Good Start, But, The Trick Is Keeping It Going

FOR ONCE, both Edinburgh and Glasgow have got off to good starts in Europe. Edinburgh were always expected to beat their Challenge Cup opponents from Romania, but, we have seen the capital side slip on such banana skins before.

It says much for the new attitudes Duncan Hodge is fostering at Murrayfield, that he could field such an inexperienced side and still win as handsomely as they did. This has been a good start for the capital side.

I must admit, however, I took a particular joy from watching Glasgow demolish Leicester on BT Sport. The arrogance of the London-based on-screen team, sent north to chronicle the mighty Tigers putting “the Sweaties” in their place was crying-out to be debunked, and it was, in spades.

Of course, had Matt To'omau received the red card his disgraceful tip tackle on Finn Russell deserved - and we can only hope the French citing officer did not leave his cojones in France and does his job, so he may yet receive the correct punishment – then Leicester would have had the excuse they needed. They would have squealed from the roof tops.

To be fair, Richard Cockerill, not my favourite DoR didn't try to take the gloss off Glasgow's win, well, not on Friday anyway. I await tomorrow's Leicester Mercury with interest.

Glasgow's problem now is, they have set the bar high and cannot duck under it. They have bested top English clubs at Scotstoun before, and not qualified for the knock-out stages. A wee win in Munster, which is not the near Mission Impossible it once was, plus continuing angst for a misfiring Racing 92 and who knows. The talent is certainly there at Scotstoun to go a long way this season.

Good start, now, let's keep it up.

I WAS at Millbrae on Saturday for the West Coast Derby between Ayr and Hawks, two of the three most-exciting teams in this season's BT Premiership. It was a good game, but, sadly, not as good as it might have been, thanks to a refereeing howler which was, in its own way, every bit as bad as Msr Raynal's failure to red card To'omau on Friday night.

On Saturday afternoon, Keith Allen did produce his wee red oblong, and show it to Hawks' Brendan McGroarty, for a tackle on Scott Sutherland. Now, let's leave asid the fact big “Queenie” is at least six inches taller and three stones heavier than the not-inconsiderable Brendan. Queenie went down like a sack of spuds being thrown to the ground, rather than a sack of tatties being tipped out.

I thought at the time: “penalty only, if a yellow, a soft one”. I could not believe it when the red card was produced. If Raynal was guilty of dereliction of duty, then Allen was over-zealous in the extreme. Will we ever get consistency of refereeing?

The red card ruined a game which was nicely-poised. Given the head of steam their pac had built-up I still fancy Ayr would have won, even allowing for Hawks' later, deserved yellow card for Junior Bulumakau. The Millbrae Men were the sharper outfit all game, but, how Hawks must be ruing the handling errors which cost them at least five possible tries.

And watch out for Ayr's latest New Zealand import, young Ruaridh Mackenzie, son of former Soutars and Scotland prop Gregor. He is here on a partnership agreement between Ayr and Warriors, which means he trains at Scotstoun, but plays at Millbrae. In 15 minutes on Saturday, he looked like the real deal.

I MISSED the monthly GROGS lunch at Braidholm on Wednesday, but I am told wee Rob Robertson of the Daily Mail wowed the old buffers, not least by asking if anyone in the company – which includes some of the longest-serving and most-influential committee-men in the West – had spotted “the Lesser-Spotted Johnston” outwith Murrayfield.

I have heard no better description of our National Director of Rugby, brilliant Rob.