A Good Day, But, We Are Not Out Of The Woods - Yet

HANDS UP all those who didn't see yesterday's Rome result coming. Yep! Me too. The wind was definitely in my face, I was being Private Fraser at his most-pessimistic, and, pre-match I would quite happily have settled for a ten-point losing margin.

 

At half-time, I definitely feared the worst, but, credit where credit is due, we turned it around and, having seen him in similar situations for Glasgow, I had every confidence in Dunky Weir's ability to nail that last-kick dropped goal.

 

But, and maybe it's simply my in-built Scottish cringe, I fear this win might come back to bite us on the bum. The scenario I saw unfolding was, we lose in Rome, we kick-up such a stink anent Coach Johnson that the Murrayfield Mandarins dig-in their heels even more than before and we get into a real internal schism - whereupon the boys go out on 8 March and scupper France's Grand Slam hopes. However, with the French playing as badly in Cardiff as we did in Dublin and Edinburgh, their Grand Slam hopes have gone - they may well completely re-cast their team for Murrayfield and, instead of catching Les Blues with their minds elsewhere, and surprising them - we now get hammered.

 

We will not win in Wales. We will likely get an Irish referee and be lucky to get anything. We are now, however, unlikely to finish bottom of the table, so should be thankful for small mercies.

 

I hear there might be ructions within Murrayfield between now and next season, the clans are in rebellious mood, mind you, with my long experience of Scottish officialdom in many sports - I don't see the necessary structural changes which will get us on-track for glory being made any time soon.

 

Still, let's enjoy today.

 

 

 

IF EVER a Scottish sportsman was at a career cross roads, it is Moray Low this morning. It was obvious Glasgow didn't try too-hard to keep him once Exeter became interested, while his first-half mauling and ignominious hooking was personally embarrassing for him.

 

So, the big lad has a career to re-build. I have long thought Low's problems were inside his head. When his head is right, he is an awesome player, a terrific scrummager, also good about the paddock. However, we seldom see this side of him, he's a lad who retreats into his shell too-often and, when he is good, he is good, but, when he is bad, he's worse than terrible.

 

Wanted - a top-notch sports psychologist, to sort his head out.

 

Also, is it only me, or was Geoff Cross's terrific second-half showing a two-fingered, up-yours salute to Mr Solomon, the man who, apparently, doesn't rate him. I reckon our Saffer Edinburgh coach should be ORDERED to get out round the Premiership clubs to see for himself the young, home-grown talent we have coming through. At the same time, he should be told - you've got your ration of imports, in fact, get rid of the dead wood therein.

 

 

 

I WAS at the Ayr v Glasgow Hawks RBS Cup tie at Lochinch on Saturday morning. This was a glimpse of the future and we really need a lot more of this type of facility in Scottish rugby. Such pitches don't come cheap, but, where there is a will, there is surely a way and we MUST HAVE more of these, if we are to compete.

 

By the way, well done Hawks in winning, an immense performance from a team which doesn't always play to their potential. On Saturday morning, they did.

Rome in the gloomin' for Scotland

THE bi-annual trip to Rome is, naturally, the new trip on the block when it comes to European international rugby. It is also the most-popular one for rugby's WAGS, and who can blame them - given your choice of February long weekend destinations, if you were one of the fairer sex, where would you rather go - Dublin, Edinburgh, Cardiff, London, Paris or Rome.

 

It would probably come down to Paris v Rome, with the perception it would be warmer in the Eternal City probably tipping the balance.

 

For the men, be they Celt or Saxon, however, Rome is - or at least used to be - favoured for the perception of an away win. That perception is not so solid these days, as the Azzuri become more-attuned to the demands of the Six Nations.

 

Of course, for we "Sweaties", Roman has always been a potential banana skin - Celtic has a better away record in Europe than we have in Rome. This time around, it isn't so-much a banana skin as a sheet of ice as slippery as any the likes of our curlers or Lizzie Yarnold have faced n Sochi - very, very few Scots, other than Dopey's relatives are predicting a Scottish win. I agree with the general consensus: "We're doomed - doomed ah tell ye!"

 

In some way, I would welcome a heavy Scottish defeat today, if only to concentrate Scottish minds on just how bad we are and how badly we need revolution.

 

I reckon, if Wee Eck was to announce, come Independence, his first act would be to put Scott Johnson on a flight to Australia, the Yes campaign would win by a land-slide.

 

But, as we know, we would have to also pay for tickets for a whole aircraft load of the blazers before we could start afresh. Scottish rugby has long been held back by the curse of "Ayebeenism", the arch-conservative mind-set which has seen us repeatedly make the same mistakes, time and again.

 

To be fair to Johnson, his ineptitude has helped focus minds; the question is now being asked: "If the blazers can make such a horrendous boob as to appoint this ynaff, how many others will they make before they get it right?"

 

But, even though we might fear the damage he could do as Director of Rugby, we know we are three games away from saying cheerio to Coach Johnson. Might a tight loss, or even an unexpected win tomorrow, be the start of the recovery?

 

ELSEWHERE - I can see the illusion of Welsh competence being further pricked by a French win tonight. Tomorrow, at Twickenham, well we have to be backing Ireland against the Common Enemy and hope the wheels well and truly come off the chariot.

 

 

Johnson Must Be Taking The Piss

I HAVE just looked at the Scotland XV to face Italy on Saturday - I predict a disaster.

 

I am now firmly of the opinion that Johnson is taking the piss; selectorial hokey-cokey with his in-out-shake it all about.

 

No complaint about Ross Ford being dropped, that may focus his mind when he gets on, but, I still feel, under the new scrummage laws and notwithstanding Ross's greater bulk, Pat McArthur is the better hooking option, particularly when it comes to defence round the breakdown.

 

No complaints about the name Gray being back in the team sheet, except, I think he's promoted the wrong one. Did Johnson not see young Jonny's marvellous performance against Cardiff?

 

I can only assume Ross Ford has handed over the compromising pictures of Johnson to Jim Hamilton, to keep him in the team. Selectorially, Hamilton's tea's been oot for a while now.

 

I am not a Denton fan, I reckon Johnny Beattie is the better number eight, so, no complaints there, but, I still maintain, until the McLay matter is adequately sorted-out, Wilson should be on gardening leave.

 

I'd have Cus at scrum-half, and, while I'm on the subject, not too-enamoured of his decision to move to Sale. Given the time he was out injured, I think he owes Glasgow another season. That said, we have to play a bit of front foot rugby and we've more chance of that with him rather than Laidlaw at nine.

 

I will be cheering the boys on, but: forward tho' ah canna see, ah guess and fear. 

A Glimmer Of Light Amidst The Gloom

THESE are sorry days for Scottish Rugby, and I fear, things will get worse before they get better. Glasgow lifted the spirits with their win in Cardiff on Saturday night. It wasn't pretty, the side continues to make too-many basic mistakes, but, at least in the journeymen squad which was on-duty, there is a collective spirit which isn't always obvious when the so-called big guns are in there.

 

George Clancy was - well George Clancy; I always feel Scottish sides have, in boxing parlance, to win by a knock-out to get a points decision when GC has the whistle, but, in the end the better team won.

 

Which begs the question: what is it about the Welsh? Their Rabo teams are even more-shite than our two teams, but, when the pull on a red shirt - they seem to grow in stature. With our guys, they look the business in Glasgow and Edinburgh colours, but, put them in navy blue and they shrink.

 

It cannot simply be the coaches - can it? I have no doubts, SJ is nothing more than an over-promoted water carrier, but, I don't think Gatland is as good as some people think he is. I mean, if he was really top quality, he'd be, at the very least, coaching one of the major New Zealand franchises.

 

Meanwhile, what of Edinburgh? I appreciate Connacht, this season, have moved-on from being the whipping boys of Irish rugby, but, I see the fourth Irish province as, perhaps, the "par" team of the Pro12. You have to beat them to have a chance of getting into the play-off mix; fail to do this - you're shite.

 

Interesting to see how up for it and interested Lee Jones was for Glasgow on Saturday - yet he is apparently surplus to requirements at Edinburgh. Lee bopy should maybe stick a van in there, become Lee van Jones, learn a word of two of Boer and, who knows, he might get a game.

 

 

 

BUT, to our tale. I had a wee private go at David Ferguson of The Scotsman, via a private email this week, in which I made the tongue-in-cheek suggestion that the Borders Buddie "get with the program" and join the 'Taxi for Johnson' movement.

 

David hit back; his position is that, he will not jump on board a screaming "sack the coach" bandwagon, but, that the problems in Scottish rugby go far deeper than that and it will take more than ditching SJ to put things right.

 

I concur with that, but still feel, getting rid of SJ would be a fair start.

 

The truth is, the SRU never wanted professional rugby; they have never got their heads round it and, after 20-years, I feat the Murrayfield Mandarins never will.

 

Maybe we're just too-thrawn, too-clannish, too fond of an argument with the folk next door to ever raise our eyes from out of our own wee midden, gaze at the bigger picture and start to put things right.

 

This, in spire of my firm intention to vote "Yes" on 18 September, remains my single, nagging doubt too about independence.

 

The great Willie Shankly once said: "The secret to success in English football is to have enough Scots players to make a difference, but not so-many that they start fighting with one another and derail you."

 

That's maybe what's wrong with Scottish Rugby - at club level, we've got too-many Scots, fighting among themselves, while at professional level, we maybe haven't enough to make a difference.

 

Can we square this circle?

Time for Reflection, But, Can We Turn Things Around?

THE SRU hierarchy, and Scott Johnson, must be grateful this week for the break in the Six Nations programme. This should, in theory, prevent the growing Taxi for Johnson movement from building-up a head of steam; which will also prevent the focus of the supporters' ire moving from the legitimate target of a coach who appears to have "lost the dressing room", the the perhaps even more legitimate target of the Murrayfield Mandarins who haven't so much lost the plot since rugby went professional, as never picked it up in the first place.

 

However, if, as a growing band of us fear, we are embarrassingly turned-over in Rome, the pressure will grow and, it could all get very nasty indeed.

 

There are, of course,huge differences between the two principal professional team sports in Scotland - football and rugby. Scottish football has a far-larger, more egalitarian constituency; also, we've had professional football in Scotland for 100-years longer than we've had professional rugby. This should, in theory, have meant that when the SRU had to embrace professionalism post 1995, they ought to have had the experiences of the SFA since 1895 to draw on; and, might, crucially have avoided some of the pitfalls into which the SFA has fallen and continues to fall.

 

But, have the men at Murrayfield done this? I don't think so.

 

For instance - Craig Levein's hold on the Scottish football team manager's job began to slacken when he sent-out that team in 4-6-0 against the Czech Republic. It still took a few more bad games to see him removed, but, he was fatally wounded in that game.

 

Johnson's 4-6-0 game was perhaps the spineless surrender to Ireland in Dublin. However, to follow that up with an even less-inspiring capitulation to England, only hastened his departure. Her has already had the dreaded vote of confidence from the Murrayfield Mandarins. In football, when you get the Chairman's vote of confidence, you can start packing your belongings - you're a dead man walking.

 

If rugby was to go down the football road, SJ would already be consulting Quantas flight schedules, but, his situation is not that simple. He is only interim head coach, keeping the seat warm pending Vern Cotter's arrival from Clermont - assuming Cotter still comes; he is maybe, having viewed the DVDs, assessing his options and seeking a get-out clause.

 

When Cotter takes over, SJ will move upstairs. Givent he damage he has done to the national team, how much more damage can he do to the whole Scottish game? I know, I've asked that one before, but, I am worried.

 

However, I could be wrong. He may move upstairs and immediately implement the changes Scottish rugby requires, from grass-roots to the international team, but, that's a gamble - can we seriously take it on past experience of his expertise?

 

We have made a mess of the first 20-years of professional rugby. Is it too-late for us to tear-up the book and start again? What things should we do differently? Do we trust the present Murrayfield management to implement the necessary changes?

 

We really need a national debate to answer these questions.

Things Can Only Get Better - They Couldn't Get Any Worse - Could They

MY last post was obviously written by the ghost of that old sour-faced curmudgeon Private Fraser. This one is written by me, but, over 48-hours later. Things are no better, in fact, they're worse.

However, some things have changed in the interim; I see the beginnings of a back-lash against the Murrayfield Muddlers, who have driven us down to such a cold, dark place.

Well done Alasdair Reid of the Herald. He is, if you like, the kid who pointed out the Emperor's lack of clothing, with his Monday morning piece on the follies of Coach Johnson. Slowly, away from the Hootsman, where David Ferguson - with a stance totally incompatible with his birth as a Paisley Buddie - is continuing to toe the party line, the clans are coming round to the notion it is time to ditch the Ockker.

Well done too, Paul Hayward of the Daily Torygraph, for his Monday morning piece suggesting the Six Nations committee ought to tell the SRU to: "Ship Up or Ship Out".

I must admit, when I first heard about his piece, my reaction was the normal one you expect from a Jock, being lectured by some Home Counties Tory: "Gonny no dae that," leading-on to the delivery of a swift Glasgow Kiss. Then I read the article in question.

Ok, one or two of the points were obviously made for consumption in Richmond, Barnes and similar leafy suburbs, but, it was fair comment on the whole and written as much in sorrow as in the English equivalent (if there is one) of: Gerritrightupyes!!

Jesus H Christ, the English are feeling sorry for us - I'm a Scotsman - get me out of here.

An old friend and comrade in drink, who now occasionally causes offence in the comment columns of the newspaper website: www.scotsman.com, under the nomme de plume of 'Star o Rabbie Burns' made a good point therein this morning.

Recalling a post-match Ally MacLeod press conference, during that great man's third tenure as Ayr United manager, he re-told Ally's take on managerial security in football.

Basically, the Gospel according to Ally is - if the crowd is calling for a manager's head, so-long as they are calling for his head, and his head alone, that manager is safe. However, when they turn their anger on the board and, in particular, the Chairman - that manager is toast.

So, today's lesson to the body of the Scottish Rugby Kirk is - instead of simply calling for Johnson's head - turn your fire on Dodson and the SRU board. They appointed him, they have to get rid of him.

After all, when you see the damage Johnson has done as Head Coach, even in an interim role - just think of the carnage he might cause when he becomes Director of Rugby and is responsible for the whole game in Scotland.

It doesn't bear thinking about.

This Was The Worst Scotland Performance Ever

THE many sporting heartaches we suffer is a heavy price to pay for life-long enlistment in the Tartan Army. I have been following Scotland's rugby team for over 50-years; when I started going to Murrayfield, there was just the one stand, we stood on that vast, open bowl of terracing and watched the likes of Ken Scotland, Arthur Smith, the McLeod, Bruce Rollo front row, Hamish Kemp, Adam Robson and Jimmy Greenwood.

I've seen some great days, and some dire ones, but, never, in those 50-plus years, have I felt so low as I feel tonight.  We weren't so-much beaten by England, as humiliated this afternoon, and, I can see no light at the end of the long, dark tunnel we are currently travelling down.

I hate losing to the England. It's a feeling I should be used to by now, but, as a firm believer in the old truism: "It matters not who won or lost - so long as you beat the English", today was hard.

I firmly believe this current English team will go close in the 2015 World Cup, with home advantage, they should. They have the makings of a good side, but, they are not there yet. They have a good pack of forwards, but, on today's evidence, they are struggling in the vital midfield area. If they can sort this out by World Cup time, they will be a handful for anyone - even the All Blacks.

I always fancied them to win today, but, felt, in terrible conditions, on a poor pitch, we could drag them down to our level and, under these conditions, I was quite happy to accept a ten-point start in a "loser buys lunch" wager with one of my schoolmates who has been doing vital missionary work in the Sudetenland tese many years.

Boy, was I wrong. And, what makes the terribly low feeling worse, it was the same-old, same-old. No cutting edge, slow possession, out-muscled at the breakdown, a poor kick-chase game.

I had my doubts when Scott Johnson was recruited. Since then he has risen seamlessly to the top and, even when Vern Cotter arrives - if he still does; if I was him I'd be looking for an out!! Johnson will still be around as Director of Rugby.

Well, you never know, he might be a better DoR than he is Head Coach, where he is a distinct liability.

How many more chances will Ross Ford get? He cannot hook, he misses his jumper at every crucial line-out, while struggling at the midfield ones. Sorry Ross, your time has come.

But, let's face it, until we have a total overhaul of Scottish rugby, from elite level to grass-roots, we are only going to go backwards. I don't see SJ as the man to run this.

We are doomed.

The Tartan Army Got It Correct All Those Years Ago

WEMBLEY, 1996 - the final whistle blows and, courtesy of Uri Geller's earlier intervention (aye right), a not very good England team, inspired by a truly wonderful Paul Gascoigne goal had got out of jail to beat Scotland in a European Championship game.

 

Half an hour later, the polis finally allow the Tartan Army, who had certainly won the terracing support match over the English fans, are allowed to leave: marching out to the strains of: "We're shite, but we know we are".

 

Nearly 20 years later, as I disgustedly switched channels at the conclusion of the game in Dublin - I thought - that old Tartan Army anthem is now Scotland's rugby song of choice.

 

We could blame the players; we should blame the coach; we must blame the Murrayfield blazerati; but, the fact is - much though the English media's constantly harping-on and making the point might hurt us - in rugby terms, we are second-rate.

 

We are still, quite likely, to rise to the occasion when those awfully nice chaps from the other side of Hadrian's Wall come calling on Saturday. This, aligned to the fact that, for all Stuart Lancaster's warnings to the contrary, the English might arrive with the impression: "It's only the Sweaties - we just have to turn-up to win", and, we can drag them down to our level and somehow slink home in a poor game.

 

But, I see more pain and suffering to come in thes Six Nations. How things have changed since even Friday.

 

 

 

FINAL word on Dublin. When will Ross Ford finally be pensioned-off. He crumbles under the pressure line-out throws. HE IS A HOOKER WHO CANNOT HOOK, and, whilst on this sorry subject - will the Scottish coaching staff please ditch their supposed tactic of not striking for their own ball, relying on an eight man shove to get the ball - it doesn't work.

 

If they cannot show how to feed and strike, there are enough former Scottish and Lions legends around who could teach these lost arts.

 

AND - that taxi for Ford, should also be for Jim Hamilton. I've said for years the big man was a liability - surely, after Sunday, I am no longer a lone voice.