisley, where one of the visiting Canadians had steam coming out of his ears at the antics of one of the Pirates. “What's the guy's problem, that he's such a cunt?” asked the Canuck.
“That's just him, he's a Fifer, he cannot help it,” was the reason he was given. Back came the Canadian: “What's a Fifer?”
When informed, a Fifer was the Scottish equivalent of the Canadian 'Newfies' – the notoriously supposedly stupid and in-bred inhabitants of Newfoundland – our Canadian suddenly understood.
Another wee thought, based on my enjoyable years covering ice hockey. That game has a reputation for senseless violence: “I went to a fight on Saturday night and an ice hockey game broke out,” being a well-used description of what occasionally happens.
But, what I did learn pretty quickly covering that game is – the really hard men were seldom noticed. I have seen a few tough Canadian defencemen, who never started any bother, but, if bother started, they were soon in there sorting it out. Maybe Zander Fagerson should be sent along to a couple of games at Braehead, to learn when to stand up to be counted.
To my mind he gets himself involved in needless bouts of “handbags”. Wee Fudd, who was probably the hardest man in the history of Scottish Rugby never started anything, but, when it was called for, he had a habit of hitting people, then telling them: “That was your warning.” A lesson there for Fagerson Major I feel.
FRIEND of this blog 'Club Fan' got in touch this week. Now, we engage in debate, although, on S6 we are of opposing views, but, in his latest missive, CF brought up a worrying development in the game – mismatches.
Poor Perthshire took a hammering on Saturday, their 1st XV going down 5-104 to Gordonians, while their 2nd XV lost 5-101 to Howe of Fife. Closer to home, Irvine shipped 137 points at Wigtownshire.
Now Perthshire are a National League side. Maybe there were extenuating circumstances over last weekend, which meant they had to put-out two unrepresentative teams, but, such heavy defeats do not look good for the health of the game.
I am particularly sorry for Irvine, who seem to be on a really slippery downward slope these past few years.
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