I Hope Andy Gets It Right This Time

WHEN, as teenagers, they locked the Glasgow Hawks and Scotland Under-20 scrum together, I rather fancied Andrew Davidson would break through faster than Scott Cummings – I got that one wrong then. Today, big Scott is a Scotland regular, while Andy's restless nature has taken him off to Gloucester.

 

 

Andy has been messed about a lot by Murrayfield. While in the Academy, he was sent down to London Scottish, and they couldn't even supply a bed long enough for his six foot eight frame. Some, such as George Horne and Robbie Fergusson thrived at Richmond Athletic Ground, Andy didn't. He came back up the road, was made a derisory offer to play for Glasgow – by the Lesser-spotted Johnson, (remember him) and opted for a better offer from Newcastle Falcons' Academy – where he thrived and broke into their first-team squad.

Back then to Glasgow where he played more games for Ayr or Stirling County, then along the M8 to Edinburgh, now off to Gloucester, where he could form an exciting boiler house partnership with “Galloway-Irishman Alex Craig.

I have a definite soft spot for big Andy, I hope this time, it works for him. Scotland, as a nation,has never been over-endowed with useful big men, what a shame, Andy is just one of several around these days, whose attributes do not seem to be appreciated by the Murrayfield insiders.

I know, with only two full-time SRU-owned clubs, decisions as to which young players to keep and which to let go are difficult, but, a few they have released have flourished outside the SRU bubble – Andy could well be another.

And, speaking of locks – when, if ever, are we going to see the dream team of Richie Gray and Leone Nakarawa locking a Glasgow scrum? Asking for a friend.

WE ALL know that legendary story of the proud Scottish mother, watching the troops from a Highland regiment marching through the toon, pipes playing, bayonets fixed, flags flying – who suddenly shouts out: “Look, they're awe oot o' step but oor Jock.”

Something definitely Scottish about that old chestnut. However, when it comes to the vexing problem of The British and Irish Lions, I think it is a case of: “I say, everyone's out of step except our Rupert.” (in a Home Counties accent). Because the biggest barrier in the way of getting a tour to South Africa any time soon is the powerful club lobby within the RFU.

I honestly fear we might not see the 2021 Tour happen – because if we are relying on the governments of the UK and South Africa to get a proper vaccination programme in place any time soon – that is surely a triumph of hope over expectation which not even Dorothy Parker, who coined that phrase, could envisage.

We all know Baw Jaws and Co couldnae run a gird, but, I hear from South African friends, the Toerags down at Westminster are paragons of competence compared to the guys running thing in the Rainbow Nation.

Various alternatives have been suggested, all of which have drawbacks:

• Put the Tour back until the Autumn

• The English clubs would kick-up hell, as this would get in the way of their European hopes

• Reverse the fixtures and have the South Africans – the World Champions - tour the British Isles

• Would crowds be allowed?

• Quarantine protocols could be a problem

• Who would play against South Africa, other than the four Home Nations?

• Where would the games be held?

• What would be the division of finances?

• Put the tour back to 2022

• How would this impact on 2023 World Cup preparations?

Could they all agree. Whatever happens England will want to have the biggest say, and that could be bad news for the Celtic fringes.

 

 

I have to an extent fallen out of love with the Lions concept – probably because we Scots have not had a fair crack of the whip around recent squads. Some Scot, I fear, must have given the young Gatland a doing, so little regard does he have for us and our players.

Maybe it's time to reinvent the Lions concept;. Perhaps make the Lions a development side, taking the best of the young talent in the British Isles, mix it with some experienced old heads, who are easing down their international commitments, and perhaps filling a development role among the tier two and three nations.

Such are the physical demands of modern international rugby, the top players I feel, certainly need at least one long summer break over a four-year World Cup cycle. Better to be relaxing on some beach, than off on a Lions Tour, even one of today's ridiculously short ones.

We really need to either rethink the Lions concept, or bin them altogether and concentrate on real international rugby. I know, it's a hard one.

I AM currently helping out an Ayrshire club, trace some old guys for a forthcoming anniversary. Along the way I am touching base with one or two guys I have neither seen, nor thought off, in many a long day.

It's good fun, remembering some of the scrapes we got into back in the carefree amateur days of yore. I think we definitely had more fun. Without leagues back then, sure, it hurt to lose, particularly if, as often happened, you were screwed by a referee named ”Homer,” stupid, and definitely yellow when it came to penalising the home team.

Here in the South West, we barely had to travel more than 50 miles for a game and we had great fun. Hopefully, in the aftermath of Covid, we will get back to a more-localised and enjoyable brand of rugby.

But, it has been great fun reconnecting with some past legends.

Sinners Brought To Book

THE BOY TOY (well, if I'm her Toy Boy, she must be my Boy Toy) treated me to some vouchers for Christmas, which I converted into sports books I wanted to read. One of these was: Saving Rugby Union – The Price of Professionalism, by Ross Reyburn.

Reyburn, the son of Kiwi rugby-writing legend Wallace Reyburn, if a former feature writer on the Birmingham Post, which shows in the stylke. The book might have benefitted from harder sub-editing; but, that said, it's an interesting and worthwhile read: which makes some excellent points.

I commend it to the house, but feel it will not be welcomed in one or two households, namely among others, those of Bill Beaumont, Brett Gosper and John Jeffrey (pictured below) – all of whom face charges of taking their eye off the ball when it comes to World Rugby's duty of care to the game's professional players.

 

 

The game's elite referees, and their referee managers, don't come out of it smelling of roses either, as Reyburn skewers them for simply refusing to enforce the Laws of the Game as they should be:

• The mess that is the current scrum, including squint feeds and the way it is increasingly used to milk penalties

• The way squint line-out feeds are becoming accepted – here I would add the Assistant Referees' failure to make hookers throw-in from behind the touchline

• The policing of the breakdown, in particular the “torpedo” arrival at a ruck

• The nonsense of having eight replacements available at the top level

Add a withering foreword from the great Willie-John McBride and the fact few if any rugby men, outside the magic circle of the blazeratti, will argue with many of Reyburn's findings.

This book deserves the widest-possible circulation among the rugby family. Mr Reyburn asks a lot of questions which need urgent answers, for the good of the game.

I WAS chatting, yesterday, to arguably the top rugby writer, active in Scotland today – who admitted, at one point on Saturday afternoon he envied me being on the Murrayfield black list, and unable to witness the dire awfulness of the Edinburgh v Glasgow bore-fest. That's one Saturday afternoon he will never get back.

I am more than ever convinced, my initial thoughts, as expressed in yesterday's blog, is that the two coaches be telt - “Play the kids and get them game time and experience.”

OK, I do not think we will be seeing crowds admitted this season, I have my doubts if the vaccination programme will be sufficiently advanced to make letting fans in possible. You might argue, the lack of atmosphere might not help, but, I feel giving the kids their heads without the pressure of expectation from the sidelines might pay dividends in the long run.

AND – pro-actively promote and encourage young Scots. Forget the current obsession with recruiting Saffers and give the home crop its chance.

GIVEN the way this new strain of Covid is rampaging through this country and also South Africa, I would reckon there is a very-good chance the Lions' Tour, due this summer, will be booted not so much into the long grass as out of the stadium.

I just cannot see it being allowed to happen – with or without spectators. This will be a double disaster, for the South African Rugby Board, who desperately need the millions this tour will generate in revenue, and for the big-money tour operators.

It's cancellation might be a God-send for the people nobody considers in this – the players. If no tour happens, they just might be able to have a half-decent length of time off during the summer of 2021, to spend time with their families, give their tired bodies a rest and come back rested and raring to go when we do get back to something like normality.

Or will they? If the tour doesn't happen, I am sure the money men at the top of the various Unions will come up with something to try to keep the poor bloody infantry among the ranks of players busy.

 

 

JAMIE BHATTI, (pictured above), couldn't get out of the Edinburgh escape tunnel quickly enough, when the chance came to move to Bath.

The English club supposedly had a propping crisis on their hands, and the notion was, Jamie would get the playing time at The Rec, he couldn't get at Murrayfield.

So, I switched on yesterday's Leicester v Bath game on BT Sport TV, and where was Jamie? Exactly where he had been with Edinburgh – third-choice loose-head and watching-on. If it wasn't for his bad luck, he'd hae nae luck.

I HEARD a definite Colemanballs contender yesterday, when I tuned into BT Sport. Dear old UGO Moyne informed his audience: “Bristol are currently without two complete first-choice front rows.” Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, 60-years in rugby and up until then, I never knew you could have two first-choice front rows!!!

A New Year List With A Difference

WEE JOCK MUNRO was a more-than-useful scrum-half for Kilmarnock and Cumnock. He married one of the MacMillans from Stranraer, so, Curling is now his game, although he was still, until Covid, a regular attender at Scotland internationals home and away, and his daughter Robyn just might make it to the top of the Roaring Game..

Jock posted the following message on Facebook, on New Year's Day, and I thought it deserved to be pinched for the blog.

“Hogmanay, supping a lovely bottle of chateau neuf du pape, reminiscing about the many great players I have seen playing live. So I made a list. This is not my list of the greatest players ever, but the ones I have seen and were a joy to watch. In no particular order:

David Duckham

Andy Irvine

Barry John

Gareth Edwards

Phil Bennett

John Rutherford

Gary Armstrong

Mike Gibson

Jean Pierre Rives

David Leslie

Phillipe Sella

Vincent Clerc

Finn Russell

Wullie John McBride

Favourites: Rutherford, Armstrong, Russell and Clerc.

I’ve probably missed a few, but they are the ones that stick out. Feel free to add your own.”

It's not a bad list, and a few of them would make my own particular list. But, note, the only contemporary player to make the cut is Finn Russell (pictured below). Jock has just confirmed what I have been thinking for some years – professionalism, or at least the way the professional game has been allowed to go, has taken individual brilliance out of the game.

 

 

Today, it's almost “Rugby by numbers,” and, as in North American professional sport – we have gone down the road of “The Coach as God.” This is not good for the long-term health of the game.

Player burn-out is another factor in today's game. Speaking of this, and looking back to how it used to be – albeit to an extreme case, but, I can still recall reading about the great Jim Greenwood, legendary Scottish international back rower, international team captain and, following his many years at Loughborough University, described as: “The Best Coach Scotland Never Had.”

 

Jim Greenwood
 

Greenwood's breakthrough to the top flight of the international game came during the 1955 British Lions Tour to South Africa. At the time of the Tour, he was teaching and playing for Dunfermline and the North and Midlands. The story is that Greenwood came back from South Africa at the end of September, 1955, went back to the blackboard and did not play again until December.

He played one game for Dunfermline, three for North and Midlands, the final Scottish Trial then the four games in the Five Nations of 1956. That was his playing record for that season – eight matches. Different times right enough.

With today's programme of domestic league matches, European ties, the Six Nations, a summer tour and the Autumn Internationals, no wonder we see more injuries and player burn-out.

Sure, players had short careers too in the amateur days, because there would come a point when it was a straight choice between playing rugby and the demands of a career and family. Just think of some of the legends who had to turn down the chance to tour with the Lions, because they simply could not afford to take time off their work to travel.

WATCHING the Gallagher Premiership meeting of Gloucester and Sale on Saturday night, I noticed, as one of Sale's many South Africans – their tight-head Coenie Oostheizen was substituted, he was wearing white boots.

To me, nothing quite emphasises the loss of dignity in the game today than front row men wearing coloured boots – it goes against the grain. I wouldn't even allow backs to wear coloured boots, but front rowers – that's a definite no-no.

Back in the day, when men were men and we played for fun, I remember Ayr hooker Ernie Finnie taking advantage of big brother Jack's decision to open a sports shop and helping himself to a spanking new pair of Puma Kings, which he wore for the first time in an Ayrshire Cup final against Kilmarnock.

 

These Kings were made for spotting
 

The decision didn't look so-clever when Allan Hosie pinged him three times for foot-up. I should perhaps explain to younger readers. Back then, in the 1970s, hookers had to actually strike for the ball, since it was put down the centre of the tunnel – or else. Strike too soon, you conceded a penalty.

Also, not cleaning their boots was almost mandatory for front rowers back then, so, wearing a pair of Puma Kings, with those massive white flashes, striking too early, was easily spotted.

WEE ROB Robertson posted a wee cracker on Facebook on Saturday night – a screenshot, taken at half-time in the Edinburgh v Glasgow match, of his lap top.

The page on-screen was blank, visual confirmation of what a dire first half it had been. The fact an hour had passed before the first points were scored is further indication of what a dire game it was. “Murrayfield, we have a problem,” right enough.

As I posted in a message to Rob - “Let's hope the coaches say something interesting post-match.” I have been there too-often, there is nothing worse than “a draw – nae rugby,” when you've got 1000 words to find. However, finding those 1000 words is why the likes of Wee Rob gets paid so much.

I reckon there is a case for those guys who are leaving at the end of the season being told: “We are starting to build for next season, you will be stood down and the young Scots who will be here next season will be given every chance to show what they can do.” Then the management of both teams can really prepare for that campaign.

OK, we might see the two teams in the Challenge Cup rather than the Heineken next season, but, would that be so bad? A few wins, maybe a trophy. You might win nothing with kids, but, they have to be given a chance to show what they can do. Who knows what it might lead to.

2020 Was A Horrible Year - Here's To A Better 2021

NEW YEAR – new hopes and expectations. It may well be a case of: “an' forrit tho' Ah canna see – Ah guess and fear,” but, surely, 2021 will not be as dire as 2020 was.

Gazing into my admittedly cloudy crystal ball, I see a long, slow, climb out of the abyss of misery we are currently in. We may well see actual match action, at BT Murrayfield on Saturday afternoon – a 3pm kick-off no less for Edinburgh v Glasgow. This will see our two full-time professional sides in action in the PRO14 and the Heineken Cup over the remainder of January, prior to the Guinness Six Nations getting underway with the Calcutta Cup match at Twickenham on 6 February.

However, the way things are going, we are unlikely to see crowds in attendance until later in the Spring, if at all this season. With the club game abandoned until Autumn 2021, the nearest we might get to local rugby is, IF, Super6 can get going in March. Ah hae ma doots aboot that too.

I also harbour serious doubts around the Lions Tour going ahead.

In some ways, the ongoing hiatus isn't a bad thing for rugby – provided we use the time productively and set about righting a few of the wrongs, while we are not distracted by having to actually play the game.

With little or no action to record, I have found myself reflecting on how we might make our game better – certainly, I have deduced:

• Making young Scottish talent Second-Class citizens, behind imports from South Africa is not the answer to our continued lowly slot in the northern hemisphere rankings

• We have not yet – 20 seasons into the Celtic League - got squad rotation right in respect of our professional sides

• Super6 can be our game-changer in respect of young player and young coach development – if we give it a chance

• At club level, we have too-many “National Leagues” and “National League teams”

• We need to close the gap between the private and state schools, and use the schools to get more kids playing the game

• The SRU needs to get its finances sorted-out. I can accept their need to spend on the professional and performance end of the game – that's where they make the money which drives everything, but, they need to become a leaner, fitter machine

• And they definitely need to adequately ring-fence funding to underwrite the club game and keep it fertile. If the roots are withering, the crop at the top is useless

• Some of the mini-empires within BTM need to be cut down to size, and the Governance Review Group needs to report ASAP, to give the body of the kirk time to fully consider and reflect on their report

• The clubs need to perhaps look at themselves. Ask, how are we going to re-energise our membership once the current restrictions are lifted?

• How do we address player drop-out in late teens, and get more people involved?

The current pandemic has been a massive blow to every aspect of Scottish life. I fear: we will lose one or two clubs; those clubs which do survive, some will probably lose a team or two; some regular spectators will be difficult to entice back, at least in the short term. Getting back to the old normal, will be a protracted process.

The next two or three years are going to be challenging in the extreme for Scottish Rugby. In the immediate short term, as we move into 2021, I intend going into greater detail as two what I feel we should be doing to address the issues I have highlighted.

REGULAR followers of this blog, particularly those who know my real identity, will be aware, I have for some years been the Scottish Media's go-to man for sporting obituaries. I felt very honoured to be handed that particular torch by the great Bob Crampsey, when his deteriorating health forced him to stop penning obituaries. I trust I did Bob proud.

But, the Scottish Media has changed. The Herald no longer uses freelance obituarists, while The Scotsman now has a protocol of: “We will consider commissioning an obituary, if we don't get one off the wires.”

Additionally, I am now into my seventies, so have no time for “office politics.” Thus, I have told both papers, I will no longer be doing obituaries for them. If they cannot support Scottish-based journalists, this Scottish-based journalist cannot support them.

I will, however, continue to produce obituaries of weel-kent Scottish Rugby faces for the blog First up:

Richard 'Dick' Allan

 

Dick Allan feeding his back division

DICK Allan, who passed away, aged 81, in early December, holds a unique place in Scottish Rugby history, as the only Hutchie boy to play a full international for Scotland, while playing for Hutcheson's Grammar School FP.

Allan and Gordon Bulloch were definitely Hutchie boys – indeed their father Jimmy was a team-mate of Dick Allan's, but, they were not capped out of the school's FP team.

Dick was a regular in the Glasgow District XV throughout the 1960s, but, such was the competition for the number nine jersey in the national side, he only got one crack at it – in the game v Ireland, at Murrayfield, on 22 February, 1969.

If ever a game deserved football commentator David Francey's trademark “Disaster for Scotland” line, it was this one. The 1969 Five Nations had started for Scotland with “The Miracle in Paris,” when, although largely out-played, Scotland somehow hung-on. Ian McCrae of Gordonians had come off the bench to replace Gordon Connell at scrum-half, and Jim Telfer scored the match-winning try.

Euphoria gave way to gloom, as Wales came to Murrayfield and won 17-3. McCrae was dropped for the Irish game and finally, three weeks before his 30^th birthday, Dick Allan was given his chance in the key role.

Skipper Jim Telfer had to go off, concussed, after 20 minutes, to be replaced by Peter Stagg – with Alistair McHarg dropping back to number eight and Roger Arneil assuming the captaincy.

Allan, however, received some encouraging praise. In his match report, the Herald's Bill McMurtrie wrote: “Allan seldom received tidy line out possession, while at the scrummages, the Scottish heel often disrupted by the Irish wheel, he was given much worthless ball. In such circumstances, the scrum-half did well to prevent the effect of bad ball from being multiplied by the close attention that Colin Telfer was paid by the destructive Davidson.

“Allan's game had to be brave and selfless, and only once had he the chance to attempt a close quarter break.”

After that chastening loss, first-choice scrum-half Connell was brought back for the Calcutta Cup game and Dick Allan took his place among the many “one-cap wonders” of Scottish Rugby history.

He had a long reign as Glasgow scrum-half in the Inter-District Championship, captaining them to a share of the title in 1964-65. With Glasgow, he formed a very good half-back pairing with Brian Simmers, with the pair honoured, by being chosen in tandem for the Scottish Districts XV which lost 14-35 to Brian Lohore's 1967 All Blacks, at The Greenyards.

Donald McNab

 

Donald McNab, with another very good Friend of Scotish Rugby

HIS NAME probably means little or nothing to the majority of the Scottish Rugby family, but, Donald McNab, who, aged 87, lost his brave battle with Pancreatic Cancer just days before Christmas 2020, did more for the game up here than many.

Born in Charlton, on the London/Kent borders, he was educated at Fettes College, and soon after leaving, following an ignominious early exit from St Andrew's University, he found himself on active service, as a Second Lieutenant in the Second Battalion, The Black Watch, during the Korean War.

He was wounded in action, catching some shrapnel in his hand, but he survived to begin his lengthy business career. He joined the Royal Marine Volunteer Reserve, with the rank of Captain, in 1956 while establishing his own business intelligence service company – amidst rumours of a connection to the James Bond world of the British Secret Service, and definite connections to the Royal Household.

Donald was a weel-kent figure around Richmond Athletic Ground, but, he felt simply being involved with London Scottish was not enough, so, in 2000, having retired, he founded the Friends of Scottish Rugby and threw his energies into fund-raising in an effort to help the game in Scotland.

Since then FOSR has raised over £600,000 – money which has gone to 34 junior Scottish clubs, and to the running of the London Scottish Academy, but has also contributed to such worthy causes as the Dunblane School Massacre fund, the Solway Harvester Disaster fund, and to Erskine Home.

In 2016, at a gala dinner, held in his honour in London, in the presence of the SRU's patron, HRH The Princess Royal, Donald was elevated to the position of Honorary Life President of FOSR – with no less than five people having to take-on the duties he had covered single-handed up to then.

David Mackay, himself a weel-kent figure in Scottish Rugby, the current President of FOSR said: “Donald was a truly remarkable man. This is the passing of a legend.”

His marriage failed, but he was consoled by a “harem” of charming ladies over the years, while, alongside rugby, he became an accomplished wood-worker, making cromachs and turning out fine wooden sculptures.

Then, in his final difficult days of his cancer battle, daughter Fiona and grandson Greg came back from New Zealand, where Fiona has a thriving equine business, to nurse him.

Scottish Rugby has lost a great servant.

FINALLY, I wish all the blog's followers and readers a happy and prosperous 2021, and at the very least a better year than 2020 was.

Let's hope for a Scotland win in the Six Nations, and our best representation this century in a Lions' squad, which hopefully gets to South Africa.

 

 

Dee Bradbury OBE

Can I finish this first blog of the New Year by congratulating Dee Bradbury on her well-deserved OBE and wish her a better 2021 than 2020.n And also former Scotland captain Mike Biggar, who was made MBE for his own fund-raising effort for the NHS.

 

 

 Mike Biggar during his fund-raising walk