I Get The Impression - Scotland Doesn't Matter

EVEN IF my guidance goes no further than imploring him: “Don't do as I do – do as I fucking well tell you,” I feel a duty of care in trying to guide young Iain Hay, one of Scotland's brightest and most-promising young rugby writers on the path to righteousness. That path is, steep, rocky and dangerous, as witness young Iain's most-recent Facebook post:

“*WARNING* Even more explicit content than usual is about to follow.

I have voiced my concerns more politely elsewhere, but here in my wee safe space timeline I want to say that this fixture list is an absolute cunt of a thing, which should be set on fire, pissed on, then fucking launched into a vat of acid.

Glasgow played on Friday nights. It was our thing. We played on Friday nights because there was football on Saturday afternoons. If you're not into sports, Glasgow is a big football city. BIG football city. Legitimately one of the biggest in the world.

This fixture list not only pits rugby v football, it prevents people from going to their local rugby club games and building their coffers up when the clubs need it most. It means the people on the pitch can't go and watch the guys they aspire to be play.

It's an utterly fucking stupid schedule for Glasgow.

If someone at the SRU didn't kick up shit about this they're in the wrong fucking job, which wouldn't be a fucking surprise.

I am fucking livid at this. It is a kick in the stones to the domestic clubs who need as much support as they can right now, but now people have to decide between who they go see.”

In just over 200 words, Iain has said more-or-less what I was going to say - in the way I was going to say it - about the Glasgow Warriors fixtures, announced on Friday by the United Rugby Championship management.

Leaving aside his concerns at a possible clash with fitba – not as bad as he makes out, since The Bigot Brothers have Europa League commitments – which means a lot of their matches will be on Sundays, and, when they are playing on a Saturday, Sky normally shows their game in the mid-day slot. But, the gruesome twosome don't have Glasgow to themselves, Partick Thistle and other clubs are involved.

The effect on West of Scotland rugby clubs will be serious. Glasgow playing on a Friday night worked – it wasn't broke, so why fix it? Don't hold your breath for a response to this lunacy from BT Murrayfield.

FRIDAY night's opening salvo in Round Five of the FOSROC Super6 set a high bar for the other two games. It was exciting stuff, packed with good rugby and played by two teams determined to win.

I feel the game swung on Jason Baggot's departure with injury. Without his calming influence and control, Southern Knights were suddenly rudderless and Watsonians gained control to go on and win.

Mind you, the way the breaking away Baggot was overhauled and tackled by opposite number Mark Morrison perhaps indicated why the older South African Scot didn't make it at Edinburgh, while the younger tyro might. Morrison not only showed good pace to get back, he nailed his man with a fine tackle.

That young man is definitely one for the future at the professional level. OK, his kicking from hand needs some work, but, he shows definite Russell-like touches in launching the Watsonians' attack.

Finally, on Friday night – a good call by Chris Hunter to award the Man of the Match medal to Michael Badenhorst, who for me is now the measuring stick for locks at this level.

I ARRIVED at Millbrae for Saturday's Ayrshire Bulls v Heriot's match, to find the “Car Park Full” sign out; however, after assuring the man in the hi viz jacket – Pat McArthur's Dad – that I wouldn't write anything bad about his son, he let me in.

At the pre-game lunch, the Bulls' Head Coach got this introduction from compere Robbie Duncan: “Ex-Ayr, ex-Glasgow Warriors, ex-Scotland, and if they don't win today, soon to be ex-Ayrshire Bulls, ladies and gentlemen – Pat McArthur.”

Nae pressure then. This was a 'Must Win Game' for the Bulls. Had they won by seven points or less, the home support would have been happy, however, nobody saw Bulls' six tries to one hammering of The Nails coming. That margin of victory isn't supposed to happen in S6.

Kudos to the current Godfather of Scottish Rugby Writing – David Barnes, for his cliched use of: “A MATCH which demonstrated the truth in that old line about forwards winning matches and backs deciding by how much,” as his intro in his match report in The Offside Line. This was a classic demonstration of that truth.

The home pack were utterly dominant, again, nobody saw that coming. Ryan Sweeney, who has taken to S6 like a duck to water, got the official Man of the Match call – the Press Corps, to a man went for Bulls' inspirational hat-trick-hero, skipper Blair Macpherson, but, in truth, any one of about five of the Bulls could have won it.

McArthur was at the same time delighted and disappointed. He admitted post-match, that show had been coming. He said they had produced great 20 minute spells in every game, but, for the first time, they turned up for the full 80 minutes – that was the good news.

The bad news – they now have a week off, just when he would like to see them keep the momentum going. He will be looking for his men to kick-on against Stirling County, back at Millbrae, on 11 September.

SUNDAY'S final S6 match of the weekend was, to be honest, a bit scrappy, but, Boroughmuir Bears' 23-17 home win over Stirling County, only their second win of the campaign, will be welcomed around Meggetland.

FINALLY, I saw the future on Saturday. Summer rugby has to come to Scotland. As I departed Millbrae, after 6pm, the sun was still shining, a local singer/guitarist was entertaining the sizeable portion of the crowd who had not gone home, milling around on the grass outside the clubhouse.

The players and coaches were standing together in mixed groups, the older Ayr members were seated at the tables outside, as one well-travelled Ayr member remarked: “It's like how they do things in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.”

No pushing through a crowded bar, more that old Brooklands saying: “The right crowd and no crowding,” it's much more civilised, and on this evidence, summer rugby could catch-on.