Aristotle's Midweek Musings

ONE OF MY oldest friends, who in spite of having been educated at Ayr Academy has no time for Rugby Union – preferring the round ball form of football – asked me, after the Scotland v Tonga game: “What is the point of these one-sided internationals?”

I suppose that in part comes down to the difference between football and rugby union. As dear old Craig Brown has been telling us for decades: “There are no longer easy games at international level,” because every team now has a degree of organisation, particularly in defence.

In rugby, however, at the elite level, the Tier One nations such as Scotland have a level of fitness and organisation which the Tier Two countries such as Tonga cannot afford to match. The Scotland squad against Tonga was drawn from just two clubs – Edinburgh and Glasgow, both wholly-owned subsidiaries of the SRU. The Tongan squad was drawn from clubs spread around the world, who had had less than a week together – not long enough to put the required systems properly in place.

Also, in rugby, unlike in football, the “big” countries have managed to keep control of the world governing body. The four Home Associations: The Football Association, the Irish FA, the SFA and the FAW ignored FIFA from its founding in 1904 until 1946, which meant, they did not take part in the first three World Cups, of 1930, 1934 and 1938.

And when they did eventually join, they negotiated a nice little concession, whereby each of the four would have a seat at the top table of IFAB, The International Football Associations Board – the FIFA body which governs the Laws of the Game. Elsewhere, they weren't so bothered, so, various foreign Johnnies have been able to gain control of FIFA itself.

In Rugby Union, the four Home Unions have ceded control of the game only grudgingly, the southern hemisphere colonials had been beating them up for years before they got a seat at the top table, and, even today, the rules of governance are slanted somewhat towards the old guard. It is difficult to see a João Havelange or a Sepp Blatter emerging to wrestle control of the governing body from the Establishment (the usual never say never caveat applying of course).

So, for the immediate future, we can still see the Tier One nations pauchling things to suit themselves, to keep the lesser nations in their place – and we will still see mismatches.

THE LEVEL of support which a London Scottish team might attract, playing in Super8, has become a topic of heated discussion over on The Offside Line. Some, including posters who identify as regulars at Richmond Athletic Ground, suggest an S8 team in London would struggle to attract the two men and a dug of popular mythology – others suggest the Caledonian Diaspora in the Sudentenland would rally to the troops with rather more enthusiasm than they show for their current fare in the Greene King IPA Championship.

I honestly don't see the “Ground Full” notices going up for Scottish v Southern Knights or Ayrshire Bulls, but, as a means to an end, I can see Scottish in S8 as a significant stepping stone.

The big prize for Celtic Rugby is to have a United Rugby Championship presence in London – and Scottish in S8 would be the best first step to this. Establish the brand, then, when the time is right, Scottish becomes the third full-time Scottish team in the URC. They are, to my mind, the SRU's best bet for making this happen.

Then, all the Irish, Welsh, Italian and South African fans in and around London would have a place to go to watch their countrymen in action. This is the theory any way. How long it takes to get there is another thing entirely.

However, I am sure, with S8 as a starting point, things could happen quite quickly.

SCOTLAND'S clash with the South Africans on Saturday is a gilt-edged opportunity for one Scot in particular – Head Coach Gregor Townsend.

Toony was Attack Coach for the touring British & Irish Lions in South Africa in the summer, but, received wisdom is – he had little or no say in the tactics, which were laid down by Head Coach Warren Gatland.

Truth to tell, the Lions didn't look as if they had the attack to upset their hosts, until Finn Russell came off the bench for Dan Biggar in the final Test, whereupon the South Africans were asked questions the likes of which they hadn't had to deal with previously.

Now, the hope for Saturday is that Townsend, off the park, and Russell, on it, can produce the result they couldn't for the Lions. And, should this happen, well Toony will be the front-runner to coach the next Lions Tour.

Let's hope our maverick coach and maverick number ten: “Mains D'Or” as he is known in France can, between them, come up with a tactical plan to defeat the World Champions, who have picked a very-strong team for Murrayfield.

FINALLY – are we entering a new Golden Era for Scottish wingers? Our two South African-raised finishers, Kyle Steyn and Duhan van der Merwe are a handful for any defence, with their combination of pace and power. But, we can ask different questions through the footwork and razzle-dazzle of Hawick's Darcy Graham and the Boston-born Rufus McLean. But, quietly another Scot, Ascot-born and a definite thoroughbred, London Irish's Kyle Rowe, is starting to make waves.

The former Glasgow Hawks and Ayr flier, who learned his rugby at Queen Victoria School, Dunblane, bagged an impressive hat-trick in Irish's dramatic fightback to get a 34-34 draw with Saracens on Sunday. He is certainly in a rich vein of form at the moment.