Catch Them If You Can

BEING A NATIVE of God's County, albeit born and now living in what is perceived as the erse end of Ayrshire, I was naturally delighted at what we Stars o' Rabbie Burns describe as “The Evil Empire” triumphed in Saturday's Arnold Clark Premiership Grand Final. At half-time, you feared for Watsonians, but, with the help of a yellow card, they got a finger-hold in the second period and the final result was nowhere near as dire as it might have been.

But, it was Ayr's day and in becoming the first club to take possession of the brand new championship trophy, they set, albeit with the help of this season having a 12-club Premiership, statistical records which may never be beaten:

• Total points scored – 1102

• Total points conceded – 308

• Average score over 24 games – 46-13

• Total number of tries scored – 174

• Average number of tries per game – 7.25

These are numbers which even the “Green Machine” Hawick teams of legend would have craved.

This has been very-much a team effort: Head Coach Grant Anderson leads an off-field team, all of whom – the likes of Frazier Climo, Pat McArthur, Craig Gossman, Gordon Kotze, Dougie Stanley, Dean Kelbrick etc have been over the course in pink and black before. On the field, Blair Macpherson led a team, most of whom came through the Super Rugby experience, who knew how to win; while the youngsters in the backs have seized the moments when they arrived – as was shown by those first-half tries on Saturday.

It appears that Franco Smith is unconvinced of Richie Simpson's potential, or abilities. While I would prefer to see him getting regular game time with Warriors, Simpson at ten for Ayr next season could give this already good side something extra. That said, the seriously under-rated Bobby Beattie did a cracking job in the ten shirt this season.

If Ayr was the big winner on Satrday, the big losers were the SRU's Club Rugby Board and the Competitions Committee, who again showed - The Murrayfield Junta couldnae run a menauge.

The television pictures showed as good a crowd inside Millbrae as I have seen. They got a good day for it, the two clubs were up for it – but, it could and should have been so-much more.

There are four Arnold Clark branches in and around Ayr. The sponsors might well have liked the opportunity to showcase some of their models around Millbrae on the big day. CRB member Kevin Quinn, from Marr, had the honour of presenting the medals and trophy on the day. I reckon that was an evil move by SRU Honcho Keith Wallace, but, might I suggest, given the money they have put into the competition, a High Heid Yin from Clarks should have done the honours.

I have already suggested, The Junta didn't sell this game as well as they might have. The SRU has to up their game greatly, right across the board. This is a subject which I intend to examine more closely over the close season.

Given the mainstream media in Scotland's overwhelming obsession with Fitba, Scottish Rugby has to be grateful for any broadcast publicity, such as games like this being on BBC Alba, but, this is definitely a sop, we should be getting more mainstream broadcasting exposure than the odd outing on Alba.

I have long maintained, the SRU should be setting-up and running their own TV channel, across the game in Scotland – but, that would require hiring more-competent journalists than they have thus far.

The best rugby-writing and broadcasting talent in Scotland is outside the tent pissing in – a competent governing body would have one or two inside the tent pissing out, or, would at least be asking some of the media silverbacks:

• What are we doing wrong

• What should we be doing that we are not currently

• Will you help us

We want things to be better – do the guys in the SRU blazers – or are they in it for themselves?

Any way, this weekend belongs to Ayr and I am delighted for their own Silverbacks, guys such as Speedy, both Big Brians, Cannonball, Gary, Big Eck, Alistair Mac, not forgetting Millbrae's answer to Jack and Victor – Norrie and Auld Auchlin, plus, of course, the man who organises it all – Billy McHarg. Enjoy the deserved success guys.

FINALLY – Watsonians have been major players in Scottish Rugby since before we had an SRU, setting and maintaining standards many others have failed to match.

The logistics of Saturday did them no favours, it speaks volumes about SRU incompetence that one of the Establishment clubs should be so handicapped going into the biggest club game of the season, when the odds were already against them.

They battled hard, but it was a game too far for them. I did, in particular, feel for Neil Irvine-Hess, a player I have always admired, going out not only to defeat, but figuratively on his shield.

My old mate Davie Wells, a guid New Cumnock boay, whose footballing talent took him out of the pits into Ally MacLeod's great Ayr United team and onto a Scotland Under-23 cap. Davie had a measure of a player he would be happy to play beside. Davie would say: “He'd be in my team at Kilbirnie.”

The Rugby Union equivalent might be: “He'd be in my team at Hawick” - in which case, Neil would be one-third of my back row.

Diasppointyed - Certainly, But, Some Game

DISAPPOINTMENT at the outcome, certainly. But losing to the Bulls squad who produced that level of efficiency and performance in victory was by no means a disgrace. It has long been an unacknowledged fact of life for the Scotland international team, or or for our two professional sides – if we have all our big guns in situ, we can give anyone a game, but, once we have to dig into our reserves, we tend to struggle. Friday night was further proof of this.

What struck me was, Glasgow lost because we were weak in places where we have been lacking, at least in the professional era. We don't seem to breed power props of the calibre of Wilco Louw – Zander of course excepted, and, with the best will in the world – he does not destroy the opposition scrum the way Wilco does. There was hope for the future in the way Max Williamson, and last night in particular, Alex Samuel, stood up, but, the Warriors' back row finished second best on the night.

I can remember, thirty years or more ago, John Beattie writing regularly in the Herald about how we Scots could not match the physicality of the South Africans. Beattie produced a lot of reasons for this and, to be fair, our strength and conditioning programmes have improved, but, Friday night was a reminder, we still have some way to go.

After such disappointing losses, there is a Scottish tendancy to indulge in a spot of: “could'ave, would'ave, should'ave” - Franco Smith will have such moments, but, will be more focussed on getting it right moving forward. Should the sides meet again in the knock-outs, I would expect, particularly if the big guns are back, a different outcome.

Some other points from my television viewing of the match:

• Did my eyes deceive me, or were there a few empty seats inside Scotstoun, for a match I would expect to be a sell-out?

• World Rugby really needs to look at pnalty advantage. There was one phase in the first half when Bulls, under advantage, moved downfield some 30 metres, into the Warriors' 22, when play broke down. Back they went to the original offence, whereupon they kicked to touch, outside the 22. That seemed to me to be “double jeopardy”.

• Some entry by Jamie Dobie, scoring with his first touch.

• As an old hooker I was disgusted when Andy Brace, who made fewer howlers than usual, penalised Warriors in one first half scrum, which was as clear a case of “foot up” as I have seen, since the old fays when over-keen young hookers such as I were pinged for this.

• George Horne, like a good Fifer, summoning the ghost of Jim Baxter with a wee touch of keepie-uppie to retain possession in the first half.

• Dunky Weir's half-time punditry cameo was a joy. To transfer some of the lyrics of my favourite song to the watching Ryan Wilson - “you could see the surprise and the fear in his eyes.”

• Finally – Andy Brace's biggest howler – that Louw challenge on Patrick Shickerling was a red card all day long. Andy bottled it.

THE TIMING CLASH, due to the Pope's passing, means I cannot comment, other than to say, good outcome, on Edinburgh's draw in Zebre. Given what a tough place Parma now is to visit, the Edinburgh faithful cannot be too disappointed at this result.

What I can say about Friday night was, once again, Scottish Rugby was badly treated by BBC Shortbread. Of course, their news agenda is driven from the top. London doesn't want the Jocks to get too-big ideas about themselves, so they tend to appoint cyphers of no discernible talent to positions of power at Pacific Quay.

Head of Factual – Scotland, David Harron is one such placeman. Apparently he has had a 25-year career behind the cameras and microphones, which reminds me of something I was told by another man of no discernible talent who had lasted a couple of decades inside the BBC Shortbread bubble: “if you enjoy walking about with half a dozen knives in your back, you will thrive at the BBC.” I think that says it all. At the end of the day, Rugby Union's failure to get a decent rub of the green from the national broadcaster is down to him.

The News Editor of Reporting Scotland, whoever that may be also stands accused of selling our game short, inasmuch as there was no mention of either Friday night game on that evening's programme. They also failed to mention Saturday's Ayr v Watsonians Arnold Clark Premiership Final – just the biggest game of the season in club rugby. There was the briefest of mentions of the Women's Six Nations match on Saturday, which the BBC was covering. But, they were also covering the game at Millbrae, so why no mention of that?

Of course, we all know that “Sport” to BBC Shortbread means The Old Firm. Aye, Rugby Union gets the sop of the odd mention from Tom English, a man who allegedly wears his Munster top to bed, but, in truth, they don't give a shit about Rugby Union down on Clydeside.

If the BBC and the rest of what passes for the remnants of mainstream media in Scotland will not give Rugby Union its fair share of exposure, it is up to the Scottish Rugby Union to get their message out, by becoming an effective messenger and doing it themselves.

But, then I look at the Communications Department, and the Murrayfield Junta in general and I can only say: AYE RIGHT!!! FAT CHANCE.

Beating A Familiar Drum

SOME YEARS AGO, I had something unusual happen to me, I came into a bit of money, and, having reached retirement age and cutting back to writing what I wanted to write – when I wanted to write it – I decided to splash out on a quality car which, if I looked after it, would last me up until I decided I could no longer drive.

I looked around and settled on a Mercedes S class, being sold by one of the Arnold Clark branches. The test drive went well, and the sales rep and I agreed a deal which suited us both. Then, however, the Branch Manager vetoed the deal, just two days before I was due to pick-up the car.

Not best pleased, I contacted Arnold Clark himself and through the good offices of The Man and his personal assistant, I was able to buy another S class, from another Clark branch. It perhaps lacked one or two of the bells and whistles of the car I originally wanted, but, I was happy with the deal and the car, which served me well until I stopped driving. So, as a satisfied customer, and given how the late Mr Clark himself had treated me, I have a lot of time for the company.

So, I feel, the stumblebum of one of my perennial nominees for the annual: As Much Use As A Chocolate Fireguard award, The Scottish Rugby Union's Communications Department are doing the Clark Organisation a grave disservice by the way they are failing to “sell” Saturday's Arnold Clark Premirship Play-Off Final, between Ayr and Watsonians.

The argument as to whether or not this game should be played at a neutral venue – Scotstoun, The Hive, The National Stadium itself is for another day. Personally, I feel, until we can build a genuine audience for club rugby, it is better to hold it on the ground of the highest-ranked of the two competing teams, But, at least, sell this one-of game as worth attending.

For instance, the winners will be the first holders of a brand-new trophy (pictured below), the old Championship Trophy having been retired after over 50 years of use. I am not so-sure this is a good idea, when you look at the pedigree of Football's Scottish Cup, the now-retired silverware is but a babe in arms.

 

The announcement of the new trophy was released on the SRU's Facebook page; 24-hours before the story came up on the News feed on the official SRU website. Their half-hearted announcement further convinces me, the Comms Department couldn't sell ice crea in a heat-wave.

Rugby Union in Scotland is but an after-thought to the desk jockeys who run the Sports Desks in what remains of Scotland's mainstream media. If the SFA was putting-up a new trophy to be competed for by the teams finishing first and third in their top league – the media would have been all over Hampden for the unveiling of the new trophy. Rugby Union has to battle twice as hard for media attention, and clearly, as has been evident for years, neithr the guy who is supposed to bang the drum for the game, or the department he runs, is fit for purpose and are holding back the game.

To re-use an example I have quoted several times in the past on these pages. When it comes to selling our game in Scotland, Football is Hertz, Rugby Union is Avis – so, like Avis, we have to try harder.

Saturday's game, which kicks-off at the later time of 4.30pm will be broadcast live on BBC Alba.

THERE IS an old saying: “If you want a job done properly – ask a woman to do it.” As potential proof of this, I note that the minutes of the meeting of the SRU'S Club Rugby Board, held in March, are now up on the SRU website.

For long and weary these minutes were almost a state secret, so long did they take to appear on the website. The difference, I put it down to the fact, the CRB is now the bailliewick of Vice President Hazel Swankie.

HAVING BEEN calling for this approach for years, I have been delighted to see Franco Smith and the High Heid Yins at Glasgow Warriors embracing a signing policy of “Scotsmen First”; exemplified by the signing of Alex Craig. By this, we are hopefully not insisting any new players signed be born and bred Scots – ginger hair a bonus. I have long maintained, we cannot ignore the Great Caledonian Diaspora when it comes to recruitment. But, our two professional clubs should, in my view, only recruit NSQ (Not Scotland Qualified) players when there is no SQ equivalent.

I have also long-maintained, we need a mental re-set when it comes to the two sides in the United Rugby Championship. I know we come from a “Clubs” culture, with over 150 years of Rugby Union being mainly a club-based game. However, in this 21^st century, given the costs of elite-level Rugby Union, the two URC clubs are there to keep the majority of our international level players ticking over between Scotland calls.

Yes, it is nice when Glasgow wins the title, and, double yes, it would be brilliant if the final was an all-Scottish affair. But, I don't think too-many of us would be unhappy if the two clubs were missing-out on the knock-out phase of the league race, if the cost of this was a Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam for Scotland.

Next up – that third professional side.

 

Spitting Image Was On The Money

THAT WAS quite a game at The Hive on Friday night.The Sharks deserved to win it, for two reasons: their defensive excellence and the fact, with all those proven Springbok winners in their ranks, they know how to see-out the tight games.

A single losing bonus point may seem small recompense for what Edinburgh put into the game, but they now know, they can trade blows (literally) with the best and cause them bother. No shame in losing that one, but when they do their review, the Edinburgh boys will be cursing the lack of the final cutting edge which cost them victory.

Two final points – in many ways, via their behaviour, even after the final whistle, the Sharks demonstrated, Spitting Image was bang on the money all those years ago – their petulance is the unacceptable face of South African Rugby Union.

Second point, there is the legndary tale of one of the Burrells, I cannot recall if it was Bob or Dod, being summoned to the touchline at half-time in a game at Mansfield Park, to be informed by a “Roberta Dye” of mature years: “When Jake Young's deid, ye'll be the worst referee in Scotland.”

To update that tale to the 21^st century, I can see a Scots lassie informing Andrew Brace: “When the Changeling Twins are deid ye'll be the worst referee in the world.” [No offence to David and Malcolm – I have great respect for them, but they do get blamed for a lot.]

A final afterthought – I've been a D'Arcy Rae fan throughout his career – Ah kent his Faither (in the good sense). He's one of those unselfish players who operates under the radar, but, he put in some shift on Friday night – 79 minutes at tight-head, the bulk of them against “The Ox” - that was Zanderesque.

Finally, on this game: Jamie Ritchie's ability to wind-up opponents is going to make him a huge star in France.

REPORTS DURING the week had me fearing that Warriors had relocated their dressing room to the Western Infirmary; the team Franco Smith finally sent out in Parma on Saturday night was down to the bare and unbroken bones. I feared this might be one of those banana skins which crop up during any season.

In the final reckoning, the win was definitely at the “coyote” end of the ugliness chart, but, a win is a win is a win, so well done to the squad for getting over the line with the four points, following what was arguably Warriors' worst-ever first half.

I sense Franco had to channel his inner Alex Ferguson at the half-time break, but, given the opening of yellow cards, Glasgow got the job done and can now move on. Hopefully the injury list will ease, but, as things stand, the URC home straight looks like being a long, uphill one.

Finally, referee Peter Martin's performance was further proof of the belief, widely held in the Scottish refereeing community – the IRFU over-promotes some officials, promoting them to the URC ranks when they are clearly not ready.

Even the best referees occasionally resort to guess-work at scrum time. I got the impression, Mr Martin was mentally tossing a coin before awarding scrum penalties in this game.

OK, WE CANNOT control the Scottish weather, but, I still maintain to have:

1. An Arnold Clark Premiership Play-Off Semi-Final

2. Hawick Sevens

3. Silver Saturday

on the same day is further proof, should it still be required, that the Murrayfield Junta couldnae run a menauge/bath/gird.

That was fixture clash overkill and I still maintain, even if the high heid yins of our game were investing in Artifical Intelligence, instead of continuing to favour Genuine Stupidity in decision-making, our game would be better for it.

Big David Barnes had Saturday off – his leg-endary faither, Big Ian, was celebrating his birthday – so David had a good excuse for leaving coverage to his minions, so Young Master Hay had to face the Millbrae Massive and defend his boss's forecast, that Currie might cause an upset and win the semi-final.

They nearly did too, but, the usual pack power and late tries from Jamie Shedden and Bobby Beattie saw Ayr safely through to entertain Watsonians in Saturday's Premiership Final. But, this has been an impressive season for Currie, recovering from that terrible start to reach the final four.

Young Master Hay was too-much of a gentleman to mention it, but, keyboard warriors from both sides were far from happy with the display of referee Rob McDowell. Further proof, surely, of the need for a re-write of the Laws.

IN WRITING THIS portion of this post, can I assure my public, I am in good health, mentally and physically, when I write – well done to the SRU Communications Department, for the comprehensive review of Silver Saturday, which they got up on the SRU website on Sunday morning.

Mind you, that was still, for a professional journalist like what I am, too-late. I didn't have skin in the games, but, a couple of long-time rugby friends are high heid yins in clubs who were around Murrayfield on Saturday and I was keen to know how their sides had fared.

I had family commitments on Saturday – fifth Grandson becoming a teenager; an event so-important even the Princess Grand-daughter turned up, so I was out of the loop until almost kick-off time in Parma.

One of my mates' teams had been first up on Silver Saturday, 10am kick-off, so imagine my disgust when some eight hours after the game had ended, the result of their final wasn't up on the website.

A weel-kent club official, a connoisseur of these ravings, regularly takes me to task, when I criticise the SRU Comms Department for delays in scores going up. He insists the fault lies with club officials not 'phoning-in the results.

Maybe in a regular week, that excuse flies. But, this was Silver Saturday, was their a kink in the space'time continuam between The Hive and the National Stadium? It's the little things which make the difference between competence and looking stupid.

Well done to Melrose, who carried the day at Hawick Sevens, but, I suppose, Selkirk beating The Greens in the opening fixture, and well done to them, was hardly going to make the rest of the day go with a swing.

Finally – congratulations to Kilmarnock for beating Annan on Saturday to clinch their return to the National Leagues. I am delighted for the Bellsland worthies such as wee Ali McCall, who have endured the hard seasons, to see them back in the big leagues.

At least, Killie will take the step-up, I hear reports of some clubs who have qualified to join the National Leagues next season telling Murrayfiel: “no thanks, we will stay where we are in the Regional Leagues.”

World Cup - Why Bother

DINOSAUR that I am, I cannot get enthused by international sporting bodies and their approach to World or Pan-Continental tournaments. The approach appears to be, the bigger the better, or, as is so-often the case: Never mind the quality, feel the width.

Take the Football World Cup, for instance. The first time Scotland attended the finals, in Switzerland in 1954, we were one of only 16 nations who qualified; so we ought to have felt good about ourselves. Mind you, our qualifying effort back then, a 3-1 away win over Northern Ireland, a 3-3 Hampden draw with Wales and a 2-4 Hampden loss to England meant we only got in by being second in the 1953-54 Home Internationals, which doubled up as the qualifying group.

This poor showing was a harbinger of what was to come in the Alps, as we lost to Austria, before being hammered 0-7 by defending champions Uruguay. Fortunately, these two defeats meant we didn't have to face the fourth team in our group, Czechoslovakia. They had no time for dead rubbers back then.

Football's World Cup continued as a 16-nation tournament until 1978. Then, in Spain, in 1982, the number of teams qualifying for the final tournament was raised to 24. That's where the qualifiers remained until France in 1998, when it was expanded to a 32 nation tournament.

Scotland will shortly set off along th qualifying route to the 2026 World Cup in North America, hoping to be one of the 48 nations who will qualify for an event which is now becoming bloated in the extreme.

Rugby Union was late to the World Cup party. Even Rugby League had a global competition sooner, with their first World Cup held in 1954, when Hawick's Dave Valentine captained the victorious Great Britain team. However, in 1987, 16 nations convened in New Zealand and Australia with the All Blacks becoming the first winners of “Bill” - The Webb Ellis Trophy.

The final entry remained at 16 until 1999, when it was raised to 20 nations. For the next World Cup, in Australia in 2027 the entry for the final tournament will be raised again, to 24 nations, as World Rugby embraces the international sporting bodies' clamour for each competition to be bigger than the last.

They will not all qualify, given they come out of in many cases the same qualifying region, but, if the top 24 nations qualified, then the field (in descending order of world ranking) would be:

South Africa. New Zealand, Ireland, France, Argentina, England, Scotland, Australia.

Fiji, Italy, Georgia, Wales, Japan, Samoa, USA, Spain.

Uruguay, Portugal, Tonga, Romania, Chile, Belgium, Hong Kong China, Canada.

Namibia, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, Brazil, Switzerland, Poland, Sweden, Russia.

The remaining nations in membership of World Rugby, and their current rankings are:

33 – 40: Kenya, Czechia, Korea, Germany, Paraguay, Morocco, Mexico, Sri Lanka

41 – 50: Uganda, Croatia, Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago, Madagascar, Tunisia, Malta, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia

51 – 60: Cayman Islands, Senegal, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia, Algeria, Guyana, Luxembourg, Singapore, Philippenes

61 – 70: Cote D'Ivoire, Israel, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, Jamaica, Zambia, Cook Islands, Bulgaria, Austria, Bermuda

71 – 80: Denmark, Barbdos, Thailand, Nigeria, Venezuela, Botswana, Serbia, Finland, Peru, Slovenia

81 – 90: Hungary, Ghana, Andorra, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Turkey, India, Qatar, Burkina Faso, Guam, Pakistan

91 – 100: Iran, Costa Rica, St Lucia, China, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Papua New Guinea, Bahamas, Eswatini, Uzbekistan, Norway

101 – 110: Mauritius, Laos, Nepal, Rwanda, Cameroon, Niue Island, Burundi, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Monaco

111 – 113: Greece, Vanuwatu, American Samoa

International Rugby Union is changing, with the introduction of the new Nations Cup, which will involve 12 nations – 6 from the Northern Hemisphere, obviously the six participants in the annual Six Nations, along with six Southern Hemisphere nations: Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa form the SH's Rugby Championship plus two other nations, believed to be Fiji and Japan.

If this new competition is as successful as World Rugby and the participating nations hope it will be, it would appear to cast doubt on the continuing viability of the Rugby World Cup, viability which is already being questioned by the costs involved in staging this quadrennial event.

So, here's a Left Field Notion which might well work:

Why don't we establish a Rugby Union version of Tennis's Davis Cup?

The Davis Cup works for 128 nations who are members of the International Tennis Federation. Indeed, on their own Davis Cup website, the ITF describes the tournament as: “The World Cup of Tennis”.

If it works for that sport, it could surely work for the 133 nations on the World Rugby rankings table.The Davis Cup is organised thus:

• World Group – 18 nations

• Americas Group 1 – 6 nations

• Europe/Africa Group 1 – 11 nations

• Asia/Oceania Group 1 – 7 nations

• Americas Group 2 – 8 nations

• Europe/Africa Group 2 – 16 nations

• Asia/Oceania Group 2 – 8 nations

• Americas Group 3 – 9 nations

• Europe Group 3 – 15 nations

• Africa Group 3 – 10 nations

• Asia/Oceania Group 3 - 9 nations

• Asia/Oceania Group 4 – 11 nations

A similar set-up for World Rugby might look like this:

• World Group: South Africa. New Zealand, Ireland, France, Argentina, England, Scotland, Australia, Fiji, Italy, Georgia, Wales, Japan, Samoa, USA, Spain.

Taking out these top 16 nations, the other 97 member nations divide:

• Nations from the Americas (including the Caribbean nations) – 18

• European nations – 31

• African nations – 19

• Asia/Oceania nations – 29

The lesser nations would be assured of competitive, regionalised group games, but with the chance of promotion or relegation. In the World Group, there could always be the option of holding the semi-finals and final in a neutral country – if only to avoid – at leeast in the short term, it being an annual case of: perm two from France, New Zealand and South Africa.

I think a Davis Cup-style world tournament would work better for our game than a World Cup every four years. I commend this notion to the house.

 

A Little Local Difficulty

MARR'S LOSS to Currie Chieftains on Saturday was very-much the end of an era. Several long-serving players hung up their boots at no side and, with life in Arnold Clark National League One to look forward to next season, when the players re-convene for pre-season training, it will be a case of turning a page and starting anew.

When I got into Rugby Union, nearly 70 years ago now, the set-up in Ayrshire was set almost in stone. Players from God's County with aspirations to higher things had to leave, to take what Bill McMurtrie whimsically described as: “The drove road over the Fenwick Moor to Burnbrae.” David Shedden, Ian Murchie, Ian McLauchlan, Quinton Dunlop, Peter and Gordon Brown, Alistair McHarg and Gordon Strachan took that road (Although Wee Fudd and Big Ugly took the Jordanhill College cut-off all the way to the international team. Alec Wilson, John McHarg, (another to Jordanhill), David Good, Ian Gray and Ronnie Boid (also Jordanhill) followed them into the Glasgow team or the Scotland B team.

Then, towards the end of the 1960s, Ayr got recognised as a top club, having enough fixtures to be included in the Unofficial “Newspaper” Championship. They were followed in there by Kilmarnock, but, in the early years of official leagues, as these two clubs struggled to get into and then hold onto the top league, ambitious Ayrshire lads were still better-off moving to city clubs.

Marr, thanks to the excellent work at Marr College by the likes of Brian Gilbert, then John Sharkey, built on the long-standing Troon pedigree of producing good players. If the two Browns and Bill Cuthbertson were the highest-profile, until injury diverted him from potential Rugby Union greatness to a big job in NHS Scotland, Crawford McGuffie looked likely to add lustre to the Marr name.

But that was in the amateur era. Marr graduates still, by and large had to leave for higher things. Ayr benefitted from the likes of John Sharp, Jim Montgomery and Robin McEwan, as Marr established a reputation as a good grass-roots club, but not strong enough to rise through the leagues. Bill Cuthbertson joined Kilmarnock, when they were a top club, before going on to Harlequins.

I will not be around to write the modern history of Ayrshire Rugby, perhaps when he gets to around my age, young Iain Hay will pen the tome, but, from where I sit, perhaps the last decade or so for Marr will be seen as a Golden Age.

Kilmarnock have slipped a good bit from their Golden Age of The Magnificent Seven,, while Ayr - “The Evil Empire” to many in the county, has been, alongside the likes of Currie and Stirling County, one of a mere handful of clubs to emerge from the pack and stay there in the last half-century.

One or two other sides, Portobello, Wigtownshire for example, have like Marr, benefitted from being able to hold onto a group of talented players who came together at the right time, to help the club rise through the divisions. But, Marr are now facing pulling off the trick which has thus far proved elusive, to survive the loss of their Golden Generation, rebuild and get back to the top.

I fear, with the costs now involved in running even a part-time professional club, (I have no time for the term semi-professional, you are either a paid professional or an unpaid amateur) will prevent another club from rising as Marr have in th past decade or so. I can see - and it has to happen – the SRU setting certain standards which have to be met for a club to be in the top couple of divisions of the National Leagues.

I can even see Super Rugby Two evolving, but, that competition will require to be far-better imagined and implemented than Super Rugby One ever was.

In which case, Ayr, as the best-managed and set-up club in the Premiership at the moment, will continue to have a drawing power beyond that of Marr and the other Ayrshire and South-West clubs. These other clubs may well have to make peace with “The Evil Empire”, with Millbrae becoming the drawing card for all ambitious young players within their bailliewick.

That being said, Ayrshire Rugby has long had something akin to Capulet and Montagu, Hatfield and McCoy and if not quite Rangers and Celtic, far-less Auchinleck and Cumnock about it, rivalries which can be bitter, to the extent ABA – anywhere but Ayr remains advice offered to ambitious players from elsewhere in the county.

Since we Scots are well-known as a fractious race, we will probably never get agreement, but, I can see a club rugby top division of ten clubs working. For me, these clubs would be:

1. Ayr

2. One Glasgow club

3. Two Edinburgh clubs

4. Two Borders clubs

5. Stirling County

6. One team from Aberdeen/Dundee

7. An augmented Glasgow Warriors Academy team

8. An augmented Edinburgh Academy team

These two Academy teams would be limited to up to 10 or 12 Under-23 players on the field at any one time.

There would also need to be infrastructure standards for those clubs competing. We have to do something to properly under-pin our professional game and to provide a pathway to the fully-professional game for the late developers, or for those players, for example, who seek to obtain a University education rather than a career in the professional game when they transition from youth rugby.

The hard part of my vision would, I reckon, be in getting everyone to sing from the same hymn sheet – never easy when you are dealing with Scots.