HERE we go then, the Autumn Tests are about to kick-off; we can put aside tribal club concerns for three weeks and discover where stands Scotland in the world game.
Aye, I'm concerned too. At least that symbol of national well-being: the Scottish fitba team, is so consistently bad that we don't have to worry about the feel-good factor, it just isn't there. With our Braveheart rugby lads, however, things are slightly different.
Did we not after all con the Aussies into taking us too lightly during our summer tour of the Pacific region, then, against all the long-established pattern of Scottish consistency, kick-on to beat Samoa and Fiji, to return home unbeaten.
We now have some small delusions of adequacy. Thankfully, starting tomorrow at Murrayfield, we hold no great expectations of keeping the run going. After all, there are four certainties in life - birth, death, taxes and the All Blacks will beat Scotland.
At least the Scottish team takes the field unburdened by expectations. They are not England or Wales, often deluded but always expectant when their representatives face the men in black. All we ask is that we are not humiliated by McCaw & Co.
I honestly cannot see us winning tomorrow - perhaps I am conditioned to see us losing to New Zealand - but if we put on a show, I'll be happy.
THE RBS Premiership action today is allabout catch-up games, while those clubs which have been able to keep playing, through not being in British & Irish Cup action, will indulge themselves in the RBS Regional cups.
The team under the most pressure is Gala, who need to keep winning - and racking-up bonus points - as they seek to overhaul Ayr's lead at the top.
Already the meeting of Ayr and Gala, at Millbrae, on 3 December, has the look of a title decider; but, only if Gala keep playing to the consistently high level they have in recent weeks.
The Premiership is a very tight league, there isn't much between any of the teams and Stirling County, this afternoon and Melrose, at the Greenyards - particularly the latter, hurting terribly from some inexplicable lossees this season - will give Gala two hard games; which, from a Gala stand point are just what they need before the big one at Ayr.
AT THE start of this blog, I mentioned Scotland's lack of expectations in facing the All Blacks. Should we not, perhaps, have some sympathy for the England squad which takes on Fiji at Twickenham.
Now, I know such sentiments come hard to Scots, but, really, anything less than a massive win for England and the calls for change will be strident.
The English football and rugby teams, even more than the Scottish football team, suffer from the excessive expectation of a supporters constituency who are brought up to believe their team has a divine right to win every game - even though this hasn't been the case for nigh on 100 years, since the rest of the world caught up (football) or overtook them (rugby in New Zealand and South Africa). But still, the belief clings that they HAVE to win every game - because they are England.
Stuart Lancaster has made a good start as England coach. I like what the guy is doing, but, the last thing he needs right now is to have the crushing weight of English expectations brought down on him and the stupidity of an English rugby press which can, on occasions, make their stupid football cousins look well-rounded and intelligent.
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