A Baw Bag Tweets

THERE IS a particular Glasgow/West of Scotland expression which I feel sums-up Joe Marler perfectly. For me, he is a genuine, 24-carat, diamond encrusted “Baw Bag”.

There is an old chestnut around in Scotland, to the effect that students at the Scottish School of Physical Education at Jordanhill College “Wore their IQ on their backs.” That same joke would then be aimed at these same students, once they became PE teachers in Scottish schools. Marler never went to Jordanhill, or taught PE, but, you have to admit, he looks as if – particularly when he starts a game – as if he wears his IQ on his back.

The first time I saw Marler in the flesh, was in a Harlequins v Glasgow Warriors game at The Stoop. Early in the game, Marler aimed a very-cheap shot at Warriors' Gordy Reid. Big mistake; as befits a Mossblown boy, Gordy growled back and, for the rest of the time he was on the park, Marler made sure he kept well clear of Gordy. I knew then, he was a fraud.

He is still, regardless of deserving praise for the way he improved his scrummaging under the coaching of Adam Jones, a fraud, as witness his attempted put-down of The Haka on X this week.

Mind you, I do feel, World Rugby really does have to have a conversation around the South Sea Islanders' ability to perform their cultural challenges before games. I actually rather enjoy them, however, I do feel, while the challenges laid down by the likes of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga can be spine-chilling spectacles, the All Black's Haka has become akin to a show business production number – a wee bit “Springtime For Hitler”.

I do not have a problem with Maoris performing a haka – it is after all part of their heritage, but, watching Pākehā (players of European heritage) members of an All Blacks squad doing a haka looks to me, like false window dressing.

So, while it might appear as if I am agreeing with Marler, let's just say, I cannot agree with the way he said it. It is received wisdom in Scottish rugby-writing circles that: “Aristotle doesn't have a filter”; that might be right, I couldn't possibly coment, but, at least I do have the self-control to stay off X – Mr Marler would probably benefit from following my example.

WE ALL KNOW, when it comes to televising Scottish Football, only two teams matter. If the broadcasters could get away with it, the only time the ten “Diddy Teams” in the Premiership would ever see TV cameras near their ground would be when one or other of the “Bigot Brothers” came calling.

Now I sesne the same sort of what I would call Establishment Bias is abroad in the compilation of the Scottish Rugby Union's Arnold Clark Premiership highlights package.

This week's programme, available on the SRU's You Tube channel is some 26 minutes long. Three segments, each some seven minutes long:

1. Watsonians v Musselburgh

2. Currie Chieftains v Selkirk

3. Heriot's v Glasgow Hawks

These three games took up over 22 minutes of a 25 minute programme, leaving three minutes in which to cover the other three games. We got 30 seconds or so of league leaders Ayr's win at Raeburn Place – time to show just one of Ayr's six tries, and neither of Accies' two.

It was the same story of the games in Hawick and Troon, one try from each. This uneven and seemingly random coverage isn't good enough. Is it a case maybe of the camera crews getting a nose bleed if they have to leave Edinburgh? OK, I know they borrow the occasional coverage from Borders Rugby TV and Radio, coverage which is head and shoulders above “Amateur 20 minutes” from the SRU.

Nice soundtrack, but, maybe a wee bit of commentary would help, and perhaps a preview programme, or a midweek round-up show, with players and coaches talking about the game.

In the current climate, the SRU has to do more to sell Scottish Rugby, because they are failing badly at this part of their remit. There is little or no imagination in the Communications Department, a part of the buiulding where they are not even up to doing their core job and communicating.

Mind you, when the guy at the top of the department is clearly not up to the job – you do tend to get incompetence.

FINALLY - TODAY'S Guardian Online has a piece – from Andy Bull - suggesting New Zealand Rugby Union Honcho Mark Robinson wants to see the game modernised, and will be pressing for change when World Rugby meets, in Dublin, on 14 November.

This meeting was always going to be a biggie – with the question of who succeeds Sir Bill Beaumont as Chairman already vausing a stooshie. Of course, since the main SRU Board stuck a claymore into John Jeffrey's chances of succeeding Bill, we Scots are going to be in the body of the kirk.

I do hope Robinson and his supporters succeed – the game does badly need an overhaul, particularly around its out-dated Law Book, but, given World rugby's terrible record over the years, I am not optimistic about how the meeting will go.

I might not necessarily agree with everything Robinson is suggesting, but, I am delighted to see he is advocating a return to what is being described as: “Old-School Touring” - where the touring side plays top regional sides as well as Test matches – a time-honoured pattern now only still used on Lions Tours.

As ever, however, the devil will be in the detail. A lot of Robinson's ideas stem from: “what the fans want” - but, it could put greater stresses on the players, at a time when player welfare is becoming ever more of an issue.

We do indeed live in interesting times.

 

For Once - Result Exceeded Expectations

DEAR READER – It is a fact, universally acknowledged, that when it comes to supporting Scottish sports teams, it is the hope that kills. Our teams have long histories of travelling hopefully, but seldom arriving at the promised land of victory outwith Scotland.

So, three cheers for Glasgow, after that terrific victory over the DHL Stormers at Stellenbosch on Saturday. It was a terrific watch, indeed, with the interval fast approaching, I felt we were watching that Rugby Union rarity, a gloriously-entertaining points-free first half – the the Stormers broke the deadlock.

The second half was perhaps even better, as both sides went for broke, with the home side being broken by the sheer fitness and togetherness of this Glasgow squad.

Sione Tuipulotu gave a masterclass in leadership, while across the XV, his team mates did their best to match their captain's level of excellence. It was an uplifting result, the only downside being the way Chris Busby's unusually inept performance as referee in the game against Hollywoodbet Sharks, the mistakes he made that day, denied Warriors the two wins in South Africa their excellence deserved.

I felt young Gregor Brown came of age at Stellenbosch, Tom Jordan's cameo off the bench showed, Scotland now has genuine back-up to The Gallus One in the curcial ten role: with Jordan and Adam Hastings, as they vie to be first-choice 10 at Scotstoun, pushing each other forward, the future looks good.

Another exciting cameo came from Zander Fagerson. Yes, we know he's already a Lion, but as both a scrum bulwark and a ball-carrier, he showed on Saturday, he's looking for the number 3 shirt in the Test XV in Australia next summer.

The challenge for Franco Smith is this. He now loses 19 players for the next month, as they go into camp for Scotland's Famous Grouse Nations Series 2024. The majority of those 19 players will be heavily involved over the next four weeks, so the non-internationalists will need to be up to the mark for the next game in the BKT United Rugby Championship, when they entertain Scarlets, at Scotstoun, on Friday, 29 November. This is a Second v Sixth match-up, it will not be easy for Warriors, particularly if he has to rest front-line stars such as his two centres.

NOW WE COME to the dismal bit about Scottish Rugby – what are we going to do about Edinburgh. Losing to Ospreys cannot be excused; this was a poor game, between two poor teams and Edinburgh were again pretty dire.

There is something very wrong with the capital club; this season isn't so-much two paces forward, one pace back. To me it's more like the progress of a drunk after a lengthy bevvy session – two stumbles left, one stumble right, followed by falling back on his erse, rise and repeat.

Edinburgh's current woes remind me of a one-liner from the late, great Bobby Knutt, which I heard him deliver one Friday night at Batley Variety Club. In th4e course of his mon ologue, Bobby, a Sheffield man (although I cannot recall if he was an Owl or a Blade) had a thought: “What do I think of football in Sheffield – aye, it might catch on.” I offer that one, free of charge, to any comedian involved in Rugby Union in our capital.

One or two players on Saturday offered a glimpse of what might be, but, for me, too-many experienced guys are simply not performing. The usual scenario in situations like this is to sack the coach and start again. However,yto be fair to Everitt, he has done not too badly with the pool he was given.

The Head Coach's record as Edinburgh Honcho reads:

Played 30 – won 16 – drawn 0 – lost 14 – pts for 728 – pts agnst 687.

Percentage of games won – 53% - Average match score won 24-23.

So, Everitt is currently delivering a (just) winning side. However, when his record is compared to that of the guy at the other end of the M8, he's not doing as well.

OK, several first-choice players were missing at Bridgend, but, Franco Smith seems able to rotate his squad, rest front-line internationalists and still win. Across at Murrayfield, it seems that – as used to be the case with the Scotland international team – once one or two of the established players are stood down, the level of performance also drops off, since their replacements are not of the same calibre.

It's a problem for the Coach, but, I just wonder, have the Edinburgh players bought into his concepts and plans to the same extent as the Warriors' guys clearly have with Smith. Maybe its time he got the so-called leaders in the playing group on his side and taking responsibility for improving things, otherwise, well, it does not look good for the coach.

However, it is significant that many of the “This performance was unacceptable” BTL posts on TOL place the blame for the Bridgend loss at the feet of the players. The belief in the body of the kirk is that there are players in the current Edinburgh squad who are either under-performing, or simply not good enough for professional rugby.

I fear Everitt is stuck in the same Groundhog Day as another coachingt import to Scotland, Philippe Clement at Rangers, trying to meet supporters' expectations with a squad who are simply not up to the task.

The display in Bridgend was unacceptable. Things have to improve.

FINALLY – that was tragic news over the weekend, of the sudden death of former Gala and Scotland lock Ken McAuley, who died suddenly.

We may never know if, or to what extent his final massive charity cycle ride contributed to his passing, aged only 67, but, he certainly went out on his sword after an epic effort.

My condolences to his family and friends at his sad passing.

No Sevens In 2026 - Don't Entirely Blame The Games Organisers

YOU MIGHT think Scottish Rugby supporters, even those of us confined to the sidelines, watching our High Heid Yins struggle with financial problems and the need to right a listing ship, would be mindful of the problems facing the organisers of the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and sympathetic towards the difficult decisions they have had to make in arranging these Games.

The Glasgow 2026 Organising Committee are, we must never forget, engaged in a rescue mission. If Glasgow had not stepped in, there would not be a Commonwealth Games in 2026. Indeed, after the Australian State of Victoria decided they could not fund the 2026 Games, there was a very-real chance, we might never see another Commonwealth Games.

These Games are the highest level at which Scottish athletes across so-many disciplines can operate on the world stage, in a Scotland strip, as such, every four years we walk taller, courtesy of a long, long line of great Scottish athletes – from Dunky Wright, via Peter Heatly, Ian Black, Dick McTaggart, Jim Alder, Lachie Stewart, Allan Wells, Liz and Elish McColgan, Chris Hoy and Katie Archibald whose wins at the Commonwealth Games have made us that much happier to be Scottish.

It now falls to Scotland to show that hosting major multi-sports Games need not be a case of following the Viv Nicholson dictum of constantly spending more and more, that a Games, even on a smaller scale can still be a celebration of Sport.

But, in cutting costs, some individual sports have had to go and sadly, Rugby Sevens is one of the casualties. This has got some in the body of the Scottish Rugby “kirk” up in arms; however, criticising the Glasgow Games organisers for dropping Sevens is a bit rich, given how poorly the Scottish Rugby Union has treated a form of the game invented and nourished in Scotland.

If this blog was 'Allo-Allo' I would be saying this only once, but it isn't, so, I will repeat myself again – The SRU will ignore Sevens until such time as Scotland is again an Independent nation. Because Sevens is now an Olympic Sport, Sevens in these islands will be a Team Great Britain project. Sure, there may well be the occasional Scottish player or coach involved, but, Sevens will not be a part of the game which the SRU will take seriously – so get used to this.

When we take back our Independence, we will have the ability to enter a Scotland Sevens team into the Olympics – then, and not before, the SRU will have to take Sevens seriously.

INTERNATIONAL TEAMS are selected; therefore, by definition, the team is based on one person's opinion as to the best XV players to represent Scotland. At the moment, the guy who is being paid to give that opinion and present his opinion is Gregor Townsend.We all know: “Opinions are like erse-holes, we all have one”. Well, Toony is being paid big money to have his opinions tested in internationals – so let's not try to second guess him. His record as Scotland Head Coach is rather good.

HAVING KNOWN HIM since he was a pupil at Ayr Academy, I have a lot of time for John F Brown, the “Outsider” candidate to be the new Vice President of the SRU.

I believe the Murrayfield Junta would be nane the waur of an injection of new blood and fresh ideas and while I also have a lot of time for his opponent in the VP Election, Hazel Swankie, I reckon the eldest of Ayr's Brown Brothers, would be a breath of fresh air in the corridors of power in EH12.

This is John's statement of intent, I feel it is worth considereation:

 

 

The Lunatic Fringe - Not Merely An Old Firm Problem

THERE I WAS, brought-up in Scotland, believing from an early age, the biggest weans in sport, the most myopic, narrow-minded, bigoted and stupid people in sport were in the “lunatic majority fringe” of the support of two Glasgow football clubs.

Then, mature in years, I joined Facebook, followed a couple of Rugby Union Fora, and encountered the South African Rugby Fan, compared to whom, those all-purpose fictional Weegie team supporters: Billy King from Larkhall and Sean South from Croy are paragons of even-handedness, fair play, tolerance and kindness towards their fellow man.

As evidence of how boorish our Boer friends are when it comes to playing the victim, I give you an incident from Friday night's Scarlets v Vodacom Bulls clash in the BKT United Rugby Championship, a game won 23-22 by the Welsh side.

The Bulls were leading 22-18 when, with 13 minutes left, they had replacement hooker Johann Grobbelaar red-carded for a head-on-head tackle on opposite number and fellow Saffa Marnus van der Merwe. Against 14 men, the Scarletts were able to come from behind and Tom Rogers crossed for the match-winning try for Scarlets, who took the points 23-22.

Cue outrage from the massed ranks of the Saffa keyboard warriors. Truth is, the clash was clearly head-on-head, Italian referee Federico Vedovelli went through the usual protacol and decided it was a sending-off; but, down there in Pretoria, it was clearly being seen as another case of the honourable, upright South Africans getting another raw deal from the Northern Hemisphere Rugby Mafia.

Many Saffas were convinced (correctly as it transpired) - the disciplinary hearing on the red card would mitigate the punishment down to the extent the red card would be rescinded to a yellow. Be that as it may, the fact still stands, in the current climate, whereby World Rugby is fighting a rearguard action to protect the game from penury, once the cases of former players suffering long-term, life-changing head trauma, which can be traced back to the effects of bangs to the head playing rugby start to reach court – then such collisions are going to mean red cards.

Of course, what the game's High Heid Yins MUST, but seem strangely reluctant to do, is, IMMEDIATELY LOWER THE TACKLE HEIGHT RULE to the same level as in the Amateur Club Game. Why the professionals are not limited to the same tackle height as the amateurs is a strange decision.

I believe, you will never totally eliminate head-on-head contact from the game, but, if the game's rulers lower the tackle height – AND RIGOUROUSLY ENFORCE IT – while, initially, there would be a rush of yellow and red cards, players would soon adapt – BECAUSE COACHES WOULD NEED TO FORCE THEM TO ADAPT – and we would see a cleaner, faster game.

I got through a whole undistinguished career ar a very low level, without ever being able to tackle properly; which perhaps shows how difficult it might be to coach proper tackle technique to everyone, but, if the game is to have a future beyond the first slew of court cases, then proper tackling has to be coached and enforced. Remember, incorrect tackling causes perhaps more injuries to the player who cannot complete a tackle correctly than to the tackled, for the good of the game, we have to start getting it right.

Then there is the other side to the discussion. Glasgow's Gregor Brown and Edinburgh's Grant Gilchrist both copped yellow cards at the weekend, when it seemed to me, watching on TV, they were hit by the ball carriers. Basketball, which is supposed of course to be primarily a non-contact sport, has this offence: “A Charging Foul”, awarded when the ball carrier deliberately clatters into a defender who is planted in his path. Both Scottish yellow cards – more-so the Brown one, were, to me, clear Charging Fouls; a result of coaches making the game one of collision rather than evasion.

I wonder (again) also, if Rugby Union should take a look at how American Football in the NFL tackles contentious collisions. In Gridiron, the TV pictures are only looked at in real time, eliminating those super-slo-mo shots which often make bad collisions look somewhat worse.

It's a difficult subject to sort out, and I have no great confidence in World Rugby getting it right in what lifetime I have left.

Mind you, even after we did finally get it right, I suppose there would still be some Saffas saying we had killed the game. But, that's life.

WHILE I AM having one of my occasional left-field thinking days: why don't we go back to the dawn of Rugby Union, and, taking a leaf from one of my favourite serials in the boys comics of my youth, make it that: It's goals that count.”

Back when our Victorian ancestors were laying the foundations of Rugby Union Football, the “try”, the act of carrying the ball over the opposition's goal line, then touching it down, was so-called because that act enabled the side touching down to: “try for a Goal.” The try was only a stepping stone, it was the Goal that was important – that Goal being scored via the conversion of the try, achieved by kicking the ball over the bar between the uprights.

We still have goals in the game today, except, I think the last person to refer to Goals was perhaps Bill McLaren. So, perhaps it's time for the game's rulers to find a way to emphasise converted Goals more and perhaps along the way downgrade the importance of penalty goals.

This has been a sore in the game since at least the 1959 British Lions Tour of New Zealand when, in the First Test, in Dunedin, the Lions scored four tries, one conversion and a penalty goal – 17 points, but lost because All Blacks full-back Don Clarke kicked six penalty goals – 18 points.

OK, we could rewrite history to take advantage of present-day scoring values, which would give us a 25-18 win for the Lions. If we did use modern scoring values, that series would have finished as a 2-2 draw, rather than a 3-1 win for the All Blacks, but, let's leave re-writing history to the Celtic Family and Donald J Trump.

 

Galacticos Can Have a Bad Effect On Referees

GOING DOWN the “Galactico” route doesn't always work. This has been obvious for decades, I can just about remember how the Sunderland directors of the time drove a coach and horses through English football's financial rules, back in the 1950s, when they assembled what was known as: “The Bank of England Team” - they won nothing. The word “Galactico” was thought up to describe a star-studded Real Madrid team, who didn't win every week.

In Rugby Union, Racing 92 is perhaps the club which came closest to adopting a Galactico mind set, but, that has not made them pre-eminent in France. In England, Saracens was almost another Sunderland – ok theyt won things, but, their disregard for the financial rules cost them relegation, so, you have to perhaps think, going down the Galactico route is not the panacea it might be.

Which brings us to Hollywoodbet Sharks, perhaps not – given the state of the South African economy – a true example of Galactico thinking, but, rather like present-day Celtic in Scottish Football, seemingly enjoying a financial boost over their compatriots.

A near full-strength Sharks XV will be a match for anyone, and coach John Plumtree paid Glasgow Warriors a huge compliment when he deployed all his big guns for Saturday's clash in Durban. He also got the result he wanted, a much-needed home win, but, although Franco Smith will be annoyed at the result, taking two points from what was always going to be a difficult away match, was still a good show by Warriors.

Sharks' big players all played well, but, Glasgow still won one or two of the crucial individual battles, with Nathan McBeth, back in the land of his birth, showing up really well in his personal battle with Vincent Koch. On the other side of the scrum, I thought Zander Fagerson put down an early marker for the Lions' number three shirt next summer by the way he handled the challenge of Ox Nche.

What a pity then, that referee Chris Busby muddied his escutcheon by guessing wrong at one or two scrum penalties and wrongly penalising Glasgow. The opening penalty goal for Sharks came from what was one such refereeing blunder, while other refereeing mistakes proved costly.

Over the piece, Busby was really poor and gave the impression he had decided pre-game, Sharks were the better side. He let them away with lots, helped by the usual myopic Saffa touch judges.

Over the piece, Sharks probably deserved to win, but, refereeing errors on the day did, I feel, prove crucial in the win.

What was good from Glasgow's point of view was how well some of the lesser lights, McBeth, Max Williamson, Stafford McDowall, Gregor Hiddleston for instance, stood up to the challenge of facing real quality.

Yes, defeat was disappointing, but, this Warriors side will still be at the sharp end of the BKT United Rugby Championship race all season. The way they kept going right to the end, clearly demonstrated this.

EDINBURGH'S EXCELLENT home win over Cardiff, which immediately followed the Glasgow game, was a timely boost for the capital club, since it hoisted them into the top half of the URC league table.

It took Edinburgh a wee while to get on top of a stubborn Cardiff defence, but a sparkling second half show got them home and has probably given the squad the confidence boost they needed to banish any lingering pain from that dire first half on the high Veldt, two games ago.

This Edinburgh side remains a work-in-progress, but progress is being made. Ross Thompson is growing in stature with regular game time, Ali Price is more like the Price of old, while D'Arcy Rae and Paddy Harrison made solid cases for a call from Gregor Townsend.

Speaking of which, there was a clear: “I'm not done yet” cameo off the bench from Hamish Watson, while Messrs Crosbie and Muncaster demonstrated the depth of talent we have in the back row in Scotland.

Against this, I fear, this season, Grant Gilchrist may be at the end of the line and Edinburgh really could use Sam Skinner being back.

A final thought, the way both Scottish sides kept going until the end demonstrates, the bulk of our international team are being kept really fit by their clubs, which bodes well for the Autumn Tests.

FINALLY – Gregor Townsend names his squad for the Autumn Internationals this week. He has already lost Andy Oneyama-Christie of Saracens, probably Robbie Smith of Northampton Saints and there are doubts overf one or two of the home-based Scots, such as Kyle Steyn.

So let's hope he has no further “Sorry Boss but I won't make it” calls between the naming of the squad and the games starting. After the success of the Summer Tour, he has choices to make during these games, to give us the best possible shot at the Six Nations next year, and he needs as many players as possible challenging.

 

The SRU Is Not Properly Promoting Rugby Union

WHEN I WAS a boy, we had our choice of many different weekly magazines, aimed at youngsters. Most were comics, but others had a bit more substance. Probably the best of these was The Eagle, which mixed tales of comic-book characters such as the guy on the cover: Dan Dare Pilot of the Future, with intelligent features such as the legendary centrefold cutaway drawing of a railway engine, a jet aircraft or an aircraft carrier.

The Eagle also had a Readers Club and one of the perks of membership was free entry to Second XI and Minor Counties cricket matches. Not much use to Scottish members such as my big brother and me, but, still handy if you lived in England and were into cricket.

Why do I mention this now? Well, this afternoon the A teams of Glasgow and Edinburgh will meet at Scotstoun. If a magazine of the 1950s could arrange for young fans to see young cricket talent, with the odd internationalist playing, on a regular basis, why is it the SRU is making today's match a “Closed Doors” event and not doing likewise?

A lot of Scottish schools are currently enjoying the October mid-term break, here is a chance for the clubs (if not the rugby-playing schools) to take youngsters to see professional players strutting their stuff, with free entry. Letting kids in free would encourage them to take more interest in the game – to me it's a no-brainer.

The way the SRU does (or should I perhaps say doesn't) promote the two professional sides is a long-standing and continuing disgrace. They appear to be arranging games for the two A teams on a basis of making it up as they go along.

For instance, Edinburgh A were in the South West of England on Saturday, facing Bath United. The game finished 41-24 to Bath United. I gleaned this news from the official Bath RFC website, you will have to do a bit of digging to find the game mentioned on the Edinburgh website. Yes, the result is up, but no details are published of the scorers, or the order of scoring.

This is simploy unacceptable. We have to sell Rugby Union in Scotland much better than we currently do. It's not a game for: “The right crowd and no crowding”, the SRU is failing in one of its core duties.

Some commenters in The Offside Line reckon the reason for these games being closed doors affairs is to save money. OK, so it costs Glasgow and Edinburgh to hold them at Scotstoun or The Hive, so, why not take them to some of the top club grounds, get the clubs to p[tovidfe the volunteer steweaards etc, buyt have the chance to make some money off perhaps a very low admission charge, or, more likely, from bar income – plus, they are taking the pro teams round the country and it could generate more regular fans. I thin this would be worth a punt.

The next bit of text is a direct copy and paste lift from the top of the “About Scottish Rugby” section of the Union's official website:

“Scottish Rugby is the governing body for rugby union in Scotland. We work hard to grow the game and inspire Scotland through rugby.

We are proud to represent the nation and the sport on the global stage,sharing and upholding our values of respect, leadership, achievement, engagement and enjoyment.”

To a Scot,there is only one response to pish like that - “Aye right!!”

DEAR OLD Bill Beaumont, as he enters the home stretch of his journey from young lock forward to El Presidente of World Rugby, is perhaps looking towards any legacy he might leave. It is not for us to say if Sir Bill left the game in a better or worse condition in which he found it – I will leave that verdict to some, perhaps as yet unborn historian of the game, who will have more evidence and the value of time passed, to deliver a lasting impression.

However, it is interesting to see Fylde's finest ruminating on the controversial subject of how many substitutes we ought to allow during a game. The South Africans, for instance, are taking Bill's questioning of the current protacols on replacements as an attack on their beloved “Bomb Squad”, but, there has always been an element of “Us against the world” in Boer culture.

We have been playing Rugby Union Football for 150 years or more, but, replacement players were not allowed prior to 1969 – roughly 100 years after the game began to be formally constructed. From Ian “Spivvy” McCrae's introduction for the injured Gordon Connell, during the France v Scotland match, at Colombes stadium in 1969, we have got to the stage of eight of the starting XV being regularly replaced in international and club matches today.

Tactical substitutions have gradually been allowed to become common-place in the game – perhaps overly so to we older guys. It doesn't seem right that after two-thirds or three-quarters of a game has been played, one or both sides can take off more than half of their starting XV and replace them.

Perhaps it is time for a reboot of the replacement law. When McCrae made his historic entrance those 55 years ago,it was as an injury replacement, sanctioned by an independent Doctor. That was ok then, and is still ok today; but, can we really justify wholesale tactical changes – sending on fresh players, whether or not these players constitute a “Bomb Squad”?

This blog has long called for root and branch reform of the law book, but, there appears to be no appetite for such action in the game's corridors of power. World Rugby is always slow to move on laws reform, yes, they are shuffling the deck chairs at the moment, but, it really is time they took the future of the game seriously and got down to making the required changes.

If this happens, some time soon, it may well be Bill Beaumont's lasting legacy.

 

The Feel Good Factor Is Back

AFTER a thumping win for Glasgow Warriors on Friday night, and what was, after a somewhat nervy first half, a morale-boosting victory for Edinburgh on Saturday night, the feelgood factor is definitely high in professional Scottish Rugby Union.

Warriors are, I would suggest, becoming – along with Toulouse – the “Brazil of Rugby Union”; this is in the sense that it used to be said of Brazilian football teams – such as the immortal 1970 team of Pelé, Arlos Alberta and Jairzinho, their thought process was: “You score four goals – we will score five”; the team motto was: “The cry was no defenders” and it was said: “No young Brazilian wants to be a goalkeeper”.

I often use Brazil as an example when trying to explain Warriors' current attraction to the locals here in Orange County, East Ayrshire. Their Friday night win over Zebre I tell them, should be looked-at as an 5-0 win – I count tries in Rugby Union as akin to goals in Football.

So, a 5-0 home win, on the back of 13 goals scored in 80-plus minutes in their previous match – roughly one every six minutes, that equates to the crowds watching Warriors being roaylly entertained. The Scottish Rugby Union should be shouting from the rooftops: “Come to Scotstoun – it's the most-exciting show in town”.

We Rugby People all know the truth of the statement: Forwards win games – the backs decide by how much”. Huw Jones – 'Man of the Match' on Friday night, the likes of rested Sione Tuipulotu, Jamie Dobie and Kyle Rowe may be hogging the headlines in the early part of the season,m but, praise ought to go to to the big guys doing the heavy lifting: the likes of Scott Cummings, Gregor Brown and Jack Dempsey, whose drive and energy had so-much to do with Warriors' wins this far.

A year or five back, it was said, the two Scottish sides had packs who were, in world terms: “Soft”; this is no longer the case; there is now an acceptance, our forwards are as hard-nosed as any and our world-class backs are thriving on the back of their hard work.

I would hesitate to single-out individual forwards, but, I have to ask, has any nation been as wrong in writing-off a player as Australia was in dumping Jack Dempsey?

The pressure on Glasgow is now set to ramp-up, as they head for South Africa and back-to-back meetings with Hollywoodbest Sharks in Durban and DHL Stormers in Cape Town. The timing for Warriors is good, since the two Saffa sides will be minus their Springboks.

Not that winning there will be easy, what happened the last time the Warriors ventured south of the Zambezi River, when they beat The Bulls to win the BKT United Rugby Championship last season. Thus, the South African sides know how dangerous the Weegies can be and how hard they will be, even with home advantage, to beat.

GLASGOW'S win over Zebre was a given, Edinburgh's win over DHL Stormers less than 24 hours later was more of a welcome surprise. We all felt Edinburgh could win, indeed, we all perhaps accepted, they had to win, if only to banish the hangover from their battering in Johanesburg. But, I can say, anyone who expected them to beat their visitors by five tries to nil, was seriously deluded.

But, that's what happened and we should be happy to acknowledge what a terrific win this was. After the debacle of the first half against The Lions, some were calling for a clear-out of some of the older Edinburgh players and giving the young guns more of a say in the recovery.

Sean Everitt however, knew his men better and he got the reaction and result he wanted – for evidence of which, just consider the Captain's role which Grant Gilchrist played in the win.

Ali Price, another player who has been under something of a cloud since he decamped along the M8, had probablky his best game in an Edinburgh shirt, while, just as Rory Darge has already done, since moving in the opposite dirtection, Ross Thompson might make his former management rue their decision to allow him to jump ship.

For me, however, the biggest boost to Edinburgh over the second half in Jo'burg and back at The Hive on Saturday has been the effect on games of the club's very own “Bomb Squad” - replacement props Boan Venter and D'Arcy Rae.

If the Saffas weren't such a Boerish lot, maybe one of them might have written a parody of one of The Boss's biggest hits – calling it: “Born to Scrum”. Our friends from the so-called “Rainbow Nation” do love a scrum and, this season, Venter has sbown he has been brought up in the faith.

Full Disclosure: I have long been a D'Arcy Rae fan – Ah kent his Faither (in the good sense) and I have long felt his virtues have been under-appreciated around EH12.

English cap Paul Hill has shown himself to be a worthy replacement for the now-retired WP Nel, but his arrival has brought the best out of D'Arcy, who must surely be back in Gregor Townsend's thoughts as to which player backs-up Zander Fagerson in the Scotland squad for the November internationals.

I know Scotland has plenty of back row options, but Ben Muncaster didn't half boost his profile on Saturday.

I took one other interesting little vignette from the Edinburgh win. What about that try-saving intervention from Duhan van der Merwe – when he slid across from the left to carry a grubber through into touch and deny Stormers a potential try.

Yes, we know vdM has defensive weaknesses, but that was a pleasing recognition on his part, of the fact he has to do more than carry the ball and run-in tries. I would, however, like to see Edinburgh's midfield backs doing more to giv e him useable ball. OK, none of them comes close to the Russell/Tuipulotu Senr. axis as providers of chances, but, that is something to work on.

Next up for Edinburgh is Cardiff, a team which, like Warriors, has an attitude of: “You score four tries – we score five” - out-scoring, far less beating Cardiff, even with home advantage, will be a major coup for Edinburgh.

 

Build It And They Will Come

THE NEWS that Hampden will host the first leg of the 2024 1872 Cup contest has caused ripples in the sedate world of Glasgow Rugby. Some of the West End Warriors are starting to fret, at the possibility of having to make a trip across the Kingston Bridge into what they dub 'Mexican Territory' – Across the Rio Grande. Hardier souls, such as Shug Barrow, think nothing of making this trip, but, to some of the others from Great Western road and its environs apparently believe, south of the Clyde – “here be dragons.”

I know, it's highly-unlikely to happen, indeed my flabber would be totally gasted if it did, but, if the financial conditions were not as dire as they currently are, I would suggest a move to the Soothside might work wonders for Warriors and for Glasgow Rugby.

You see, right now, one of Glasgow's smaller, but most-venerable sporting venues, the now derelict Shawfield Stadium. Built in 1898, lies empty, desperate for resurrection. Shawfield was home to Clyde FC until 1986, and was also frequently used for representative games.

After Clyde moved out, it contin ued as a greyhound stadium, but it was a case of a gradual demise until the stadium closed for good in 2020. Since then, its future has been in doubt and, as things stand, it could well be demolished, the site cleared and redeveloped for either housing, retail use or a combination of both.

The site has, however, the size to be capable of hosting a stadium with a capacity of 20,000 to 30,000 – which would seem ideal as a home for Warriors and a central home for Rugby Union in the Glasgow Region.

Of course, acquiring and rebuilding Shawfield would be a major and costly enterprise for the currently cash-strapped SRU – which makes it almost-certainly a non-starter. But, as a dreamer and a big admirer of Kevin Costner, all I can say is: “If you build it, they will come.” And I know that is not a correct quote.

STILL ON the subject of Rugby Union at Hampden; again I am putting this out more in hope than expectation, but, if the Warriors off-field staff could get their act together, the game, on Sunday, 22 December, could attract a bumper crowd.

The Sunday before Christmas is hardly the best day on which to attempt to gather a decent crowd. Public transport will be a problem, the rival pull of the major chopping centres, keen to have a last big pay-day before the presents are opened could affect the turn-out and, of course, getting to Hampden is not a familiar trip to the rugby-supporting public.

To their credit, Warriors are offering some interesting discounts for bulk ticket purchase, which I hope the Glasgow Region clubs will take up. For instance, Sunday is traditionally Mini Rugby Day at clubs; why not get the kids rounded-up and take them to Hampden to be inspired by seeing most of the Scotland International squad in action?

The match is ten weeks away – surely a mass conscription of the Region's Rugby Union clubs and supporters could be arranged within that time-scale, ensuring the largest-possible attendance at the game.

All it would take is a bit of effort – get it done guys.

WALES ONLINE has a story this week, that the proposed integration of the BKT United Rugby Championships and England's Gallagher Premiership is very much alive – with the report indicating that the mooted two division amaalgamated league, with promotion and relegation being the favoured outcome.

This confirms to a degree, the feeling which surfaced when the story first appeared – that the Welsh were the main drivers, anxious for a return to the glory days of amateur Rugby Union, when cross-border games were a big part of Welsh Rugby.

However, with plans to make the Italian and South African clubs, currently the junior partners in the multi-nation URC full members from next season, time is running out if the proposed British and Irish League is to come to pass.

Another potential drawback for the Welsh is the fact, as things stand, the Welsh clubs have the weakest hand to play in any negotiations, since it could well be that the four Welsh Regions would be in the second division.

Taking last season's finishing positions as a starting point: we could end up with the following divisions – with the top five in each league going into the First Divison and the rest into the Second:

Division One

Bath

Bristol Bears

Glasgow Warriors

Leinster

Munster

Northampton Saints

Ospreys

Sale Sharks

Saracens

Ulster

Division Two

Cardiff

Connacht

Dragons

Edinburgh

Exeter

Gloucester

Harlequins

Leicester Tigers

Newcastle Falcons

Scarlets

Two leagues which would certainly be highly-competitive and provide entertaining rugby, however, if it did come to pass, and had the sort of split of clubs envisaged above, I don't see the Welsh being too-happy with three of their Regions in the Second Division.

An alternative scenario might be two geographically-selected divisions of equal standing, with cross-division end-of-season play-offs. In which case, the divisions might look like this:

Northern Conference

Connacht

Glasgow Warriors

Edinburgh

Leicester

Leinster

Munster

Newcastle Falcons

Northampton Saints

Sale Sharks

Ulster

Southern Conference

Bath

Bristol Bears

Cardiff

Dragons

Exeter

Gloucester

Harlequins

Ospreys

Saracens

Scarlets

However, at the end of the day the biggest stumbling block to this Welsh-English plan for a British and Irish League is the fact, the URC is runby the national Unions, not the clubs. The notion is to keep the Union's top talent tuned-up for international Rugby Union, not to make money for the clubs. I expect the Unions to showsolidarity and frustrate the plans of the skint clubs.

FINALLY – there has been much chat this week about the introduction of the new World Rugby Laws overhaul.

All I can say, it's being done by World Rugby, a body which, from its days as the International Rugby Board has a long gtrack record of getting laws changes wrong. In this case, while there are one or two good points, I reckon they've not done enough, and the changers they have made include one or two which will cause a bit of a stooshie.

Much of the chat has been around the “29 minute red card” - which one or two social media commentators have managed to totally misunderstand. As I have been saying for some time, there needs to be a recognition that, in modern Rugby Union we have an increasing number of what I call “Technical Offences” and “Foul Play” - to a degree, the 20-minute red card addresses an aspect of this, but, I feel World Rugby needs to do more.

I still believe, a far-more thorough root and branch review of the Laws of the Game, is long overdue.