The Glaswegian - Talking Rugby

A sad end to the Lineen era

2012-03-13T12:32:52Z

FOUR men shuffled into yesterday's press conference at Scotstoun with only one carrying himself in a dignified manner. Yet you would have forgiven ousted Warriors coach Sean Lineen if he dropped his guard and let rip on the trio behind him who had stabbed him in the back.

This conference was arranged to call time on the Lineen years at Glasgow - and what a cack-handed way to do it. Send him out there along with his assassins and humiliate the man in front of a watching media by stripping him of his job with the person who has been gifted it only yards away from him.

But with poise, calmness and displaying more dignity than the usurpers next to him combined, Lineen - albeit through gritted teeth - was philosophical about having his livelihood being stripped away from him with only the small consolation of a token new post within the SRU being given to him.

"Head of Player Acquisition" is his new role but don't be fooled by the slick title. He will now be a talent scout who will trudge around from place to place - some exotic, others not so - looking to see if anyone is good enough to play for Scotland who also has a genuine Scottish grandparent to call on for qualification.

This is a demotion now matter how the SRU dress it up. He also gets to take charge of the Scotland Under-20 squad but given that he was once in charge of Scotland 'A', again, this is a demotion.

After all what had he done to merit being sacked from Glasgow? Faced with a small player base, peanuts for a budget and crowds dwarfed by the big hitters in the Celtic League, Lineen had Glasgow punching well above their weight. Last season of course was disappointing. Indeed, had the SRU said to him then "Sean we think you've taken this club as far as you can" then there would have been very few complaints.

But they didn't. After all there were mitigating circumstances. Lineen had been deprived of some major players like Dan Parks and Kelly Brown who had left for pastures new with Thom Evans being forced into premature retirement after that horrific injury in Cardiff two years ago. No doubt taking the pragmatic approach that the youngsters who were brought in needed a full season to acquit themselves to pro rugby, they allowed Lineen to carry on.

And up until yesterday, their judgement had been sound. The youngsters being an extra year wiser have stepped up to the plate with Glasgow playing some superb rugby this season and have a great chance of not only making the end of season play-offs but winning them as well.

Which makes the timing of this absolutely absurd. Sure the party line being espoused is "we'll keep battling to end Sean's time here on a high" but let's not kid ourselves. The spark which has lit up this season's campaign has had a bucket of cold water poured on it and it will be difficult to re-ignite it with damp matches.

Given that this news has come in a week in which the pressure mounted on the future of Scotland coach Andy Robinson after last week's poor display in Ireland and Lineen being touted as the man to succeed him, it would appear that with the SRU stripping Lineen of his powers, the current coach of Scotland has one less pretender to his throne to worry about.

Coincidence? Who knows but another possible candidate, Bryan Redpath, must be comforted in some way that only his employers at Gloucester can decide whether or not to sack him, not the SRU. Plus the odds on Redpath becoming Scotland boss should an Italian defeat this weekend prompt Robinson to walk away will have shortened seeing as it is now apparent of how low an opinion the SRU have on Sean Lineen's talents.

Meanwhile, Lineen's words yesterday as he tried to keep to the party line were in stark contrast to the quotes attributed to him earlier in the day which demonstrated shock and bewilderment. Those with an agenda will be putting out the spin of "he didn't have to accept the new role the SRU offered - he could have walked away". Maybe but the dole queue is not exactly appealing at this current moment in time and Lineen like everyone else has bills to pay and mouths to feed. The acceptance of his new post will have been grudgingly done.

We can also expect the party line "well the players are behind the new coach - did you see the captain's interview? He's getting on with it". Of course he is. And of course the rest of the team are. They want to play. There are those like the captain who are Glasgow through and through. There are those who have settled in the city and don't want to uproot their families to pastures new. Of course they are not going to publicly speak out against the SRU - the people who pay their wages and to whom they are contracted to. Turkeys don't vote for Christmas remember so the players will keep their powder dry. The only likely voices of dissent we'll hear from them will be if and when they leave Glasgow for another club. Only then are the beans likely to be spilled if they disagree with what happened yesterday.

On the subject of players, one can only assume that his replacement Gregor Townsend is about to receive a player budget never before seen at Glasgow because if not, how he can improve upon the solid foundation built by Lineen is a mystery. A bigger puzzle would also be why do the SRU think that he is the man to do just that?

Let's face it, Townsend who received a fast track promotion to be the backs coach for Scotland has not excelled in this role. Scotland's try-scoring problems which plagued the latter years of Frank Hadden's reign are still there three years into Andy Robinson's and with this aspect being under Townsend's remit, he has failed in his job.

So how on earth does that make him suitable for the post of head coach of Glasgow? It doesn't. It seems that by gifting him these major roles the SRU are still trying to apologise to him for the crass way in which former Scotland coach, Matt Williams, called time on Townsend's international playing career.

It has not worked. You don't expect a small child to start reading Shakespeare straight away. You start off with the alphabet and work your way up. The same applies to rugby coaching. Begin at the bottom and climb up the ladder with your own achievements.

By starting off at Boroughmuir, Sean Lineen did just that. He was then rewarded with the assistant's post at Glasgow. After three years in that role, the main job itself was his and has since built up a reputation which has seen him touted as a future Scotland manager. Big clubs in France and England have tried to lure him away in the past but for family reasons he has remained. We can assume once his children's schooling is over and done with, the glorified scouting role will be ditched the minute a head coach's post elsewhere crops up.

But Townsend has no such experience in the coaching front apart from flopping as a novice in the professional's role he has with Scotland. If anything, he should apply for a coach's post in the club game - after all, there is a vacancy at Glasgow Hawks. Instead, blinded by the glamour and prestige of being associated with the coaching roles of first Scotland and now the Warriors, on the surface, vanity appears to have taken over and landed him in a position which he is not qualified for.

A harsh assessment maybe but if Lineen had to go, there are more deserving candidates out there who have paid their dues in the coalface of Scottish rugby. Ayr's Kenny Murray, Currie's Ally Donaldson and Craig Chalmers of Melrose have all guided their sides to Scottish titles. Peter Wright has experienced success with Glasgow Hawks as well but his tirade against the SRU when he left the Anniesland side last week, with hindsight, gave an indication that someone whose face clearly fitted with the SRU - more than the aforementioned proven, experience coaches - was going to once again jump the queue.

Townsend tried to play this down saying he he could only accept what had been offered to him but just as someone who can't drive would not dare to sit behind the wheel of a bus, he should have stepped back and let someone more capable taking the reins at Glasgow Warriors. Then again, on a human level, the knowledge of how this post had been created for him should have offended his levels of decency but he still took it.

However, here he is and in order to buy himself some time, he issued the cry of "judge me by the end of next season". You wonder if he releases that he will have to top anything that Sean Lineen has done over the past six years in the space of 12 months as the latter's sacking is a demonstration of the SRU not having the confidence in him to take Glasgow to the next level in the belief that Townsend can.

That means winning next season's play-offs and getting Glasgow into the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup. If Townsend is the man presented to us by the SRU to take the Warriors to the next level, then this is the minimum requirement. Failure to do so should result not only in his departure but of the Laurel & Hardy duo responsible for yesterday's farce, Mark Dodson and Graham Lowe, respectively chief executive and performance director of the SRU.

This pair have been charged with taking Scottish rugby to the next level and taken a huge risk in what they have done by shamefully sacking someone who had Glasgow performing way above expectations in a league which contains some of the top sides in Europe and replaced him with somebody who has so far shown himself to be out of his depth on the coaching front.

Dodson, Lowe and Townsend will no doubt expect the acclaim should the gamble pay off and Glasgow are heralding a Celtic League triumph and progress into the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup. They will more than likely receive it - it would be a monumental achievement, especially if Townsend has to do it on the same budgetary constraints that Lineen had to work under.

But even if they do, nothing should detract from the fact that yesterday, all three were complicit in costing a man who didn't deserve to lose it, his job.

That, in any walk of life, is unforgivable.

Same again? Knight Lineen if it is

2010-08-27T11:12:42Z

LAST SEASON was a hallmark for Glasgow Warriors when they racked up their highest ever finish. But are we asking too much of boss Sean Lineen to conjure up the same trick again?

Without doubt it was a good time to be a Warriors fan last year with the team managing at long last to perform consistently over the full season.

Sure the old problem of seeing European action past Christmas reared its head again but as ex-Liverpool football club manager Bill Shankly once said: "Look after the bread and butter and eventually, the rest will take care of itself".

That of course is the Magners League and prior to last season, being in contention for that prize past Christmas was a major issue.

Often we would see Glasgow get off to a flying start and taunt us all with the promise that this could be the year.

Rugby being what it is, injuries inevitably occurred and the Warriors cupboard usually resembled that of an old Soviet supermarket with very little in supply.

There would also be the odd period of discontent with Kiwi Searancke's spell in charge being a case in point although the dressing room division worryingly panned out as those being for the then-gaffer being the 'good' players and those against.... draw your own conclusions.

Not to say Lineen has had to deal with all of this in his five years at the club only he seems more adept than most in being able to adjust his first XV when injuries crop up and also, to get the dressing room back on side when the troops start thinking of mutiny.

If rumour and conjecture is to be believed there have been at least two occasions (early in 2006/07 season and the 2008/09) of coup rumblings. If true it was very noticeable that such speculation died out within a week lest it fester like it did under Searancke.

Some will say "that's because those rumours were all a load of rubbish anyway". Possibly. But if they were not, it shows that Lineen's man-management is up there with the best - after all, it would have to be.

Last season not only saw a team singing from the same hymn sheet but also, when injuries inevitably cropped up, they had a squad capable of dealing with it.

Unfortunately, Glasgow's success meant that Scotland more than ever depended on Lineen's crop of talent which left him somewhat bare when the Magners campaign carried on during the Six Nations.

He wasn't the only boss lumbered with that issue which in all fairness should stop being one with the suspension of competition while the Six Nations takes place. After all, with many fans' attentions and wallets being diverted elsewhere, it does somewhat devalue a league striving to gain extra attention.

But I digress, a strong finish post-Six Nations not only saw them through to the newly-establish play-offs but a highest-ever finish of third place. In fact, had the game's beaks been stronger in punishing Ospreys for their little bit of rule-breaking, second place and a home semi-final draw should have been the Warriors' reward.

However, when your team does well, the big boys start opening their cheque books to your stars and so it proved. Renaissance man Dan Parks went to Cardiff while Kelly Brown saw the challenge of Saracens as a chance too big to miss.

Not to worry, Glasgow have plenty in reserve to cope....... or they did. Injuries come and go in rugby but this summer, they have arrived at Firhill and decided to set up camp with players dropping like flies.

Johnnie Beattie and James Eddie out until new year leaving the back row - the Warriors' strongest department - suspect, skipper Al Kellock and scrum-half Chris Cusiter out until the Autumn tests at least, prop Jon Welsh still recovering from his wounds of last season and of course, we all know about Thom Evans although the fact he's still able to walk after his horrific injury in Cardiff earlier this year is much more welcome news.

And with the coffers bare in terms of making signings to cover for the aforementioned, Lineen will have to rely on promoting players from the club scene, bargain buys and bringing players in on loan.

Not to mention some players still not quite putting their hands up to secure a berth in the first XV. The Ruaridh Jackson situation is a case in point.

The fly-half, tipped to be the next big thing, has had something of a confidence issue since coming back from injury last season. While his handling and running is still an asset to the team, his kicking - as shown in last week's friendly against Sale - has gone awry.

With Parks gone, this is his moment and maybe the pressure for someone who is still a young man is a little too hot to handle without the protective cloak that being Dan's understudy once provided him.

Problem is for Jackson is the emergence of a new starlet with teen Duncan Weir impressing against Sale when replacing Ruaridh. Weir shone in the club circuit for Glasgow Hawks and demonstrated his talent superbly against Sale.

However, there is a problem for Lineen in that as a teenage player, Weir will inevitably have dips in form and is effectively still building up his stamina. Jackson being fitter must recapture his form soon in order to allow Weir the time and space to fully develop as a player.

With more club players having to step up thanks to the injury situation, fitness and stamina will have a huge part to play and Lineen's young guns are going to have to shape up fast - witness the brutality with which a Glasgow side ridden with flu were swept away in the breakdown during the home loss to the Ospreys last season.

No doubt the feeling was at the end of last season was to make sure the Warriors kick on and at worst match what they achieved.

Given the situation on the playing front, that might be the best fans can hope for. If Lineen can pull it off, it could be an ever bigger feat than last year.

Off the pitch just as crucial for Glasgow as well as on it

2010-08-01T19:54:33Z

NOT long after starting my post at The Glaswegian, I asked Ian Reid, the owner of this city's basketball club the Glasgow Rocks, how with his field being a minority sport in Scotland his team managed to pull in and retain a healthy support. His answer? Engaging the community.

Compared with the attendances of the Warriors and indeed, this city's two main football clubs, the Rocks have some way to go to hit those dizzy heights but given the meagre coverage - both local and nationwide - that basketball receives, they are punching above their weight and then some.

"Wherever there is the sound of broken glass crunching underneath your shoes as you walk, you'll find us" was another comment by Reid in an interview with the Glaswegian nearly two years ago when reflecting on the work his team had done not only to catch new fans while they were young, but also to help them improve as valuable members in their own respective backyards.

For the life of a Rocks player isn't just turn up for training in the morning and clearing off to the golf course or (gulp) the bookies and the boozer and await for matchday to arrive. They're off to schools, youth clubs or even the streets of this city's, for want of a better term, rustic areas helping to make youngsters aware of options (besides gang culture and crime) which they might not know that are available to them. Playing basketball of course, being one.

Of course it helps having someone like the soon-to-be-departed skipper (although we hope for a change of mind) Rob Yanders around who has been on the other side of the fence and can speak with good authority that the street corner is not for you.

But even without Yanders, the Rocks can draw on feedback from schools and clubs on how a few words or a coaching session from one of the other players has made a positive impact on the intended audience. The 'Jump2it' sessions set up by the club gain new numbers by the year and more supporters to the cause - the infamous line of Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson visiting a Govan-based school and asking a pupil which team he supported only to be stunned by the reply "the Rocks" being one example of how this campaign is on the right track.

So what does this have to do with the Warriors and rugby I hear you ask? Plenty. And it's an example worth following and building upon as the Warriors have already joined the procession - although you'd be forgiven if you hadn't heard.

Back in 2007, the SRU for financial reasons had to make the hard choice of axing one of its pro teams. The Borders side was that unlucky club with many in Glasgow breathing a sigh of relief. After all, 12 months earlier, it would almost have certainly been them given that they finished rock bottom of the league back then.

Speaking with Warriors head coach Sean Lineen at the time, I enquired as to what work in the community the club were doing. "Every Wednesday we go out into the schools" was his response. "Just Wednesday?" I asked. "Yep, Wednesdays we're out there" came the reply. Upon pointing out the Rocks' schedule Lineen did concede that it was "Interesting and something that might have to be looked at".

They have been looking at it only you wouldn't know unless you approached someone at the club in the same manner as Laurence Olivier in Marathon Man and extracted the information out of them.

A chat with captain Al Kellock last season got onto how attendances had been steadily improving and I countered that they could be boosted even further if a big push in the community was implemented.

Kellock replied that they had done so and rattled off the improvements and additions they had made to their community programme (and it aint just Wednesdays folks) since the stay of execution of 2007. Fantastic. At last. Well done..... now the question for his paymasters at the Warriors/SRU, why don't you blow you trumpet about this or if you are, could you please crank up the volume?

Because this is what the Rocks do. This is why you hear about their work outwith the basketball court in The Glaswegian more often than (Kellock's interview from last season aside) you do regarding rugby in the community. Simple communication that is not overshadowed by fancy logos is the most effective form there is as it ensures the intended target knows all about the work they are doing.

Below the Magners League is the academy that is club rugby where it is hoped various teams will give a platform for aspiring players to come to the fore so that Glasgow and Edinburgh will have stars for the future.

One such club is West of Scotland who did blow its own trumpet very loudly although its then-coach, John Beattie, is a prominent rugby commentator for the BBC and knew the importance of getting the message out regarding West's own work.

But a strange scenario came last season when Beattie, after outlining what West were doing, took time to praise local rivals Glasgow Hawks for their work in the community - in particular, going out to state schools as well as those in the traditional rugby breeding ground that is the private sector.

Again, why were Hawks so modest about their work? Why have the Warriors been as well?

Warriors chief-executive (and former Hawks one) Kenny Baillie gave an audio interview for The Glaswegian's website (in our video and pictures section if you've yet to hear it) where he spoke at length (the website not being beholden to programming schedules, we broadcast the interview in full) for his hopes for Glasgow.

In it, he appeared to take on board that the club should be blowing its own trumpet more loudly with regard to the fine work they are doing in involving school pupils (both state and privately educated) in rugby. Hopefully we will hear them shout from the rooftops as the season progresses.

However, there still appears to be a reluctance to do this with a shyness still holding the torch-bearers of this great game in Scotland back.

A certain sporting institution contacted The Glaswegian demanding that the interview with Baillie be edited. As nobody had been libelled by Kenny, the request was refused and when pressed, they did not reveal which bits they wanted out. At the risk of going out on a limb and taking a guess at what particular bit concerned them, there was one tricky question regarding the promotion (or lack of it) of the game within the streets and schools of Glasgow which Baillie handled extremely well - although a brief concession was made that a more vocal promotion was something to be taken on board. However, recognising a minor flaw is in itself strengthening your position as long as you improve upon it.

There is a message just waiting to be conveyed to a Glasgow public who love their sport. It's not just football they're fond of. Ask the Rocks. Ask our new ice-hockey franchise the Braehead Clan who have yet to play a game but are selling tickets in vast numbers to a hockey fanbase starved of a west coast team for a number of years.

Both the Rocks and Clan have acknowledged the part The Glaswegian has played in getting their respective messages across (yes our own trumpet is causing a din but you get the point). So why should rugby shoot itself in the foot when it has a west coast outlet which has been promoting it's Glasgow flagship with regard to on the pitch willing to also spread its gospel off it?

Baillie was extremely eloquent in his interview with us and we hope he continues to be so for the rest of his tenure. Judging from the initial feedback we've had since its broadcast, so do a number of Warriors fans. Yet there is an uneasy feeling that the gag and handcuffs might not be too far away.

We hope not. With the quality in performance declining and the prices to watch rising, football in this city is at a crossroads. Rugby as this nation's second winter sport has a prime opportunity to bridge the gap given the improvement of both Glasgow and Scotland these past 12 months.

While football probably will remain king, the aforementioned gap can be shortened given the proud history that Scotland has in rugby (our team has at least had the decency to win titles and make the last four of a World Cup unlike its footballing counterpart who can't get past the first round). Yet like those who govern football in this nation of ours, rugby seems to be holding itself back from really exploiting its appeal and unleashing even further the mass potential that is out there.

Shout your good news at volume 11 please and let those like ourselves broadcast your message unhindered. After all, the Rocks haven't done too badly out of it and unlike yourselves, they don't even have the luxury of a TV deal to fall back on. Dust the megaphones off and let rip as history will not be forgiving should it ever ask why Glasgow failed to fulfil its potential.

Dan is still the man

2010-06-15T14:09:57Z

GLASGOW fans got a further reminder of what they're about to lose as fly-half Dan Parks put Argentina to the sword in Scotland's 24-16 victory in Tucamen last weekend.

Parks, who is Cardiff-bound later this summer, showed yet again that like a fine wine he improves with age as his probing kicks not only put the Pumas on the backfoot (as well as keeping the scoreboard ticking) but in standing flatter than usual, he displayed the creative side that Warriors boss Sean Lineen has spent years unlocking.

All this must be bittersweet for Warriors fans who are no doubt sad he's leaving but also proud of their man excelling for his country even though there are still those of an Edinburgh persuasion who still refuse to accept Parks as one of their own.

Parks did miss a couple of easy ones in the first half but the difference with Dan today compared with a few years back is that he didn't spend the rest of the game dwelling on it.

Sure enough, when it came to landing a more difficult kick, he banished the miss before and duly plonked it over - "he doesn't have bottle", remarked one Glasgow fan, "he has a whole crate".

But even Parks himself would freely admit that a fly-half is only as good as his pack.
The Argentina pack is renown for devestating the opposition and it was feared that a repeat show of their win at Murrayfield last year would once again occur.

If so, nobody told Moray Low as the Warriors prop at last came of age on
the international stage causing his opposite number to panic on a number of occasions.
Captain Kellock as usual was a pillar of strength in the line-out while the 'Killer Bees' of John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie and (another departing Warrior) Kelly Brown commanded the breakdown with ease.

Of course, this being Scotland, there is always room for improvement. The two tries that were conceded to Argentina were soft - even though the video ref was not wearing his specs for the Pumas' second score.

While Kellock stated he wasn't concerned about our own ability to cross the line, Scotland can't keep relying on Parks to kick them to victory.

Ex-Warrior Sean Lamont was unlucky not to have scored when his leg went into touch before grounding the ball over the line but more chances to cross over were there but went abegging.

Had Scotland been more ruthless in the opposing 22, Argentina would have been on the wrong end of a cricket score. Get that right and it won't just be Dan that Scotland fans are praising.

Room for improvement

2010-03-25T11:28:29Z

Report cards seem to be in vogue following the end of the Six Nations and this one like many has the same verdict across the board - must do better (or we'll all get horsed in next year's World Cup).

FRANCE

Winners and deservedly so. A vast improvement from last year and coach Marc Lievremont can justifiably stick two fingers to all those who slagged him off for using the last two campaigns to experiment and take stock of all the playing options open to him.

This year has seen a settled side - only interrupted by injuries - for the first time since he took over and we can pretty much assume that the core of this team will be first choice for the World Cup in 18 months time.

The pack is a very solid one and you'd be hard pushed to find a weak link on current form. If they click in their group game against World Cup hosts New Zealand then the shocks of 2007 and 1999 could well be repeated as they certainly have enough potency in their backs to do the All Blacks some damage.

One worrying aspect was their game against England. Yes they won but it was not exactly the ripest of cherries to put on their grandslam cake. They will have to ensure such performances are a one-off if they are to win the World Cup. Admittedly, the English have had a spell over them for the past four years so maybe this was a case of getting all of that out of the system and regaining the feeling of beating Les Rosbifs no matter how it was done. We'll find out next year at Twickenham.

IRELAND

Last year I praised Brian O'Driscoll to the hilt saying that like a boxer in the twilight of his career, the punch is the last to go. We hope for Ireland's sake that O'Driscoll's own right cross is on a short term hiatus.

Largely anonymous in this campaign although he wasn't the only Irishman to have a quiet tournament. Has this group of Irish players gone over the hill? We'll soon find out.

Declan Kidney has some tough choices to make over the next 18 months. Does he allow players who have served Ireland well in the past one last hurrah in New Zealand or does he take the knife to his team and remove the parts that are no longer efficient and inject some new blood in order for Ireland to have a good World Cup? Whatever he decides, they need to wipe away the disgrace of 2007.

ENGLAND

With the amount of resources at their disposal the question has to be asked. As Gordon Ramsay often asks in his Kitchen Nightmares show, what the &%$£ are they doing with them?

England should at worst be in contention for the Six Nations title on the final weekend of the campaign yet they got the position their displays deserved. In fact, they are fortuitous that they didn't return to the mid-80s and finish lower.

Martin Johnson has come in for a lot of stick but he can't be entirely held to blame. After all Rob Andrew, if you appoint a man with very little coaching experience (if any) to the top job in English rugby, you get what you deserve.

Strange tactics, selections and a persistence in appointing a mediocre lock as your captain is a recipe for disaster. Yes the France game was a dramatic improvement (Lewis Moody showing what could be done when said captain is not leading the team) but it only papers over the cracks that something needs to be done.

Andrew and Johnson say they are making progress. If they get so far as to meet them in the World Cup, New Zealand and South Africa are more than likely to tell them what real progress is.

WALES

To put it bluntly, all fur coat and no knickers in this year's tournament. Flashes of brilliance were blighted by long periods of mediocrity, stupidity and one shameful passage of cheating from Lee Byrne who can fall down as if shot when brushing past Phil Godman yet stand firm when taking a hit from the man-mountain that is Mathieu Bastereud.

Have Wales fallen into believing their own hype? If so then they had better snap out of it. Winning the grandslam two years ago was a fine achievement but that did not make them as great as the team of Edwards, Bennett, Gravell, JJ, JPR, John et al. They were consistently brilliant - this current crop are not. They can be but they had better stop deluding themselves that they are the finished article.

Warren Gatland has 18 months to sort this out otherwise don't be too surprised to see Wales take an early plane home come World Cup time.

SCOTLAND

Much better than last year although still the same old league position.

However, at least we've been in contention for most of the matches we have played which at least is something to work with.

The mistakes made in the last 10 minutes in Cardiff will sure as hell not be made again - if they are, those who make them had better announce their departures.

Italy was a black mark. Expecting the points to come in a game where you are heavily favoured to win tends to backfire on you and on this occasion it did.

Yet last week in Dublin showed what can be achieved when you front up to the opposition for the full 80 minutes. This time next year will show if Andy Robinson is taking Scotland on the right path.

ITALY

Bottom again but showed in parts that they can cause problems to the rest.

French disaster aside, they fronted up well to the home nations. Got a deserved win over Scotland and maybe with a little more conviction, they should have beaten England.

Their pack is as usual their main strength but their backs must stand up and be counted. Your scrum forcing penalties from the opposition will only get you so far. Like Scotland, they need to realise that a try-scoring threat is needed in order to make progress.

OFFICIALS

Didn't cover themselves with glory at all. Missing forward passes that lead to tries, failure to set a scrum, allowing themselves to be conned by gamesmanship and bizarre interpretations of what constitutes a penalty or a yellow card offence made this a poor tournament for the refs. Also, a citing commissioner who has poor regard for protecting a player's career and quality of life needs to be doing something else with his time during the Six Nations.

My team of the Six Nations

15. Clement Poitreneud (France)
14. Tommy Bowe (Ireland)
13. James Hook (Wales)
12. Yannick Jauzion (France)
11. Keith Earls (Ireland)
10. Dan Parks (Scotland)
9. Morgan Parra (France)

1. Thomas Domingo (France)
2. Ross Ford (Scotland)
3. Nicalas Mas (France)
4. Lionel Nallet (France)
5. Al Kellock (Scotland)
6. Johnnie Beattie (Scotland)
7. John Barclay (Scotland
8. Imanol Harinordoquy (France - captain)

Replacements

16. Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy)
17. William Servat (France)
18. Paul O'Connell (Ireland)
19. Kelly Brown (Scotland)
20. Tomas O'Leary (Ireland)
21. Stephen Jones (Wales)
22. Ben Foden (England)

Please do not turn a blind eye

2010-03-19T21:56:52Z

"MOVE along people, nothing to see here" was the effective message from the Six Nations citing commissioner after ruling that nothing untoward had taken place during the recent Scotland/England match. Sadly, if such an attitude continues to prevail then a player will indeed have nothing to see.

The disgraceful assaults on Scotland's Ross Ford and Max Evans have effectively been condoned by the citing commissioner who said that after reviewing the match there was no need to impose any retrospective punishment for any player involved.

Two photographs from the match at Murrayfield conflict with such a view. In last week's edition of The Glaswegian, we published a picture of Glasgow Warriors centre Max Evans being stopped in his tracks by England captain Steve Borthwick. The latter had the former's head clasped with both hands with the thumb on his left hand clearly entering Evans' left eye.

Meanwhile, a separate publication had printed an image of an unidentified English finger being thrust into Edinburgh hooker Ross Ford's left eye.

Yet bizarrely, the citing commissioner saw nothing wrong with either incident.

The assault on Ford was just that. Play had stopped and while there were some verbal exchanges going on between both front-rows, there is no excuse for thrusting a finger into someone else's eye.

While an argument can be made that Borthwick didn't mean to have his thumb intrude on the eyeball of Max Evans, he is still culpable of making a dangerous tackle. Head high challenges are illegal for a reason - namely due to the potential damage you can do to a player who is running at full tilt.

Again, the eye contact may have been an accident but once you decide to go for a player's head with both hands, you are responsible for any serious injury your recklessness should cause.

Yet no punishment was handed out to Borthwick nor was there a proper investigation as to who assaulted Ford. Why? Because the citing commissioner made it clear that he doesn't want to know.

Rugby has an image problem right now and while some like Judge Jeff Blackett (who handed out strong punishments to French duo Julien Dupuy and David Attoub and England's Dylan Hartley for gouging) have been trying to root out the wrong-doers it is evident that there are those still keen to - and please excuse the pun - turn a blind eye.

Finger to eye contact during a game carries two risks. Firstly, scratching the eye area can cause corneal abrasions, bleeding in the front or middle part of the eye, and blurred vision.

Secondly, inserted into the eye a stray finger or thumb with enough pressure can cause bleeding within the eye, retinal detachment or damage to the optic nerve and blindness.

Yet the citing commissioner does not deem the two incidents at Murrayfield as being serious enough to invoke any disciplinary measures upon the parties involved?

Some may argue that there is no case to answer as Ford and Evans did not emerge with any real damage. Wrong. That is akin to someone saying: "He fired six shots at him your honour but because he missed you should let him go".

One England fan emailed us in response to last week's column on the Borthwick/Evans incident said we were making a mountain out of a molehill in an excuse to have a go at the English.

To him I reply that two years ago we condemned in equal measure Scotland's Andy Henderson head-butting (and it was our back page splash at the time) France's Damien Traille and were equally astonished when the citing commissioner decided not to enforce any retrospective punishment.

Whatever the nationality of the accused, an assault on an opposing player's eye are must be condemned across the board and not just left to a select few to actually enforce the laws of the game.

Let's have another reminder as to how damaging such contact can be.

Former Scottish Schools cap, Dr Graham Duguid, published a paper in the British Journal of Sports Medicine 10 years ago which cited two examples of players hurt by illegal eye-contact. One was a 29-year-old man who suffered two giant retinal tears in his right eye. The other was a 14-year-old boy who suffered two similar tears after an opposing player had placed his hands on either side of the victim's head and pressed on both eyes at the same time with his thumbs.

Duguid went on to conclude that: "The retina, the photo-sensitive film at the back of the eye, can tear when the eye is deformed and fluid can go under the retina. It becomes detached. That is potentially sight-threatening."

Yet, when two players had their eye space primitively invaded, and only by the grace of God did not suffer any serious or life-lasting damage, the citing commissioner sat on his hands and did nothing and by doing so, has given every other player carte blanche to carry on with such reckless actions.

If he seriously believes that none of the incidents that took place in that match did not even merit a ticking off, then he should seek alternative employment. After all, players' careers and respective quality of life are at stake and should not be compromised by a Pontius Pilate imitator.

As Oliver Cromwell said when addressing the Rump Parliament in April 1653: "You have been sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have be done with you. In the name of God, go!"

Oh boo-hoo!

2010-03-15T22:20:25Z

Two columns in as many days the more regular of you may ask? Blame a bunch of retired old colonels spouting nonsense.

West of Scotland boss John Beattie seems to have stirred up a hornet's nest with his BBC blog where upon he raises the subject of fans booing an opposing goal-kicker as he lines up a penalty.

The former Scotland and Lions cap has come under a barrage of criticism for saying the following:-

"Is it wrong to boo a kick? If you want my honest answer, I don't think it is.

"I'm all for it. In every part of the world, in every sporting contest, the crowd at the event likes to get behind its team. Part of that is making a noise to put the opposition off.

"We can claim that rugby is somehow a saintly game but I like to hear a crowd getting involved and making a racket to disrupt a kicker."

Judging from the swarm of replies his column has received, it would appear that John must have stolen hundreds of parking spaces in his time as surely no one with a sense of perspective could get worked up over..... team rivalry?

I've spoken out on booing in the past but that concerned Scotland fans booing their own - Dan Parks' treatment at the hands of the East Stand mullahs after missing a couple of kicks against South Africa 18 months back.

I don't feel you should boo your own - after all, a player may later turn out to be your saviour in the last minute, or in Dan's case 18 months on, a shimmering beacon of light in the darkness of two defeats in Cardiff and Rome (plus he wasn't bad last week either).

Opposition players? Fair game. Why? If a bit a mental disintegration - as an Aussie cricketer may call it - can possibly force him to falter and stop him kicking a goal which condemns your team to defeat sure.....why not?

You never know it might work but in many cases I don't think it works. Still, it is worth making an enquiry as said kicker lines up his shot. Incidentally, many remarked on the injured Wilkinson and Ugo Monye being booed when they were helped off the pitch after receiving their respective knocks. Can anyone enlighten me as to where in the ground this took place because there was nothing of the sort in the section of the West Stand that I was in - only applause.

But I digress. A chat with former Scotland prop and current Glasgow Hawks boss Peter Wright reinforced my own view. It sets the kicker a new challenge and grants him the opportunity to give himself a big smug grin should he succeed and therefore wipe it off his admiring (ahem) audience. In other words it can be detrimental to the team you believe to be helpful as it may inspire the kicker even more to land his effort.

An incident involving the aforementioned Parks springs to mind. Back at the start of the 2008/09 season, Glasgow Warriors were involved in a tight opening tussle against the Dragons. Glasgow are awarded a long range penalty close to the left wing. Parks steps up and on cue, all of Newport is (even bigger ahem) encouraging him to miss it. He duly nails it, wins the game for the Warriors and the look on his face as he casts a glance to the Dragons support is a picture.

Besides, it can also be argued that if a kicker can't block out all around him when he's lining one up, what is he doing playing professional rugby? When Scotland beat Australia last autumn thanks to Matt Giteau's last-gasp conversion miss, the Aussie said he just had a poor day with the boot - the chorus of boos had nothing to do with it according to him - after all, he's played reasonably well before and after the Scotland loss.

What amazes me is the "it just not cricket" style reaction to John's piece. For a start, fine sport though it is, the only thing white about cricket is the uniform worn in the test match stage of the game (WG Grace's cheating, Bodyline, ball-chucking, ball-tampering, biased umpires, the D'Oliveira affair, Aussie sledging and various betting scandals anybody).

As for those boasting of rugby being a game of morals....... come off it. Sure the referee gets a darn sight more respect than the footballing counterparts but booing an opposing kicker is the least of rugby's worries.

The print edition of the paper - out on Wednesday - will show a visual image of a shocking foul on Max Evans which casts a darker shadow over the game than anyone invoking the God of Boo when Jonny Wilkinson lines up a kick. Without giving away too much, if Steve Borthwick even plays against France let alone captain England against Les Bleus, then a proper sense of shame will be cast upon the game.

The gouging bans of 70 and 23 weeks respectively to Monsieurs Attoub and Dupuy recently showed a sign that rugby's beaks were ready to get tough on people who gouge and commit any other acts of foul play. For the message to be hammered home to the players that this is unacceptable, the powers that be must be consistent and continue to hammer players as and when these shocking acts are committed.

However the cynic in me suspects that Borthwick will get away scot (pardon the pun) free. As will the coward who - as shown in a rival publication - shoved a finger into the eye of Scotland hooker Ross Ford.

And I haven't even mentioned Harlequins' infamous 'Bloodgate' episode yet!

But bizarrely enough, an ex-player mentioning that booing an opposition kicker lining up a penalty adds to the game's drama is the trigger for a mass knee-jerking contest on the Beeb's message board!?

Excuse me from straying from this absurd norm, but if I was playing professional rugby, I'd rather be booed by the opposition when lining up a kick than have an opponent make me eligible for an NHS glass eye.

Let's see if I get as much hate-mail as the West boss!

Swing low, dull chariot.....

2010-03-14T21:12:14Z

Hard to believe but last week Scotland were up against a nation who have won a World Cup, was a beaten finalist in two others, have won the Six (nee Five) Nations tournament 25 times with 12 being via a grandslam and have more people playing rugby than any other country in the world.

Yet Scotland came away with a 15-all draw with the feeling amongst both players and management that they had blown a great chance to beat England.

It wasn't a great eye-catching spectacle like the Irish and French attacking play was last week, but a riveting contest nonetheless as we waited to see which side would blink first as the battle of the forward packs raged on.

But should the game have even to stooped to such a level? Scotland have an excuse. The last three campaigns under Frank Hadden saw a lack of invention, solidity, good results and a battering of confidence.

Andy Robinson has been slowly rebuilding that in his short time in charge so far. While the Six Nations table has us propping it up, the Italy game aside, Scotland have actually played some good stuff at times and have looked far more likelier to make something happen. Put simply, they could have had two wins to their name going into this week's finale in Ireland.

France were simply too good for Scotland in round one. Crazy refereeing, an act of reckless by Scott Lawson and some unpunished cheating from Lee Byrne saw them blow that match in Cardiff. Italy? Vaf....... with nobs on with regard to that performance which saw us get the type of stuffing a tourist receives at a Venetian restaurant. While against England..... a draw is better than nothing but the way our visitors were playing has this one down as a glorious chance missed.

Robinson praised England's defence but yet again, the inventiveness was lacking when in their 22. Why are France top of the table? Why are Ireland in second spot? They both have the craft to create chances and have been ruthless in taking them. Had England been facing a team in royal blue or green, they would indeed have been sent homeward to think again.

But with resources somewhat limited compared to England's treasure trove, in the cold light of day, a draw could be seen as some sort of achievement - albeit a pyrrhic one given that a win was there to be snatched.

However, if Scotland had England's resources at their disposal there would be more cause for concern. While their coach Martin Johnson also lamented a chance lost (to be fair they had their opportunities too), he at least recognised that his team could have been embarrassed at Murrayfield.

An English journalist commented to Robinson in the post-match press conference of how the game was not an entertaining one to watch. Right viewpoint but the wrong coach to express that to.

Robinson I'm sure would love to send a team out to play champagne rugby a la France. Meagre resources and having to rebuild the house Frank knocked down means an alternative gameplan that would hopefully set a platform to play the type of game one day which the purists would love to see.

But what is Johnson's excuse with regard to England? Is their unwillingness to cut loose their backs, to not select on-form players and instead pick 'good blokes' like Steve Borthwick, an unwillingness to concede that some players are past it (Jonny Wilkinson) or all fur coat and no knickers (Delon Armitage) and an obsession with a tactic that once worked all his fault? Or is it something in the English character which is resistant to change? Let's have a look at a footballing example.

Forty-four years ago (and you will be reminded of this by ITV come this summer's football World Cup - trust me) England became world champions with a 4-2 win over West Germany. Manager Alf Ramsey's team were famously known as the wingless wonders which abandoned any form of flair and relied heavily on caution first.

It worked. Other teams could not find an answer to it at the time and England won the World Cup. However, adopting the 'if it aint broke don't fix it' approach, Ramsey had changed little come their defence of the title in Mexico four years later. Other teams meanwhile had gone back to the drawing board and sought to explore ways into breaking down Ramsey's system. Brazil exposed it and but for the skill of Gordon Banks and Bobby Moore, they would have won by more than Jairzinho's goal. The Germans had learned from 1966. After all, they were the one team that nearly scuppered England's finest hour only this time round, they succeeded with a quarter-final knockout. English football proceeded to tumble into a decade-long decline on the international stage.

In rugby, England win the World Cup in 2003 with a gameplan which - and let's be brutally honest here - would have cured insomnia. It worked and credit to them. Yet, like the example above, the rest of the world went back to their drawing boards and devised ways to ensure they would not get sucked into the trap laid out by then-coach Clive Woodward. The battering they received on their tour of New Zealand the following year was a huge warning sign that they had to revisit the format and advance it.

Woodward didn't. Our own man Robinson when he was in charge didn't. Brian Ashton didn't. And Martin Johnson - Woodward's captain in that 2003 success - hasn't.

Admittedly, they did reach the final of 2007 with the same tactics but the two losses they endured against South Africa (the group game resembled the Tommy Hearns v Dennis Andries fight while the final was akin to the third Sugar Ray Leonard v Roberto Duran bout) showed that up against a more advanced strategy, they would be lagging behind.

Johnson is obviously of the belief that because it worked when he was captain under Woodward it must surely work again? Wrong. The game has moved on with sides like New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland showing that if you can match England in the forward battle, the game is yours if your backs are ready to strike.

Had Scotland's backs been sharper and had Italy's backs been sharper, England might well have been going into this Saturday's match in Paris needing a win to avoid a potential wooden spoon. Instead they have a chance of finishing second should they win and Scotland do likewise in Dublin.

This would paper up the cracks because for a nation with a plethora of rich talent at their disposal, being reduced to grinding out a point against Scotland, clinging on for a win over the tournament rookies that are Italy and being brutally exposed by Ireland's Floyd Paterson-esque counter-punching, is at best peculiar.

At worst it is embarrassing.

Should the game in France go to form and Les Bleus give their guests a Joan D'Arc style hammering, the knives will no doubt be out for Johnson.

Football management legend Brian Clough once stated that if a chairman sacks his manager, then he - having appointed said gaffer in the first place - should go too.

Johnson may well end up as the convenient fall guy. Given that he will be Director of Rugby Rob Andrew's third coach to be dismissed, questions must also be asked of his boss.

With their stature in the game, the 'Auld Enemy' should be alongside the All Blacks and Springboks in being one of the most feared nations in rugby. The fact that in this year's tournament, Scotland, Italy and Ireland were not scared of them speaks volumes.

If France turn up on Saturday night and inflict a defeat as humiliating as the siege of La Rochelle was for a previous English force, the "it worked in 2003" defence will simply not stand up.

La Divina Commedia

2010-03-05T14:35:57Z

Twelve months ago I asked: "Do Italy have any other role in the Six Nations apart from inducing sleep?" They do - beating Scotland.

Not surprisingly, I was reminded of my past musings on the Italian national team following L'Azzurri's 16-12 win over Scotland last week.

A year ago, the Scots had won the corresponding fixture which showed no inclination to attack from the Italians who conveyed the firm impression that keeping the score down was their prime objective.

I still stand by every word I said as quite frankly, Italy contributed very little to last year's tournament and there was genuine cause for wonder if they ever would build upon previous signs of progress.

Something has clearly changed. Yes their tactics have once again been catennaccio-esque but this time, like its footballing counterparts, there is a hint of menace in the air as they wait for the moment when an opponent drops their guard.

In short, Italy at last pose a threat. It's not pretty but at least one can at last look forward to a game knowing L'Azzurri's tail is coiled and ready to sting if the opposition don't kill them off.

Scotland had the bulk of the game but looked as if they expected the Italians to buckle thus failing to break them down.

Italy for their part defended with new-found gusto yet still the Scots plodded along expecting their hosts to crumble in the light of all the pressure they were applying.

Crass unprofessionalism at its worst and sure enough, Italy made us pay for faffing about like Dumbo on rollerskates.

We became too casual in our own defence and once a gap was left exposed, Italy let us have the full gun for the game's only try.

"But we had all the pressure" said many a Scotland fan. And how many tries did this grand siege produce? Zilch. Zero. Nothing. Again!

The two scores against Wales aside, in recent times you would have felt more confident of all the rabbits in Watership Down making it across the road than Scotland scoring a try.

The boot of Chris Paterson and Dan Parks can only take you so far. Yes they can kick over the penalties and fire over the odd drop-goal but to be successful you need to score tries. Check the video footage of the 1984 and 1990 grandslams. All the games involve us scoring tries - end result being two of our greatest campaigns.

Even our last title win in 1999 - who were that tournament's top try-scorers again? Scotland. It is not rocket science yet some of the players when entering the opposing 22 act as if they've been asked to complete a Rubik's cube in the next 10 seconds.

The Italy defeat was bad but what was worse was the fact we received advanced warning as to what to expect. England were in Rome a fortnight before us and received a fright as Italy's new-found competitive streak almost pulled off a shock result.

Yet because we were unlucky to lose in Cardiff after playing so well for 70 minutes, we gave the impression that this would be a sure banker? England beat Italy because they had to dig deep. We left our shovels at home.

Then comes the crowning glory (or irony so to speak). Italy have long been lobbying for two teams to enter the Magners League. The Irish and Welsh appear to be in favour of helping an emerging rugby nation realise its potential. Guess who doesn't? Scotland.

News emerged at the time of writing of our Celtic cousins set to boot us out of the League if we don't let the Italians in.

Whatever stunt the SRU were hoping to achieve, just stop it lest we really become a laughing stock. Why, some would even think an ulterior motive of 'don't-let-Italy-in-cos-they-might-really-give-us-a-proper-gubbing' exists. We don't think so.......... (at least we hope not).

There are 30,000 folk playing the game in Scotland - 80,000 in Italy with their federation looking to expand the game further with Milan & Lombardy being groomed as a new hotbed for the game. As for ourselves, it's as we were - although we do appreciate the debt around the SRU's neck is a hinderance.

However, to try and nullify another nation's progress because it may overtake your own is somewhat counter-productive - especially when the nation concerned is Italy.

A significant number of Scots have as their ancestral backgrounds as being from........ Italy. Now, try convincing a Scottish schoolkid with Italian roots as to why he should take up rugby and hopefully be good enough to play for Scotland, when you've just told his old country's Magners league application to go and vaf......o!

'Get stuffed' might well be the reply. Or, he might play and serve a very cold dish of revenge when come adulthood (assuming he's good enough) he chooses to exploit the grandparent rule and declare himself for Italy.

After all, many nations have benefited from Italian emigres. England with Lawrence Dallaglio and more famously, Australia with David Campese. Other sports have filled their boots with second and third generation Italians - France's greatest ever footballer Michel Platini being one example.

The potential risks of alienating a section of the Scottish populace are not to be under-estimated. After all, if we see an Italian player with a broad Glasgow or Edinburgh accent scoring the winning try against us there will be the inevitable question as to how we let this one slip the net.

One such answer would be that back in 2010 when Italy applied to join the Magners League, we told them to andare via!

Nip this cancer in the bud

2010-02-16T12:17:56Z

IF there is any honour in Welsh rugby right now, Didier Drogba wannabe Lee Byrne should be dropped for their next game against France - however, there's more chance of Stewie Griffin preaching world peace.

Put simply, Byrne's diving antics to not only get Scotland's Phil Godman sent off but to allow Wales a chance of stealing an unlikely victory last week were beneath contempt.

More laughable were claims from the Welsh camp that he was actually tripped.

To their credit, the BBC Wales programme, Scrum V, played a close-up slow motion replay of the incident and it shows the fragile and delicate Byrne brushing past Godman's body (which was in the process of jumping up to block Bryne's chip) and making the slightest contact before crumpling in a heap as if he'd been shot. Godman is dismissed, Wales get a penalty which they kick to tie the score and set up the dramatic last moments which sealed them their victory.

With no one actually in the Cardiff book depository at the time, Byrne fell down on a whim. His antics were disgraceful and cast a further smear on the game. Former Welsh international Mike Hall thankfully called it for what it was while Phil Bennett and Rob Jones at least had the decency to look embarrassed. Besides, Byrne only fell over because I was doing the hoovering and bumped into my telly!

He wasn't the only one at it. The Irish scrum either took to the field in Paris on roller-skates or were trying to con the ref into giving them a number of penalties, England's Ugo Monye had a case of terrible Byrnes against Italy while his captain Steve Borthwick was seen making card signals to the ref in order to get a fellow professional sin-binned.

This is rugby not football and as ex-Scotland international John Beattie points out in this week's paper, the IRB have to clamp down on simulation and unsportsmanlike conduct with retrospective punishments being dealt out lest the game descend to farce.

It could be argued that it already has with football being aped to the hilt. For the Stade Francais and Springbok gougers read Schumacher v Battiston and the butcher of Bilbao. For Harlequins' bloodgate shenanigans read Chile's own fake blood scam to try (unsuccessfully) to stop Brazil's qualification for the 1990 World Cup. For Lee Byrne, Monye et al read just about every footballer you'll see in this summer's World Cup with Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo set to lead the way in diving. And on a minor scale, some rugby pros are showing themselves in press calls to have as much charisma as Alan Shearer.

However, rugby is not beyond salvation but the IRB must get tough on the cheats quickly. If left to fester, the cancer will spread like it did by football's beaks who left it unchecked for so long that the sport's claim to be the beautiful game is a very hollow one.

As for Byrne, Wales coach Warren Gatland will not take any action. He is from an All-Black culture which is fond of not only practicing skull-duggery on the pitch but sweeping it under the carpet. The lamentable Kiwi reaction to Tana Umaga's disgraceful assault on Brian O'Driscoll when the Lions toured New Zealand in 2005 being a classic example.

Laughably, there are those in the Principality who still believe Byrne was tripped (despite the TV evidence) with one media outlet slating Scotland as being "sour-faced".

Well boyos, I'd rather be sour-faced than two!

You don't need a sat-nav for the try-line

2010-02-09T14:52:29Z

THE Scotland team in the post-match media scrum looked like many a man who has attempted to assemble an IKEA bookcase.

In short, you've flogged your guts out yet you still have this horrid feeling of dissatisfaction and frustration knowing your effort has not been good enough.

Johnnie Beattie - one of our better performers in the 18-9 defeat to France - looked as if he'd gone 10 rounds with a rhino and lost. By no means an exaggerated comparison given he was facing Imanol Harinordoquy.

More broken, red-eyed bodies shuffled in with each looking as if they were the subject matter for Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb".

Many a coach will say to their team before kick-off: "Don't leave that pitch knowing you could have done more." While Scotland did put in the effort, far too many "what if" questions remained such as: "Why didn't we bag at least a couple of tries?"

Ah yes.... tries... remember them? Tend to win matches and we used to score a fair few when I was younger.... OK when I was much younger.

Six tries in the last 12 months tells its own sorry story and although the kicks of Chris Paterson enable us to register points on the board, we do need a try or two to ensure they mean something at the end.

It wasn't that we didn't have any opportunities to score them - most notably, Chris Cusiter dropping Beattie's offload in front of the posts. Sure there are many reasonable excuses to explain why this move didn't come of but you get the feeling that had that opportunity occurred at the other end, France would have crossed over.

Last week's article caused a bit of a stir with my casting a critical eye over the fly-half position. I don't usually say I told you so when I am sadly proven to be right but given the two less than complimentary emails from Edinburgh fans.... I told you so!

Maybe I've been spoiled that in my lifetime I've been lucky enough to see John Rutherford, Craig Chalmers and Gregor Townsend all strut their stuff in the number 10 shirt.

However, if Phil Godman has not cracked the knack of kicking from hand at this stage of his career, then it is time to look elsewhere and start to see if we can possibly accelerate the development of the likes of Ruaridh Jackson while Dan Parks fills the slot until his Glasgow understudy is ready.

Given the Edinburgh was not in the best of form for his club, it did seem a strange choice and so it proved as French pressure ensured he had a poor game.

His opposite, Francois Trinh-Duc is certainly not of the Sella/Lescaboura/Lamaison mould but he did a competent job at number 10 and ensured his backs were regularly involved in an offensive way - unlike our own who spent most of the game focussing on defence instead of what they are noted for.

Sean Lamont's breaks deserved some reward and maybe he would have got it had he been given more opportunity to venture forth into the French half.

Parks is back in the team as a result of Godman's poor show but now he has another chance on the international scene, he must take it otherwise all hope will indeed lie in the young Jackson who is rapidly becoming Scottish rugby's Luke Skywalker at this rate with him being cast as the great young hope.

As for the scrum, while we didn't lose one against the French, the pressure put on by Les Bleus ensured that whatever ball we did get from them, quality was not a word being attached to it.

Compared to France, their scrum held firm and guaranteed their backs would have quality ball in which to attack us with.

Euan Murray's return will hopefully resolve that issue as Wales - no doubt hurting from their English loss - will be keen to show a packed Cardiff crowd that rumours of them being past it are greatly exaggerated.

While they are certainly not over the hill - not yet - they do seem to have lost their way and are now prone to some stupid mistakes.

Alun Wyn-Jones' brainless act effectively sealed their defeat to England but their line-out was shocking and something that can be exploited by the Scots.

However, we can talk about the possible chinks in Wales' armour as much as we like but the fact still remains, while they still have the firepower in their back division to hurt any team in the world, if their pack is having a bad day, Scotland must be firing on all cylinders.

Score a try or two and a win in Cardiff is definitely on. If we don't, then the Murrayfield kitchen inventory might have to make provision for another wooden spoon.

New face, new era, old problem

2010-02-05T14:48:45Z

SCOTLAND have a new coach, new strip, new optimism but an age-old puzzle which could make or break their Six Nations campaign.

Once again, the fly-half bug-bear that has plagued us ever since Craig Chalmers departed from the scene remains a problem and one which could be horribly exposed if the current incumbent does not produce a rapid turn of form when the French visit Murrayfield on Sunday.

Those of you who read this column regularly will be familiar with the Dan Parks drum we have been beating of late. After all, surely his good form this season was worthy of at least a place on the bench?

Wrong. He may have been invited to the squad get together but once again his non-selection from the starting 15 and replacements bench again raises a well-worn eyebrow.

While we are sure Phil Godman is a nice lad who is well-mannered and respectful of the world around him, questions still remain over his kicking from hand.

Coach Andy Robinson clearly wants to play a running game and when on form, Godman can perform that role well. If he's not, as has clearly been the case from the recent Autumn tests onwards, the big plan can go wrong and a weak link is seized upon by opponents.

All the more reason to have Dan on the bench? You would have thought so but he will be making the tea and lugging the kit hamper around on Sunday instead of being able to provide an alternative option if the French snuff out anything Phil has to offer. Still, at least Parks' absence ensures there is no chance of Edinburgh supporters booing a Scotland player again eh?

If France do wrap up Godman, tie a bow round him and send him back to Santa, then Robinson will have to rely on a risk to either move Chris Paterson from full-back to fly-half (fine if he has been playing a 10 recently but he hasn't) or sending on Hugo Southwell - a full-back - on in Phil's place.

It's a big gamble either way and one which effectively tells French boss Marc Lievremont, "here's where you can hurt us". With no Parks on the bench, Godman becomes a bigger target for the French and if they can keep him quiet or force him off via ensuring his limited kicking game goes to pot, or (gulp) via injury, they will have in front of them someone who is rusty at fly-half or a very green full-back in alien territory.

Naturally we hope we are wrong and Phil's kicking game is what wins it for Scotland but the inevitable question will and must be raised if the big plan is shot down.

It is a shame to still be questioning the selection because that one position aside, it does look a very good team that can take the game to the French.

The Killer B's of John Barclay, Kelly Brown and Johnnie Beattie at last get to strut their stuff on the international stage after wowing those at Glasgow. Given the French back-row selection of Thierry Dusautoir, Imanol Harinordoquy and Fulgence Ouedraogo, the break down could be a lively place to be.

If Godman can bring his backs into play with some quick (and accurate) ball, Max and Thom Evans certainly have the pace to test the French, Sean Lamont and Graeme Morrison can certainly make inroads into the visiting defence and if they concede a penalty or two, who better than Paterson to knock it over?

But make no mistake, Scotland have to be at their best. If one player falters, the French have the class to make us pay.

Have a good one Phil.... we need you to.

Pick him Mr Robinson

2010-01-04T16:58:54Z

IT WOULD seem that the uncouth East Stand mullahs of Murrayfield have finally got their wish - Dan Parks is to leave Scotland this summer to join Welsh aces Cardiff Blues.

"Boooooo" was their infamous summary whenever Parks took the field - more notably so when Dan came on as a blood-replacement for Edinburgh's Phil Godman in the match against South Africa in 2008.

It was a game that Scotland should have won as the Springboks edged it thanks to some tenacious defence but also due to some home errors.

Wrong decision making on the visiting try-line was one but the kicks missed by Parks and Godman proved to be the deciding factor.

Parks in his 10-minute cameo missed two kicks from the left-flank. He was booed for both and again when Godman was fit to return.

Late in the game, Godman has a chance right in front of the posts to leave Scotland just needing a drop-goal in the last five minutes to win.

Inexplicably he missed but the reaction was different to Parks'.

Not for one minute do we suggest Godman should have been booed as well but why did a certain section of fans and pundits condemn one player but offer tea and sympathy for the other - despite both making mistakes of a similar nature?

Perhaps the reason is more deeply-rooted and lifts a veil of Scotland's ever-increasing hollow claim of being a tolerant nation.

There are those who won't admit it, but others who proudly do, "Aussie Dan isn't really one of us".

Wrong. He is one of us just as fellow antipodeans Sean Lineen, Glenn Metcalfe, Andy and John Leslie were one of us. Only, as Lineen admitted in his case, they made a flying start.

Parks like Kiwi-born Brendan Laney didn't and had an uphill struggle to gain tartan acceptance.

Then again, both Parks and Laney were fast-tracked into the Scotland set-up far too quickly and while Jim Telfer conceded this with Laney, ex-Scots boss Matt Williams has not done so with regard to Dan.

Logic should have dictated that Williams back in 2004 gone on with Gregor Townsend at fly-half with Parks to serve as his under-study.

Despite Toony making himself available for Scotland, Williams 'retired' him from international rugby and gave Parks a promotion that was at least two years too soon.

It showed with Parks clearly not ready and soon a mob hankering after Townsend got on his back leading to a catastrophic display in the thrashing suffered against Wales in 2005.

It was testament to Parks' character that he bounced back to become Scotland's best player of the 2007 World Cup only for another Scotland boss to stitch him up.

Frank Hadden had inexplicably become obsessed with Italy's pack prior to the 2008 meeting in Rome that instead of selecting the normal subs bench of four forwards, a scrum-half and two backs, he went with a ratio of 5-1-1 leaving his options very limited should a first choice back have to leave the field early.

It was pointed out at the time and it gave those of us no satisfaction to say "I told you so" but sure enough, Simon Danielli went off injured five minutes into the game.

It soon became clear Dan was having a rare bad day (for that season) at the office but because thanks to Hadden's bizarre gamble there were no other backs on the bench to replace him, Parks was left to try and muddle through the remainder.

It came as no surprise when the howler came which cost Scotland victory but while all and sundry rounded on him, his coach was scandalously allowed to sneak away from any criticism over his gamble which left a player exposed as a convenient scapegoat.

A year-long dip in form followed which culminated in the player allowing himself to also run foul of the law on a drink-driving charge.

However, it was to his credit last summer that he faced up to his mistakes and went on to produce some of his best form for Glasgow Warriors.

Yet again, the Scotland set-up contrived to deliver another blow as Parks was dropped completely from both the main and 'A' squads causing many to suspect if like Townsend he had effectively been 'retired'.

If so then who made that decision? Current coach Andy Robinson or some one higher up? Peculiar if it is the former, a disgrace if it's the latter.

Robinson will have seen Parks destroy Edinburgh as Glasgow strengthened their grip at the top of the table by winning the recent double-header over the festive season.

Not only can he select a player who is in red-hot form for his club when Scotland take on France in the Six Nations next month but he can certainly smash the rumour-mill to smithereens regarding suspicions of interference from above.

After all, Phil Godman's form has been questionable of late but even so, both should be in the squad of 22 regardless of the risk of a bunch of yahoos booing one of the two.

Scotland are not as spoiled for choice for fly-halfs as they are for back-row forwards and if one of them happens to be the highest scorer in the Magners League, the only only in four figures and on top form, then Dan Parks should start against France.

But to leave him out for any other reason would be disgraceful.

If that happens, then 'booooooo' indeed.

Times have changed... move with them please

2009-12-21T17:55:11Z

WELSH rugby legend Gareth Thomas last week admitted that he was gay. "So what" say liberal-minded folk. However, it appears that there are a few who are still clinging on to the 20th century.

One can only imagine what Gareth Thomas has been going through since he knew where his sexual orientation lay.

Given the macho environment of the game - indeed most sports - the pressure to either tell his team-mates the truth or to conceal it must have been enormous.

In light of last week's revelations one casts their mind back to an appearance he made on BBC Wales' Scrum V programme in 2006 where he was embroiled in an argument with pundit (and ex-Welsh international) Eddie Butler over the departure of grandslam-winning coach Mike Ruddock.

Thomas looked as if he was about to explode and gave a performance which had people worrying for his well-being.

With the benefit of hindsight, they were probably right as later on that year, temporary coach Scott Johnson took Thomas to one side as he clearly saw that something was bothering him. Thomas duly opened up and Johnson - along with Gareth's team-mates Stephen Jones and Martyn Williams gave their support to their friend.

Welsh referee Nigel Owens' own coming out a year later highlighted that Wales was indeed a progressive nation with the support he received from those in the game which no doubt made the path easier for Thomas to admit his homosexuality to the public at large.

Many from the WRU, to Thomas' club Cardiff Blues, to ex-England and Lions coach Clive Woodward - along with a host of others have given their support to Gareth.

However, it seems that where rugby has evolved with the times, one or two other sports have a problem in accepting a professional athlete's sexual orientation.

Former NBA basketball star John Amaechi came out after he retired from the sport.

Some sneered that he only felt brave enough to do this once he quit basketball but as the man himself says he was playing in certain states within the USA whose laws on gay rights (or lack of them) did not reflect other states that were more forward-thinking.

The reaction by fellow NBA professionals also indicated the reason for his timing of the announcement.

While those like Shaq O'Neale and Charles Barkley were supportive, others showed how disgusting they were as human beings.

Tim Hardaway said: "First of all I wouldn't want him on my team. Second of all, if he was on my team I would really distance myself from him because I don't think that's right and I don't think he should be in the locker room when we're in the locker room. Something has to give, If you have 12 other ballplayers in your locker room that's upset and can't concentrate and always worried about him in the locker room or on the court or whatever, it's going to be hard for your teammates to win and accept him as a teammate."

Shavlik Randolph stated that he'd share the same locker room with Amaechi as long as he "didn't bring his gayness with him", while LeBron James said he "couldn't trust a gay team-mate".

Lest we forget that Amaechi himself admitted on radio last week that he receives at least one death-threat per month.

Closer to home, British football to date has only had one professional player who made his homosexuality public.

Justin Fashanu was not as fortunate as Gareth Thomas as the abuse and shunning he received was a shocking reflection on the British footballing culture of the day.

When at Nottingham Forest, Fashanu's manager Brian Clough found out long before his public admission that his striker was gay.

Clough later expressed regret but many years too late but one exchange documented in his autobiography read as follows: "I said to Justin, if you want a loaf of bread where do you go? He replied, 'the baker's boss'. I then asked where he would go to buy some steak. He replied, 'the butcher's boss'. To which I said, then what the hell are you doing going to that poofter's club?"

Coupled with his brother, Wimbledon and England striker John, disowning him (something he'd regret when it was far too late) and the abuse from the terraces every weekend, one can only imagine what the player went through.

Justin Fashanu committed suicide in May 1998 leaving a note which said: "I do not want to give any more embarrassment to my friends and family."

Sadly football it seems still has a problem. Trawling around various fan forums, those threads which discuss Gareth Thomas' announcement still see a majority of those posting as being not enlightened with the times. The minority who speak out are ridiculed as being part of the PC brigade (the usual convenient cloak to hide the accuser's own bigotry) or of being gay themselves (and this is not suggested in the nicest of manners).

A glance on various Welsh rugby forums show this trend to be the opposite and have by and large backed Gareth Thomas. Further afield, one fan of French aces Toulouse (who Thomas used to play for) stated: "Don't see how this affects him as a player. Anyway, Toulouse fans knew this a long time ago."

As I said at the start, so what? The only debate surrounding Thomas should be if the Cardiff coach decides whether or not bring him back from the replacements bench to the starting XV ahead of Ben Blair at full-back for Sunday's Magners League clash against Newport/Gwent Dragons?

Rugby's moving on, let's try and catch up folks.

A horse, a horse......

2009-12-11T22:49:41Z

NOT since the Battle of Bosworth has Gloucester seen its figurehead slain so brutally but at Firhill last night the Warriors of Glasgow ensured that like that dramatic event, there would be no horse to transport Bryan Redpath's men to safety.

Richard of Gloucester - who to some in the rugby fraternity was as popular as those who frequent the Shed at Kingsholm - was well and truly rucked and mauled by a Welsh flanker in 1485 but this time around it was two other Richards who emerged triumphant. Only, they were for the House of Glasgow who enjoyed a thumping 33-11 victory.

The Richies of Vernon and Gray have long been touted as "ones for the future" - a label which 90 per cent of the time is the kiss of death for any young prospect.

Showered with praise at first, most young bucks slip into the annoying habit of stopping to admire the view before they go plummeting back to whence they came.

This pair are different though and let's be very clear about this. Richie Vernon and Richie Gray have 10 years of world class rugby ahead of them if they want it.

It was only 12 months ago when both were farmed out to the club scene at John Beattie's West of Scotland side. Under the former Scotland star and Lions cap, both flourished and confirmed to Warriors boss Sean Lineen what he suspected - these guys were the real deal.

Vernon has stolen a wee march on Gray by breaking into the Scotland team in the recent Autumn tests but don't be surprised to see the latter join him come the Six Nations.

They showed against Gloucester that they are not scared of what's in front of them and will happily go toe-to-toe with their opposites and even overpower them.

Vernon in particular, like Asterix and Obelix, doesn't seem to know the meaning of fear.

How many times did he pick up and drive back a gang of Gloucester forwards? Too numerous to mention. Vernon didn't let up and the men from Castle Grim couldn't do a damn thing to stop him.

We shouldn't be too surprised at his attitude. He freely confessed a few months back that when holidaying in Pamplona, the fact that he had a new season to prepare for saw him choose reluctantly to watch his pals run with the bulls from his hotel balcony when he desired to be with them in that world-famous dash of lunatics.

As for Gray, how well would he do without the guidance of the injured Warriors skipper Al Kellock? It is fair to say he came of age against Gloucester.

Superb in the loose and excellent in the line-out, both Glasgow and Scotland have another figure who can scare opposing locks to death in the set-piece.

Honourable mentions must also go to Jon Welsh, who made light work of an All-Black, John Barclay and Kelly Brown for giving Vernon the back-up required to wreak even more havoc, Max Evans for scoring a try out of nothing (an early contender for try of the season?) and Dan Parks who bounced back superbly after two horror clearances to kick seven penalties and a conversion. The Dan of old might well have buckled but he's made of sterner stuff this season.

But the night belonged to Vernon and Gray. While back in the 15th century Richard of Gloucester was screaming for a horse, last night, the Richards of Glasgow were turning one into glue.