Forget A Salary Cap - Simply Spend The Money More Carefully

REGULAR readers will be aware by now, I am a fervent advocate of the FOSROC SUPER6 as being a crucial part of any future Scottish Rugby might have, should we ever get back to something approaching the pre-2020 normal.

I am also a defender of the franchise system involved in S6. After all, one of the reasons behind its formation was to see S6 being a component in producing more Scottish players, available to our two full-time professional teams.

As I see it, by taking-up an S6 franchise, our clubs are helping out the SRU, so, are entitled to SRU support. BUT, and it is a shame there has to be a but, I think there ought to be an upper age limit for “Scottish-qualified” players being brought in by the S6 clubs.

Nothing against recruiting SQ players from England or overseas, however, we should never forget, in most-cases these guys are coming to Scotland, at least partly because, they are not going to make it in their birth nations.

This week, to a fanfare, Watsonians introduced their latest signings: Gregor Christie from Currie, and James Dalgleish, from University of Queensland.

Nae harm to Christie, who is already a Scotland Club XV “cap” but, I think in signing him, Watsonians and their backers at BT Murrayfield have taken what I call: “The Kilmarnock Option;” this is a reference to the habit of Kilmarnock, some years back, signing the not-so-good brother of a top player. Younger brother Finlay Christie – now signing him would be a real bonus, for Scotland.

Let's look at a pecking order of Scottish scrum-halves:

1. Ali Price (aged 27)

2. George Horne (aged 25)

3. Henry Pyrgos (aged 31)

4. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (27)

5. Charlie Shiel (aged 22)

6. Jamie Dobie (aged 19)

7. Sean Kennedy (aged 29)

8. Scott Steele (aged 27)

9. Ben Vellacott (aged 25)

10. Dan Nutton (aged 23)

So, at the very least, Christie is the 11th-best Scotland-qualified scrum-half, and some of the scrum-halves who played in S6 last season will surely argue about that ranking.

Nothing against Christie, but, given five of the players ranked above him in my hypothetical rankings list are younger – is recruiting a 26-year-old really the best use of Watsonians' franchise money?

I could make the same argument about Dalgleish; there are younger Scottish-qualified players ahead of him in the rankings. OK, the two new recruits might give Watsonians an edge in the battle for the S6 title, but, given the development part of the franchises' remit, where does he fit in?

For me, I feel the SRU ought to put-in an upper age limit of say 23, for players being recruited by S6 franchises. I accept, that upper age limit might be increased, specifically for front five forwards, who take longer to mature.

RICHARD COCKERILL wants to see the PRO14 introduce a salary cap. On the face of it, not many will complain – but, I am one. In any professional sport, once you start erecting artificial barriers to the financial free-for-all, you immediately start some of your member clubs off searching for ways round that artificial barrier – EBTs anyone?

I have no qualms about rugby being what it is – an Open sport. I.E. any player is worthy of his wage, it is up to the club employing him to be able to pay that wage, without endangering its long-term viability. By the same token, the very-few genuine World-Class Superstars must be capable of attracting a salary which aligns with their ability to entertain the public and make a difference on the field.

At the end of the day, the majority of the PRO14 teams – the four Welsh and Irish and the two Scottish teams – 10 of the 14 – are to a greater or lesser degree centrally-owned by the governing body in that country.

The notion of the governing body imposing a salary cap on itself is ludicrous. If cost-cutting has to be imposed, then these cuts have to come from elsewhere.

What I would like to see the SRU do, and I am certain, if they did it, the Irish and Welsh would not be too-far behind in doing the same, is cap the squad sizes.

Do Edinburgh and Glasgow really need 50-man pools? I think not. What I would like to see is:

• A 40-man centrally-contracted International squad – those players, split equally between the two PRO14 teams.

• Below that – a 30-man Development squad of mainly Under-23 players, split equally between the six S6 sides.

• These players would be on SRU retainer salaries.

• Paying the remainder of the S6 players would be the responsibility of the franchises, via their own fund-raising and salary management.

I would also consider cutting the S6 playing squads to 30 players per club, but allow up to 10 more players to be dual-registered with a club or clubs.

OK, that's a broad brush approach, a bit of fine-tuning will be called for.

|At the same time, I repeat my regular refrain on here. We have too-many “National Leagues” and “National League clubs.”

Ideally, I would like to see us with perhaps ten franchised S10 clubs, with my suggestions above modified to cover this.

Below that, I would see club rugby being regionalised, however, I see nothing wrong with an Inter-District Championship at this level, as a means of allowing the semi-professional and full-time professional teams to have an idea of what talent is coming through.

Post-Covid, going back to where we were would be a retrograde step, going back to the good old days, as some btl commenters on this and other websites seem to want, that would in my view be even worse.

DO THEY still sell green ink in stationery shops in the Home Counties? I ask because, after the announcement of the short list for European Rugby Player of the Year yesterday, I can see a spate of letters, in green ink, to the Letters Page of the Telegraph and Times on the subject.

Elsewhere, I fear for the health of dear Robert Kitson of The Guardian.

I mean look at the list: two “Sweaties” - Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell, one Fijian – Semi Radradra, one New Zealand-born Frenchman – Virimi Vakatawa and only one staunch English yeoman, Sam Simmonds. No Owen Farrell, no Saracens players even – Kitson will be beside himself with grief.

Nigel - Don't Mention The Sweaty.

OVER MY long career at the coal face of sports writing, I have learned a few truths. One of these is, no matter how superior a Scottish sportsman is, he will generally only ever be seen by “Fleet Street” as the equal of the top English exponent of the same sport. Indeed, it is to Andy Murray's great credit that he has managed to overcome this handicap.

 

His Gallusness

We have seen this already in the early reaction to Racing 92's victory over Saracens yesterday, with “Fleet Street's Finest (FSF)” falling over themselves NOT to praise Finn Russell for his part in the Parisiennes' victory.

For my part, I thought on the few occasions when this heavyweight battle rose above the mundane level of a massive arm wrestle, the Finnster was at the heart of things. He never stopped probing, or moving the point of attack. It took him a while, but, eventually, he found a way to unlock the suffocating Saracens' defence – and he did it quite brilliantly for the winning try.

The gallus one is a class act and the quicker somebody locks him and Toony inside a padded cell, to sort out their differences, the better it will be for Scottish rugby.

Another thing I spotted yesterday was this. I have long held that Mako Vinupola is not a first line scrumming prop. Sure, he does great work around the park, he carries strongly, but, the primary reason d'etre for a loose-head prop is to be secure at the scrum to protect his side's put-in.

In this crucial role, I have always felt, Mako does not cut it. OK, we have far-fewer scrums than we used to have, but still, having the put-in is one of the best places from which to re-set attacks, and Vinupola, for me, is not a good scrummager.

I think a factor in this is – I do not think Maro Itoje is a good scrumming lock. The left-hand side of the Saracens scrum is nowhere near as strong as the right, where Vincent Koch has, this season, the added security of Tim Swinson and Callum Hunter-Hill behind him.

Of course, Itoje is flavour of the month with the English press, so, no criticism of him can be tolerated. For me, he is a good player, but, like many an England cap, over-hyped by FSF.

Well done, by the way to Exeter Chiefs, on beating Toulouse. I have been a Chiefs – and a Rob Baxter fan since watching them beat Glasgow, at Millbrae some years ago. Add the tartan tinge they have this year with the recruitment of Stuart Hogg, Jonny Gray and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne to add to Sam Skinner. I can see an epic final coming up, while the twitter banter between Finn Russell and Hoggy should be similarly epic.

Also, has it not been good to realise, for all the failings and imperfections in the Scottish system, we have managed to get five Scottish players into Europe's biggest club game of the season – we haven't had such a playing presence since the great days of Liverpool in the 1980s, with the likes of Alan Hansen, Stevie Nicol, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and John Wark in football.

I AGAIN find myself shaking my head at some of the btl comments following my piece yesterday on Ayrshire Bulls' new sponsorship from Allanvale.

It is quite clear, the Aye Beens are still among us, and they will, in my view NEVER accept Super6. S6 is the future. Of course, being an SRU construct, ther have been failings and the launch has been badly botched, but, it is still the future for the following reasons:

• Full-time professional rugby is not viable in Scotland

• We don't have the fans' interest to make it work

• We don't have the financial muscle to make it work

• Part-time (or semi-professional) rugby could work

• But, there is only limited interest in this.

With the above caveats in place, I have to say, the SRU has got it wrong. For me, what could work is:

• The SRU maintains a small centrally-paid “International squad” of say 40 players – 20 linked to Glasgow, 20 to Edinburgh.

• They are the basic PRO14 squads, with the other match-day numbers made-up from players from the S6 squads.

• S6 becomes S8, or better still S10, with the franchises linked to one or other of the PRO14 teams.

• The international squad and S10 franchise playersare the only players in Scotland who can be paid.

• Below S10, Scottish Rugby is purely amateur and regionalised.

We have had a great chance, during lockdown, to look at alternatives, such as those I have suggested above; to re-set the game and to emerge stronger. Sadly, I believe, the SRU has failed us in this.

I welcome the early moves which Ian Barr and Colin Rigby have already introduced, and say to them: “more power to your elbow guys.”

I just don't think The Junta of our paid executives are all that keen on anything which curbs their power and adversely affects their wee empires. And, I suspect, they will fight this with everything they have.

At Last, Some Welcome Good News Around Super6

THE FOSROC SUPER6 competition is the bastard child of Scottish Rugby. Largely unloved, despised by many, but, I remain convinced this is the future of performance rugby in Scotland.

In my view, the great brains of the BT Murrayfield Junta have done their level best to spoil a very-good original concept. Of course, Covid-19 has not helped, however, I again suggest, if S6 gets a fair crack of the whip, it will win over the doubters – those who have wished it ill from the start will never be turned.

Of late, it has been all bad news for S6, with players, naturally fed-up at not getting game time, chucking it in. We have had stories of desertions at at least three of the six franchises, with lurid suggestions at least one is on dangerously-rocky financial ground.

Just this week, there have been suggestions that Cammy Fenton signing for Heriot's, following his departure from Edinburgh was a signal of the end of civilisation as we know it.

 

 

Glen Tippet, Jim Kirkwood of Allanvale and Blair Macpherson at the Allanvale strip launch

picture by George McMillan

Time for some good news, which came today, with the unveiling of a new main shirt sponsor by Ayrshire Bulls. Glen Tippet was like the cat that got the cream today, at High Noon, when he revealed Allanvale Developments as the new shirt sponsors, in a big money, three-year deal

Allanvale recently purchased the historic Auchincruive Estate, the former Scottish Agricultural Collegte site just outside Ayr. The estate's centrepiece is the Robert Adam-designed Oswald House and Allanvale has ambitious plans to develop the 300-year-old estate.

Allanvale Managing Director Jim Kirkwood said: “Ayrshire Bulls have a high profile, and are well-integrated into the Ayrshire community. We are looking to support that and for Allanvale to become as much a part of the club as we can be in the years ahead.”

Glen Tippet said: “We are delighted to welcome Jim and Allanvale into our growing family of sponsors and partners. The success of Ayr Rugby has always been built on strong local community partnerships that help us through. Having Allanvale, another local brand, onboard with us reinforces the support we have in our local community – we couldn’t be happier.

“The Ayrshire Bulls is a key part of Ayr Rugby and is the stepping stone for those players who want to progress onto professional rugby. Just like the other FOSROC Super6 teams we are preparing well for the Sprint Series and looking forward to getting back playing.

“When the time is right, I look forward to welcoming Jim and the Allanvale team to Millbrae.”

TO RETURN to Cammy Fenton's switch from Murrayfield to Goldenacre; I have seen one or two clubmen less than happy with this move. Yet, such moves have been going-on in football for years.

If you go down the team rosters of many of Scotland's so-called “diddy” teams, i.e. any team which isn't one or other of the Bigot Brothers or one of the provincial full-time teams, you will find almost every club has at least one, often more, player who started off with one of the big boys and didn't make the grade.

Not every player can cut it as a full-time pro, and I honestly believe, in the coming years, we will see more players stepping down from our two full-time PRO14 teams to strut their stuff in S6.

I do not consider this to be a bad move. One of the purposes of S6 is to be a bridging level, between the club game and the full-time one. Players such as Cammy Fenton will be able to guide younger players in what will be expected of them with Edinburgh and Glasgow. They can set standards and lead by example.

The trick will be in getting the balance right. Too many former full-time professionals and an S6 team might be winning everything, but, not developing young players. Too few, they might become cannon fodder, the trick will be in getting the right players coming down to gel with the right players coming up – and that will not be easy.

Professional rugby is a very-expensive game, and, in the current climate, and more-so as we emerge from the Covid nightmare, whenever that might be, semi-professional rugby looks to me to be about to become more important.

I SEE there is talk of rugby in England, at club level, not resuming until 2021. I can see this also becoming the norm up here.

The clubs may be training and planning with a view to resuming on 31 October, Ah hae ma doots aboot this, particularly after this week's hardening of the rules as to what we can and cannot do.

Suppose we miss the 31 October mark, every week thereafter takes us closer to Christmas, factor-in those international and professional games which will be played, and I can well see the restart date being put back further and further.

Then, suppose we get hit by a bad case of winter 'flu, or a worse spike in Covid cases. Well, I certainly hope we can see rugby at club level this year, but, I am not holding my breath on this.

TOMORROW is European semi-final day. (OK, strictly speaking, it starts tonight) but, while our two big clubs are again outside looking-in, we have enough Scottish interest in tomorrow's two big games, live on BT Sport.

Racing 92 v Saracens will see Finn Russell looking to bedazzle and torment a Saracens squad likely to include Duncan Taylor, Sean Maitland, Tim Swinson and Callum Hunter-Hill.

Then, when Exeter Chiefs go toe-to-toe with Toulouse, we will see Stuart Hogg, Jonny Gray, Sam Skinner and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne in action. Certainly plenty of Scottish interest there.

We should not forget, oor ain Mike Adamson has the whistle in the final semi-final of the weekend, the Challenge Cup clash between Toulon and Leicester Tigers, who should have Matt Scott and Jake Kerr in their squad.