Not Such A Super Saturday This Year, Sadly

SUPER SATURDAY last season was just that - Super, with everything up in the air as far as the Six Nations was concerned. This year there is not that level of interest. England are already assured of the Championship, all that is to be settled there is whether or not they can add a Grand Slam to the overall title and the Triple Crown, which they have already won. If they do win the Grand Slam, by the way, now is the time to get your money on them winning the Team of the Year award at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year bash in December - you might still get worthwhile odds.

With little or nothing to write about, the British mainstream media has been forced back to its favourite role, concocting disagreement and dispute - with particular emphasis on "Gypsygate" and its aftershocks.

In the old days, when, had they been in use - the referee's instructions as scrums formed would have been: "Crouch, touch, engage - punch", Messrs Marler and Lee would have sorted-out their little disagreement at the next scrum, perhaps with a bit of help from their second rows. Nobody would have been any the wiser as to what had caused the falling-out. Today, with access all areas, nobody can fart in the scrums - always a no-no by the way - without the world knowing.

I am not at all surprised that the worst that has happened to Marler is, he has been dropped to the bench for this weekend's Paris match - Britannia waives the rules is an old saw with a lot of truth to it. There has always seemed to be: one rule for England, a different one for everyone else. I still think back with disgust at the affair of "the Calcutta Plate", when Dean Richards and John Jeffrey took the Calcutta Cup for a tour of Rose Street and returned to the old North British Hotel with it in a sorry state. JJ copped a six month ban, Richards got off Scot-free.

Today, after "Bloodgate" and so on, Richards is a somewhat tainted figure, coaching a struggling lower end English club side - JJ is one of the great and the good of World Rugby.

John Jeffrey (above) and Dean Richards (below) - produced the "Calcutta Plate"

Richards' career suffered a blow when he was, as Harlequins' Director of Rugby, implicated in the "Bloodgate" scandal. Marler plays for Harlequins, as does Mike Brown, the last English player to escape punishment for on-field indiscretions, after his Paso Doble session on or around Johnny Sexton's head.

"Stack" Stevens drinking after shave - Richards - Brown - Marler - Harequins; I see a pattern developing here. Maybe there is more to this Harlequins - the Tory Party with muddy knees, than meets the eye.

BEING a football writer in Glasgow is easy - all you have to concentrate on is the Old Firm and Scotland, while "the boy" on the Sports Desk gets to cover Partick Thsitle, Clyde and Queen's Park. In Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee - there are big local teams to cover, as well as Scotland, and PA will always feed you the Old Firm stuff.

It used to be harder for rugby writers, with lots of clubs, of near-equal standing to cover, and, in mid-season, the Inter-District games, then the internationals as a wee bonus to the pairritch and auld claes of the weekly grind.

Then came professionalism. Today's rugby writers now have in Glasgow and Edinburgh an oval ball equivalent of the Old Firm, with Scotland games as the cream on top. This blog has long railed against the comparative lack of coverage of the excellent BT Premiership - the papers and the full-time rugby writers have dropped the ball, and it is telling on sales.

But today, the papers reached a new low. Wall to wall coverage of the Scotland team to face Ireland. Sure, the Herald does give some coverage to tonight's Glasgow v Leinster game at Scotstoun, a match which, in any week bar an international one would be big news, but, The Scotsman ignores this match, but does get some kudos for a wee piece on Mike Blair's head knock problems.

This weekend, there are Scotland internationals at - Full, Under-20, Club, Under-19  Women's and Women's Under-20 level, six matches. A wee bit of coverage of the other five games, outwith the Six Nations lash in Dublin just might have been a nod to serious coverage of a sport, but, from the two Scottish papers which one takes to be interested in rugby - zilch.

Nae wonder their circulations are going doon the stank. 

Cotter Keeps Changes To A Minimum

AND now, the end is near, we face the final curtain....Dublin on Saturday and our final match in Six Nations, 2016.

 

It's a hard one to call, we CAN win in the Aviva, but, it will be hard and I am not entirely confident. Big Vern Cotter announced his team this morning, and it is:

 

15. Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) – 42 caps; 10 tries, 3 pens, 59 points

14. Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 26 caps; 13 tries, 65 points 13. Duncan Taylor (Saracens) – 16 caps; 2 tries, 10 points 12. Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors)  – 15 caps; 4 tries, 20 points 11. Tim Visser (Harlequins) – 25 caps; 11 tries, 55 points
10. Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) – 22 caps; 2 tries, 7 cons, 10 pens, 1 drop, 57 points 9. Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester) – 50 caps; 4 tries, 62 cons, 118 pens, 498 points
1. Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby) – 56 caps; 2 tries, 10 points 2. Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) – 98 caps; 2 tries, 10 points 3. Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) – 12 caps; 1 try, 5 points 4. Richie Gray (Castres) – 55 caps; 2 tries, 10 points 5. Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) – 21 caps 6. John Barclay (Scarlets) – 49 caps; 4 tries, 20 points 7. John Hardie (Edinburgh Rugby) – 9 caps; 3 tries, 15 points 8. Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps
Substitutes
16. Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby) – 6 caps 17. Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh Rugby) – uncapped 18. Moray Low (Exeter Chiefs) – 31 caps 19. Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps; 1 try, 5 points 20. Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors) – 7 caps 21. Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps; 4 tries, 20 points 22. Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps; 2 tries, 1 con, 1 pen, 15 points

23. Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors) – 103 caps; 14 tries, 70 points

 

Duncan Weir - as expected, he fills-in for Finn Russell at 10 in Dublin

 

 No surprises in the squad, after beating France, BVC was always going to keep changes to a minium. I am delighted to see Henry Pyrgos getting the reserve scrum-half slot, I believe this demonstrates, he is now the number two to Captain Laidlaw. This will allow SHC to go back to Edinburgh and get some much-needed game time.

 

I have no beef with Rob Harley being called-up to cover the second row, but, I still believe he is better at six, with Ben Toolis the better back-up option in the boiler-house. But, on reflection, with the breakdown battle certain to be fierce, Harley and Strauss offer better cover for back row casualties, while, in extremis, Stuart McInally could do a shift there too.

 

 

 

BEFORE Saturday, however, there is equally epic trans-Irish Sea action, at Scotstoun, where Warriors take on old pals Leinster in a re-arranged Pro12 match.

 

Both sides will be below-strength, Warriors particularly so; since they have 11 players in Scotland's 23-man squad at the Aviva on Saturday. The Irish team has not been announced at time of writing, but, Leinster will have quite a few players involved too.

 

With Finn Russell going through the return to play protocol after his head knock v France, and Duncan Weir called into the national team as replacement, Gregor Townsend has wasted little time in calling-up a familiar figure to play at 10 on Friday night.

 

Rory Clegg - back in Glasgow colours

 

Rory Clegg, who created a good impression for Warriors, when there on a short-term deal as World Cup cover, has been brought back from France and handed a one-year deal. He goes straight into the team tomorrow night, where he will partner Grayson Hart at half-back.

 

The Glasgow squad to face Leinster is:

 

15. Peter Murchie (Captain)
14. Lee Jones
13. Mark Bennett
12. Sam Johnson
11. Rory Hughes
10. Rory Clegg
9. Grayson Hart

1. Gordon Reid
2. Fraser Brown
3. Sila Puafisi
4. Greg Peterson
5. Leone Nakarawa
6. James Eddie
7. Simone Favaro
8. Adam Ashe

Replacements

16. James Malcolm
17. Jerry Yanuyanutawa
18. Zander Fagerson
19. Scott Cummings
20. Tyrone Holmes
21. Ali Price
22. Nick Grigg
23. Glenn Bryce
 

There are 12 full internationalists in that squad, so, Glasgow need not feel inferior on the night, and, with home advantage, I would generally expect them to win, perhaps even picking-up a much-needed bonus point along the way.

 

BUT, and I am afraid there has to be a but - in their wisdom? the Pro12 officials who allocate referees for games have decided to place Scotland's favourite Irishman in charge. Yes folks, George Clancy will have the whistle.

 

George Clancy - will referee Glasgow v Leinster

 

This puts extra pressure on Lloyd Linton and Mike Adamson, the Scots' officials on the line, and whichever Scots are on TMO and Citing Officer duties, since they will have to try to off-set George's well-proven anti-Scottish decision-making, if Glasgow are to have anything like a fair crack of the whip.

 

But, to be fair, appointing George to cover a game involving an Irish team is ridiculous. Are there no Welsh or Italian officials available? Why not invite the RFU to send someone up?

 

Meanwhile, the Scottish referees on the Pro12 panel continue to be side-lined. It is a stitch-up.

 

There is just one other Pro12 game being played tomorrow night - Cardiff Blues v Munster, in Cardiff. It too has an Irish referee. What the fuck is going on when it comes to referee allocations?    

Scotland Wins - And England Prospers; It's Enough To Make You Vote Yes In Indyref 2

How typically, perversely Scottish. We post our first win over France in a decade, and, what do we do - we hand the Six Nations to England a game early. So, were we drinking to celebrate on Sunday night - or were we drowning our sorrows at the way THEY, the White Orcs, managed to piss on our parade.

Ach, fair play to the English, under the latest Messiah to have come their way, Eddie Jones. They have won the thing, they have shown themselves to be the best in Europe over this short period. That said, I don't think the All Blacks, the Wallabies and the Springboks will be losing too-much sleep over them.

I honestly feared the French would waken-up at BT Murrayfield on Sunday and play like La Belle France for the whole 80 minutes, thereby putting us to the sword. Even the worst of French teams always has that threat in their locker. So, might we see another wardrobe of "England - Grand Slam Winners" sweaters, sent to join the 1990 lot in some landfill site?

On paper, England should win in Paris - on the grass of yon great stadium, the real France might show-up to spoil their party.

I reckon, however, the game of the weekend will be in Dublin. If both Ireland and Scotland play as they can, this should be a cracking, wide-open game, choc-a-bloc with running rugby. Or, it could be a boring arm wrestle. Let's go out in a blaze of glory guys.

WE can now add an Australian-Pacific Islander centre and an Irish winger to the tranche of non-Scottish players at Edinburgh next season. Meanwhile, Glasgow's new signings have had one thing in common - they are not Scottish.

Come on SRU, either bite the bullet and form that third pro team NOW. Or start showing some faith in young Scottish talent. 

We had a good Under-20 squad last season, we have another good one this. But, there is nowhere for the graduates from that squad to go, other than to life holding tackle bags for the bigger boys at Scotstoun and Murrayfield, while playing in the BT Premiership on a Saturday.

Or, like George Horne and Robbie Fergusson, to London Scottish, in the English second tier.

At international level, we currently have, arguably, the best front row in Europe, but, Dickinson, Ford and Nel are, right now, on the crest of the hill. What is being done to bring through their replacements?

Rory Sutherland (top) and Alex Allen - need international experience

 

Rory Sutherland has now sat on the bench through two complete internationals. I must say, for me, Gordy Reid should be our number two loose-head. Indeed, should Dicko fall under a bus between now and Saturday, I would bet on Gordy getting the number one jersey in Dublin. But, at some stage, Sutherland has to be blooded.

Similarly, Alex Allen, who I think is potentially the best loose-head we have got, has got to be given a chance to turn promise into reality.

WE NEED A THIRD PRO TEAM OPERATING NEXT SEASON, if only to clear the log-jam of good, young players, whose potential is being stifled at Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Scotland has had a better Six Nations than for some time. We are advancing, but, that advance is being threatened by a lack of planning and progress beneath the full side. Get it sorted Murrayfield.

SATURDAY'S round-up of the previously unplayed BT Premiership matches gave us the final running order in that league.

The final table now reads:

BT Premiership table

Pos	Team	P	W	L	D	F:A	Diff.	TB	LB	Points
1	Ayr	18	14	4	0	538:298	240	10	2	68
2	Currie	18	12	5	1	445:338	107	6	3	59
3	Heriot's	18	11	6	1	428:305	123	6	4	56
4	Melrose	18	11	6	1	399:348	51	6	2	54
5	Boroughmuir	18	9	8	1	392:372	20	5	3	46
6	Glasgow Hawks	18	9	9	0	353:325	28	5	4	45
7	Hawick	18	9	9	0	361:382	-21	5	2	43
8	Stirling County	18	6	11	1	361:443	-82	5	4	35
9	Gala	18	5	12	1	375:442	-67	4	6	32
10	Selkirk RFC	18	1	17	0	287:686	-399	2	3	9

This means, Gala will now, most-probably, face Marr in the Premiership/National League 1 - Promotion/Relegation Play-Off. I appreciate, there are still a number of fixtures to be played in that lower league, and, anything can happen. However, it will be a major shock should Marr, with their ten-point advantage over third-placed Jed-forest, not go on to have their shot at glory against the Braw Lads. I am assuming here, Watsonians will make full use of their 11-point lead over Marr to claim the automatic promotion slot.

A Marr v Gala play-off will tax the loyalty of one particular icon of Scottish rugby. Which side will Peter Brown, legendary Scottish captain, and elder brother of the immortal Gordon "Broon Frae Troon" Brown be supporting.

The Brown brothers, of course, began their stellar careers at Marr. They then moved on to West of Scotland, and, in Peter's case, on again to Gala, where he was an integral part of what was arguably the greatest Sevens team ever.

Peter, I know, is delighted at the way Marr has risen through the ranks, but, if they were to make it all the way to the top flight, by beating Gala - rather him than me in deciding who to support for that match-up.

Poor old Peter: decisions-decisions.     

Much Work Still To Be Done Before We Have a Semi-Professional Premiership

I NEARLY choked on my porridge this morning, as I browsed the Herald's online pages. For there was a piece by Lewis Stuart, on the opening, on Thursday, of the new BT SRU Academy West site, at Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld. The story was illustrated by a picture of our esteemed Director of Rugby, Scott Johnson.

 

 

Scott Johnson - who told him we had a Premiership

 

 

The big shock for me was the content, Scott wasn't speaking directly about the new facility, but, about the Murrayfield blazers' determination to big up the BT Premiership. Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, this was news to me. I didn't know Scott had realised we had a BT Premiership, he has certainly appeared far from clued-up on that competition, any time I have spoken to him about it - alright, the twice.

 

He suggested that Murrayfield was in active talks with the Premiership clubs about setting-up the fabled semi-professional league, which has been a sort of Loch Ness Monster in Scottish rugby these past few years.

 

I, however, am not holding my breath for an early conclusion to these talks, because, as ever, self-interest will come into play. As I understand it, Murrayfield would like this to be an eight-strong league. Which brings us back to a simple question - which eight clubs?

 

If we take recent form - by looking at the last four seasons of the BT Premiership (including this season, which has still to be completed via the play-offs), we find there is indeed a Top Eight Clubs:

 

Ayr - 1st - 3rd - 3rd - 1st

Melrose - 6th - 1st - 2nd - 4th

Heriot's - 7th - 4th - 1st - 2nd

Gala - 2nd - 2nd - 5th - 9th

Currie - 8th - 7th - 4th - 3rd

Glasgow Hawks - 9th - 5th - 6th - 6th

Hawick - 9th - 6th - 6th - 7th

Stirling County - 4th - 8th - 9th - 8th

(These positions are shown, left to right, from season 2012-13 to 2015-16)

 

Boroughmuir are a close ninth, having finished 9th - 9th - 8th - 5th over these four seasons.

 

So, if the SRU is to go on recent league form, the choice of the inaugural top eight will come from these nine clubs. However, this will surely not go down well with those historically "big" clubs who would be set to miss out. I can see a lot of sound and fury coming from the south-eastern quadrant of Scotland, as clubs which have over the years developed a sense of entitlement to be at the top table miss out.

 

IF the SRU goes down the route of semi-professional clubs, there will have to be some financial support from the Union over the first few seasons, while the clubs develop the necessary professional management systems that will be required.

 

As one leading official of one of the clubs which will certainly be involved, when the semi-pro league kicks-off told me: "When you are an amateur organisation, you rely heavily on your volunteers, the guys who do the menial jobs: man the car parks and gates, steward, sell the programmes and so on.

 

"When you go professional, you start paying the players more than even generous expenses, but, you cannot in all honesty pay them, and not the guys whose labours make it possible for the players to earn. Sure, you will still be able to get volunteer stewards and match-day staff, but they cannot be relied upon to keep things going.

 

"Your costs base goes up, so, you have to sell more advertising boards and programme ads, you cannot simply slip-in a fresh team sheet to your programme. This means extra work Monday-to-Friday, which has to be paid for.

 

"If you are going professional, you have to attract more paying customers, so, you have to upgrade your facilities, more seats, concrete hard-standing, better floodlights, better facilities for you bar stewards in the press - that costs. Better fitness facilities for the players.

 

"It is not merely the players who will have to be paid - coaches, physios and support staff, their costs will rise. We have heard the SRU might initially put-in up to £1 million per year to the  semi-professional clubs; that is just over £125,000 per club, per year.

 

"You are looking at a minimum of 35 players, three or four coaching staff, a couple of physios, a retainer for your club doctor, then you have at least one, perhaps two full-time administration staff - you will be having to pay up to 50 people - that averages out to £2500 per person per year.

 

"It's a drop in the ocean on what it will cost each club.

 

 "Then there may be some long-standing sponsors, who are quite happy to financially support a local club doing well; call me a cynic if you like, but, I can see some of these solid supporters of Scottish rugby telling their clubs: "what do you need my sponsorship for, you are getting all that cash from the SRU now"".

 

And that's before we get to the operating standards we might expect from the elite clubs. It has been suggested, the elite semi-professional clubs will be required to have proper development programmes in place for young players, they will be asked to initiate partnership schemes with schools, develop the women's game - all additional costs to be borne.

 

A few of the clubs will initially struggle to put these schemes in place. This will be another burden on the funding package.

 

Then there is the elephant in the room - the British and Irish Cup. No Premiership clubs have been entered into this Tier Two competition over the past two seasons. Even when Scottish clubs were entered, they did not receive the same support from the Union as the English, Irish and Welsh clubs they were asked to compete against - and it showed.

 

The semi-pro league is supposed to help speed and expedite the transfer of promising youngsters into full-time Edinburgh and Glasgow professionals, and thus, potential Scotland caps. For this to work, they will need to be exposed to the higher-quality rugby of the B&I Cup. 

 

A lot of things have to be sorted out, before the semi-professional league is up and running. It is time the talking stopped and some action was seen. 

 

Two cracking Semi-Finals In Prospect

BEING mair interested in real rugby, as played by our long-established clubs, rather than the purely professional side of the game, I was excited about the draw for the semi-final of the BT Scottish Cup, which was made, by Ayr and Scotland Club XV captain Ross Curle and his Club XV vice-captain, jack Turley of Heriot's, this afternoon.

 

The draw is:

 

Ayr v Melrose

 

Glasgow Hawks v Heriot's

 

ties to be played on Saturday, 26 March

 

Given the last four comprise four of the top five club sides in the country, we can truly say, the cream has risen to the top. I expect a couple of cracking cup ties, the results of which could well go either way. Even with home advantage, you cannot, with any confidence, say that Ayr and Hawks will definitely win, but, the games will be close.

 

 

 

MEANWHILE, it was good to see Glasgow Warriors see off Cardiff Blues in Sunday's Pro12 fixture at Scotstoun.

 

The return of Henry Pyrgos was a bonus for the home side, his absence has, I think, been keenly felt this season. But, the fact cannot be denied, Glasgow is still a wee bit short of the team which won the Pro12 last season. Of course, there are various reasons for this, however, I feel, if their internationalists stay fit, they will have the depth and talent to at least make the play-offs, then, who knows?

 

I could not help but notice, how Cardiff, like the rest of the Pro12 sides, has found a way to negate the Nakarawa effect - a couple of guys try to slow down the rampaging Fijian, but, the main defensive emphasis is now to try to cut-out his off-loads. Maybe, like his wee team-mate Niko Matuwala, big Leone is leaving Glasgow at the right time.

 

I thought Lee Jones had a cracking game on Sunday, and, for my money, he is surely close to a Scotland recall, although, young Damien Hoyland, on his display for Edinburgh on Friday night, is another winger who must be on Vern Cotter's radar.

 

I don't think Mark Bennett will, ever again, try to put the ball down one-handed for a try, after his blooper on Sunday - which ultimately cost Glasgow a bonus point. His season has gone downhill since the World Cup, but, where Marko is concerned, I am a firm believer in form being transient, but class eternal.

 

A final thought on Glasgow. I am convinced, had that game been played on Rugby Park "plastic", rather than Scotstoun "grass", Glasgow would have won by a greater margin, even in spite of the best efforts of Dudley Phillips to help Cardiff.

 

Over 40-years ago, Max Boyce wrote a poem to "Blind Irish Referees", today, they are still producing these on the Emerald Isle.

 

 

 

Bill Beaumont - every Scot's favourite rugby Englishman

 

 

 

LONG experience has taught me, when an English official stands for high office, we Celts MUST oppose him, if only on the grounds of self-preservation.

 

However, in the case of Bill Beaumont standing for the post of Chairman of World Rugby, I am right behind him. Bill is one Englishman for whom I have always had the greatest of time and respect. I do not think there is anyone better-qualified for this onerous role.

 

My old mate, the late Gordon Brown thought the world of Bill, I am not going to argue with Broon Frae Troon's assessment. 

 

 

 

   

Rugby Has To Seriously TAckle This Latest Attack

BACK in the dark days of the 1950s, when I first got into rugby, there was no such thing as Health and Safety, Risk Assessments or any mention of a Duty of Care. Shit happened, rugby players of all ages were knocked out making tackles, they were brought round, patted on the back and sent back into the fray.

 

Alzheimer's Disease, or Early Onset Dementia were unheard of. Yes, older people went "doolally", I have in doing my family's history, seen "Senility" listed as a cause of death. If any doctors had a notion of the effects of repeated blows to the head being bad for someone, it probably went no further than thinking of "punch-drunk" boxers. We were a lot-more naive and had a lot less research to draw on back then.

 

So, we should be thankful for today's greater knowledge of the potentially lethal affects of blows to the head during sport in general and rugby in particular - but, this week's calls for a ban on tackline, because it just might harm our precious children - Nah!, count me out.

 

Back in the Dark Ages, outside the Borders, it was almost unheard of for primary school-aged children to play the game. In my native Ayrshire, you didn't pick-up a rugby ball until you were in the First Year at Secondary, unless, like such as John Beattie, you went to Cambusdoon Prep School in Ayr.

 

But, I still recall how, at my first rugby practice, in First Year, we were taught two things - how to give an take a pass (back then it was the classic swing pass across the body) and, how to tackle. It was drummed into us, we had to get our head behind the legs of the guy we were tackling - nearly always from the side, and round the knees/thighs area.

 

That was the key, then, it is still crucial today. Right from the off, kids MUST be taught to tackle properly, this is basic stuff. But, I believe, even properly-coached players will still, just occasionally, get it wrong and be injured. As I say - shit happens. But, the more proper technique is coached into young players, the fewer bad injuries there will be.

 

There has been, during the current discussion on this matter, been suggestions to the effect, we should segregate young players by weight, rather than as has always been the case, by age, or, in Mini-Rugby, what Primary Class they are in. I would have no objections to this. I would like to hope the SRU will give consideration to implementing this.

 

Now, there is a drawback. Weight categories works well in New Zealand. However, in The Land of the Long White Cloud, rugby is almost approached with religious fervour; when you have as many young players as they have, it should be easy to operate age bands, not so easy, however with the lower numbers we have here.

 

 

 

AT this time of year, new contract talks are ongoing, with the two Scottish professional clubs announcing this week that some familiar names are staying, while others are going.

 

Glasgow, for instance, revealed this week, Mike Cusack has departed, for Newcastle Falcons. Mike has had a tortuous time with injuries at Scotstoun, with a couple of lengthy periods on the side lines. The season before last, given a run of fitness and games, he was for a time, as good a tight-head as you could wish for.

He got a deserved Scotland cap in the build-up to the World Cup, but, with Zander Fagerson breaking through, and new "project player" Jarrod Firth arriving, the Warriors' management perhaps feel, they can let Mike go.

Mike Cusack - off to Newcastle

However, as Cusack departs, Warriors have announced new contracts for three of the club's favourite sons. Rob Harley, Ryan Wilson and Chris Fusaro don't have the media identity of the legenday "Killer Bees" - Kelly Brown, Johnny Beattie and John Barclay, but, they haven't allowed the challenge of taking over from that much-lauded trio get them down.

     Rob Harley, Chris Fusaro and Ryan Wilson - new contracts signed 

Harley, Fusaro and Wilson will now be staying at Scotstoun until May, 2018, as Toony continues sorting-out his squad for next season and beyond. There are always personnel changes in team games, the secret is - enough to keep things fresh, but, not so-many that the team ethos suffers. Keeping these three, is a good move.

How Many Front Rowers Is Too-Many?

I APPRECIATE the attrition rate in modern-day front row play is high. Today's coaches ask a lot of their props, to the extent, it is incredibly rare for a prop, as WP Nel has been asked to do in the last two internationals, to stay on the field for the full 80 minutes. Indeed, the cynic in me believes WP only went for that impossible interception, which got him yellow carded in Rome, since he perhaps saw getting a yellow card as his only means of getting a rest.

Nel has proved himself a superb project player, and, today, comes news of another two Edinburgh project props, Allan Dell and Simon Berghan, being given extended contracts. Now, I have to admit, I have not seen too-much of the two players, but, having seen them perform in the BT Premiership, I have not been impressed. Neither is, I believe, markedly better than some of the Scottish-born and bred props against whom they have been competing for game time.

Indeed, Dell is only the third-ranked Edinburgh loose-head, behind Scotland squad players Alasdair Dickinson and Rory Sutherland. Berghan, to be fair, made a fair old impact when he came off the bench in the second-half against Scarlets. He and John Andress are now in a bit of a scrap to be ranked second behind Nel in the pecking order for the number three shirt.

 Allan Dell (top) and Simon Berghan, have signed new deals for Edinburgh

Further down the pecking order, we have Jack Cosgrove, currently getting his share of game time with London Scottish, and young Murray McCallum, tearing up trees for the Under-20s. And let's not forget Euan McQuillin, now back with Melrose, and recovering from a potentially career-ending injury. I would not bet against Euan fighting back to justify his youthful promise.

If Edinburgh has plenty of props to call on, Glasgow, with the signing this week of veteran former All Black Corey Flynn, has perhaps a surfeit of hookers. Pat McArthur and Fraser Brown are both in the extended Scotland squad, albeit injury has pushed them to the fringes; there is a third Scottish capped hooker in Kevin Bryce. They also have Georgian Shalva Mamukashvili, Scotland Under-20 caps Fergus Scott, James Malcolm and Cameron Fenton, with another Scotland Under-20 cap, Lewis Anderson of Ayr, linked to Glasgow as a Stage Three Development player. Add Flynn, and Glasgow have an entire pack of hookers, plus a scrum-half.

Corey Flynn - joining Glasgow from Toulouse

I fail to see what Flynn brings to the table, unless he is an outstanding line-out thrower and can sort out this weakness in the Glasgow game.

While Glasgow have added Flynn to their resources, across at Murrayfield, Ross Ford, now closing-in on his century of Scotland caps, has re-signed for the Capital club and will now surely play-out his career at Murrayfield.

Ross Ford - set to play out his career with Edinburgh

If the two Scottish pro sides are maybe over-endowed with front rowers, they are a wee bit short elsewhere. Which is why the decision to allow Greig Tonks to immediately leave for London Irish strikes me as a strange one.

 Greig Tonks - off to London Irish
 

OK, Dunky Weir will move along the M8 at the end of the season; on this, the thought of a New Zealand-style midfield, with Weir at first five-eighth, Phil Burleigh at second five-eighth and Matt Scott at centre, excited me. But, that plan cannot be implemented - since Scott is off to Gloucester next season. Still, there is a top six Pro12 place to cement, plus, hopefully, a last four play-off place. Losing Tonks will not help this project.

Edinburgh has now, in very short order, dispensed with three number tens: Harry Leonard, Tom Heathcote, now Tonks, without replacing them with players of similar standard. If anything happens to Burleigh, who has performed well in a position other than that for which he was signed, their play-off and Champions Cup hopes could go out of the window.

We have to presume, Murrayfield sets the player budgets, then pretty-much leaves the two clubs to get on with recruiting. However, as this post shows, there doesn't seem to be an overall watching brief, which ensures that both clubs, which are, never forget, wholly-owned subsidiaries of the SRU, are acting not merely in their own interests, but, in the long-term interests of Scottish Rugby.

We are now at the stage where we have, I would suggest, enough professional players for the SRU to inaugurate a third, and perhaps a third and fourth professional teams. The quick fix, indeed the fix I would go for, would be to twist their arms at London Scottish to get the Exiles to switch from the second tier of the club game in England, to become a third Scottish club laying in the Pro12.

I accept, some of the guys at Richmond would perhaps rather see Scottish back in the top-flight in England, taking-on Harlequins, Bath, Leicester Tigers, Wasps and Saracens on a regular basis. The drawback to this, from a SCOTTISH point of view is - English Premiership rules insist, 70% of the players - 16 of the 23 - in a match-day squad must be: "England-qualified". Abiding with that rule will  not help Scottish rugby.

I still believe, Guinness, with their corporate headquarters in London, would love to have a Pro12 team playing on their doorstep. Indeed, quite why the Irish, Scottish and Welsh Rugby Unions have not been working on the three long-established, London-based exiles teams to make the switch is beyond me. That might be a long-term goal, Scottish moving to the Pro12 would be a good start.

The alternative to further solidifying the tie-up between Murrayfield and Richmodn Athletic Ground would be to either restore the Border Reivers, but this time bang heads together so the team would be seen as representing the whole region, even if it meant moving the games around the grounds; or, the oft-floated, but, I don't think entirely viable Aberdeen option.

I remain convinced, however, we now have enough Scottish players good enough to play as full-time professionals. And, once we get this sorted-out, maybe the SRU should start paying attention to the poor orphan children of the Scottish game - the clubs.

They are getting a raw deal.