No Real Surprises In Toony's Team

IS GREGOR TOWNSEND going soft? I pose that question because I reckon the XV he has just named to face Wales in the Doddie Weir Cup game, at Cardiff on Saturday, is pretty-much the one most of us would have chosen.

The team for Doddie's big match has been named

Given the match is outside the “International window,” thereby denying the National Coach the use of his exiles, few places were really a matter of conjecture. Ben Toolis has taken the lock slot alongside Jonny Gray from club mate Grant Gilchrist, while Jamie Ritchie has held-off Matt Fagerson for the number six jersey. For me, those were the contentious slots.

The squad, in 1-23 order is:

Allan Dell, Stuart McInally (Captain), Willem Nel, Ben Toolis, Jonny Gray, Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Ryan Wilson; Ali Price, Adam Hastings; Lee Jones, Alex Dunbar, Huw Jones, Tommy Seymour; Blair Kinghorn.

Replacements: Fraser Brown, Alex Allan, Simon Berghan, Grant Gilchrist, Matt Fagerson; George Horne, Peter Horne, Darcy Graham.

I get the feeling, if the match conditions are right, we will see Darcy Graham capped off the bench in the second half. That is one thing I am hoping to see happen.

 I hope to see Darcy capped off the bench on Saturday

WE NOW wait with bated breath to see how Edinburgh and Glasgow will line-up in their matches against Welsh opposition on Friday night. I expect most of the extended Scotland squad players left out of the match day 23 will be released back to their clubs for the Friday night games. They will be required I feel.

Edinburgh will face the Scarlets, at Murrayfield on Friday, while Glasgow take-n the Ospreys in Swansea, with both games live on Premier Sports.

TODAY is deadline day for the Scottish clubs to return their questionnaires on the future make-up of the leagues below Super-6.

The responses might help Gavin MacColl QC in his governance overhaul, but, I somehow get the impression they will not shed much new light in what is an increasingly fraught situation.

For instance, I have long felt, to have as we currently do, 46 “National” League clubs is too-many. If football – a far-more popular and widely-played game – has 42 “National” League sides (and that is too-many), then rugby cannot possibly justify having even-more.

With Super-6, coming in above the current top-flight of the club game, we could be going up to 52 “National” League clubs, There are a total of 154 first XV teams involved in league play at present – to potentially have over one-third of those teams in a national set-up makes no sense to me. Also, there is firm evidence of National 3 being a league in which some clubs do not wish to play, because of the travelling involved.

I know several clubs, even National League ones who might lose-out if this happens, have suggested cutting the number of “National Leagues” from three to two. It will be interesting to see how this plays-out at Murrayfield, once the questionnaires are analysed.

ANOTHER wee point just struck me. When Sheila Begbie inherited the poisoned chalice of managing the domestic club game, in the wake of Russellgate and the subsequent kerfuffle, the SRU changed the name of her department.

Sheila Begbie - directing Rugby Development is not the same as directing Domestic Rugby

Ms Begbie has gone from being “Director of Domestic Rugby” to “Director of Rugby Development.” Now, maybe I'm old-fashioned, but, the change of title does not make sense to me.

Directing the DEVELPMENT of the game is not the same as directing how the DOMESTIC game progresses, or doesn't. I believe we all want to see rugby developing – more players playing, at more clubs, providing a higher standard of rugby – that's laudable.

However, at a time when more clubs are having to run ever-faster, just to keep up, it's not so-much developing the game, as keeping the game alive which is the problem.

We need competitive rugby, leagues etc. We need to be producing young players who have the potential to move up the ranks, to National League teams, the semi-professional S6 teams and on to the fully-professional ranks, playing for Edinburgh, Glasgow and Scotland.

But, we have, I feel, become so-fixated on competitive rugby, we have lost a lot of guys who just want a run-around on a Saturday as a means of working-up a thirst. These guys are the backbone of the game, and we are losing them, many as early as their teenaged years.

In football, if you have not got it for even the Juniors, you can still play amateur football, join a Sunday pub league team, of play at your local five-a-side centre. Rugby doesn't have that, but, we could keep guys playing in various ways.

The SRU could really work-on and “sell” touch rugby, or sevens; why they could even look at walking rugby to keep us older guys involved. But, they could tweak the Laws for lower XV play.

Many of the problems of forfeited or unplayed games at second XV level are, apparently down to the shortage of front row players. So, why not allow for more “development” games, where teams do not necessarily have to have experienced front row players, or even full XVs. Go with unopposed scrums – but, get the guys playing. If needs be, even-up the sides, borrow players from the home club (assuming it is usually the visiting team that is short), but – get the guys playing.

After all, one of the oldest truisms in this great game is – Rugby is a game for all, all shapes and all sizes. And, it's principally supposed to be about having fun.

Jaysus Mick, Drag That Useless Manc Out Of That Feckin' JCB

WHEN, I wonder, will one, or several of the BT Murrayfield minions grow a pair, enter the inner sanctum and tell TCD: “Look Mark – FFS STOP DIGGING.”

TCD, hard at work for the god of Scottish Rugby

Because, after reading David Barnes' latest scoop on The Offside Line this morning, it is clear – somebody has to drag our esteemed Chief Executive away from the controls of his personal JCB, before he fatally undermines the good name of the Scottish Rugby Union.

Fold in the backactor, lift the outriggers, spin the seat around, lift the front bucket and drive the JCB away TCD, it's time to stop digging.

WITH the “Forgotten Four” Premiership clubs and the 12 National League clubs in open revolt – and the National League 2 and 3 clubs similarly unimpressed by how BTM is handling Super-6 and Agenda-3, the last thing TCD needed was for big Jonny Petrie to hand-in his notice this week.

Jonny Petrie - joining the exodus to Belfast

Big JP is off to Belfast, to join Ulster – who have already nicked Dan McFarland from off the SRU payroll. What's the attraction of Belfast? Are the DUP directing some of that massive bribe they got from the Conservative government to Kingspan Stadium?

The timing is suspect too. We have – wee John McLellan's dummy-spitting at the douce Edinburgh coonsillors not getting a peak at the “Legoland” plans before their officials passed them aside – the prospect of Edinburgh finally having their own home. You might think the club CEO who drove this through would want to hang around to see the project through.

Of course, those of us used to watching Murrayfield machinations ken fine who will be front and centre, resplendent in high vis jacket and hard hat when the project starts – it will be oor ain Dirty Dom, the king of the photo-call.

AS IF the ramifications of the SRU's fuck-up of getting S6A3 up an running were not bad enough, they still have to cut the Gordian Knot of where to put the S6 “club” XVs.

I began with this problem, so, I will end today's post with it, by printing a copy of a letter which Lorne Boswell, the Stirling County president sent out last week.

This reads:

I am contacting you about Super6. As you may know, I am now the President at Stirling and, as such, am heavily involved in the Super6.

There is a lot of mist and wind being spoken in the rugby community just now. A lot of it is ill informed but until things are signed off by the powers that be rumours will be rife.

I know there is a proposal to put the S6 club teams into a reserve league. In an email I shared with the other S6 teams a couple of months ago, I described this as the 'nuclear option' and one that would bring about an irreversible split in the club game. The S6 are opposed to this because of the following:

1 Every player of any ambition would move to a S6 club in the hope of catching the coach's eye

2 S6 clubs would become Super clubs 

3 The damage to other clubs would be massive.

At the moment we are planning on S6 squads of 35 including 5 academy players. If the reserve league is created that will go out of the window and be acknowledged in name only. Players will migrate to S6 clubs to try their hand and we will be fielding 5+ teams on a Saturday. The debate will then become where do our 3rds, 4ths and 5ths play. The S6 clubs have applied to be responsible for one one team on top of what we currently do, not to be the destination of every player of ambition on Scotland.

If we have a 'part time pro' S6 and an amateur game beneath that we will have to make the 35 work. It is worth remembering that the squad budget is £125k and the individual ceiling is £12k.

I know there is massive anger in the rugby community about Russellgate. It is crucial that people think clearly. The Aberdeen motion to the SRU AGM is a classic example of unintended consequences and muddled thinking. I would urge you to encourage debate to ensure another mistake is not made.

The S6 clubs could make the reserve league work. It would suit some clubs more than others. I believe it would be disastrous for Scottish rugby as a whole which is why my club is opposed to it.

Happy to talk further if that helps.

Best

Lorne Boswell

President, Stirling County RFC.

 Stirling County's Lorne Boswell

Lorne makes some valuable points in this letter, which I feel is worthy of greater discussion. However, I can see some of his other points upsetting some people. The point he makes about ambitious players gravitating to the S6 clubs is a fair one, and one which has been much-discussed.

As I see it – if the SRU seriously wants to establish a “bridging” level of rugby, between the club game and the professional one – THEY MUST SET IT UP AND RUN IT.

I have never deviated from my belief, in putting this level out to tender, they are admitting: “We cannot afford to run the lower level of performance rugby in Scotland, so we are asking six clubs to do this for us.”

I admire the six clubs for having a go, however, the whole manner in which it has been done is shambolic and I fear for the futures of some of the six, particularly the three Edinburgh franchises. THREE FRANCHISES IN EDINBURGH WILL NEVER WORK.

For long and weary, in the amateur era, the level of rugby between the club game and the international one was the Inter-District Championship. Had the SRU brought-in a similar grade of rugby, but run by the Performance Department, to reflect the game in 2018 it might have worked.

Some S6 clubs will thrive, others I can see failing. It's a nonsense. We need to stop now, before things get any worse, and think again. As things currently stand, it cannot work.

Super-6 Is Happening, Even Though We're Dancing In The Dark

THERE can be no doubts – Super-6 has been a custerfuck from the moment TCD sprung it on Scottish Rugby, at the end of the 2017 annual general meeting.

Just about the only justification for bringing it in is – the clubs, particularly the Premiership, had been arguing for change for years and couldn't agree on what to do, so, the Union stepped in and gave a bit of leadership.

TCD - he thinks he is Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Say "Make it so," and things will happen

Now, ill-conceived, inadequately-justified, badly “sold” as it has been, pushed through by a total pauchle of a franchise system, we have to accept, it is going to happen. TCD has gone into full Jean-Luc Picard mode and said: “Make it so,” so happen it will. S6 is the unwanted child of the game, now, it is up to the SRU to polish this turd and make it acceptable.

And that isn't coming from me – that's coming from one or two people who will have to make it work – influential guys within the six franchise clubs. As I have been saying for weeks, anything good that has come out of S6, has come from the clubs; anything bad has come from BT Murrayfield, and there has been more bad than good.

We are all dancing in the dark as to what will happen when S6 kicks in next season. We are all assuming the S6 season will be the same as the normal club one, but there are hints coming from the six franchises – this may not be the case.

For a start, with only six clubs involved: home and away matches will give a mere 10 fixtures, do we then go down the discredited old Premier League football route of multiple games, which would give us either 15 games (if we go with three meetings per season) or 20 games (at four meetings per season).

What will happen if the cross-border games do come to pass (assuming the SRU and the WRU can agree on timing)? That will add further games to the schedule, dependant on how it is organised. And we still don't know what is going to happen here.

We need clarity on this. For instance, there have been suggestions that the S6 games might be played during the Autumn Internationals, and at the end of what may be a stretched season. Other notions we have heard is that the weekend will be split into three distinct categories, with the PRO14 home games being scheduled for Friday nights. The normal club games being played on Saturday and the Super-6 games on a Sunday.

We need clarity on this as well, and we need it soon.

But, there is another wee twist in the story. The notion has been tentatively floated: that there should be some sort of draft system – similar to the current one between the professional sides and the Premiership ones – whereby S6 players are drafted to Championship clubs (assuming the Premiership is renamed as the Championship next season).

The suggestion is, this might offset the leading National League cubs' misgivings about “hoovering-up” of players to fill the S6 rosters. Instead of perhaps losing players, these clubs would be gaining, is the argument.

Of course, for this to work properly, BTM would need to bite the bullet and admit the reality of the situation – and that is, S6 is a PERFORMANCE LEAGUE. Acknowledge this, accept it, take it out of the Domestic sphere and one or two perceived problems vanish.

In this first season, 2019-20, we have to assume, the 210 Super-6 players in the six squads will mainly come from the existing Premiership/National League clubs' rosters. However, I get the impression the wish/plan is, as the initial five-year franchise term goes on, we will see more and more vacancies in the rosters being met by younger players advancing along the Performance Pathway, via the age group national sides to the Academy.

There will be younger players too, with the ability not not the desire to be full-time professional rugby players. Young men happy to play for fun, but whose principal wish to go to university and enter the professions or business. It is, I believe, as a means of keeping these guys in the game, that there was so-much pressure on the franchise winners to have a university or seat of higher learning involved.

It really is time the SRU clarified these and other points. Doing and saying nothing only allows occasionally false conjecture and uncertainty, and with such a major change to the format of the game, these negative waves have to be abolished.

I SPOTTED, and briefly commented on a couple of weeks ago, the disgraceful fact that Doddie Weir's wonderful MND fund will NOT benefit directly from this weekend's special international between Wales and Scotland, in Cardiff.

Doddie and his wonderful charity have been disgracefully ill-used by the Welsh and Scottish RUs

The treasurer of neither union will, when all the cash has been counted, sit down and write a substantial cheque to Doddie's charity. For the WRU, aided and abetted by TCD and the minions at BT Murrayfield, charity begins at home.

Of course, the Small Controller and the pr gurus will be in full damage-limitation mode this week, now everyone has noticed. We will be reassured how Doddie's charity will be name-checked at every opportunity. We will get pictures of the buckets that will be sent round the crowd.

Doddie will be prominently involved on match day, all designed to show the two unions are doing their bit – except, at the end of the day, the main beneficiary of a big match will be the WRU, not Doddie's MND Charity.

Both unions are currently hunkering down to avoid incoming hostile fire from disgruntled member clubs. They badly need friends, not making a significant contribution to a very worthwhile charity is not the way to go about winning them.

But of course, the likes of TCD are business-men, all they care about is the bottom line. TCD has shown repeatedly, he perhaps knows the price of everything, but he hasn't a clue about the value of anything.

Ole, Ole Ole - Watsonians halt the Ayr juggernaut

IT WASN'T quite “Death in the Afternoon,” but, as the Watsonians squad, mostly clad in the traditional Pamplona bull-running kit of white tee-shirt and trousers and red neckerchiefs left Millbrae for last night's bull-fighting themed Hallowe'en party at Myreside, they took not two ears and a tail, but, the much-more substantial Bill McLaren Shield with them.

The Watsonians team heads fo home as Steven Longwell builds up a head of steam on Saturday

Never having held the lump of wood before, the 'Sonians officials were wondering what to do with it: “Use it to serve canapés from,” was one suggestion, but, the one I liked was: “Let's hang it in the Hastings Room, to show Gavin and Scott something they haven't won.” They can be a cruel lot in Morningside.

But, in winning 25-20 and annexing the shield, the Edinburgh side did the rest of the Tennent's Premiership a huge favour. They burst Ayr's bubble of invincibility, cut their lead at the top of the table and, more-importantly perhaps for Coach Steve Lawrie – they gave themselves a confidence boost.

“We had a tough start, facing all the top sides early-on,but this result will give the boys self-belief, and a huge boost in confidence.”

“This is an exciting league, it's a challenging season, with Super-6 looming, and I was very happy with today. We scored some great tries, as id Ayr, since both sides came to play rugby, but, what particularly pleased me was the defensive effort – the way they put their bodies on the line, and their spirit.

“The important thing was to win, which we managed, now we have to kick-on from here.”

If Lawrie was pleased, you had to feel for Peter Murchie, who forfeited his unbeaten record as Ayr Coach. “It certainly didn't turn out as we had imagined during the week,” he said.

“We had our chances, but didn't take them, some wrong options were taken, while we didn't look after the ball was well as we should have.

“But, credit to Watsonians, their scramble defence was superb and after a poor first half, we were much better in the second, created a lot of chances but fell short. I am now looking for a huge reaction next week.”

Certainly, Ayr were without a few key men, but, to use that as an excuse would be unfair to Watsonians, who, in the final reckoning, deserved to win.

Damien Hoyland's star has, through injury and the rise of Darcy Graham, waned somewhat this season. But, in his first game since recovering from injury, the Scotland winger had one crucial cameo as he skipped through to set-up lock Charlie McKill for the opening try. Sadly, he had to retire with a knee injury soon afterwards – one step forward, two back, for the Edinburgh player.

Their other winger, teenager Rufus McLean, also impressed with one try and one assist, while Lee Millar kicked beautifully, and number eight Michael Fedo was a huge influence in an important facet of the win – the manner in which Watsonians won the breakdown battle, repeatedly turning-over Ayr when the league leaders had got into good positions.

But, in the end, this was a team victory for the Edinburgh side – they had no weaknesses.

Ayr were digging deep into their reserve strength. But, perhaps with the missing men in place, they would have won. They butchered two glaring opportunities as they fought back after Watsonians' opening try, while all their second-half pressure ought to have been better rewarded.

However, DEFENCE, an area where Ayr has set the standard in the Premiership over the past few seasons, was where Watsonians won this. There will be some sore bodies in Edinburgh this morning, because these bodies were put firmly on the line yesterday.

George McMillan's picture of Longwell setting-off on his runaway train try on Saturday 

Ayr did, however, have THE moment of the afternoon, when tight-head prop Steven Longwell took a popped pass somewhere between the Watsonians' ten-metre line and the half-way line and simply charged. He trampled all over Josh Rowlands as he did his runaway train impression all the way to the try line.

The former tight forwards watching all had huge smiles on their faces after this score.

For the record, Ayr's points came from the Longwell try, with Frazier Climo getting the rest from one try, two conversions and two penalty goals. For Watsonians, McKill, McLean and Rowland had tries, Lee Millar got the other points from two conversions and two penalties.

The match ended with a period of intense Watsonians pressure in and over the Ayr line, however, a mass outbreak of “white line fever” in the pack perhaps cost Watsonians a four-try bonus point. But, Ayr's huge defensive effort then was rewarded with a losing bonus point.

ELSEWHERE, Melrose continue to lead the chasing pack; after their 47-29 home win over Boroughmuir, but they remain four points adrift of the league leaders. Currie Chieftains continue to stick two fingers up to BT Murrayfield, for NOT thinking them good enough for a franchise, by staying in third place, after a 0-15 win over bottom boys Edinburgh Academical, at Raeburn Place.

Heriot's lie fourth, having thumped Hawick 50-14 at Goldenacre, while the closest match yesterday was at Bridgehaugh, where Stirling County edged-out Glasgow Hawks 34-30.

IT WAS NOT a good weekend either for our two professional sides. I watched the second half of Edinburgh's sorry second-half capitulation to Zebre from behind the sofa – it was that dire. We had all, I think, felt these sort of car-crash performances from Edinburgh were a thing of the past. The thing about Friday night's disaster was, it was experienced players who messed-up, by an large the youngsters played well.

It shows how expectations around Glasgow have grown, that we should be disappointed to lose to Munster via a last kick penalty. The great entertainers, even with a below-strength team because of Scotland calls, still grabbed a four try bonus point, and, had they kicked all their goals, they would have won.

That they lost so-narrowly merely indicates the need to ALWAYS have a reliable goal kicker on the field in professional sport. As they say in golf: “You drive for show, but, you putt for dough.” Place-kicking is rugby's equivalent of putting.

Doctor Who And The Draconians - A New Adventure

THERE IS a story of a Tory grandee running through the litany of post-war Conservative Prime Ministers: “Winston (Churchill), Anthony (Eden), Harold (MacMillan), Alex (Douglas-Home), (Ted) Heath, Margaret (Thatcher),” he intoned.

 She was "One of Us" until it suited the men in the grey suits to get rid of her

Note the odd one out, Heath was never: “One of us,” the Upper Middle/Lower Upper Class elite, English public school-educated to rule the world. Strictly speaking, neither was the Blessed Margaret, but, she shared their beliefs and was tolerated – until they thought she couldn't win, whereupon she was dumped.

Methinks that same kind of thinking is now abroad within the BT Murrayfield corridors of power. Allow me to extrapolate.

The SRU's bye-laws and election rules are clearly written-down and can be viewed on their website. They are there for a good reason, but, the present “suits” don't do more than pay lip service to them, or so it seems to me.

Go to the “Who We Are” section of the SRU website and it is clear – the SRU Council takes precedence over the Board – except, these days it appears to be the Board - under the draconian rule of TCD - who are running things, and who have the final word – when it should be the Council.

One of the Draconians - currently running the SRU

It clearly states in the Bye-Laws: the Council membership should include four representatives, one each from the Premiership and the three National Leagues. As it stands, Peter Laverie is the Premiership representative – except, Peter does not have a current Premiership club, he is Director of Rugby for National League 2 GHK.

Also, and I accept, six of the ten clubs are rather busy with another big problem, but, the Premiership forum has not met since before the AGM. Not perhaps as big an issue, when it seemed the Premiership would vanish at the end of this season. However, that is no longer certain amidst all the kerfuffle around S6/A3.

The actual National League 2 rep is Colin Rigby of Stewart's-Melville, while vice president Iain Barr is also with a National League 2 club – Lasswade. Now, I have nothing against these gentlemen, in fact, they are all good, genuine rugby guys, but the current set-up means, the Premiership, National League 1 and National League 3 clubs do not currently have one of their own sitting round the Council table - their rep is Andy Little from Highland, who are now a National League 2 club. Andy again, according to those who know him is: "A Good Guy," howeer, good job though he is doing, Is it right that so-many albeit fine, reps, are from National League 2 clubs?

Elsewhere, on the Council and the Board, we have the esteemed Willie Gardner, who represents the Glasgow North Regional League clubs – these smaller clubs, who do a great job, in difficult circumstances, in the more-shallow rugby seams, have a second representative round the table, since President “Doctor Who” is a member of Oban Lorne.

The trouble with Willie Gardner being there is, his club, Lanark, no longer competes in the West Regional Leagues, while I am reliably informed, by a senior office bearer in one of the constituent clubs that, apart from the vice presidential hustings (which were held in the least-accessible place, at the least-popular time and were barely quorate) the clubs in the bold Willie's constituency have never held a for a since he got the job.

Willie Gardner is also on the Board, which makes his lack of communication with his constituents somehow worse.

Ah! The Board, there's another cause for concern. Now, I admire the Wee Bar Steward greatly, I will not hear a word against him, but, for all the great things he has done in rugby, on and off the park – according to the rules, Ian McLauchlan should by now be retired and have been replaced, he has served his sentence. But, he's still there.

Our near-invisible Chairman should also have gone, hopefully to be replaced by someone competent, while the process of recruiting (OPENLY) new INDEPENDENT non-executive directors ought to be under way. Needless to say, it isn't.

I also hear, from contacts with access to the corridors of power, that the bold Lance-Corporal Jones, whose propensity for panic got us into much of the current moger, is still a power behind the throne – where he ought to have been sent to the Scottish Rugby equivalent of the old: “managing a power station in Mongolia” sentence which was meeted-out to incompetent Soviet era apparatchiks.

The Doric Dan Quayle,being lined-up for a return to the SRU Council as a co-opted member

The good Doctor Who, apparently, has not yet fully-mastered the complexities of the sonic screwdriver, and wants “friends at court” around her. We hear the Doric Dan Quayle, fresh from a place in the Scotstoun posh seats for the recent Glasgow v Saracens game, is the only candidate for one of the co-opted Council gigs. Mr Monro, in everyone's view a huge loss (not) to the Diplomatic Corps, is seemingly being lined-up to be the SRU's representative on the EPRC, the body which runs the Heineken and Challenge Cups.

Still, there is the odd flash of half-light, Fergus Neil is, I understand, being lined-up to represent the Union at Rugby Europe.

We can only hope, in his in-depth look at the governance, Gavin MacCall QC can sweep away some of the cobwebs and allow light into some of the darker recesses of where we are through the machinations of TCD and his faithful Consigliore.

Finally, and I am not having a go at the guy, whom I rather like, but, back to Peter Laverie.

 Peter Laverie - paid a high price for being in the wrong place at the wrong time

Back in 2015 Peter was removed from his position as a Board member at Glasgow Clyde College. He sat on the Board as the representative of the teaching staff. I had a read at the case and it seems pretty clear – Peter's removal was a case of “collateral damage”. There is no evidence of any wrong-doing by him, he was simply, as were other Board members, innocently, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But, Peter was: “disqualified for life from being a member of a number of other boards of management in the further and higher education sector, where the context is the management of public institutions, with a remit involving the use of public funds.”

As I have said, there is NO EVIDENCE of wrong-doing by Peter, I am convinced he as in the wrong place at the wrong time, however, although not strictly-speaking “ in the further and higher education sector” the SRU does run the Scottish Rugby Academy, which is a form of Higher Education (albeit it that is an extreme view), but, the SRU does have: “a remit involving the use of public funds.”

Another issue in Peter's experiences with Glasgow College, on which the SRU, and the wider Scottish Rugby constituency might care to reflect is – Peter Laverie and everyone else on the Glasgow Clyde College Board was removed from office – under the protocol of “collective responsibility.”

OK, sadly for him and some other board members, they and Peter were “collateral damage”, but, the principle of collective responsibility was in play.

Would the SRU Board care to square that with the fact, one of their own – Lesley Thomson QC, conducted a still secret review into the conduct of certain board members in the Keith Russell sacking.

Conduct which led to Russell taking the SRU to an Industrial Tribunal, which then led to the character of the CEO and the General Counsel being publicly humiliated by the condemnation of their conduct by the Tribunal judge. However, that conduct was okayed by the entire Board, including Lesley Thomson QC, under the principle of collective responsibility.

In the case of Peter Laverie at Glasgow Clyde College, the actions which cost him his directorship and landed him with life-long disqualification from a similar position, were taken by a single board member.

Harsh though the punishment was, don't you wish the same standards were in-play around the SRU?