WELL, THAT WAS a very Scottish performance from the Lions, in winning yesterday's opening Test in Brisbane 27-19. Like Us, the Lions didn't produce an 80 minute performance, but, in Test Match Rugby, winning is everything and they got over the line.
It was, in many ways, “a game of two halves” - the Lions, with Finn Russell and Jamison Gibson-Park pulling the strings, were dominant for the first 50 minutes or more, before Australia got more from their replacements to salvage a lot of pride in the final half hour.
The dream of a 3-0 series win is still on, but, with some (to use the current “buzz-phrase”) BGPs - “Big Game Players” - Will Skelton & Co, to come back, it would be rash tp write-off the Wallabies. They will come out with all guns firing at Melbourne next week.
It wasn't “an Ugly Win” for the Lions, but, they didn't reach the heights we supporters perhaps think they should, and still won; so we cannot really be critical.
The (slightly) more contentious selections – the two wing forwards, less-so selection-wise - Sione Tuipulotu - all did well. Sione and Tom Curry both scored, while Tadgh Beirne was a worthy call for Man-of-the-Match. So, a good result for the Lions management, and a challenge to the “Dirt Trackers” to try to force their way into the match-day 23 via the midweek game.
FOR ALL the current infatuation with The Lions, the world of Rugby Union is changing. As with Football, the International game is now driven by the World Cup round – and what happens in that competition which, like the Olympics and indeed Lions' Tours, only comes along every four years.
This summer, being the mid-point of that four-year World Cup cycle, is the time when you start to see established players being eased aside by thrusting newcomers. This hasn't affected Scotland too-much, we haven't seen too-many “bolters” emerge from our tour – indeed, we haven't seen any such new guys.
That has, however, not been the case with The All Blacks and France. Fabien Galthie copped a bit of flak by leaving some of his Galacticos at home. OK, the All Blacks won the series 3-0, but, in the Third Test, it wasn't until Jordie Barrett came off the bench to sprinkle his star-dust, that the home team pulled clear.
From the performances he got from some of his fringe players, Galthie now has a nice selection problem going forward, as some of his new guys have indeed stood up to be counted.
On the other side, Scott Robertson will I dare say, continue to be criticised in his home land, up until the moment he beats the Springboks with style; but, he has some terrific talent in his squad.
Our Saffa friends are obsessed by Cheslin Kolbe. I shudder to think what some of the game's supporters forums would be like, if Will Jordan was a South African.
SPEAKING OF our friends from beyond the Limpopo; they enjoyed a fairly routine win over Georgia yesterday. It was however a day Edinburgh's Boan Venter will long remember.
His 40 minutes on the park may well be his only ones as a full Springbok, but, he's got the cap and the jersey, plus a typical close-range try. He held up his side of the scrum well against a team who take their scrumming seriously, so he can be pleased with his efforts in the cause.
NEXT UP for me was Uruguay v Argentina, with the Uruguayans giving a rollicking display in the first half, before being worn down in the second. Both sides produced some flowing rugby and some of the younger Pumas are going to be big players for them.
Oor Ain Mikey Adamson had a very-good game in the TV gantry. There was one incident when the technology let him down, but he was unobtrusive when called on to intervene, and spot-on when he did so.
Finally, deep into the night, I watched USA v England. This one was arguably the longest Rugby Union match ever. Thunderstorms around Washington DC meant the kick-off was delayed for an hour. Then, some 20-odd minutes in, Referee Sam Grove-White, who was lavishly-praised by the American commentary team, and rightly so, took the teams off for 40 minutes, while another thunderstorm passed over.
So, it was nearly 2am before the visitors could celebrate a fairly simple victory. OK, they were not playing a Tier One nation, but the easy way in which Steve Borthwick was able to introduce his new caps demonstrated, England may not have many Galacticos they can call on, but, they have a depth of squad we can only dream off.
The fans in the Audi Stadium appeared to be enjoying themselves too.
THE GREAT SCOTTISH QUOTE has long been attributed to the late PG Wodehouse – the one about a ray of sunshine and a Scotsman with a grievance. I think it may be time to relegate the English wordsmith to second place, in favour of a quote from a Great Scot – Groundskeeper Willie – who said: “Damned Scots, you ruined Scotland.
I offer up this tit-bit, as I review the reaction to our victory over Samoa, in Auckland on Friday. That reaction may best be summed-up as: “So what – we won”. Only six BTL comments after The Offside Line's match report – clearly, when there isn't a lot to moan about, the usual suspects among the keyboard warriors are left frustrated.
It's right what some say: when we don't have the English to fight with, we are happy to fight among ourselves. Seymour Skinner was right, we Scots sure are a contentious lot.
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