Coaches Are Like Buses - Nothing, Then Two Changes At Once

IS TOONY breathing a sigh of relief this morning? Probably not, being a guid Gala man he is fairly phlegmatic about life. However, given the abuse he has taken of late from us keyboard warriors – particularly in respect of his uneasy relationship with Scotland's most high-profile Mason – he might be thinking: “There but for the grace of God.”

Wayne Pivac, whose only crime was – he wasn't Warren Gatland, has been fired by Wales and replaced by – Warren Gatland.

We Scots might not be over-endowed with world-class talent, but, unlike the English and Welsh, we don't think we have a God-given right to win all the time. We know Toony, or whoever we hand the coaching job to, can only pish with the cocks he is given, so, we seldom get above ourselves.

Beat the shitier teams in the Six Nations – England, Italy and Wales, run the good teams – France and Ireland – close and find some way of leaving us saying: “If only”, as we exit the World Cup, and, we're reasonably happy. Other coaches have higher, more-unreasonable aspirations to meet.

KENNY MURRAY is building a formidable wee empire within the SRU Performance Department, with the addition of Fergus Pringle and Scott Forrest to his Under-20 Management Team.

We just might, finally, get out of the slough we've been in at that level for a year or two now – these guys certainly have the coaching talent to make a difference.

These new appointments will allow Shade Munro and Rob Chrystie to do the initial groundwork on young talent with Glasgow and Edinburgh. The improvement might not be instant, but, we live in hope of better to come.

WE ALL KNOW only too well, the toll professional rugby takes on players' bodies. The power generated in some of the collisions is difficult for the layman to imagine. The fact is, the modern game at elite level, asks an awful lot of the young men playing it – and the cost to them in their futures, even if (not that we dare) we exclude the potential harm to their brains.

A regular reader and friend of this blog today sent me a clip from an Australian publication, citing the horrendous injuries with which Dave Rennie and the Australian management team have been dealing. It was a very-thorough and interesting take on this, with, I feel lessons for us here in Scotland.

Apparently, the different approaches which the Australian franchises: Brumbies, Waratahs, Rebels, Reds and Western Force had to strength and conditioning meant problems when the Wallabies' management team made their demands. This, apparently was a factor in some of the player fitness break-downs.

Well, since our two professional sides are wholly=-owned subsidiaries of the SRU and they are meant to be a means of preparing our players for the international game, we should not have this problem = both sides should be singing from the same hymn sheet.

For your information, here is the link to the Australian story, it's worth reading:

 https://www.theroar.com.au/2022/12/05/the-wrap-deep-tissue-analysis-of-the-wallabies-injury-toll-raises-more-questions-than-answers/

MEANWHILE, Wee Eddie Jones has been handed his jotters by the RFU, less than a year out from the next World Cup.

Steve Borthwick, on the back of his exploits with Leicester, appears to be The People's Choice for the next chapter of Mission Impossible – make English Rugby's achievements match their fans' expectations. Good luck to whoever gets the job, because, several of the favourite sons of England's fans and their media cheer-leaders are nowhere near as good as they think they are – and England will certainly not win the 2023 Six Nations or World Cup. Mind you, as he demonstrated at Edinburgh, Interim Head Coach Richard Cockerill is well-capable of overseeing the new coach bounce which might leave our southern neighbours feeling good about their team again.

The truth is – England Expects – Too Much.

THE PLACE where the burning issues of the day in Scottish Rugby are now discussed is in the BTL (Below the lines) Comments section of The Offside Line. Therein, at the moment, the natives are very-restless Carruthers.

The cause of their disquiet – the news that Chairman Jeffrey is set to have another three years on the gravy train, after he leaves office in the summer of 2023. This leaves us with the not-unknown, but uncommon situation of a former Chairman continuing to sit on the board which he recently led.

Now you have to admire the way The White Shark has continued to swim in the rich waters of international sporting governance; living high on the hog in the nutrients to be found there.

I don't blame him for being so difficult to shift. However, he's got some pretty-important jobs in World Rugby, where he, Lesley Thomson and the soon to retire Mark Dodson are our three representatives. It makes sense to keep JJ inside the tent and have him continue his work at World Rugby for a bit longer, until Dodson's replacement has had time to bed-in.

However, in the TOL comments, it seems a lot of people would like to see JJ stand down once he ceases to be Chairman. As ever – be careful what you wish for. There have been a lot of changes to The Ruling Junta of late, so maybe a period of calm while the newcomers get to grips with their briefs, will be welcome.

 

The "Gunners" Are Really Misfiring

I WAS going to watch the Edinburgh v Munster match on TV on Friday night, but, it clashed with a Brazil game at the World Cup, so I went with that instead, switching over to the rugby at full time. This meant I saw the final ten minutes or so from the DAM Health. I was not impressed, by then Edinburgh were well beaten.

There can be little doubt, Munster, after a somewhat barren spell, are on their way back, while I fear Edinburgh are on something of a downer. Rank bad timing, with Saracens, then Castres next up in Europe. Rediscovering their mojo will be a particularly tough test of Mike Blair's coaching credentials. It doesn't help to have wee Darcy Graham injured – I hope the knee injury is not so-bad it keeps him out of the Six Nations.

GLASGOW'S bonus point-win over Zebre was hardly unexpected. However, the final result, after a first half which was almost dire, was welcome.

Glasgow did a lot of good things well, with George Horne's immaculate place kicking a particular bonus, but, in the first half, their discipline left a lot to be desired – although, to be fair they tightened up after the turn-round.

Once again, Fraser Brown's line out throwing – under pressure – left a lot to be desired. This has long been a failing in Brown's game and, at his age, I don't think he can sort it out now.

I was particularly pleased to see Stafford McDowall playing such a prominent part in the Glasgow win. He was one of the home-grown players treated very-badly by Dave Rennie, so, it is good to see the big boy from the Stewartry flourishing under Franco Smith.

This away win – indeed any away win, has been a long time coming, so, let's hope they can build on this breakthrough in the games to come. That said, winning at Bath on Saturday will be a huge ask.

ON THE HOME FRONT hopes of a resurgence in Edinburgh club rugby, on the back of Edinburgh Academical making a strong run for the Tennent's Premiership appear to be back in the box, following the shellacking they took in Hawick on Saturday.

It will take a very good, and lucky team to now derail a bunch of Robbie Dyes who are on a roll and have got the hang of what it means to play fur the toon – and in particular that toon.

I reckon, if The Bill McLaren Shield goes home from Troon on the bus, on 7 January, then the titler will be Hawick's.

In National One, Gala's collapse continued with another heavy loss on Saturday at Watsonians. That's their third heavy loss on the trot, and the promotion race is now I would think a three-horse one.

Kelso are continuing to set the pace, with Melrose and Ayr grimly hanging on to their coat tails, However, Kelso have a useful advantage and will take some stopping.

 

 

not perhaps THE Magnificent Seven, but still a talented Kilmarnock squad

 

When I was a boy, Kilmarnock were the Cocks of the Ayrshire Walk – even Ayr had to give best to Kilmarnock squads which regularly provided a handful of players to the Glasgow team and had, in the likes of Niven Rose, Hugh McHardy, the Martin Brothers, Richard Allen, Jimmy Gibson and Bill Cuthbertson some star performers – some of these, of course, recruited from elsewhere in God's County, and a Sevens squad second only to the then dominant Gala.

So, like I am sure many of my contemporaries, I was shocked when the news came through last night, that Cumnock had put nearly 50 points on Kilmarnock in a West Division One clash, at Broomfield. How are the mighty fallen.

THE OBSERVER is waxing lyrical about Gloucester's Argentinian fly-half, Santiago Carreras, following his role in Saturday;s demolition of Northampton Saints.

Carreras is already his nation's go-to at 10, but is apparently only keeping the cherry and white shirt warm until the regular inhabitant – Adam Hastings – recovers from injury. Or is he? There are now suggestions that Hastings could be moved out one to 12, with Glos adapting to a New Zealand-style first-second-five eighth attacking formation. It is also being mooted, that Adam be moved to his Dad's old position at full-back.

With rumours of a positional change for Hastings; a tsunami of adverse BTL (below the line) Offside Line comments re Blair Kinghorn's performance in Edinburgh's loss to Munster and Ross Thompson's seeming current role as Glasgow's third-choice 10, we will have to start offering prayers for the health of The King Across The Water, as we look forward to the European games and the Six Nations.

By the way – has the wean been born yet? I haven't seen any news.

 

Thanks - But No Thanks

THE LAW of Unintended Consequences is indeed a strange one. Or, to put it another way: be careful of what you wish for. As originally conceived, when World Rugby changed the eligibility rules, so that a player who hadn't been chosen for an international for one country for over three years could switch his allegiance to another country – perhaps the land of his, or his parents' or grand-parents' birth – the assumption was, it would help the Pacific Island nations, who had been supplying players to Australia and New Zealand for years.

But, strangely, it's Us Scots, never a nation to let an opportunity pass us bye, who have been quickest out of the blocks – grabbing Number Eight Jack Dempsey from Australia. Now, we hear John Cooney, the Ulster and Ireland scrum-half might be ready to switch to Scotland.

Nae harm to wee John, but, I think we should say: “thanks but no thanks” to Cooney for his kind offer. At the moment, Ali Price, a Lions Test 9, is the man in possession, with London Irish's Ben White as the usual man on bench duty. We also have, at Glasgow Warriors – two capped scrum halves, in George Horne and Jamie Dobie, while at the other end of the M8, Edinburgh has two capped nines, in Henry Pyrgos and Ben Vellacott, plus the still uncapped Charlie Shiel, who as the son of a former Scotland cap and the grandson of a former Scotland and Lions scrum-half in Dougie Morgan, has the genes to make it in the international arena.

He might be relatively out of favour at Harlequins just now, but, in Scott Steele, we have another international 9 playing at the top level of the club game. With these seven guys in contention – plus Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, playing in the United Rugby Championship with Benetton Treviso, I don't think we need to recruit another scrum half – al;though we might be a wee bit short in other positions.

MARR RUGBY runs a good club website – the least wee triumph and they put something up. Well, this week, Marr utility back Dougie Steele copped a three-year ban for steroid abuse – but, the club can barely find a carpet big enough or thick enough under which to sweep the news.

Now Dougie is no naïve young player, he's been around for a while. Personally I feel sorry for him, for feeling he had to take the risk of using the banned substance. I cannot begin to imagine what he was thinking, and I hope he gets the help he needs to get over this dark stain on his reputation.

But, in ignoring this – and it is the second time in recent years that a Marr player has been caught for drugs use – the Marr high heid yins are being stupid. I've had a wee bit of fun at 'Jack, Victor, Winston and Boaby' shooting off to Lanzarote just as the bad news broke. Perhaps they thought, as usual at Fullarton, Jim Caldwell would sort-out the problem.

Yes, a drugs bust was bad for Dougie Steele, it was also bad for Marr – they have not handled the issue well – and the rest of us in Ayrshire Rugby will not let them forget this.

THIS MAY COME as something of a shock to regular readers of this pish, but, I feel kind of sorry for Sir Clive Woodward at this time. The bold Clive, at least, was not mortally wounded by having to spend part of his childhood in Edinburgh, so, we Scots ought, perhaps, to think a bit more of him than we do.

Clive, after all, “got his K” for delivering to England, what England thinks is its right – to be World Rugby Champions, he did this in spite of, rather than because of, the systems put in-place by the Rugby Football Union, but, when he tried to change things, to make it easier for England to keep hold of their number one ranking, the Old Farts turned against him and he was got rid of.

After that, you might think any reasonable man might have said: “Fuck this for a game of soldiers” and put the game of Rugby Union behind him. Well, Clive may well have done this – he got involved with Southampton FC, but that ended badly. He then had a spell with The British Olympic Association, which also didn't go well – now he's back as a talking head on Rugby Union – where, the fact he is still the only World Cup-winning coach from these islands, does give him a huge amount of stature.

Trouble is, England is a long way from winning the World Cup again, they are being coached by an Australian, and this rather upsets Clive – apparently.

OK, perhaps he was lucky with the players he had at his disposal when England coach – he didn't do as-well with the Lions. But, he was a winner, whose main problems were around the politics of sport – he simply seemed unable to handle this aspect of his job.

We should perhaps be glad, the Rugby Union Establishment in England has managed to keep such an original thinker and winner away from any type of meaningful role in the game – otherwise, we might dislike the Common Enemy even more than we do.

FINALLY – I read in Friday's Guardian that, should England lose to Us in the 2023 Calcutta Cup game, “Eddie Jones' position would be untenable.”

That's decidedly unfair, it's not as if they have been beating us a lot recently, indeed, it might be said, if we cannot beat England, then Gregor Townsend's position might be in some jeopardy – that's a game we now expect to win.

 

And With One Leap The Ruling Cabal Left The Country

CONSPIRACY THEORISTS, of which there are many in God's County, were wondering what caused the Fullarton Woods branch of the Still Game Appreciation Society to take off for a jolly in Lanzarote on Sunday.

On Monday, the light flicked on, with the news that Marr's Dougie Steele had copped a three-year ban for a drugs violation. With that coming out, nae wonder the inner cabinet shot the craw. I do feel for Dougie, who must have felt intolerable pressures of some sort, to take such a chance. Please, he made a huge mistake, so, don't throw the lad to the wolves.

I see some of the Unco Guid, the 21^st century successors to Burns' Holy Wullie are calling for Marr to be stripped of their 2021-22 Premiership title, citing how, in other sports, such as Athletics at the Olympic Games, gold medals have been removed following positive drugs tests. Certainly, Steele played at full-back in the title-winning team, so, the removal of the title punishment might well be on the table. However, since the Rugby Union protocol appears to hold sanctions to the individuals concerned, at this juncture, I see Marr losing the title as something of a long shot.

The whole case is certainly embarrassing for the Troon club as much as for Dougie Steele – the banter will be good in the club bars of Burns Country, until they find something else to talk about.

THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP in Qatar has given us rugby chaps something else to be superior about – when you see the pig's breakfast FIFA has made of its great VAR system, and some of the cock-ups they are still coming away with.

The best double act in Qatar, ITV'S Jon Champion and Ally McCoist had great fun this week in one game, when Champion went through the list of VAR officials and their acronyms. It takes about five of them to get decisions wrong – whereas, in Rugby Union, we have one official in the tv truck, who tends to get almost all the decisions correct.

I feel the basis is the question the VAR or TMO is expected to answer. In Rugby Union the question is: “Is there any clear and obvious reason to change the referee's decision/” In football it often seems to be: “We think the ref's got that wrong, convince us to change it.”

Football also doesn't help itself with some of the daft strictures put in place by the law-makers, which of course includes Scotland, since we have a permanent seat on IFAB – the International Football Associations Board – the game's ultimate law-making authority.

When I was playing at school, there was an oft-used term: “The baw played him,” whereby a player would hit the ball with his hand or arm, or, more correctly, the ball hit the hand or arm, the hit occurring so quickly the player didn't have time to get his hand or arm out of the way. Everyone knew what had happened and played-on. Today, however, it is almost as if, if the ball hits a hand or arm, it's a penalty regardless – which is absolute pish. We've seen this once or twice in Qatar, and, when I see that, I cannot help but think – Rugby Union does things better.

ANOTHER ISSUE which has arisen in Qatar has been the way time is being added-on to compensate for time-wasting during games. A great innovation, but, here again, I think football has got it wrong – as has rugby.

At least in Rugby Union, the referee stops the clock in instances of time-wasting, or foinjuries, however, I feel we could do it better. That's why I have long argued for a rewrite to the Laws so that we get 80 minutes of “Ball-in-play time”.

That way, the ball goes out of play, the watch stops until play resumes. The whistle blows for an infringement, or an injury – the clock stops until play resumes. However, at the same time, I think there is a case for a “shot clock” and have the time allowed for various set pieces: setting a scrum or line-out, taking a penalty or a conversion being written into the Laws.

We already have, apparently a demand that the team awarded the put-in has 30 seconds in which to put the ball in. I gather a similar time-scale is in situ regarding a line-out. Have an official time-keeper, even have, as in basketball, a visible shot clock, to allow for monitoring of the break in play – we have a faster, more-entertaining game.

Harder to police and implement, perhaps, might be making sure scrum-halves get the ball away from a ruck within the five seconds of the referee calling: “Use it.” It is, however a fact, universally recognised, that scrum-halves are a law unto themselves.

I SEE The Sassenachs are tying themselves in knots again about what to do with their Championship clubs – a small matter which has become somewhat urgent with the demise of Wasps and Worcester.

As we all know, both clubs went down the Swanee, owing large and small sums to multiple debtors. However, there appears to be an attitude of them being “Too big to fail” these days. I am old enough to remember when London Scottish and Richmond, two of the biggest clubs in the land, over-reached themselves, back in the early days of professionalism. They had to go back to the very bottom and it is to the credit of the real rugby men at both clubs, that they managed to get back as far as The Championship. Perhaps the same treatment might teach Wasps, Worcester and any of the others facing financial melt down that a bit of humility goes a long way.

Mind you, we must remember, the RFU has a long tradition of incompetence, so we need not expect smart answers from there. I see there are already moves afoot to combine the loss-making Wasps and Worcester operations into what will, we must presume, be another loss-making operation based at Sixways, the Worcester ground.

There is also some talk of a Premiership/Championship cup competition involving the remaining Premiership clubs and the more-ambitious Championship outfits; while the others, the diddy teams such as London Scottish and Richmond, go into a new cup competition involving our Super6 clubs and maybe some Welsh club sides.

What to call this? Here's a notion, invite the All-Ireland League clubs in and call it something like – The British and Irish Cup. After all, it was a winner.

I notice, by the way, Northampton Saints crowing about what a great season they had last season – turnover in the region of £20 million, and a whopping £0.3 million profit.

They then added – this was due in no small measure to a one-of £0.5 million insurance pay-out, take that away and they lost £0.2 million.

Gentlemen, gentlemen – Unless it is under-written by the national union, professional rugby is a LOSS-MAKING ENTERPRISE. Accept reality – only the international game pays.

 

Trouble Along The Taff - And We Thought We Had Problems

A WEE REMINDER, for all the Boyos within the Taffia who are demanding the head of Wayne Pivac, following Wales' last quarter collapse against what was far from a full-strength Australia: You can only pee with the cock you are given.

Pivac might indeed be the wrong man, in the wrong job, but, facts are chiels that wanna ding, and the fact is, Welsh rugby has been a basket case for a wee while now. OK, they still tend to beat us more often than not, but, we're not exactly world-beaters at the moment.

Just take a look at the BKT United Rugby Championship table after eight rounds. There are 16 clubs in the league, and of the four Welsh sides, only Cardiff Blues, in seventh spot, are in the top half of the league.

Next come Dragons, lying in 12^th place, just below the under-performing Glasgow Warriors. The other two Welsh sides – Ospreys and Scarlets occupy respectively positions 14 and 15, just ahead of perennial basement boys Zebre.

Not exactly a good showing for the best of the Welsh game. If the talent isn't there, there's not a lot any coach can do. Indeed, if we go on the results of the Autumn Internationals, you could make a reasonable case for Wales being, as things stand, ranked fifth or sixth of the Six Nations.

Ireland and France look likely to dispute the destination of the 2023 championship – on current form. Then there is a gap with Us and The Common Enemy disputing third and fourth places, leaving Italy and Wales to squabble over ownership of the wooden spoon.

Things might be a little different in ten weeks' time, when the big show does start, but, right now, the Welsh are in a dark place. I see talk of bringing back Warren Gatland to steady the ship. Ah hae ma doots about that little ploy.

WE MAY not quite be back to the halcyon days of The Green Machine having games won, even before they kick-off, but, the 2022-23 version is purring along nicely.

I remember back in the day, when pre-game warm-ups were a lot less structured than today, attending a game at Millbrae. The Ayr team left the dressing room in dribs and drabs to do their thing, but, all 15 men in green came out together, yes they had a sprinkling of British Lions and Scotland caps; of course they expected to win – and they did – but, firstly, this was a TEAM, on a joint winning mission.

They haven't quite, as yet, nailed The Bill McLaren Shield to the front wall of the Mansfield Park grandstand, but, with the run they are on, it will be a bloody good team that wrestles it away from the Robbie Dyes. Edinburgh Academical, their closest pursuers in the Premiership title race, will be the next team to try, in what already looks like the game of the day on Saturday.

I HAD hyped-up the meeting of Ayr and Kelso at Millbrae on Saturday as a potentially pivotal clash in the National League One promotion race. It certainly lived up to the build-up, with the visitors overturning a 5-21 half-time deficit to win 22-21 and go three points clear at the top of the table.

One of my friends among the Millbrae 'Silverbacks,' the bunch of old-time pink and black stalwarts who inhabit the back row of the stand, was telling me how enjoyable the game had been, he said: “This was old-style club rugby, great entertainment, two highly-committed teams giving it their all and handbags out at regular intervals.” He did, however, feel the referee, who did well in difficult circumstances, would have benefited from having neutral touch judges to help him with some of the more-contentious incidents in a high tension games.

I appreciate we have a shortage of match officials at the moment, but, surely obviously big games like this one would benefit from the same level of officiating as in the Premiership.

The chase is now being led by Melrose, who crushed Gala 63-15 at The Greenyards. That's 108 points the Braw Lads have shipped in their last two matches, two defeats – to Melrose and Ayr, which have seriously dented, if not quite ended, their promotion hopes.

IN RECENT years there has been a drift away from old-fashioned scrumming. In some recent internationals, or top-level club games even, such is the skill level that it has occasionally been half an hour into the game before the first scrum. Thus, props are being picked for their ability to carry the ball into contact then lay it back properly – the ability to scrum has become a secondary issue.

That has led to some props being lauded as special – because they can handle, pass and run. Two such recipients of “special” status have been England's Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler. Well, on Saturday they were badly exposed by a South African pack who really do know how to scrum. It doesn't help the English that, of their other front-line props – Joe Marler and Dan Coles, neither of whom was ever really international class, are now considered too old, while Maku Vinupola never has been a great scrummager.

The men in white really now need to unearth three or four props very quickly, or another disastrous World Cup will follow. Could it be, as with the English football team, the fact that their big clubs tend to recruit talent, regardless of country of origin, so potentially good English boys are not being recognised or given their chance.

FINALLY – I hear a pub in Lanzarote is this week being renamed 'The Clansman,' since a crack team of Marr worthies: President Tony Peters (Jack), his wingman Glenn Davies (Victor), Jim McGuffie (Winston) and Coach Craig Redpath (Boaby) have decanted to the island for a mid-season think tank. (Navid) – Gordy Reid is still wondering why he wasn't invited, I hear.

 

A Terrible Loss

WE KNEW the day was coming, but, we hoped, not for a while yet. We hoped, desperately, all his mighty fund-raising efforts might bring a quick result and a pill or potion which, if it couldn't reverse the terrible effect Motor Neuron Disease was having on him, might grant him a bit more time, to see his kids grow-up.

 

But, it wasn't to be and, at half-time in the England v South Africa test at Twickenham, the rugby world learned the sad news – Doddie Weir had died. I must admit, I was shocked at how much MND ravaged him, when I saw him being wheeled out at Murrayfield to help deliver the match ball for the All Blacks game. I think a lot of us knew then, the end was nigh.

Doddie put up a fantastic fight, he gave it everything. His fund-raising for MND research is a credit to him and an example to us all. Life often isn't fair, and it was particularly unfair that such a huge character should be taken from us far too soon.

Doddie was the successor to Gordon Brown, the larger than life Scottish sporting giant who battled bravely against a horrible disease, never lost his sense of humour but, in the end, had to admit defeat.

Of course Doddie will be sorely missed by everyone in the wider Scottish Rugby family. His loss will be even more keenly felt by Kathy, his widow, his sons and the wider Weir family. No words can adequately express the sorrow they will be enduring.

But, he left us with a magnificent example of how to face disaster head-on and go into that dark night smiling.

The greatest sadness I shall feel is that the Scottish Rugby Union and the Scottish Establishment failed to ensure that he went to his Maker, as he deserved to do, as Sir George Weir, but instead, as plain Doddie. Lesser men, who achieved less, and gave an awful lot less were granted honours, often on the basis of who they knew rather than what they did.

Doddie did not get the official recognition he deserved, an OBE was scant reward for his efforts, but, those of us who saw him play and followed his fight against illness – we know, we have lost a National Treasure. Rest in Peace Big Man.

AS FOR the now rather meaningless matter of the day's rugby. Well, both Edinburgh and Glasgow were less than average in losing to Benneton and Leinster respectively.

To lose, as Edinburgh did, to a team forced to play for 70 of the 80 minutes a man short, following a red card, that's a bad result in anyone's language. At no time, even when the Italians had every man on the park, did Edinburgh look to be in control of the game. Then, after Matteo Minozzi was sent off, it looked as if it was Edionburgh and not the Italians who had lost a player. Edinburgh struggled to impose themselves and paid the price.

At least, Glasgow didn't ship more than 70 points this time, but, they were still a very-poor second to a Leinster team lacking the bulk of their front-line Irish internationalists.

To be fair, Glasgow had their moments, however, too often individual errors and poor decision-making saw possible good moments turn bad. They never looked like getting a result on the day.

I WAS feeling very low after the Glasgow game. But, things improved thereafter, when I switched to Amazon Prime to watch England being put in their place by South Africa.

Another red card here, but, the visitors had this Twickenham clash well won before they were reduced to 14 men. Particularly satisfying from my point of view was to see the much-vaunted English props being given a scrumming lesson. It will not stop their cheer-leaders in the English media assuring us that Ellis Genge & Co are the best props to ever draw breath, but, I will no longer be in the minority who knows this claim is pish.

BENNETON v Edinburgh was yet another professional game spoiled by a very-early red card. It seems to me, to be long past the time when World Rugby steps in and totally rewrites the Law Book, to reflect the realities of the modern performance game.

At the level of The BKT United Rugby Championship, Rugby Union is as much a department of the entertainment industry as a sporting contest. Spectators pay big money to watch such games, so, they are entitled to see a competitive game, which means two teams, each comprising 15 men.

Yes, dangerous play such as the collision which cost Matteo Minozzi an extremely-early bath has to prove costly to the individual player concerned; but, the crowd is still entitled, I feel, to enjoy a game which is not skewed by one side having to play the bulk of the game a man short.

Other sports such as Basketball have long employed the concept of individual fouls – why shouldn't rugby. I know the game has toyed with the notion of the 20-minute sanction for a red card – whereby the side which loses a man plays that length of time a man short, before a replacement comes on. Maybe it's time to trial this properly.

I could also make a case for adopting the Ice Hockey concept of having Major and Minor penalties. Minor penalties get the perpetrator two minutes in the sin bin; major infractions get at least five minutes in the cooler. That I feel is something worth considering.

Another ice hockey protocol I would like to see introduced is the way in which a power play – a period during which an offending player is in the sin bin – ends when the team enjoying the one-man advantage scores. Why not try something like, when a team enjoying a one-player advantage to a sin binning scores a try, the player in the sin bin can rejoin the game?

I understand and can accept the concept of, in such a physical game as rugby, there has to be a consequence of law-breaking. But, particularly when, as we often suspect, referees are guessing as to what is going on in the front rows, it is ludicrous that a wrong guess could cost a side three points.

Yes, blatant foul play must always be punished; I have long supported the suggestion made by Alan Hosie back in what are now sepia-toned times: that the worst cases of foul play – anywhere on the park – should be punished by the equivalent of a penalty kick, from bang in front of the posts, on the 22. But, when a poorly-timed technical offence costs a team three points, to me something is amiss.

Again, I cite basketball, where one of the sides can make a certain number of fouls without undue penalty, but, once that number is surpassed, every defensive foul gives the non-offending side a free throw from the penalty line. The question is – how many penalties should a side be permitted before it starts to cost them points?

 

Glasgow Hopeful of A Better Afternoon In Dublin

FACING LEINSTER, in Dublin, is never an easy gig. After their last visit to the Royal Dublin Showground, Glasgow Warriors might be excused a feeling of unease as they prepare to return there this afternoon. They will surely expect and get a hard examination, but, I am confident they will not be on the wrong end of a seventy-plus points, as they were on their last visit.

Following the Autumn Internationals, both sides will be minus some big names, but such is the depth of the Leinster playing pool, they have still named a strong XV as they seek to maintain their great start to the new season.

Franco Smith, Warriors' Coach has named the following squad (in 1-23 order) for today's game:

Oli Kebble, Fraser Brown, Murphy Walker, Sintu Manjezi, Alex Samuel, Gregor Brown, Sione Vailanu, Jack Dempsey; George Horne, Tom Jordan; Rufus McLean, Stafford McDowall, Kyle Steyn (captain), Sebastian Cancilliere; Josh McKay. Substitutes: Johnny Matthews, Jamie Bhatti, Simon Berghan, J P du Preez, Lewis Bean, Euan Ferrie, Jamie Dobie, Ross Thompson.

With seven Scotland caps in the starting XV and a further four on the bench, this is hardly an inexperienced Glasgow squad, who can, hopefully, run Leinster close and, maybe, with a bit of luck, manage a rare Dublin win over a Leinster side who have given a few of their bigger stars a weekend off.

MEANWHILE, Edinburgh will be in Parma, to face Benneton in a game which will be another tough test for Mike Blair's side. The capital coach has given ten of his key international players the weekend off, but, he is still able to name eight Scotland caps in his starting XV, with a further three on the bench.

The Edinburgh squad (again in 1-23 order) is:

Boan Venter, Stuart McInally, Angus Williams, Marshall Sykes, Jamie Hodgson, Nick Haining, Luke Crosbie (Captain), Ben Muncaster; Henry Pyrgos, Charlie Savala; Will Goosen, James Lang, Matt Currie, Damien Hoyland; Henry Immelman. Replacements: Patrick Harrison, J Jack, Lee Roy Atalifo, Glen Young, Cameron Boyle, Ben Vellacott, Jaco van der Walt, Chris Dean.

Long gone are the days when Scottish sides could expect to turnover an Italian one, on Italian soil. This will be a tough test for Edinburgh, but, if they can display the qualities which carried them to victory in Cardiff not that long ago, then they can look forward to a victory.

THERE ARE some interesting-looking fixtures in the Tennent's Premiership this afternoon. With last Saturday's fixtures being used to play the ones cancelled back in September, when Queen Elizabeth II died, this weekend sees the reverse fixtures, the pick of the bunch probably being the Raeburn Place clash of third-placed Edinburgh Academical and Currie Chieftains.

Another interesting clash will be the Glasgow Derby between GHA and Glasgow Hawks at Braidholm. Last Saturday “The Mexicans” as one of the droller spirits at Hawks refers to them, crossed the Rio Grande (River Clyde) to travel to Balgray and beat Hawks. This week, it's the West End toffs who have to cross the big river and venture south of the border, looking for revenge.

A bonus point win will possibly take GHA above Hawks in the perennial battle for bragging rights in the Dear Green Place. This one should be good.

Elsewhere, there is a tasty Borders battle, with Selkirk travelling to face Jed-forest; however, one of the most-anticipated games of the season will be at Millbrae, where National League One leaders Kelso visit an Ayr XV lying just one point behind them in a tight promotion race.

Ayr have put together a nine game unbeaten run, since losing to Highland in Inverness on the opening day of the season. Kelso also boast a 9-1 win/loss record, their only reverse coming at The Greenyards a couple of games ago. This one should be highly-competitive.

As if a second v first fight wasn't enough for one Saturday, there is another promising humdinger on the card, with third-placed Melrose entertaining second-placed Gala on The Greenyards' artificial surface.

I HAVE a get well soon message for one of the nicest guys in rugby – Scotland's top male referee Mike Adamson. A niggling calf injury meant Mike's name was missing from the officials list during the Autumn Internationals.

The injury is continuing to trouble him and he could well be out of action into the New Year, however, he is expected to be back fully-fit and in contention for appointments come Six Nations time.

Having recently become a father, wee Mikey is probably glad of the time off, to adjust to his new responsibilities. Meanwhile, I am wondering, after her terrific display in the recent Women's World Cup Final – might we see wee Hollie Davidson getting a call-up for the Men's Six Nations? World Rugby could do a lot worse.