An Interesting Question

DAVID McADAM isn't a full member of the mainstream Scottish Rugby-Writing Media. Like the Medieval guilds, a lot of the members would vote to exclude him, since he does a better job than they do.

David is the go-to man when it comes to appearances and general statistics in the modern Scottish game, where he does a smashing job. He contacted me this week to enquire:

• Do we know if Academy players are going to play for Super6 teams in the sprint series or are they all going to be required for the 'A' teams of Edinburgh and Glasgow?

Fair question, which, to be honest, I cannot at this point answer; well since Buddy the Elf declared me a non-person, I cannot contact Murrayfield to ask. Mind you, given how Buddy's department works, I doubt if they would know, or even know who to ask.

However, surely common sense dictates, that since the Academy boys are all full-time with the respective squads, then those squads would have first call on them for the games against the Super clubs. In this way, the Super clubs would be able to fulfil another of their core responsibilities – by offering game opportunities to club players who perhaps failed to make the cut when Academy places were being awarded, but have the potential and talent to advance.

If I was selecting my A team, I would be looking at a mix of Academy players, plus the fringe guys who aren't getting much game time, then bigger names, perhaps coming back from injury.

I wonder too, who will be coaching the A teams. I would suspect Glasgow might go with Peter Murchie as lead coach, assisted by Pete Horne, allowing Franco Smith to sit back in the posh seats and observe. Edinburgh, who knows what's happening there.

WE SCOTS, having just come through our own wee stair-heid row about governance, can now sit back and order copious bins of popcorn, as we watch The Taffia tear itself apart, following their vote, in Port Talbot on Sunday, for a new governance system.

Ignore the 245-7 vote in favour of change, the real battle starts now to get the right people shoe-horned into the right jobs. Good luck to the WRU in finding the three new Independent directors, and, perhaps more-importantly, finding the five women they want on their board.

Things will, I fear, get uglier before they improve.

SINCE Number One Grandson told me his Amazon Prime entry code, I have been able to reduce my viewing of The Gallagher Premiership on BT Sport in favour of watching The BKT United Rugby Championship on Viaplay. It's a more-entertaining brand of rugby in any case, so, win-win.

But, on Sunday, I opted to watch Bath v Exeter Chiefs and was not disappointed. This was an old-fashioned local derby, perhaps surprisingly won by Bath, who, let's be honest, have hitherto been having a wretched season.

The Bath boys are awaiting the arrival of The Gallus One for next season and, on the evidence of some of the lines he ran on Sunday, particularly to score the opening try, the combination of Russell's passing and Cameron Redpath's running should be great for both Bath and for Scotland.

Speaking of that Redpath try on Sunday; the BT Sport commentary is a classic example of The Italian Gelding's absolute pro-England bias. As the move unfolded, Dallaglio waxed lyrical of the run by Bath stand-off Orlando Bailey. According to him, it was a wonderful solo run. Then, when the replay came up and he realised the player cutting through so brilliantly had been Redpath – suddenly the Exeterr defence had been terrible.

You know, I now realise, Wee Austin Healy is the competent commentator, it's Dallaglio who is the useless pratt.

WHEN I WAS a boy, we could play a lot of rugby here in God's County of Ayrshire. We kicked our season off on 1 September, and while we could not play 15-a-side after 30 April, we always held our club sevens tournament on the first Saturday in May.

The leagues were generally done and dusted by the end of March, but, in April we had plenty of sevens tournaments. Not just the well-established 'Borders Sports' here in the West, we had a couple of circuits.

I had a look at the Glasgow Herald for April, 1973 – 50 years ago, and, the final season before the official leagues were formed. It made interesting reading. The Borders Circuit was going strong then, with Bill McMurtrie and/or Bill McLaren providing Monday morning readers with a comprehensive picture of what had transpired.

However, the Herald also paid full notice to the West of Scotland Sevens Circuit of the time, where the big events were: Greenock Wanderers, Glasgow University, Ayr, Clarkston, Kilmarnock, Hillhead and Cartha.

But, there were other tournaments, the April 1973 Herald archive includes at least notification of the winners at tournaments run by Helensburgh, the Lanarkshire clubs, Lenzie, Drumpellier, Dumfries, Wigtownshire, Stirling County and Cumnock.

There were also County Cups being run in Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, plus The Glasgow District Knock-Out Cup of blessed memory.

So, there was a lot of rugby being played in the West back then. For comparison, I had a look at what April will hold for the eight Ayrshire clubs:

• Ardrossan Academical – 1 game left to play

• Ayr – minimum of 3 games, maximum of 5 left to play

• Carrick – 1 game left to play

• Cumnock – 2 games left to play

• Garnock – 1 game left to play

• Irvine – 0 games left to play

• Kilmarnock – 3 games left to play

• Marr – minimum of 1 game, maximum of 3 left to play.

The uncertainty around Ayr and Marr is because they are still involved in the Tennent's Scottish Cup.

OK, I accept there may still be some Sevens tournaments going, but, what used to be terrific social occasions are now, except for Melrose, withering on the vine.

Rugby Union, we are always being told, is “A Players' Game” so maybe it's time the SRU and the clubs put a bit of work into keeping them playing in good weather. Or is a a plot to get us paying to watch Edinburgh, Glasgow and Super6?