This Is Good - But, Let's Confuse The Media By Hiding It

YESTERDAY, the SRU's media department sent out a press release on youth rugby, which made as much sense as an Irish referee's decision at scrum time in a PRO14 game. What partially confused me was, the signatory was Scotland team media manager Michael James, man whose press releases are normally bespoke examples of clarity and brevity.

 Michael James - not his best press release, but, some good stuff

After exhaustive analysis, I have deduced, it was a case of three press releases being condensed into one, with clarity going out of the window. There actually was a kernel of really good stuff in there, but, well-hidden behind some thick foliage, I am still assessing exactly how much to scythe down and burn, as I try to make a sensible story of it all, however.

As I understand it, the SRU has decided to adopt a singular Scottish style of play; this (I think) means, all our sides will seek to play the same high-tempo, high-pressure, off-loading game which Glasgow – at their very best – play, and which Gregor Townsend is now seeking to bring to the national side. Great.

This style of game cannot be turned on and off like a tap, players have to become used to playing that way, and the Union has – quite rightly – decided, to do this, it would be better if they started young. Therefore, the SRU has: “adapted the laws of the 15-a-side game to fast-track the development of BT Sport Academy players' speed and skills under pressure.”

The Oriam Sports Performance Centre 

A laudable idea, and something worth trying, which the Union will do at a series of trial games at Oriam, the Scottish Sports Performance Centre on the Heriot-Watt University Campus at Currie, on Wednesday, 18 October. There are a total of 16 law adaptions to be trialled. These are:

1. Each game will last 40-minutes – (2 x 20 minute halves): each team will have a 26-man squad, with the players restricted to a total of 90 minutes individual playing time over the course of the tournament – that is, no player can play more than two and a half games.

2. There will be no tactical substitutions before half-time – this is intended to increase the “ball in lay2 time

3. Restart kicks from half-way MUST land between the 10-metres and 22-metres lines – this is intended to develop aerial skills in challenging for possession.

4. Restarts from the 22-metre line must land in the kicking team's own half – again with the intention of developing aerial skills in challenging for possession.

5. All conversions must (as in Sevens) be drop kicks, while the side conceding the try need not retire to behind their posts – again, this is to increase ball-in-play time and intensity.

6. Drop goal attempts from open play will be banned – again, with the aim of increasing ball-in-play time and intensity.

7. The options of a kick at goal, or taking a scrum at a penalty or free kick is banned – again, with the aim of increasing ball-in-play time and intensity.

8. Players will not be allowed to kick the ball straight out of play, other than at a full penalty – this is intended to increase ball-in-play time, promote counter-attacking, and promote kicking into space. If a kick does go straight out, the opposition will be awarded a free-kick from where the kick out of play was taken.

9. The team having the throw-in at a line-out will have 30-seconds to take the throw – again, the rationale is increase ball-in-play time and intensity. Failure to do this will be punished by the opposition having a free-kick on the 15-metre line.

10. Pre-line-out “huddles” or “pre-calling” is banned. This is to encourage the development of “adaptive line-out calling” and “defensive options”. Again, failure to do this will lead to a free-kick on the 15-metre line.

11. Teams will be limited to ONE driving maul from a line-out per half. This will hopefully promote delivery off the top and play off ten. Again, if a team goes for a second driving maul in any half, they will concede a free-kick on the 15-metre line.

12. The teams will have 30-seconds in which to set-up a scrum after an infringement. Any team failing to be ready in this time will concede a free-kick.

13. There will be ZERO TOLERANCE of scrum infringements – and NO RESETS. This will – hopefully – promote individual scrum technique (correct body positions/effective binding/staying square). Not adhering to these principles will result in a free-kick, with repeated infringements leading to penalties and yellow cards.

14. There will be no direct coaching intervention during play, by either coaches, media or water-carriers. This is to promote adaptive play and decision-making under pressure.

15. Only the team physio and water-carriers will be allowed in the technical areas. This is, again, aimed at promoting adaptive play and decision-making under pressure.

16. Yellow card “sin bin” time will be cut to eight minutes – again, to promote positive play.

There is much to applaud in these proposals, and after this, it's another nail in the coffin of the SRU's image of “Aye Beenism” and resistance to change. Hopefully a few other Unions will turn-up to see how these changes work. However, I hae ma doots about one or two of the proposals. Let's start with the obvious one – the reduction in yellow card sanction time from ten minutes to eight. Surely, if you are trying to promote POSITIVE play, then the sanctions for NEGATIVE play ought to be higher? Mind you, with the reduced game time, maybe, in the instance of this potentially one-off tournament, the reduction makes sense.

I love the sanctions for those absurd pre-line-out “huddles” - bring that one straight into normal play say I. Ditto, the 30-seconds to set-up a scrum or line-out rulings; make this happen across the board.

Scrum penalties – well, that has become a hardy annual. Not sure about the suggestions here, but, let's suck it and see. One change I would make to scrums is to ban holding the ball at the number eight's feet and driving – outside the five-metre zone. The push-over try should be maintained, but, holding and pushing just to win a penalty – no, outlaw that.

Any ideas which increase ball-in-play time are to be encouraged. Who knows, if these suggestions work in this one-off tournament next month, we might, in time, see some of them brought into general use.

 John Jeffrey, should attend, he might get some fresh ideas for World Rugby to mull over

One hopes John Jeffrey - "the White Shark" and Chairman of World Rugby's Rugby Committee, that's the one that oversees the rules, is on a three-line whip to attend; so he might have some fresh ideas to take back to his fellow committee members.

These Are Early Days But Ayr Have Problems To Solve

YOU DON'T win the league in September, but, you can make things very difficult for yourself with a bad start. And that is the problem facing Ayr this week. Coach Calum Forrester and his team have to, quickly, solve the conundrum – is this a temporary blip, or are we on the slide?

 Calum Forrester - has problems to solve

There are some players a team never misses until they are not there, and, just maybe, the absence of front five powerhouses George Hunter and Scott Sutherland has hampered Ayr. George and “Queenie” are two of the Millbrae men's principal ball-carriers, for all the great experience Ryan Grant brings, I think they are missing the front foot ball which the missing two give them in the loose.

Then, there is another missing person, whose value may only now be being acknowledged. That is back's coach Scott Forrest. “Fossie” and “Scottie” arrived at Millbrae as a pairing, and they have been together through the past three seasons, but, this season, Forrest isn't there, while he completes his Level Four coaching qualification – and, some of the Millbrae brains trust feel his absence is being felt. Also, Forrester is heavily-involved in professional exams at the moment.

Might it be a combination of these pressures is telling on the Ayr coaching team, also, could it be, as with football's legendary Clough and Taylor pairing, Forrester and Forrest are better together than apart? It's all speculation at the moment, but, what is fact is, Ayr want to be further up the league than they currently are – and the longer it takes before they are again in contention, the more the pressure on coaches and team will increase.

But, winning the Premiership is a marathon, not a sprint and starting badly, then finishing powerfully in the play-offs may still work for Ayr.

MEANWHILE, in the dog-eat-dog world of wider Ayrshire rugby, there is much tittering at the current position, whereby Marr are above Ayr in the Premiership table. One or two guys whose allegiances lie elsewhere other than Millbrae and Fullarton in God's County are rather enjoying the turn-up, and hoping Marr can at least hold their lead until the two South Ayrshire clubs go head-to-head at Troon on 7 October. There will be a lot of alleged neutrals, from the other Ayrshire clubs round the ropes that afternoon, and, I suspect, the majority will be Marr men for the day.

Greg Peterson, enjoyed his run-out with Marr

Winning at Hawick on Saturday was a terrific boost for Marr, but, they are not getting carried away by this success. The Fullarton lads had to withstand a typically powerful second half comeback from the Green Machine, and the knowledge they can withstand that will do them no harm either. I understand big Greg Peterson thoroughly enjoyed his run-out in Marr's colours, Marr certainly enjoyed having him there, while Richard Dalgleish, in the opinion of more than a few Ayr fans, scandalously under-used during his time in pink and black, is thoroughly enjoying being back at Marr.

And, the rest of the Premiership should be now be warned – if you transgress anywhere in your own half, Colin Sturgeon has the boot to make you sorry.

I SEE some things in Scottish Rugby that - “hae aye been”, can still crop-up. It used to be reckoned, somewhere past Peebles, there was a fault line, which acted like Kryptonite to Glasgow rugby teams. No matter how well they had been going, they crossed that line and were immediately rendered impotent. Of course, Borders Rugby Society referees prone to say things like: “oor baw,” when adjudicating on scrum possession didn't help, but, that's another story.

Any how, I noticed on Saturday, GHA's great start to the National League 1 campaign hit the buffers, when they lost, albeit by a single point at JED-FOREST. EDINBURGH ACADEMICALS and SELKIRK are now the only unbeaten sides in the division, both with 15 points from three games, with GALA a point adrift in third.

KIRKCALDY head National League 2, where they are the only side to have taken the maximum five points from each of their first three games. The Fifers have a nice +80 points difference, which just happens to be the amount by which they thrashed Aberdeenshire on Saturday, 80-0 at Beveridge Park. DUMFRIES SAINTS continued their bright start by winning at LASSWADE, to go third.

The long trek to ORKNEY failed to discombobulate NEWTON STEWART'S great start to life in National League 3. The Galloway-Irishmen beat their island hosts 41-3 to remain top of the table, with 15 points from their first three matches. GLASGOW ACADEMICALS are just behind, on points difference, after their third straight bonus-point win, in the West End Derby against HILLHEAD-JORDANHILL, who are, along with HADDINGTON, PERTHSHIRE and DALZIEL, one of four teams still pointless after three games.

In the Regional Leagues, in East 1, there is a three-way tie at the top, with HAWICK HARLEQUINS, LIVINGSTON and FORRESTER all on 15 points, one more than NORTH BERWICK. BARNTON continue to head East 2, they stuck 115 points, without reply, on RDVC on Saturday, while LANGHOLM are in second spot.

In the West, the ALLAN GLEN'S revival continues. They head West 1 by a point from similarly unbeaten CARRICK and GARNOCK; while in West 2, high-scoring PAISLEY lead the table from similarly unbeaten CUMNOCK, with LENZIE two points away in third. GLASGOW UNIVERSITY MEDICS and BISHOPTON are joint-top of West 3, with 15 points from three games, five more than third-plaved COWAL.

ALLOA are clear at the top in Caledonia 1, four points clear of CAITHNESS, with HILLFOOTS and ELLON respectively leading the Midlands and North second divisions.

In the Women's Premier Division, STEWARTRY SIRENS, by virtue of having played a game more, are one point ahead of HILLHEAD-JORDANHILL, the only unbeaten team with three bonus-point wins from their opening three fixtures.

Hearken Ye Unto The Word According To Shanks

WE HAVE much to discuss today gentle reader, but first, the thoughts of the God of Glenbuck – Willie Shankly, who, when asked to confirm or deny that old story about him taking the blessed Nessie to a Tranmere Rovers reserve game as a wedding anniversary treat, dismissed the story thus: “Don't be silly, you don't seriously think I'd have got married during the season.”

Shankly - would never have got married during the season

If not getting married during the season was good enough for Shankly, what the hell was Glasgow Hawks' assistant coach Andrew Douglas thinking – having his nuptials clash with the Hawks v Heriot's BT Premiership game, then compounding the folly by dragging Fin Gillies, his Head Coach, along as Best Man. I am not saying the absence of the two main men from the touchline contributed to Hawks' loss, but, having them there might have turned disappointing defeat into victory.

THE GREAT Jim Fleming was on referee assessor duties at Scotstoun on Saturday, and grateful for his seat in the stand, because, at one point pre-match, it looked as if he might have to get the boots out and run touch. As it was, Referee Development Manager Andrew Macpherson was on one line at Ayr v Melrose and, while Scottish refereeing is definitely on an upward trajectory, we are still in the position of maybe needing more people to pick-up a whistle and get involved. After all, the rewards, for the best, are very good indeed. Mike Adamson is currently in the midst of a “working holiday” in South Africa; he was on the line for Southern Kings v Leinster on Saturday, and he will be in the middle for one of the games in South Africa this coming weekend.

 Jim Fleming - feared a one-off come-back on Saturday

We may not always agree with the decisions our match officials make, but, we could not have a game without them and it would be great if more players such as Mikey would seamlessly switch from playing to officiating.

OK, THAT'S the nice bit said, about Scottish referees. What about the Forces of Darkness, however, the refereeing Murphyia from Dublin who seem determined to mess-up badly when it comes to officiating at games in Wales, involving the two Scottish professional sides.

Now, Glasgow did not play well for long-enough in Cardiff on Saturday night, but, they were still too good for a poor Cardiff Blues team. Glasgow played the more inventive and entertaining rugby and, while some of the first-up tackling and decision-making was poor, and being the more-adventurous side, Glasgow suffered more from a greasy ball and pitch, that said, they were still the better team.

 "Francesco Murphyia" of the notorious Dublin refereeing Mafia

That Cardiff should run them so-close was, in my view, due in no small measure to referee Frank Murphy operating twin standards – there was one Law for Glasgow, quite another for Cardiff, who got every break the referee could give them, plus a few more which defied logic.

Time and again Murphy would warn Cardiff, only to see the same offence immediately repeated, but, his yellow card remained in his pocket. It was quite a shockingly-bad demonstration of refereeing failure. That very-good young SRU referee Lloyd Linton was dropped for making one obvious howler last season – Murphy is still there, after making umpteen bad decisions in one game. Clearly, there is one Law for Irish referees, a far-harsher one for Scottish officials.

As to the game, what stood out for me was the performance of Nick Grigg, who has, in the last year, suddenly gone from bit-part player to a star. He had some quite wonderful cameo moments on Saturday night.

BACK IN 1980, as oor ain Allan Wells won the Olympic Games 100 metres gold medal, his every move was being followed by a documentary film crew from the BBC. The finished movie included some memorable scenes – the effort he put into his speedball sessions, those ten and a bit seconds of the final, with Margot screaming: “Come on Allan” at her husband, and, his lap of honour, during which you could clearly hear Wells repeating: “Keep the heid, keep the heid”, to himself as he took his richly-deserved victory lap.

Well, it's not the same, but, I am sure everyone at Fullarton, from president Kevin Quinn and Head Coach Craig Redpath down, is repeating the Wells mantra this week. Last season, Hawick came to Troon and thrashed Marr in the Scottish Cup. On Saturday, in the BT Premiership, the Troon lads went to Mansfield and won. They currently sit fifth in the table and, more-importantly from the point of view of Ayrshire rugby tribalism – they are ABOVE AYR.

It wasn't supposed to be like this; Marr were in the top-flight to make up the numbers, and be the sacrificial whipping boys. Now, we are only one-sixth of the way through the regular season, and, Marr may still end up going straight back down to National League One come April, but, if they keep this great start going – that will not happen.

Allan Wells - he kept the heid, I am sure Marr will too

So, well done lads, keep it up – but, remember Allan Wells and: KEEP THE HEID.

The way the early results have gone in the Premiership, I believe this could be a very special year. Melrose already look likely to storm away – although their clash with Currie on 30 September is already looking like being a cracker – but, behind them, anything can, and probably will, happen.

ARE THE All Blacks so-good, or was Saturday's 57-0 rout of the Springboks a case of the Bokke being bad? The answer to that question probably lies somewhere in between. But, you cannot argue with an eight tries to nil win, the Blacks, right now, have some seriously-good attackers.

The Beauden Flip, clever, but, Toony and Big Gav did it first

Lots of people raving about that Nehe Milner-Skudder try, off Beauden Barrett's inside pass. Come on, it was a great try, and a great pass, but, it was simply a New Zealand version of the Toony Flip. We in Scotland have seen it before.

Let's hope the ABs come here in November with the attitude: “It's only Scotland,” and, maybe, we can catch them on an off-day, which even they have occasionally.

Hopefully This Man Can Multi-Task

I MAY, for a spot of light relief, attempt to multi-task this evening, by watching the BT Sport broadcast of the Partick Thistle v Rangers football match, with the sound muted, whilst simultaneously listening to the BBC Radio Scotland broadcast of the Edinburgh v Benetton PRO14 match. I wager, at some point, one of Peter Wright's observations about the refereeing, or some incident during play at Myreside, will seamlessly cover whatever pictures are then being broadcast from Firhill.

 Peter Wright - a national treasurer as a summariser

I actually enjoy big Peter's sometimes exasperated comments, the big man is a natural broadcaster, both on-radio and on-television. If rugby had a version of Test Match Special, Peter would be a national treasure by now.

Tonight's game is one Edinburgh will be expected to win, and win well – so, the spectators inside Myreside might be in for a difficult and seemingly lengthy evening. I think they will win, hopefully, with a bonus point on top, but, it would be great for the team and for Scottish rugby, were they to win without any hiccups, by just going out there, taking control and relentlessly turning the screw. That sort of performance, and, we might be able to believe Edinburgh had turned a corner and were on the highway to success.

Coach Cockerill has selected an experienced side, more than capable of getting the job done. It is good to see Damien Hoyland set to rack-up his 50^th Edinburgh appearance tonight, and, hopefully, he can cap it with a try or two.

 Damien Hoyland - 50 not out tonight

The Edinburgh XV is: 1 Michele Rizzo, 2 Ross Ford, 3 Simon Berghan, 4 Anton Bresler, 5 Ben Toolis, 6 Magnus Bradbury (CAPTAIN), 7 John Hardie, 8 Cornell du Preez; 9 Nathan Fowles, 10 Duncan Weir; 11 Jason Harries, 12 Robbie Fruean, 13 Chris Dean, 14 Damien Hoyland; 15 Blair Kinghorn. Replacements: 16 Neil Cochrane, 17 Darryl Marfo, 18 WP Nel, 19 Fraser McKenzie, 20 Hamish Watson, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Jason Tovey, 23 Junior Rasolea.

GLASGOW WARRIORS today announced their squad for their clash with Cardiff, in Wales, tomorrow. The squad is:

1 Jamie Bhatti, 2 George Turner, 3 Zander Fagerson, 4 Tim Swinson, 5 Scott Cummings, 6 Matt Fagerson, 7 Callum Gibbins, 8 Adam Ashe; 9 Henry Pyrgos (CAPTAIN), 10 Finn Russell; 11 Lee Jones, 12 Alex Dunbar, 13 Nick Grigg, 14 Tommy Seymour; 15 Ruaridh Jackson. Replacements: 16 Pat MacArthur, 17 Alex Allan, 18 D’arcy Rae, 19 Brian Alainu’uese, 20 Chris Fusaro; 21 George Horne, 22 Peter Horne, 23 Niko Matawalu.

Tim Swinson will join the 100 Club tomorrow

Tim Swinson will lead-out the team, on the occasion of his 100^th Warriors' appearance, while Henry Pyrgos leads the side, with regular skipper Ryan Wilson injured. It is interesting to see the Horne brothers named together on the bench, we might yet see them in concert at half-back, while the inspired genius that is Niko Matawalu is also set to be unleashed from the bench, if required. Good too to see Tommy Seymour back in the squad and ready to roll.

Cardiff, having lost their first two fixtures, will be anxious to avoid a third beating, so, they will put up a fight, perhaps literally, but, this is another game which Glasgow are more than capable of winning in style.

Also worth noting, Mike Adamson is far-travelled this weekend. He is one of the refereeing team on-duty in the first PRO14 game in South Africa, when he takes the flag as Assistant Referee One, for the match between Southern Kings and Leinster, in the magnificent Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. Between his service on the Sevens circuit, the Rio Olympics and now this, wee Mikey's passport must be about worn-out.

NO QUESTION about the Match of the Day in the BT Premiership tomorrow. It has to be the Clash of the Titans at Millbrae, between Ayr and Melrose. Melrose have won the last two encounters between the sides, in the Scottish Cup final and the Charity Shield, so Calum Forrester and his Ayr force will be determined to stop a third straight loss to their greatest rivals.

Ayr have just not been clicking, so, tomorrow is as good a day as any for this to happen. However, given the start they have made, you have to fancy the 'Rose to bloom again at Millbrae.

Somewhere on the road, the Melrose team coach will pass the Marr one, taking the Premiership new boys to Hawick. Beating Heriot's at Fullarton last week alerted the rest of the established Premiership clubs to the fact, Marr have not come up to make-up the numbers. They hope the release of Warriors' James Malcolm and big Greg Peterson might stabilise a scrum which has creaked in their two games thus far, but, Hawick should beware, in the loose, Marr can be lethal. And with Marr old boy, former Scotland captain Peter Brown - a "glory-hunting" part-time supporter, according to wee bother John, watching tomorrow, they will be keen to put one over on the Green Machine.

Peter Brown - will be watching Marr tomorrow

However, Hawick too have professional reinforcements in Edinburgh's Tom Brown at full-back, and Kevin Bryce at tight-head. There are rumours Darcy Graham might be unleashed on Marr too, but, even without him, Hawick will be fancied to make home advantage count.

At Scotstoun, Hawks, following last week's more-than-welcome win over Ayr, will be looking to beat a wounded Heriot's, who have now lost their first two games and will be desperate to stop the rot. Much has been made of the teacher v pupil clash between Ross Thomson of Hawks and Stuart Edwards of Heriot's at ten, but, for me the key battle-ground here is up front. It will be tight, but, Hawks can maintain their 100% start to the season – switching to Scotstoun has definitely been good for them.

The West Edinburgh Derby between Boroughmuir and Currie is another intriguing match-up, while just up the road, at Myreside, Watsonians will be looking to kick-start their season by beating a Stirling County side which has perhaps been the surprise packet of the opening couple of rounds of games. It's an interesting fixture list tomorrow, with a lot of quality rugby promised – let's hope the sides can deliver.

Formation Dancing Is A Numbers Game

WHAT'S in a formation? I ask because, perusing the New Zealand Herald this morning, I found the All Blacks' team to play the South Africans at the weekend, listed in number order – i.e. 1 to 15, then onwards from 16 to 23 on the bench. My own lower regional league club also lists the weekly XV in this order, and why not? Meanwhile, the more common formation one sees is: backs listed 15 to 9; forwards listed 1 to 8; replacements listed 16 to 23.

If the All Blacks list 1-15, why doesn't everyone else

You turn up at a game, you buy a programme, there you generally find the team listings are 15 to 9, then 8 to 1, followed by the replacements in 16 t0 23. There is no standard format. Mind you when I first began going to Murrayfield, the full-back wore 1, the three-quarter line wore 2,3,4 and 5, with the half-backs wearing 6 and 7. It was even more confusing with the pack. As far as I can remember, the number eight did indeed wear 8, the wing forwards 9 and 10, the locks 11 and 12, and the front row 13,14 and 15. However, some other countries would number their pack from the front row: 8, 9 and 10, to the back row. It was confusing. I cannot remember when the change to the now near universal – loose-head wearing 1, going through to the full-back wearing 15 came in, but, it did clarify things.

Of course, even after the numbering system for 1 to 15 was standardised, you still got the odd deviation – Bath never had a 13, so their full-back wore 16. Today, the Ayr XV comes out wearing some strange numbers -20, 22, 26 and 28 can turn-up, but, Team Manager Dougie Stanley tells me this is down to some players having strange body shapes which do not suit regulation numbers.

Ayr team manager Dougie Stanley has some odd numbers to deal with 

Mind you, common sense should maybe dictate, since almost every team now lines-up with their pack in 3-4-1 formation, perhaps the two wing forwards should be wearing 4 and 7, with the locks wearing 5 and 6. And another thing, at the professional end of the game, every team has a spare front row on the bench. Why is it then, that the replacement hooker wears 16, the two back-up props 17 and 18? Surely common sense should further dictate, the spare loose-head wears 16, the second hooker 17 and the back-up tight-head 18.

However, it has taken us nearly 150-years to get to this stage. And, numbering hasn't been mandatory for that long. We all know the great tale of James Aikman-Smith, the great dictator of Scottish rugby, when asked by HM King George V, why the Scottish players in the Calcutta Cup match of 1928 were not numbered, while their English opponents were, Aikman-Smith supposedly replied: “Because sir, this is a rugby international, not a cattle market.” Bang went the knighthood there and then. Scotland did not wear numbers regularly until two years after “Napoleon” Aikman-Smith died.

Let us not forget either, until recently, Bristol and Leicester didn't number their players, they were identified by letters. The legendary Leicester front row of Graham Rowntree, current Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill and Darren Garforth were the Tigers' front-row on 166 occasions, and were known, because of their shirt letters as: “the ABC” club. Rowntree was an A, Cockerill a B and Garforth a C – choose for yourself what each letter stood for!! Bristol, just to be different perhaps, lettered their shirts with the full-back wearing A, through to the number eight wearing O.

Richard Cockerill - a right B in his playing days

I suppose, now, with the numbering system more-or-less universal, the fact the All Blacks have started listing their team announcements in number order, will mean all the rest will fall into line.

Let us not, however, take this piece to extremes and go into tour numbers – whereby a player in a touring party is given a squad number, which also goes onto his match-day kit. That might be a step too far, although, it used to be common.

I still remember, on my first Scotland tour as a journalist, sitting at the front of the bus, with the players at the back, when they had to number off, so we knew everyone important was on-board. Anyone who ever thought there was a standard Scottish accent would soon have learned different as the numbers were reeled-off in accents varying from Edinburgh Public School, through Borders mill town, via Galloway-Irish, up to middle-class Glasgow and on into Fife and the Doric: “One, twa, fower, seeven, etc”.

Of course, from a rugby journalist's perspective, numbers only work if they are correct. In Monday's papers I saw at least one player wrongly identified, because the photographer at the game was unfamiliar with the clubs he was covering and didn't know that while the match programme had listed Smith at 4 and Jones at 5 in one team, they were actually wearing the other numbers. So, Smith got the caption credit for what was actually Jones's try.

How long though, I wonder, will it be before the PRO14 clubs go down the route of the major football teams and instead of the plain, simple World Rugby imposed system of 1-15 that we have today is set-free for the greater financial rewards of squad numbers, to help boost the price they can charge for replica jersies It works in football, where the youngster buying his Manchester United, Real Madrid or Barcelona replica top can, for a suitably-steep extra payment have 'Pogba', 'Ronaldo' or 'Messi' stencilled onto the back.

Siua Halanukonuko - worth a bomb to his club in replica shirt stencilling

If Tongan tight-head Siua Halanukonuka becomes a fans' cult hero at Scotstoun, then Warriors' coffers will be enriched by kids having his name stencilled onto the back of the shirts - it's all about money these days.

If Something Needs Sorting - Hire A Hooker

EDINBURGH coach Richard Cockerill came out of the Leicester system. His entire career – until approximately a year ago - was spent in a system whereby, if you didn't perform as a team, you got relegated, with a knock-on effect in terms of salaries and even jobs. Now he is with Edinburgh, he is in a system where failure means the Challenge Cup rather than the Champions Cup; if we are being honest here, the consequences of failure for Edinburgh players are not as dramatic as they might be for Leicester players.

Those lovely chaps, the English rugby media have long suggested this fear of failure means the English game is harder, the players more focussed and driven than those in the PRO14, where, of course, there is no relegation. This, of course, is pure English bullshit and arrogance – generations of hard English forwards have admitted, there were no more-difficult places to go as the likes of The Gnoll, or Stradey Park, Mansfield Park or Ravenhill. And though the venues and in some cases stadium names may have changed, with the advent of the PRO14, that has not lessened the challenge of winning.

Cockerill knows, he is now in a league which will be every bit as hard to win as the Aviva Premiership; he is a winner, and he will be determined to show, he can win with Edinburgh. He may hang around for the long haul, but, you can bet, if he can turn-around the serially under-performing Edinburgh and make them at least competitive – then some English club will offer hi big money to return home.

He might well return, but, just maybe, the opportunity to live in Scotland, particularly an independent Scotland doing rather better than England, will see him perhaps build a legacy at Edinburgh which is great for Scottish rugby.

He is certainly talking a good game. Even some of the more-cynical members of the Scottish rugby-writing fraternity are being won over by the philosophy of a hard wee bugger of a former hooker – all of which bodes well for Edinburgh.

AT t'other end of the M8, the same attitude is being instilled by Dave Rennie and his coaching team. Aye, two bonus-point wins from two starts is great, but, Rennie and Jason O'Halleran, who was on media duties on Monday, don't just want to win – they want to win with style, an attitude which didn't do Jock Stein any harm half a century ago. Glaswegians want their sporting heroes to have a bit of gallus swagger about them. If Finn Russell, Hoggie & Co can deliver, hell, they might have to expand Scotstoun again. These are exciting times in Scottish rugby.

Speaking of extending Scotstoun. I was not impressed by the attendance at Myreside on Friday night. The good burghers of Edinburgh have endured some poor performances from their professional rugby team since it was formed, so, it will take more than two straight victories to persuade them to turn out in greater numbers. However, if the results keep improving, along with the marketing effort, who knows what might happen.

However, I remain uncertain as to the virtues of Myreside as a home venue. I feel the SRU missed a trick when they did not, as was suggested years ago, built a sort of Edinburgh Arms Park behind the remodelled Murrayfield, the room is certainly there.

THAT HARDY ANNUAL, expansion of the PRO14 into North America has re-surfaced this week, with news of a potential Washington franchise joining, along with one perhaps in Germany. There is also the fact that the Aviva Premiership clash between Newcastle Falcons and Saracens will be played in Philadelphia as proof the money men in rugby are increasingly looking Stateside.

There is NO WAY the Aviva Premiership will ever, as the PRO14 is contemplating, bring-in an American franchise. England must rule the waves and, if Americans got involved, they would soon be taking over – cannot have that old boy, must keep those colonials in their place and all that. They may like the idea of selling their league for TV, but, as with so-much of professional sport in England, it's all about making money for the few and the greater good of the game comes a long way second.

The Celtic Unions might not make the money the RFU does, but, at least, with them, the overall care of the game is still uppermost, it is not, as it increasingly seems in England, a case of the clubs asking: “What's in it for me, and how can I get more of it?”

I remember, years ago, the RFU toyed with setting-up Divisions, the equivalent of the Welsh Regions and the Irish Provinces, but, the power of the clubs put the kibosh on that plan. Had the Old Farts kept the head and carried it through, who knows, maybe today we would have a two division British Isles League operating, something which to me is the logical set-up for rugby in these islands.