Disappointment Down Under

THIS IS my third look at Scotland short tours, following my earlier pieces on the original, ground-breaking 1960 tour to South Africa, and the all but forgotten 1964 tour to Canada.

Following the Canadian adventure, the South Africans toured Ireland and Scotland in 1965, we had a Lions Tour to Australasia in 1966, a reciprocal visit from the All Blacks in 1967 and a Lions Tour in 1968.

So it was 1969 before Scotland had a chance to tour again, and this time, they chose to go to the emerging nation of Argentina. However, that tour was more of a prequel to the 1970 season than an add-on to the 1969 one – so, we will deal with it later.

Fifty years ago, in 1970, fresh from a Five Nations campaign which had yielded just one victory, the Calcutta Cup win over foot of the table England, a Scottish touring party set off for Australia.

The selectors met in late March and named a strong 23-man squad to travel, under the managership of Hector Monro, the Langholm man and serving MP, reprising his management role from the Canadian tour of 1964.

The tour party named was:

Back three: AG Biggar (London Scottish), MD Sharp (Edinburgh University), ISG Smith, MA Smith (both London Scottish).

Centres: JNM Frame (Gala), CWW Rea (West of Scotland), JWC Turner (Gala).

Stand-offs: I Robertson (Watsonians), CM Telfer (Hawick).

Scrum-halves: GC Connell (London Scottish), DS Paterson (Gala).

Hookers: DT Deans (Hawick), FA Laidlaw (Melrose, Captain).

Props: AB Carmichael (West of Scotland), J McLauchlan (Jordanhill College), N Suddon (Hawick).

Locks: GL Brown (West of Scotland), PC Brown (Gala), PK Stagg (Sale).

Back row: RJ Arneil (Edinburgh Academical), TG Elliot (Langholm), W Lauder (Neath), GK Oliver (Gala).

It was an experienced party, only Edinburgh University student Sharp and Gala back rower Oliver were uncapped. Sharp, unfortunately, had to withdraw before the party left, to be replaced by Gala's Drew Gill, whose selection took his club's representation to six. Poor Sharp never did get a cap.

Tour Captain Frank Laidlaw

The tour party flew out on 14 May, heading for Melbourne, in the heart of Australian Rules territory, where they played the opener, against Victoria, under the Onslow Park floodlights six days later.

Victoria is traditionally one of the weaker Australian states and the game proved a nice easy opener for the tourists, who won 34-0. Wilson Lauder, the Neath flanker, was the star of the show, with 19 points, from two tries, five conversions and a penalty goal. The Reuters reports published in the Scottish papers, did not identify who scored the other points, from five tries.

From Melbourne, the Scots travelled north, to Sydney, where match two pitted them against the full New South Wales XV, traditionally the strongest state side in Australia.

This strength was demonstrated as NSW inflicted the first defeat of the tour on the Scots, winning 28-14, Mike Smith and John Frame got tries for the Scots, with Reuters crediting the other eight points, from a conversion and two penalty goals, to Gala's Ken Oliver. I suspect, however, the actual scorer was either Peter Brown or, more-likely, Wilson Lauder.

This loss put additional pressure on the Scots in match three, against a New South Wales County XV, at Bathurst, a place better-known in the world of motor sport.

The County XV played hard, but, quality told in the end, as Colin Telfer secured an 18-15 win for the Scots via a last-minute dropped goal.

Telfer had started the game at full back, but moved up to his more-normal stand-off role after match-day skipper Ian Robertson , who had scored the Scots' only try, had to go off injured early in the second half.

Lauder's goal-kicking was again crucial to the Scots, as he goaled four penalties. The County XV, who included several Wallabies caps, actually out-scored the Scots, two tries to one.

From Bathurst, the Scots moved north to Brisbane, to face a Queensland team determined to match what New South Wales had done, and beat the tourists.

Queensland led 3-0 at the interval, increasing that lead to 13-0 before the Scots, who had perhaps kicked too much up until then, decided they had nothig to lose by spinning the ball wide.

Alistair Biggar, who was having a terrific game, and John Frame, both scored tries, converted by the reliable Lauder. Queensland then put daylight between the sides via a penalty goal, answered in kind by Lauder, but, although the Scots battered the Queensland line, after the hosts were reduced to 14 men, Dunworth sent off after a fiery exchange of views by the rival packs. Queensland held out to win 16-13.

The tour party then turned south, back to Sydney, for the final two games of the tour. The midweek match pitted them against a Sydney XV and this was to prove a significant match in the history of Scottish rugby, as for the only time in their international careers, the Brown brothers from Troon formed the Scotland boiler-house partnership.

The Sydney XV included a surprise choice, 18-year-old Russell Fairfax, who would go on to have a stellar career in both Union and Rugby League, but, on this occasion, as the Scots produced their best display of the tour, he would finish on the losing side.

Wilson Lauder - kicked his way to top scorer on the tour

Wilson Lauder was again a key man for the Scots, contributing 18 points to their 27-12 win, from three conversions and four penalty goals.

Scotland's three tries came from Gordon Brown, Ken Oliver and Mike Smith and, after this impressive wins, the hard-nosed Sydney bookies slashed the odds against the tourists beating Australia in Saturday's Test.

The Scottish captain Frank Laidlaw had been struggling with a serious calf injury, but, after his number two, Hawick's Derek Deans, sustained an injury in the win over Sydney, it was apparent that, although he could barely run, Laidlaw would have to be in his usual place, in the middle of the front row, in the Test. The Scotland team was named as:

Jock Turner, Alistair Biggar, John Frame, Chris Rea, Mike Smith; Ian Robertson, Duncan Paterson; Norman Suddon, Frank Laidlaw, Sandy Carmichael, Gordon Brown, Peter Brown, Wilson Lauder, Ken Oliver, Roger Arneil.

Sadly for the family, the chance to see the Brown brothers in tandem at lock in a full Test match was lost when Peter, who had been troubled by a head injury, sustained early in the tour, had to pull out, with Peter Stagg coming in.

The Scots pack were out-played throughout the game, as the Australians surged into an 8-0 lead, before a Lauder penalty made it 8-3 at the interval.

However, after the break, the Australians pulled away, adding 16 unanswered points for their first win over the Scots since 1947. That second half was marred by several punch-ups between the packs, and, while the Scots finished strongly, the home defence held firm.

As Yon Erudite Glaswegian Observed - Oh Fuck, There's Twa O' Them

THERE IS a very-interesting story in today's New Zealand Herald, suggesting another private equity firm, the US-based Silver Lake, is talking to the New Zealand Rugby Union about taking a stake in the game.

Nobody is saying anything openly, but, if this NZ Herald exclusive has any substance, then the consequences might be dynamic for the game, with Silver Lake – whose portfolio includes UFC martial arts fighting, New York's iconic Maddison Square Garden and a stake in football's Manchester City.

The Herald story stresses, any talks with the big hitters in Auckland, are still at a very early stage, but, if things do move on, and we have a situation where Silver Lake has a stake in New Zealand Rugby, with rivals CVC Capital Partners having a say in the English Premiership, the PRO14 and possibly the Six Nations – well, we could be getting into boxing territory, with rival companies jostling to be the top dogs in the game.

And what this will mean for professional rugby, I shudder to think. Cleary, the global pandemic and in particular how we come out of it, will have huge ramifications for sport and, for the elite cadre of professional sports administrators around the global game, just how they finance their lavish life styles will be a major concern.

But, on the brighter side, those of us whose interests are more mundane, at the level of our local clubs, just might see our sport recast in a more-sustainable way.

These current “Interesting Times” we are living through, will not become boring for a wee while yet, I fear.

RICHARD COCKERILL has taken a wee bit of flak of late, between signing untried South African teenagers, and journeymen Australians, then allowing local boy and fans' favourite Matt Scott to leave. So, it was good to see him slapping a fresh coat of tartan paint on the Edinburgh squad yesterday, by announcing the signings of Nathan Chamberlain, Ben Muncaster and Dan Gamble.

And, according to the font of all Scottish Rugby news, The Offside Line, more young Scots are headed for BT Murrayfield, with Under-20 caps, Connor Boyle, Rory Darge and Sam Grahamslaw on the verge of picking up professional contracts, and heavy hints of Ayrshire Bulls' prospect Marshall Sykes, Watsonians' Jamie Hodgson and Heriot's Charlie Jupp all being considered for Edinburgh contracts.

Good players though these young men are, and all have shown up well in the somewhat disjointed first season of the FOSROC Super6 tier of the game, I doubt if they would be any more than bench fodder if and when the PRO14 resumes.

Of more interest is Cockers' cryptic hint about a more-experienced Scottish-qualified lock coming in to offer an alternative to Grant Gilchrist and Ben Toolis. I cannot think who he might have in mind, maybe young Alex Craig from Gloucester? I honestly cannot think of any other potential players in the position, and, given how well he has played since going there on-loan, and the financial implications of the London club, I would have thought there was a case for trying to get Calum Hunter-Hill back into the Edinburgh squad.

WILL IT BE a thoroughbred, or a camel (a horse designed by a committee)? That is my first thought when I conasider the new “Open” Conference, designed to sit above the hitherto premier “Shogun” Conference in the SRU's Youth Conferences.

The new competition will feature perennial contenders: Ayr/Wellington, Boroughmuir and Stirling County, who will be joined by: Hawick Youth, Marr College and Melrose Wasps/Earlston HS. These six teams will play each other, home and away, at Under-18, Under-16 and Under-15 level.

All well and good, but, purists might blanche somewhat at the absence from the new league of GHA and Jed Thistle, the two clubs whose chance of Murrayfield glory in this season's Under-18 cup final was denied them by the Coronavirus outbreak.

Jed are perennial contenders at this level, while GHA has access to arguably Glasgow's two top rugby-playing schools, Hutcheson's Grammar School and St Aloysius College, so, for me definitely has the pedigree to be involved at this level.

Mind you, if the SRU was serious about seeing the best of our young talent competing against each other, they'd be telling the “posh” schools to come out of their wee exclusive ivory towers and take on the ruffians from club land.

Some of the worthies at Marr, for instance, while looking forsward to competing in the new competition, and absolutely relishing the prospect of local derbies against Ayr/Wellington, were none too-pleased at being denied games against some of the supposedly “better” schools, on the grounds they didn't have the ability to field two XVs at Under-16 and Under-18 level every week.

It has also been suggested, I understand, that the fact the Marr College team which embarrassed one or two private schools during their brilliant run in the Scottish Schools Cup in the season just ended, contained one or two boys who went to other schools, such as non-rugby-playing Prestwick Academy, wasn't acceptable to schools who think nothing of offering rugby scholarships to boys from state schools to fill talent gaps. But, don't do as we do, do as we instruct the SRU to tell you has long been a fact of life in certain leafy Edinburgh enclaves.

I certainly wish the new league well and look forward to seeing it flourishing.

Cuts Are Coming - But, How Deep will They Be?

SOME fellow members of the Scottish Rugby Brains Trust and I have been speculating on what a Scottish version of the New Zealand Rugby Union's proposed internal tournament, aimed at getting their top sides playing again, might look like.

The New Zealand proposals would have their five Super Rugby franchises playing each other in closed stadia as a means of getting them up to speed, in preparation for a later return to full play in Super Rugby and in time, the international game.

In New Zealand, with the Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders and Hurricanes – you have sufficient numbers to run a viable competition. We don't have that number of teams in Scotland, so, Edinburgh v Glasgow played on a constant loop simply would not work.

However, we do have – when we count the six FOSROC franchises - a total of eight teams in Scotland who are wholly-owned, or have their finances under-pinned by the SRU. Two plus six used to, when I was at school, add-up to eight; eight clubs is the right number for a viable competition. After all, the idea is to prepare the teams for a return to normality – or whatever passes for normality in this post-pandemic world.

If, as we have been told, S6 is, in part, to be a means of bridging the gap between the club and professional tiers of the game, well, here is a good opportunity, by mixing and matching, to see how deep is our talent pool, and how well the full-time and semi-professional players perform together.

New Zealand TV will, naturally, fall over themselves to broadcast the games involving their teams – even if these are played in empty stadia. Ah hae ma doots about Premier Sports being as-keen to showcase my proposed eight-club series.

Indeed, it may well be that, if such a tournament was to be played, the only broadcast outlet might be Scottish Rugby TV, or, perhaps if the SRU asked politely enough – BBC Shortbread.

Given we would probably have to see player pools mixed-up somewhat, I don't know if we could stick with the usual team names. We could always rename the teams temporarily, perhaps as districts: Caledonia North, Caledonia Midlands, Edinburgh North, Edinburgh South, The South, The Borders, Glasgow, West of Scotland.

However, from where I am sitting, getting the big boys back playing is not the most-important thing. How we get the grass roots clubs playing, and what sort of game they will be embracing, is far-more important to the long-term well-being of the game in Scotland.

While I can still see the game of rugby being shut down for the remainder of 2020, and well into 2021, how we get things restarted at ordinary club level will, I feel, be THE most-difficult problem for the SRU to overcome.

The Union's entire management model in recent years has been focussed on the professional game. The basic tactic is to have a Scotland team playing such entertaining, successful rugby, that every game at BT Murrayfield is a sell-out and that gate money generated, plus the TV income runs the entire show.

So, after the financial hit the Union will have to take with the shut-down, it stands to reason, the executive's focus will be on getting the golden goose back laying again.

And the ordinary clubs, who regardless of the fact they own the Union, tend to be perceived in the corridors of power as something of a drain on resources and time, well, they will come a poor second to the performance teams when it comes to the paid administrators' attention span.

Mind you, this morning's news that the New Zealand Rugby Union is considering losing half of its 180 full-time staff, coming on top of rumours of carnage on the job front at Twickenham, an absolute melt down in Sydney and prophesies of doom in Cardiff, just might cause some concern among the 450 employees of the SRU.

Surely, if we are to survive – we MUST lose a lot of fat from BT Murrayfield. Well, if they ask me, I could, like Koko, the Lord High Executioner in The Mikado provide a little list, and I could guarantee, of the names on that list: “There's none of them be missed, there's none of them be missed.”

This pandemic offers us a chance to restructure the SRU and Scottish Rugby, and make it ready to move ahead, once we get to what I hope will be the new normal. But, will the game take this chance? I hope so.

A Wise Elder Statesman Makes A Controversial Suggestion

TODAY'S conversation starter comes from an original idea by opne of Scottish Rugby's elder statesmen: “Lord Lothian of Leith,” or Bill Lothian as he is better known in rugby circles.

Bill Lothian

The erudite and distinguished former rugby correspondent of The Edinburgh Evening News, in a Facebook post this morning wrote:

“Fed up with words like “catastrophe” and “grave peril” being attached to pro sport along with their appeals for public hand outs.

What would be so wrong in being amateur? Like the GAA?

Sport should firstly be about playing and if we could get rid of some leeches draining our sports of cash that would be as big a bonus as ending the practice of “buying” Olympic medals for jingoistic governments to boast about.”

Bill's suggestion has its merits and is worth considering. However, I fear the ever-growing (thus far) army of professional sports administrators who have been allowed to breed like rabbits these past few decades will prove as difficult to eardicate as, well rabbits.

These paper shufflers and desk jockeys are remarkably good at making themselves indispensable, and they can expand their wee empires faster than even the British in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Curbing their powers, then getting rid of their excess numbers will prove to be a long-term process, with no guarantee of eventual success.

If I may indulge in blatant pedantry - “sport” is, strictly speaking, country pursuits: Huntin'. Shootin' and fishin'. “Sports” such as athletics, basketball, cricket, duathlon, equestrian sports, football, golf, hockey, ice hockey, judo, karate, lawn tennis, motor sport, netball, orienteering, petangue, quoiting, rugby, squash, table tennis, ultra-running, volleyball, wrestling, x-games, yachting, zorb football – to name but 26, are actually games.

In most cases, sadly: “The game's a bogey” when it comes to curbing the power of the professional sports administrators. After all, all those participants in these games need the right equipment, which is now a multi-billion dollar industry. The people selling these must-have pieces of equipment, such as the “Air Jordan”, Adidas or Puma shoes and clothing need to be able to interact with fellow professionals.

Governments, when using games for prestige, like to know they are speaking to the same people on a regular basis, today's journalists want to have continuity of contact with the people running the game they are writing about, hence, the proliferation of professional administrators.

Take the SRU as an example – the President changes every two years, Council members come and go, but, the executives – even when they mess-up badly, are rarely replaced. They offer the continuity the equipment manufacturers and politicians crave.

However, as Bill says in his Facebook post: “What would be so wrong in being amateur?” After all, amateur comes from the very first Latin word old Bill Pitkethley ever asked my class-mates and I in 1A at The Academy to decline, back there in 1958. I can still do the declination by rote: “Amo, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant.” Back then, love was truly all around. And, if you don't love a game, why are you playing it?

Croke Park - home of the strictly-amateur GAA

When you look at how well-run Ireland's Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is – arguably the largest truly-amateur sporting body in the world – then there is something to be said for our elected representatives culling the professional administrators, and getting back to basics. Maybe, in the new normal post-pandemic, this will happen.

I fear, however, the professional arm of rugby will continue to be important once we get out of lockdown – too-many vested interests. However, I still maintain, we will see some serious cut-backs, there is no way the SRU can continue to justify 450 employees, once this is over.

My other fear is, the very-real problems in the game will be largely ignored at a time, with nothing happening playing-wise, we have time to look at the faults and resolve to do something about them.

I don't see us sorting-out the failings in the current Laws of the Game – the scrum, the breakdown etc., and, more-importantly, the proper policing of these.

I will continue to argue for changes which will make the grass roots community game safer, less-attritional and more-acceptable to play. I would also argue that the SRU should de-centralise more at grass-roots level, and, that we do something to curb the power of the private schools to establish a level playing field between club and school games at under-18 level.

As for Bill's final point about: “the practice of “buying” Olympic medals for jingoistic governments to boast about.” I fancy that might change going forward, but, again, entrenched interests in the world of sports administration etc. will fight it to the bitter end.

Oh Canada! An All But Forgotten Enjoyable Tour

WE CONTINUE our trawl through Scottish Rugby history with a look at a tour which even I, with over 60-years' experience of the roller coaster ride that is following Scottish rugby had forgotten about – the 1964 tour to Canada.

Having broken the mould of touring with their 1960 safari to South Africa, the SRU sought fresh climes again four years later, by sending “A Scottish XV” squad on a five-match tour of the dominion. The Scots travelled in high spirits, they had shared that season's Five Nations with Wales, and, in what is now remembered as: “Jim Telfer's Match,” they had won the Calcutta Cup outright for the first time since 1950.

As ever in those days of amateurism, they had to travel without one or two players. Full back Stewart Wilson had university exams, Peter Brown, then just establishing himself in the boiler house could not get time off work, while Mike Campbell-Lammerton and Ronnie Glasgow had been chosen for an International squad, to take-on the Springboks in a series of special anniversary celebration games.

The Scots would still be the first of the Home Countries to visit Canada, the tour being specifically to mark the 75^th anniversary of the founding of the British Columbia Rugby Union.

The selectors named the following squad:

Back Three: Ken Scotland (Aberdeenshire), Christy Elliot (Langholm), Sandy Hinshelwood (Stewart's College FP).

Centres: Brian Henderson (Edinburgh Wanderers), Ian Laughland, Jim Shackelton (both London Scottish), Geordie Stevenson (Hawick).

Stand-Offs: David Chisholm (Melrose), Brian Simmers (Glasgow Academicals).

Scrum-halves: Eck Hastie (Melrose), Graham Young (Watsonians).

Hookers: Norman Bruce (London Scottish), Frank Laidlaw (Melrose).

Props: Brian Neill (Edinburgh Academical, Captain), David Rollo (Howe of Fife), Norman Suddon (Hawick).

Locks: Jim Buchanan (Jordanhill College), Billy Hunter (Hawick), Erle Mitchell (Edinburgh University).

Back Row: Keith Bearne (Liverpool), Pringle Fisher (Royal High School FP), Derrick Grant (Hawick), Jim Telfer (Melrose).

Canadian Tour captain Brian Neill, centre of the picture

about to tackle All Black Denis Young.

The joint tour managers were Charlie Drummond of Melrose and Hector Monro of Langholm and the party flew out to Toronto, from Prestwick, on 5 May.

Looking back on the tour this week, Brian Simmers said: “It was a terrific tour, the Canadian hospitality was wonderful, the opposition, apart from British Columbia, was not particularly taxing and we had a great time.

“It was maybe in some ways too-long, at least in Toronto, where one or two of the guys fell in love with Canadian ladies.”

The opening match pitted the Scots against Ontario. It was played on a rock-hard pitch, and in winds gusting to 50 miles per hour. The Scots won 17-10, a score line which was put down to fantastic backs to the wall defence from the home team.

Ken Scotland opened the scoring with a penalty goal, but this was quickly overtaken by a converted breakaway try from the home side. However, a try from skipper Neill, converted by Scotland and an unconverted Christy Elliot touch down had the Scots 11-5 up at the break.

Fantastic defence rationed the Scots to two unconverted tries in the second half, Jim Telfer getting the first of these, Keith Bearne the second, before a last-minute converted try for Ontario completed the scoring.

The tourists remained in Toronto for the second match, a 16 tries, 75-0 romp against a totally out-gunned Eastern Universities XV.

Leading 26-0 at the interval, the Scots really let rip in the second 40 minutes. Top try scorer was flanker Bearne, who touched down five times. Brian Simmers grabbed four tries, the pick of them being when he ghosted past seven opponents to touch down.

Brian Simmers - has fond memories of the Tour

“I was never a great try-scorer, and, I am sorry to say I had forgotten all about those four in one game,” said the ever-modest Simmers, now Hon. President of Glasgow Hawks.

Geordie Stevenson, Pringle Fisher and Sandy Hinshelwood each scored two tries, Ken Scotland claimed one try, plus eight conversions and a penalty goal, with Christy Elliot completing the scoring with four conversions.

The touring party then flew right across Canada, over the Rockies and on to Vancouver Island, where they faced British Columbia, traditionally the powerhouse province in Canadian rugby.

But, the gap between Canadian and Scottish rugby was again exposed, as the Scots triumphed 21-0. Once again, they struggled a wee bit in the first half, in whch their only score was an unconverted Geordie Stevenson try, supporting a Jim Telfer break. In the second half, however, they cut loose. Ian Laughland scored, Ken Scotland converting; then Stevenson scored a second try, from another Telfer burst, before Davie Chisholm and Brian Henderson scored tries, each converted by Ken Scotland, to complete a comfortable win.

From Vancouver Island, it was on to one of the most-senic ferry journeys on earth, to Vancounver, to face WESTERN CANADA, at Brockton Oval, in the heart of the magnificent Stanley Park, Vancouver.

Jim Telfer opened the scoring with an unconverted try, before a brace of Christy Elliot penalties put the Scots 9-0 up at the interval. In the second half, Jim Shackelton added a try, converted by Ken Scotland, but the tourists hopes of a third straight whitewash were undone when Mackee scored a last-gasp try for the hosts.

The party then retraced their steps across the vast nation, to Montreal, where they would play their final game, against Quebec.

A Brennan penalty put the home team ahead early-on. This, however, was quickly nullified by a Pringle Fisher try, converted by Christy Elliot.

After that, it was very much the Sandy Hinshelwood show, as the young winger profited from his side's dominance. He scored a first-half hat-trick,the last of his three touch downs converted by Elliot, to put the tourists 16-3 in front at the change over.

Sandy Hinshelwood - five tries in one game

Still Sandy wasn't finished; he scored the first two of seven second-half tries, completing a rush of five straight tries in one match. The other second half touch downs were credited to Laughland, Simmers, Bearne, Shackelton and Laiughland again, with Elliot and Chisholm each converting two.

Hinshelwood might have grabbed the headlines with his try scoring, but, the man who really impressed the watching Canadians was Brian Simmers, playing out of position.

His display, at full-back was described as: “The finest demonstration of running full-back play yet seen in Canada.” Modest as always, Simmers this week described that as a case of: “me being allowed to write a bit of the report!!”

All five games won, 38 tries scored, one or two younger players blooded, some fantastic Canadian hospitality enjoyed, it was a happy party who arrived back in Scotland in late May after a wonderful trip, short tours were now here to stay.

Heavy Reading - But Worth Ploughing Through

I AM still working my way through the details of the SRU's Decision-Making Matrix. (By the way, many thanks to David Barnes for publishing a link to it, trying to find it on the SRU website, where it seems to be hidden behind ten levels of smoke, mirrors, passwords and anti-virus protection proved beyond me.)

What is published is heavily redacted, understandable, since most of the redactions concern matters of extreme sensitivity, but, what immediately struck me was – just how little say in things the Council actually has.

We are told, this body has overall responsibility to the clubs – who actually own the SRU and should have oversight on the activities of the Executive and the main SRU Board.

Then, when you start reading through the various levels of responsibiloity, what is immediately striking how seldom the Council actually has a say.

The various constituent parts of the SRU: the Executive, the Board, the Board sub-committees, the Council and the Member Clubs each has a part to play in decision-making. But, in Section One, covering appointments, the Clubs only need to approve: the new President and Vice President and the Council members.

The Council only needs to approve five appointments: their own nominated Non-Executive Directors to the Board, the International representatives in their capacity as ex-officio Council members, SRU Trustees, Chair and Members of Council-sponsored Standing Committees and Working Parties and Under-18 and Under-20 Ambassadors.

The CEO, for instance, gets to recommend – subject to Board approval: other Executive Directors, subsidiary company Directors, the Championship Committee convener, the Reserve League Committee convener and ther Chair and members of the Discipline Panel and Appeals panel. Since these last three appointments are all concerned with the club game, surely it makes sense to have the clubs' representatives – the Council members, more involved in deciding who gets these posts rather than merely being telt from on-high: “Pugh will chair the Discipline Panel, assisted by Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb.”

TCD could put this team on an SRU committee,

and there's nothing the Council could do about it

The CEO also gets to recommend the National Team Head Coach. I think that job ought not be down to just one man, although I accept Board approval is still needed. The job of Chairman is down to the Board's nominations committee, perhaps when the time comes to name a successor to Gregor Townsend, the noms com. Might also have some involvement.

Section two of the document covers SRU rules and regulations, and here, as the representatives of the Clubs, who “own” the SRU, you might expect the Council to have more of a say.

However, the Council has approval of only 4 of the 18 sections covered in this part of the document, they can only recommend in 3 sections, consult and inform on 4 and consult and recommend on just one.

The overall Membership need to approve a mere four articles here, while the Executive/CEO get to make recommendations on nine of the sections. The Board has most say on these matters, being required to recommend in four cases, approve in ten and only7 to be informed in a further four.

It is in section three of the document, which covers Decisions, that the true relative impotency of the Council is shown. This section covers 24 different decisions which have to be made.

The Council only has to approve: the decision to call the AGM and propose the motion. The Council is consulted on the SRU's strategic plan

and gets to make recommendations when it comes to disposal of the whole or substantial parts of the SRU's assets.

In a further 16 decisions, covering such areas as: date, time and venue for the AGM, the annual budget, external investment (Nice, Old Glory), full and associate membershiops, change of club names, removal of club membership status, the Council, the clubs' representative body, need only be informed of what is happening.

Section Four of the document covers decisions usually reserved to the Board and Executive/CEO. Therefore, it is to be expected that the Council will not be involved in too-many of these decisions. This section covers 27 sections. The first of these listed is the Scotland national team strip design, while the subject of stirp sponsorship is also covered.

The Executive/CEO make recommendations on this, subject to Board approval, but, in what might possibly be seen as a subject for debate – shirt sponsorship, the Council has no say, but, will be informed as to the Board's decision.

However, of the 27 sections in this part of the document, the Council need only be informed as to decisions in eight – so much for over sight.

Section Five of the document is redacted in its entirity, but, since this covers operational expenditure limits and contract signings, we should hardly be surprised at this redaction – don't want anyone outside The Ruling Junta knowing what is going on.

This long-hidden document surfacing has clearly caused a few uncomfortable questins to be asked – the question now is: who is going to ask them?

Finally - Barney Finds The Smoking Gun

SCOTTISH RUGBY followers, instead of wasting your time standing outside and applauding our wonderful National Health Service and care sector workers of a Thursday evening – when this is over, de Piffle and the Toerags will still starve them of resources and under-pay them, it's what Toerags do- your applause will not make one iota of difference.

Instead, everyone with the good of Scottish Rugby at heart MUST read the current “splash” on the wonderful The Offside Line. Then, stand up and give the biggest standing ovation we can to the author, big David Barnes.

David Barnes - a brilliant piece of investigative journalism

Because, in researching and writing the piece, big Barney has finally found the smoking gun we have all been looking for as far as the moger which has been Scottish Rugby governance.

Here is the link to Barney's story:

https://www.theoffsideline.com/decision-making-matrix/?v=79cba1185463

I had never heard of the Decision-Making Matrix before, up until Barney put this thread up yesterday, D-MM was a bigger and deeper state secret than what actually went on between Gregor Townsend and Finn Russell. But, now D-MM is out in the open, all I can say is: “Wow! Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab.”

The existence of D-MM explains a lot, and, if enough people read Barney's “smoking gun expose” rather than being outside clapping for the nurses, we will be lined-up on Roseburn Drive, chanting: “Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio,” as a taxi contining TCD and The Consigliore departs.

That's the best that should happen to these two desperados, if it was up to me their departure would involve a tar barrell, a huge pile of feathers and a length of railroad steel.

And, while we are at it, one or two of “The great and good” of Scottish Rugby ought to have their priveleges removed and be telt: “Never darken Murrayfield's door again,” for they are the people who allowed this clusterfuck to happen and the poison to spread.

Please, I encourage you all – read Barney's excellent piece, then, don't get mad, quiet simmering anger will do, but, get even and make sure, we get rid of the bad guys on The Junta and reform Scottish Rugby, ready for the serious challenges of rebuilding the sport once the current pandemic is beaten.

This is, of necessity, a very short blog; because I cannot trust myself to write more, I am so angry at learning what Barney has unearthed.

Read the story yourselves, I am sure you will be as angry as I am.