England Not Waiving The Rules - For Once; Rather Writing them To Suit Their Own Agenda

WE SCOTS do have something of a reputation as moaning-faced bar stewards, as witness PG Wodehouse's legendary epigram on the matter. But, just occasionally, we have right on our side when complaining.

Such an eventuality is Gregor Townsend's Justifiable annoyance at being without his English-based players during this fallow week in the Guinness Six Nations tournament. The English clubs cannot demand their England players return to their clubs this week; and in any case, there are no Gallagher Premiership fixtures scheduled until the wekend of 22/23/24 March – AFTER the Six Nations has concluded. You have to accept, the English clubs are doing this, because they can.

In an ideal world, perhaps, Scotland would have all our best players playing in Scotland, and it would be the same for all the other countries. But, since it was the superiority of Scottish footballers at the dawn of professional team sport in the 1870s and 1880s which brought about paying people to play and cross-border movement, we would be churlish to complain.

The fact is, the three small Celtic Nations' Rugby Unions have largely kept control of their best players, while the English have allowed sugar daddes with deep pockets to take charge of their best talent. In return for an alleged £10 million insurance sweetener, these club owners, who on Saturday's evidence from Murrayfield are paying over market rates for some fairly-average talent, allow their best players to remain with England.

I noticed one commenter on The Offside Line making the suggestion we switch the Six Nations to the end of the season, thus avoiding this clash of commitments. To make that makes sense. A calendar which saw club games, followed by European ones and ending in international matches makes a lot of sense and as such, is doomed never to happen.

We can only pray for a hastening of the day when the increasingly forlorn efforts of the English clubs to sell Rugby Union as the equivalent of English Football sees the collapse of their clubs and a levelling of the playing field on these islands. Much as the likes of Mr Craig at Bath, Mr Wray at Saracens and whichever City of London spivs are running Harlequins might wish it, I do not see the oil sheiks of the Middle East rushing to buy English rugby clubs with the same relish as their appetite for English football clubs.

I am old enouigh to remember the days when English clubs, even clubs with distinguished Scottish managers, could keep players out of Scotland squads if there was a clash with their club games. FIFA eventually stepped-in and levelled that playing field, might we expect World Rugby to do likewise here? No, I don't think so either.

Mind you, there was one glimmer of light from the whole business, apparently Richie Simpson is stepping up to do a more than adequate MacMessi impression with the national squad. Given Richie's travails with head knocks, it is good to know he is recovering and will hopefully be back in the number ten shirt for Ayrshire Bulls for the last hurrah of Super Rugby later this spring.

SIONE TUIPULOTU'S half-time departure on Saturday was a low moment for the Scottish nation, fortunately, Cameron Redpath slotted-in seamlessly, as is to be expected, since he plays inside MacMessi on a weekly basis.

Hopefully Sione will be fit for the trip to Rome, but, if he doesn't make it, it gives Toony an interesting choice to make – does he stick with the RR approach – Russell and Redpath, so effective with Bath, or does he go with another proven club combination, and bring big Stafford McDowall in alongside Huw Jones?

Whichever way he jumps, Toony already knows, as he prepares, Italy in Rome will be a tough nut to crack. A more experienced referee than Christophe Ridley – who I thought had a good game in Lille, might well have allowed Italy to retake that injury-time penalty, with a different outcome. But, as we saw from our game with the French, when you go into a game as favourites, you often get the rub of the green from officials.

IT WILL BE interesting to see which Glasgow Warriors players are released from the Scotland squad for this weekend's Round 11 of the BKT United Rugby Championship.

Benetton v Warriors – fourth v second – has rightly been given the plum 3pm Saturday slot this weekend, it is the game of the round, and Franco Smith will surely want as good a squad as he can muster to travel to the Stadio Monigo in Treviso.

FINALLY – there has been some talk about the Assistant Referee floundering in the wake of Duhan van der Merwe as the big winger scorched those 60 metres for his solo try on Saturday.

It reminded me of, more than half a century ago, as the Ayr touch judge, keeping pace, slightly behind Stewart Hay as the Ayr winger raced away for a simlar long range solo try.

The opposition had given up by the time wee Stewart crossed half way, but I and referee Alan Hosie still had to follow-up. Stewart flopped across the line, then looked up at Alan and me and called us a pair of bar stewards. Had he known it was only us following him, he would have slowed down.

P.S. - The fall-out from Saturday has been hectic down south. The one I particularly liked was one of Scotland's very-favourite (not) Englishmen, Sir Clive Woodward, having a justifiable go at Ben Earl for his repeated and childish whooperin'and a hollerin' every time England get a decision, or an opponent makes a mistake.

How terrible for us, having to say: “well said Sir”, to old Clive.

PPS – My Facebook Memories this morning was a post from three years ago, in which I had gone ballistic about the refereeing of Scotland v Wales. Thr post also noted that: “Itoje is a penalty machine and in football, would have been yellow carded long ago for consistenty conceding fouls.” Three years on and plus ca change.