Club Rugby Is Back, But, It's The Calm Before The Storm

I DON'T SUPPOSE it matters much; the saying has been around since Ancient Greek times but: “Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first make mad” continues to resonante down the years So, regardless of who came up with it, we should still pay attention.

I do not suppose it will immediately make a difference, but, I cannot help thinking, in signing-off on the recruitment of Tim Swiel and Mitch Eadie, our Beloved Leader TCD has perhaps shown, he has finally lost it. There has long been whispers around the game that He Who Must Be Obeyed has a rather cosy relationship with one or more of the big rugby player agencies – when you look at some of the many failures who have passed through the ranks of Edinburgh and Glasgow – arriving with a big reputation which they failed to justify.

But, these two. OK, I had heard of Eadie, since he has played for some years in the over-hyped Gallagher Premiership. Swiel has apparently played for new Edinburgh Coach Sean Everitt before, so his signing is maybe another demonstration of how professional Rugby Union is following professional Football's lead – a new coach gets to bring-in a player he likes, who may, or may not cut the mustard. But, is signing two guys who have in some eyes gone from 'Never Was' to 'Has Been' without passing Go, the best way to spend the SRU's hard-earned mullah? Ah hae ma doots.

By the way – for the benefit of those apologists, keen to tell me these signings were made by Edinburgh and no blame/comments should attach to The Great Leader – nobody at Edinburgh can go to the toilet without first of all obtaining permission from on-high.

OK, as well as Edinburgh signing these two old lags, Edinburgh and Glasgow have also this week announced partnership deals for eight young Scots. For this, they deserve some praise. However, I still feel, the way the SRU's Performance Department – which ultimately has responsibility for the paid players, from Super Rugby up – is managed is wrong.

As things stand, at a time when the professional tier of rugby is suffering from a bit of a financial squeeze, the way the SRU runs things: we are effectively producing players who, at the highest level – the international game – will have to go to one or other of the two big-money leagues: France or England, if they wish to best cash-in on their talent, or, lower down, will struggle to make a living from rugby.

OR – and this may be the trickiest one to pull off, the SRU gets serious about really looking after Scottish talent. I believe the time has come for The Junta inside Scottish Gas Murrayfield to really grasp the nettle and look after our best players.

I don't see them paying Finn Russell the £1 million per year he is supposedly getting at Bath, but, finding a way to keep our next superstar fly half, whoever he may be, playing in Scotland and happy, is a challenge they should face up to.

My suggestions:

• Wales is struggling even more than us financially, so, persuade them to go down to three Welsh teams inside the United Rugby Championship, so that Scotland can go up to three teams.

• Have a 33-man National Squad of Scotland players, divided equally among the three URC teams, but, only to be used by them in Europe and against the elite URC teams such as Leinster, Munster and on the South African trips.

• Below the centrally-contracted players, have three squads of “journeymen” players, who will carry the main URC workload.

• They are in turn backed-up by three squads of mainly Under-23 players, who will spend most of their time playing in Super Rugby.

• Sort-out Super Rugby: drop one Edinburgh side and transfer that franchise to Caledonia. Make it a generally Under-23 competition, but, allow a limited number of over-age players for their experience.

SPEAKING of Super Rugby – and I throw this in in-part to upset the Usual Suspects around Fullarton – that display from Heriot's in putting Watsonians to the sword on Friday night surely proved beyond doubt, this grade of rugby is at least two steps up from the Premiership.

OK, it wasn't perfect, but, Super Rugby is starting to pay dividends and the performance of young Sam Wallace was a joy to behold. Mind you, speaking from an Ayrshire perspective, I reckon, if the Bulls could repatriate Matt Davidson to play alongside Bobby Beattie they would be dynamite.

Watsonians didn't do much wrong, but they were blown away by a team at the very top of their game and the match was great entertainment.

MEANWHILE, the club game kicks-off this afternoon, and I hope everyone enjoys themselves. The real pressure will, I feel certain, be on Hawick, to try, in their 150^th year, to replicate last season's successes, against a bunch of challengers who will be trying even-harder to dethrone them. The challengers should be aware, however, this will be no easy task, more-so if this much-rumoured Superstar signing actually happens.

The place to be today, however, will probably be Millbrae. It's Ladies Day there, that annual spectacle when over 300 of Cutty Sark's descendants take over the ground and the big marquee.

It is normally carnage, with the National League One clash between Ayr and Glasgow Accies as the warm-up at 3pm, before Ayrshire Bulls take on the Futures XV at 5pm.

I fear for the sanity of young Iain Hay, who is on-duty for The Offside Line; it will be a remarkable feat of concentration if he can follow the game with all the pitch-side distractions.

FINALLY – between starting this post and posting it, Edinburgh showed even-greater disdain for the rest of Scottish Rugby, by signing yet another player to have gone from Never Was to Has-Been in the blink of an eye.

So well done Cameron Neild's agent, in getting him the gig. Since nobody in a supposed position of influence at either Edinburgh or Glasgow is allowed to take a toilet break without the Great Leader's say-so, can I ask – how much of a back-hander did he get for okaying this deal?