Big Wins Can Be Boring Or Not

 

TO BE HONEST, I sort of lost interest in the Edinburgh v Castres game, after Edinburgh wrapped up the bonus point try so early-on in the game. After that, it was a case of: how many?

That said, the French side did improve their discipline a bit in the second half, while it is never boring to watch big Leo Nakarawa come off the bench and rampage about, breaking tackles and off-loading. Great too to see the two Mr Darcys – Rae and Graham, come off the bench to good effect. While I was delighted that D'Arcy Rae got his chance to show what he could do, I did feel for Javan Sebastian, having to go off with what looks like a serious injury.

James Lang - in a rich vein of form

By the way, James Lang has perhaps vanished from talk about the international squad, but, he's in a rich vein of form at the moment, as is Matt Currie; and with class acts Chris Dean and Mark Bennett in the squad, Edinburgh are well served in the back line – without mentioning the threat that is Duhan van der Merwe.

Pool 3 of the European Challenge Cup is one tight affair. Gloucester, Edinburgh's next opponents, top the heap, with eight points, so if Edinburgh can beat them at The Hive in the New Year, it will make things very-interesting.

Finally, in summing-up the match against Castres, I have to say, the French side's indiscipline was terrible, and, even allowing for the excellent collective performance of the home pack, their eight did not look like a typical French one.

CONGRATULATIONS to the girls of Stirling County, in lowering the colours of the previously unbeaten Watsonians, to win the Women's Premiership Grand Final. What are they putting in the water at Bridgehaugh, the Wolves were rank outsiders in FORSOC Super Rugby, but they got past both number two seeds Heriot's and number one seeds Ayrshire Bulls to secure the silverware. Now the girls have done likewise.

I BEGAN putting this post together at tea time on Saturday. The BBC Shortbread Sport website already had the four Premiership results up; so I knew Selkirk had beaten Musselburgh, to get their hands on the Bill McLaren Shield for the first time – a brilliant early Christmas present for the many good people at Philiphaugh: John Rutherford, Mary Inglis, Bert Duffy to name but three.

Elsewhere, Kelso did the idle Hawick a favour, by beating Marr at Poynder Park, with this result allowing Currie, who beat Glasgow Hawks, to overhaul the Ayrshire side into second place.

In the only other game, Jed-forest's inevitable relegation was confirmed, in spite of a valiant effort which saw them lose narrowly, 25-29, to Heriot's Blues.

As I finished typing-in this piece on the Premiership, the only result which was up on the official SRU website was that from Jed. Come on Buddy, start cracking the whip and get your elves to do their jobs with a modicum of professionalism and get the results up sooner.

I HAD already, by this time, fired-off a text to Billy McHarg, suggesting he, in his position as the most-miserable bugger in Scottish Rugby, channel his inner Jim McLean and withhold the Ayr 1^st XV's Entertainment Bonus, after their failure to hit the 100 point mark in thrashing GHK 94-24 to clinch their return to the top flight of the club game.

The Old Anniesland boys put up terrific resistance, until scrum-half Charlie Campbell saw red, after which, the sky fell-in on the visitors as they finally shipped 14 tries.

Ayr v Marr next season – haud me back.

With Highland idle, Melrose's big win in Dundee sees them overtake the Inverness side into second place in what is turning into a great battle for that spot.

NATIONAL 2 is building up to a frantic finish in the New Year after Saturday's games. Peebles emerged from a tough visit to Lasswade, winning 21-18 to maintain their four-point lead at the top.

Falkirk still lead the chase, following their 22-17 home win over Gordonians, but the combination of their own narrow 28-25 home win over Berwick and Lasswade's defeat has lifted Newton Stewart into third place, a point behind Falkirk, with Lasswade six points off the top three's pace.

THE BIG NEWS in National 3 was a first defeat of the season for Orkney, who lost 18-21 to Hillhead-Jordanhill, at Hughenden. This reverse has enabled Preston Lodge, who won 39-24 at Boroughmuir, to open a five point lead at the top, but the Northmen do have a game in hand. Allan Glen's, 34-5 winners at home to Cartha-Queen's Park, are in third spot.

FOUR WEEKS off thanks to bad weather hasn't seen the Garnock machine seize-up. The National 4 leaders got back down to business with a 43-14 win over Stewartry. This puts them eight points clear of Strathmore, who crushed Murrayfield Wanderers 75-0; Garnock also have a game-in-hand.

I HAVE a dog in the fight in West 1 a division in which, with the exception of runaway leaders Ardrossan Academicals every club can beat every other club on any random week. This week several of my exiled friends, mainly doing sterling work teaching Ayrshire customs to the natives in the Sudentenland, have been in-touch to find out how Cumnock's good start has evaporated to the extent they lost to Kilmarnock last week.

But, the Broomfield boys got back on-track yesterday, with a 54-32 home win over Annan, to rise to third place. Ardrossan overcame one of the best defences in Scotland – the trip down the A77, to beat Wigtownshire 42-21. They now lead Lenzie, who beat Kilmarnock 20-12, with Oban Lorne, 22-18 home winners over Dalziel, a point further away in third.

AT 8.30 pm on Saturday night, some five hours after the final whistle, the SRU still didn't have all the results from West 2 up on their website – in particular the Cumbernauld v Waysiders-Drumpellier outcome was missing.

Four hours earlier, that great enthusiast for West Rugby, Paul Justice had posted the result – a 24-10 win for WD, with a photograph of some action, on his excellent Weegie Rugby Facebook page. Credit where's it's due however, by the time I had typed that paragraph, the result was up.

Cambuslang, 18-11 victors over Strathendrick still lead the division by six points from Bishopton, who won 29-20 at Clydebank. Bishopton do however have three games-in-hand. Carrick, who drew 21-21 at Uddingston are third on points difference, but, like Cambuslang, have played three games more than Bishopton.

IN West 3, there was a potentially crucial match at Kilbarchan, with the top two clashing; this resulted in a 23-7 win for visitors Irvine, who now lead the beaten Birkmyre by six points. The Renfrewshire side do, however, have a couple of games-in-hand.

Behind them, Moffat beat visitors Mid-Argyll 32-7 to take third place, on points difference from Lochaber, who beat Isle of Mull 31-17 on Mull. If the SRU media team had done what I did, checked-out the Lochaber Facebook page, they might have been able to put-up the result. They would also have known, Mull had to borrow a travelling Lochaber reserve to get the game played. Well played to both sides for that wee bit of mutual assistance.

There were, apparently some other matches played in Caledonia and elsewhere, but, we will have to wait until Monday at least for the SRU part-timers to catch up.

 

FINALLY - was the Doncaster Knights v Edinburgh A game on Friday night a state secret? I did find a result on the Knights' twitter page, Edinburgh won 29-24.

 

Putting A Win In Perspective

TOMMY ARMOUR, the legendary 'Silver Scot' is reckoned to have been the first major sufferer. Depending on which reference book you use, either Armour, or a later sufferer, legendary commentator Peter Allis, said: “once you've got them – you've got them, there is no cure.” I refer of course to “the yips”.

This affliction, typically an inability to complete a smooth putting stroke also manifests itself in other sports and in Bayonne, we saw a classic example of it, as Glasgow's line out fell apart.

Young hooker Angus Fraser appeared to be the principal sufferer, however, received wisdom is that when a line out malfunctions for whatever reason: a squint throw, an overthrow, an under-throw or a bad lift, it isn't always the man in the number 2 or number 16 jersey's fault; the timing of the lift could be off; the call was perhaps wrong, or misunderstood. As they say about road traffic accidents: there is seldom one big cause, more-often it's a case of several small misjudgements coming together.

Whatever, it was a major disaster and it will be interesting to see if the trauma affects young Angus's burgeoning career.

Whoever was calling the set pieces, and both Greg Peterson and Richie Gray are among the most-experienced and line-out savvy operators in the game, it was a disaster of Conservative Government proportions.

However, something new it wasn't. Glasgow this season, particularly when Scott Cummings is calling the shots and Johnny Matthews is throwing-in, then piloting the maul, has enjoyed marvellous success at the touchlines, so why should it suddenly go wrong? But, the Glasgow line out has tended to creak in the opposition's 22 for a number of years.

Pat McArthur had nights when Jocky Wilson he wasn't when firing his “darts”; ditto Fraser Brown and George Turner. This isn't the first blog post in which I have highlighted Glasgow's frailty in this aspect of the game.

Let's hope it isn't the last. Bayonne certainly appeared to have the hex on Glasgow last night, just as, the week before, Northampton Saints all but nullified the Glasgow threat at the sidelines. Franco Smith is a wily old fox, he will surely have his coaching team on damage limitation and a serious rethink, to sort things out before the trip to Exeter next weekend.

But, isn't it typically Scottish, that I dedicate the first nearly 400 words of this post to a moan about one aspect of a game. WE WON FFS YA MOANING OLD BUGGER – let's shout that from the roof tops.

Very true, wins in France are to be celebrated and this one, in spite of the line out travails and the many handling errors and wrong options taken, is definitely one to remember – perhaps the ugliest example of winning ugly in the club's history.

Of course, there were moments to remember, particularly the Ally Miller try. A back rower skinning a top-division French winger on the outside: “Formidable” as our French friends might say. On a night when he won the Man of the Match award, that moment is definitely one for Ally's highlights reel.

The result gets points on the board, however, given the number of kickable penalties refused, and the wonderful defensive effort called for at the death, as was said about another great British win over French opposition on the continent, this was a damned close-run thing. Still, we will take it. Onwards and hopefully upwards.

MEANWHILE, in Clubland this is potentially a massive weekend for Ayr Rugby Club. (Apologies to my friends at Marr for swearing) but, if not today – they are coming for you; and a win over GHK at Millbrae this afternoon will confirm the club's return to the Premiership and spark-off the sort of Bacchanalian revelry not seen in Alloway since Lucifer Beelzebub arranged that wee Merkat Nicht rave at Kirk Alloway all those years ago.

And that's just part one – those descendants of Cutty Sark, the Ayr Lassies, have their own potential league-winning show-down on Sunday, while the club's Under-18 team is across at Murrayfield for a national trophy final, also on Sunday. I am not going anywhere near Alloway this weekend – it will get messy.

THE OTHER action hot spot this afternoon is Myreside, where Watsonians entertain Stirling county in the Women's Premiership Grand Final.

The home team will start as favourites, having only been denied a clean sweep of 14 straight wins in the regular season by a last-minute score by Corstorphine Cougars, to force a draw in their final game.

Having come that close to the perfect season, the Edinburgh girls will not want to spoil it today. However, they know Stirling, having had an unexpected rest as the weather has kept them idle since thumping Garioch on 25 November, will be desperate to get out there and play.

Form favours Watsonians, but, there again Stirling County's Super Rugby team weren't supposed to win that competition, but, the trophy is in the Bridgehaugh clubhouse.

ANOTHER County XV also has designs on a victorious trip to the capital, when, tomorrow, the Stirling Under-18 team face defending champions Boroughmuir, on the international pitch in the Scottish Youth Cup final, kick-off 6pm.

'Muir are going for a fourth straight win and the Edinburgh side will start as warm favourites. However, County have a sterling record in this competition over the years, and a wee bit of momentum, so, it's either side's game.

At the same time, at The Hive, Ayr/Wellington face Hawick Youth in the Under-18 Shield final. Ayr are the defending champions here, but, they know, facing any Hawick team in a final is never an easy task and this could be another close affair.

Hawick's Under-16 team is also on-parade at the National Stadium, taking on Currie Chieftains in the Under-16 Youth Cup final, which kicks-off at 1.30pm. Rugby certainly appears to have a continuing appeal among the young men of the town.

The National Youth Shield final goes ahead on Back Pitch 1 at Murrayfield, and this one features Gala Red Triangle and GHA, here too, it has a 1.30pm kick off.

The National Plate finals are also being held over this weekend, unfortunately for the boys involved, no glamorous trip to Murrayfield, but, I am sure they will still enjoy the experience.

The Under-18 Plate final, between Kelso Quins and Selkirk Youth goes ahead at Poynder Park today, immediately after the conclusion of the Kelso v Marr Premiership game, while, also today Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy is the venue for the Under-18 Bowl final, between Kirkcaldy and Hamilton/Strathaven.

Tomorrow sees the Under-16 Plate and Bowl finals played. Deeside travel down to Jed Thistle in the Plate final, while another North side, Aberdeen Wanderers have a slightly shorter trip, to Falkirk, for the Plate final.

Elsewhere, Aristotle has his own important fixture on Sunday. Number Three Grandson – the black sheep of the family, who plays Gaelic Football at university, turns 18 and will be expected to treat his Father and Grand-father when he purchases his first legal drink in celebration. I don't think he knows the price of a double Glenmorangie – that's an early lesson in economics he's got coming tomorrow.

 

Problem - How Do You Keep Management And The Customer Happy

LAST NIGHT I had one of my occasional shafts of insight/rushes of shite to the brain (delete as appropriate). Ruminating on the state of Rugby Union in Scotland, it came to me – maybe Franco Smith is the ideal coach to work within the Scottish Rugby Union's management model for professional and performance rugby.

Franco Smith, the perfect coach for our system?

Disparage him all you like, but, TCD, our Glorious Leader has grasped the facts of life when it comes to our game and money – the only part which can make serious money is The International Game. TCD, however, is a Control Freak, which in this instance may be no bad thing. You cannot employ international-class players to only play ten games per year, more since these come in groupings:

• The five games in the Guinness Six Nations – in February and March

• The two, sometimes three Summer Internationals in June and July

• The tree or four Autumn Internationals in October and November.

Problem, how do you keep the players up to speed between these three intense periods? Answer – elite “club” rugby, in Scotland's case in the BKT United Rugby Championship and the two European Cups.

However, this is where SRU pragmatism meets Scottish Rugby's age-old stricture of: “It's aye been.” For 150 years, the SRU has been a club-based co-operative. Sure, we all love to see us beating the English, and are almost as happy when we also beat the French, Irish and Welsh; and we enjoy watching Scotland taking on the likes of Argentine, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa and anyone else on the international field.

But, it's the long-established club game, be it Hawick v Gala, Heriot's v Watsonians, Ayr v Marr or any other rivalry you wish to quote which really floats our boat. The Clan System might have been broken in Scotland, but it still exists in Scottish sport, with rugby no exception.

There is even a long-enough history for some people to commit to Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors. The old Inter-City match may be a fading memory for those of my generation, but, there is still enough of an attachment for the fans on the touchlines to have an emotional involvement.

So, the paying customer wants to see his side – from whichever end of the M8, winning in the URC, and more-importantly, beating the other lot. However, this job, of pleasing the fans, cuts across the core purpose of these two clubs – which is to prepare them for the international games.

I reckon Smith, who came to Glasgow from a spell in the international arena and elite young player development, has grasped this and selects his sides accordingly. He rotates his squad more than most, perhaps endeavouring to reach what may well be a Coach's 'Mission Impossible' – having two players of near-equal ability competing for each place.

Indeed, in some positions, he has to work with that problem his squad includes:

• 7 full international props

• 3 full international hookers

• 4 full international locks

• 4 full international back rowers

• 2 full international scrum-halves

• 2 full international stand-offs

• 3 full international centres

• 4 full international back three players

That's 29 full caps, plus the younger “coming men” to be slotted into a 23-man match day squad. Obviously they don't all fit-in at once, so keeping them happy and motivated and all singing off the same hymn sheet is a major headache for the Coach, but, one which Smith appears to be coping with rather well.

At the other end of the motorway, new Coach Sean Everitt is still getting to grips with these problems. He has at his disposal:

• 4 full international props

• 2 full international hookers

• 5 full international locks

• 4 full international back rowers

• 3 full international scrum-halves

• 1 full international stand-off

• 2 full international centres

• 3 full international back three players

That's 24 full caps, not quite the same rotational/keeping them happy problem perhaps as faces Smith, but, still something to keep him thinking.

Gone are the Amateur era days, when a first team was picked and, barring injuries, that's the team which played. If you weren't a first pick, you really had to play out of your skin when you got your chance, and if you didn't take it – tough. Rare was it then to find two full caps competing for the one jersey in a club side – one or other usually moved-on in search of regular game time.

Today, however, money talks and for the right wedge, somebody will hang around for fewer games.

Well, that was a lengthy preamble. However, the bold Franco has again shaken up the selection balls and come up with the following squad to do battle with Aviron Bayonnais at Stade Jean Dauger in the European Champions Cup tonight at 8pm is:

Jamie Bhatti, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Greg Peterson, Alex Samuel, Gregor Brown, Tom Gordon, Ally Miller; George Horne, Ross Thompson; Ollie Smith, Sione Tuipulotu (captain), Huw Jones, Kyle Rowe; Josh Mckay. Substitutes: Angus Fraser, Nathan McBeth, Ollie Kebble, Richie Gray, Max Williamson, Henco Venter; Ben Afshar, Tom Jordan.

 

Meanwhile, the Edinburgh squad to face Castres Olympique at The Hive in the Challenge Cup, kick-off 1pm on Saturday is:

Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, Javan Sebastian, Glenn Young, Grant Gilchrist (Capt,) Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Bill Mata; Ali Price, Ben Healy; Duhan van der Merwe, James Lang, Matt Currie, Wes Goosen; Harry Paterson. Substitutes: Dave Cherry, Robin Hislop, D'Arcy Rae, Marshall Sykes, Luke Crosbie; Ben Vellacott, Mark Bennett, Darcy Graham.

Two strong squads, with a few big names back, and further cases of young tyros being exposed to this level of rugby. Two Scottish wins are not out of the question.

Bringing Back Old Time Religion

BACK IN The Good Old Amateur Days, when men were men and Rugby Union was fun, in many ways, things were more-structured. The 15-a-side domestic season began on 1 September and ended on 30 April. Organised national leagues only lasted for the last 25 of the game's first 125 or so years, before it went Open, and change came suddenly. But these were simpler, although not perhaps happier times – there have always been disputes on and off the field.

The highlight of the season, then as now, was the annual international series of games – Five Nations rather than Six back then. Preparing for these was also done according to tradition. In October, certainly in the West where I was: Ayrshire played Renfrewshire, before a combined Ayrshire and Renfrewshire side played Glasgow.

After that, Glasgow sides would face Cumberland and Westmorland, or Lancashire in warm-up games, before the Inter-District Championship would be played in November and December.

The other Districts also had their own time-honoured series of warm-up/selection games.

These were followed by the two International Trials, in late December, selection often slanted by how the players had done in the Inter-District Championship. Then the Scotland squad was ready for the kick-off of the Five Nations, traditionally against France in early January.

Now, the Inter-District Championship is back, being played in March this season. However, other than as a possible chance for the Super Rugby coaches to perhaps evaluate the available talent in the Premiership, and for local bragging right – what does it achieve.

If, as it could have been, the returned tournament, was part of the selection process for the Scotland Club XV, then I could see a good reason for holding it. But, this beggars the question, who would the Club XV play against, and when? Otherwise, why bother?

Let's look at where the players might come from this season:

Caledonia: Aberdeen Grammar (NL2) – Dundee (NL1) – Falkirk (NL2) – Gordonians (NL2) – Highland (NL1) – Kirkcaldy (NL2) and possibly Stirling County (NL2). Although, one or two Caledonia-bred players who have moved to the Central Belt to progress their career might well prefer to play for their home District.

Edinburgh: Currie Chieftains (P) - Edinburgh Academical (P) – Heriot's Blues (P) – Musselburgh (P) – Watsonians (NL1) Berwick (NL2) – Lasswade (NL2) – Stewart's-Melville (NL2)

Glasgow and the West: Glasgow Hawks (P), Marr (P), Ayr (NL1), Biggar (NL1) - GHA (NL1) – GHK (NL1) – Glasgow Academical (NL1) and possibly Stirling County.

South: Hawick (P) – Jed-forest (P) – Kelso (P) – Selkirk (P) – Gala (NL1) – Melrose (NL1).

The Leagues, barring some unforeseen bad weather in January and February, will be done and dusted by 17 February, which leaves a five-week window for preparation before the Inter-Districts kick-off. OK, there will be cup games to also slot in, however.

Will the selectors for the squads go on club form when nominating their squads – or, might this window be used for a return to the old-fashioned sorting-out procedures. Say a Greater Glasgow v Surrounding Counties selection game in the West or an Edinburgh City v The Lothians clash in the East. Perhaps a return of the old North v Midlands match in Caledonia, and, given their pre-eminence a Hawick v The Rest warm-up in The South.

I would reckon, we need to find some way of keeping the players playing and enthusiastic during that five-week window. What about it folks?

HERE I feel I really should at this juncture make an old plea which I have been making regularly over the life of this blog – why cannot we get some of the old local competitions – the County Cups and the District Cups – back up and running.

Or are today's club officials so-scared of upsetting the control freaks on The Murrayfield Junta, they will not take the first step.

Back in the Dark Ages, Kilmarnock Rugby Club initiated The Ayrshire Rugger Cup (I've polished it often enough – so I know that's what's engraved on it) for competition among the clubs in God's County.

I called around some contact in the County, and with the exception of one of the four clubs currently topping their leagues, but with ambitions towards a national trophy, whose official I spoke with felt the combination of still-unplayed league fixtures and cup matches might make it difficult to fit another knock-out competition into the available time – the standard reply was: “Yes please, bring it back – and let's have warm-up games for the District team.”.

That contact was one of the newer guys, who did laugh when I told him about one particular Ayrshire Cup Final, which his club was involved in, back half a century ago. That game – like most of the Ayrshire Cup ties - was played on a Wednesday night, at Bellsland, and the fact six of the ten front five players had spent the day in the beer tent at Ayr Show meant a very-interesting opening ten minutes!!!

Looking further ahead, I reckon there is a case, now The Junta has relaxed control enough to allow the clubs in each of the regions to arrange their own representative teams, for the re-introduction of the old Glasgow Knock-Out Cup. However, that's a job for the close season.

FINALLY – With a nod to dear old William Shakespeare and his sage advice: “You cannot believe half of the stuff you read on Facebook” - I saw an item there last night, which listed the highest-paid player in each of the seasons of the English Premier League.

The highest-paid player in the 32 seasons of this competition was Gareth Bale, who was seemingly paid £560,000 per week while playing for Tottenham Hotspur in Season 2020-21. Admittedly, the bulk of that salary was being paid by Real Madrid, who had loaned him back to the London club – but £22,400,000 for a 40 week season – that's ridiculous.

At the moment the highest-paid player in the Premiership is Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, who is apparently on £400,000 per week. Given he's on a permanent contract there, that's £20,800,000 per year.

That again is crazy money, however, in comparison, at £1,000,000 per year - £19,230 per week, Finn Russell is a bargain to Bath. For comparison, Eric Cantona was being paid that much back in 1994-95.

Mind you, Manchester United's average home crowd that season was 43,682, which meant the first 77p of every admission charge paid went to Cantona.

Bath's average home attendance is 13,169 - if you reckon, between the Gallagher Premiership and Europe, Bath will have, at most 20 home games, that means, the first £3 and more of each admission ticket goes to Finn.

If we allow for Manchester City having 30 home games in a season. That means (if my calculator is correct) the first £13 of each admission charge goes to Mr De Bruyn. Wonderful thing this inflation – there's no way De Bruyn is worth 22 Finn Russells.

The billionaires running English club rugby may be fiscally incontinent, but, compared to their opposite numbers in football, they are models of fiscal rectitude.

 

Bill Mata - Does Murrayfield Stick Or Twist?

THE REPORTED Bristol Bears interest in signing Bill Mata could provide an interesting conundrum for the bean counters inside EH12. The big Fijian Number Eight would certainly, in the short-term, be a big loss the fans will not be happy; however, he is now 32 and if not in the Autumn or Winter of his career, he's certainly in late Summer.

Moving now, while there is demand, makes sense for Bill. A big final contract will secure his future back in Fiji. But, deciding to stick or twist is a different matter for Edinburgh. I say, why not let him go? Another aspect to a move to Ashton Gate might be, down there, he would be competing for the first team jersey with oor ain, hame-grown Magnus Bradbury. So, why not a swap deal, perhaps with some financial compensation, and let's get another Scottish internationalist back playing in Scotland?

Or is that too uncomplicated a move for TCD and The Junta.

MEANWHILE this year's trio of recipients of the annual John Macphail Rugby Scholarship have been announced. The three Likely Lads are:

1. Joss Arnold - an 18-year-old second-row/flanker; his selection is timely, he is enjoying a gap year, after leaving Loretto, and the chance to play in South Africa and to spend five months in the High Performance Training Facility at Stellenbosch University is one he intends to make the most of. Joss began his rugby journey at Haddington RFC and he currently playing in the Musselburgh team which currently holds the Bill McLaren Shield.

2. Jack Craig – a 17-year-old centre three-quarter, Jack's rugby journey mirrors that of his half-brother, Great Britain Sevens player-coach Robbie Fergusson: youth rugby with Ayr/Wellington and a first-team debut with Ayr while still at school. Jack was a member of the victorious Scotland Sevens squad in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago. He readily confesses to the help and inspiration which Robbie has been to him.

3. Ben White – an 18-year-old loose-head prop is a product of the Biggar club, although he did spend last season playing Under-18 rugby at Peebles. He is now back at Hartreemill and, given that establishment's history in producing Springbok props, he is looking forward to spending time at Stellenbosch.

The trio are the 17^th group to be recipients of a Macphail Scholarship and right from the first – a certain John Barclay in 2005, they have gone on to do well fro Scotland. Including Barclay, 8 of the 34 players chosen since that first year have gone on to win a full Scotland cap, the others, in order of receipt of the Macphail scholarship are: Kevin Bryce, Grant Gilchrist, George Turner, Jonny Gray, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Finn Russell and Adam Ashe.

So, this year's trio are following in some illustrious foot steps. I wish them well.

JUST a thought, and a wee reminder to whoever is in-charge of talent sourcing on the Scottish-Qualified team within The Junta, Gus Warr is currently keeping an England scrum-half on the bench at Sale Sharks; we appear to have something of a club crisis at nine.

Shouldn't somebody from Murrayfield be talking to him and his agent? He's only 24, now might be a good time to bring him home, assuming he will come.

SOME YEARS ago, covering an Ayr victory over Hawick, at Millbrae, in the Premiership, I was particularly struck by the displays of two of the beaten Greens' side.

It was my first sighting of the then teen-aged Darcy Graham, and, from the hum of expectation every time he touched the ball, not to mention the havoc he then proceeded to cause, it was clear, that young man was going places.

But, perhaps more-praise-worthy was the performance, in a pack coming off distinctly second-best of the Hawick skipper, one Bruce McNeil. No wonder Billy McHarg (allegedly) offered top money to get McNeill to switch to Ayr.

However, as McHarg reportedly later admitted: “We couldn't match what Hawick were paying him.” That's the legend, any way, I do remember writing that, at a time when the famous club was struggling, McNeil gave a performance which should have him ranked alongside some of the most-famous of the many capped Hawick back rowers.

So, I was delighted to see the same McNeil, now aged 40, still producing the goods for his current club, Kelso – where he is now Player-Coach – in their win at Selkirk on Saturday; producing a performance good enough to get him into The Offside Line's Team of the week.

What's that old saying: “Form is transient – class is eternal.”

I AM delighted to see, following a few years working in, if not the real world, certainly outside the world of rugby reporting, former Scotsman Rugby Correspondent David Ferguson is back, lending his expertise to various websites about the game.

It is great to see such a talented chronicler of our sport back where all good journalists should be – outside the tent pishing in.

If you can get access, take a look at the interview he did recently with Bryan Redpath for Rugby Pass. I read it on Facebook, and can tell you, 'Basil' didn't miss his target and hit the wall with his criticism of the way the SRU handles elite young player development.

I would like to think The Junta would pay attention to this criticism, coming as it does from one of the legends of the Scottish game – but, from experience of how things work in EH12 – Ah hae ma doots.

SPEAKING OF Rugby Pass – another of their Facebook posts is a clip from the World Cup, of Uruguay scrum half Santiago Arata, giving away inches in height and stones in weight, but displaying perfect tackling technique to bring down the rampaging French flanker Sekou Macalou.

The clip demonstrates, you cannot run if your legs are taken from under you – perhaps we should ram it down the throat of our coaches – until the message gets through.

 

Too-Great Club Demands Could Lead To More Entertaining Internationals

ONE HOPES The EH12 Junta is paying attention this week; following the news that Marcus Smith, perhaps the hottest property in English Rugby, is looking to cut down on club games, to keep himself fresh for the rigours of international rugby.

Now, I suspect this will be (to use Billy Connolly's great phrase) - “As welcome as a fart in a space suit” to the bead counters at his club, Harlequins. They will surely want their main play-maker and biggest draw in the XV as often as possible. It might make the cash-rich French clubs who would probably like to have Smith strutting his stuff for them think twice about trying to sign him.

Former England Captain Owen Farrell has already opted out of international rugby, citing mental health issues. Now, I don't know which way he might jump. Will his retirement from the international game be permanent, or might he fancy another British and Irish Lions Tour, to Australia in 2025, more-so, if his Father, Andy gets the call to coach that tour.

As things stand, I suspect Finn Russell will be in pole position for the number 10 Test shirt on that tour, with Smith perhaps the favourite to go as back-up. Assuming this happens, Farrell doesn't get picked, I suspect that tour might be the last hurrah internationally for Russell, but, it might be a good showcase for Smith to clinch a big money move to France - or screw a bigger pay packet out of the RFU.

Jings, all this hypothesis and speculation – you'd think I was working for either The Hun or The Daily Rhebel.

Any way, to get back to the thrust of this post. In your thirties, like Farrell or Russell, you might prefer to opt out of the international game to be able to wheedle the most-advantageous contract out of your club.

Younger guys such as Smith, might want exposure at the highest level, to secure a good enough contract with a willing club to secure their post-game future.

So, what can the likes of the Scottish Rugby Union do to protect their interests as the needs/demands of the top players increase? From the SRU perspective, there is something to be said for being able to offer their top Scottish talent a contract which limits their club commitments, in return for a greater commitment to the national side.

Ideally, in an independent Scotland, perhaps having learned from their friends in Dublin how to write contracts with tax breaks and other incentives, the Murrayfield Junta could put together a package which our top talent would grab with both hands. As long as The Treasury in Whitehall are writing the rule book, putting together such packages will be very-difficult – and our top talent will remain vulnerable to better salary offers from outwith Scotland – even though these come with greater demands on their playing time.

I CAME across some interesting figures on how the game has changed since the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, on the 'Happiness Is Egg Shaped' page on Facebook:

First up was Ball-in-play time, which, while not covering every tournament showed:

• 1987 – 28 minutes 11 seconds

• 2003 – 31 minutes 58 seconds

• 2011 – 32 minutes 12 seconds

• 2019 – 34 minutes 21 seconds

• 2023 – 34 minutes 18 seconds

Next-up, Scrums and Lines-Out, where the figures quoted were:

• 1987 – 32 scrums – 45 lines-out – 77 set pieces

• 1991 – 31 scrums – 39 lines-out – 70 set pieces

• 1995 – 23 scrums – 39 lines-out – 62 set pieces

• 2003 – 23 scrums – 34 lines-out – 57 set pieces

• 2007 – 19 scrums – 31 lines-out – 50 set pieces

• 2015 – 13 scrums – 26 lines-out – 39 set pieces

• 2019 – 14 scrums – 25 lines-out – 39 set pieces

• 2023 – 15 scrums – 27 lines-out – 42 set pieces

I should say here, I inserted the total set pieces per game to the figures.

 

The final figures quoted dealt with the dynamics of the game, what happened after the set pieces, when the ball was actually in-play, and counted what I presume to be an average of the Carries, Tackles and Rucks per team, per game, where the figures were:

• 1987 - 86 Carries – 48 Tackles – 25 Rucks

• 1991 – 77 Carries – 52 Tackles – 29 Rucks

• 1995 – 78 Carries – 58 Tackles – 38 Rucks

• 1999 – 93 Carries – 82 Tackles – 57 Rucks

• 2003 – 107 Carries – 96 Tackles – 68 Rucks

• 2015 – 113 Carries – 129 Tackles – 83 Rucks

• 2019 – 115 Carries – 129 Tackles - 82 Rucks

• 2023 – 114 Carries – 169 Tackles – 69 Rucks

My ultra-smart Grand-daughter has the MSc Honours degree and earns mega-bucks as a data analyst, so I should maybe ask her to work-out what these figures mean, except, I cannot afford her outrageous demands for appropriate compensation for the time involved, so, here's my take on these:

• There has been a 21.7% increase in Ball-in-Play time across the ten tournaments

• There has been a 54.5% decrease in Set pieces per game across the ten tournaments

Given the sharp decrease in stoppages while Set Pieces are formed, should we not perhaps be looking for a greater increase in ball-in-pay time?

Over the ten tournaments there has been:

• A 276% increase in the number of rucks per game

• A 57.3% decrease in the number of scrums per game

• A 60% decrease in the number of lines-out per game

• A 32.6% increase in the number of carries per game

• A 352% increase in the number of tackles per game

So, comparing 2023 with 1987 we find we have:

• The players are getting better at keeping the ball on the park

• They are prepared to carry more

• Set pieces are becoming less-important in the overall picture of the game

This gives, to me, a picture of a game in reasonably good health. We don't, I believe, need to do too much to make a good game even better. We need to sort-out the scrums at the top end – get this set piece back to being a means of re-starting play following a breakdown, and not a means of generating penalties.

Similarly, we need to sort-out the rucks, now a more-important part of the game than they have ever been. I still say, going back to real rucking, with a requirement to play the ball with the foot, is a must.

Finally, we need to find a means of keeping the game flowing, by cutting-out the delays in forming scrums or lines-out.

Make these minor adjustments, we will have a game fit for purpose in the 21^st century.