Searching For Positives On A Dire Day For Scotland

by Dugald Skene

I'll cut to the chase - That was the worst I've seen Scotland play for a long time.

I wasn't expecting much against one of the two form teams in the world and if I'm honest, the 28 point difference at the end was pretty much the figure I had in my head when entering Murrayfield in the misty drizzle.

What I didn't expect was the Scots not scoring a single point.  I've refrained from going through the annals to check the last time we were held to zero at Murrayfield, I thought any such search would be too depressing and ultimately pointless, but it must be a fair while. 

Willie La Roux breaks clear as Scotland players trip over themselves. Story of the game

So where did it all go wrong?

Firstly, South Africa were excellent but without ever having to excel themselves.  As much as Scotland contributed to their own downfall, South Africa prevented them from playing.  They were more combative at the breakdown without having to commit the numbers that Scotland did at ruck time. They also took their chances.

Scotland's defence was generally pretty good.  They scrambled where they had to and reset quickly enough. The 3 tries in the first half were basically either down to brute force or individual opportunism and skill.

What frustrated me most though, was pretty much every time Scotland got their hands on the ball.  Whether it be at the lineout (we lost the first 4), or in open play, we couldn't do anything but turn it over.  Decision making by Ruaridh Jackson was bewildering at times.  Choosing to kick the ball cross field, off second phase ball, on the halfway line during first sustained (about 30 seconds) period of possession was ludicrous.

Duncan Taylor on a debut he'll likely want to forget, and Nick de Luca all too often dropped the ball in midfield when they did get it from Jackson, but more often than not they were bypassed by ill informed miss passes or ill conceived kicks.

Scotland had nothing in attack, and looked defeated in the face of an incredibly strong and defensively quick South African back line.  Scotland suffered by trying to stick too long to the Scott Johnson ethos of rugby - keeping the ball in play.  Murrayfield was beginning to reminisce about the touch finding skills of Dan Parks at halftime, a man who's skills were ideally suited to this game and the conditions.  Scotland didn't have the quality in attack to play too much in front of the South Africans, they had to kick for territory if they had any chance of nicking points down the other end.  As it was, the South Africans spent what must have been at least 90% of their time in Scotland's half.

Yes, the second half was better. And yes, they were only held to 7 points in that second period, but it is little consolation.

With all that said, and I fully accept that it is very easy to take pot shots at yesterday's performance, there were a couple of positives.  

Firstly, Duncan Weir.  His introduction for the final 13 minutes or so proved to inject pace and a better structure to Scotland's back play.  Contrary to Jackson, his decision making was excellent - he knew instinctively when something was on or otherwise, and when it was on, he executed the pass or kick very well, the kick to the corner which almost saw Max Evans touch down being the prime case in point. 

Defence at the set piece, particularly the line out, was ropey at best, but as already mentioned the overall shape and organisation of the defence in open play was good. South Africa's big hitters were for the best part kept at bay. 

There are many many elements of Scotland's performance on Sunday that had the fans heads in their hands, myself very much included. The principle frustration is knowing that the Scottish players have the ability to play so much better but on this occasion couldn't muster much of anything. Credit must go to South Africa who did exactly what they needed to do, but nothing more. 

A seemingly resurgent Australia will once again provide the sternest of tests for Scott Johnson's men, even with a few key players out on class detention. Where some fans may have sensed a whiff of an upset next Saturday, the realists will just be looking for a marked improvement from Scotland. Goodness knows they need it. 

Rory Lawson Announces Retirement Through Injury

Scottish international scrum half Rory Lawson announced his retirement today, with immediate effect due to a career ending wrist injury.

Lawson, who most recently has plied his trade at Newcastle Falcons, helping them back into the Aviva Premiership for the coming season, played for Scotland 31 times, including 12 starts, emulating his father Alan who also played for his country at number 9. Rory captained his country on 5 occasions. 

Scotland has consistently produced a high number of quality scrum halves over the years, and Rory was no exception. In many ways however it's the reason he never accumulated more caps for his country. Since playing his debut in 2006, he was in a 3 way contest with Chris Cusiter and Mile Blair to establish himself in the 9 shirt. All 3 men have captained Scotland, illustrating the strength in depth in the type if player and character we have been fortunate to see playing at scrum half for Scotland.

Rory Lawson celebrates Scotland's famous

win over South Africa

 

It's no surprise to me that Rory rose to the top of the game to lead Scotland. I was lucky enough to see him play and even train with Rory at schoolboy level, at Dollar Academy. Head boy of the school and captain of a 1st XV that included young upstarts like fellow Scottish cap Graeme Morrison, he showed very early the skills to lead on and off the pitch. 

Of course, he also comes from good rugby stock. As I mentioned, his father played for Scotland and his elder brother Gregor wasn't shy of a rugby ball and had a bit of pace about him as I recall. And of course his maternal grandfather was the legendary commentator Bill McLaren. 

Following university, he signed for Edinburgh where he played for 3 years before being signed by Gloucester Rugby in 2006, the club he would become synonymous with and where he would go on to play 151 times, leading the twice table topping cherry and whites to the playoffs where they never quite managed to clinch the title. 

His arrival and subsequent rise at Gloucester coincided with his first appearance in the national team, earning his debut against Australia in November 2006 at Murrayfield. 

His 6 nations debut came at Twickenham in 2007 against England off the bench. He started against France on the final weekend of that tournament. 

Other career highlights would include playing New Zealand in the 2007 World Cup and coming on for 60 minutes for an injured Chris Cusiter in the famous win over Australia in 2009.

But perhaps my residing memory of Rory in a Scotland shirt is when he captained Scotland against South Africa at Murrayfield in 2010. Rory controlled the game beautifully, his box kicking I remember was impeccable, his containment game exceptional. His face as he kicked the ball dead after the clock had gone red was the perfect mix of disbelief, relief and ecstasy.

Rory has left the playing side of the game but I get the feeling he'll be involved in other capacities, whether it be in commentary or coaching. He has been one of the most affable, hardworking and honest players to put on a Scotland jersey, both for fellow players and fans alike, and he will be missed.

I wish him all the very best in whatever he chooses to do in the future.

A Complete Murray Performance Sees Off Djokovic To Claim FirstWimbledon Title

From the sublimity of a straight sets victory over the world's best player to the ridiculousness of Alex Salmond's horrendous judgment of time and place, every superlative for Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory has been uttered over the last 24 hours.

The first Brit in 77 years, first Scot in over 110, Andy Murray's win is historic and doesn't deserve to be the subject of political oneupmanship, no matter what side of that particular debate you reside.

Talk of knighthoods, a notion that doesn't sit too well with Murray thankfully, however seems premature. I'm not necessarily against this form of recognition, but when it comes to sports stars, it seems odd to bestow an athlete with that high an accolade while their career has many years yet to run. It somehow slightly undermines any future success they may have, and it's generally recognised that at 26 Andy Murray has a good few career highlights yet to achieve.

That said, Murray's achievement in SW19 can't really be underestimated. In an era of tennis that has seen unprecedented domination by not one, not two but three of the best ever players over the last decade, Murray's resilience and determination to keep plugging away has been so admirable, anyone from any sporting background can appreciate his successes over the last year.

It has been a career year, a breakthrough for Murray following 2012's defeat in London, and the culmination of many years of hard work. And its exactly that which impresses me most. I'll confess, I'm an admirer of athletic prowess and any sportsman or woman that pushes themselves and dedicates their lives to be the best, and the last 4 or 5 years have seen Murray change a lot, especially physically. A move to Miami for winter training in each of those years has seen him get bigger, stronger and faster. Andy Murray is a real athlete.

Andy Murray's physicality saw him claim victory in the toughest of conditions

The BBC coverage revealed a statistic after the 3rd set in his quarter final 5 set win over Verdasco that Murray had covered over 2600m. That's over half a mile per set, covering the court in hundreds of short bursts. The requirement to sprint so often, change direction so quickly and to lunge and strike the ball over a match that can last 3, 4 or even 5 hours demands a huge and unique form of fitness. As all round athletic prowess goes, Murray must be close to being one of the fittest professional athletes in the UK.

Match all that physicality with the technical demands and speed of thought demanded by the likes of Novak Djokovic firing back balls as quickly as any player can, and Murray's achievements are all the more impressive. There was a lot of talk about the heat and the brutal conditions during yesterday's final - the referee's office were reporting court side temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius - and it reminded us all of Murray's comments after a win in the Miami Masters last year where he said it wasn't the physicality he struggled with in the heat, it's the decision making process. When you take that and see how he came back mid way through the second set from 4-1 down in those conditions, you can start to see how far he has come as the complete player.

Already many thoughts amongst the media fallout have turned to what he can achieve next. The answer, simply, is whatever he chooses.  At 26, he has half a dozen good years at least left in him. With realistic shots at 3 of the 4 grand slam events (the demands of the French Open clay don't really suit his style of play), there is no reason to think he can't bag at least one grand slam title in each of those years. 

7, 8, 9 grand slam titles? It seems hard to even imagine it, but given the events of the last year, who are we to doubt the possibility? Then we can start talking knighthoods.

Warren Gatland Names His 37 Man Lions Squad

by Dugald Skene

Months, if not years of speculation has finally come to an end as Lions head coach Warren Gatland announced the 37 strong Lions squad to head to Australia via Hong Kong in a month's time.

Sam Warburton, the man that seems to command so much respect from Gatland, has been given the nod as tour captain.

In all, the squad break down into 16 backs and 21 forwards, with 15 Welshmen, 10 English, 9 Irish and 3 Scots making up the total.

Sam Warburton is chosen as Lions captain for the upcoming

tour to Hong Kong and Australia

So where are the surprises, who's lucky to be in or unlucky to be left out, and what will the starting 15 look like?

Front Row

The selection of players for the front row makes for interesting reading.  It is dominated by the English and Welsh, with 5 Englishmen being included.  Notable exclusions include Ulsterman hooker Rory Best and Scots prop Ryan Grant, one of the top scrummagers and tacklers in this year's 6 Nations tournament.  In their place, England's Tom Youngs and impact substitute Mako Vunipola have been included.

Both Best and Grant can consider themselves unlucky following strong showing recently for their countries. Both play for teams riding high in the RaboDirect Pro 12 league in Ulster and Glasgow and have been consistent for both throughout.  Tom Youngs has a lot to prove yet at international level and I see his inclusion in particular as a bit of a risk.  I don't see him getting a spot in the test 22.

Second Row

This is arguably the strongest selection of any part of the squad, full of talismanic men both in stature and influence.  Despite a mediocre 6 Nations tournament and on/off form for Sale, Richie Gray makes the squad.  His inclusion has been looking less likely as time goes on.  Following the 2012 6 Nations, he was most people must take.

Richie Gray is one of only three Scots included

Compatriots Jim Hamilton and Nathan Hines are perhaps a little unlucky not to be considered, thought the latter has retired from playing for Scotland the last couple of seasons.  Elsewhere, the inclusions are fairly predictable, with the returning Paul O'Connell, captain in 2009, and Geoff Parling understandably booking seats on the plane. Welsh duo of Jones and Evans have also rightfully earned their place.

Back Row

There were always going to be quality players disappointed for not being included, such is the ferocity of competition in the back row. Both Kelly Brown and Chris Robshaw, captains of Scotland and England respectively, have received the phone call with bad news from Gatland.  Instead, Tom Croft, returning from a long term injury earlier this year is in, probably to add options at the lineout. The four Welshmen of the apocalypse, Warburton, Lydiate, Tipuric and Faletau are all in, supported by Jamie Heaslip and Sean O'Brien.

Half Backs

The only real surprise sprung by Gatland here is the inclusion of only 2 out-and-out fly halves in Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell, both of whom have been shoo-ins for a number of months.  There's no space for Toby Flood or even Greig Laidlaw, who can be switched between 9 and 10.  Instead, Gatland has proposed that Scottish full back Stuart Hogg will be the 3rd option at number 10 should Sexton or Farrell pick up knocks.

Both Mike Phillips and Connor Murray are included, and it'll be between these two for the starting number 9 jersey. Both are big and physical and with Sexton the likely starting 10, Gatland must decide whether his link man needs to be more familiar with an Irish 10 or a predominantly Welsh back row.

Centres

No real surprises here as the usual suspects all find themselves included. Lions veterans Jamie Roberts, voted man of the series in 2009, and Brian O'Driscoll are on the plane, ably supported by Lions freshmen Manu Tuilagi and Jonathan Davies.

There are only 4, but there is enough flexibility within the selection for the back 3 to suggest some could slot in at 13 (Hogg and North) if required.

Back Three

A fine combination of power and guile in this selection.  Flying behemoths George North and Alex Cuthbert are likely starters, with Leigh Halfpenny probably Gatland's first name on the team sheet. However, given the buzz and clear delight from Rob Howley and other coaching staff about Stuart Hogg's inclusion, I have a sneaky feeling Hogg will be given the 15 slot, and Halfpenny the right wing in place of Cuthbert.  Hogg's counter attacking style may just be the key to opening up a game on the hard turf of Oz.

The versatile Stuart Hogg could be a key player in Australia

Elsewhere, 2009 Lion Tommy Bowe is back in the selection along with Rob Kearney who enjoyed a fine tour in 2009. Newcomer Sean Maitland is perhaps the surprise inclusion, though very welcome from a Scottish perspective.

Starting XV

Here's my starting line up for the first test, all based on everyone selected to tour being fit and healthy:

1.    Cian Healy
2.    Richard Hibbard
3.    Adam Jones
4.    Alun Wyn Jones
5.    Geoff Parling
6.    Dan Lydiate
7.    Sam Warburton (c)
8.    Jamie Heaslip

9.    Mike Phillips
10.  Johnny Sexton
11.  George North
12.  Jamie Roberts
13.  Manu Tuilagi
14.  Leigh Halfpenny
15.  Stuart Hogg

The Full Lions Squad:

Forwards

Dan Cole (Eng)
Cian Healy (Ire)
Gethin Jenkins (Wal)
Adam Jones (Wal)
Matt Stevens (Eng)
Mako Vunipola (Eng)
Dylan Hartley (Eng)
Richard Hibbard (Wal)
Tom Youngs (Eng)
Ian Evans (Wales)
Richie Gray (Sco)
Alun Wyn Jones (Wal)
Paul O'Connell (Ire)
Geoff Parling (Eng)
Tom Croft (Eng)
Toby Faletau (Wal)
Jamie Heaslip (Ire)
Dan Lydiate (Wal)
Sean O'Brien (Ire)
Justin Tipuric (Wal)
Sam Warburton (c) (Wal)

Backs

Leigh Halfpenny (Wal)
Stuart Hogg (Sco)
Rob Kearney (Ire)
Tommy Bowe (Ire)
Alex Cuthbert (Wal)
Sean Maitland (Sco)
George North (Wal)
Jonathan Davies (Wal)
Brian O'Driscoll (Ire)
Jamie Roberts (Wal)
Manu Tuilagi (Eng)
Owen Farrell (Eng)
Jonathan Sexton (Ire)
Connor Murray (Ire)
Mike Phillips (Wal)
Ben Youngs (Eng)

Rudderless Scotland Need Head Coach Issue Resolved Soon, But Correctly

by Dugald Skene

The 2013 6 Nations tournament now seems an oddly distant memory. Just over 3 weeks have passed and there has been plenty of time to reflect on each team's performance.

Wales won it again, putting to bed a torrid second half of 2012. England fell at the final hurdle again, throwing away the chance to win a grand slam on the final day of the tournament for the 8th time in 24 years. France had what can only be described as a major blip, Ireland suffered heavily for lack of development in the past 3 years and a horrible looking injury list and Italy continue to improve, this time adding a distinct stubbornness to their performances.

So what about Scotland?

A third place finish including back to back wins is a welcome change, of that there is no doubt, but the Scottish team and their fans shouldn't read too much into their final table position.

Middle table obscurity came because of the poor form of both Ireland and France. In the end, Scotland only won 2 matches from 5, both at home and one of which they had no real right to claim. They weren't ready for the clash at Twickenham in the opening weekend and failed to capitalise on the poor form of the French in closing weekend.

There seems to be something of a falsehood to claim that the Scots are on the rise again.  Scott Johnson and his interim staff helped to stop the rot and get rid of the bad taste left by Tonga that lingered over the winter.  His distinctly different, conservative and tactically defensive minded approach to that taken by Andy Robinson was to be applauded at first, but then grew tiresome as Scottish fans saw no tries against Ireland or Wales.  A swell of opinion to play expansive, no holds barred rugby in Paris rose in the lead up to super Saturday, but Scotland left it too late in the game to oblige.

So a mixed tournament at best for Scotland. The perceived success of finishing third has been borne more from relief at not fighting it out to avoid the wooden spoon yet again than it is about finishing in the top half.

Is Johnson Scotland's man for the future?

Scotland still lie 10th in the IRB world rankings.  That is perhaps a better measure of their overall performance. No real progress, but no regression either.  A further measure will be in 3 weeks when Warren Gatland is due to announce his Lions squad to travel to Australia. How many Scot's will be included then?

With no permanent appointment to the head coaching post yet, the SRU have implied that they're not sold on Scott Johnson.  It strikes me that if they were, he'd have the job by now on a permanent basis.  They have had plenty of time to consider other applicants and to assess Johnson's own performance over the past 3 months to surely have made a call on it.

Scotland are a bit rudderless at the moment, basking in the windless doldrums waiting for a gust to get them going again. The permanent appointment of a positively minded, experienced head coach would provide that gust. 

Some would claim that the aim of this year's 6 Nations was to prove Scotland are competitive again and to prevent a continued downward slide following a pretty dismal autumn series. If that's the case, then it's job more or less done. However, I wanted more.  Scotland had an opportunity to not only save themselves, but to put others to the sword as they saw the likes of Ireland and France struggle around them. Yes, Scotland beat Ireland, but they didn't deserve to. Scotland needed to dominate that game rather than the other way around.

It's time for the Scottish team to show more than the odd glimpse, or occasional Italy style performance on a consistent basis. Lead games from the front, capitalise on poor opponents.  There is precedent this season in the form of Glasgow, sitting pretty atop the RaboDirect Pro12 league.  Their ruthlessness has been the key progression this year, masterminded by head coach Gregor Townsend.  That all begs the question of where that ruthless streak was in the national team when Townsend was backs coach until last summer?

Scotland have a decent pool of players to pick from right now and it's time for the SRU to step up in the best interests of the national side to find a coach that can collate and focus that talent on the pitch.  Personally I'm not keen on Johnson, but he hasn't done a great deal wrong. Given the potential pool of suitors, he is one of the more preferable candidates.

Who would you pick as the next Scottish national head coach?

Time For Scots To Change Tact

by Dugald Skene

I was riled a little this morning when my Welsh friend mocked Scotland's over-reliance on the kicking game in this years 6 Nations. Unfortunately, he's right.

It has been the most significant tactical switch employed by interim coach Scott Johnson from those utilised by his predecessor. At last years tournament under Andy Robinson, Scotland were the biggest carriers and offloaders, but it never ultimately seemed to come to anything. This year, Scotland have leant back on their more sound principles, namely their defence.

Generally speaking, Scotland's defence has been very good, and they are more than happy to depend on it and play without the ball for large portions of a game. The possession percentages against Ireland and Wales particularly have been very low, not because they have been outplayed (although it has happened at times), but rather because it's part of the design. Captain Kelly Brown has epitomised the defensive stoicism, racking up tournament leading tackling figures.

Kelly Brown has led the tournament in

tackling stats

All this depends, however, on field position. Scotland like to defend so long as it's high up the pitch. Any opportunity to hoof the ball from their own half is taken, normally by Greig Laidlaw from his scrum half position. Territorial advantage is king in Scotland's game plan.

The net effect can appear to be very negative, and now it has been adhered to for 4 games in this years tournament, I'm starting to pine for change.

It's widely acknowledged that Scotland have potentially one of the most exciting young back 3 combinations in Europe, but they haven't been given the opportunity to cause havoc with Scotland on the front foot.

At Twickenham, they were given a clear license to counter attack from just about anywhere on the pitch, preying on England's reliance on the territorial kick, and they executed that part of their brief excellently.

Both of Stuart Hogg's tries, along with Sean Maitland's effort, have come directly from defensive positions. Only once has Scotland put the ball through the hands from an attacking platform, resulting in a n excellent try for Matt Scott against Italy.

Stuart Hogg scores at Twickenham

Scotland notched up 6 tries in their first 2 games. They haven't managed any since.

So now Scotland find themselves in an unusual position - mid table obscurity. Saturdays tournament curtain closer in Paris sees Scotland take on a struggling outfit with not a great deal to lose, and with little pressure playing at home. It presents the perfect opportunity to play a more expansive brand of rugby.

They are capable of it, and have the players and finishers to execute it. The question is whether Johnson will stray from his usual tact to exploit a rare opportunity to get a win against an underperforming French side.

Johnson has stuck with Duncan Weir at fly-half, and rightly so in my opinion. Despite having back up in the form of Kelly Brown when Wales attacked the 10 channel, he showed himself to be a stubborn tackler. Some of his creative touches in attack, as few and far between as they were, were pretty good. His chip and chase in the first half last Saturday showed he has the vision and nouse to make positive yards.

Weir will be the fulcrum of any attack if Scotland choose to move the ball wide more often and so he will have to add that extra dimension to his game this weekend, but I see no problem with him stepping up in this regard.  Centre Matt Scott has had a good tournament and is settling nicely at the 12 position.  Sean Lamont looks uneasy at 13, not his natural position, and has been caught out as the blitz runner in Scotland's defensive scheme.  With ball in hand though, he is capable of punching holes in that robust French midfield.

Building phases will be key for Scotland. Only once against Wales did they build a series more than 5. They will have to earn the right to go wide by sucking in defensive players in the middle as they make the hard yards to give Hogg, Visser and Maitland any chance to exploit space.

Scotland have it in them to score tries against France and to play a bit of rugby in what should be good conditions.  They owe it to themselves to play better than they did against both Ireland and Wales.  If they have ambitions to win 3 from 5 and finish the tournament in the top half of the table, they're going to have to.

Problems At Scrum Time Come To The Fore, Again

by Dugald Skene

Its been getting worse for years, but now the scrum seems to be dominating rugby games in the northern hemisphere, and not for the better.  Saturday's showing at Murrayfield where Scotland hosted the Welsh was the perfect anti-advert for the game, principally because of the scrum.

There were two specific problems on show on Saturday, the first being the blight of most games - the reset scrum.

It's not uncommon now to see a scrum being reset 4 or 5 times before a referee takes the opportunity to award a free kick or penalty.  The upshots are the time taken out of the game (31 minutes of Scotland vs Wales wsa taken up when the ball was not in play) and the resultant mess it leaves the field in.  In wet conditions, such as they were in Dublin on Saturday, the pitch resembles more of a quagmire than a beautiful baize by halftime.  The pitch at the Aviva was severely cut up, and not for the first time.

Scrum time at Murrayfield was a mess

The second issue, and this is more a technical point that caught out the Scots particularly at the weekend, is the early engagement.

I have to confess I almost broke my iPad as I sat there watching Scotland win an attacking scrum on the Welsh five metre line after some excellent work from Duncan Weir, only to give away a free kick for the early engagement, something they had been warned about several times before by referee Craig Joubert.  The iPad survived it's launch across the room.  My patience didn't.

Is it indiscipline from the Scottish front row? Yes, it is.  There should be no excuse for engaging the hit early so long as the referee is consistent with the calling of 'crouch', 'touch' and then 'set'.

Having said that, the whole problem is borne out of an eagerness to get the upper hand in the scrum prior to the ball even entering.  For an attacking scrum, as it was pointed out by Brian Moore in commentary on Saturday in Ireland, a pack is essentially only pushing with 7 men as the hooker is prioritising the strike of the ball.  To get the ascendancy and forward momentum is therefore key.

Scotland's eagerness to get the upper hand on a Welsh front 5 that destroyed the Italians a fortnight before, was clearly a prescribed tactic, but they couldn't get it right.  It got to the point in the second half when they were warned for the umpteenth time and threatened with a yellow card that inexplicably never came, the Scots didn't engage at all, the Welsh actually went early and Craig Joubert saw nothing wrong with it.

Joubert's performance has been much maligned during the game and since the final whistle.  I actually thought he was not too bad. Vocal and generally fair to either side, his biggest mistake was not to punish the Scottish front row early on for repetitive infringements. With a man down, and hopefully a lesson learnt, the scrum shouldn't have plagued the remainder of the game.

So what to do about the scrum? 

The obvious answer, and it was suggested many times through commentary and around the social networks over the weekend, is to not allow any pushing until the ball is in the scrum.  It would eradicate the need to gain the ascendancy before the ball is even in play and by default, the early engagement.

It would also allow proper competition between hookers and address the ignored issue of squint feeding from scrum halves, whose antics at scrum time are all to often overlooked by the referee and touch judges.

I'm no expert on the scrum, there are few who could claim to be any such thing.  However, what is clear to all rugby fans is the blight on the game that it has become.  It kills games, simple as that.

The penalty count on Saturday at Murrayfield was astronomical, with 18 attempts at kickable penalties and many more awarded besides.  Many were given away at scrum time.  No game in the history of rugby has seen as many points garnered from penalty kicks as that one.  If you thought the scrums killed time in the game, an unconfirmed stat highlighted that Leigh Halfpenny took over 16 minutes to take 11 shots at goal.  The Murrayfield crowd made their thoughts clear about his taking time at every kick it seemed.

All 31 people on the park on Saturday in Edinburgh contributed to a poor game in some form.  Some did more besides to set themselves apart from the majority, a resurgent Sam Warburton amongst them.

Scotland especially have to look at their penalty concession stats.  They have given away 63 penalties in 4 games, including 16 on Saturday. Wales didn't have a great game, because they didn't have to. Scotland are doing a fine job at beating themselves, and it has to stop, starting in Paris on Saturday.

Steelers Release James Harrison

by Dugald Skene

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released linebacker James Harrison. Harrison completed the 2nd highest franchise sack total with 64. A great achievement, but really just a sideshow to one of the best Superbowl moments in NFL history - his 100 yard interception return against the Arizona Cardinals.

Watch this, it's stunning.

Vernon Signing The Latest Show Of Warrior Strength

by Dugald Skene

It was announced yesterday that Richie Vernon will be making a return to Glasgow Warriors as he signed a 3 year deal from the end of the season to play at Scotstoun.

The Sale Sharks backrower has spent two years in Manchester since leaving Glasgow.  At 25 years old and with 20 international caps, he will be bringing yet more international experience to the well oiled Glasgow machine.

Vernon stated his enthusiasm for coming back to a vibrant Warriors team: "I have learnt a lot from my time at Sale over the last couple of seasons but this is an excellent opportunity for me to return home and play my rugby in Scotland.

"Of course it helps that I know a lot of the guys in the squad already, but I've been watching their progress this season and it's a very exciting time to be getting involved with the club."

Vernon has 20 Scotland caps and has scored 10 tries

in 44 appearances for Sale Sharks

Vernon's commitment to the Warriors is the latest act in Glasgow that sees the team establish themselves further as a power in the RaboDirect Pro12 league and the more dominant of the two Scottish pro teams.

In a legacy set up by Sean Lineen who oversaw 2 top four finishes in 3 years before his departure last summer, the Warriors have built a squad to last a complete season.  Long gone are the days when the Scottish teams slide down the table as the autumn internationals and 6 Nations tournaments pillaged the squads of their best talent.

What is more, they have such strength in depth now that they are taking advantage of other teams losing out to the call of international selection.  Under new coach Gregor Townsend, the team find themselves in second spot in the league, closing down early pace setters Ulster for the top spot.  A top 2 finish would be Glasgow's best season finish before the playoffs and would secure them a home berth for the post season showdowns.

The sustainable growth of the club has to be lauded, along with their Chairman Charles Shaw and Managing Director Nathan Bombrys.  Glasgow have taken small but steady steps in the last 5 years to get them to where they are, but have always made progress.  The transition from Lineen leaving under slightly acrimonious circumstances to Townsend taking the reins has been smooth.  The move to the newly refurbished Scotstoun Stadium has proved successful.  Everything is very settled in the west end of Glasgow.

Compare that to the state of Edinburgh Rugby right now.  Struggling in and around the bottom of the league table the last few seasons, Edinburgh have failed to attract both the quality and quantity of talent that their bitter rivals have.  They still falter during the international tournaments because they simply don't have that strength that Glasgow have acquired recently, and instead use the lack of relegation in the league as an impetus to concentrate on the Heineken Cup which has its fixtures fit around the 6 Nations and  autumn internationals.  It means they can look to make progress in a competition when they have all their key talent back within their ranks.

It worked last year as Edinburgh made it to the semi-finals of the premier European competition only to lose out to Ulster in Dublin.  The achievement was unprecedented for a Scottish club.  The sacrifice was their league position, finishing a lowly 11th with 32 points, less than half of the total accumulated by 4th place finishers Glasgow.

The discussion on whether all 12 RaboDirect teams get to qualify for European competition is heated and ongoing, but for me it isn't right that a team can prioritise the cup over the league, knowing they can still qualify for the following year.  The Heineken Cup should be the reward for those teams that either finish highest overall in their league or higher relative to their compatriot teams in that league.

That aside, Edinburgh must do better to attract the calibre of player heading to the west coast.  There must be a fundamental difference in the attraction of both teams for potential players looking to sign north of the border.  Is it the facilities? The management? The existing corps of players? The money?

Whichever one or combination of these it is, Glasgow have clearly struck a better balance than Edinburgh and are only building momentum. Their training facilities at Scotstoun have long been known to be first class.  Now that the team has relocated there for match days too means they now have a complete, compact and efficient operation under one roof. 

The Warriors moved to Scotstoun Stadium at the start

of the 2012/13 season

Edinburgh, on the other hand, play their games at Murrayfield, attracting a typical crowd of around 3,000 spectators who are drowned by the emptiness of a 67,500 seat stadium.  They have touted the idea of investing in Meadowbank stadium which is currently owned and operated by Edinburgh City Council.  It has the infrastructure and facilities in place to allow it to potentially flourish as a 6/7,000 seat arena.  A smaller stadium encourages a better atmosphere, which attracts punters, money, investment and players. 

Glasgow made the step from playing at Hughenden with very little seating to the 9,000 capacity football ground at Firhill before adopting Scotstoun as their home for good.  It's manageable, realistic and sustainable.  It seems that Edinburgh have some ground to make up.

And so we can conclude that Richie Vernon is heading back to the brighter of the two Scottish rugby stars right now.  The only question now would be where and how much he will play with such a wealth of talent on the books at Scotstoun?  He will be competing with the likes of John Barclay, James Eddie, Josh Strauss, Ryan Wilson, Rob Harley and Chris Fusaro who all ply their trade in the back row.  With his pace, Vernon provides a different option to all of these guys but he'll have to raise his game if he has designs on a consistent starting spot.

Success breeds success, and Vernon will no doubt be up for the challenge.

Irish Loss Ironically Shows The Turning Of A Corner

by Dugald Skene

Given the result on Sunday, and the nature of the 12-8 loss for Ireland at Murrayfield that day, it might be strange to suggest that the Irish have finally decided to turn the corner that they have seemingly refused since their 2009 Grand Slam winning campaign.  But I think that's exactly what has happened.

Declan Kidney has taken much of the stick for Ireland's poor display, particularly in the second half, and although culpable to a large degree, he also needs to be praised for his approach to the game.

Ireland were ultimately let down by the players' inability to finish off the chances they created and convert the huge amounts of possession and territory they enjoyed in the game. They allowed the Scots back into the game and paid the price.

Declan Kidney has taken the brunt of the blame

for Ireland's loss to Scotland

Hindsight, as they say, is a wonderful thing, and everyone can point fingers at the coaching staff for poor selection, but that isn't what lost the game.

Instead if I was an Irish fan, once the pain of such a demoralising loss had subsided, I'd be encouraged that the Irish dominated a game for huge portions of the match with a lot of young and fresh talent.

So Paddy Jackson didn't have a great day with the kicking tee.  It happens, he'll improve.  Fellow debutant Luke Marshall was the standout player in the first half and looked perfectly at home in international rugby.  With the recent debut caps for the likes of Craig Gilroy and Simon Zebo, I think we are starting to see the changing of the old guard in Irish rugby.

This has been coming for Irish fans. The so called 'golden generation', led by inspirational centre Brian O'Driscoll, is starting to fade away, although O'Driscoll (along with Rob Kearney) is one of the few who can still legitimately claim a starting berth for the Irish.  Ronan O'Gara has lost his ability to secure a match in the closing stages as a stabilising substitute.  Some of his decision making was flawed to say the very least when Ireland needed him and his renowned composure in such a tight contest.  Although forced out by injury, I don't believe Gordon D'Arcy is worthy of a starting place in the team and the likes of Luke Marshall have shown that to be the case.

These players all peaked during their 2009 Grand Slam campaign and Kidney rode the wave created by that success through to the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011.  If 2009 wasn't the time to change, 2011 surely was.  And yet Kidney has for the large part refused to adapt and bring in younger talent when the chances have come.  For me, in culminated in the 3-0 series loss in New Zealand.

Since that summer tour, Kidney has recognised the need to freshen up the team.  He has selected a new captain in Jamie Heaslip, despite the ongoing participation of O'Driscoll.  He has debuted more players in the last 6 months than I can remember for some time.

I accept that most of the changes made for Sunday's game were borne out of necessity given the extensive injury list Ireland currently have, but Kidney didn't have to start Jackson. He could have played it safe and started O'Gara, but he chose not to.  Regardless of the result and the player's own performance, that has to be applauded.

It may all be too little too late as the fans and media in Ireland mount increasing pressure on Kidney, but it can't be argued that he is trying to do something new and finally get Ireland out of the selection rut it has been in for the last 4 years or so.

Every change comes with growing pains, and Sunday's defeat at Murrayfield is the first big one.  They are also hard to get used to, especially when the status quo has been in place for over a decade.

If Kidney is really trying to push through a much needed revolution in Irish Rugby, he has to be given the chance to see it out.  There is still enough time before the next World Cup to develop these young players into hardened test match veterans, but they need to be exposed to that environment now for it to take effect.  It's hard to change a culture that so many have become accustomed to and there will be losses along the way, but it's all for the greater good in my book.

FFR Choose Design Winner For New Rugby Stadium

by Dugald Skene

As much as I'd love my life to be centred around all things blogging and generally expressing my often maligned opinion on the world of sport, it's unfortunately not the way it has turned out.  Instead, I spend my days doing the day job - being an Architect.

So it's a nice coincidence when the world's of architecture and sport collide and offer up something new to look at, and that's exactly what has happened this week in France.

Talk has been ongoing for years about the Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) building their own home in France - the Twickenham or Murrayfield equivalent, if you like.  The FFR launched a design competition last year and Populous, the architects most notably behind London's Olympic Stadium, have been announced the winners this week.  The firm, in cooperation with French practice Ateliers 2/3/4/ have designed a stadium that looks, well, very unlike a stadium.

The new Grand Stade du FFR

Like most equivalent new facilities, there is much focus on the future flexibility of the stadium.  It's clear that rugby unions need to optimise their income from what is often their single biggest asset, and the FFR have been no different in their approach to the design brief.

Legendary French full back Serge Blanco, a member of the judging panel and vice president of the FFR, confirmed this approach and the response to the brief by Populous. “The proposal made by Populous and Ateliers 2/3/4/ proved to be the most suitable to meet the objectives that we have set for the medium and long term. It fits perfectly with the idea that we are creating the multifunctional stage par excellence", he said.

The stadium will seat around 82,000 fans

Ben Vickery, senior principal of Populous, said “The Grand Stade of the Fédération Française de Rugby will be not only the new home of French Rugby, but a cultural catalyst for the district of Essonne as well as France.”

Hold on a minute - Essonne? That's right, the FFR are building their home of rugby 25 kilometres south of the capital Paris.  Given the stick that the Stade de France has had over the years for being too far out from the city centre, despite only being 2 or 3 kilometres away in St Denis, it seems odd that this new 82,000 seat behemoth be situated so far out from the city.

The FFR are going for the alternative stadium look

Time will tell how successful a ploy this turns out to be, but for now, we have some pictures from Populous of their monolithic creation, said to be inspired by the idea of a 'fortified town delivering both hospitality and protection'.

I'll let you be the architectural critics on this one.  What do you think of the design, it's proposed location and the very need for it's existence?

3 Key Battles In Super Bowl XLVII

by Dugald Skene

The 'Brother Bowl'. The 'Har-Bowl'. However the 47th edition of the NFL season finale is to be coined, the outcome is far more of an unknown.

The 49ers have the perfect 5-0 Super Bowl record. They haven't been there for 18 years, and they will be desperate to complete their self proclaimed 'Quest for Six'.

That said, the Ravens have the momentum, beating bitter AFC rivals the Broncos and the Patriots on the road on their way to New Orleans.

This one will be close, but for me the game will come down to 3 distinct aspects.

1. Joe Flacco vs The 49er Secondary

Ravens quarterback Flacco has thrown 8 touchdowns with no interceptions in this postseason. He only needs one more TD pass to equal four time Super Bowl winner Joe Montana's NFL record of 9-0 in a postseason run.

Flacco has more than his fair share of detractors, all of whom claim he cannot be considered an 'elite' QB. The fact is this overhauled Ravens offense, run by coordinator Jim Caldwell, plays to Flacco's strengths. One of those big weapons is the cannon in his right arm.

Flacco has demonstrated with lethal effectiveness the deep ball, exposing the secondaries of each of their conquered opponents. To pull off the deep pass, he needs the guys to pass to and in wide receivers Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones he has willing runners.

The 49er safeties Trenton Robinson, Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner will have their work cut out to avoid joining the likes of the Broncos' Champ Bailey on the roster of embarrassed defensive secondaries.

2. Ray Rice vs the 49ers Linebackers

In Ray Rice, the Ravens have a wise head on still very strong legs, playing as well as he ever has in his career. With the available combinations for Flacco between the wide receivers, Anquan Boldin through the middle and Rice in the back field, the 49ers defensive line and linebackers will have to be on the ball to stop the running back making significant yards.

The revered San Francisco defence allowed only around 15 points per game up until week 14. From week 15 and through the playoffs, that has shot up to 28.8 yards. Above all, they have struggled to stop the run and OC Jim Caldwell and Ray Rice will see that weakness and look to expose it. Expect a strong running game from both sides, but Sunday night might be very special for Rice.

3. Colin Kaepernick vs the Ravens Defence

Not a lot more can be said about this Ravens defence. The return of talisman, inspiration and all round tackle machine Ray Lewis has transformed the fortunes of the Ravens through the postseason following very indifferent form after week 9.

But it isn't just one man. Terrell Suggs has improved his fitness since his return and is resembling the sort of form that saw him claim the defensive player of the year award in 2011. Other linebackers Paul Kruger and Courteney Upshaw have shone as the season has gone on, as well as Ray Lewis' protoge Dannell Ellerbe. Oh yeah, and if the 49ers get round them, they need to watch out for veteran safety Ed Reed. It is one formidable unit.

But the 49ers have an offense that the Ravens haven't yet come across this season, and it all revolves around sensational young quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Much was made about the replacement of starting QB Alex Smith with Kaepernick, but Jum Harbaugh's decision has been vindicated as his young number 7 has guided his team to the Super Bowl.

Kaepernick has it all, and can adjust to what is in front of him. Against Green Bay, he rushed for an all time NFL record of 181 yards, exposing the Packers deficiencies in defence and inability to stop the run. But against Atlanta in the NFC championship game, he ran very little and used his incredibly accurate arm to dissect the Falcons defence.

I expect he will run more against the Ravens, but not necessarily out of choice but necessity as the Ravens defence will put big pressure on the 49ers offensive line. Combined with RB Frank Gore, San Fran could rack up a lot of rushing yards, looking to stretch the likes of ageing top tackler Ray Lewis to tire him out as the game goes on.


Whatever happens in Super Bowl XLVII, it's sure to be a close fought and brutal fight. Both teams have defences that rank near the very top in the last decade or so, and whichever one gets on top in the game, particularly with turnovers, will likely claim the Lombardi Trophy

NFL Franchise In UK Closer Than Ever

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has intimated stronger than ever that the opportunity for the creation of an NFL franchise based in the UK is as possible as it ever has been.

Speaking at his annual pre-Super Bowl press conference in New Orleans on Wednesday, Goodell was reacting to the positive news that both games set to be played at Wembley in 2013 have sold out, more than 9 months in advance.

"I think the message is very clear. We've got passionate fans that love the NFL in the UK," said Goodell.



2013 is the first year that 2 regular season games will be hosted at Wembley, representing home fixtures for the Minnesota Vikings and the Jackson Jaguars, the latter having committed to playing a game at Wembley in each season up to 2016.

The response to having two games could not have been more positive in the UK, with general admission tickets selling out within a week. The message to Goodell seems clear.

"We're always asking what is the next step after two games," he continued. "Do we move to three, do we try something else? How do we continue to celebrate the growth of the game in the UK? But I think from the positive reaction from the fans, that our ownership understands that this is a market in which we need to be more active."

Goodell's comments are the latest from a number of high profile and powerful players in the NFL. Last summer, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft also seemed very positive about opening up America's game beyond it's own borders.

It is generally accepted in the UK that the core fan base may have to expand to justify a sustainable franchise on this side of the pond. The NFL UK currently has over one third of a million registered members, and growing. The magic one million would most likely represent a more realistic number to represent the kind of interest to warrant a UK franchise.

It may be a few years yet before anything like this happens. In the meantime, UK and European fans have to keep expressing a demand to have fixtures over here to keep sending a strong message to that States that the option is a viable one. It seems that that message is starting to get through to those who can make the difference

Kaepernick Breaks Records To Beat Packers

by Dugald Skene

NFL Playoffs

Green Bay Packers 31-45 San Francisco 49ers

Jim Harbaugh can finally feel justified.  

His decision to start young quarterback Colin Kaepernick instead of the established and perfectly satisfactory Alex Smith paid off last night as Kaepernick broke NFL records as he led his San Francisco 49ers team to a 45-31 win in his first ever playoff game.

Lets get to the point: Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards from 16 attempts (including 2 kneel downs) and 2 touchdowns. He also threw for an additional 263 yards from 31 attempts and 2 TDs. In short, Kaepernick gained more yards than the whole Packers team.

No quarterback has ever rushed for 181 yards in any NFL game, ever. Kaepernick did it in his first playoff game, and only 8th start.

The 49ers now go on to the NFC Championship game to take on the winner of the Falcons - Seahawks, the same stage that Alex Smith led them to last year. Can Colin Kaepernick take them that step further and lead them to New Orleans? Given the way he showed up last night, I certainly won't be betting against him.