I WAS STILL, some 12 hours after the final whistle, trying to get my head round that Glasgow win over Perpignan. God, that was a hard watch; were the French better than they looked? Were Glasgow as bad as they looked at times? Did the lack of atmosphere in a near-empty and frezing cold Murrayfield get to the teams? Whatever, this was the ugliest of ugly wins – and, at the end of the day, a win is a win.
I know, these days, it is fashionable to blame the referee for all of the game's ills. Now I am certainly not going to blame Anthony Woodthorpe for the fact it was a poor game. But, I will say, he is one of an increasingly large group of English officials, being promoted above his abilities and I feel both sides struggled to get to grips with his interpretation of what was going on, and what he wanted them to do.
I am also coming to the conclusion, having both Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey in the same Glasgow back row doesn't click – they both want to play in the same area at the same time and it isn't working.
Any how, Glasgow won, let's say thank you and move on. At least, the 671 brave souls who were there have a tale to tell.
IF GLASGOW'S win over Perpognan was “ugly,” it's almost as if, after seeing the victory, and the manner of it, the Edinburgh squad had a collective: “haud ma beer” moment and decided: “if Glasgow can win ugly, we can maybe do it better.”
OK, losing Stuart McInally and Blair Kinghorn early-on wasn't a double blow, the reality, however, was Edinburgh's performance was very hot and cold. It's all very well trying to play a fast, attacking game, but, when your basic skills break down as often as those of our two professional sides do, you have to question what's going on in Scottish rugby.
I hate to come across as someone who has it in for referees. It's a thankless job, being made even more thankless by the way the game is currently being administered. We desperately need root and branch reform of the Laws if the game is to survive.
I am afraid, too, my criticism of Anthony Woodthorpe's performance on Friday night has to be repeated with regard to Tom Foley's on Saturday. I have long held it a truth of every sport – English referees are over-rated and too-often over-promoted.
Wayne Barnes used to be typical, however, untypically, he has now made himself the exception to the over-rated English rule – and he is so good, perhaps the rest look worse in comparison.
Any way, as with Glasgow, a win is a win, is a win, while the performances of such as Charlie Savala and Luke Crosbie bodes well for Edinburgh's future.
RESULT of the night on Friday was surely Leinster 57 Gloucester 0. I caught the final couple of minutes, after the Glasgow game. Switching over with the Dubs leading 50-0 and the game in the red, I fully expected Johnny Sexton to tap that final penalty and boot the ball into the crowd. But no, he went and got a five metre line-out, from which they drove over for Leinster's ninth try, which Yer Man proceeded to convert from a difficult spot – job done.
Of course, the BT team, knowing they were in for a torrid time from a triumphant BOD, had their excuses ready – the second string nature of the Gloucester team.
No excuses, however, from Glos Head Coach George Skivington (that guy might be a left-field pick as England coach), who, post-game accepted full responsibility for the defeat and the extremely-callow team he sent out.
As he pointed-out, he has put a heavy load on his front-line squad, and the changes to the Gallagher Premiership fixtures, caused by the loss of Wasps and Worcester meant his side had lost a bye week – when he was going to rest his squad, so, accepting they couldn't win in Dublin – he rested his big guns and paid the price. I like Skivington, a genuine leader.
SARACENS' win in Lyon on Saturday made for great television. The current squad is still some way short of maximum Saracens, but, they know how to win in difficult circumstances, and certainly played better in France than they had at home to Edinburgh.
I felt too, maybe unfairly, that one or two of the Lyon players appeared to be targeting Owen Farrell. He was subjected to some late hits and the sort of cheap shots to which he might be expected to react.
Farrell also seemed to find it difficult to get onto Frank Murphy's wavelength, but, he's not the first player to have difficulties with our Frank. That said, I felt Frank and his Irish team had a good game. He certainly got the big call correct – the red card for the Sarries prop.
The Londoners' were without their so-called star player – England's Maro Itoje. Our English rugby media friends, apparently never having heard of Eben Etzebeth or Brodie Rettalick, seem to think Itoje is the world's best lock.
Following his performance in Lyon, particularly after his move into the boiler-house to replace the injured Callum Hunter-Hill, Theo McFarland made Itoje look average.
McFarland's line-out work was absolutely top drawer, he is the future of forward play. He had one particular one-handed take and lay-off which was absolutely world-class.
A FINAL thought on Frank Murphy: in becoming an international referee, has Yer Man achieved every scrum-half's ambition – getting absolute control over the game?
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