Two Out Of Two Aint Bad

THE BKT United Rugby Championship is back, and what a great start for the Scottish clubs via Edinburgh's narrow win over Ulster in Belfast. Ravenhill has never been an easy ground to go to and with both clubs minus some big names for this season opener, I must admit, I wasn't all that confident about Edinburgh's chances.

However, the capital crew built up enough of a lead in the first hour to withstand the usual big finish from the Ulstermen and, while it was maybe a wee bit frenetic at the end, they got the job done and a five point win first time out has to be savoured.

My late and much-missed big pal: Big Gordon Strachan, (so called to differentiate between him and Football's Wee Gordon Strachan), always spoke for the need for a good team to have a strong Pivot Five – the back row and half-backs. Edinburgh certainly had that in spades, with all five playing crucial roles in the victory.

James Grayson looked like the quality ten Edinburgh has been searching for, combining well with young Hector Patterson inside him, however, it was the Edinburgh back row of Liam McConnell, Freddie Douglas and Skipper Magnus Bradbury who led the charge as Edinburgh surged into a 34-5 lead.

The expected Ulster fightback, when it came in the second half, tested Edinburgh's defensive resilience; they creaked, but they didn't crack and were perhaps pushing for another try at the end, before good sense intervened and they got the ball off the park to clinch the win.

Given the club's lengthy injury list, which does include a lot of first picks, this was a good win from a difficult match. OK, you might say: “Edinburgh won ugly” but that is a big step forward from too many recent results which have been more a case of Edinburgh “losing ugly”.

MUNSTER v GLASGOW is traditionally a tousey affair; these two clubs clearly don't like each other. However, for whatever reason – I'm in the fact O'Mahony has now retired department – Saturday's clash in Limerick didn't quite fit the normal pattern, to the point where both Simon Zebo and Ryan Wilson, on commentary duty for Premier Sport, were disappointed that it took fully half an hour before the handbags were swinging.

In looking ahead to the game, I was a wee bit afraid that maybe, by mainly fielding his fringe youngsters in their pre-season games, Franco Smith had perhaps left the regulars he did field on Saturday a wee bit under-cooked. I still think, to a degree they were, but, they still, in typical Glasgow fashion, found a way to win without fully hitting their straps.

Warriors left it late, but, in the end, their bench, particularly via the arrival of a completely new front row, wrestled command back from the fired-up Munster side to clinch a bonus point win.

Now it isn't news that we Scots have a low regard for South African referees and Morne Ferrera, the man in the middle here, was a trypically poor example of the genre, allowing Munster to indulge in far too much of the shithousery which POM and Company have made their normal pattern over so many years.

The under-cooking I mentioned earlier was clear in some poor Glasgow handling and decision-making, but, as they built-up a head of steam in the final quarter, we saw some typical Warriors work which carried them past Munster to victory.

WHEN I saw The Offside Line's preview of the weekend's Arnold Clark Premiership matches, I had two thoughts. The first was, what twat wrote this, surely the game of the weekend was Heriot's v Ayr at Goldenacre? That was the one to lead on. Then, reading their preview, and seeing how weak the Ayr selection was, I immediately thought: “They're in bother here.”

So, straight away and this will probably shock Neil Meikle to his bones: well done The Nails, you can only beat what is put in front of you and they did well to beat even a weakened Ayr team. I ought also to recognise, they too were missing one or two key men, so doubly well done.

Heriots' win has burst the bubble of Ayr invincibility, it will encourage les autres and the likes of Currie, Watsonians and Melrose will now be saying: “If those bar stewards from Goldenacre can beat them, so too can we.”

Against this, Gruntz Anderson and his back-room crew will be determined to make this a one-of, the Ayr squad are in for a tough time until they are back on top. It will add additional spice to an already keenly-fought campaign.

What worries me, from a Millbrae perspective, is this: several long-term off-field drivers of the club's rise have stepped back of late. The guys who have come in now have to show that they are capable of maintaining standards. If not, there could be troubles ahead.

BATH'S SANTI CARRERAS scored what is already a Try of the Season contender in his club's win over Harlequins in The Prem on Friday night. If you missed it live, it's on You Tube, get it watched.

After he ran virtually the length of the park and touched down, the Argentinian rather milked the moment in front of the 'Quins fans, and received a petulant little shove from a disgruntled Harlequins' player who had chased back in vain.

Now, you see this quite a lot in the game, a player touches down and is immediately shoved by an opponent – yet, we seldom see these childish actions punished. That's another thing World Rugby should be clamping down on, if, after scoring, a player is late tackled or shoved by an opponent, then the referees should restart play with a penalty to the scoring side – with the majority of today's professional place kickers well able to knock a penalty over from half-way, thereby scoring a ten-point try, I think the petulant shoving would soon vanish from the game.

 

Job Done - Just

I MUST ADMIT, when I saw the two squads for Friday night's Old Anniesland clash between Glasgow Warriors and Bath, I reckoned, if Glasgow could keep Bath's margin of victory down to under 50 points, they might be able to claim a morale victory. So, given the final result, job done - just.

Received wisdom has Rassie Erasmus down as De Man when it comes to active coaches, yes, he's good, but, given he is working with slightly inferior goods, Warriors' Franco Smith has to be in the conversation. In using his fringe players so much in the build-up to the new 2026-27 season, Franco just might leave his big guns somewhat under-cooked for the start of the real games, however, against this, he is giving his fringe men experience and a trust which money cannot buy.

Warriors provide the core of the national Scotland side; at least 9 of any starting 15 (60%) would be Warriors, with another two or three on the bench. Indeed, it is not outwith the bounds of possibility to see, should disaster befall some of the France-based shoo-ins, Gregor Townsend selecting a starting XV composed entirely of Glasgow Warriors' players.

This means, Franco has to carefully consider which BKT United Rugby Championship matches he can go into fully-loaded. There is a limit as to how many matches a first-choice internationalist can play, so, he has to select his team with this constriction in mind – hence the good sense is throwing-in the kids against Bath.

If they can survive that one, and in the main they did, they will be ready, should they be needed for URC games, or games in Europe.

I have long thought, if Toony and his staff are failing in any part of their international duties, it might be in that they are leaving the fringe members of the international squad somewhat under-cooked. That can not be said of Smith with his squad.

As to Friday night's game itself. The Finnster pretty much played at half throttle, however, when the chance to do something special afforded itself, he did, with a handful of wonderful wee individual flourishes, to prove, he's one very special talent and we should enjoy him while we have him.

AYRSHIRE – GOD'S COUNTY – has produced Scotland's immortal, greatest poet, great novelists such as Willie McIllvanney and two great sports writer's: Willie's brother Hughie, and another Hughie who could bring sport alive – Taylor. Now in my 80^th year, I fear I may never ascend to their heights, but, who knows, when I am no longer here, perhaps my genius will be finally recognised.

The two Hughies, having been raised in the world of County rivalries, knew well, some fixtures didn't have to be won with flair and elan – Auchinleck (or indeed anyone else) v Cumnock, any other Ayrshire Junior side v Irvine Meadow or even Kilmarnock v Ayr United, these were games where it didn't matter how, all you had to do was win.

My great mentor: Ian “Dan” Archer, with the benefit of his Classical Education at Rugby School, was something of a romantic when it came to his craft, but, he always cautioned we underlings: “Remember gentlemen, as sports writers, you are there to provide light relief at the back of the newspaper, don't take yourselves too seriously.”

Dan could understand where he was going, when the great Grantland Rice - “The Dean of American Sports Writers” penned the lines: “For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes – not that you won or lost – but how you played the game.” However, he also understood: that almost Corinthian attitude never did transfer well to the world of Scottish Fitba.

It also doesn't work in Scottish Rugby. It certainly doesn't apply to Ayr Rugby Club, who have copped a bit of flak in the BTL (below the lines) readers comments in The Offside Line since they scraped home at Poynder Park on Saturday.

Gruntz Anderson's troops bagged their customary five points, extended their lengthy unbeaten run and went four points clear at the top of the Arnold Clark Premiership. However, they had to overcome a fired-up Kelso side, who pushed them all the way, to the extent, some Millbrae regulars were forced to admit, they had “won ugly”.

The Premiership is a league, yes, score four or more tries and you bank a bonus point, but, at the end of the day, the challenge is to win – you don't get bonus point for playing Champagne Rugby.

Ayr are now under the sort of weekly pressure which the likes of The Old Firm and Auchinleck Talbot have to cope with week after week. This pressure probably hasn't been seen in Scottish Rugby since the glory days of Hawick's Green Machine. It certainly keeps Gruntz and his squad on their toes.

The Ayr Under-18 team is not under the same pressure in the new Open Competition; but they certainly were on Saturday, when, following a major disaster the previous week, they had to make the short trip to Fullarton Park, to face near-neighbours Marr.

I watched the game on You Tube. Jings, there are some big laddies playing at this level, was my first thought. Ayr won and won well, taking control in the first half and holding off a brave second half comeback from their hosts.

Mind you, it was a bit tame for an Ayrshire Derby – absolutely no “handbags”. My favourite Ayr/Marr story concerns the weel-kent Ayr forward who, after a comfortable win at Fullarton, told a comely Marr lady in the bar: “I've just spent 80-odd minutes fucking your husband, if you ever want the same, here's my number”. The pair did enjoy a short-lived but mutually-enjoyable dalliance thereafter.

I came in for some Facebook flak after Saturday's Under-18 game, because some Marr members attempted to annexe the moral high ground with the claim that the Marr XV were all home-grown Marr College boys, whereas Ayr's squad has been recruited from beyond the ranks of strictly Honest Boys.

Marr have, of late, not been averse to recruiting talent from other Ayrshire clubs, indeed, I have had to chastise my own Cumnock club officials for allowing the club, to some extent, becoming a feeder club to Marr.

The system used to be, we had County selections at both schools and club level, so that, in theory, a talented kid from a school which wasn't one of the elite or Establishment places still had the chance of advancement.

That boy today, either has to go to one of the handful of top club sides in the Under-18 competition, or, more-likely, be offered a scholarship at one of the Public Schools – not quite as democratic a system as in my day.

When Will World rugby Waken-Up?

BALL GAMES are an ancient British tradition, still practised in places such as Ashbourne and Atherstone in England, in Jedburgh, in Orkney and in the Wall Game at Eton College. However, at the height of Victorian gentrification, in the glory days of muscular Christianity, the emerging middle classes, initially via the great public schools began to codify these wild mass participation games into smaller, more-organised games.

Thus began Harrow Football, Rugby Football and Charterhouse Football, then, as their old boys took their varying forms of the game to the two great English universities – The Cambridge Rules, agreed at that seat of learning formed the foundations of Association Football, while the disciples of the Rugby form of the game preferred the handling code.W

Over the succeeding century and a half and more, the two most-popular forms of Football have spread across the world. Those initial Cambridge Rules of Football have become Laws, while Rugby – or to be more precise Rugby Union has also seen its Laws being regularly refined.

In the past 30 years, since the game of Rugby Union went Open, and the advance of professionalism at the top end, it has become clear – the Laws of the Game have not kept pace with the thinking of innovative coaches such as Rassie Erasmus of South Africa.

A major rewrite of these Laws is now overdue. Unfortunately, the game's overall ruling body – World Rugby, and in particular the representatives of the more-established Unions have shown them unwilling to do more than indulge in token tinkering around the Laws and in some cases turning a blind eye to blatant law-breaking in every game.

OX NCHE – the Springboks' loose-head prop famously insists: “salads don't win scrums” - watching the manner in which the Ox and his chums Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw played such a dominant role in his side's wins over the All Blacks, I might add, having a referee who doesn't know the scrum laws also helps.

All game, but particularly at the crucial scrum which won the Bokke the match clinching penalty try, late in the third game, I felt Nika Amuskeli, in a performance some way below his best, let the Saffa front row away with murder. Particularly at that crucial short metres scrum, the home props were both boring-in. Rather than winning a penalty try, I felt that particular scrum should have brought a penalty to the All Blacks. The less said about Karl Dickson's performance in the game in Baltimore, the better.

World Rugby has, over the past decade, got a lot of things wrong, but, their biggest failing in that time has been the manner in which they have refused to sort out the scrum.

The game's problems around what, lest we forget, is a means of re-starting the game following a minor technical infringement, is that, particularly at the professional level, a failure to overhaul the Laws of the Game, the scrum has become a means of winning penalties – penalties which often appear to be awarded on a referee's whim, rather than any reasoned adjudication of what happened.

But, the scrum's problems often start right from phase one, when the referee allows the scrum-half putting the ball in to blatantly feed his own side; indeed, some nines can bend the ball further than the late Shane Warne ever managed with a cricket ball, to ensure their insertion lands at their number eight's feet, somewhere the opposing hooker has no earthly chance of reaching.

Back in the days when television coverage was in black and white, hookers would live or die by the tight-head count – the number of opposition feeds they could, by a combination of their own skill and with the help of a cunning tight-head, steal. Great hookers of those years, men such as Scotland's Norman Mair, Bob McEwen or Norman Bruce, English legends such as Eric Evans, Wales's Bryn Meredith or Ireland's Ronnie Dawson, they kept a separate score. The newspapers might print a result as 14-8, 9-3 or 20-18, but, to the men in the middle of the front rows, the result would be logged as 4-0, 5-2 or however many tight-heads they had stolen or, on a bad day, lost.

Of course, we still get the occasional strike against the head, although, to be more-accurate, these are normally a case of a well-executed eight-man shove, allowing a superior pack to put an inferior one into reverse gear. If, like the Bokke pack in so-many crucial scrums, they are not pushing straight to begin with, the easier it becomes.

I have long called for technology – such as “Spidercam” to be brought into play around the scrums. Locate that camera immediately above the front rows and the TMO immediately knows which Laws are being broken. Or, bring-in specialist scrum or line-out officials to assist the regular three-man team.

I've been saying for years, American Football needs seven officials to police play; Rugby Union is every bit as complex, so sticking with three plus a TMO is short-, changing the fans.

Mind you, modern referees are taught to ignore squint feeds, so, if World Rugby and the various Unions will not insist on the Laws being properly refereed, well we've got a huge problem.

I would also adopt the American sports system of one hour ball in play time. This would sort out the time-wasting and gamesmanship we see, with specialist time-keepers keeping a check on the various specialist timing issues – time it takes to set-up a line-out or scrum, the five second play the ball rules at rucks, etc.

And I would certainly differentiate between Technical Offences, such as a scrum collapsing, and Foul Play Offences. Penalties for foul play could be kicked at goal, or to retain possession at a line-out, technical offences would only be a free kick.

I offer these suggestions to World Rugby, safe in the knowledge – they will be ignored.