Job Done - Just

I MUST ADMIT, when I saw the two squads for Friday night's Old Anniesland clash between Glasgow Warriors and Bath, I reckoned, if Glasgow could keep Bath's margin of victory down to under 50 points, they might be able to claim a morale victory. So, given the final result, job done - just.

Received wisdom has Rassie Erasmus down as De Man when it comes to active coaches, yes, he's good, but, given he is working with slightly inferior goods, Warriors' Franco Smith has to be in the conversation. In using his fringe players so much in the build-up to the new 2026-27 season, Franco just might leave his big guns somewhat under-cooked for the start of the real games, however, against this, he is giving his fringe men experience and a trust which money cannot buy.

Warriors provide the core of the national Scotland side; at least 9 of any starting 15 (60%) would be Warriors, with another two or three on the bench. Indeed, it is not outwith the bounds of possibility to see, should disaster befall some of the France-based shoo-ins, Gregor Townsend selecting a starting XV composed entirely of Glasgow Warriors' players.

This means, Franco has to carefully consider which BKT United Rugby Championship matches he can go into fully-loaded. There is a limit as to how many matches a first-choice internationalist can play, so, he has to select his team with this constriction in mind – hence the good sense is throwing-in the kids against Bath.

If they can survive that one, and in the main they did, they will be ready, should they be needed for URC games, or games in Europe.

I have long thought, if Toony and his staff are failing in any part of their international duties, it might be in that they are leaving the fringe members of the international squad somewhat under-cooked. That can not be said of Smith with his squad.

As to Friday night's game itself. The Finnster pretty much played at half throttle, however, when the chance to do something special afforded itself, he did, with a handful of wonderful wee individual flourishes, to prove, he's one very special talent and we should enjoy him while we have him.

AYRSHIRE – GOD'S COUNTY – has produced Scotland's immortal, greatest poet, great novelists such as Willie McIllvanney and two great sports writer's: Willie's brother Hughie, and another Hughie who could bring sport alive – Taylor. Now in my 80^th year, I fear I may never ascend to their heights, but, who knows, when I am no longer here, perhaps my genius will be finally recognised.

The two Hughies, having been raised in the world of County rivalries, knew well, some fixtures didn't have to be won with flair and elan – Auchinleck (or indeed anyone else) v Cumnock, any other Ayrshire Junior side v Irvine Meadow or even Kilmarnock v Ayr United, these were games where it didn't matter how, all you had to do was win.

My great mentor: Ian “Dan” Archer, with the benefit of his Classical Education at Rugby School, was something of a romantic when it came to his craft, but, he always cautioned we underlings: “Remember gentlemen, as sports writers, you are there to provide light relief at the back of the newspaper, don't take yourselves too seriously.”

Dan could understand where he was going, when the great Grantland Rice - “The Dean of American Sports Writers” penned the lines: “For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes – not that you won or lost – but how you played the game.” However, he also understood: that almost Corinthian attitude never did transfer well to the world of Scottish Fitba.

It also doesn't work in Scottish Rugby. It certainly doesn't apply to Ayr Rugby Club, who have copped a bit of flak in the BTL (below the lines) readers comments in The Offside Line since they scraped home at Poynder Park on Saturday.

Gruntz Anderson's troops bagged their customary five points, extended their lengthy unbeaten run and went four points clear at the top of the Arnold Clark Premiership. However, they had to overcome a fired-up Kelso side, who pushed them all the way, to the extent, some Millbrae regulars were forced to admit, they had “won ugly”.

The Premiership is a league, yes, score four or more tries and you bank a bonus point, but, at the end of the day, the challenge is to win – you don't get bonus point for playing Champagne Rugby.

Ayr are now under the sort of weekly pressure which the likes of The Old Firm and Auchinleck Talbot have to cope with week after week. This pressure probably hasn't been seen in Scottish Rugby since the glory days of Hawick's Green Machine. It certainly keeps Gruntz and his squad on their toes.

The Ayr Under-18 team is not under the same pressure in the new Open Competition; but they certainly were on Saturday, when, following a major disaster the previous week, they had to make the short trip to Fullarton Park, to face near-neighbours Marr.

I watched the game on You Tube. Jings, there are some big laddies playing at this level, was my first thought. Ayr won and won well, taking control in the first half and holding off a brave second half comeback from their hosts.

Mind you, it was a bit tame for an Ayrshire Derby – absolutely no “handbags”. My favourite Ayr/Marr story concerns the weel-kent Ayr forward who, after a comfortable win at Fullarton, told a comely Marr lady in the bar: “I've just spent 80-odd minutes fucking your husband, if you ever want the same, here's my number”. The pair did enjoy a short-lived but mutually-enjoyable dalliance thereafter.

I came in for some Facebook flak after Saturday's Under-18 game, because some Marr members attempted to annexe the moral high ground with the claim that the Marr XV were all home-grown Marr College boys, whereas Ayr's squad has been recruited from beyond the ranks of strictly Honest Boys.

Marr have, of late, not been averse to recruiting talent from other Ayrshire clubs, indeed, I have had to chastise my own Cumnock club officials for allowing the club, to some extent, becoming a feeder club to Marr.

The system used to be, we had County selections at both schools and club level, so that, in theory, a talented kid from a school which wasn't one of the elite or Establishment places still had the chance of advancement.

That boy today, either has to go to one of the handful of top club sides in the Under-18 competition, or, more-likely, be offered a scholarship at one of the Public Schools – not quite as democratic a system as in my day.