Here We Go, Here We Go, Here We Go

IT'S THAT time again, the competitive rugby season kicks-off this afternoon, with the opening round of matches in the BT Premiership. The Pro12 begins next weekend, but, in spite of the best efforts of the SRU to wean us off the club game and onto the delights of professional club rugby, to the body of the Scottish rugby kirk, the club game is where it is at.

I can maybe see a slight change to the pecking order this season. Heriot's were the luckiest team in the world to win the championship trophy last season. They finished the regular season so far behind Ayr it was embarrassing. Then they profited from a total brain fart by Currie to reach the Play-Off final, in which dark forces emerged to gift the Edinburgh side the trophy after quite the worst and most-biased display of refereeing I have ever seen at a Scottish game.

Ayr were playing against 16-men that day back in the spring at Millbrae. The outcome was a disgrace.

Any way, since then, Jack Turley and Jason Hill have left Goldenacre. The effect of this on Heriot's will be extreme. Maybe not as bad as if the Milne brothers and Andy Irvine had all walked out together, but, getting that way. If there were two men Phil Smith didn't want to lose, it was Jack and Jason; without them, Heriot's will struggle.

Ayr are having to factor-in promoting one or two youngsters, which may tell against them. Their excellent back row of Blair Macpherson, Will Bordill and new skipper Pete McCallum are back, but, they lack depth in the front row, which may be telling. However, with Frazier Climo pulling the strings, their backs will again be very dangerous and they will be in the mix.

So too will Currie, who travel to Millbrae this afternoon. Fergus Scott is back, after an injury-wrecked spell at Warriors and he will be a key player.

However, Melrose, even without the iconic John Dalziel coaching, will be most people's favourites for the title, particularly since Austin Lockington is back in harness. A couple of seasons ago, when Edinburgh seemed to be calling the line-outs in Afrikaans, it was said that Lockington, the only one not on an Edinburgh contract, was the best South African player in the East of Scotland and the Borders. That tag now rests with Wilem Nel, but, Austin is barely less-important to his club. The 'Rose will bloom this season.

Elsewhere, it will be interesting to see how Watsonians go on their return to the top flight. They have a young and exciting coaching duo in Marcus di Rollo and big Simon Taylor, while they have recruited well. If their new squad can gel quickly, things could get exciting around Myreside. A win over Heriot's today, could kick-start something big for the newcomers.

Peter Wright is now coaching Boroughmuir, which means they will be well-organised and, as ever, stuffy up front. 'Muir were a bit inconsistent last season, if Peter can sort this out, they could get into the mix. As too could Glasgow Hawks, they have a youthful coaching pairing in Fin Gillies and Colin Gregor, and some promising youngsters. As ever, Hawks will be the “par” team in the league. If you can beat them, you will be in the title mix; if not, you will struggle.

It is difficult to forecast a title challenge coming from Mansfield Park and Netherdale. Gala have a lot of re-building to do, but, their coaching team of Chris Dalgleish and Opeta Palepoi bleed maroon and will surely get everything out of their charges.

Hawick too have a charismatic coaching pairing in Nikki Walker and Scott MacLeod, but, while the old saw: “Scottish rugby needs a strong Hawick” still holds good, the depth of talent just is not there. However, if the wannabees are at less than their best when they travel to Hawick, it will get painful. And, bad news for Scottish referees, but good news for opposition fans in search of a pantomime villain to boo – Bruce McNeil is still playing. I just love Bruce, as an old Ayrshire junior football friend of mine used to say: “He'd be in my side at Kilbirnie”. There is no higher praise.

Finally, we come to Stirling County. The Bridgehaugh production line of exciting young talent is still churning out good, young players. However, it is a lack of experience which will, if anything, derail County this season. If they can keep their squad together for two or three seasons, they will be genuine contenders, but, for the moment, the rule laid down by that man from nearby Sauchie holds good.

As Alan Hansen said: “You win nothing with kids”.

Earlier Then We Thought, But, Toonie Was Always Going To Get The Top Job At Some Point

WHEN it comes to Gregor Townsend and the job of Scotland Head Coach, it was always a case of when, rather than if. However, the speed with which his elevation to the top job was announced last week caught everyone, even Toonie, by surprise.

As he himself admitted: “There I was, involved in the new Glasgow kit launch, and one hour later I was to be Scotland coach, amazing”.

I could spend time contemplating how it happened, and how quickly it happened. I might even feel sorry for Stern Vern Cotter – or cogitate on why it happened, but: Le Rio est mort, vive Le Roi and all that.

The recruitment of the Chiefs' Dave Rennie to replace Toonie is another example of the SRU not being as slow as they like to make out. Of course, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, but, he will arrive at Scotstoun with a good track record, and Toonie for one, is delighted to see him coming.

But, Scotland Coach Toonie and Glasgow Coach Rennie are for one year hence. There is still the small matter of season 2016-17 to get through. Our two pro sides had their first pre-season hit-outs at the weekend, and, although neither could call on their senior Scotland caps, there was much to feel good about in their matches with Sale, for Edinburgh, and Harlequins, for Glasgow.

The Scottish youngsters who were thrown in all did well, demonstrating both squads now have a depth they lacked in recent years past. Results at this stage mean nothing, but, both squads are looking good.

THE appointment of Dee Bradbury as Senior Vice President of the SRU at the annual meeting over the weekend was another case of the SRU, in this case mainly the member clubs, showing they are not the neanderthals they like to kid-on they are. What a welcome breath of fresh air, and, in the case of the excellent Magnus Bradbury, given past SRU examples too numerous to mention, a guaranteed cap!!!

One pity from the annual meeting, we still appear to have that daft, fat Aussie, being paid to do whatever it is he does. The Murrayfield blazers keep telling us, he is doing a great job, I am not alone in being thoroughly unconvinced.

Our excellent Premiership, which resumes on Saturday, is still the ignored problem child of Murrayfield. Our clubs are still not being permitted to enter the British & Irish Cup; the promised Italian-Scottish Cup has been down-graded to a match between the two Champions – although, given the way Ayr were refereed out of the Play-Off final last season, I still maintain they, not Heriot's, are the true Champions. The long-trumpeted semi-professional Premiership, don't be silly, it isn't going to happen.

We hear a couple of clubs are none-too-happy at the way access to Stage Three Academy players has been pochled to suit one or two clubs this season, and, can I ask – what has happened to this season's draft of pro players to the Premiership clubs?

I SEE co-captains are the new fashion. First of all, we had Jonny Gray and Henry Pyrgos sharing the job at Glasgow, now, Edinburgh has gone down the same route with Stuart McInally and Grant Gilchrist. Hmm! Ah hae ma doots.

Scottish Have Won A Watch With Dalziel

FORGIVE me for asking, but, what was all that on-off nonsense between the SRU and London Scottish about? It is a no-brainer that two professional clubs cannot possibly meet the recruitment needs of Scottish rugby, for a place to put the graduates from the Academy.

Since the SRU is unwilling/unable to fund and run a third professional side, then a closer union with Scottish is the only option that many people can see. I am not fully in agreement with sending only new Academy graduates to Richmond, there are one or two fringe players at Scotstoun and Murrayfield who would, I believe, benefit from a season in the IA Championship, and who would bring more to the Richmond Athletic Ground table than some of the kids – good players though these youngsters threaten to be.

I still feel, Pro12 sponsors Guinness, whose UK headquarters are in London, should maybe leaning on the three Celtic unions, to in their turn, lean on the three London “Exiles” clubs.

All three clubs are currently languishing in the second level of English rugby. If they get promoted, they would have to recruit heavily, and at higher cost – but, once upstairs in the English Premiership, they would need to work to the RFU protocol which demands, 70% of each match-day squad would need to be: “England-qualified”.

They might be able to live with this, however, it would, as happened with London Irish and London Welsh when in the English top-flight, a dilution of the three clubs' Irishness, Scottishness and Welshness. In the Pro12, this would not be a problem, and, I am sure, they would be competitive and thus, be better-able to get into Europe.

That is by the by, the main focus of this post is, to congratulate John Dalziel on his new role as London Scottish forwards' coach, the latest step in the on-off-back on relationship between the SRU and the Exiles.

Scottish have won a watch with the arrival of Dalziel, who will, I am certain, quickly have their pack firing on all eight cylinders.

STILL with one eye on the second tier in England. I notice former Scotland Under-20 back-rower and one-time Glasgow Warrior Tommy Spinks is back with Glasgow Hawks, the team he played for when at Scotstoun.

Tommy was with Jersey last season and he will be a good addition to the Old Anniesland forward ranks. By the way, I am convinced, the gap between the English second tier and the top tier of Scottish club rugby is not that great, and easily bridgeable with a bit of work on the part of the Scottish clubs.

Another guy back from the pro ranks is hooker Fergus Scott, whose Scotstoun career was fatally derailed by injury, even before it had got going. Big brother Matt may have gone south to Gloucester, but Fergus has gone east, back to Currie. I wish him well at Malleny Park.

CHAMPIONS Heriot's have suffered a double blow, with the loss of Jason Hill and skipper Jack Turley, arguably the two most-important players in last season's title-winning squad. Replacing two such-curcial components will be a major headache for head coach Phil Smith.

Jason has secured a professional contract with Bedford Blues, in England's second tier, while Jack will be seen in Fylde's colours this season.

Regular season champions Ayr will have most of their squad back, but, Graham Fisken has followed fellow back rower Andy Dunlop into retirement, while Haddon Macpherson has gone to America and Javan Sebastian has gone home to Wales. They have signed Scotland Under-18 cap Stafford McDowall, who has now left Merchiston Castle School. In joining Ayr, Stafford is following in the footsteps of his father, Fergus, who played for Ayr and Glasgow in the 1980s.

Premiership Player of the Year, Ayr's Peter McCallum, along with a number of other Premiership players, found a good way to put something new into pre-season, with the invitation Waterboys squad, which won a Tens tournament in Stockholm at the weekend. You might say they saw the whole of the moon!!!