Taking The Bulls By The Horne

PETER HORNE was today named as the new Head Coach of Ayrshire Bulls' FOSROC Super6 side. He will retire from playing with Glasgow Warriors to take up his new role on 1 January.

 

And don't drop it - Pat McArthur hands over to Pete Horne at Ayrshire Bulls

Pete succeeds his former Warriors and Scotland team-mate Pat McArthur in the role, one which McArthur had been “keeping warm” for Horne, pending this announcement.

The pair, with McArthur in the lead role and Horne assisting, have already tasted success in winning the last Super6 campaign, now, with Horne on-point and McArthur as one of his assistants, Bulls are looking to retain the trophy.

Announcing the change, Ayr President Stewart Kerr said: “We are delighted to see Peter move into the head coaching role with the bulls after impressing over the past year under Pat MacArthur.

“He brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience with him and we are positive for what the future has in store. Be it Ayr or the Bulls we have built a reputation on success, and I have no doubt that more will follow in the coming seasons.

“It would be remiss of me not to pass on my overwhelming thanks to Pat in all that he has done for Ayrshire rugby. In his season in charge, he’s put the Bulls ahead of the chasing pack, setting the benchmark for others to strive for”.

Last season, McArthur juggled what is supposedly a full-time coaching job, with his “day job” with a construction company. The job swap with Horne will make this easier and suits all parties – the two men themselves, Bulls and McArthur's employers.

The Ayr club has revealed, Horne has been waiting to take over since March this year. He is a player who always seemed destined to move into coaching and after over 180 games for Warriors, plus 45 Scotland caps, he brings a wealth of experience to the role.

Now, aged just 32, he is hanging-up his boots to move up, looking to follow in the footsteps of another former team-mate, Peter Murchie, who cut his coaching teeth at the Bulls, before moving up to join the coaching team at Scotstoun.

THE GUARDIAN tends to treat Rugby Union as a game which we don't play in Scotland; sure, they can hardly avoid mentioning the likes of Hoggy, Finn Russell and Jonny Gray, but, such is their obsession with the over-hyped Gallagher Premiership, they don't have a lot of time and space left for the United Rugby Championship.

So, I was shocked on Tuesday when their “The Breakdown,' the weekly rugby blog, posted a lengthy praise piece on Munster's Peter O'Mahony.

POM has long been “Rugby Marmite; you either love him or hate him, there is no middle way. Every miracle tackle, or crucial legal turnover seems to be immediately followed by a breach of the Laws, so outrageous you wonder why he was not immediately just red-carded, but strung-up from the nearest cross-bar.

As one of my fellow villagers, a man with a lifetime's exposure to the mayhem of Ayrshire Junior football might say: “He'd be in my team at Kilbirnie or Auchinleck.” These are grounds, rather like POM's own Thomond Park, where you're going to have to fight for every blade of grass or foot of advantage. If you're a POM fan, you want to see him in your side, if not, you hope each injury is long-term and he will not be facing your side.

In other sports, principally ice hockey, POM might well be seen as “An Enforcer.” These are the guys, not necessarily good players themselves, whose job is to make it easier for the really-good players to work their magic.

The basic aim of The Enforcer, was perhaps best explained by that all-round lovely man, the late comedian Charlie Williams. Speaking of his football career, with Doncaster Rovers, Charlie said: I weren't much of a player, but, I could stop them as were good players from playin'.”

I suspect, if real fighting was still allowed, POM would collect a second prize against some of the nasty big men, such as Eben Etzebeth, but, the way he launches himself, seldom legally, into rucks, has its part to play in calming down opponents at crucial times.

The way POM conducts himself is all part of Munster mind games. If you can get under the skin of an opponent and make him concentrate more on getting even with you, or countering what you bring to a game, and in the process not doing his job properly – well, it's all in the game.

Scotland's biggest win over England was achieved via a 33-6 win, at Murrayfield in 1986. One of the tactical masterstrokes which Scotland allegedly pulled that day was to have John Beattie, “stick one on Wade Dooley” in about the second minute. This so-upset Police Constable Dooley that he spent the remainder of the game trying to catch Beattie to extract revenge, that he completely forget his main job.

With one of the opposition's main enforcers neutralised, it was easier for Scotland to win.

But, back to POM, he certainly showed his best qualities at the week-end, when his performance lifted a callow Munster side to victory over Wasps, in Coventry.

One wonders how a youthful Scottish team might fare if they had the influence and example of a Peter MacMahony in their ranks. We used to produce this type of player, but, it seems to me, nowadays the High Heid Yins at BT Murrayfield are looking for nice chaps, the sort you could safely take round to the manse for tea and are a bit wary of rougher sorts.

OK, we've got Ryan Wilson, who is one of the game's great wind-up merchants, but, how I wish we could unearth a Scottish POM for the national side and for one of our pro outfits.

There's Been A Little Leak

 

THE FOLLOWING epistle was leaked to this blog by a keen reader who works inside the BT Murrayfield bubble. It is apparently an epistle from TCD to his opposite number at Twickenham.

“Bill, old boy,

Sorry to drop this on you, but, the natives are getting a tad tedious and have ordered me to draft this note to you. With IB flexing his muscles a wee bit, old Howzat suggested it was better if I made the token effort.

Thing is, in certain quarters up here now, one has to at least appear “woke.” I know, I spent some time at The Gruianard, but even I had to Google what it meant. Anyway, this outbreak of Caledonian wokery got to young Kellock, who dashed off a note to old Tony, in the Wild West, asking him to stop his chaps coming north on Saturday wearing their feathers.

He also suggested it might be best if they left their toy tomahawks at home, apparently taking an axe to a game in Glasgow just might upset some of the locals – and sadly, they have attracted a somewhat rough football element to Scotstoun, so, best not to provoke them.

Any way, upshot is, the Council up here has been having delusions of power for a wee while, so they held a Zoom meeting, dunno how they managed it without help from the staff, but, it is being looked into; any way, upshot was, I have to ask you to spread the word round the chaps who have already booked for Edinburgh in February.

Well, as I said, one of this was my idea, and I feel slightly uncomfortable having to raise it, but, I have to ask you to pass the word round.

Please, don't come north wearing Barbour jackets, something about stereotypical attire of colonial ruling class up here. Ditto to green Hunters – the natives are still sore at the Dumfries factory closing some years back.

They are prepared to allow English-registered Range Rovers into the car parks, but, please, no champagne at the tail gate party and, under no circumstances is anyone to bring their butler.

I am also instructed to tell you, because of Scotland identifying with down-trodden, oppressed nations, subjugated by Imperialist forces, singing “Swing Low” will result in immediate expulsion from the ground. Some of the fellows up here simply don't do irony.

Sadly, I must add, any England supporters travelling north will have to change their English bank notes for Scottish ones either at the border or on arrival at their chosen airport. This action has been forced on us by the Scottish Government, who have also instructed the Police to be doubly-vigilant and to crack down on English visitors not wearing face masks.

Awfully sorry about this, not my doing old boy, but, you've been up here for work, so, you know what the Sweaties can be like when they get a collective bee in their bonnets. I thought we could rely on the chaps from the right Edinburgh schools to hold the line, but, even some of them have got a wee bit restless on this one.

There was a suggestion that we recruit a phalanx of forwards from certain Borders clubs, whose job on the day would be to eject the choristers singing 'Swing Low,' but, thankfully, calmer heads prevailed.

We can discuss means of offsetting these little local ripples at the CVC Christmas Party, assuming Boris doesn't add Luxembourg to the prohibited list before it happens.

See you soon,

Best Wishes,

Mark”

We have no way of checking the veracity of this leak, however, in the present circumstances, we bring it to your attention as a matter of the best interests of Scottish Rugby.

Different Priorities For Different Clubs

I AM not too-disappointed at Glasgow Warriors losing to La Rochelle on Sunday. When as very-good team has home advantage over a good team, you expect them to make that home advantage count, and that's what happened. Glasgow didn't crumble or capitulate, but, that shows you what can happen when one team has a much-bigger budget than the other.

If professional rugby was like professional football, where it was all about winning and promoting the product – through replica strips etc, and to Hell with the good of the game, well, yes, I might be calling on the Glasgow management to splash the cash and making big-money signings in an effort to compete with the La Rochelles of this world.

But, the SRU's management plan is that they make the bulk of their money from the full international side, packing BT Murrayfield. Warriors and Edinburgh are fully-professional as a means of bringing Scottish players up to the level whereby they can compete for the national side.

There are weaknesses in the Glasgow side, but, this is still a young team, perhaps a couple of years away from its peak, so, I am not too-downhearted at their defeat. If the weaknesses are addressed, in the longer-term, we will be smiling.

I KNOW, form fluctuates – but class is eternal; with that in mind, I am starting to feel confident about the Six Nations. OK, one or two injuries and we will be struggling, but, on the European stage at the weekend, several of our key men: Finn Russell, Stuart Hogg, Jonny Gray, Ali Price, played well. Others such as Huw Jones, Kyle Steyn and Matt Scott also impressed. And that Edinburgh win at Saracens was a real team effort.

We traditionally do better in the 6N when we have England and France up here, I suspect those mainly London-based rugby hacks who already have us marked down to finish fifth of the six nations could have egg on their florid faces come the final whistle.

I HAVE a growing respect for The Guardian's Michael Aylwin. He is definitely on-point when it comes to covering the issue which the governing bodies, from World Rugby down would rather go away – the long-term effects of head injuries in Rugby Union.

American Football and Boxing are further down the road in assessing and reacting to the effects of repeated blows to the head than Rugby Union, but, it would be a negligent governing body which did not prepare itself for a court-room battle, as greater research and the accumulation and analysis of that data grows, moving forward.

As Aylwin writes, a year ago, Steve Thompson, the 2003 World Cup-winning England hooker was one of just eight players prepared to sue the game's authorities following his Early-Onset Dementia (EOD) diagnosis. Today, there are over 150 cases in the pipeline and the roll-call is unlikely to end there. Rugby Union has a growing problem.

Aylwin reveals, the odds of a diagnosis of EOD is one in 10,000. Seventy-five cases have already been identified, one in 20 of the professional rugby players in England and Wales during the period 1995-2010.

Clearly, Rugby Union has a problem; one I fear which is not yet being properly addressed by World Rugby. Here is a brief extract from an email which I received this morning from friend of the blog: Left Field:

“World Rugby with its recent token gesture on law changes in the community game is passing the ball back to the individual Unions for EACH of them to decide what changes to make but only in the community game!

This is not leadership but abdication of responsibility because which Union will unilaterally make such changes AND only in the community game

Let me beat my drum again and repeat my familiar rant again !

My God remember apart from the concussions tallies THREE players actually DIED in France and ONE in England in the last four or five years.

Lets be positive with an aim to make rugby safer and more attractive .

• Let’s emphasise the goal of rugby to run for space not collision

• let’s set laws that minimise breakdown time

• ban high and double tackles

• penalise the taking out of players without the ball

• let’s referee offside defensive alignments more strongly

• lets reduce the size of the bench to stop 5 fresh juggernauts coming on with 20/30 minutes to go ( and give more players more game time in reserve team matches )

Hello is anybody listening up there ?”

Over to you Dublin – is anyone listening?

I SEE Melrose RFC has kept things in-house, with the appointment of Bruce Ruthven (pictured below), to replace Ron Chrystie as Head Coach of the Southern Knights.

When wee Rob was promoted to his new post heading-up the Edinburgh Academy's squad of Stage III players, there was a great deal of speculation as to who would get the Knights' gig. Bigger names were rumoured to be in line for the job, but Ruthven, who is Melrose to the core as a former club captain, a veteran of 196 games for the club, he knows how things work at the Greenyards.

Currently coaching the Melrose Club XV, in National League 1, Ruthven has certainly earned his stripes in his coaching career to date and I am sure, with him at the helm, the Knights will continue to be one of the top sides in Super6, which resumes early next year.

He will take-up his new post, which he will fit-in with his “day job” as rugby co-ordinator at Erskine-Stewart's Melville College in Edinburgh.

Ruthven will not be the only new coach in S6 when it resumes, I know who the other new boy will be, but, am sworn to secrecy until the official announcement, which will come quite soon.

Friday Finnsanity Was A Joy To Behold

FINN RUSSELL must have been good at Franklin Gardens on Friday night – because the English media, even Austin Healey, were wetting themselves in appreciating his performance.

Even on the few occasions he messed-up, 'Finnsanity' was still worth watching. I almost felt sorry for Dan Biggar, who, let's not forget, is also a class act, but, he looked like a Bum of the Month – up against Ali, as Finn wove his magic. I did not, however, feel sorry for Warren Gatland, whose judgement on playmakers was shown to be out-dated and fatally flawed.

Mind you, just as well for our Sassenach commentators that the brilliant Wenceslas Loret bagged that hat-trick; having to have given the Man of the Match award to a “Sweaty” might have been a step too far.

Twenty-four hours later, they did have to give the award to a Scot, after Jonny Gray bagged a hat-trick of tries for Exeter against Montpellier. This match was also notable for a belter of a try from Stuart Hogg, who dummied his way past four defenders to score – brilliant.

ALSO ON FRIDAY I received a Facebook rant from the Coach of a lowly but ambitious West Regional Leagues club. He had every right to be raging, at the number of lower league games which had been called-off due to “Covid.”

Yes, Covid is a fact of life at the moment, with no seeming end in sight to the pandemic, but, our man, as spikey a front rower as ever scrummaged had his doubts: “What are the odds of five games in the same league all being called off due to outbreaks of Covid – affecting only the AWAY teams?”

I'll just leave that question hanging there.

In the Regional Leagues, you only need 12 players to have a game played. Methinks some clubs are using Covid to cover-up an unwillingness to play.

If that's the case, maybe we should be applying 28-0 defeats earlier in the game-off process.

Or, as I have been suggesting for some time – should we be going to Summer Rugby?

EVEN some respected, experienced and knowledgable fellow rugby writers doubted my view, when I told them pre-match: “Edinburgh can beat Saracens – IF their pack does its job.”

I followed the BBC's text coverage on-line and their London-based reporter kept praising the performance of the visiting pack. You didn't have to be anything other than an experienced rugby watcher to know, Edinburgh had the superior front row and it all stemmed from there.

I've been saying for years, Mako Vunipola cannot scrummage, he has got away with murder for years with Gallagher Premiership referees. No way could I see him coping with WP Nel.

On the other side, releasing Vincent Koch to join Wasps was a definite mistake, particularly with Pierre Schoeman coming calling. In the end, it came down to a superb defensive display from Edinburgh and a well-deserved win.

Of course, the BBC London report gave no credit to Edinbu7rgh, it was all about Sarries' failings. Plus ca change.

I AM, in my dotage, becoming a connoisseur of what I call “red-top tabloid rugby journalism.” This sub-genre of our job is best viewed on-line, via some of the hysterical stuff you read from sites such as Rugby Pass and Rugby Onslaught.

But, when it comes to myopic shite, as a general rule, even allowing for the absolute madness of some South African rugby fans, you cannot beat those good ole boys on Wales Online. This week they are bemoaning the fact, after several years of being a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Welsh Rugby Union, Dragons are still shite.

Maybe Welsh rugby is where we were years ago – they simply don't have enough quality players to sustain four full-time professional sides. If this is the case, and there is some justification for holding that belief, maybe they should do what the SRU did, and revert to two or three clubs only.

FIRST reports I have received inform me of “carnage” in Hawick last night, as The Bill McLaren Shield came home. Apparently there was an ABBA tribute group on at Hawick RFC. So, the night was a definite case of: the winner takes it all; I hope somebody said: thank you for the music; I trust the Super Trouper lights were shining; I have just a notion, Hawick's Dancing Queens were all out in force, etc., etc.

The Tennent's Premiership now goes into cold storage until the New Year, but, after Saturday's games, it will be a major surprise, when hostilities resume, if the current top four – Currie, Marr, Hawick and Edinburgh Accies do not go on to contest the play-offs.

Fourth-placed Accies have an 11-point cushion over fifth-placed Glasgow Hawks. OK, Hawks have a game in hand, but, even if they win that one, they still would have a huge gap to bridge in only five games.

As in almost any sport you care to mention, the real battle is in the league below – National League One. Heriot's Blues currently lead, but, Biggar are charging, as are Gala, who have games-in-hand. Teh run-in here promises to be really tight and exciting. First game back in the New Year sees the Blues head to Netherdale.

What happens in that one will have a huge say in which team eventually goes up.

FINALLY, since my last post, about the ramifications of the ongoing governance debate, I have been telt on the quiet – The Junta are in full deflection mode, they don't like the idea of – even allowing for the proposed talents matrix being introduced – the clubs having the final say in who gets to be measured for the SRU suits, and in particular, who gets to be The Custodians.

Prepare for the usual suspects being rolled out, to tell us we should leave that choice to the experts, inside the BT Murrayfield tent – you know, the big top we refer to as: “The EH12 circus – where the clowns are in-charge.”

SCOG Proposals Revealed - Let The Debate Resume

AFTER a frustrating delay, Gavin McColl QC's Standing Committee on Governance (SCOG) has delivered their draft proposals for the future governance of the game in Scotland. These proposals were released on Thursday, accompanied by an explanatory letter from SRU President Ian Barr. The clubs etc will now have five weeks in which to read the document, discuss its proposals and make their observations, after which the matter will move forward, hopefully.

The proposals are far-reaching, not least through the suggestion that the current, unincorporated Scottish Rugby Union be wound-up, to be replaced by an as-yet un-named 'NewCo.' Each member club of the SRU will be entitled to hold a £1 share in the NewCo, which will be run by five “Custodians.”

These Custodians – the draft proposals suggest they will be The SRU President and four elected others will be (for want of a better description) The College of Cardinals of the SRU.

They will hold the future of Murrayfield in their hands: the draft proposals make it clear, the Custodians are NOT to be involved in the management of SRU Limited, (SRUL), the company which will run the day-to-day business of the game in Scotland. The Board of SRUL will report four times per year to the Custodians, but, it is stressed the Custodians WILL NOT direct the activities of the Board of SRUL. They will, however, be responsible for the selection of the Independent Chair of the Board of SRUL.

Getting the right men – the Great and Good of Scottish Rugby – in place, will therefore be a key point in the new set-up. These five men or women will be crucial to the future of the game going forward. The SCOG's preference is that there should be a complete split between the Custodians, the Board of NewCo and the Board of SRUL – with a view to keeping the ownership of SRUL and its management separate and distinct. However, the SCOG has not ruled-out the possibility of some cross-over between the two boards, with perhaps one or two of the SR|UL executives also sitting on the NewCo board.

There is also a suggestion that perhaps the present member clubs of the SRU become direct shareholders in SRUL, which would mean no need for the NewCo and perhaps restrictions on shareholders other than member clubs.

The proposals also cover eligibility to become Custodians, and limitations on the activities in which the Custodians could participate.

As Custodians of the game, the Custodians will be required to protect funding to the clubs etc., the proposals suggests their approval would be required, should SRUL propose to distribute less than 15% of revenue to the club game. The NewCo would also be responsible for appointing and maintaining an independent SCOG to oversee governance issues with both the NewCo and SRUL.

The proposals suggest SRUL be run by an 11-person board, with a skills matrix put in-place, setting-out the skill sets which are thought desirable for the S|RUL directors.

The Club Game would be run by a Club Rugby Board (CRB), this would be responsible for the game below Super6 level; above S6 would be the remit of a Performance Rugby Board (PRB) as delegated by SRUL.

The SCOG is suggesting their be a Liaison Committee formed, which would meet at least twice per year to see that the CRB and PRB work together for the good of the game and do not create what the consultation document describes as: “a silo mentality.”

In setting-up the CRB, the SCOG remains in-favour of a return to something akin to the old Districts set-up. With six Regional Forums set-up, with the Chairman of each of these Forums having a seat on the Club Rugby Board, while below the Regional Forums there will be sub-groups and standing committees covering such issues as match officials, schools and youth rugby, university rugby and the various levels of the game.

The proposal is that CRB members serve a maximum of three x two-year terms, with no more than six years service in any 12-year period. The CRB would meet four times per year.

There will still be a lot of debate, with several key issues to be sorted out both after January, and onwards towards the next AGM, but, these proposals appear sensible and are definitely the basis for sorting out the future shape of the SRU.

LONG EXPERIENCE has taught me, when it comes to Anglo-Scottish matches in European competitions, we Scots too-often travel hopefully, but fail to arrive at the winning destination. When it comes to European Rugby, we have too-long a history of being on the wrong end of hammerings.

So, as regards the Saracens v Edinburgh match, in London, I honestly hope this doesn't come back to bite me on the bum, but, I fancy Edinburgh's chances. I say this for one simple reason – I think Edinburgh has the stronger pack.

Yes, Sarries are a well-oiled machine, particularly at home, they are formidable. However, Man for man, I believe the Edinburgh eight is the stronger. It is often said in rugby: “Packs decide which team wins, back divisions by how much.” so, I really think, if they believe enough, Edinburgh can win this.

I wish I could be as confident when looking at Sunday's La Rochelle v Glasgow Warriors clash, but, here I can see no outcome other than a home win for the French side – much as I would like to see Ronan O'Gara crying into his beer.

 

 

FINALLY – I note that The Lesser-Spotted Johnson has, as The Offside Line so-pithily put it: “Got his jotters” from Rugby Australia. Sackings are an every-day fact of life, sad for the individual, but, I will not be too-sorry for the LSJ.

So long as the SRU don't think of bringing him back to again work his magic at BT Murrayfield, I will not be too-bothered.

Seven Nations To Pay-To-View - Will That Be Any Surprise?

I HEAR whispers – that the Six Nations will vanish from free-to-air television in 2024, thereafter, it will be on one of the paid platforms and the bidding to win the rights will be brisk.

If these early rumours are in any way true, and I have no reason to doubt them, then there is going to be a lot of pressure on the ELECTED officers at the SRU and the other big Unions, to stand-up for their members – the guys who put them up there – and to keep the 6N on “Cooncil Telly.”

We need not expect TCD and similar PAID officials to support keeping the 6N free-to-air. As long as they get their big salaries, generous expenses and can guarantee they turn left when entering an aircraft, they will side with the big-money men.

Guys like TCD don't care about the good of the game – only the bottom line and their own package matters to them.

There is another rumour around the 6N – apparently, perhaps even before 2024, it will become “The Seven Nations.” Now that the four South African teams are playing in the United Rugby Championship, and will be able to compete in the Heineken Cup and the Challenge Cup, it seems obvious to totally integrate South Africa into northern hemisphere rugby, by inviting them to join the 6N.

Money talks, it will happen. But, if it does, might there be a case for also integrating Georgia into the Big Show and going to Eight Nations?

Puts into perspective the suggestion that, when it resumes next spring, Super6 will become Super7 – with London Scottish involved, as the SRU scrambles around to find somebody willing to take-on the eighth franchise.

I HAVE BEEN a “Non-Person” in the eyes of the SRU for some time now. I am not allowed anywhere near BT Murrayfield for big games, I don't get official SRU press releases or access to any of their press activities. In the old Soviet Union, if TCD had been First Secretary of The Party, my offences would have seen me sent to be Sports Editor at the Uelen bureau of Pravda. Such is the lot of agitators who have been outside the tent, pissing-in.

But, if you've had a less-than-stellar career, spent inside the tent-pissing out, then you'll be looked after. For instance, there was little or no wailing, gnashing of teeth and renting of garments when Tappe Henning retired from the SRU recently.

But, I do not beLIEVE it, old Tappe has popped-up this week, announced as the new Head of Referees for the URC – seamlessly switching from Edinburgh to Dublin.

Nice gig if you can get it, but.....

THIS IS already a costly winter in terms of those who have been taken from Scotland's rugby community. In the past few days we have seen “Mr Porty” - Portobello RFC stalwart Barry Sinclair taken.

Barry, gave more than half a century of service to the Cavalry Park club and to Edinburgh rugby. We are told, nobody is irreplaceable, Barry just might be.

Hard on the heels of Barry's passing came the news that Morven Pollock, one of the founders and leading lights of Cartha-Queen's Park's women's section, and captain of their women's team between 2011 and 2013 had passed.

My condolences to all at Cavalry Park and Drumbreck.

But, perhaps the biggest loss was the passing of former Scotland winger or centre David Whyte, who has died, aged 81.

The term “sporting thoroughbred” is often used, but, it suited Whyte admirably. He won 13 Scotland caps between 1965 and 1967, but, to these he added Great Britain athletics vests as a sprinter/jumper.

A Fifer, from Cupar, he was the fourth of five siblings and his sporting prowess was evident when he captained the XV at Bell Baxter High School and represented North and Midlands Schoolboys.

He went on to St Andrew's University where he captained the Scottish Universities XV, won the AAA's and British Junior long jump titles – he also played for Howe of Fife at this time.

From St Andrew's he went on to Oxford University to read for a Diploma in Education, winning his rugby 'Blue' in 1963 and representing the Barbarians.

He married childhood sweetheart Judith, returned to Scotland to teach at Strathallan and play rugby for Edinburgh Wanderers. He won all his Scotland caps out of Wanderers, making his debut against Wales in February, 1965, being an ever-present in the 1966 and 1967 Five Nations campaigns, scoring two tries and having a third disallowed in his final international, the 1967 Calcutta Cup match at Twickenham.

He then, as so-many players of his era did, concentrated on the day job, ending-up as Rector of Golspie High School, before taking early retirement, on health grounds, in 2002.

David spent his final days back in his native Fife, in Dunfermline, to be near his family, he is survived by Judith, sons Stephen, Geoffrey, Barnaby and Sebastian and 11 grand-children.

OH DEAR – I note there has been a little local difficulty in North London, with Maro Itoje “unfriending” Big Jim Hamilton on social media, after taking exception to some comments which the Big Yin made about the current England lock.

Maro's parents are Nigerian and there have been several instances of sportsmen and women of Nigerian or African heritage being given the Christian name “Precious” (Precious McKenzie the weightlifter and bowler being perhaps the best-known). The more I see of Master Itoje, the more I feel, his parents missed a trick here, he certainly appears to think he is something precious.

I don't think Itoje unfriending him will worry Big Jim too-much, media personalities wear such actions like a badge of honour.

FINALLY – I note centre Jordan Venter has departed Murrayfield for Bath Rugby. Apparently he was not enamoured of the amount of game time he was getting in the capital.

He certainly had his moments, playing for Watsonians in Super6, but, given the competition in the Edinburgh midfield, he made little or no impact further up.

I was critical of his signing; I have nothing against bringing Scottish-qualified players such as Kyle Steyn over from South Africa, but, I don't see the point of project players who, if they're not getting their way, are free to move-on.

Another waste of our money by The Junta – let's simply add it to the bill, which they will never pay.