A Great Start, The Task Now Is To Kick-On From Here

HEY! We won our opening fixture in the RBS Six Nations, who'd have thunked it. This welcome victory was a long time coming, and the fact it immediately put the kibosh on the Murphyia's Grand Slam hopes was a wee bonus.

I've always had a lot of time for Paddy. In a former life, I spent a lot of long days and hilarious nights in the company of various Paddies, and, Paddy and Jock always, in my experience, got on well. But, in recent years, as Irish Rugby has had some unexpected successes, some of the lads have began to aspire to Welsh and English levels of arrogance. This was evident from the howls of complaint about how Glasgow set about controlling Munster – by handing Conor Murray an uncomfortable afternoon. Cue howls of outrage from a club who has made systematic cheating and stretching the laws an art form.

 Gregor Townsend - quickly shut-up O'Gara

Then, just before Saturday's game, Ronan O'Gara pile into the controversy with an ill-judged tweet about Scotland, which received a well-timed and succinct put-down from Gregor Townsend. If ROG is all that concerned about Munster and Ireland, he should maybe jack-in his lucrative contract with Racing 92 and persuade Munster, or the IRFU to give him a job. Mind you, with the problems Racing are having, he would maybe be better-off looking after his current contract and getting some improved results for his club side.

Any way. At half-time on Saturday at BT Murrayfield, I was if not shock, in a sort of stunned disbelief. “Not even Scotland can lose from this position”, was my thinking – which is a long way from wondering just how we were going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, my default position of recent years.

Pluses from the win:

Our defence was again marvellous, I hope the SRU has Matt Taylor on a good, long-term contract, the way he has tightened-up our defence has been worthy of greater honours.

Our strike runners are getting better and better. It's not just Stuart Hogg, who was again on-fire, we have genuine threats right across the back line.

The Irish back row is good, but, we matched them. Hamish Watson put in a great shift, then gave way to John Barclay, who was even better. While Josh Strauss and Ryan Wilson matched their distinguished individual opponents.

The Grays just get better and better. Both should go on the Lions' tour.

We looked fitter.

The minuses:

We feared our front row might struggle. Admirer though I am of the way he has come-on in leaps and bounds since joining Edinburgh, I don't think Allan Dell is an international-class prop. There is no way a club third-choice should be starting for his country. I don't know what Gordy Reid has to do to convince BVC and Jonathan Humphries he is a class act, but, in the absence of Dicko, he should start at one. I also think Alex Allan is a better prop than Dell, while, there is no way Simon Berghan should be anywhere near the Scotland squad. There are better tight-heads in the BT Premiership.

We only played for 60-minutes on Saturday. We must sort-out our failure to maintain first half impetus into the third quarter.

I might have my doubts about Dell, but, I have to say, I thought he got a couple of bum calls from Raymond Poite on Saturday. Mr Poite has never, to my mind, been a good referee of the scrum, he got a few wrong on Saturday.

Well, one down, four to go – onwards and upwards.

The winning Scotland team with the Centenary Quaich on Saturday

It All Gets Interesting This Weekend

FOR all the excitement we have had since the 2016-17 rugby season kicked-off back in August – between the Guinness PRO12 and European club games, not forgetting the joys of the under-appreciated BT Premiership, plus the Autumn Tests, only this weekend, with the start of the Six Nations, does the rugby season truly catch fire.

As ever for the rugby division of the Tartan Army, we set-off on the annual journey, more in hope than expectation. That said, expectations are somewhat greater this season than they have been in the past.

For the first time, both our professional sides have qualified for the knock-out stages of the European competitions; Scotland had a good, indeed promising Autumn internationals series, which might have been better and, our promising young players are becoming more-experienced and better. There is a Lions tour at the end of the season, and, for the first time in yonks, there are hopes of more than a token Scottish representation on the tour.

But, for everything to come together, Scotland MUST get off to a good start, when we entertain the Irish at BT Murrayfield on Saturday in the opening match of this season's Six Nations.

Once upon a time, we owned the Irish whose bi-annual visits to Murrayfield always seemed to end in a Scotland win. These days are long gone, and, it is long past the time we started making home advantage pay again.

If you can ignore the sounds of: “Why are we so good”, coming from the white-shirted Common Enemy, you would not be mocked for making the Irish the favourites for this season's 6N, after all, if they can beat the All Blacks, who in Europe need they fear?

But, for all their good players, their confidence and their form, the Irish are not markedly better than the Scots. Home advantage just might be enough to bring the Scots home on Saturday.

Vern Cotter named his match-day 23 this lunch time, and the Scotland team and replacements are:

15. Stuart Hogg; 14, Sean Maitland, 13, Huw Jones, 12 Alex Dunbar, 11. Tommy Seymour; 10, Finn Russell, 9. Greig Laidlaw (capt); 1 Allan Dell, 2, Fraser Brown, 3. Zander Fagerson; 4, Richie Gray, 5. Jonny Gray; 6. Ryan Wilson, 7. Hamish Watson, 8. Josh Strauss. 

Replacements: 16. Ross Ford, 17. Gordon Reid, 18. Simon Berghan, 19. Tim Swinson, 20. John Barclay; 21. Ali Price, 22. Duncan Weir, 23. Mark Bennett.

It is difficult to find fault with the 23 men BVC has chosen. Some might have found a place somewhere in the squad for either or both of Duncan Taylor and Matt Scott. However, we have such strength-in-depth battling for the 12 and 13 jerseys, it was always a close call as to who would miss out.

The other disputed area of the team is the back row, where, again, BVC has an embarrassment of riches from which to choose. Some will question the absence of John Barclay from the starting XV. However, as arguably our most-versatile back rower, JB will provide across the line cover off the bench and, when he is deployed in the second half, he could be a game changer.

The three designated back division replacements will also give Cotter the luxury of being able to change the game plan if he wishes. My only reservation about the squad is the decision to give the uncapped Simon Berghan the back-up tight-head role. To me, he has never shown that he is international quality and,while, should be get on, I wish him all the best, I'd rather have seen Jon Welsh of Newcastle Falcons wearing the 18 shirt. In fact, I'd rather have seen Glasgow's under-rated Darcy Rae in the squad before Berghan.

The Irish squad is:

15. R Kearney; 14. K Earls, 13.G Ringrose, 12. R Henshaw, 11.S Zebo; 10.P Jackson, 9. C Murray; 1. J McGrath, 2. R Best, 3.T Furlong; 4. I Henderson, 5.D Toner; 6. CJ Stander, 7. S O'Brien, 8. J Heaslip. 

Replacements: 16. N Scannell, 17. C Healy, 18. U Dillane, 19. J Ryan, 20. J van der Flier, 21. K Marmion, 22. I Keatley, 23. T Bowe.

It is, naturally, a strong Irish squad, but, while we will be without Alasair Dickinson and WP Nel, Messrs Dell and Fagerson have coped well, so far, with the demands of international rugby, the Irish too are missing some big names, and, certainly they will miss Johnny Sexton far more than we will miss our absentees.

It may well be a tight game, but, we can win it and get off to a great start.

 

In the other two internationals, I am sitting firmly on the fence when it comes to England v France. With home advantage, one would expect the English to win, however, if the old France turns up, who knows what might happen.

 

The final game, in Rome on Sunday, ought to be a win for Wales, but, this Welsh side is, I feel, on the slide and if there is a shock this weekend, this is where it will happen.

Could The Pro Sides' Success Kick-Start A Great Six Nations?

ALRIGHT class, settle down – we have a fair bit to get through today, so, listen carefully.

Now, we were all absolutely delighted by Glasgow's marvellous win over Leicester on Saturday, but, that was then – we are into a new week, with new challenges facing us. Not least among these is the imminent start to the 2017 Six Nations, and, as you all know, we've never won the damned thing.

Well, if the Scotland squad can channel their inner Warrior, who is to say this will not be out year. I realise, received wisdom has it that Scotland's best chance of winning the Six Nations is in the season when we have England and France at home. Well we were away to both the last time we won the Five Nations, so let's just ignore that old chestnut.

I am under no illusions as to how difficult it will be to win the damned thing this year – because, it's very hard to win it in any year. However, if a squad based on the club squad which has beaten Racing 92 and Leicester home and away does not believe, then that squad never will.

Scotland has improved markedly since Big Vern Cotter took over. Regardless of the politics which have conspired to see him finish his contract early, the players surely owe it to the big man to send him on his way to France victorious.

First up are Ireland, nearly everyone outside the Sudentenland's favourites for the title this season. Sure, they beat the All Blacks, and won well on the day. Of course they are dangerous, but, unbeatable, no way Jose. It used to be the Irish couldn't even win a penalty at Murrayfield; formidable though they are, we can get back to these days.

A win over the Irish can kick-start a very good campaign. If you can beat the team that beat the All Blacks, you need fear nobody. Wales are in severe decline, England are in disarray with injuries, and we are well past the time we won again at Twickenham, while with home advantage, we should surely beat Italy this year. That only leaves France. Well, you never know with France, but, even in Paris, they are beatable.

I like the look of our extended squad. I have just two quibbles – there is absolutely no way, even in a bad year, which this is gearing up not to be, that Simon Berghan is Scotland class. Good luck to the boy, but, he shouldn't be in there, Glasgow's Darcy Rae is a superior tight-head, and, Cornel Du Preez ahead of Magnus Bradbury – what is that all about?

Of course, both Berghan and Du Preez are “project players” - well, unless you are getting someone special such as Josh Strauss, or you are recruiting genuine, top-class Scotland-qualified talent such as John Hardie and Huw Jones, I'd forget about overseas recruitment and spend a bit more on bringing through young, Scottish talent – but, that argument is for another post.

Meanwhile, let's hope the squad has a good camp and we get off to a winning start on Saturday week.

JIMMY Hay's funeral in Glasgow on Friday was a true celebration of a great rugby character. Being Scotland team doctor for a spell in the 1990s was an enjoyable break from the reality of life as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon for wee Jimmy, an Honest Man of Ayr who always seemed to be smiling.

Jimmy had a good rugby life. He captained the legendary unbeaten Ayr Academy First XV of Mike Denness, Ian Ure and Ian McLauchlan. He played in the first Ayr Seven to win the club's tournament, they had to wait 22-years for a second win, by which time Jimmy's son Andy was playing, but, mainly he simply enjoyed playing. Never more-so than when in tandem with his equally laid-back brother-in-law Bill Mowat as a pair of half-backs who could have played tig wi a room full of monkeys and never been het.

Club ties was the order of the day and just about every club in Glasgow District, and a few from elsewhere were to be seen inside Sherbrooke St Gilbert's Church, alongside various medical faculty ties. The congregation included everyone from former Scotland captains and SRU Presidents down to guys who never got into their club's first team, all, touched in some way by Jimmy. Scottish rugby has lost one of the good guys.

IT IS still a quiet murmur, little more than a whisper, but, I get the feeling if Mr Dodderer, the Lesser-Spotted Johnston and the other High Heid Yins at BT Murrayfield do not do something, and quickly, the club game will rise in revolt.

The BT Premiership is, yet again this season, producing some pretty good quality rugby. OK, with two games still to play, we know three of the four teams in the end of season play-offs, but, below that, we have a ding-dong between Currie and Heriot's for the fourth spot, and a relegation battle which will go right to the wire.

Indeed, it might be that, on 18 February, Gala will host Boroughmuir in a winner-takes-all survival battle. The Braw Lads are in a braw pickle, however. There last two games are that one with Boroughmuir, preceded by another big game, at third-bottom Hawick – who's going to referee that one – Nigel Owens?

Mind you, the team that finishes second-bottom will still face the promotion/relegation play-off against the team which finishes second in National League One, which, as far as I can ascertain, has been a high-quality competition this season.

Peter Brown was at Jimmy Hays funeral, it was noticeable, he was wearing his Marr rather than his Gala tie, which might tell you something.

I LAVISHED praise, rightly, on Glasgow, at the start of this post. So I end it with further praise, for Edinburgh, who have topped their pool in the European Challenge Cup and consequently have a home quarter-final.

Yes, the capital side is still, at times, guilty of inconsistency, but, they beat Harlequins home and away and thoroughly deserve to have qualified.

Two Scottish teams in the European finals, in Edinburgh – is this too-much to ask? It could happen though.

Weegie Warriors Winning At Welford Road Would Be Wonderful

WELL, we ken noo; if Glasgow beats Leicester at Welford Road this weekend, they will have crashed through their glass ceiling and into the knock-out stages of the European Champions Cup.

It cannot be doubted, Gregor Townsend's squad has the talent and belief to win at an English ground where away victories have long been thin on the ground. The Tigers are in some disarray following the sacking of Richard Cokerill and Aaron Mauger's elevation to Honcho status. They have an injury list as long as the M1, but, it will still be very, very difficult for Glasgow to win there.

I think they can win I only hope the get a strong referee on the day, because Leicester will do everything in their power to prevent Glasgow from playing their entertaining front foot rugby. Munster managed to do this at Scotstoun on Saturday, but, I don't think, even with home advantage, this Leicester side is as good as Munster.

But, we are Scottish after all. The typically Scottish thing for Glasgow to do would be, having twice beaten Racing 92, and thrashed Leicester at Scotstoun, to stumble at this final fence and just fail of qualify. A scenario like Glasgow winning without a bonus point, but losing-out to a team which gains one would be about par for the course.

There, I've said it, let's hope I am, as so often, wrong.

I ONLY saw the highlights which BT Sport showed, of the Munster game at Scotstoun. I did have a laugh, however, at some of the “below the line” readers' comments on the Guardian website. The Guardian has a solid readership amongst Irish rugby fans, and they were livid at what many perceived as Glasgow “targetting” that awfy nice wee boay Conor Murray, with some late tackles and other allegedly nefarious Weegie tactics.

You have to laugh – there was me thinking our Irish friends got irony. To hear any Irish fan complaining about key men being targetted, about late hits and other unseemly practices gave me a laugh. Have they not been watching the four Irish sides in the Guinness PRO12 these many years, during which they have turned such foul play into an art form?

I suppose this helps explain where the Celtic Family's holier than thou attitude springs from – it's in the genes in Erin's green valleys.

I WAS covering Ayr v Boroughmuir, when the BT Premiership came out of festive hibernation on Saturday. And, after 12 minutes, with Ayr 21-0 up, I thought I would be chronicling a record score. Indeed, had Boroughmuir not taken the very brave decision to back-off and not engage as Ayr tried to rumble a maul forward off a five-metre line-out, I fear the flood gates would have burst asunder on them.

Whoever made that call had cojones. Ayr got done for truck and trailer and the pressure was relieved. This gave 'Muir new belief and the remainder of the match was a much-closer affair. Take away the first ten minutes of so, and, over the remaining 70, the score was 21-19 to Ayr, AND, 'Muir might have had two more tries. Ayr also gave away twice as many penalties as 'Muir as they battled to contain them. It was a lot closer than the eventual 42-19 scoreline might appear.

One cub reporter at the game had it down as “one-sided” and was very hard on 'Muir. He'll learn, but, he will have to face Peter Wright again at Old Anniesland on Saturday. Might be fun.

HUGE Kudos are due to Edinburgh, for winning at The Twickenham Stoop. Harlequins, like a lot of the top English sides, are not as good as their media mates make them out to be, so, losing to an Edinburgh side which, I gather, many in London do not rate, was a reality check for them.

I appreciate, Edinburgh can still be maddeningly inconsistent, but, I don't know what more Duncan Hodge can do to stake a claim for a longer shot at the Head Coach's role. I cannot think of any appropriately-qualified New Zealand coach whom the SRU might wish to airlift in.

Let's hope the Myreside move works for the club. Also, with so-many young Scots in their side, Edinburgh's future is bright. Good, too, to see Ben Toolis, arguably Europe's top line-out operator, having another good game in London. I rate Big Ben highly.

ANOTHER player I rate very highly is Hawick's young wing Darcy Graham. This kid ought, at the very least, to be in the Scotland Sevens squad. I get the feeling, if he doesn't get a pro contract from Murrayfied at the end of this season, one of the English clubs, probably Newcastle, will nick him.

Surely Scott McLeod has told Dean Richards what an unpolished diamond young Darcy is.

Let's See Our PRO12 Sides Continue In 2017 As They Ended 2016

A GUID NEW YEAR to all readers of this blog. I hope 2017 is good to you, and particularly good to Scottish Rugby.

Our two Guinness PRO12 sides certainly finished 2016 on a high, with their wins in Italy. I was particularly pleased to see Edinburgh beat Zebre, this one was a definite potential banana skin for Duncan Hodge's troops and one can only hope the move to Myreside brings better results for the team.

Glasgow's win at Treviso was not an easy watch for us stay-at-home fans. When Glasgow were good, they were kilometres better than the Italians, but, when they were bad – oh dear. Let's just say, Glasgow won ugly, which is a handy habit to have. They certainly got no favours from the Italian referee, who was, I felt, out of his depth, but, they didn't help themselves with a lot of sloppy handling and poor decision-making. Still, a win is a win.

I am getting a wee bit concerned at the new players. Big Brian Alainu'uese has been cited for a “no arms tackle” in Italy and both he and the other recent recruit, American Langilangi Haupeakui have, in their early weeks at Scotstoun, attracted a lot of unwanted attention from match officials – this needs sorting-out, and quickly.

The experiment of playing Hoggie at ten certainly worked, if not to 100%. I don't for instance, think Finn Russell has the gas to have pulled-off that length of the field intercept try which opened Glasgow#s account.

Speaking of our pro players. I noticed, from the latest set of Opta statistics, kindly distributed by the PRO12 media team, that Edinburgh's Ben Toolis is top of the line-out winning stats. I have long thought, he should be ahead of the quiet Tim Swinson in the Scottish pecking order.

MY OWN rugby travels generally take me round the BT Premiership grounds, and, I really feel, it is time the big clubs were making waves around BT Murrayfield and getting themselves a fairer crack of the whip.

OK, the vast majority of the players in this top club division are amateurs, and they obviously want to enjoy themselves a wee bit at this time of year. However, a 28-day break, including three fallow Saturdays is not good for the club coffers.

Fair enough, if bad weather intervenes, but, with global warming and what not, the days of losing games to bad weather in December are maybe behind us. Yes, the players will have had a chance to rest their tired bodies, but, the BT Premiership is a good league, which deserves better than the stop-start fixture scheduling which has been its lot this season.

And, I am missing my weekly live rugby fix.

LEICESTER'S decision to hand Director of Rugby Richard Cockerill his jotters just might be bad news for Glasgow, who are due at Welford Road on European Cup business on 21 January.

This could turn out to be a “must win” game for Toony's troops, and I have a feeling that, if, as has been widely reported in England, Cockrill had: “lost the dressing room”, then Aaron Mauger just might rediscover it before the Glasgow game, which will make it all the harder for Warriors to win at a ground where the home side does not often lose.

Christmas Came Early For Scottish Rugby This Weekend

WELL, that was some weekend in Scottish Rugby. Santa came early with a few heartening results to affirm the seasonal feelgood factor in the game.

Top of the pile has to be that Glasgow win in Paris. I left home for Millbrae and the Ayr v Hawick match, of which more later, having remembered to record the Glasgow game, but, with a sense of foreboding. After their last three Guinness PRO12 outings, I wondered if Toony could work his magic and get the real Glasgow to produce the way of the Warriors in Paris.

He did, and how. Glasgow's strength under Townsend has long been their defensive diligence – when they get it right without the ball, it makes it a lot easier for them to play when they do have it, and, they have never defended better than they did against Racing. The defensive effort was fantastic, every man stepped up and did his job.

A wee aside here. The London-based big-name rugby journalists, in pre-selecting their Lions' squad for New Zealand, are already promoting the cause of the entire England squad, plus half the England Saxons reserve squad. Now, it would be stupid to deny, England has some terrific players, but, they have looked good on front foot ball. I would reckon, in New Zealand next summer, the Lions will need some guys who are good defenders, and, I believe, in this respect, the likes of Jonny Gray and Ryan Wilson – who never gets mentioned in Lions' despatches, are infinitely better players than their English rivals for the red jersey. Just saying like.

Any way, the big test for Glasgow now is to back-up Saturday's performance, in front of what will be a packed and passionate Scotstoun on Friday night. I know, I know, French clubs don't play away from France, but, this hurt Racing team will come at Glasgow with all guns blazing. Big Naka will be keen to strut his unique stuff on his favourite ground. The job is only half done and it will take another massive shift to get it done on Friday. But, Glasgow has a sniff of a quarter-final place, don't spoil it now.

AND, what of Edinburgh, seemingly down and out at half-time, then reduced to 14 men by Phil Burleigh's red card. But still, they came good and won. The captial side continue to infuriate during a typically roller coaster season, but, they are still in there swinging.

If he isn't careful, Duncan Hodge just might play himself into the job full time – which might be no bad thing. Well done Edinburgh, a fantastic victory.

MEANWHILE, almost unnoticed by the mainstream media, the BT Premiership continues to, week on week, produce rugby worth talking about.

And nowhere was the talk more animated than in the Millbrae bar after Saturday's 85-point epic. The pre-match talk was all about how eight of the Hawick squad had taken themselves off to Barbados for a stag weekend. Hawick to Barbados, I thought the place was on its uppers; gnarled old Teris have been telling me for months: “The toon's fucked, there's nae joabs, nae money and damned little rugby talent”.

But, against the odds and with little to play with, Nikki Walker keeps the Green Machine if not flying to the heights of yore, in there scrapping.

And how they scrapped at Millbrae. The youngsters drafted in did what youngsters handed a green jersey have done since rugby was a 20 aside game; they played “fur the toon”, with pride and passion, and they gave Ayr a real fright.

Of course, when Ayr did things correctly, they were much the better side. But, perhaps they had read the pre-match pieces and decided they only had to turn up to win, any way, five minutes into the second half, and trailing by 20 points, Ayr suddenly realised they were in a game.

Skipper Pete McCallum roused his men, Frazier Climo's kicking game clicked in, and, Ayr came through, but, not before a late fright. The home side eased home in injury time, but, seldom have two points been as bravely and as rightly been won as the two Hawick took from this game.

Young Darcy Graham stood out, with two exceptional tries. He will surely, and soon, follow Stuart Hogg into the professional game – his broken field running was Hogg-like in the excitement it raised around the field. This kid is going places.

Meanwhile, Bruce McNeil was, just Bruce McNeil. If you cut the Hawick captain in half, he would be green, with Hawick written all the way through. He frustrates and infuriates opponents and oppositon fans alike. He must he a nightmare to referee, but, he is the totem pole around which Hawick gathers – what a leader.

On this display, Hawick, despite spending much of this season propping-up the table, will not be relegated.

There was a cracking game too at Myreside, where Glasgow Hawks, in spite of the controversial red-carding of Junior Bulumakau, kept on the winning way against a Watsonians team,, who went down with all guns blazing. And, it was another of the young guns, 19-year-old Josh Henderson, wot won it for Hawks with a nerveless last-kick penalty goal.

Looking ahead, Melrose, who absolutely crushed Gala, now welcome Ayr to the Greenyards on Saturday for a game which may well decide the first and second places in the end of season play-off seedings. This one will sizzle all the way through.

IT passed without much comment, but, there was a significant game played elsewhere in South Ayrshire on Saturday, with Marr kicking a late penalty to see off Edinburgh Academicals in the battle of the top two in National League 1.

There is still a lot of rugby to be played in this division, but, having come so close last season, Marr now have their noses in front and will be determined to hang on and take the automatic promotion spot at the end of the campaign.

I bet,up there in the great clubhouse in the sky, the two Broons – Broon from Troon himself and his contemporary, the lesser-known “Toad” Broon, were buying the drinks on Saturday night.

LET'S not forget another superb performance from our unheralded Sevens squad, who finished fourth in the latest IRB Sevens tournament in South Africa. Suddenly, Scotland has got to grips with the abbreviated form of international rugby. There was no shame in losing to the England team which was in effect, the Olympic silver medalists, sans Mark Bennett and Mark Robertson, before losing narrowly to New Zealand in the bronze medal match. Well done boys.