What A Difference A Week Makes

WITH nearly half a century in the sports-writing trenches behind me, I am too-old and too-scarred by events to get carried away by last night's Edinburgh victory over Connacht, at Murrayfield.

 

The result was welcome, suffice to say, this is the sort of win over the fourth-string Irish province we ought to expect as normal from our por teams' home games.

 

I think the Solomons Slant on how a pro team should operate is slowly getting through to the Edinburgh players, but, it will continue to be a long haul.

 

 

 

MEANWHILE, in Ospreyland, the Warriors took their time about it, but finally got their reward with an away win.

 

I firmly believe off field events are preying on the collective minds of the Glasgow squad, It will be a long time yet, if ever, before we learn exactly what happened in the kebab shop queue,  but, I feel the team's management maybe haven't covered themselves in glory in the way they have handled matters and this has affected the players, even those not directly or allegedly involved.

 

But, back to the rugby. OK, the Ospreys were allowed to cheat outrageously at the breakdown; Dudley Phillips, who tends to sway with the breeze in his decisions, the team with the momentum behind them at any given stage of the game tending to get the nod from him; was, (as ever in Wales) given little help from the two Welsh Homers withe the flags; and (as ever in Wales), the officiating was crap.

That said, and I have NEVER seen a more-outrageous decision than the penalty against Jon Welsh for going to ground as the Glasgow pack advanced - Stevie Wonder could have seen the scrum was going forward so-quickly he simply lost his footing; Glasgow made it very hard for themselves.

The number of times they coughed-up possession too-easily inside the Osprey's "red zone", of committed a basic handling or decision error was quite shocking. Still, they came through and, if ever a team won "ugly" it was Glasgow last night. But, that said - a win is a win.

This is in no way a criticism of the kid, who did nothing wrong, but, if Glasgow really HAD to borrow a centre from Ayr for last night, then I suggest either Messrs Curle, Fergusson or Kelbrick ought to have got the gig before team mate Finn Russell, who did get to play. And, maybe Mark Bennett should be sent back to the RBS Premiership for a month or so, to re-discover the mojo he misplaced at Toulon.

A game or three at a lower level, where his undoubted class would shine through, just might work wonders for young Mark.

FINALLY, wasn't that a lovely touch of Kismet, when the French clubs turned round and got into line behind their Federation, thereby all but killing-off the English-led plans for a new European competition.

The Heineken format will change, let's face it, it has to, but, hopefully the Unions, provided there remain within Twickenham men of standing able to see beyond the narrow demands of their big clubs, should now have the upper hand.

Materiality - A Matter Of Interpretation

I LEARNED a new word last week - materiality. It came courtesy of one of Scotland's top refereeing supervisors, who was spying on the official with the whistle in the RBS Premiership match which I was reporting on.

 

He (the supervisor) decided to watch the action from the seat next to the press benches: on the basis that: "Well, you guys see everything from here". It was significant, I felt, that in a pulsating match which was yet another great advertisement for the Premiership, by half time he had taken more notes than the entire press corps.

 

Not that the wee man with the whistle had a bad game - by current Scottish standards, he did rather well. However, my introduction to "materiality" came mid-way through the first half when the home team's flying winger had his jersey pulled twice, and suffered some not-so-subtle interference running from a visiting defender, which, in the combined view of the press corps, cost the home team a seeming certain try.

 

Not so, explained the supervisor. His reading was that neither the jersey-pulling (since the home winger was at it as well) nor the interference running materially affected events. He and the referee both believed the covering winger, who did indeed get to the ball first and clear it upfield would still have got their first, even without the jersey-pulling and interference-running, so - no need to award either the penalty or the penalty try (which the reporter from the local paper wanted) which might have accrued.

 

We later learned that "materiality" is the reason why crooked scrum feeds are still being allowed - the referees are deciding that, if the feeding team is perceived to be having the better of the scrum contest, then, even if their scrum-half feeds crookedly, it doesn't materially affect the outcome, they'd still have gained possession.

 

The counter view: "Well, if the side putting in's hooker had to strike, and the opposition went for an eight-man shove, that might materially affect the outcome, seemed to cut no ice in refereeland.

 

All of which I feel reinforces my long-held and voiced argument, that rugby has a serious problems with its Laws and their interpretation, given so-m uch of today's debate is centred around refereeing interpretations of the Laws and how the teams choose to "play the referee".

 

There is only one set of Laws, and surely John Jeffery and his IRB Refereeing Committee have a duty to make sure that ALL referees are singing from the same hymn sheet in interpreting and policing them.

 

And, while I'm going on about the Laws - please, please, please, please, please, can we have proper rucking back? The breakdown is a total shambles, and only by returning to the situation whereby the ball has to be played by a foot after a tackle, will we see the sort of quick, go-forward ball which this game needs.

 

It would be a really thicker than thick player who resorted to head-kicking or stamping in today's top-flight professional game, covered as it is, wall-to-wall by cameras. I accept the thugs in the play for fun game, who have always been there, will perhaps perceive the return of rucking as a licence to kick heads, but, with even minor league clubs now having games filmed, with proper, stringent refereeing, they too can be controlled.

 

 

Glass Half-Full Or Half-Empty?

ANOTHER down and up weekend for we followers of Scottish Rugby. I opted for the BBC Alba coverage of Ulster v Edinburgh, rather than Glasgow v Dragons, live at Scotstoun, on Friday night. The debate as to whether or not I took the better option is on-going.

 

Friends who did take the trouble to go to Scotstoun were not exactly happy with their lot. In truth, the Dragons are the Welsh team we all ought to look to beat regularly, Glasgow didn't. I felt, on this occasion, albeit working off a reduced squad, Gregor Townsend got his squad rotation wrong.

 

Edinburgh v Ulster were, by and large, awful. If they are going to lose so badly, I'd rather we lost with home-grown Scottish players rather than second or third-rate Saffers.

 

Glasgow are a sound scrummaging side, Edinburgh aren't. If the coaches cannot coach scrumming, get shot. That the country of McLeod, McLauchlan, Sole, Rollo, Carmichael and Milne, of hookers of the calibre of Bruce, Laidlaw and Deans cannot find players able to form a reasonable front row today, what are the SRU paying such big salaries for?

 

Scotland did better against the Aussies than they had against the Saffers. Fair enough. I tend to look at the Autumn Tests as being a proving ground for team selections for the Six Nations, in which case, I don't think Scott Johnson learned much which he didn't already know.

 

I think Al Kellock's Scotland days are over; well done thou good and fiathful servant. Richie Gray has to give himself a shake, otherwise, he too might be left to make money in France. I have never been a big Jim Hamilton fan - I think he concedes too-many penalties; but, he has bucked-up his ideas, which is good.

 

I'd pension-off Ross Ford, now; pray for Ross Rennie's good health and perhaps think of pensioning-off Sean Lamont. Yes, he can break the line, but, too-often he fails to appreciate support and the need to pass.

 

We must hope Stuart Hogg regains his misplaced mojo, ditto Mark Bennett. The Six Nations will be hard going, as ever.

 

 

AYR v Gala on Saturday was one helluva battle - The Charge Of The Light Brigade meets The Somme. Yet another example of what a good competition the RBS Premiership is at the top level. Ayr's inability to turn overwhelming territorial and ball possession into more than 13 points in the opening quarter was, in the end, costly, at both ends of the match. They also left a few kickable points out there on the park unclaimed.

 

Gala's defence was simply awesome, there is no other word for their commitment to keeping out a rampant Ayr. They also had, in Ewan McQuillin, the outstanding man on the park for me. I know he trains with Edinburgh, but, this is a young, mobile and strong prop who is surely worth greater involvement in the professional game.

 

Graham has also been impressed by the way former centre Craig Borthwick has responded to the unusual move to the second row.

 

I fancy, with a six-point gap at the top, Gala are now Champions-elect. Certainly the title is now theirs to lose.

Too-Much Tinkering

I ACCEPT the modern thinking which states that, because of the physical conditioning of today's full-time, professional players and the higher collision and attrition rate in the modern game, as against the old amateur one, squad rotation is a must over the intense programme of the Autumn Tests and the Six Nations.

 

But, there is squad rotation and there is needless tinkering; and I fear that during this Autumn Test phase, Scott Johnson has been guilty of unnecessary tinkering. I believe he has got his selections wrong over the three games and we may suffer for this in tomorrow's Murrayfield clash with the Australians.

Good management is about identifying your best team and trying to have them primed and ready for the biggest games. OK, in an ideal world, Scotland's schedule for Autumn 2013 might have read: Japan, Australia, South Africa, but, it didn't. Had that been the schedule, Scotty could have decided which key men had to be primed for the biggest test, the Saffers, and worked round his selection from there.

In the event, I feel he was too-conservative against the Japanese, seeking to ensure a good win, and that compromised his selections for the two bigger games, which followed.

We are now in the situation where some players are being played out of position, we have a skimpy bench and, I fear, against an Australian side who will be keen to obliterate the bad press they have "enjoyed" this week, by winning well - we will suffer.

TONIGHT'S two Rabo Pro12 games, Ulster v Edinburgh and Glasgow v Gwent Dragons will be very interesting ones. Alan Solomons will be wanting to make a good impression back at his old Ravenhill stomping ground, while the Dragons offer the Warriors' fringe men a chance to show what they can do.

I know one or two of the Warriors who haven't featured much of late will be really keen to put down a marker tonight and while I forecast a hard night for Edinburgh, I think we may well see tries and points aplenty at Scotstoun.

It is significant that Solomons is seeking to drag Edinburgh out of the doldrums by reliance on South African-trained guys whom he knows of old. However, I am so pleased that he is persisting with Harry Leonard at stand-off. With Scotland's top two 10s vying for game time at the other end of the M8, young Harry is quietly getting on with things at Murrayfield and I hope he continues to develop as he has - the more depth the better in this crucial position.

NO QUESTION what is the game of the day in the RBS Premiership tomorrow. It has to be the Millbrae collision between table-topping Gala and defending Champions Ayr.

After last week's unexpected loss at Currie, this is a game which Ayr cannot afford to lose. Indeed, with Heriot's coming to Alloway next Saturday, these two Saturdays could make or mar the Millbrae Men's season.

Ayr v Gala matches are always tight, hard-fought affairs, but, with ground to make up, I expect Ayr to shade it - just.

I SEE, in terms of the long-running saga of the Heineken Cup, we are all out of step but the English. By their failure to attend this week's Dublin meeting of the six major European Unions, we have to accept that the RFU have cravenly chosen to allow their elite clubs to run the game in England.

When will Will Carling's 57 Old Farts realise - the top clubs don't give a monkeys about the game, all they care about is milking it of as much money as they can garner.

Rugby isn't just about Leicester, or Bath, or Northampton or Wasps - it is also about Old Shirt-Lifters Extra C XV, village clubs in Cumbria, university sides in the Midlands and so on.

Unless the RFU gets a grip and hauls in the so-called big boys, they will suffer.

 

 

Yes, It Was Bad, But, Not That Bad

'ER INDOORS had a family function yesterday afternoon, which meant I was lucky and missed that dismal Murrayfield drubbing at the hands of the Saffers. I got a distraught e-mail from one of our hard-working missionaries in the Sudetenland, the poor guy feels he dare not venture outside, since Scotland's travails are the perfect get-out for all the little Englanders seeking solace after their doing from the All Blacks. He is even thinking of leaving the country for the duration of the Six Nations.

 

I am not so disheartened, having long-ago become used to Scotland shitting in its own nest in the wider field of international sport. At the absolute top level, which is where the Saffers operate and at least one flight up from our normal habitat, mistakes and unforced errors kill you; we certainly made too-many of these yesterday, so, no surprise we lost.

 

What did upset me was our second-half display, when we had 70% possession, yet lost 7-0 and, in truth, never looked like getting over the whitewash. We were comprehensively gubbed at the breakdown, where I suspected the re-called John Barclay and Alistair Strokosh might have given us a semblance of parity; that hurt.

 

Again, I say: does Ross Ford have a compromising DVD of Scott Johnson and half the Murrayfield Mandarins. For as long as he was on the pitch yesterday he was a liability - and, he still has no idea about how to hook. FFS, if he cannot adapt to the new protocols - why are we still picking him.

 

I felt sorry for Jackson. As I have said, he's a bit like his club coach, he tries things, they don't always come off and sadly for him, when they don't, it is usually at great cost to us.

 

Let's face it, we are second-rate and it will take a lot of hard work, right across Scottish rugby, from grass roots to the elite, international level, and a long time, for us to get back to anything near the top flight.

 

I do not forecast total doom and gloom in the Six Nations, however, we simply cannot, at the moment, complete on a level playing field, with the three Southern Hemisphere giants - but, we are capable of beating at least England, Wales, Ireland and Italy; an on-song France, however, will still beat us more often than not.

 

I think Scottie got his selection rotation wrong over the Japan and South Africa games; let's hope he gets it right on Saturday.

 

 

 

ON THE club front, Ayr's surprise loss at Currie on Saturday certainly opens up the RBS Premiership title race. The Millbrae Men now face back-to-back "Must Win" games against Gala and Heriot's and if they win them - then the title race could go right to the wire. But, if Gala win at Millbrae on Saturday, they will be gey difficult to prevent from taking the title.

 

I am looking forward to the match already.

 

 

Will It Be All Wight On The Day For Hawks?

WITH Scotland playing on Sunday, this weekend, we've got a full RBS Premiership programme to deal with tomorrow; in truth, it's one of the duller weeks, with not a lot to get excited about, at least on paper. This probably means every game will be a cracker with a couple of shock results thrown-in for good measure.

 

The most-intriguing game looks like being the one at Old Anniesland, where Hawks entertain a Melrose team desperate for a win, following potentially-disastrous back-to-back losses to Ayr and Heriot's. However, with home advantage, Hawks will be ferocious opponents, while the presence of former 'Rose skipper and inspiration Scott Wight in the number 10 shirt for the Glasgow side adds a special picquancy to the match.

 

Wight is one of, what is for me a somewhat sparse number of freed professionals turning-out for their draft teams. I confess, player rotation and rest protocols is not my field of expertise, but, I expected to see a greater number of otherwise idle professionals being told to put on their club strips and have a run-out at a time when they are not seeing weekly Rabo Pro12 action.

 

 

 

HOW rugby has changed. This morning a bust of Bill McLaren was unveiled in the foyer of Murrayfield, as the SRU gave further recognition to perhaps the most-influential figure in Scottish rugby history.

 

I cannot, however, help laughing at the memory of how, amongst others, the esteemed McLaren, the late Brian Meek (Royal High School FP third XV), Ian McLauchlan and myself (Cumnock's "Mean Machine" third XV) were all banned for life from the game, for having the temerity to be paid for reporting and commenting on it.

 

McLaren, Norman Mair and McLauchlan have all made it into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame, "Wee Beastie" even got to be President; Meekie died before he could be recognised - so - hey SRU, where's my award?

 

WONDERFUL thing the BBC iplayer, allowing you, as it does, access to regional programmes not shown nationally. I do like to have a look at the Welsh programme Scrum V Sunday, even though the commentaries on the Pro12 games are heavy going, thanks to the myopia of the Cymraig commentators.

 

In the run-up to last weekend's gubbing from the Saffers, BBC Wales re-ran an old documentary on the marvellous 1974 Lions in South Africa, in which they took Welsh one-eyedness in rugby to extremes.

 

The talking heads were all in there: Benny, Gareth, JJ, JPR Peter Hain and John Taylor; assorted Saffers, such as Mornie du Plessis, Brian Habana's dad and PJ de Villiers and Willie John McBride, but, this was the Welsh authorised version, i.e. It was the Taffia wot won it, with little or no help from the other three countries.

 

How they could seriously attempt to tell the story of that tour and fail to mention big Broon's eight tries - in fact, the only Test try they didn't show was his classic steal at the front of the line-out effort in the Third? Test.

 

Compared to the Welsh rugby community's view of themselves as keepers of the flame - our Caledonian toast: "Here's tae us, wha's like us", is nothing.

 

 

 

FINALLY, apropos tomorrow's internationals; I have only one thing to say: "Com on you Blacks - gerrintaerum!"

It's All About Rotas, He Rote

WHEN I was a schoolboy, back in the Golden Age of Scottish education - we still learned a lot of what "they" thought we should be taught, by rote. I can still see "Big Pit", my First Year Latin teacher, immaculate in his double-breasted, pin-striped suit, over six feet tall, gaunt - he never quire recovered from service as a Chindit in the jungles of Burma - beating time with a heavy ruler as he taught us basic Latin tenses: "Amo, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, ament".

 

Nowadays, rote learning is frowned upon, to re-introduce it might harm today's little angels' precious infant psyches - but, in the world of sport, rotas, rather than rote are seen as the way to improve our over-paid, over-hyped, often over-rated, sports stars.

 

Thus, Scottie Johnson has rung the changes for Sunday's Murrayfield clash with the South Africans; so much for keeping changes to a winning team to a minimum.

In truth, I agree with the need to rotate the team, Scotland is hardly awash with top-quality talent and, with the Australians coming hard on the heels of the Saffers, he has to husband his resources as he sees fit.

I reckon, Scottie's thinking is: "The Saffers will beat us, but, we can beat the Aussies", and he is selecting accordingly. However, the still-fragile state of our internaitonal game was perhaps demonstrated by his decision to put-out a more-or-less full-strength team against Japan.

If ever there was a case for blooding newcomers, it was against the Japanese; but, Scottie fielded more big guns than many of us would have done, to be sure of a morale-boosting win.

So, a second-half introduction for Jonny Gray has been well flagged-up; the enigma that is Moray Low gets first crack at filling the huge hole left by Euan Murray's "Never on Sunday" stand, while Chris Cusiter will almost-certainly come off the bench and take-over the captaincy from Greig Laidlaw after around an hour.

I honestly don't see us winning this weekend, but, we can certainly beat the Aussies, so, if Johnson has called it correctly, good and well. However, should we surprise even ourselves and beat the Saffers - what a delicious headache Scottie has got for the following week.

Good Win - Move-On - Next Please

WELL - that was a relief; when Japan scored that scorching try at the start of the second half yesterday, I had a: "Oh shit! Not again" moment. Management's Japanese daughter-in-law was getting a wee bit excited at that point, but, we pulled through.

 

The result was, probably, what you might expect, when a top ten nation meets, with home advantage, a nation from the next tier down, but, you don't have to have a long memory to accept, this is a potential banana skin for the Scots.

 

Thus, with harder matches to come, we can look critically at the display. I felt our centres did well, as did both of our half-back combinations. The back three also did well - given enough quality ball, our backs can hurt other international sides.

 

Ah! There's the rub - getting quality ball. Kelly Brown is a good, possibly great captain, but, sadly there has to be a but - he's at his best at six, rather than at seven; I felt the possession got better, albeit against tiring opponents, once the rejuvenated John Barclay came on at seven.

 

David Denton did well; aren't we lucky to have two ranpaging number eights to pick from - Denton and Johnny Beattie? Strokosh was just Storkosh, going quietly and with intent about his business.

 

Tim Swinson had a storming game in the donkey/enforcer role which has, for so long, been Jim Hamilton's fiefdom. Hammy is certainly bigger, but, Swinson is more mobile and less likely to throw a wobbler and concede a stupid penalty.

 

That said, I felt he was unlucky to be penalised in the lead-up to Sean Lamont's disallowed "try" - I mean, had he been a well-known English psycho, he'd have got away with it - if indeed there was an "if". 

 

Now comes the sad bit. I feel it is time to tell big Al Kellock: "Well done thou good and faithful servant" and leave him to play-out his Glasgow contract. With the Gray brothers and young Gilchrist, it is, I feel, time for the changing of the guard in his position.

 

The front row did ok, however; in particular, Alastair Dickinson did much-better than I had thought him capable of. But, it wasn't all sweetness and light at the scrum-face. Unless he can learn to do something he has never had to before in his career - ie hook, then, at his age, we should pension-off Ross Ford and concentrate on younger hookers such as Pat McArthur.

 

At the recent  Ayr v Stirling County match, I was involved in a brain-storming session on the current state of thescrum, given the new scrum laws. Participating were "Muff" Scobie, Jock Craig and that one-man scrummage wrecking ball, Johnny Burston, and a 'Dickinson Disciple' in Gordon Strachan.

 

The three props, with years of experience, were unanimous in their belief that today's props are not being coached in the different needs of the new engagement laws. Worse, never before having had to do so, the hookers don't know how to hook.

 

"I've tried to coach the Ayr guys in how to do it under the new laws", said Craig.

 

"Then, off they go to Glasgow, to be told something totally different, by coaches who never had to operate under anything like the new laws - whereas, guys like myself, "The Bear" at Heriots and so on, have years of experience of the requirements being asked for of the players now. It's bad coaching."

 

To see Ford getting his feet into the wrong position, and being unable to striker on Saturday, was heart-breaking. If he cannot adapt - get rid and get someone in who can.

 

 

 

I HAD to laugh at that moment in the Wales v South Africa match when Alain Rolland pinged the two props. It's not as if it was the first time he did it. Remember how he pinged Ryan Grant and Adam Jones at Scotstoun last season? The props cannot say they weren't warned.

 

Mind you, the common denominator both times was a Welsh international prop, which, I think, confirms my suspicion that the Welsh cannot scrum and cheat outrageously to cover-up this failing.

 

 

 

AND again, a fairly straight-forward England win is damned by faint praise. Don't you just love the English media? Their team might not be a really great one, but, they have made winning a habit, particularly at home, and, that's the first step towards having a good World Cup.

FewDebating Points Around The National Side

INTERNATIONAL week again, and the Scotland squad to face the Japanese on Saturday has been named. I cannot really fault Scottie for the Match-Day squad he has chosen, it's not as if we are so well-off for players that he could afford to pick a truly experimental team. As was shown in the summer, when the Japanese beat Wales, facing them even a few short of your best XV is asking for bother.

 

With Hoggie injured, Sean Maitland was a virtual shoo-in for the 15 jersey; while Tim Visser's injury was, from Scotland's point of view, badly-timed. I bow to nobody as an admirer of Mark Bennett, the best thing to have come out of Cumnock since Ayr Road linked-up with the new by-pass, but, sadly for him, his form shaded at the wrong time and he will be none the worse for a watching brief over the Autumn Tests.

 

I do have my concerns around the reserve props. Since Messrs Dickinson and Cross are not apparently trusted sufficiently by Alan Solomons to start for Edinburgh - I fail to see how they can be good enough to be the national team's back-up pairing. I reckon Messrs Welsh, Low and Reid from Glasgow are all better props than the Edinburgh pair.

 

The selection of big Al Kellock in the boiler-house has provoked some comment. I am a huge Kellock fan; he might not have Jim Hamilton's grunt in the tight scrums, but, I feel he more than makes up for this with his line-out expertise, not least as an opposition code breaker, and, he will never concede the silly penalties which JH does.

 

That said, putting the Gray brothers in harness in this one might have helped boost the crowd.

 

Finally, I am becoming more of a Jackson fan this season. In many ways he's like his club coach, Toony. Sure, he will leave you shaking your head at some rush of shite to the brain, then, from nowhere, he will conjour-up a moment of magic - and how often has Scotland had such a man in the number 10 shirt?

 

Jackson tests the first line of defence, which should leave room for his centres to work in, let's hope so.

Pay Them Like Footballers - They Will Start To Act Like Them

BACK in the day, and we are approaching the end of the second decade of fully-professional rugby, one of the pillars of my club announced that, now hard cash had come into play, he would be wthdrawing from all association with the game, other than as an occasional spectator.

 

This was a man who had been a schools internationalist, had captained his club and district and had given over 20-years to the club as an administrator, whilst being the fulcrum for one of the great playing strictly for fun minor XVs. He went to golf and, had cancer not claimed him disgracefully young, he would have, by now, captain the Royal and Ancient.

 

He knew that once money entered the equation, rugby as he knew and loved it, was dead. I have to say, his prophesies of impending doom have not all come to pass, but, this week, we have had notice of how much things have changed, with Hawks' centre Ally McLay hospitalised following an incident in a West End take-away.

 

Once upon a time, such wee stooshies between rival clubs happened; not often mind you, but, drink having been taken, it happened. I do, however, recall how, when I was a boy, half the minor sides from three-quarters of the clubs in Ayrshire could, around six pm of an evening, be found inside the Malletsheugh at the top of Newton Mearns. Muich drink would be taken, but narry a blow would be struck.

 

Nowadays, since the players are being paid like footballers, some of them seem to  have started behaving like the round-ball luts. Damned bad form what.

 

 

 

BY five pm tonight, the eventual destination of the RBS Premiership title ought to be a wee bit clearer. There are still many twists and turns along the road to take, but, the losers in the games between Melrose and Ayr and Gala and Heriot's will surely find it extremely difficult to recover.

 

Ayr have a point to prove at the Greenyards. At half-time at Millbrae earlier in the season, they held all the aces against Melrose, but, the Rose bloomed better after John Dalziel worked his half-time magin and they stormed away in the second half.

 

That reverse hurt Ayr, I expect a major effort to make amends today. This will be the game of the day.

 

 

 

EDINBURGH maybe didn't turn on the style in beating the Italians last night, but, they won. Last season, I doubt if they would have - which just shows that, maybe, Alan Solomons is winning his battle to turn things around.

 

This season's Inter-Cities head-to-head should be very interesting.