I Have Had Better Sundays, But Saturday Wasn't Bad.

THE BIG DIFFERENCE between Scottish and English sports supporters is seen when either side loses a big game. One of my favourite bits of Scottish sports reporting is a minor Bill Leckie classic – Paisley's third-finest journalist (and no Andra Neil isn't one of the first two) wrote, after Scotland lost to England, in Euro '96 at Wembley, of, from the expensive hospitality seats, watching the defeated Tartan Army marching out, heads still high, singing: “We're shite – but we know we are.”

Had the result gone the other way, most of the England fans would have been on the tube and London Overground, long before the finish, while those who remained would have been hurling invective and solid objects at the beaten English team.

The “Ruperts” who throng Twickenham to watch England put lesser nations to the sword, once the wheels come off their chariots, tend to indulge in full-throated booing, before shuffling off into the night, to pour scorn on their under-performing side on the Times, Telegraph, Guardian and Daily Heil websites; call for the head of the current coach and deduce – the opposition weren't really better, it's just, the chaps on the field - “Lions led by donkeys” had an off day.

After watching France crush England on Saturday, I've got news for them: You're shite, but, before you can improve, you have to admit this.

But they won't, they will revert to type – convinced the Gallagher Premiership is the greatest league in rugby, and, even after Ireland put them to the sword in Dublin, they will still insist, England can win the World Cup. Poor deluded fools.

But, on the basis of: ABE - Anyone But England, I did enjoy Saturday afternoon.

I WAS able – by channelling my inner female, to multi-task on Saturday. I had the England v France game on the television, with the Hawick v Currie game running on my lap top. Then, the gap between the final whistle in Rome and the kick-off at Twickenham was spent concentrating 100% on events at Mansfield Park.

Well done Hawick, after going through the regular season unbeaten, it would have been a massive blow to lose that final. But, truth is, Hawick didn't win that game – Currie lost it. Leading, receiving the restart kick and with at most two minutes to play; they really should have, regardless of Hawick throwing everything but the main stand at them, been equipped to play through the phases, run the clock down and claim the big prize.

In addition, they were facing 13 men. Mark Cairns and the Currie coaching staff will spend a long close season trying to work out where their side's game management fell apart.

THERE IS no shame in losing to the world's top side. Ireland were the better side, they deservedly won and they emphasised just how good they are.

We played as well as we were allowed to. Of course, the likes of POM have taken cheating to a new level – they were more street-smart than us, but, we coughed-up too-many good chances. We have to become more clinical.

I feel, Toony should be prepared to experiment in next week's final game, against Italy. I reckon the loss to Ireland confirmed, our back-up props are just not international class. Maybe it is time we went back to the Oli Kebble as a tight-head experiment, while I would like to see either Allan Dell or Rory Sutherland, both British & Irish Lions let's not forget, given the 17 jersey.

I have long had my doubts about Duhan van der Merwe's defence, these reared-up again against the Irish. Yes, he is good going forward, but, when attacked, he is just not international class. Toony has some big calls to make for Saturday, perhaps, crucially – he might have to find a ten, given Finn Russell limped off early. If The Gallus One is unfit, who fills-in?

I was not overly-impressed by referee Luke Pearce. He let us off the hook once, with his legally-correct call on that line-out with the wrong ball, but, I felt he let Ireland away with too-much, as ever around the breakdown. Also, Wayne Barnes seemed loath to give us the proper length with some of our line kicks, whereas at least one of the Irish tries came from an Irish line-out which didn't go five metres – with neither Barnes nor Pearce noticing.

OK, it was disappointing, we made too-many unforced errors, these are mistakes you cannot make against the very-best teams.

However, kudos to Ireland for their three props in the front row formation in the second half. That made this old donkey very happy.

Now, we have a six-day turnaround before we face an Italian side which has enjoyed very-little luck this season. This final match of the campaign might not be the straightforward meeting it looked like being at lunch-time on Sunday.

However, that said, we are in a better position than some of the other nations.