TONIGHT is, it goes without saying, a hugely-important night for our two professional sides. Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors, as they face must-win European games.
Glasgow are at home at Scotstoun, where they entertain Toulon in an Investec European Cup match. In Group 3 of the competition, Glasgow go into the game in fourth place, the final place guaranteeing qualification for the knock-out phase. Warriors have five points, while their French visitors are lying bottom of the six-team group, with just two points from their three games,
A win, any win, takes Glasgow through, while should they draw, or lose, then whether or not they stay in the competition could then depend on how things pan out in the other two matches. Here, the already-qualified English pair of Northampton Saints and exeter Chiefs face, respectively Munster and Bayonne.
There is also the possibility, depending on results of Glasgow either dropping into the second-tier European Challenge Cup, or, in a worst-case scenario, dropping out of Europe altogether. It doesn't help Glasgow confidence too, that, last time they met Toulon, in last season's Challenge Cup Final, they lost.
The significance of the game is obvious when you look at the Glasgow team sheet for tonight's game, which kicks-off at 8pm and will be broadcast live on TNT Sports. Coach Franco Smith has named the following side, in 1-23 order:
Jamie Bhatti, George Turner, Lucio Sordoni, Max Williamson, Richie Gray, Ally Miller, Matt Fagerson, Jack Dempsey; George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe, Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Kyle Steyn (Captain), Josh McKay. Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Oli Kebble, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Henke Venter, Euan Ferrie; Ben Afshar, Stafford McDowall.
That's 11 internationalists in the starting XV, with a further five on the bench, including skipper Steyn and Jack Dempsey, both of whom have been brought straight back following injury. Indeed, only two of the pack from last week's game against Exeter – Ally Miller and Matt Fagerson have retained their places.
Smith is confident Warriors' renowned home strength will see them through in what promises to be a hard game, however.
AT THE SAME time, 8pm tonight, in darkest Wales, Edinburgh will face Scarlets in Llanelli. Again, the Scottish side goes into the game in fourth spot in the group, needing to win to stay in the competition. Again, only the top four in each of the Challenge Cup groups will qualify for the knock-out stages, Edinburgh have to win, hopefully with a bonus point, or, at worst draw, in case the surprise package, the Georgian Black Lions, who pulled off one shock when they travelled to Wales and beat Scarlets, produce another earth tremor result in their final home game, against Clermont Auvergne, if they are to remain in the competition.
Coach Sean Everitt has rung the changes, some of them enforced, for the game. Injury keeps Darcy Graham out, but Duhan van der Merwe who missed last week's loss to Gloucester is back, in the following squad:
Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, Willem Nel, Sam Skinner, Grant Gilchrist, Luke Crosbie, Hamish Watson, Viliama Mata; Ben Vellacott, Ben Healy, Duhan van der Merwe, James Lang, Matt Currie, Chris Dean, Emeliano Boffelli. Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Boan Venter, Angus Williams, Glen Young, Jamie Ritchie, Tom Dodd; Ally Price, Cammy Scott.
Some of the Edinburgh fans are not happy with Chris Dean's selection on the wing, but, given theimportance of the game and the club's injury problems, I don't think Coach Everitt had many other possible options. The fact both Scottish clubs have a surfeit of potential picks in some positions, and a distinct shortage elsewhere is for another blog, the decisions on which players to put on-contract and which to not has long been a problem within the SRU; and I don't see things changing any time soon.
THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA'S main focus over this week's series of Six Nation squad announcements was on Louis Rees Zammit's sudden departure for the lure of a possible NFL contract.
The Americxans do, for a nation proud to call itself: “The Land of the Free” do love order in their sports. Whereas the path to glory in real football in this country is via playing on the streets and on waste ground, with “jumpers for goalposts” before things get organised later (although American-type club organisation is coming into our sports culture, particularly in rugby).
In America the career pathway is:
Pee Wee or Little League at Primary level
Specialisation at High School
Get into a college set-up
Enter the professional draft and get picked
A professional contract.
The numbers playing the game are huge, the percentage of players who make it to the riches of the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB or MLS or even the new kids in town MLR are miniscule.
Non-Americans who do make it, such as “The Scottish Hammer” - New York Giants' Punter Jamie Gillan. A former player with Highland and Merchiston Castle School, Gillan is on a two-year $4 million per year contract with the Giants, as their specialist kicker – so, the money available is ridiculous.
Rees Zammit is trying to get into Gridiron via the International Talent Programme, but, specialist American Football commentators, such as one guy writing in The Guardian this week, warn, the chances of him coming through the system and winning a contract are slight to non-existent, even for a player who is seen as one of the stars of his current sport.
It will be interesting to see if the Welsh star can beat the odds and realise his dream. As The Guardian warns, in American Football, the Coach is God; playbooks are massive and the men on the touchline almost coach by numbers. Yes, the Quarterback has the power to change plays according to what he sees in front of him, but, the sort of freelance, off the cuff open field running which LRZ does so well in Rugby Union, that's not appreciated by Gridiron coaches.
Good luck to the boy any way.
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