FRANCO SMITH has, through his management of Glasgow Warriors this season proved himself the master of what might be the most-difficult part of coaching – squad rotation. Now he faces his most-severe test of this art, as he guides his team through the sharp end of their campaign. He faces a schedule which is as daunting as anything, even a World Cup:
First game – a home quarter-final against Munster in the BKT United Rugby Championship, on Saturday, 6 May
Win that, it sets up a second game, either in Dublin v Leinster, or in Cape Town, v Cell C Sharks, on Saturday, 13 May
Next up will be the European Challenge Cup Final, against Toulon, in Dublin, on Friday, 19 May.
Then, all being well, the team could still face the URC Grand Final, on Saturday, 27 May, against whoever is still standing from the other side of the draw – Ulster, Connacht, Stormers or the Bulls. If it comes down to Glasgow v Ulster or the Stormers, the final will be an away game – should they be left to face Connacht or the Bulls, Glasgow will have home advantage.
We are now in the world of hypothesis. At worst, Glasgow have two matches left, the home Munster match-up and the Dublin show-down with Toulon; at best, they have four games left.
The nightmare scenario is – what happens if Glasgow beat Munster and the Sharks beat Leinster? This would leave Warriors with a trip to Durban – followed by a six-day turn-around and a trip to Dublin, before another away trip, to either Belfast or Cape Town.
I have seen in chat rooms, some Warriors' fans suggesting Smith should decide which ties they can win and then send a token shadow squad to the ties they feel they cannot win, or aren't too-bothered about.
That is shite, and I don't ever see Mr Smith thinking that way. He's a South African rugby man to his very core – if the Saffers are in any competition, they are in it to win it.
I can only hope the SRU is prepared to spend big, to give Glasgow the best-possible chance of progressing, whichever sides they may have to face. Because, you can bet,Smith and his coaching staff will be looking seriously at how best to give themselves a chance of winning both the Challenge Cup and the URC title, in what are difficult circumstances.
Get their travel experts earning their corn – if Glasgow are facing one or even two trips to South Africa, get the squad upgraded to Business Class for the most-direct flights – but, give the team a real chance of winning these four potential games.
IF SPORTING events always went with form, we would never see results such as Berwick Rangers beating Rangers, Inverness Caledonia Thistle downing Celtic, Japan beating South Africa or Buster Douglas thrashing Mike Tyson. But, upsets do happen and, as Darvel showed in beating Aberdeen earlier this season, if the team deemed to be the better of the two on the park doesn't show up on the night, surprises follow.
For that reason, I will concede, any one of the top half dozen or so Tennent's Premiership clubs could beat any one of the FOSROC Super6 clubs in a one-of game. However, over a season, I feel either Bulls or Watsonians would still emerge as title-holders.
But, it aint gonna happen any time soon. Comparing S6 with the Premiership is like comparing apples and pears. Both are Scottish Rugby Union competitions, but, other than that, there is a world of difference.
For all the flaws which the great brains within the SRU have managed to build into the S6 concept, it's still a level above even the best of the Premiership – but, Murrayfield or common sense will never allow the forces of Aye Beenism to admit that.
WHO'S PLAYING WHERE is the big question in Club Land, as we go into the, grass roots summer shut down. As ever in Scottish Rugby, nobody really knows, but, I thought I would have a try at reading the runes.
So, here is how, as far as I can see, things will look in season 2023-24:
Premiership: Currie Chieftains, Edinburgh Academical, Glasgow Hawks, Hawick, Heriot's Blues, Jed-forest, Kelso, Marr, Musselburgh, Selkirk
National One: Ayr, Biggar, Dundee, Gala, GHA, GHK, Glasgow Academical, Highland, Melrose, Watsonians.
National Two: Aberdeen Grammar, Berwick, Falkirk, Gordonians, Kirkcaldy, Lasswade, Newton Stewart, Peebles, Stewart's-Melville, Stirling County.
National Three: Allan Glen's, Boroughmuir, Cartha-Queen's Park, Dumfries Saints, Hamilton Bulls, Hillhead-Jordanhill, Howe of Fife, Orkney, Preston Lodge, West of Scotland.
National Four: Dunfermline, Garnock, Greenock Wanderers, Murrayfield Wanderers, North Berwick, Perthshire, Strathmore, Whitecraigs and one from Ellon, Ross High or Stewartry.
I was going to carry on and put out details of the Regional Leagues set-up, but after looking at the SRU website on that matter – my brain exploded and I will have to sit down, take my time and see if I can make sense of it for a later post.
MIND YOU, for all the fuck-ups, bad decisions, simply daft conclusions which we have seen from The Junta over the years – well, Scottish and English Rugby kind of reflects Scottish and English politics.
The SNP may well be a bunch of self-serving, troughing incompetents, but, compared to the Tories in Westminster – truth is, they're doing ok. Similarly, the Junta inside Murrayfield, under TCD, may well be taking our game to Hell in a handcart, but, compared to their opposite numbers down at the Cabbage Patch, the SRU aren't doing too-badly.
At least, our top clubs are not going to the wall as surely as the leading English clubs. And the fact the 57 Old Farts are either unwilling, incapable, or both, of telling their clubs – our system is set for failure and we need to change things drastically.
London Irish is the latest top English club to send out distress signals – they will not be the the last.
You are right to highlight the lack of information about the national 4 playoff. All that is listed is Ellon v Stewartry at West of Scotland on the 13 May. Where Ross High I hear you say?
ReplyDeleteA little know rule change last season has reshaped playoffs. Royal High were ejected from National 3 due to unfulfilled fixtures. The rule allows the Championship committee to promote the next eligible team from the sane region as the ejected club. In this case, that’s Ross High so they are up into National 4 without a playoff. To be fair a three way play off at this stage of the season would be very challenging.
On the Prem v S6 conversation. We know Prem sides can beat S6 ones. Currie did it a while ago in a pre season match.
To have a fair comparison you would need to give the Prem teams the same resources as the S6 get. So an MD, £75k, full time coach etc. and shift the training regime for amateur into part time pros. That would make life interesting.