A Fine Gesture, But What About The Guys Who Missed Out

I NOTICED last week, a wee item which rather slipped under the radar. Apparently the SRU is going to award Eric Liddell's daughter a new Scotland cap, to replace the one which her father, the former Scotland winger and Olympic Champion, was rightly awarded back in the 1920s, the original cap having vanished following his death in China during WWII.

 Eric Liddell - his daughter is to receive a replacement for his lost Scotland cap

Nothing wrong with that, I applaud the Union for the gesture. A fine lady, now in the twilight of her life will have a tangible memento of her legendary father, and his sporting exploits, which have lit-up Scottish life for nigh on a century.

But, that got me thinking; what happened to a suggestion I made to wee Ed Crozier, back when he was SRU President?

I had heard of a Welsh Rugby Union initiative, whereby, players who played in war-time of Victory “internationals” - or who played in what were then “non-capped” games, against the likes of Japan, Samoa, Argentina or Fiji, countries whom, when played today are “capped” games, but never played in what was then considered a “full-cap” game, were awarded a ”President's” cap to recognise their achievement.

Ed Crozier, a slightly less-distinguished 400 metres runner than Liddell

was keen to belatedly "cap" others who lost out due to WWII 

My particular motivation for the suggestion was the story of my own PE teacher at Cumnock Academy, Jock “Stiffy” McClure. Big Jock played in eight war-time internationals, and in one Victory international, against Ireland in 1946, but, he never won an official full cap. There were another eight players in the same boat.

Wee Eddie took my suggestion on-board, went to the SRU Board with it, but, could not persuade them to dip into the coffers and make that small gesture. Maybe we were more skint than TCD was making out at the time, and the cost of nine caps would have burst the SRU budget.

But, if they can award one to the Liddell family – why not the other nine families who missed-out due to the war? Over to you Dee Bradbury.

THE WAY whereby professional rugby is growing ever-more like professional football was starkly displayed by one of the leading articles in the Rugby section of the New Zealand Herald's sports pages yesterday.

Apparently All Blacks great Ma'a Nonu has been getting pelters from his team mates, for turning up to club training in his new wheels – a Tesla Model X suv, which apparently retails in New Zealand for $NZ 140,000 – that's £72,000 in sterling.

Could be worse I suppose, they're not yet at the stage of playing: “count the Bentleys” in the training ground car parks in New Zealand, as they are at the football training grounds of England.

Nonu claims his the Tesla was his wife's idea, but, it does show the money that can be made playing in France. Which reminds me, does anyone know: has Finn got his Lamborghini yet?

QUIP OF the week surely, came during Monday night's PRO14 highlights show on Free Sports. During the Munster v Connacht game, one of the Connacht players was complaining loudly that he had been taken-out, off the ball by a Munster-man.

The Irish commentator, watching the replay said: “He should be asking Tadgh Beirne for tips on how to milk a penalty there,” a clear reference to Beirne's blatant dive during the European Cup match against Edinburgh.

.”

Mind you, a close second was that from another of the veterans of Scottish Rugby writing, about Phil Smith's pointed comments concerning professional player release, following Saturday's Scottish Cup Final.

This pillar of the press box said: “Oh! I do love the sound of a whingeing Herioter.”

Monday night TV is a good evening for followers of rugby. Still fuming at BBC Shortbread's advertising film for Ruth Davidson – Saviour of the Union, I quickly calmed down when I switched over to Channel Five's Gallagher Premiership round-up.

Mark Durden-Smith and David Flatman are a terrific presenting double act, who really bring enthusiasm for rugby to the table. Flatman displaying the multi-coloured toe nails which his daughters left him with must have had the rest of the freemasonry of front-rowers chuckling.

The Gallagher Premiership round-up was followed by two hours of the PRO14 on Free Sports. In my view, our poor wee Celtic League, across the board, offers more-entertaining rugby. I mean, who wants to watch Exeter Chiefs going through 29 phases before a prop rumbles over from two metres? Far better to watch George Horne breaking from his own 22 with Hoggy in support.

I started with Munster v Connacht, so I will finish there. Big Reddy of the week surely goes to Munster's Andrew Conway, left with a walk-in try, only to be stripped of the ball, before he could dot down for a simple try, by a back-tracking Connacht player.

THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD has today revealed, that, on the team bus, on the way to play the New Zealand Barbarians in the opening game of the 2017 Tour, some of the British and Irish Lions players, actually fell asleep, because they were still jet-lagged, having only flown into New Zealand 48 hours before the match.

That late arrival was down to the demands of the big English clubs, whose Premiership final was held so-late on in the season, the squad did not get what they considered would be the requisite preparation time together.

Reminds me of the 1971 Lions Tour, in which the squad, suffering from what their Aberdonian manager Dr Doug Smith revealed was: “circadian rhythm disorder” - that's severe jet lag in layman's terms – were beaten by an unrated Queensland side.

Since then, the science of jetting across the world to play sport has advanced somewhat, but, as the events of two years ago showed, mistakes, brought-on by having to appease the greedy and selfish, can still trip you up.

It's A Long Long Way From May Till September

SILVER SATURDAY has come and gone. Aside from the Greenock Wanderers v Annan game, the outcome of which will decide if Wanderers or Allan Glen's go up into National League 3 next season, all the major issues regarding promotion and relegation have now been settled.

Sure, Glasgow Warriors still have one, hopefully two games to play, the Sevens season will roll on for a week or three, but, to the normal clubman, that's an area of rugby worlds away from where they are – thus to all intents and purposes, we are now into the close season. In two days under 18 weeks, the club leagues will resume, then, on 9 November, Super-6 will fire-up.

But, there is a lot to be settled before then. The league formats and fixtures for season 2019-20 have to be arranged and printed. We have all the usual summer machinations of electing SRU Council members, and what not, so much to be done.

Oh Aye, I nearly forgot – there's the small matter of a Rugby World Cup coming-up in September. I don't think we will wearie ower the summer somehow.

Perhaps the most-interesting thing which will happen over the close season is the series of workshops to discuss the Male Adult Season Structure. This initiative was announced by Sheila Begbie and the Rugby Development Department last week.

This is a welcome case of BT Murrayfield insiders saying to the clubs: “You tell us what you want,2 and fits in very nicely with Sheila's stance at her recent press briefing, when she said: “We are here to listen to the clubs.”

The dates and venues for these workshops, to which each club within each league or region is invited to send up to four representatives are:

Premiership & National 1 clubs:, Sunday 12th May, Norton House Hotel, 10:00am – 12:30pm

National 2 & National 3 clubs: Sunday 26th May, Norton House Hotel, 10:00am – 12:30pm

Sheila has said: “If Premiership and National 1-3 clubs are unable to attend their specific workshop above, they are still able to input into the consultation process by attending the regional workshop below. Clubs with teams playing in both national and regional leagues can attend both workshops.”

These Regional Workshops will be held:

Edinburgh, Midlothian & West Lothian clubs: Wednesday 22nd May, Linlithgow RFC, 6:30pm-8:30pm

Caledonia North clubs: Tuesday 28 May, Moray College UHI, Elgin, 6:30pm-8:30pm

Caledonia Midlands clubs, Wednesday 29th May, Grangemouth RFC, 6:30pm-8:30pm

Glasgow South clubs: Monday 3rd June, Dumfries RFC (TBC), 6:30pm-8:30pm

Glasgow North clubs: Monday 10th June, Hillhead Jordanhill RFC, 6:30pm-8:30pm

Borders & East Lothian clubs: Tuesday 11th June, Borders College, Galashiels, 6:30pm-8:30pm

Murrayfield is particularly keen to garner the views of players and coaches, so, it is to be hoped that every club will make an effort to find-out what the guys who do the work on a Saturday want.

If it cuts out lengthy and expensive coach journeys, which players neither particularly want or enjoy, and sees more-localised play, the feeling in many quarters is, that it is a win-win situation.

The workshops have the support on the SCG (the Standing Committee on Governance) who are also keen to know what the guys at the coal face their season to look like in terms of league formats and playing period.

WHEN HE spoke to the few media the SRU allowed in to cover Silver Saturday, following his side's loss to Ayr in the Scottish Cup Final, Heriot's Head Coach Phil Smith had some pointed remarks to make about the uneven playing field that has been the Pro release draft.

 Phil Smith

Way back at the start of the season, Heriot's picked the following Edinburgh players in the draft: James Johnstone, Chris Dean, ,Allan Dell, Grant Gilchrist, Simon Hickey, Henry Pyrgos and Blair Kinghorn. They also drafted Jack Cuthbert (Scotland 7s).

Over the season, they actually only used Cuthbert, Mark Bennett – who was supposed to be drafted to Boroughmuir and Murray McCallum, who was supposed to be drafted to Edinburgh Accies. Cuthbert and Bennett started, with McCallum coming off the bench as they beat Currie Chieftains in the Tennent's Premiership play-off semi-final.

Now, given two of these three internationalists were drafted to other clubs, and, for the same fixture, Currie had some difficulty getting access to under-utilised professionals who had played regularly for them, well, questions have to be asked.

It is to be hoped that, before Super-6 starts up, a properly agreed protocol for professional player release – TO WHICH THE TWO PRO CLUBS STICK – is agreed. Everyone accepts, Dave Rennie and the team at Glasgow Warriors are far-more willing to release players than Richard Cockerill and his team at Edinburgh.

What I would like to see is perhaps a banding of the pro players something like:

Band One – Scotland players, liable to be regulars in the match day squad

Band Two – Non-Scots-qualified liable to be regulars in the match-day squad

Band Three - “Journeymen” players

Band Four – First or second season professionals.

If each of the two professional sides had three Super-6 sides tied to them, the S6 clubs would know which professionals they would be liable to have access to. For instance, I would expect, the Band Three and Band Four players would spend as much, if not more time playing in Super-6 than in the PRO14. The Band One and Two players would more-likely only be seen in S6 when coming back from injury or time out.

There has to be a fair and proper scheme introduced. I can accept there were differences of approach between the pro clubs and the top and lesser Premiership sides. I can accept, maybe one or two professionals felt, playing in the Premiership didn't keep them sharp enough for the PRO14, but, I can also accept, there have been instances where a professional player has “gone through the motions” when playing in the Premiership. Hopefully, S6 will sort this out.

And speaking of S6, it will be interesting to see how their close season recruitment goes.

A Great Showcase For The Club Game

FAIR DOES, Scottish Rugby TV did a good job on Silver Saturday. Their coverage wasn't perfect; I don't for instance see why we had to have the lengthy “dead” periods between games, and the pro-Edinburgh/Borders and lack of basic research into the players and clubs was obvious.

Make mine a double - Ayr celebrate their cup win

I also missed the kick-off in the Cup Final, because, whenever I hit the play button on the link to that game, I kept getting a repeat of the Shield game. Of course, it helped to offset these difficulties – which mostly I fear stem from the poor management of the media department, that we had some good rugby.

I really enjoyed the Bowl Final, in which the lead changed hands several times,before ABERDEENSHIRE made forward power count, to beat DUMS 34-31. What a day too for 'Shire tight-head Stephen Cook, who scored two “long-range” tries: when a prop has to run more than two metres to score, it counts as long range. Great too to see 'Shire winger Walker back himself to get outside the cover in an arcing run to score – an old-fashioned move we don't see nearly enough today.

Hard luck to DUMS, who really played their full part in the game, but, as so often happens with student sides, they were simply out-muscled up front.

BUT, THAT was nothing compared to the Shield Final, in which Berwick came from 20 points down, to win 57-35, after extra time, finally running away in the additional period.

You don't see poor teams post the sort of unbeaten Golden Jubilee season which Berwick are coming to the end of. Thus, even when Greenock were so-far ahead, late in the second half, you never felt they had the game won.

Wanderers were the better team for 70 of the normal 80 minutes, but, a questionable try for Berwick opened the flood gates and Berwick never looked back.

So, it was a third Murrayfield disappointment for Wanderers, who must now pick themselves up to beat Annan on Saturday and clinch promotion back to the National Leagues. To do this, they will need to cut-out the stupid mistakes and poor decisions which undid them today – and, kick their points, something else which undid them.

 Berwick celebrate their stunning come-back Shield win

But, immense credit must go to Berwick, in coming back from what seemed like the dead late in that second half of normal time in what was an incredible game. You cannot argue against a team which scores 39 unanswered points from a losing position.

For Wanderers, Graham Hogg, showing us perhaps what younger brother Stuart will look like five years into retirement, displayed touches of class, while former Scotland Club XV captain Brendan McGroarty – a deserving Man of the Match – could, in this form, still be doing a job in the Premiership with Glasgow Hawks, had he not opted to return to his first club.

By the way, referee Gordy Reid, I thought was poor. The real Gordy Reid, the Scotland loose-head, could have done a better job. And that Gordy Reid, like all good props, only has the most-distant of acquaintanceship with the Laws of the Game.

AYR “won ugly,” but still did just enough to clinch a league and cup double, as an injury time Frazier Climo penalty earned them a 27-25 win over Heriot's.

To be honest, the game was a disappointment. Both teams, particularly Ayr, who made a host of unforced errors, can play a lot better. I thought, after their burst of 22 unanswered points, the Nails would hold on, but, credit to Ayr, every time – and they didn't do it nearly enough – they held onto the ball for a time, they looked dangerous.

I don't know how often I have seen Frazier Climo miss a kick, then step-up two minutes or so later from roughly the same spot, and nail the next one. But, that's what the man from Taranaki did, right at the death, to ensure the Double.

Heriot's had clearly done their homework after their defeat in the Premiership Final, and, full-back Charlie Simpson was a worthy Man of the Match. But, it wasn't enough.

Heriot's Charlie Simpson

It will be interesting to see how many of the players from these selections yesterday transfer across to the clubs' Super-6 franchises, and how many either drop into NL1 with the clubs' “amateur” sides, or either opt for social rugby and concentrating on the day job, or perhaps retire completely.

We already know, it was a last hurrah in pink and black for one or two of the Ayr XV, so a case of going out at the top. I don't know the situation with the Heriot's lads.

Stafford McDowall, Paddy Kelly and Robbie Nairn will be seen a lot more-often in Glssgow's colours next season, while Robbie Smith, whose try offset a difficult day getting his ”arrows” to land on-target, is off to Bedford Blues.

WELL DONE Watsonians Women, who beat Hillhead-Jordanhill 21-17 to lift the Sarah Beaney Cup, reversing last season's result in the process.

They are the first side, other than the Hill-Jills, or Murrayfield Wanderers, to lift the main women's prize, since 2010, and they had to come from behind to do it, in a game shown live on BBC Alba.

 Sirens Song - the Stewartry Ladies celebrate their plate win

In the other Women's finals on the back pitches, Stewartry Sirens, whose squad included “guest player” Louise McLauchlan, the Ayr Ladies captain and one of the great ladies of Scottish Rugby, beat Glasgow University 24-19 to win the Women's Plate, while there was some consolation for Greenock Wanderers when their Women thrashed Livingston 72-12

to win the Women's Bowl.

All told, a terrific day's rugby with the club game well show-cased. Such a pity the seven accredited journalists were so spread-out over that vast Murrayfield press box, there was no room for this wee blog.

But, I suppose, when your media department is run by an apparent half-wit, such petty difficulties crop up. We soldier on regardless.

My Silver Saturday Is Tarnished By SRU Intransigence

SADLY, I am still considered unworthy of media accreditation for today's Silver Saturday celebration of the club game. Buddy Horler, the Chief Elf in the SRU's media department does not consider this blog, one of the top ten rugby blogs in Scotland, and a media outlet which pays more attention to, and writes more about the club game than several outlets of the dead tree press, who do have accreditation.

 The SRU's Head of Media says I cannot get in today

This is yet another example of the fact, Buddy is further out of his depth than wee Jimmy Johnstone was when he set off to row from Largs to New York on that celebrated moment back in 1974. It is often said, a chain is only as strong as its weakest linke. In the case of the SRU's Media Department, the weakest link is the top one.

Never mind, I can safely sit here in the Philosophy Department of the University of Life's sports department and dip in and out of the SRU TV live stream of today's events. It's probably the only place today's events will be mentioned. The dead tree press are decidedly unimpressed with the whole carnival. This is a shame, there are some good stories to be told today.

For instance, what about Aberdeenshire, who, as I type this, are already heading south, ready for their 11am clash with DUMS, the Dundee University medical students. Less than two years ago, 'Shire, on the back of yet another failed attempt to invigorate rugby in the Granite City, with a tie-in with Aberdeen Grammar, were forced to drop from National League 2 to the depths of the Caledonian North Leagues.

They are now fighting back, have this season won Caledonia North Division 3, with, as I type a 10/1 win loss record, then iced that cake with their exploits on the road to Murrayfield. A first round walk-over when Peterhead could not raise a team, was followed by a 24-0 win over Shetland, a 23-16 defeat of Ross/Sutherland, before a late penalty goal got them past Kinloss Eagles 39-36 to lift the Caledonia North Bowl.

In the National Bowl semi-final, they edged out Edinburgh Northern 14-10 to clinch their place in today's big game.

Someone of this former player's quality would be handy for Aberdeenshire today

although Ken Scotland will be more interested in Heriot's big game I guess 

DUMS is a younger club, they cannot boast 'Shire's history, and have yet to produce a Bill McLaren or a Ken Scotland, the two most-illustrious names in their opponent's past. The club began as a means of allowing Dundee University Medical Students to play the game. Today, while the bulk of the squad remain medics, there are players from other faculties within the Dundee student body – guys who would rather play on a Saturday than a Wednesday, which is when most university rugby is played today.

They got off to a cracking start, thumping Madras Rugby 69-7 in the first round of the Caledonia Midlands Bowl. A walk-over against Dundee Morgan, then got them into the semi-final, where they humbled Rosyth Sharks 54-17 and into the final, where they beat Panmure 39-19.

In the National Bowl semi-final, they faced another team of medics, Glasgow University's GUM, winning 17-12.

Today's game will in all likelihood come down to 'Shire's big pack trying to subdue DUMS' youthful pace and desire to run. Good luck to both.

MATCH TWO – the Shield final is a Borders v West affair, with Berwick, the East League Champions, facing Greenock Wanderers, Champions-elect of the West Region.

Berwick qualified via the Borders Shield, where their campaign began with a 50-5 thrashing of Gala YM. Hawick Linden then had to scratch, handing Berwick a straight run to the final, where they beat Hawick Harlequins 34-26. In the National Bowl semi-final, they faced Royal High, their closest rivals in the East League. A 33-10 win there, booked Berwick's place in today's final.

They bring a season-long unbeaten record into the big game

Facing them will be Wanderers, a club, like Aberdeenshire, intent on restoring past glories by getting back to the National Leagues. A new management structure, and their ability to draw old boys such as Club International Brendan McGroarty back from bigger clubs, in his case Premiership Glasgow Hawks, has worked wonders.

Brendan McGroarty - back in Greenock colours and going for glory today

Their West Shield campaign began at Millbrae, who they beat 73-10. Strathendrick scratched in round two, before, in the semi-final, they went to Bishopbriggs and beat Allan Glen's, their closest rivals in the league title race 20-16, before they saw off Dalziel 23-12 in the West final.

Their National semi-final was a tense affair, which Wanderers won 21-20, in the process becoming the only club this season to lower the colours of Caledonia Midlands champions Strathmore.

Today's match is part one of a championship double header for Wanderers. Next Saturday they entertain Annan in their final league game, knowing, victory will take them back to the National Leagues.

But, it's one game at a time and they know, in-form Berwick will be no pushovers. This could well be the game of the day.

THE SARAH BEANEY CUP final is the final game in a long day. The game will be a repeat of last year's final, with Watsonians looking for revenge against cup-holders Hillhead-Jordanhill when the game kicks off, on the big pitch, at 5.45pm.

This one, courtesy of the SRU's deal to cover Women's Rugby, will be televised live on BBC Alba.

Watsonians' campaign began with a 43-7 defeat of Corstorphine, before they beat the newly-formed Heriot's Women 70-5 in the semi-final.

The Hill Jills began their title defence with a 55-22 defeat of Stirling County, prior to humbling Ayr 70-0 in the semi-final, and the cup holders will start today as favourites, although Watsonians have improved greatly since last year, so, anything can happen.

On the back pitches, the two minor Women's competitions will be decided. First up is the Plate Final, with holders Glasgow University facing Stewartry Sirens, at 1.15pm.

This is followed by the Bowl final, at 3.30pm. In this one, Greenock Wanderers, losing finalists last season are looking to go one better, against Livingston, who have reached the final in this, their first season.

Of course, the big game of the day is the Men's Scottish Cup Final, with Ayr going for a league and cup double against Heriot's, the team out to reverse the result from their last meeting, in the Premiership Grand Final three weeks ago.

It's a pity this one, which I previewed yesterday, is not being televised live. If it is anything like the Premiership final, it will be a cracker.

The Welsh Cross-Border picture begins to take shape

THOSE tricky final details will be ironed-out over the next 11 months, but, the cross-border portion of Super-6, the vital last piece of the whole jigsaw, is now go. During March, April and May – perhaps even into June 2020, the first matches between our Super-6 clubs and the top six in Wales' Principality Premiership will take place.

Of course we will not know until just before they start, which clubs will represent Wales, but, the cross-border tournament is definitely on, it has emerged from the Valleys this week.

The Welsh League season is winding down as I write; at the end, four of the current 16 clubs in the top flight will be relegated to the Championship. Troubled Neath have already gone, with a mere 3 points from their 27 games played. Bargoed, on 33 points are also gone, then things get interesting.

Llanelli lie in 11^th spot, with 58 points from 29 games – which ought to be enough to see them survive. Twelfth spot is occupied by Bedwas, who have 52 points, from 28 games. Bridgend lie in 13^th spot, with 50 points from 26 games; and 14^th, and in deep relegation bother are Cross Keys, with 35 points from 27 games.

Two of these three teams will definitely go, but, even the team which eventually finishes 12^th is not safe – they will need to safely negotiate a play-off game with fallen giants Pontypool, who have already won the Championship, posting as they do a 19 game unbeaten league season in a competition with 22 rounds.

Definitely in next season's Premiership and in-line for the cross-border games are: Merthyr – the likely Champions – Llandovery, Cardiff, Ebbw Vale, Pontypridd, Aberavon, Swansea, RGC 1404 and Carmarthen Quins. So, some really famous clubs could be lining-up to face our Super-6 teams in a year's time.

The joy of rugby, Graham Marshall refereeing, Ruddie behaving badly in the background

at a youth game in Selkirk 

SELKIRK fanatic Scott McColm took the above picture, which was subsequently nicked for the Happiness Is Egg-Shaped page on Facebook. I have now decided to nick it as well, since it says so-much about rugby values.

You have youngsters playing the game, the referee is Graham Marshall, former Scotland cap and Deputy Head Teacher at Selkirk High School. The old guy, who ought to know better, showing his delight in the background, is a certain John Young Rutherford, a man whose gifts as a rugby player were recognised around the world.

There may be fewer than 6000 people in Selkirk, but, with the likes of Marsh and Rudd there, encouraging the kids, it will long continue to punch above its weight in the world of rugby.

I NOTICED some interesting figures concerning the English Gallagher Premiership, in a Guardian piece this morning. The story concerned the seemingly endless game of: “My willie's bigger than your willie,” between the big English clubs and the Celtic Unions.

Our Imperial Masters in England are threatening to prevent their Scottish and Welsh players, plus I assume their Pacific Islanders and Saffers from linking-up with their countries for pre-World Cup training, until the last-possible moment. The issue is apparently an argument over insurance cover for players who might get injured on national duty.

Seeing as most training injuries to English Premiership players seem to happen when they are in the care of Eddie Jones, I wonder about this latest threat. However, one point in the story which did intrigue me was the information about salaries.

As things stand, World Rugby regulations demand that clubs release players to their national union, 35 days, or five weeks prior to the start of the World Cup. Prior to that date, it is down to negotiation between clubs and unions.

As regards insurance cover, the national unions will pay compensation to players earning less than £225,000 per year, although this figure is due to rise to £350,000. Above these figures, the clubs pay.

The English Premiership apparently, has 60 non-English players on at least £225,000 pa, and 25 of these players are earning over £350,000 pa.

The cynic in me suggests, maybe if they stuck to their salary cap, and paid more-realistic salaries, the English clubs would not be carrying so-much debt, and the game would be a lot healthier.

Figures lie these merely confirm what I have long maintained – full-time, professional rugby as currently organised, is unsustainable.

AS I write this on Friday morning, the Glasgow and Edinburgh squads for tomorrow's 1872 Cup clash have not been announced. However, the squads for the Scottish Cup Final, at Murrayfield have been released, and in 1-22 order, they are:

AYR: Ruaridh Sayce, Robbie Smith, Steven Longwell, David Corbenici, Lars Morrice, Blair Macpherson, Tommy Spinks, Pete McCallum (Captain); Harry Warr, Frazier Climo; Kyle Rowe, Stafford McDowall, Paddy Kelly, Danny McCluskey; Grant Anderson. Replacements: Alex McGuire, Craig Miller, Alfie North, Cammy Reece, Jack Preston, Ollie Smith and Robbie Nairn

HERIOT'S: Josh Scott, Michael Liness, Struan Cessford, Callum Marshall, Adam Sinclair, Iain Wilson (Captain), Jack McClean, Struan Dewar; Andrew Simmers, Stuart Edwards; Jack Blain, Robert Kay, Ross Jones, Rory McMichael; Charlie Simpson. Replacements: Ali Johnstone, Stewart Mustard, Ruaridh Leishman, Martin Hughes, Jason Hill, Alex Ball, Rory Carmichael.

The third team, the match officials, are: Referee: Keith Allen, AR1: Finlay Brown, AR2: Ian Kenny. So, the players are in good hands.

Heriot's have stuck with their tried and tested squad of genuine club players, the men who have got them to this final and of course to the Tennent's Premiership play-off earlier this month. Ayr won that one, the Nails are determined to nail down the Scottish Cup tomorrow.

Ayr have three Warriors in their starting line-up, with a fourth on the bench, but, it is fair to say, all four – hooker Robbie Smith, centres Stafford McDowall and Paddy Kelly and replacement winger Robbie Nairn have played more for Ayr than Warriors this season. As such, they are very-much part of the squad and deserve their places.

Physiotherapist Helen Reid - leads a raft of the Ayr squad for whom

the Cup Final is a case of hail and farewell. Picture by George McMillan 

It's a case of hail and farewell for a few of the Ayr team. Smith, we already know, will be with Bedford Blues next season; Grant Anderson has never repudiated any of the rumours of tomorrow being his final appearance in pink and black, while one or two others are swithering whether or not to commit to Super-6 next season.

McDowall and Nairn will certainly be seen more in the Warriors' squad next season, while Kelly too has a chance of seeing more PRO14 action, while, there is always the chance full-time professionals will not be seen in S6.

And, on the sidelines, Ayr Head Physiotherapist Helen Reid bows out after the game, following 12 years tending to the injury needs of the Millbrae Men.