We Have Never Been One-Quarter Of The Lions

SOMEONE pointed out in a below the line comment re the Lions, which I read in midweek, the Lions' badge has four quarters – I believe the correct word in heraldic circles is quadrants. Sadly, as far as the 2017 Lions are concerned, one of those four sections might as well have been left blank.

In one of my occasional epistles to a group of rugby friends, all in the Scottish external missionary service, I used the title: “the English, Welsh and Irish Lions” to describe the squad Messrs Spencer and Gatland are currently in charge of. This went down well with the boys – for all the impact Scots have made this time round, we might as well have stayed at home, or, with the Scotland squad on their sub-equatorial jaunt.

Lion #835 in match action

Of course, a lack of Scots in a Lions' squad is nothing new. His two minute cameo against the Hurricanes – while Dan Biggar was having his head examined – saw Finn Russell enter the Lions' player archive as Lion #835. He is, as far as I can ascertain, Scottish Lion number #128. Well, since four nations send players to the Lions, using what little arithmetic I remember from my school-days: 835 divided by 4 equals: 208.75. So, Scotland is something like 70 Lions down over all the tours.

Taking the current tour in isolation – we finished third of the four nations who feed players into the Lions in the Six Nations, but, among the four, we were actually second-best, since we beat Ireland and Wales, but lost to England. Therefore, we wer surely entitled to greater representation than we got.

However, I always felt, with Gatland in charge, we were never going to get a fair crack of the whip when it came to selection, and, these fears have been justified.

This unfair selection policy has led to the situation where, very few Scots are actually all that bothered about the Lions this summer. We should be, but, we aint. I can recall past tours where, even when the Lions were getting worked over regularly by provincial New Zealand sides, as well as the All Blacks, local clubs were arranging breakfasts to watch the games, and were genuinely interested in how the Tour was going.

Once upon a time, The Herald and The Scotsman despatched their rugby correspondents to cover the tour – not this year (of course this might have a wee bit to do with the fact both papers are struggling, the bean counters are in charge and a couple of the rugby writers at these papers couldn't recognise a match Gilbert if it was jammed up their arse), but, I digress. There just isn't the interest in the 2017 tour.

The Lions' brand has lost its lustre in one of the four countries, and, if the Lions organisation does not do something about this before the next tour – well, that English, Welsh and Irish Lions title just might stick.

Any way, with the way the English are trying to take-over. Fleet Street's finest will only ever be happy when the Lions play in all white – with a red rose and you have to be England qualified to get onto the tour – I would quite happily follow an alternative touring side: Celtic Tigers anyone.

I HAVE noticed, while checking-out, which player is going where in the new season, one or two Scottish players, who were plying their trade as professional rugby players in the second tier in England last season, have been quietly dropped by their English clubs, several of whom have been hit by sponsors' withdrawals. The Championship in England next season will see one or two sides switching to semi-professional status.

I just wish the SRU would remove their fingers from their rear orifice and get the long-awaited semi-professional BT Premiership up and running. Then, maybe, we could get a few of these guys back into Scottish club rugby, to lift the standard.

There are, I am certain, guys out there who would relish a good semi-professional deal with one of the top Premiership clubs, and who could make a difference. Just saying like.

AND, while I am on the subject, with more semi-professional and fewer full-time professional clubs in the English second tier, I am absolutely certain, the likes of Ayr, Melrose, Heriot's and Glasgow Hawks could make a real impact on the British & Irish Cup in the new season – assuming it runs and somebody inside BT Murrayfield could persuade Ant & Dec (or Scott and Mark as they prefer to be known) to get behind it.

Scottish (Sporting) Country Dancing - Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

WELL, when you have served as long in the Tartan Army – both in football and rugby – as I have, results such as the defeat in Suva no longer cause wailing and gnashing of teeth. I have seen that DVD before, several times. Scotland would not be Scotland if we did not follow one of our rare uplifting victories, by immediately thereafter losing the follow-up skoosh-case game.

And thus, it came to pass in Fiji. But, apart from again demonstrating you should never bet the farm on a Scotland win, what did we learn? For a start, we are perhaps not as blessed with international-class players as we thought we were. Sure, there are positions where Gregor Townsend is left with an either-of choice in selection, but, by the same token, there are some guys he would not wish to be without going into any international.

 Finn Russell - one of the players whom

 Grego Townsend needs in his side every game

That does not mean we are in the position we have been in, on many occasions I have seen over my 60-years or so of watching Scotland, whereby a player who would easily be the sixth or seventh choice in any composite Six Nations select, is by a mile first-choice for Scotland, by the simple reason, there is nobody else.

We, or should I say the SRU, I think, has to come up with a system whereby we have even-greater depth in an admittedly shallow talent pool. I know, it is a difficult trick to pull-off, but, pull it off they must.

The more I see it, the more I am convinced, the BT Premiership MUST be beefed-up. There has been talk of a semi-professional set-up for some time, but, it has never been implemented.Why not?

We hear rumblings that some of the Borders and Edinburgh clubs, who trundle along in the lower reaches of the top flight and the upper reaches of National League One, want their traditional status as powers-in-the-land maintained – when is plainly obvious they neither have the depth, or organisation to justify this lofty status, have neough friends to ensure the semi-professional set-up, which would sideline them, never happens.

Also, I have my doubts that there is sufficient spare cash within Scotland to fund full-time professional and part-time semi-professional football AND the same systems in rugby.

For instance - in comparing top-flight Scottish football with top-flight Scottish rugby, can we agree, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh will equate to Celtic and Rangers.

Below that lofty level: in Edinburgh, Hearts and Hibs are the two biggest sports franchises. Both are full-time football clubs, both have long histories, establishes supporters bases and have had their moments of success over the years.

Which clubs are their equivalent in Edinburgh rugby? You have to choose between Boroughmuir, Currie, Edinburgh Accies, Heriot's and Watsonians. Now, all five clubs have their own committed supporters, who will put money into these clubs. But, given the first destinations for sports sponsorship cash in the capital will be Hearts and Hibs, we have five clubs, plus the Murrayfield ice hockey club, chasing what is left in the pot for funding professional or semi-professional sport.

In Glasgow, Glasgow Hawks, with it has to be said a clutch of well-heeled supporters who are prepared to dig into their wallets to keep the club going, is, in reality competing with Partick Thistle and Glasgow Rocks basketball club for what is left of the city's potential sports sponsorship funding, after the Old Firm has had its fill.

Look at Ayr, they to my mind are beating Ayr United when it comes to attracting what corporate sports sponsorship income there is in God's County. But, even though the Millbrae Men are operating at a much-higher level than the Honest Men, when it comes to putting bums on seats, United are the winners.

In fact, I would, albeit without having the actual figures to hand, suggest that, where there is a potential head-to-head between a football and a rugby club in Scotland, the only rugby club to be winning that local battle is probably Stirling County v Stirling Albion.

Yet, over all in the battle for superiority in professional team sports, I would suggest, Scottish rugby is in a better place than Scootish football – but still second in terms of finances, media interest and putting bums on seats.

Let's hope, if we build it up – they will come. Warriors have, by providing attractive, attacking, swashbuckling rugby, built-up a solid and growing support base. They will never have the supporter base enoyed by the Old Firm – but, they will similarly never have the obnoxious historical attractions which help drive those clubs' fan base.

Warriors have prospered, I would like to think other clubs, slightly lower in the food chain, could also flourish and, with firmer foundations from this, we will see Scottish rugby overcome the in-built obstacles – lack of numbers and so on – which handicap us at the top level.

But, until we get there, sadly, we will continue to have the two steps forward, one step back, journey we have been on over this end of season tour.

Play Rugby Well And See The World

DAVID “TOE-POKE” NAREY was at one-time a sort of accidental tourist when it came to Scottish international football. Prior to that goal against Brazil in 1982, the big Dundee United defender racked-up thousands of air miles as a member of Scottish international footbll squads,without seeing too-much action.

David was in more than 70 Scotland squads, but only ever won around 35 caps – a clear case of join Scotland and see the world. But, I don't think he ever got as good a holiday as George Turner, D'Arcy Rae and Sean Kennedy are completing. Glasgow tight-head prop Rae and ths similarly uncapped Edinburgh pair of hooker Turner and scrum-half Kennedy are currently in Fiji with the Scotland rugby squad, having previously on this tour sampled the delights of Singapore and Sydney and, unless there is a sudden epidemic of illness, they will return from Fiji still uncapped, having not featured in the match-day squad in any of the three internationals.

 D'Arcy Rae - all that way and not even a seat on the bench

I will not begrudge them their extended tour, I am sure it will stand them in good stead when they do eventually get to wear the thistle in a full international. Given the attrition rate in the front row, that should not be too-far into the future for Turner and Rae. Kennedy, a player I have long admired, is currently fifth in the Scottish scrum-half rankings, but, if he can get a regular run with Edinburgh, I can seem him getting into the mix for caps at nine.

As expected, Gregor Townsend has rung the changes for this final outing of the tour, and the Scotland match-day squad is:

15. Ruaridh Jackson; 14. Damien Hoyland, 13. Nick Grigg, 12. Duncan Taylor, 11. Tim Visser; 10. Peter Horne, 9. Henry Pyrgos; 1. Alex Allen, 2. Ross Ford, 3. Willem Nel; 4. Tim Swinson, 5. Jonny Gray; 6.  John Barclay (capt), 7. John Hardie, 8. Josh Strauss. Replacements: 16. Fraser Brown, 17. Gordon Reid, 18. Zander Fagerson, 19. Ben Toolis, 20. Hamish Watson, 21. Ryan Wilson; 22. Ali Price, 23 Greig Tonks.

One new cap then, in Nick Grigg – just reward for an outstanding season with the Warriors, while there are recalls for Ruaridh Jackson, Damien Hoyland, fit-again Tim Visser and John Hardie, with Tim Swinson, Henry Pyrgos and Ross Ford, who will become Scotland's most-capped player in winning his 110^th cap, switching bench duties in Sydney for the starting XV in Suva.

Nick Grigg - deserves his cap

The squad is pretty-much as expected. We might, come no-side, question the sense in allowing Finn Russell to go off and join the Lions, but, Pete Horne has successfully deputised for Finn before. No question, playing the Fijians in the alien heat and humidity of Suva will be a huge challenge, but, it is one the side named ought to be able to handle.

Good to see Grigg getting his cap, he has had some sensational games for Glasgow this season.

MEANWHILE, we should not be surprised at the lack of Scots in the Lions' test 23 for Saturday. That “butchered” try in midweek, although tv evidence demonstrated it was not his fault the final pass went awry, has clearly told against Tommy Seymour, who was probably the only one of our remaining representatives close to the Test squad.

I can only hope, Finn Russell gets on the park in the final midweek match against the Highlanders – he certainly deserves at least 20 minutes. But, will Gatland pick him?

Speaking of the Lions coach; I caught a good tv profile of him on the BBC iPlayer this week, a BBC Wales production, it gave new insight into Mr Gatland. I enjoyed it.

Creamy's "Everest" speech can still inspire

That documentary sent me to Youtube, I searched in vain for a complete copy of Living With Lions (are copies really selling for over £50 a pop? By the way). Certainly there are snippets, such as Jim Telfer's legendary: “This is your Everest lads” speech, but not the same thing. I did, however, come across an interesting documentary on Carwyn James and th 1971 Lions – some of the three-quarters' handling was absolutely magical, nice to be reminded of it.

Now, if the Lions could only produce that sort of magic this year.

Dell Has His Number - Will Finn Be next>

EVEN if he does not get onto the park again, Scotland prop Allan Dell has done it. His nine minutes or so on the park against the Chiefs, in Hamilton today, saw the Edinburgh loose-head become Lion #834. Congratulations Allan – ignore those who carp. You have been there, done it and got the shirt. And, in his first scrum, the Chiefs were shunted several metres backwards.

Allan Dell - Lion number 834

We Scots can now hope that, against the Hurricanes next week, Finn Russell gets his deserved Lions' number.

The way Dell, Finn and the four Welsh lads were called into the Lions's squad has caused a bit of a stooshie on social media, and in the BTL (below the line comments) section of media websites.

Of course, most of the protesting is coming from nglish fans – who, in all probability will never be happy with the Lions, until they wear white shirts with a red rose and select only English-qualified players. You know, they type of person who believes Britain a British actually mean England and English.

The Sassenachs were roaring for Dylan Hartley, Joe Launchbury, George Ford and sundry other Englishmen to have been summoned from Argentina to New Zealand. I did, I must admit, like the comment from a Welshman, in today's Guardian, who suggested – if Gatland had summoned six Englishmen, on the basis of being English, they were superior, sat them on the bench, while England, minus them, had lost to Argentina – how much shit would have hit the fan. Good point boyo.

MEANWHILE, in Suva, the remaining Scottish players will be preparing themselves to face Fiji. After the expected win – albeit in difficult conditions – ovr the Italians and the unexpected win over the Australians in Sydney, we should beat the Fijians, even if they have home advantage.

However, without Finn Russell or Alex Dunbar, we could struggle. And, let's be honest, those of us who have long experience of Scotland teams, in both football and rugby, are well aware, it would be typically Scottish to trip-up in what many might see as the easiest of the three Tests on-tour.

Leone Nakarawa - will want to beat his old pals

Let's hope this new aura of expansive Scottish rugby continues and we get the win we all want in the early hours of Saturday morning. But, be under no illusions, messrs Matawalu and Nakarawa will be particularly keen to beat Scotland.

COACHING qualifications are something of a disputed area in a few sports. In football, for instance, the great Johann Cruyff was unable to coach in his native Holland for a time, because he lacked the requisite coaching certificates. I know, seems strange, but, great players do not always make great coaches, partly because, they occasionally have difficulty working our quit why, something they find as automatic as breathing, proves extremely hard for some players to do.

Coach education and qualification is a comparatively new part of sport, and there remain a lot of opponents of coaching, people who cannot understand that you can teach people to teach others – something which has been commonplace in the much-more-important field of education, for instance, for over a century.

If it works in the class-room, why not also on the sports field. So, congratulations to the likes of Glasgow assistant coach Kenny Murray, Heriot's Phil Smith an the other rugby coaches who this week received their UKCC Level Four certification from Napier University.

Hong Kong's Andy Hall, Heriot's Phil Smith and Glasgow's Kenny Murray - all now, officially, Bloody Good Coaches

Others, Under-20s coach John Dalziel and Club Coach of the Year Calum Forrester of Ayr are well along the road to getting their Level Four certificates, so, we are not short of good and well-qualified coaches in Scotland.

Just a question – do they get letters after their name? Kenny Murray BGC for instance, has a ring to it. The BGC stands for Bloody Good Coach, by the way.

With Sky It Was Not Now TV

I HATE Sky, or maybe it's the format I used, but, whatever; I AM NOT A HAPPY BUNNY.

As I explained yesterday with the Australia v Scotland Test in Sydney only being available live on Sky Sports 1, I was forced to take-out a day pass to watch the game. At £6.98, I felt this was reasonable, however, since I watch my TV on a BT box – I could not view the game on my TV, I had to use my lap top.

Got the link, signed-in, up came the page, with the wee box: “Activate Pass” it said, so I did. The background picture, of John Barclay breaking against Italy vanished, up came a separate box:“Activate Pass” it said, so I did.

That page vanished – I was back to Barclay, again, up came the wee box: “Activate Pass” it said, so I did.

Once more, the Scotland captain vanished, that separate wee box came back up: “Activate Pass” it said, so I did.

You see where I am going now. With steam frustratingly coming out of my ears, I looked for alternatives. But, the Help desk didn't open until 8am. So, I had to listen to the BBC Scotland radio broadcast of the game – with Paul Mitchell, Peter Wright and Colin Gregor in Pacific Quay, and a link to Tom English in Sydney. This was hardly ideal, since I was looking forward to the TV pictures, but, to be fair, the BBC Scotland team, as ever, did a great job.

 Wayne Barnes - will not be sending Peter Wright a Christmas card

Peter Wright is one of the best summarisers going in my book. Like Brian Moore – happily back on-screens on Saturday night, he tells it like he sees it, which is great. I don't however, think Oor Peter will be on Wayne Barnes's Christmas Card list. It seemed to me, Scotland does not figure in Wayne's World – but, I've long thought this.

Anyway, we won, which was brilliant, and, I thought we deserved to win. Just a pity about the failure to launch of Sky.

I managed to get some help before the Maori All Blacks v Lions game, but, even after downloading a TV viewing app – the broadcast was all but unwatchable on my lap top. A frustratingly stupidly, very-annoying morning.

One final thought. After this victory, we are officially, the fifth-best team in the world. Next up is Fiji. This is Scotland we are talking about – why am I suddenly worried?

WARREN Gatland is a tosser. There is no other conclusion I can come to, after his latest bout of team selection. I have no complaints abour Finn Russell being summoned to join the Lions, anyone who knows anything about rugby knows, he should have been an original selection.

Finn Russell - now a Lion, better late than never

I am a bit surprised at Allan Dell getting the call. Yes, I admit, young Allan has come-on in leaps and bounds over the past two seasons, but, I still do not think him to be Lions' Class. That said, he is closer to international class than any of the Welsh players whom Gatland has recruited to his battered and bruised squad. I am only surprised Charlotte Church, Cerys Matthews, Ruth Jones, Shirley Bassey and Bonnie Tyler weren't sent for.

Mind you, calling-up two Scots and four Welshmen didn't half get up Eddie Jones's nose – and, anyone who can do that cannot be all bad. I don't think the Fleet Street Irregulars with the Lions will be too-happy at the white-shirted master race being over-looked.

THE EVENTS of a very good rugby weekend howevr came right at the very end. I was watching the Argentine v Engln test when, not once, but twice – MIKE BROWN PASSED – jings, crivvens, held ma Boab, I never thought I would be able to write that phrase down. Amazing.

Mike Brown - he can pass!!!

Actually, the two England games in Suth America were very entertaining.



FINALLY, Yippee Kai Hay - well done to Big John Dalziel and his Scotland Under-20s, who have finished in fifth spot at the World Under-20 Championships in Georgia.

Big John Dalziel

What a fantastic result for a callow bunch who were given very little chance when they set off, but, they dug-in and finished in style, beating the Australians to complete a double for Scotland against the Wallabies in a single weekend.

I have seen a few of these boys in action in the BT Premiership this season, and, there is definite star quality in that squad. Darcy Graham, I believe, is something very special, but, there are others in the successful squad, not even household names in their own households, who could, with a bit of luck, become legends in years to come.

Darcy Graham, special, but not the only good kid in the Under-20s

This really is a very special time for Scottish rugby. Let's hope we can build on the current feel-good factor and really see the game up here flourish. 

This I Am Prepared To Pay To Watch

TODAY I have done something I have always said I would never do; (memo to self – never say never). I have taken-out a Sky subscription purely to be able to watch Australia v Scotland, then the Maori v the British and Irish Lions.

I have only taken-out a one-day pass, I am not too keen on giving Uncle Rupert too much money, but, I feel I can justify this one. Needless to say, I am hopeful of at least a Scotland win, I remain somewhat ambivelent towards this pride of Lions, given the Scots were screwed totally in the selection process.

Gregor Townsend - can select from strength-in-depth

It says much about the progress we have made under BVC that Toony could make as-many changes to the starting XV and still field a competitive side. Look at it this way, here is the Scotland XV he could have fielded, but for injuries, Lions' selection and his own preferences: Hogg; Seymour, Bennett, Jones, Visser; Horne, Laidlaw; Dickinson, McInally, Welsh; R Gray, Gilchrist; Bradbury, Denton, Hardie. Replacements: Sutherland, McArthur, Lowe, Ashe, Fusaro, Hidalgo-Clyne, Weir, Brown.

Only two of those listed twenty-three players are with the squad in Australia. This means, Toony has available to him ovr 50-international-class players. I would suggest, I have never before, in over half-a-century being involved in Scottish rugby, seen us with that many quality players available to the national coach. And that is before we start considering the bright young things in last season's and this season's Under-20 squads, who will very soon be knocking on the international door.

Scottish rugby is in a good place, we just need consistent winning erformances to reinforce this. Tomorrow morning in Sydney would be a good time and place to start providing these.

MY ONE-TIME brother-in-law (he and my wife's sister subsequently divorced), could have been a contender. He was in what was then the Scotland Under-21 squad, when he sustained a career-ending knee ligament injury.

He subsequently had to retire, far-too-early, gave up rugby and has since concentrated on becoming an expert in beer and fathering lots of kids with his second wife. I suggested to him, at the time, once he got the go-ahead to run around on his rebuilt knee, he ought to start refereeing, as I was sure he could have gone far.

But, he belonged to the generation who were brought-up believing that anyone who picked-up a whistle before they had reached 35, had a severe mental problem and it didn't happen.

Fast forward 20-years or so, and we have Mikey Adamson switching seamlessly from player to referee, and doing well. Now young Hollie Davidson has joined the ranks of Scotland's full-time whistlers, and is being fast-tracked to the top.

Hollie Davidson

I welcome this initiative of the SRU's, which goes further – the Union is ensuring their Academy players have refereeing qualifications, as a fall-back option, should their playing careers not train-on as the Union and the players hope it might.

Love them or hate them, we cannot do without referees and, after too-many years of Scottish referees being under-appreciated, it is good to see some progress. The next Fleming, or Sansum or Hosie will, I am certain be along very soon.

WHAT the fuck is going on at Edinburgh? I had hoped the arrival of Richard Cockerill would have brought a much-needed dose of reality and professionalism to the seemingly eternal chaos which taints the capital club. But, still I wonder.

Edinburgh has just announced the signing of Darryl Marfo from Bath. OK, I accept, his mother is from Ayrshire – which means he has been exposed to extreme thrawnness from an early age – and he is Scotland qualified. Good.

New Edinburgh signing Darryl Marfo

However, he is 27, a seasoned professional, but, in his career with Harlequing, London Welsh, Bath, Ealing Trailfinders and London Scottish, he has been involved in 75 matches, but, when you count-up the minutes actualy on the pitch, he has only really played the equivalent of 30.

He is a loose-head, BUT, Edinburgh already has THREE Scottish international loose-heads on their books – Alasdair Dickinson, Rory Sutherland and Allan Dell. I know, both Dicko and Rory have been long-term injury absentees, but, I still do not see the need to bring-in a 27-year-old who has, thus far in his career, failed to establish himself.

Is this, I hope not, a case of an English coach having already decided, prior to his arrival, that the Jocks are simply not as good as a journeyman English-trained player in the same position? Because, if that's Cockerill's default position – I fear his tenure at Edinburgh will be short.