It's Monday - So The Question is: How Did We Lose That One?

I FIRST signed-on with the Tartan Army back in the black and white TV days of the 1950s – when the superior-sounding Englishman Peter West and not 'The Voice' was BBC's first-choice rugby commentator. So when it comes to “Disaster for Scotland” headlines, “I've had a few, and then again too many to mention,” if I can rewrite 'Ole Blue Eyes'' biggest number. But, as calamity follows disaster, it doesn't get any easier.

Our troubles at the lines-out yesterday was not a one-off occasion, we've been messing things up at the touchlines for years. OK, George Turner may be our third-choice hooker, but, it's not as if the two injured guys ahead of him in the pecking order are absolutely guaranteed to hit their jumpers every time – maybe, instead of importing third-rate players for the two pro teams, The Junta should be recruiting a topflight line-out coach and putting him to work.

Yesterday's defeat was coming from the moment we equalised. You just knew, once Ireland had restarted and got the ball down into our 22, one of our guys would do something daft and Johnny Sexton would nail the match-winning penalty. It's the Scottish way – yesterday, maybe not snatching defeat from the jaws of victory – but, failing to grab opportunity when it happened. We are simply the best at doing this.

I am starting to have a nagging fear, that maybe Italy will end their long, long run of defeats, by turning us over on Saturday. Right now: “furrit tho' Ah canna see, Ah guess and fear.”

Roman Poite's performance further convinced me, international rugby refereeing is now too-much work for a three-person on-field team; we need more eyes up close to the action.

I didn't think Poite had a poor game, indeed, he made some very-good decisions. However, he was lost at the scrums, twice pinging WP Nel, who had Cian Healy in all sorts of bother at every scrum. On the other side, Rory Sutherland surely booked his Lions place. Sure, Tadgh Furlong produced that wee Fred Astaire cameo, ball in hand, but, the world's best tight-head was getting nothing out of the Hawick man when the scrums went down.

Poite, however, like so-many referees, allowed Ireland to do what they do better than anyone else at the breakdown – seal-off to prevent the opposition challenging for the ball.

Next up is the young Italian team. Against Wales, they put together some purple patches, but still lost heavily. They badly need a win and have surely, in view of our past two games, got it into their heads – they can win at Murrayfield on Saturday. I fear a disaster, an edgy game between two sides, low on confidence and desperate for a win – this is setting itself up for those “Disaster For Scotland” headlines being brought out.

Let's try to be fair to our dear friend, Owen Farrell, who showed he can tackle properly, with one or two textbook efforts in helping England beat France on Saturday. And, since so-much of this blog post has been about referees – decision of the weekend was surely Joy Neville spotting that crucial Maro Itoje try for England.

As a Scot, I just wish she had got it wrong, but, she didn't, dammit.

Did anyone else notice who the referee's “waterboy” was, at Murrayfield, yesterday? It was in fact oor ain Hollie Davidson; I fancy Hollie, Ireland's Joy Neville and England's Sara Cox are not far away from being given a tier one men's international in the near future.

AND FINALLY, no Inverdale, Davies or Guscott in the live broadcasts at the weekend. OK, we still had to endure Woodward and th obligatory myopic Englishwoman, but, without The Three Stooges, it was great.