A FRIEND OF THIS BLOG, like all of us, disgusted by Scotland's second-half melt-down at Murrayfield on Sunday, contacted me to make a point I had not considered. He suggested, we have never played all that well in Autumn Tests, so I though I should check the history – interesting.
Autumn Tests have only been semi-organised since the advent of professionalism. Yes, we had end of year internationals in the Amateur Era, but these usually featured the Southern Hemisphere heavyweights who were here on a traditional long tour.
I took the year 2000 as Year Zero for organised Autumn Tests and found out thus:
Since 2000 to last Sunday, we have played 56 full Autumn Tests (these tend not to be played in Rugby World Cup Years)
Of these, we have won 31 – a 55% winning ratio
However, most of these victories have come in our games against Tier 2 or 3 nations, where we have won 20 of 21 games – 95% winning ratio. The single defeat was that Tongan Tragedy at Aberdeen which did for Andy Robinson.
However, against the other Tier 1 Nations – our five Six Nations oponents, plus the Southern Hemisphere big guns, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, our record in 34 games is 11 wins – 32%
Over the same period, in the Six Nations, we have played 130 games, of which we have won 43 – a 33% winning ration.
So, it seems clear – my friend was correct, while there is not much in it, we do not do as well in the Autumn Tests as we do in the Six Nations.
Our record against the individual SH big guns in this period of Autumn Tests is:
Argentina – 4 wins : 3 losses – 57% winning ratio
Australia – 4 wins : 6 losses – 40% winning ratio
New Zealand – 0 wins : 8 losses – 0% wining ratio
South Africa – 2 wins : 7 losses – 22% winning ratio
When I was mainly covering Football, I used to insist that Scotland ought not to play “Friendlies” or “Challenge” internationals – that we ought to stick to fully-competitive games, such as the old Home Internationals, European Championship or World Cup clashes; only when the game really meant something, such as Tuesday night at Hampden could we rouse ourselves to produce a truly Scottish performance, since our record in competitive games was better than in Friendlies.
Might the same problem be affecting our Rugby team? After all, since 1707, if England has had a problem with Dagos, Krauts, Frogs, Waps, Wogs, Towel Heads, Fuzzy Wuzzies or any nation which doesn't meet their standards of breeding and behaviour, their first action has generally been to send a Division of Jocks in to quell the uprising. We Scots don't do non-competitive sport.
I CAN ONLY assume there are cost factors involved in making games such as this week's Emerging Scotland v Emerging Tonga behind closed doors events.
I dare say that prominent local government official L Fin Safety wishes to stamp his authority on matters, insisting on a division of Jobsworth & Co being on-hand to ensure, no member of the public could get in to potentially enjoy themselves.
But, we have a game to sell here, one which sits at least second in the Scottish public's sporting affections – and losing ground after events at Hampden on Tuesday.
The Scottish team on Monday may well have included The Next Big Thing in our game up here, imagine the boost it could have given, had several spectators been there and been able to return to their clubs and say: “I've seen the future, such and such a boy will be the next Finn Russell or Darcy Graham.” Of course, that might put unacceptable expectation on the kid, but hey, that's part of elite sport.
Another sport, yes, but, no less an authority than Jock Stein insisted: “Without the fans, Football is nothing”. Well, that rule applies to our brand of Football – Rugby Union – as much as to his.
That Emerging Scotland XV was a bit of a mixed bag, being mainly Under-23 players. If we are to have such a large group of senior players together each Autumn, plus the young tyros, then surely we should be organising other internationals, be they branded A, B, Under-23, or Emerging.
Google provides an interesting listing of all the Autumn internationals;this features such fixtures as: England A v An All Black XV, England A v Spain, matches invovlving The Wolfhounds and Munster taking on international opposition, indeed everyone seems to be playing lesser representative games but us – why not?
OK, Murrayfield thinking seems to be based around: “We've got to make The Hive pay, and we are paying a big rent on Scotstoun, so, we have to have games there.” But, lesser games, played at the better club grounds, with the club's own volunteers doing the hard yards to make it happen, in return for a cut of the gate take, would enhance Rugby's profile in Scotland.
And, on an adjacent subject, instead of rumours of a possible game against Sweden, why don't they get the Club XV sorted out, playing regular games and further heightening Rugby's profile.
We simply do not work hard enough at selling our great game.
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