Nobody Loses Like Us

I'VE BEEN going to Millbrae for 60 years now. In that time, I've accumulated some good memories, some bad ones and a lorra lotta laughs, as the Sainted Cilla used to say. But, only twice have I enjoyed “What the fuck was that” moments.

The first was in the early 1970s, when Ayr Captain Jim Wilson – a man years ahead of his time as a Rugby thinker – got it wrong; he decided the way to keep the young Andy Irvine quiet was to kick the ball to him deep inside the Heriot's 22 and keep him well away from the Ayr line.

Any way, some ten minutes in, as we stood behind the posts waiting to see if Andy could convert the second Heriot's try, both scores initiated by his broken-field running, I asked Jim what Plan B was – since Plan A had proved fruitless.

The second came two or three years back. Ayr beat Hawick fairly comprehensively, however, the two stand-out players on the pitch that day were both in green jerseys. Bruce McNeil just did Bruce McNeil things, in achieving near parity in a somewhat uneven back row battle against the combined might of Tommy Spinks, Blair Macpherson and Pete McCallum.

However, a couple of times, the Greens moved the ball wide and an unheralded teenager named Darcy Graham lit-up that part of Alloway in a way it has not seen since just before Tam O' Shanter cried out “weel din Cutty Sark”.

I knew then, I was seeing someone special and I just knew, the Scotland caps would come. Today, that same Darcy Graham won his 50^th Scotland cap – there are a lot more to come.

Below, I show my match notes, just as I made them, during Sunday's game – they are shown in italics.

Four minutes in – yellow card to Argentina but no penalty try -Andy Brace does Scotland – again.

Terrible pass by Kinghorn to Steyn in next attack.

What a pass from Finn for Dempsey's opening try. But great line by the scorer.

“Turning Pumas into road kill” - one of Jamie Lyall's better lines.

Sad for D'Arcy Rae – limps off with ankle injury.

Julian Montoya is Willie Miller-like in the way he manipulates referees

Some slick handling from Argentina.

Good first half, apart from the offside penalties

Half-Time: Scotland 14 – Argentine 0

Second-Half

Darge head-contact, well-refereed by Andy Brace – but, he should have told his TMO to concentrate more.

Ashman is dynamite in the final two or three metres

Am I the only person who gets annoyed at commentators saying “Argentines” rather than “Argentinians”?

Have the match officials been instructed to particularly watch-out for Offside; I don't recall as many calls in an international?

Some pick-up by Santi Carreras in the 80 metre Argentinian break-out, but what a try-saving tackle by Darcy Graham.

No complaints about the Argentinian try.

Or their second try – Santi Carreras has changed the game.

Good captaincy by Sione for the Russell penalty – Finn's first thought was a kick to touch.

John Barclay and Rory Hamilton admitting Argentina got that 75^th minute try to go in front – Ben Kay and the Sprite would never have been so even-handed if it was England being scored against.

First Half – Scotland 14 – Argentina 0

Second Half – Scotland 10 – Argentina 33

Yes, the “Toony Must Go” team will be calling for the Coach's head. But, he wasn't the guy not executing properly, making the bad decisions or conceding cheap penalties.

We may not need a new Coach, but, perhaps we need a good Sports Psychologist to get our players' heads right.

For all Toony is picking from a squad of over 40 players, we still, after 30 years of professional Rugby do not have 23 international-class players. We do not have the players who can come off the bench and change a game, we totally lack depth.

Man of the Match Santi Carreras just produced the best performance by an Argentinian in Scotland since Maradona in 1979.

For once in a game in which he was involved, I am not going to blame Andy Brace for bad decisions – the Scotland players were making the poor calls, not the referee.

I thought Saturday night in Greece was disappointing, that was seemingly a “haud ma beer” challenge for the Scotland Rugby team.

Yet another crunch game lost – Groundskeeper Willie got it in one - “Damned Scots, they've ruined Scotland.”