A Book About Exeter - Do You Want The Good News Or The Bad?

I HAVE been an Exeter fan since sitting just along from Rob Baxter when they played Glasgow Warriors at Millbrae a few years ago. I loved the story of a wee club which had worked its way up from small beginnings. I like the way they try to play and the presence of Hoggy, Jonny Gray, Sam Skinner and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne in their current squad has only strengthened my bond.

So, I am looking forward to obtaining a copy of the new book – 'Exe Men – The Rise of Exeter,' which is due to be published, by Polaris Publishing, in November. OK, there is a down-side, it is written by The Guardian's Robert Kitson, so, expect gratuitous references to Saracens throughout. It's still a cracking story which deserves to be told.

OKAY, I freely admit, I had a Pauline conversion when it came to Super6, and the voice of the Deity I heard had distinctly Taranaki twang, but, I remain convinced, S6 is an integral part of the future of Scottish Rugby.

Never say never, however, I honestly believe the SRU will stand by its five-year commitment to S6, and I honestly believe, they will support it beyond that.

In fact, I would not be surprised if, in ten years' time, the SRU rugby pyramid looks like this:

1. Level One – the full Scotland international team.

2. Level Two – our age group teams

3. Level Three – Glasgow and Edinburgh

4. Level Four – a Super 10 competition

5. Level Five – a National club competition

6. Level Six – Regional leagues

It has been obvious for some time now, Scottish Rugby cannot afford more than two full-time sides. It has long been suggested, our best chance of a third full-time professional side may well be one based on London Scottish.

Post-Covid, this may not be as-certain. In fact, I have heard it suggested, given the serious reduction in support which The Championship in England has been made aware of by the RFU, that Scottish might find themselves involved in an expanded S6, sooner rather than later. Watch this space.

Given the above, I find the continued opposition in some quarters to S6 a wee bit off. In many cases, this opposition is driven by a combination of jealousy – because the complainant's club is not involved – and a rugby version of politics' “Bain Principle.”

If you have not heard of the Bain Principle, it is a belief, fostered by the Scottish Branch of the Labour Party, and adopted too by the “Scottish” Conservatives. It states: “If the SNP is for it – we are against it.”

The early days of S6 have been an object lesson in “O'Reilly's Corollary.” This, an answer to “Murphy's Law” (If it can go wrong, it will) – states simply: “Dat Murphy always was a feckin' optimist.” To say if it could go wrong, it has, over these early days of S6 is truly to be guilty of under-statement.

However, S6 will bounce back. In fact, the latest delay in resuming playing, into next year, should finally give S6 a chance to show what it was intended to be. I remain confident in its future – in spite of the naysayers.

Mind you, I am not at all happy at some of the franchises' recent acquisitions. Scots-qualified players first – and young, Under-23 Scots-qualified players – please guys.

ON THE same subject (sort of), I have seen some criticism of Glasgow over their recruitment of Samoan cap TJ Ioane on a short-term deal. No qualms about his pedigree, yes, he will hit the ground running, but, surely there are guys in S6 who are worth a short-term punt with Glasgow, or Edinburgh.

The only possible down-side to this is, none of the S6 players has played since mid-March, so, they are bound to be rusty. Under those circumstances, it makes sense to recruit Ioane. However, when S6 is up and running properly, I trust that will be the first port of call for the two full-time squads when they need to recruit.

I WAS only able to watch short highlights of the overnight Bledisloe Cup clash between the All Blacks and Wallabies. It looked like one helluva game. I am, however, still wondering why the ABs didn't go for a dropped goal when, in the 88^th minute, wthey were pressing on the Wallabies' line. A bad case of team white line fever I fear.

The Rugby Onslaught website, which is a particularly poor example of the belief that England is the world's leading rugby nation, surpassed its own well-founded reputation for stupidity, however, intheir match coverage.

In the build-up to Jordie Barrett's opening try for the ABs. Rieko Ioane definitely put a foot in-touch across on the other wing. Rugby Onslaught wanted him banned for this, insisting Ioane knew his foot was on the line.

Utter pish, and, if anyone was at fault for not spotting the incident it was surely touch judge Angus Gardner, who was right behind him, had an excellent view and didn't flag. Cue a pile-on of btl commenters, shouting for Ioane's blood.

Mind you, I feel, the fact Ioane blew a certain try whenhe dropped the ball in the act of scoring was maybe Kismet.

Tell, you what, I will join in the condemnation of the foot in-touch, when Rugby Onslaught calls for the electric chair for Owen Farrell, for his crimes against tackling properly.

FINALLY, Mac Davis died last week. He wrote “In The Ghetto” for Elvis. He also wrote “Lord It's Hard To Be Humble” for Me, and for Dom McKay, and we are both in mourning this week.

Shockeroonie - Aristotle Is On The Side Of The Junta

I AM actually starting to feel a wee bit sorry for my friends in the BT Murrayfield Junta, as this pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world.

They have to be worried about the long-term effects on the game, as the restrictions continue and, below full-time professional level, we are unable to play.

Even where they can get guys playing, in the PRO14 and Internationals, such are the restrictions, the game is bleeding cash and the future looks far from bright.

The Junta cannot be pro-active in getting things back to normal, they can only react to any changes or initiatives brought in by government. This week, we learned that there would be no rugby in Scotland, below PRO14 level, before January, 2021. Pessimist that I am, I see that date as being a wee bit optimistic, but, fingers crossed, it could happen.

I was in contact during the week with one of The Junta, who still speaks to me, and believe you me, the boys at HQ are working bloody hard to try to get rugby out of this current situation in as good a place as possible.

They are in regular touch with the Scottish Government. Their Threat Management Group is meeting regularly to try to stay abreast of things. The SRU Council and the main SR|U Board are meeting regularly and trying to do their best for the game.

But, this is Scotland, and I have seen, on various rugby websites and in comments on this blog – the natives are in their usual state – revolting. I see letters and posts claiming a lack of action. Well, I have been following the Union's advice and guidance to clubs – the latest missive on which was published on Friday, and the advice and notifications put out seem very-comprehensive and easy to follow to me – and I am an old front five “donkey.”

I doubt very much that the SRU could say or do more than they are doing at the present time. Of course, that's not good enough for some within the game. Having spent years complaining about TCD or Dom making statements to the media on behalf of the SRU|, they are now complaining because President Ian Barr took the lead in Friday's announcements.

Now, I realise, Ian has his own day job to contend with, so, there will be times when it is more convenient for TCD or Dom to be quoted, but, I am actually pleased to see Ian taking the lead role.

In politics, the spadework is done by the Civil Servants (well in properly-functioning governments – I doubt if we can attribute that to the Westminster shambles). The civil servants look at the options involved in pursuing a certain line – they then offer alternatives to the elected representatives, who make the final decision. That's how democracy – government of the people,by the peiple works. The peoples' representatives – the elected representatives – make the decisions.

There is a view about, and it is one I agree with, that, over the past few years, through some weak, easily-led representatives being elected to the SRU Council and Board, the paid officials – the SRU's “civil service” was having to, or being allowed to, run things.

I get the impression these days are past and the elected officials are rather more in command of events. So, I am not only happy to see Ian Barr making announcements, I hope to see more of this. It shows democracy is making a come-back.

I have also received missives calling for some public statements by interim Chairman John Jeffrey. JJ is Chairman of SRU Plc, the board. My reading of the situation is, where matters concern the overall Scottish Rugby Union – the body which runs the club game, we should be hearing from Ian Barr and not JJ. That is what is happening.

My advice to some of the moaners is – Aye, you're moaning, but, you'r eScottish, that's what we do, moan and complain. But, in this case, I am with The Junta.

Gie's a brek, we're daein' oor best in difficult times.

By the way, I have also received missives, calling for the abandonment of professional rugby and a return to the good old days of strictly amateur rugby, played by clubs, with the internaitonal team emerging through the best club players being selected for the Inter-District Championship.

To those advocating a return to those days, a wee reality check. We maybe shite today, but, we were shite back then too. These days are past, and in the past they must remain.

Yes, we probably need to again redraw the blueprint for Scottish rugby. Yes, professional rugby may well be unviable in Scotland, but, the reality is, the genie is out of the bottle and Open Rugby is here to stay. There is no going back to the good old days.

FINALLY, this week, I bought my copy of: “Ken Scotland – The Autobiography,” published by Polaris Books.

 

 

The legendary Herioter is, as regular followers of this blog will know, my all-time rugby hero. He was a class act as a player and the book, which apart from an excellent foreword from another class act, Allan Massie, is all his own work, oozes class.

It is a wonderful read, I went through it in jig time. I commend this tome to the house. I may even have to ask the Heriot's high heid yins if I can get into Goldenacre, to have Ken sign it for me.

Put Ken Scotland – The Autobiography on your Christmas wish list.

Those Were The Days My Friend

YESTERDAY, I was speaking with an old rugby friend, Dougie Stanley, Team Manager of Ayrshire Bulls.

 

 

Ayrshire Bulls' Dougie Stanley
 

Dougie was telling me, he has been having a clear-out and he happened upon some old Ayr Rugby Club records. One such record was the official club report on season 1973-74, when Ayr were in Division Two of the then new Scottish Leagues.

In that season, the club's teams played the following fixtures:

• First XV - 36 games

• Second XV - 27 games

• A1 XV - 23 games

• A2 XV - 27 games

• Third XV - 24 games

• Miscellaneous 7 games

That's 144 game for five teams, across a season which began on 1 September, and finished on 30 April. These figures do not include outings at sevens, at a time when there was a complete and long-standing Glasgow District series of tournaments: off the top of my head: Allan Glen's, Glasgow University, Greenock Wanderers, Ayr, Glasgow Accies, Kilmarnock; while the club's lower XVs competed in such Sevens as the tournament at Dumfries, Wigtownshire, Ardrossan and Cumnock.

Ayr reached the final of the Glasgow & District Knock-Out Cup that season, losing to Jordanhill College, and the final of the Ayrshire Cup, losing to Kilmarnock. The Ai and A2 XVs also competed in the Ayrshire Junior Cup.

In season 2018-19, the last full season before Covid-19, Ayr's first team completed a league and cup double, but played a mere 23 games in the season. The second XV played a mere 18 Reserve League fixtures and the club's associate team Millbrae, withdrew from the West Regional League, Division Three, through its inability to raise a team.

So, in the last full season, Scotland's leading club side played a mere 28% of the fixtures they had played in the mid-seventies – that is some fall-off in playing numbers.

In 1974, we didn't have replacements, so that meant on most weeks of the season, with Ayr fielding five XVs, they had 75 guys, kitted-out in pink and black, on various parks. Last season, which of course was incomplete, if Ayrshire Bulls were playing, they had three XVs – Bulls, Ayr Club XV and Ayr-Millbrae in the Reserve Leagues. That's 45 starters, plus maybe a further 15 replacements across the three sides – 60 players.

However, the Bulls only played a total of 13 games last season, the Ayr Club XV played 21 games and the Ayr-Millbrae XV in the West Reserve Leagues only played 14 games – a total of 48 games across the club – or one-third of the 1974 club fixture load.

So, while player numbers have decreased by only one-fifth in the 46 years we are looking at, games played have fallen by two-thirds. And, in counting our 60 players, some only got a few minutes game time, now and again. This has to be worrying.

As a wee aside to this: I was covering Ayr for one of the local papers back then, and from my records I note, in season 1971-72, the first XV played a total of 41 games, with tight-head prop John Burston, who was a Glasgow District player, playing every minute of every match. And we praise Zander Fagerson if he's on the park for longer than an hour of any game.

I doubt if we will ever get back to that 1974 level of playing games.

Some thoughts carrying-on from the above:

THE problem, as I see it, is the paid officials within the Murrayfield Junta, are not really interested in the grass-roots. Grass-roots rugby costs them, and it does not bring-in the big money. The big money comes from the Scotland international side. The paid officials need to have the national side filling BT Murrayfield on a minimum of five Saturdays in the year (three Autumn Internationals plus the minimum two home Six Nations game).

The cash generated from these five games – via gate money, TV money and the profit from the corporate hospitality and public food and drink sales is what feeds their families and their massive egos.

That money also underwrites the losses they make on running the Age Group national sides, the two loss-making full-time professional teams (I know, we don't actually know if Edinburgh and Glasgow are loss-making, but, would anyone like to bet that they make money?) Thought not.

What is left over, filters down to the grass-roots club game, via Sheila Begbie's Rugby Development department.

I sense there is a mind-set within Murrayfield, a feeling: “Let's not try too hard to increase playing numbers. Let's try to get the kids playing up to age 18, after that, the really keen will carry-on, but, let's hope the not-so-good and the not-so-keen will happily switch over to being spectators, watching Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh and spending their money on us.”

I hope I am wrong, but, I have a feeling, that might be what they mean by “Fewer but stronger.” Fewer players, but stronger finances – since, with The Junta, it all comes down to the bottom line.

Sadly, I fear, the longer the shut-down goes on, the more the less-keen and motivated club players will drift away. The SRU will have some difficult choices to make, and some hard yards to plough if we are not to end up with a professional and semi-professional top crust to the game, and very little filling in the main part of the pie – the club game.

I fear a few smaller clubs will fold due to lack of numbers, while some of the mid-level clubs will find themselves in serious financial trouble, if they have much longer to endure lower bar income and a lack of inter-action with their membership.

I know, there is not much they can say at Murrayfield just now. I also know, the elected and paid officials are having a lot of meetings and working hard to be able to hit the ground running when the restrictions are lifted. I also know, when that happens is out of their hands, but, increasingly, unrest is growing, because they are not offering information or even inspiration.

Come on guys – give us something to cling to.

A Bad Start - Let's Hope They Sort things Out - Quickly

FURTH of some of the more-extreme companies of the Tartan Army, certainly in a sporting context, cock-eyed optimism is not a trait one associates with the Scots. The wind is all too-often in our faces and many of us, beaten-down by years of bitter experience, approach any sporting occasion involving a Scottish team with the attitude: “Well, how are we going to fuck things up this time?”

Generally, in answering that negative question, our sporting representatives manage to come up with a scenario even Daryl F Zanuck would have discarded as being totally beyond reason.

So, bearing the aforementioned in mind, I was not at all surprised when Glasgow Warriors fell into a peat bog in the west of Ireland, then, immediately thereafter, Edinburgh were shat upon from a great height by Ospreys, on home turf too.

I could, at this stage, burst into song: going with the Cy Coleman/Dorothy Fields classic: “It's Not Where You Start – It's Where You Finish,” from the 1973 Broadway musical “Seesaw,” but actually, I am more-inclined towards the Gracie Fields' war-time singalong: “Here We Go Again, Happy As Can Be.”

OK, we might not be lying on the platform at Bethnal Green tube station, listening to the Luftwaffe dropping bombs on the East End of London, but, the Scottish Rugby community is waiting for someone to come along and offer us a chink of light and some leadership, while we are blasted from all sides.

Might that man be Performance Director Jim Mallinder? Certainly circumstances have not been kind to the former Northampton Saints Honcho since he arrived in the role in August, 2019.

Barely had he got his feet under the table and started sussing-out the lie of the land and the Byzantine politics of EH12, than we went into lockdown, where the good ship Scottish Rugby lies more-or-less becalmed to this day.

I get the impression, any input Mallinder has into how SRU Plc runs its two PRO14 sides is at best advisory – and, with nothing happening below that level, he might well be a somewhat frustrated man by now.

To the dismay, disgust, irritation, anger, frustration – whatever negative feeling you might wish to admit to – of the body of the Scottish Rugby kirk, nothing seems to be happening. Or, if anything is happening, around the leadership of the game, the currently faceless men inside the Big Top are certainly not in a hurry to tell the wider constituency what is going on.

OK, fair's fair, Ian Barr and Colin Rigby did allow a brief chink of light to be shed on things, and, will hopefully pull the curtains a bit further open as we move ahead, but, leopards don't change their spots and I still feel the wider Junta would rather stick with the “mushroom-growing” management model which has served them so-well over the years.

If I am being too-cryptic here, this involves keeping us in the dark and periodically throwing some shite over us. I mean, they even have their own COO to provide the essential basic ingredient.

These are crucial days both at Scotstoun and Murrayfield, the rot has to be stopped quickly, or the pressure will mount.

AWAY from the full-time game, things are looking dire, the spike in Covid-19 cases has put the start of the club game back another couple of weeks, and it is not being overly-downbeat to suggest – we might not see club rugby this side of the Bells.

It is also doubtful if there will be any supporters inside Murrayfield for the upcoming internationals, or at PRO14 games in Scotland. Some of her supporters might like to suggest, Wee Nippy, our Glorious Leaderene, is being ultra-cautious in how she handles the pandemic – I fear she rather enjoys being a near-absolute dictator, with no great interest in sport, when it does not offer good PR. She's a politician in other words – not to be trusted.

I fear we may already have lost a lot of the less-committed players. Look how our game has never got back to the levels of before the Teachers' Strike of the mid-eighties. Aye, as more than one contributor to this site has pointed out, the SRU may yet end up with their “fewer but stronger” ambition for the club game – or at least the first half of that mantra.

A COUPLE of posts ago, I had a wee go at Watsonians' recruitment policy around their S6 squad. It is only fair that I now turn my fire on some of the other sides.

Both Ayrshire Bulls and Stirling County have in the past few days announced new signings, who are not “Scotland-qualified.” To give these clubs a wee bit of leeway, if, as some of the new bys are, these new arrivals are young enough – I would make the upper age limit 23 – then, they just might prove themselves while qualifying for Scotland on residency grounds – and thereby justify the SRU's financial input to the S6 franchises.

But, if they are merely here to hopefully help the club win the S6 title – I am not in favour. S6 recruitment should be graduated:

1. Scottish players, who have come through the Scottish club system.

2. Scottish-qualified players, preferably aged under-23

3. Scottish players, coming down from full-time professional rugby and therefore able to mentor their young team mates.

4. Non Scots.

The idea of S6 was that it be a “bridging” tier of the game, the prime idea to prepare young Scots for full-time professional play. Bringing-in non-Scots with a bit of a pedigree elsewhere should be well down the recruitment plan.

FINALLY, I close this somewhat downbeat post with some bad news. We have lost Ronnie Boid, the former Jordanhill College and Glasgow hooker, who died over the week-end.

Ronnie is best-remembered as one of the notorious Jordanhill front-row of McLauchlan, Boid and McCallum – the trio who fronted-up when Colleges won their only Unofficial Championship back in 1969.

On the field, Ronnie would have kicked his Granny, off it, he was terrific company. He remains the only coach who ever got all the guys at my own club Cumnock RFC, singing off the same hymn sheet, during his successful spell as coach.

RIP Ronnie – one of the good guys.

Tonga Ya Bass - The Battle Cry of the Murrayfield Junta

COVERING Scottish Rugby these days is a case of two steps forward, one step back. No sooner have President Ian Barr and VP Colin Rigby got you thinking: we are about to enter a new era of openness and good governance, when The Junta turn into a Bill McLaren colour phrase and arrive, “Like a herd of galloping wilderbeest,” to demonstrate, the old order can still mess up.

 

 

Absolutely no harm to the boy, who is only exercising his right to try to make as much money from his rugby talent as he can, but really, in the present circumstances, what the fuck was the thinking behind recruiting new Tongan flanker Foto Lokotui to Glasgow Warriors?

I have made my position on our two full-time professional teams hiring non-Scottish-qualified players very clear. I don't have a problem with the SRU hiring X-factor players such as Messrs Matawalu, Nakarawa or Vata, but hiring journeymen such as Lokotui – naw, that's a slap in the face to the many true Scottish players and coaches who would burst a gut to wear the strip.

Let's look at it this way. At the end of last season Glasgow dumped two young Scottish players, Matt Smith and Bruce Flockhart. At the same time, Callum Gibbons returned to the southern hemisphere. They have brought in Lokotui.

I can only think money-saving is the sole reason for these changes. But, let's look at the back story of the two Scottish lads.

Matt Smith: he turns 24 this week. He came through the Stirling County youth system, so, he had a good grounding. He won his Under-20 cap in 2015 and went into the Academy and the Warriors' development system. In 2019 he was called into the Scotland international squad, but, never capped.

Smith has played 20 games for Warriors, since 2015, before being loaned to Edinburgh, but, he never hit the field for them.

Disillusioned by his treatment from Scottish Rugby, he has now stepped away from professional rugby. There are reports he will be playing club rugby in the new season – if we ever get one.

Bruce Flockhart: he is 23. He is from Inverness and was at Strathallan, so, like Smith, he received a good early grounding. He also won his Under-20 cap in 2015 and went into the Academy and the Warriors' development system.

He was sent to Nice, before coming back to Warriors, for whom he has played a mere seven games since 2015. He is now disillusioned by rugby and is assessing his options.

So, two young, Scottish back rowers; both have come through the Scottish development system (such as it is). Both are younger than Lokotui, the SRU has spent five years on each of them, through the Academy, Warriors, Nice and Edinburgh – yet, they have been released, to be replaced by an older mercenary. What are the write-off costs of Messrs Smith and Flockhart – to name but two young Scots cast aside by the SRU.

Scottish Rugby has failed Smith and Flockhart, but, to sign a journeyman mercenary to replace them, that's not just a kick in the teeth to Smith and Flockhart, it is a kick in the teeth to a lot of other Scottish boys.

This has to stop.

OK, let's say those who decided to release the two boys are correct and they do not have what it takes to be a regular, full-time player with either Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Why replace them with a Tongan, who has had a lot of short-term deals with several clubs, and who was recruited from Doncaster, the tenth-best (of 12 teams) in the second tier in England?

Are there no Scottish-qualified flankers at London Scottish, the ninth-best team in the second tier down south? Why not give a chance to at least one of the several very good back rowers in Super6?

No, let's buy a Tongan. As I have said, no harm to Lokotui, but, this decision is a disgrace, it stinks to high heaven. The Junta are going down the football path which has worked so well (not) in Scotland – Fuck locals, buy someone exotic.

I HAVE, for my sins, joined a new Facebook group for Scottish Rugby obsessives. The Group Administrator yesterday published a list of the members. I am still trying to work-out if I have joined The Judean People's Front, or The People's Front For Judea, since a good few of the members I know are on the BTM black list of undesirables.

My support for S6 is known to most, if not all of the members, but, I had to laugh when, in one of our discussion threads, some members were queueing-up to pour scorn on S6, but demand the return of Districts.

One former top-level player went as far as to suggest, Super6 involved too-few teams, so Districts was the answer.

Pray tell me, if a competition involving six clubs, involves too few; what is the justification for a tournament involving only four teams – the old Districts of Caledonia, Edinburgh, Glasgow and The South?

Aren't we Scots wonderful? Our game appears to be going down the stand before our eyes and we are engaging in esoteric argument.

Since I am now one of Dad's Army – I leave you with this.