Problem - How Do You Keep Management And The Customer Happy

LAST NIGHT I had one of my occasional shafts of insight/rushes of shite to the brain (delete as appropriate). Ruminating on the state of Rugby Union in Scotland, it came to me – maybe Franco Smith is the ideal coach to work within the Scottish Rugby Union's management model for professional and performance rugby.

Franco Smith, the perfect coach for our system?

Disparage him all you like, but, TCD, our Glorious Leader has grasped the facts of life when it comes to our game and money – the only part which can make serious money is The International Game. TCD, however, is a Control Freak, which in this instance may be no bad thing. You cannot employ international-class players to only play ten games per year, more since these come in groupings:

• The five games in the Guinness Six Nations – in February and March

• The two, sometimes three Summer Internationals in June and July

• The tree or four Autumn Internationals in October and November.

Problem, how do you keep the players up to speed between these three intense periods? Answer – elite “club” rugby, in Scotland's case in the BKT United Rugby Championship and the two European Cups.

However, this is where SRU pragmatism meets Scottish Rugby's age-old stricture of: “It's aye been.” For 150 years, the SRU has been a club-based co-operative. Sure, we all love to see us beating the English, and are almost as happy when we also beat the French, Irish and Welsh; and we enjoy watching Scotland taking on the likes of Argentine, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa and anyone else on the international field.

But, it's the long-established club game, be it Hawick v Gala, Heriot's v Watsonians, Ayr v Marr or any other rivalry you wish to quote which really floats our boat. The Clan System might have been broken in Scotland, but it still exists in Scottish sport, with rugby no exception.

There is even a long-enough history for some people to commit to Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors. The old Inter-City match may be a fading memory for those of my generation, but, there is still enough of an attachment for the fans on the touchlines to have an emotional involvement.

So, the paying customer wants to see his side – from whichever end of the M8, winning in the URC, and more-importantly, beating the other lot. However, this job, of pleasing the fans, cuts across the core purpose of these two clubs – which is to prepare them for the international games.

I reckon Smith, who came to Glasgow from a spell in the international arena and elite young player development, has grasped this and selects his sides accordingly. He rotates his squad more than most, perhaps endeavouring to reach what may well be a Coach's 'Mission Impossible' – having two players of near-equal ability competing for each place.

Indeed, in some positions, he has to work with that problem his squad includes:

• 7 full international props

• 3 full international hookers

• 4 full international locks

• 4 full international back rowers

• 2 full international scrum-halves

• 2 full international stand-offs

• 3 full international centres

• 4 full international back three players

That's 29 full caps, plus the younger “coming men” to be slotted into a 23-man match day squad. Obviously they don't all fit-in at once, so keeping them happy and motivated and all singing off the same hymn sheet is a major headache for the Coach, but, one which Smith appears to be coping with rather well.

At the other end of the motorway, new Coach Sean Everitt is still getting to grips with these problems. He has at his disposal:

• 4 full international props

• 2 full international hookers

• 5 full international locks

• 4 full international back rowers

• 3 full international scrum-halves

• 1 full international stand-off

• 2 full international centres

• 3 full international back three players

That's 24 full caps, not quite the same rotational/keeping them happy problem perhaps as faces Smith, but, still something to keep him thinking.

Gone are the Amateur era days, when a first team was picked and, barring injuries, that's the team which played. If you weren't a first pick, you really had to play out of your skin when you got your chance, and if you didn't take it – tough. Rare was it then to find two full caps competing for the one jersey in a club side – one or other usually moved-on in search of regular game time.

Today, however, money talks and for the right wedge, somebody will hang around for fewer games.

Well, that was a lengthy preamble. However, the bold Franco has again shaken up the selection balls and come up with the following squad to do battle with Aviron Bayonnais at Stade Jean Dauger in the European Champions Cup tonight at 8pm is:

Jamie Bhatti, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Greg Peterson, Alex Samuel, Gregor Brown, Tom Gordon, Ally Miller; George Horne, Ross Thompson; Ollie Smith, Sione Tuipulotu (captain), Huw Jones, Kyle Rowe; Josh Mckay. Substitutes: Angus Fraser, Nathan McBeth, Ollie Kebble, Richie Gray, Max Williamson, Henco Venter; Ben Afshar, Tom Jordan.

 

Meanwhile, the Edinburgh squad to face Castres Olympique at The Hive in the Challenge Cup, kick-off 1pm on Saturday is:

Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, Javan Sebastian, Glenn Young, Grant Gilchrist (Capt,) Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Bill Mata; Ali Price, Ben Healy; Duhan van der Merwe, James Lang, Matt Currie, Wes Goosen; Harry Paterson. Substitutes: Dave Cherry, Robin Hislop, D'Arcy Rae, Marshall Sykes, Luke Crosbie; Ben Vellacott, Mark Bennett, Darcy Graham.

Two strong squads, with a few big names back, and further cases of young tyros being exposed to this level of rugby. Two Scottish wins are not out of the question.