Lions Feasting On The Finances Of The Gullible

THIS morning an email dropped into my inbox, from the British Lions. The highspot was an invitation to buy a ticket, or tickets for the first of a series of Meet the Lions dinners. This was to be held in Edinburgh's Sheraton Grand Hotel, in the august presence of Warren Gatland, and would only set me back the piddling sum of £298.80.

This was what is called in the Second City of the Empire, a: “Haud me back moment”. Nearly £300 to eat an average function meal, and listen to Gatland talk “Warrenballs”. My head does not zip up the back, I have taken one or two sair wans to the napper in the course of a less than distinguished career in the front five playing in the last 10% of Scottish rugby, but, I am not daft enough to shell-out for that one.

Really, does the Lions management think the red shirt and the name is a licence to print money? Any way, I have a notion the Lions will get their erses well and truly skelpt in New Zealand next summer.

SPEAKING of which, I am so-happy that “Toony” has opted out of an assistant coach's job with the Lions to get his feet properly under the table as Scotland coach in the South Pacific over the summer of 2017.

The spell away with most of his first-choice players, at the very least Hoggie, Sean Maitland, at least one of the centres, possibly Tommy Seymour; certainly Jonny Gray, Richie Gray and John Barclay – plus one or two others if they have outstanding Six Nations campaigns, ought to be on Lions duty.

Say a maximum of eight or nine out of a 35-strong squad with the Lions, that gives Toony plenty to work on and get his ideas across, well away from the scrutiny of the Scottish press corps!!

THE BT Premiership continues to turn-up entertaining rugby, somewhat under the radar of newspaper and broadcast media sports desks, who still – with guidance from Murrayfield – appear to believe there is no rugby in Scotland below the two Guinness PRO12 teams.

Ayr and Melrose are certainly the cream of the crop, now having almost an Old Firm aura about them, but, as has been shown on more than one occasion – they cannot take a win over every other club as a given. Elsewhere, every team is capable of beating every other one on any given Saturday. But still, the Premiershi struggles for decent coverage, although, again, kudos to big David Barnes for the ever-excellent Offside Line website and its coverage of the league.

PLEASE – I URGE YOU – SUPPORT THAT WEBSITE

THERE is also an interesting little game coming up this Saturday, which will well fly under the radar. Marr will entertain Edinburgh Accies at Fullarton; first hosting second in National League One. The winner of this one will be very much in the box seat when it comes to promotion to the top flight for next season. But, I fear it will garner little media interest, which is a pity.

I HAD sympathy for arguably Scotland's leading writer of sporting obituaries this week. He had to compile the obituary on Ian AA MacGregor, one of the leading SRU “blazers” of the amateur era.

This scribe works on the basis, if you cannot say anything good about somebody, say nothing, which doesn't make summarising MacGregor's massive contribution to Scottish rugby easy. You see, Ian MacGregor, who won nine caps between 1955 and 1957, and who spent a couple of decades inside Murrayfield had perhaps more enemies than he had friends.

This was partly self-induced, he was not an easy man to like, or get on with; but, he was a major player on the field – the only Hillhead HSFP forward ever to be capped – and an even bigger one in the committee-room. As one veteran Anniesland man said: “He was the most-thrawn bastard I ever met”.

He had his devils, but, he did much good work on the Laws of the Game, at IRB level. He put in years of largely unpaid work to bolster Glasgow District and he was acknowledged as one of the finest match analysts of his era.

But, he could be unreasonably prickly about petty details. Like us all, he had his flaws, but, regardless, with the death of Ian MacGregor, Scottish rugby has lost a significant character in its rich history.

ONE of my old team mates, these many years on missionary work in the Sudentenland, emailed me over the weekend. His email covered several topics, but, significantly, he asked what I thought were Glasgow's chances in Paris this weekend.

How I wish I could have been positive, but, after their error-strewn loss to a middling Munster side on Friday night, I fear for their chances against Racing.

To put it bluntly, Glasgow simply isn't the Glasgow we know at the moment. We can only hope the return of Hogg, Gray and Co will give them the lift they need, since Racing are also not playing well right now. This is not an easy match to call, but, you have to favour the French side slightly.

Two Out Of Three Aint Bad

BY ANY standards, Scotland's performances during the Autumn Internationals have to be considered successful, and promising. We won the two we were expected to win, and, with a wee rub of the green would also have beaten Australia. We unearthed one or two fringe players who have added to our strength-in-depth and, I believe, given luck with injuries in the interim, we can kick-on and have a good Six Nations.

We must pray for a return to full fitness of Alasdair Dickinson – the length of time he has been out of action is beginning to worry me, and of Wilem Nel. Well though Allan Dell, who has come on out of all recognition in recent weeks, and Zander Fagerson, did in the games – we need our two best props back for the 6Ns.

Vern Cotter now has real choices in the back division, particularly at centre, where Huw Jones ha been a rare find, selecting the wearers of the numbers 12 and 13 jerseys is now a real headache for the coach. We also have back row options, with Hamish Watson and Magnus Bradbury muscling their way into the mix, and Ryan Wilson having a great Autumn series.

Add that wee cameo from Ali Price against the Georgians, and confirmation of Rory Hughes's development from the same match and, yes, we are in not a bad place going into 2017.

THE atmosphere at Rugby Park was terrific, however, the match demonstrated the failings of the Ayrshire ground, a place I love and have done for many years. It was just too-busy.

The Lady I cannot live with, or live without – feelings she reciprocates, was telling me on Saturday night, how palpable the “buzz” was around the town on Saturday. This was obvious, how great to see Rugby Park nearly full – the crowd on Saturday will surely be the biggest the ground will host this season. All the franchises in the car park kept the fans around the place, everyone was happy and how different from the underlying sense of menace so-often associated with football games.

Mind you, the delays in handing out media passes pre-match didn't help, perhaps the SRU should address this issue before the 6Ns, while the lack of media parking was disgraceful, luckily for me, the Lady mentioned in the last paragraph lives 400 yards from the ground, so I was ok. Other hacks had horror stories to tell.

One glaring failure. How can you take a match to Rugby Park and NOT provide Killie Pies for the press at half-time. The SRU needs the press onside, some of us felt a wee bit under-valued when it came to the scran we were offered at the game – well down on what we expect at BT Murrayfield.

AS I suspected they would, the Scotland Women's team lost to Spain and are out of the World Cup. I accept, the SRU has to keep funding women's rugby, but, with the distaff side of the game in Scotland at such a low ebb, the governing body really is between a rock and a hard place.

Clearly, they do not seem to be getting value for money from their investment in Women's Rugby. Mind you, in Scottish Rugby, it appears to me, other than Glasgow, currently going through a bit of a dip, and to a lesser extent Scotland, every department of the game in Scotland is suffering.

Maybe if we had a half-way competent Director of Rugby looking at the whole game, and not just two professional sides, things would be better. There were a lot of people in official SRU anoraks running around Rugby ark on Saturday, and I haven't a clue what a lot of them actually do.

TOM Inglis was cremated on Friday, and thus Scottish Rugby has lost another of the good guys. Tom was an Ayr Academical, he loved life, rugby but most of all, having a good time. He seemed to be permanently smiling.

He did a lot for Ayr, and for his adopted club, Helensburgh. He did a lot during his short spell on the SRU Board and he will be sadly missed by all of us who knew him and counted him as a pal.

My lasting memory of TJ is from 40-years ago. The owners of a hotel in the town, which had suddenly become THE place to go on a Saturday night, decided it was becoming too-busy, so, they put five pence on the price of a pint.

The hotel was popular with Ayr RFC, it's where they guys went to chase women on a Saturday night, while the Friday at Five club met there to start the weekend.Any way, we said nothing about the price rise for about a month, then, one Friday night, Tom struck.

He approached the hotel owner: “Mrs Brown, about that rise in the cost of a pine....” he began.

“Yes Tom, I know, it was a bit steep, but, we felt we were attracting some riff-raff, so we have tried. to discourage them”.

“OK Mrs Brown, but, it hasn't worked – we are still here”, was Tom's response.

As I said – one of the good guys.

First Time I Saw Him, I Knew The Kid Would Be Capped

JUST occasionally in this sports-writing lark, you see a performance from a youngster, which absolutely convinces you – that kid is going places. Mind you, I have been wrong with quite a few from my days as a football reporter, but, that might have something to do with the shambles that is Scottish fitba, and the frazzled states inside so-many fitba players heids.

In rugby, it took me about three minutes of my first sighting of Andy Irvine to realise, that guy was going to be every bit as good as the hype suggested. Ditto Gavin Hastings and, closer to home, those of us who first saw him as a teenager, always knew Mark Bennett had the elusive X-factor.

Last season, in the course of covering an Ayr v Boroughmuir game, I began to notice the way 'Muir got go-forward ball, whenever young Magnus Bradbury had the ball. It was clear then, this was a big lump who was going right to the top.

So, I am delighted that he has been handed his Scotland debut against Argentine at BT Murrayfield on Saturday, and I am certain the boy will do well. Of course, he is carrying a wee bit of an additional burden, inasmuch as his mother is one of the Murrayfield High Heid Yins, as vice president of the SRU.

The SRU has history in this, with sons of “blazers” being capped, in some instances as what appeared to us on the sidelines, a case of the old Hollywood saying: “The son also rises”. I can remember one particularly useless hooker with an “establishment” club from Edinburgh getting a cap, ahead of at least three more-worthy hookers with Glasgow clubs.

“How did that useless so-and-so get capped”? I remember asking Gordon Brown at the time.

“Dunno, all we other forwards can think is, it has something to do with his father-in-law being Chairman of the selection committee”, was the answer.

In the next Scotland Trial, said son-in-law, propped by Ian McLauchlan and Sandy Carmichael, shipped 11 against the head to one of the Glasgow hookers, whose props were nowhere near the class of Scotland's two Lions' props – he (the Glasgow hooker) still didn't get into the team.

No such accusations of nepotism can be raised against big Magnus's elevation to the capped ranks – the boy is in on merit and I wish him well.

It is also good to see Tommy Seymour, probably Scotland's best winger, back in the XV. The chosen XV is pretty-much the one we all expected. We will be given a stern examination by Los Pumas, but, I believe we can win.

Scotland team to play Argentina at BT Murrayfield Stadium

Saturday 19 November (kick-off 5pm) - live on BBC

15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 46 caps; 11 tries, 3 pens, 64 points 14 Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 24 caps; 3 tries, 15 points 13 Huw Jones (Stormers) – 2 caps; 2 tries, 10 points 12 Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps; 5 tries, 25 points 11 Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 29 caps; 13 tries, 65 points   10 Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors) – 20 caps; 2 tries, 3 cons, 1 pen, 19 points 9 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester) – 54 caps; 4 tries, 68 cons, 129 pens, 543 points   1 Allan Dell (Edinburgh Rugby) – 1 cap 2 Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 18 caps 3 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 2 caps 4 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) – 13 caps; 1 try, 5 points 5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 26 caps; 2 tries, 10 points 6 Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped 7 Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 3 caps 8 John Barclay (Scarlets) – 53 caps; 4 tries, 20 points   Substitutes:16 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) – 100 caps; 2 tries, 10 points 17 Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors) – 1 cap 18 Moray Low (Exeter Chiefs) – 35 caps 19 Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 24 caps 20 Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) – 21 caps 21 Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – uncapped 22 Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 21 caps; 2 tries, 1 con, 1 pen, 15 points 23 Tim Visser (Harlequins) – 27 caps; 11 tries, 55 points Unavailable through injury: Alasdair Dickinson (hamstring), Richie Gray (possible concussion), John Hardie (ankle/knee/concussion), Josh Strauss (calf).

Yes We're Upbeat, But, We Still Have Some Way To Go

I HAVE several (now former) rugby- playing friends, now part of the Caledonian Diaspora, in various parts of the world. All were, like me, disappointed at the final outcome, but, upbeat by the performance, following Saturday's match at BT Murrayfield.

Of course, we have been here before, there have been prior false dawns for Scottish rugby, but, we can hope, that, this time, we turn promise into performance and positive results in the weeks and months to come.

The introduction of Edinburgh's Cornell Du Preez into the squad is another positive step – he has shown, since arriving in the capital, he is a class act and I wish him well. I just wish the SRU would hurry-up and put in place a system whereby more of the exciting young talent we see in weekly action in the BT Premiership could take the step up to the professional ranks.

Given the SRU management group are keen to attract outside investment, we can take it, they will not be in the position to start the third professional team we need, to help Scotland better compete at the very-highest level.

We really need to take steps to close the gap between the two professional sides in the Guinness PRO12 and the BT Premiership. It is high time genuine efforts to get the oft-spoken about semi-professional league up and running.

For far too long, the leading club sides have been ignored by Murrayfield. But, that said, the clubs do not always help themselves. Some clubs still have this sense of entitlement – they have not been “top sides” or years, but, they still think they are. They do not have the infrastructure, or in some cases the organisation or desire to become leading semi-professional sides, but, they think they ought to be in there, and will find means to thwart any set-up which doesn't recognise that they ought to be there.

Then there is the tribalism which permeates so-much of Scottish life. We see it particularly in every Scottish sport.

For instance, last season the Club XV won both games, beating England and Ireland. Great, but, why is there not a Club XV Six Nations? This would be a great way of giving our top club players additional experience. Last summer the England squad that lost to Scotland in the Club XV International, toured South Africa. Why not our lads?

I would also like to see a Scotland B squad, or Under-23 squad, getting involved in games against the lesser European nations, to give our fringe professional players further experience – a lot of these guys don't play too-many games.

GPS “Phil” Macpherson, the inter-wars legend and captain of Scotland's first “Grand Slam”-winning side of the 1920s is among the latest tranche of inductees into World Rugby's Hall of Fame. Already a member of the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, Macpherson joins: Ned Haig and Melrose RFC, Ian McGeechan, Gavin Hastings, David Bedell-Sevright, Jimmy Greenwood, Bill McLaren, Gordon Brown and Andy Irvine as an inductee into the Hall of Fame. Also in there are the Scots who were members of the original 1888 “British Lions” tourists in Australia and NewZealand. One of these is the great Dr John Smith, one of the legends of the early glory days of Scottish football.

Smith has scored two hat-tricks against England, but, while Rugby has honoured his membership of those first “Lions”, he is still waiting induction into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.

Year Of The Underdog, But, Not For You Scotland

TYPICALLY – 2016's status as: “The Year of the Underdog” did not stretch to allowing Scotland to win either Friday night's football international at Wembley, or Saturday's Rugby Union one at BT Murrayfield. But: “You're no getting it” is a familiar message to we Scots.

There was much to enthuse about in Saturday's game. I had grave doubts about Scotland's scrum, which, by and large were ill-founded. I must admit, the first time I saw Allan Dell in action, I thought the SRU had boobed in bringing him over from South Africa – he simply didn't impress me.

Fair's fair, however, the young man from the East Cape has come along in leaps and bounds. He might still be a wee bit light in terms of sheer poundage, but, he is clearly strong, very mobile and, in games against opponents who seek to play a mobile, off-loading game, rather than primarily play a somewhat static, forward-orientated “arm wrestle”, he will be an asset.

An old front five “donkey” like me tends to mourn the switch away from tight play to free-flowing running rugby; this is the way ahead, however, and, for such games, Dell will be an asset.

Zander Fagerson can also play in the open. We know he is very-much a work in progress and Saturday was another positive step along the way.

The other unknown in Saturday's team also had a South African connection. As an unashamed Mark Bennett fan, I was a wee bit dismayed to see Marko not required on Saturday, but, Huw Jones certainly grabbed his chance and will take a bit of moving. He and the always excellent Alex Dunbar certainly did well, and, when we consider we have Bennett, Duncan Taylor and Matt Scott to throw into the midfield mix, we are better-off in this area than we have been for many years.

In the final analysis, I feel, where we lost on Saturday was through the injuries to Ryan Wilson, then John Hardie – we simply had no further reinforcements to throw in. Perhaps we should be thinking of a 6-2 forwards/backs splits in future games, to offset the demands on today's forwards.

We would surely need to have a specialist scrum-half on the bench, but, could well get by with one other back. Greig Laidlaw can play at nine or ten, Peter Horne at stand-off or in the centre; Stuart Hogg can play just as effectively at 10, 12, or 13, as at 15. Sean Matiland can play in any of the back three positions.

Up front, Fraser Brown has shown, he can put-in an international-class shift at either hooker or open-side. Indeed, I wonder if there had been any way we could have got Ross Ford back on, with Brown at seven, after Hardie went off. It might have served us better.

So, to sum-up, we played well, but came-up just short. The trick now is to kick-on, beat Argentine and Georgia, avoid further injuries, then send Vern Cotter on his way with our best Six Nations performance of this century. I will not specifically ask for a Six Nations win, but, we are due one.

JUST one wee quibble about Saturday, and that concerns the BBC coverage. Do we really HAVE to have that tit-on-steroids John Inverdale foisted on us? He is now a bigger irritant than his dear friend Jeremy Guscott.

Gabby Logan is not everyone's cup of tea – for my money, in terms of female talking heads she falls a long way behind Clare Baldwin and oor ain Hazel Irvine – but, she is married to a Scottish hero.

If The Irish Can Beat The All Blacks - What's Stopping Us?

IRELAND, Ireland, together standing tall – and the Murphyia – the game was in Chicago after all – never stood taller than they did in ending the All Blacks' magnificent 18-match unbeaten streak at Soldier's Field on Saturday night.

Soldier's Field, no “Soldier's Song” and a bizarre bit of fiddling for “Ireland's Call” - and we all thought the Yanks did PR well!!!

But, to the game, the Men in Green really got tore into the Men in Black, with what we who watch the PRO12 now know to be Irish ferocity. Nobody saw this one coming, but, no praise is too-much for Joe Schmidt's men. Many more results like this and Joe is a shoo-in to be the next All Blacks' coach.

Again, the sad passing of Anthony Foley was referenced before and after the match – with the Irish team lining up in a figure of eight for instance. If I was BOD or POC I'd be worried.

“Jaisus Paddy, the lads are not playing too-well, and we've got the Six Nations coming up”.

“Don't worry Sheamus – we'll bump-off BOD and the lads will play out of their skins to honour him, then, just before the 2019 World Cup, POC will have a wee accident and, job done”.

Cynic – moi?

I AM a wee bit worried about the special attention Zander Fagerson is getting in the build-up to the Autumn Tests. I know he's a big lump. I know he's a very special talent in the making, but, Zander is, in front row terms, just a kid.

The timing of Wilem Nel's neck injury is disappointing, but, Scotland faces three huge scrummaging examinations over the next three Saturdays, let's just hope Zander gets through them unscathed, without putting a lot of pressure on him to do well.

Also, although he has been propping on the other side of the scrum for his club of late, I would not be surprised to see Moray Low being handed the number three jersey against the Australians – BVC has always been a conservative coach, who may well go with the more-experienced man.

GLASGOW gave a honking display in Llanelli on Saturday night. They were no better than ok in the first half, but, the way they couldn't make their pressure pay had me worried. Then, in the second half, the Scarlets found an extra gear of two and it was game over.

And, well done to Edinburgh. I for one, honestly did not fancy their chances against Ulster at Murrayfield, but, after their slip-up against Zebre, they showed the right stuff to battle back and win.

I know Glasgow had the weaker team in Wales, but, something needs to be done to keep the fringe players closer to the necessary intensity of first team play. Glasgow and Edinburgh B teams, playing in the British and Irish Cup might help. The partnership players, plus the best of the Premiership guys, could be utilised to pad-out the squads. After all, the Irish and Welsh provinces pick B teams, or “Premiership Selects” for their B&I Cup squads.

Of course, for this to happen – Murrayfield would suddenly have to pay attention to the BT Premiership clubs. Naw, cannae see this happening any time soon. By the way, has anyone seen the Lesser-Spotted Johnston lately?

I DESPAIR at the decision-making on the Sports Desk of a certain Glasgow-based daily newspaper, which has, until comparatively recently been one of the organs of record in rugby coverage.

At the weekend, the top four clubs in the BT Premiership: Melrose, Ayr, Glasgow Hawks and Heriot's went head-to-head in league games. Ayr and Glasgow Hawks are both based within the Glasgow and West of Scotland area which is that paper's heartland.

I cover games at both Ayr and Hawks, and am getting fed-up listening to long-established readers of that particular paper bemoaning the lack of coverage their club receives. A lot of these guys have stopped taking the paper, partly because of this.

So, on Saturday, with Hawks at Melrose, first entertaining third, and Ayr at home to Heriot's – second hosting fourth, in easily the two joint “Matches of the Day”, what did the papers sports desk decision-makers do – they sent an excellent Edinburgh-based freelance to cover Stirling County v Boroughmuir as their feature game. Two clubs in the relegation zone.

And, they wonder why the paper is haemorrhaging readers.

Right, rant over – now let's consider the state of the Premiership. Ayr v Heriot's was just as intense as we thought it would be. Again, as so-often, Ayr's combination of a well-organised defence and a very strong pack carried the day. But, that said, both back divisions entertained when given the chance.

Ross Curle, as so-often against Heriot's, got to sit on the naughty step, for a marginal tip tackle. But, the real talking point was the way, mid-way through the second-half, after Struan Cessford was yellow-carded after he caved-in under pressure from George Hunter, Heriot's suddenly had to go to unopposed scrums.

The way the whole thing was orchestrated stank to high heaven. Unopposed scrums nullified Ayr's previous scrum control. Fair play to Phil Smith for circumventing the rules as he appeared to do, but, it just didn't look right.

Meanwhile, the medical staff seemed to be the busiest bees down at the Greenyards, with the pitch at times resembling a MASH as injured players were cleared off the pitch. But, well done to Melrose for coming back so well after Hawks streaked into an early lead.

The Premiership now goes into limbo for the Autumn Internationals, but, looking ahead, Saturday, 17 December, with the current top four going head-to-head again – Melrose hosting Ayr, Hawks entertaining Heriot's looks like being a pre-Christmas cracker of an afternoon.