After Russellgate, We Now Have Barneygate

WELL, I looked on line, but, they've either sold out, or the rumours of their existence were just that – rumours. You see dear reader, I spent last night's far too-frequent ad breaks during ITV2's broadcast of that wonderful Christmas movie 'Love Actually' looking for an official SRU Bah! Humbug! Christmas hat.

It quite distracted me from admiring Hugh Grant's career-defining performance as the best Prime Minister the UK never had – I reckon big Shuggie could get a better deal out of the EU than the current PM ever could.

So, what got me thinking about the SRU and Bah! Humbug!?

Red card for David Barnes

Simple, last evening, The Offside Line's David Barnes, if not the best rugby reporter in Scotland, certainly the busiest and most conscientious, was flung out of a “training game” at Oriam, between the touring Australian Schools XV and a Scottish Schools Select, at half-time; with the tourists well on their way to an eventual 70-0 win.

We don't know who was promoted to Number One Jobsworth  - ask "SRU Safety Officer," to wave the red card at Barney. Surely not TCD himself, naw, he'd delegate a minion and, in any case, he doesn't attend matches below PRO14 level. The Lesser-Spotted Director of Rugby? Not him, but, SCOTT JOHNSTON WAS AT THE GAME!!! (this rare spotting of the L-S J might have something to do with his interest in obtaining a lucrative gig back in Sydney with rugby Australia).

But the Lesser-Spotted Johnston was spotted at the game

Apparently, the finger of blame is being pointed at “Buddy Hobbs”, the elf in charge of: the production of meaningless press releases and the suppression of real news, at BT Murrayfield.

OK, fair's fair; suppose it was: “a training game,” then why admit spectators? And, having admitted spectators, why throw out the man who runs the best rugby-reporting organisation in Scotland, sparking off what some bitter and twisted old hack down in darkest Ayrshire hereby christens: 'Barneygate.'

It is a long-established rugby legend that The Voice was welcomed at pre-international training sessions, by all countries, when he turned-up to have perhaps a first look at new caps, and learn a wee bit of background.

In any case, if the decision to throw-out TOL was meant to stop the world from knowing what happened at the game, it failed dismally. There is a short report, from an Australian perspective, on the Australian Schools Rugby Union website:

https://www.schoolsrugby.com.au/2018/news/70-points-in-70-minutes-rampaging-aussies-play-running-rugby-on-indoor-surface/

Indeed, that website is running a daily tour diary, to keep the boys' families and friends abreast of what is going-on on tour.

Or, if you want to see the best of the Australian tries, you can trythe rugby.com au website. I tried to post a link to their report, but couldn't. They even have film of the same game which the SRU didn't want publicised. Doh!

It might come as a bit of a blow to the control freaks within BTM, but, in today's 24/7 social media world, it is bloody difficult, I not impossible, to bury bad news, and, if that was their intention, they failed, miserably.

Instead of throwing-out the best friend they have in the media, perhaps they ought to be asking: what can we do to close the gap between the Aussies and ourselves at this level? Losing by 70 points is not acceptable, even in a training game.

Another thing, is there such a thing as: “a training game”, when you are wearing the thistle?

The Australians have, thus far on their five-match tour, lost just once – to an Ulster U-19 team. They have beaten Munster and Ireland in the other two games. Well, if Ulster can beat them, but not yet Scotland, we have to ask the SRU: What is a single Irish province doing better than the whole of Scotland, and why? Mind you, that result maybe explains why Jonny Petrie was so-keen to exchange Edinburgh for Belfast.

At least, TOL got to publish a “not a match report” on a game which gave a rare outing in navy blue to – shock horror – boys from state schools. But, as ever, SRU control freakery has seen them score another own goal.

 The SRU's Head of Media tells Barney - You cannot come in

There is no way Barney would ever do a hatchet job on a Scotland age group team – particularly one drawn, as last night's XV was, from the less-advantaged end of the age group spectrum. You sometimes learn more in defeat than in victory and if even one or two of the Scots kids who took such a hammering last night decide: “I will never suffer such a beating again,” and decide to put in the necessary work, to get up to Aussie standard, then it will be Scottish rugby which will benefit.

That Australian squad has been together, both back in Oz and on-tour for some weeks now. They are obviously a slick, well-oiled machine. Sure, they won at Oriam, on 12/12/2018.

However, it may be that in say November, 2022 or 2023, a full Australian test side, including maybe two or three of last night's Australian team, arrives at Murrayfield for a full test match – and loses to a Scotland side including two or three of last night's losing team. If that happens, who will have won?

Certainly not the SRU, who really do get more and more petty with each passing week. The job of a PR department is to paint a positive picture of their organisation, and to procure good publicity for that organisation.

The SRU's PR department, which does include some sterling fellows, is clearly failing in that respect.