The Lions Aside, We Have Much To Look Forward To This Summer

WELL, that's it, apart from the summer tours, such as the Lions' Tour and the various individual international trips, season 2012-13 is now history. Time to settle down, catch our breath and look ahead to the new season. I fancy, however, this close season will be a busy one.

I am not expecting too-much from Scotland's trip to South Africa; we have perhaps been lucky in that the personal bias of Warren Gatland and his co-selectors means that Scotland will have a more-solid squad than they might have had available to them in SF; for instance, we could have been minus Ryan Grant, at least one back rower, maybe a second row and Greig Laidlaw. However, the trip will offer some fringe players the chance to advance and that is a good thing.

It will be interesting to see what transpires back home. The SRU has got their man, albeit they will have to wait for him - now Vern Cotter had been confirmed as our next Head Coach. I, for one, would far rather they got the Edinburgh coaching set-up sorted-out and got on with the overdue and necessary re-distribution of Scottish resources between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

'For a start, Glasgow now has, arguably, Scotland's five of Scotland's top six stand-offs in their squad: Duncan Weir, Rhuardhi Jackson, Peter Horne, Scott Wight and Fin Russell. At least one, possibly even two of these will have to be switched across to Edinburgh. OK, Weir is currently injured, but either he, or Jackson is the likeliest to be moved.

Glasgow also has an imbalance in props, which for the good of Scotland, has to be addressed. It is well past the time that the new Edinburgh coach should have been named, further delay cannot be justified.

New Scotland coach Cotter has been well talked-up in recent weeks; I just hope he is worth the wait. While he winds down his Clermont contract, Scott Johnston will hold the fort well enough, but, I suggest he already has enough on his plate as Director of Rugby, without also having to wear the Head Coach hat.

I NEVER have been a Wayne Barnes fan, indeed, to update the famous comment of the Hawick fan, berating a referee during a Border League game: "When George Clancy/Craig Joubert/Steven Walsh/Alan Rolland (delete according to your particular gripe) is deid, Barnes will be the worst referee in the world.

But, well done to him for red-carding Dylan Hartley on Saturday. Hartley is one of the modern players who would have had a very short career back in the days when real rucking was allowed; he comes across as a thoroughly nasty piece of work.

Well done too to the RFU disciplinary panel for immediately handing down an 11-week ban. Although, I wait to see what happens come the almost inevitable appeal.

At least, Hartley's stupidity righted one wrong, with Rory Best on the 'plane to Australia.

Such a pity he isn't going as a Pro12 winner. I really hoped Ulster would win Saturday's final, but, as in the semi-final against Glasgow, Leinster's big match experience carried the day. They were very lucky to beat Warriors in the semi, luckier still that the real Ulster didn't turn up for the final.

Can't We Shorten The Season - More Quality, Less Quantity?

ONE of the disadvantages of professional sport is, to keep the cash flowing, a particular sport's season has to be extended, to the extent that the players become stale and the fans bored. Sport really ought to be fun and seasonal.

When I was a lad the football and rugby season effectively ran end of August to end of April - sure there were always end-of-season international tours to keep the "anoraks" such as I interested, but, at least, back then, we could show an interest in the golf, athletics and cricket seasons, have a break and return refreshed.

Of course, down here in God's County, Ayrshire - there was always the endless Junior Football season. I well remember, back in the late 1980s, covering one of the smaller village side's first entirely unofficial pre-season games on the Saturday, before, on the Monday night, covering Auchinleck Talbot's final game of the "old" season; it was that daft. Another season Craigmark Burntonians, bumped out of every other cup competition early and with their league campaign over, had a six weeks gap between their final other fixture and their absolute last fixture of one campaign - a Cumnock & Doon Valley Cup, first round tie against the afore-mentioned Talbot: who had been playing their usual two games per week schedule to catch-up with games lost to another successful Scottish Cup campaign.

The purpose of the above is to explain my belief that, there has long been too-much football played; and, since rugby went professional, the men charged with guiding the game have followed the same, wrong path as their football cousins.

It is only fair that the top players earn a salary worthy of their talent. But, I just wonder if we need, for all rugby is a "collision" sport and therefore physically-taxing, quite so-many games, over such a lengthy season, to pay for this.

We have grown-up with the British/European model of long club seasons, but, from 1870 or so, when organised rugby began, until the advent of professional rugby that season lasted a maximum of 35 weeks, allow a further five for pre-season training and you have 40 weeks. Even a top player, perhaps going on an end-of-season international tour, might find himself playing for 39 weeks, but, in the amateur days, against this, he would be allowed to miss most of the pre-season so was mostly still within the 40 weeks maximum commitment to rugby.

Different rules applied to Lions, who would quite often not play again until the December following a Lions tour. Indeed, I well remember the late, great, JImmy Greenwood one season played only eight games - the two Scotland trials, the four internationals during the Five Nations and one, pre-trial, warm-up game for Dunfermline. This was the only game in which he wasn't team captain.

Let's have fewer games, fresher players, less emphasis on gym monkeys and more on skill - it just might do the game some good.

We Wiz Robbed, but, Well Done Warriors

ONCE again we see irrefutable proof that Rugby Union has a severe problem with its laws. This is the only conclusion I can come to after watching Glasgow being refereed out of the Pro12 final in Dublin.

The Warriors played all the rugby, they were the only one of the two teamjs trying to win by playing handling, running rugby, but they lost out to a cynical, cheating Leinster team, whose cause was aided by a referee, who was perhaps out of his depth at the game.

The French official certainly seemed more-able to spot Glasgow infringements than Leinster ones; yes, perhaps Glasgow, like most Scottish teams involved in cross-border matches, need to develop a cynical, "street-wise" streak; but, it still hurts to lose.

No complaints with the two Glasgow tries" not given, but surely Heaslip's score for Leinster was a double movement: he grounded the ball short of the line, then, without further movement of his trunk, he placed it on the line. If that's isn't a double movement, what is?

Until the IRB sorts out things like the way there always seemed to be a couple of Leinster men on the Glasgow side of rucks; the blatant cheating of Isaac Boss throwing the ball at Nicko to get him yellow carded and other wee fly moves from the Irish, the better.

But, well done Glasgow - a great performance.

I SEE the IRB is going to bring north the scrum changes they have trialled at the second level of rugby in the southern hemisphere.

Good, about time too. Mind you, I suspect the scrum coaches in England and Wales will already be working-out ways of circumventing the new laws, so they can continue to ham-string efforts to make rugby the great game it should be.

But, please, let's just make sure the ball goes down the middle of the tunnel and that hookers learn to hook again. It cannot be too difficult.

There might be a case too for specialist scrum referees.

WELL done John Jeffrey on your elevation to the chairmanship of the IRB's playing committee and the referee appointments one. In the latter role JJ, please, keep Clancy away from Scotland games.

Small Earthquake In Edinburgh - Nobody Hurt

SOMETIMES the more-cerebral approach of rugby is a welcome break from the frantic, frenetic even pace of covering the round-ball game. All that speculation over who will be the next big buy, who is going to replace whom as coach of where, it makes covering football a brain-frazzling occupation.

The calmer waters of rugby coverage, so peaceful.

Imagine if you can the back page furore if WGS was suddenly to be unveiled as overall Director of Football with the SFA. Of course, it will never happen - direction, in Scottish football - you're avin a larff. Entire Scandinavian forests would be felled to cope with the print media frenzy; The Scotsman website would crash with the amount of traffic, putting (naturally) an Old Firm slant on the whole thing. The BBC and Clyde phone-ins would be in melt down; Chick Young would have a fit.

But, the SRU decides to make the big Aussie The Honcho and - small earthquake in Edinburgh, nobody hurt. Even the efforts of some of my rugby-writing colleagues to stir-up interest, by speculating on which of three or four southern hemisphere coaches might succeed Johnston as Scotland Coach faltered after a couple of days.

I wouldn't be averse to Todd Blackadder returning to Edinburgh, but, still feel, somewhere along the line in this protracted game of musical chairs, somebody Scottish has to be given a job as something more than a bag carrier at Murrayfield.

NOT much can be said about the squad for this wee South African jaunt next month. The squad more or less picks itself; but I am a tad disappointed at the absence of big Rob Harley. That said, we do have an embarrassment of back row riches, so, somebody had to stay at home. One hopes this disappointment will give young Rob the impetus to come back stronger and meaner next season.

I would also like to have seen Mark Bennett taken along for the experience, but, his turn will come. Finally - Ally Dickinson, come off it.

I WAS speaking to a hugely-experienced referee this week. This guy is in his mid-sixties, still whippet-thin, runs every day and is fitter than a lot of guys half his age. He's been blowing the whistle for over 30-years, has done his bit at a high level and now operates at the grass roots, as a mentor to young referees, while still officiating at mini and midi games.

He was laughing at an experience he had earlier this month, at a mini tournament, when the coach of a losing Under-15 team refused to shake his hand - because he (the coach) felt, from a distance of six feet, my refereeing friend had missed an incident which he (the coach) had clearly seen from 50-metres away.

This failing by the referee had absolutely and directly cost the coach's side the game - which they had lost by over 30-points.

It is good to know that football attitudes are now crossing the great divide into rugby. If your side loses that heavily, the fault is not with the referee, but, maybe the coach should take a close look in the mirror.

Well Done Toony -You Stuck To Your Guns And Got A Pay-Off

WAY BACK in August, at Sale's old club ground, just off the main street of that Manchester suburb, I watched Gregor Townsend send out his Glasgow side for their first pre-season game.

Eighty minutes later they tropped off, on the wrong end of a hammering from their hosts. However, if there was ever a case of a team losing to five or six breakaways, it was that afternoon. Glasgow played all the rugby, unfortunately Sale made hay and capitalised on every one of the many mistakes Glasgow made.

But, that's what pre-season games are for; for going through the gears, making the mistakes, sorting things out. A few nights later, at Millbrae, Glasgow again lost, to Exeter Chiefs, but, again, the team played a lot of good rugby and it was obvious what their young tyro coach was trying to do.

Fast forward nine months and Glasgow are celebrating a very good year in the Pro12, having finished third in the league and consolidating their play-off place. Of course, it hasn't been plain sailing; their Heineken Cup campaign was disappointing and they failed to take one or two chances chances which might have made the difference between a top two and their eventual top four place in the league standings and secured them a home semi-final.

Toony stuck to his guns; he wanted his team to play a fast, off-loading game and they generally did. They had the most players named in the Pro12 Team of the Season, with Townsend earning a well-deserved Coach of the Year award.

Townsend knows what he wants from his team; the SRU have allowed him to have a free hand and the result has been good. Now, however, comes the hard part. Regardless of whether the Warriors' season ends at the RDS on Friday night, or continues through to the Pr012 Grand Final - Toony and his troops have set the bar, high.

Nothing less than same-again next season  will do; while I am sure everyone at Scotstoun, and at Murrayfield, will be hoping their great domestic form not only continues, but is enhanced by the squad making a real splash in the Heineken next season.

Toony - not for the first time, has put a smile on the face of Scottish rugby.

IT APPEARS we are going to have a largely antipodean team running the playing side at Murrayfield next season. A Director of Rugby from New South Wales, a Head Coach from either Queensland or New Zealand, with the only Brit in the mix being an Old South Walian.

I think the troops might want to see a bit of Scottish input further down. Might we see Toony whisked along the M8 to take charge of Edinburgh, with Duncan Hodge (backs) and either Steve Scott (who could revert to his technical/analyst role) or George Graham taking charge of the forwards?

Back at Scotstoun, might we see big Shade Munro promoted, with maybe Kenny Murray handed an opportunity to coach at the professional level as his assistant? The Ayr coach does work for Sport and Leisure Glasgow - which has a wee tie-in with the SRU and Warriors, so bringing him on-board will not be too-stressful, providing Jock Craig and Billy McHarg at Ayr can be placated - and that might be the hardest bit.

With more southern hemisphere guys involved at Scotland level, the SRU is almost beholden to (finally) promote Scottish coaches at the next level down, or lose the body of the kirk completely. 

Surprise Surprise - Clancy Can Referee A Match Properly

JINGS, crivvens, help ma Boab, I never saw that coming. To what do I refer? Why the excellent refereeing display which George Clancy produced in Galway on Friday night when in-charge of the Connacht v Glasgow game.

Regular readers of this blog will recall I rather fancied Dan Parks to spike Glasgow's guns with a late drop goal, when I previewed the game. Switching-on BBC Alba I nearly spilled my gin and tonic when, through the buzz of Gaelic, I heard old Hugh Dan utter the dreaded words George Clancy, for it was indeed Scottish rugby's whistling nemesis who was the man in the middle.

But, lo and behold, did the bold George, so-often the scourge of Scottish sides not produce a belter of a refereeing performance. See George, you can do it when you try.

Sadly, Glasgow merely did enough to win; which wasn't enough to guarantee home field advantage in the semi-final. They must now travel to the RDS to face Leinster and that could well be the end of their road. However, let's wait and see.

Last night Glasgow were probably undone by the conditions, as a few good chances were lost to handling errors, which can be excused given the slippery ball.

Before the game, the Pro12 Dream Team was announced, with four Glasgow players named - a selection which further underlines what a dog's dinner the Lions selectors have made of their touring party. Gatland and his coaches have clearly played favourites and taken little notice of form, an oversight for which they will pay dearly - not least because, I can confidently say now: Matt Stevens, should he get on the park in a test match, has, on his own, the potential to scupper the entire tour.

SO, Scott Johnston is the SRU's new Director of Rugby. I hae ma doots on this one. The Aussie will be the third holder of this title, and, like the other two, Jim Telfer and Ian McGeechan, he moves into the post from a background of hands-on coaching.

Creamy and Geech were, by any standards, outstanding coaches - no question. They were also pretty poor Directors of Rugby. I just hope Johnston doesn't follow them down that trail.

There is more to being a DoR than coaching expertise; Johnston has, apparently in his short time at Murrayfield impressed the Mandarins in the way he conducts himself.

Well, I would suggest that since neither he nor Chief Executive Dodson has a Scottish background, and neither has been very long in Scottish rugby, they lack the in-depth knowledge of what makes the game tick up here and that, rather than coaching expertise is the main ingredient necessary to be an effective Director of Rugby.

THE announcement of the Pro12's Sky deal, which will kick-in at the start of the 2014-15 season made few waves in the Scottish mainstream media. Hardly surprising given their football obsession, but I was surprised to see such scant coverage in those papers which do cover rugby.

This deal could be the making of professional rugby up here, giving potentially a bit more income than before. Against this, it will provide a bigger shop window for our players, and perhaps more will move to England or France.

However, with Sky exposure, we ought to see the many good Scottish professionals we have better thought-of outwith Scotland and this should get us a more-deserving representation in future Lions parties than we have this year.

Had Ryan Grant, for instance, been strutting his stuff on Sky this season, he would definitely be on that aircraft bound for Australia - no question.

Beware Aussie-Scots Dropping Goals

THIS could be a big weekend for Scottish Rugby. I will be in front of the TV tonight, willing Glasgow to win at Connacht and thus do their bit in securing a crucial home venue for their Pro12 semi-final; whilst across at Murrayfield there will be tears, not least from relieved referees, as Chunk Jacobsen bids farewell to the professional game.

I must admit, Richard Bath, a man who is to rugby-writing and journalism in general as much use as a chocolate fireguard, in a rare moment of lucidity this week, perhaps forecast the scenario at the Showground tonight: speculating on Dan Parks snatching defeat from the jaws of victory from Glasgow with an 81st minute dropped goal. Please NO!

I prefer to think that Glasgow will win, but the Welsh regions will come-up with a stitch-up to deny them home field advantage, as the Americans call it.

WE WILL miss Chunk next season. Not on the top step of Scottish props by any means, never a Smith, Sole or McLauchlan, but a guy who really relished pulling on the dark blue jersey and never gave less than 100%.

Chunk wore his heart on his sleeve - he was the Scotland fan on the park and he deserves all the praise and accolades he has received this week. I can see him, like David Rollo before him, years after the international caps stopped coming his way, happily wrecking havoc as he played away for fun down the XVs with his club.

Playing Preston Lodge might be painful fun, if, as I suspect he will, Chunk retires to Pennypit Park to play for fun.

BILL Young, with Laurie Duff and Jock Waters a member of the outstanding back row which played no small part in "Wilson Shaw's Match", Scotland's marvellous Calcutta Cup win at Twickenham in 1938, was laid to rest this week, aged 96.

Medical studies plus a little bit of unpleasantness involving our German friends cost Young the best years of his career, but, he came through the War and won further caps in 1948, before becoming a medical missionary in East Africa.

Young led the fledgling East African Rugby Union team, "The Tuskers" on their first tour, to Stellenbosch, in 1950.

That Tuskers touring party - to a man "white settlers" was the fore-runner of the Kenyan squad which is in action at Scotstoun this weekend. Rugby is apparently a good fall-back for those Kenyans who don't have it to make a living on the athletics tracks of the world and they have certainly been making waves on the Sevens circuit of late.

Sevens is the future of the game; just watch it explode after the Rio Olympics give it genuine global exposure - let's hope the SRU can come up with a workable strategy by then, it would be a shame if the nation which invented the short form of the game was left behind by global developments.