Bill's Sunshine Soon Turned To Brooding Gloom

I DO not know his football leanings, but I suspect, as a guid Leither, the Blessed Bill Lothian was singing the Proclaimers' and Leith's anthem as Sunshine fell on Leith at around half past two on Saturday afternoon.

 

By eight pm, however, young Bill, pictured left, was singing from a different hymn sheet, as he reflected on Glasgow's car crash of a game with Ulster in the Kingspan Stadium. Not so-much on the dire Glasgow performance, but, as he indicated via a Facebook post, on the sporting integrity of the PRO14.

Now “sporting integrity” is a bit of a turn-off phrase for me – I have seen so-many examples of sporting cheating over the years; while the expression was seriously damaged by all the furore which surrounded the Rangers' EBT scandal and the Celtic Family's efforts to seize the moral high ground over “sporting integrity.”

That said, Bill has a point in this case. The final play-off place in Conference B has come down to either Ulster or Edinburgh, with the Scottish side holding a four point advantage over the Belfast boys. Each team has one game left – Ulster facing Munster at Thomond Park, and Edinburgh taking-on Glasgow at Murrayfield.

Given, Munster and Ulster are both wholly-owned provinces of the Irish Rugby Football Union, and Edinburgh and Glasgow are wholly-owned by the Scottish Rugby Union, you can see where the notions of a lack of sporting integrity come from.

The suggestion is, the Honchos up in Dublin have already been on the telephone to their guys down at the Munster HQ in Cork the conversation going something like: “Now fellas, we want all three of the provinces in the play-offs, so, we want you to put out a shadow squad against Ulster to make sure they beat you with a bonus point and give themselves the best-possible chance of making the play-offs.”

I accept there will be backs-woodsmen in the Munster committee ranks, and indeed all across Munster, who will rage against any thought of lying down to the boys from “Up North”. They will want Ulster beaten and beaten well.

At the same time across in Edinburgh, the Ayatollah Dodson will we hear, be calling-in Nathan Bombrys of Glasgow and Jonny Petrie of Edinburgh and telling them, to tell their Head Coaches, to instruct their players: “Edinburgh must win with a bonus point, to guarantee their place in the play-offs.” Well, you don't expect Dodson to speak to lesser beings such as players do you?

When such cynical thoughts can be accommodated, you see why Bill Lothian and others – including this blog – can be concerned about sporting integrity.

On known form, Munster should beat Ulster. What will happen at Murrayfield is less-certain. At their best, I would fancy Glasgow to win, but, they haven't been at their best this year and Edinburgh has a real chance.

Such a pity we have to have concerns about sporting integrity. I have nothing against the SRU having control of Scotland's best talent – or, for that matter, the IRFU having similar control of their best players. But, as the possible ramifications of next Saturday demonstrate, abuse is possible under such governance.

HOWEVER, if Glasgow reprise their Kingspan performance at Murrayfield on Saturday, then Edinburgh will have little to be concerned about.

Worryingly for us from the Warrior Nation, the team appears to have gone collectively off the boil at the wrong time in the season. The squad appears to have misplaced their mojo big style. They appear sloppy, set moves are not working, it's nothing specific, more a case of a number of small irritations coming together to become major problems. Dave Rennie (above) and his coaching team face a huge week turning things around.

MEANWHILE in the calmer waters of Club Rugby, Edinburgh Academicals won at Philiphaugh on Saturday to clinch the automatic promotion place from BT National League 1 to the Premiership. Congratulations to Accies therefore on a job well done.

Jed-forest did all they could, but, the points difference which Accies had built-up over the campaign was too big to bridge. Now Jed will be hoping the fact they have been playing continuously will give them an advantage, when they face a Hawks squad which has been idle for seven weeks, in the promotion-relegation play-off on 5 May.

With work due to start in June, on the long-anticipated Raeburn Place re-development, these are good times for Accies, who are also, we understand, well-placed to claim the “Edinburgh” franchise - through their joint bid with Edinburgh University - when the Stupid 6 lottery result is announced in nine days' time.

If it was tight at the top of National League 1, it is only slightly less-intense in National League 2. Kirkcaldy have already clinched promotion, but, who goes up with them will not be settled until Saturday evening. Dumfries Saints, who beat Kelso at Lasswade on Saturday to be the inaugural winners of the National League Cup occupy second place, but, only two points ahead of Hamilton who have one game to play.

This will be at Laigh Bent, where Whitecraigs are the visitors. On paper, Hamilton should win this, but, 'Craigs are fighting for their lives at the foot of the table and will not be easily beaten.

In National League 3 Glasgow Academicals know they will be promoted, but, they may not go up as Champions. If Highland can beat St Boswell's on Saturday, they will overhaul them and take the title. However, should they lose, Newton Stewart could, if they win their final game, not due until 19 May, pip them for that second promotion spot and send Accies up as champions.

However, Highland has a massive 52 points points difference advantage over Newton Stewart, and, that final Newton Stewart game is against – St Boswell's. You have to favour Highland in this one.

And, it is just as intriguing at the foot of the National League 3 table, where two teams from Perthshire who have completed their campaign with 20 points, Haddington and Dalziel, both of whom have 17 points, with one game to play, will go down. Just to add an extra layer of intrigue, that final game pits Haddington against the Motherwell team in a real winner takes all – survival being all that matters – match.