Unless that is, you support Glasgow or Bath.

Chris Masoe (or Craig as he is know over at the Scotsman) has opted to remain in France rather than join Glasgow , and now another snub infinitely more heinous has been delivered by those folks we love to hate, Sky. Yes they provide extensive rugby coverage with the odd decent commentator and we are thankful for it. But they could extend it in the right direction a little better.

A case in point is this weekend in where from Pool 3 you can only watch Leinster – who have already qualified – play against Montpellier – who are unlikely to, unless they get a 5 point win against the champions at home.

Yes, that’s correct. Bath vs Glasgow is the only Heineken Cup pool game not on Sky this weekend. Even Leicester vs Aironi, which has a bearing on absolutely nothing, seems to be getting an airing (although not according to the ERC site).

Thanks Murdoch et al. So if you want to post about the Scottish teams being dismissed as second class broadcast-able citizens in a season that saw (but no-one outside Edinburgh did) the once-in-a-generation match between Edinburgh and Racing Metro, or post about Glasgow possibly having to work without benefit of a TMO in a game that is crucial to their European survival, then this would be the place!

We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Scotsmen think they can win this. Englishmen have an expectation to win. Alex Ferguson himself thinks Scotland have a chance. We will all be watching and wondering.

So as it is, frankly, impossible to tell if this game will be close, a rout or an 8 point victory I have come up with how the game would pan out if it was played in my head. Yeah. That dark, scary place…

Anthems: Scotland, backed by boisterous support and a few extra Kiwis, roar into the ‘Flower’ and shake Eden Park to its very foundations. ‘God Save the Queen’, in comparison, is sung at an adequate pace and with a noise level acceptable to Johnno’s ears. Robinson doesn’t take part.

Kick-Off: Wilkinson lofts the ball (a regulation ball, that we are assured hasn’t been tampered with) into the air. Scotland claim it well enough, but run through 6 phases without making much headway. Jackson kicks it out and some mumblings start already that this will be a game of bosch and nudge.

Minute 4: Disaster strikes. 40m out Lamont tears out of the line to try and annihilate Wilkinson –which he does –but the OBE flicks a cute pass to Ashton who runs it in and delivers a cripplingly irritating Swan Dive. Wilkinson nails the kick.

Minute 5: Paterson chips in with a relatively simple kick to keep us close.

Minute 22: Strokosch delivers a monstrous hit on James Haskell, causing a flare up. Moody steps in to cool things down, but not before Thompson attempts to kiss as many Scots as possible.

Minute 29: Croft returns the favour chasing a kick and smashing Max Evans, who spills it forward into touch. The resulting scrum, much like the rest of the game is more even than many commentators would have expected and Murray gives Matt Stevens a hard time.

Minute 35: Jackson shakes off some tacklers to get closer to the line –“was that an offside, Ref?”- and feeds an Evans who hobbles through a gap as Tuilagi shoots in with another big hit. Paterson creeps into the pocket and slots a drop goal few had expected him to take on. 7-6.

Half-Time: More handbags ensue and the rain starts tumbling down. The ref blows the whistle and both captains get into the sheds early, hoping to get their teams to calm down. The ITV coverage is as grim as before, but the analysis is lightened up by images of England’s dressing room where they are clearly getting an earful from Johnno. Wilkinson, in particular, seems to be getting it tight about his kicking out of hand. Flood is trying not to look up, and a face peels round the toilet door just out of view. Surely England wouldn’t sneak suspended Dave Alred into the dressing room…

Kick-Off: The game restarts and it is as heated as before. Mauls break out from the English and Croft looks more and more wasted as he and Lawes take up wide positions, but aren’t hit.

Minute 44: England give away another penalty, proving that under pressure they can commit atrocious amounts of infringements. The crowd sense it too. As it is further out Jackson takes it on confidently. He drills it through just as cameras catch Johnson slamming his fists on the desk and making for the door.

Minute 60: Scotland are tackling like dervishes, but they are also running into brick walls in attack. They are often stringing 8 phases together. Eventually, though, the referee has had enough and yellow cards Deacon for persistent team offences.

Minute 73: Deacon is back on, but now Youngs has been carded for the same reason. From a ruck Cusiter, on for Blair, chips over the top 22m out and Evans races through to touch down. 11-7 to Scotland and then Jackson makes the kick. 13-7! There is little time to catch breathe. Despite this Robinson fights the urge to chuck on the subs.

Minute 75: The defence is really firing at this point. To a man Scotland are pushing forward and hitting anything in white. Barclay looks close to vomiting, but he won’t stop screaming in the line. Flood and Foden are moaning as they can’t get any ball, particularly in space. Hartley is on for Thompson but he is struggling to keep his cool as Ansbro cuts out a menacing, drifting run from Armitage. It may stay like this…

Minute 78: Rennie is on for Strokosch who couldn’t run anymore and the Edinburgh man charges down a kick from Flood. Vernon chases after it and catches Ashton with the ball 10m from his own line. The England team look flustered and they resort for pick and goes.

Minute 80: The Ball is cleared 15m out from the line and Scotland have one last chance. They recycle the ball, and Mike Blair is forced to step into contact. A few phases lead to forwards rumbling and the ball ends up in Lamont’s hands at first receiver but he retains it. Jackson is behind the ruck…I feel sick….Did he slot that?!!

After Match analysis: Neither side is available for comment. There is confusing everywhere. Even Tindall’s harem of paparazzi are at a loss. Robinson is still wandering around the pitch somewhere. This should make things interesting, huh? Did you see that…?!

“Hi Alan,
Well now everyone in Argentina is very happy with the team. The effort that the players did it during the game was excellent.
I think Scotland lost the chance to close the game in the first 20′ in the second half.
Now I hope Scotland beat England!!!!”

In four sentences this ex-Warrior has summed up what happened on Sunday. Scotland missed their chance to put themselves straight through to the Quarter Finals against a hard working but unglamorous South American side. Now we all live in hope.

Despite the incessant reports of what Scotland need to do; to rely on; to expect, we have a clear objective. An objective perhaps clearer that any we have had during this World Cup campaign. We need to beat the Auld Enemy by a minimum of 8 points.

Sure we could hope Georgia pull one out of the fire and smoke an Argentinean side that is bruised and held together at the seams by sticky tape and Felipe Contepomi’s force of will. We could hope that Gorgodze continues his devastating rampage in this tournament and takes out Contepomi, Lobbe and Ledesma. He won’t, though, and I doubt we can rely on results elsewhere. Scotland need to stick to the plan. Focus on our objective.

There are many possible permutations in this pool, but the intention must be made clear. The team Robinson has picked certainly has an air of ‘Last Chance Roll’ about it, but that last chance lasts 80minutes. The team cannot worry itself with notions of blistering bonus tries, because we forget what is at hand. A game of phases.

In front of Scotland strides an England team naming its most dynamic back-row available, as well as Courtney Lawes. In the backs they have the much hyped, but frustratingly potent wildcard, Manu Tuilagi. Behind him there is a back-three that bookmakers are struggling to lengthen in odds to score. This team is full of direct, assertive and varied runners.

Strangely, though, to England’s detriment the men manning their rudders, Wilkinson and Thompson, are selected again despite struggling to recapture the spirit of ’03. Martin Johnson does not underestimate their talismanic properties, but he is certain to use Flood and Hartley in the last 3rd/4er of the game. He will leave nothing to chance.

Scotland, on the other hand, are banking on chance.

Against Argentina we lost a game at the death. Our clunking control was bypassed by a dancing full-back, and we lost it for the end minutes. We must recapture that control –something I am now sure Ruaridh Jackson is capable of –and let our own runners run…away from contact areas.

The team we have picked is full of running, too. The selections of Vernon, Lamont at 12 and Danielli and Evans means that we could counter attack at the fringes. It also offers offload runners at staggered positions on the pitch. Defensively, too, it has more of a feel of Scrammblers (although there will be a programmed defender, probably Strokosch or Barclay, who will filter in behind Lamont who will have licence to fly at Tuilagi or Tindall).

Don’t misinterpret, please. The defence will be one of pressure and constant waves between the 15m lines. This represents the biggest game in almost all of these players’ lives. The tackling will be robust and the bodies sacrificed. It is just that with Vernon, Barclay and Strokosch, Danielli, Evans, Paterson and Lamont we look set fair to retreat in haste should England spring a half-break. Staging a shutout, for the objective.

Up front Strokosh, Gray, Kellock, Ford and Murray will be expected to chew dirt, make tackles and spoil play. They will be made to man the collisions as if Johnson himself was barking orders through a bullhorn at the back of each contact. Be alert, be physical.

The good thing is that now, once any permutations are forgotten and the build-up work ignored we are still just left with that recognition: it is all or nothing. Remember the objective, remember the roles. Remember the hits.

Remember the objective.

After this game a lot of analysis may come down to how Kellock fared against a ferocious and rested Lawes. Credence may be paid to how Blair moved with Youngs. Experts may marvel at the outcome of Lamont’s gambling shots out of the defensive line. We may all rue not setting out to find a bonus point against Georgia. Should Rory Lamont have had more time on the pitch? Speculation will happen immediately after the game.

Whatever the lines and whatever the outcome, however, Scotland will still have offered an answer to a simple question about hope and a need for victory.

Did we deliver on the Objective?

And so, three teams remain in Pool B. Georgia and Romania have huffed and puffed, and threatened to blow the houses of England and Scotland down, but now both teams are consigned to four years in the wilderness before the bright light shines on them once more.

Georgia can still leave their mark on the group; a shock victory would do nicely for both England and Scotland, but in truth their spirit left this tournament some time ago. Having won what both they and Romania admitted was the only game worth getting fired up for, Georgia will take to the field against the Pumas knowing there is little more they can do, nor is there anything more expected of them.

The Georgian Prime Minister turned up for one match, and one match only. Can you guess which one?

So that means that the onus lies with either Scotland or England to grasp the thorny rose or thistle. Scotland must claim their biggest ever win over the old enemy in 25 years while England must do one thing; avoid defeat. 

But that isn’t everything riding on a game that counts for everything. Nick De Luca picked and poked at old wounds when he suggested that the sweet icing on the cake of qualifying from the group stages would come with English embarrassment.

“No matter who we were playing this weekend, it could be – it hopefully won’t be – our last game in the World Cup.” The centre said. “If we do it right, England would go out, which would be an added bonus, but it’s not the incentive itself.”

There is no doubt that either side would get a little kick of Schadenfreude from the misery of the other, but De Luca is embarking along a particularly dangerous path that could lead to bullet being lodged in his foot with a smoking pistol clenched in his hand.

In a game of such significance for both teams, there can be little room for sentiment or emotion, or at least emotion channelled in the wrong direction; baiting an opponent through patriotism, genuine dislike or just through mischievousness can easily backfire. 

Introducing sub-plots and added elements to a game which has the importance of a World Cup winner-takes-all match complicates and takes the eye off what is important; just ask Warren Gatland. His outburst against Dylan Hartley before the 6 Nations curtain raiser between Wales and England provided England with enough ballast to take their rivals to the cleaners. He banned himself from doing any pre-match interviews for the rest of the tournament after he provided England with motivational material.

Not that De Luca’s comments were anywhere near the level of Gatland’s, he speaks only the truth. But the rivalry between these two is obvious. Both teams are aware of it and the importance of it, and De Luca need not set a see-saw in motion that he might not be able to control – such games are built upon controlling and suffocating errors and mistakes. There is certainly such thing as being too fired up.

Scotland have a good record against England away from Twickenham – in fact for the last game England won away from HQ you have to go back to 2004. 

Having hinted at what they are capable of, Scotland must take something of a two footed leap into the unknown in their biggest game of the tournament. Despite being on top for much of the game against Argentina, they were unable to rely upon a moment of brilliance like the one Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino produced.

Now against England they must light the fire than has only so far sparked intermittently. This will of course be a tight game played out most likely through the pack. Neither side will want to take a risk with so much at stake (much like the Argentina game) but now Scotland must look to ensure that the moment of brilliance comes from a man in a deep blue shirt this time.

Max Evans has hinted at an ability to run the ball with some success, but he must show more. If the forwards can provide a platform or England repeat their penalty-prone antics of games gone by, then the stage is his to be the difference.

You never know, De Luca may see his replacement become the scythe to match the blunt, brute force of his country’s forwards. If so, then he can taunt England all he wants, safe in the knowledge that retribution or revenge is some way off and not a couple days away.

In a few hours I will post my reposte…

In rugby terms there is a sense of shift. No longer can we justify the notion that the World Cup had to be in a top 10 country. The World Cup in New Zealand has been a great advert for the country and it all seems to be going quite well as an event, but I still feel that 2011 should have been Japan’s year. In the future the RWC must be held in North America, too. We must actively seek change.

The cynic in me says that this is because rugby must move into emerging markets. Broaden its horizons. Rugby must risk trying new things, whatever the stuffed shirts say. The purist in me just wants to see exciting new instances. My generation love explosive change.

You only have to look at the rise of social media to know what I am talking about.

10 thousand people follow Rugby World Magazine on Twitter. 65 thousand follow Will Carling, 59 thousand follow Bryan Habana and a whopping 60 thousand follow Quade Cooper. That is a lot of influence and a lot of people that could be targeted through marketing. Think of what would happen if all of these guys were selling a £3 T-shirt. Now think of what would happen if either Habana or Cooper scored the try that won the World Cup.

Frightening.

So in order to keep pace everyone has to evolve. Every team has a Website. Every team has a Facebook page. Every team has a Twitter feed. Hell, every major Union has a Twitter feed. The CEO of the USA Eagles updates fans regularly with his twitter feed (should Mark Dodson, SRU CEO, do the same?). We have a constant bombardment of facts, competitions and markets. We know all.

This in itself gives rise to a unique 21st Century problem, for rugby at least. A continual open dialogue means that someone must constantly keep it running. From 9 to 5 someone at the RFU is paid to man the iPad. Some clubs have what is called a ‘Social Media Manager’. Players must be coached on what is acceptable to say, and not to say, lest they have a shocker like Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu.

To take a Scottish example, Edinburgh and Glasgow have sites. They have Facebook. They have Twitter. With 24-hour news and a multitude of fans online, they need fed lines regularly. So we have videos. We have player blogs like the one we have with Richie Vernon. At this moment in time the SRU has stoked up a lot of new sponsors, and their marketing team have done well here. From a social media perspective, then, we get drip fed images and adverts about these new sponsors. It makes no sense to have all of the info out there at once; what link would we click on tomorrow?

For people like me this is great. I am aware of the irony. I am writing about the need to regurgitate writing regularly. It is how modern sport works and we all love it. That is why we have Sky Sports News. We need to fill seconds with events and sound bites. We must feed the 24hour beast.

As a two-way process this throws up some interesting propositions, though. We all get our say. People may not listen, but we get our say.  

England are having issues with this right now. Blog after blog has criticised them, despite them having 9 points from a possible 10. They have won twice, yet some players that are laptop happy, like James Haskell and Toby Flood, have divulged every detail about ‘Clear the Air Talks’ in their camp to waiting fans. These fans have a right to know what is going on but they can also create a monster. They can misconstrue and coax officials into shrinking away or coming out roaring. Under the spotlight Johnson has been through every emotion and tried every tact. We all watch on.

As Scotland unleash videos and WebChats they seem more demure by comparison. The fans seem calmed. We are comfortable talking about allocated subjects at allotted times. We are catered for, but there is no glut of words.

In this instance fans can chat and chat. Message boards light up. Some conversations are had with players online, but not too much. We can talk about what we’ve been given and what the expert press push us towards. Teams can be torn apart and statements scrutinised.

With the two-way street? Sometimes a message gets through. A re-Tweet here, a mention there. A few hundred likes of your creation: the Facebook page. All of a sudden there is a huge support campaign and you have got thousands agreeing with you. That is how official inquiries start and how coaches reconsider their squad.

For the game against New Zealand Marc Lievremont has selected Morgan Parra to play 10. He is normally a scrum-half but for this pivotal game the coach has picked Parra as his pivot. Some people may think this is crazy but after 20 or so minutes at fly-half against Japan where he looked assured many in France felt that, since he kicks often anyway, he was a sensible choice. Some experts were even calling for it. A message got through and Lievremont moved with the times.

Laidlaw and Parra: Similar? thanks to Roz Galloway's Flikr

This also serves as a direct example that is similar to one in Scotland. The example of Greig Laidlaw.

Laidlaw was arguably Edinburgh’s best 10 last season and rightfully got promoted to the Scotland training squad. He missed the cut for the World Cup and was rather upset about the whole thing, understandably. Many pundits felt he should have gone as a scrum-half option and a back-up 10.

Edinburgh were delighted to have him back, of course, but he was also given the captaincy, possibly in an attempt to keep him happy. Then we get ‘surprised’ a few weeks later when Twitter/Facebook/Newsletter informs us he has signed a new contract. Public pressure got him something –something he deserved –and all parties were happy. –ish.

He could have been playing like Parra in New Zealand, but he has moved on. Our gaze has moved on. We read something new and campaign for something else. Even Greig has moved on. He is on Twitter now, soaking up adulation and criticism in equal measure. Some messages may even get through.

One thing is for certain, though. In postmodern, socially networking, market balanced rugby you need a thick skin. That is one thing you can never change.

It is that time of year where the pro teams court club sides and fans to attempt to foster that relationship “that just wasn’t there last season.” Indeed as Melrose found out last night the charm offensive has already started in earnest as fans are torn between supporting club rugby or seeing the big boys come the 2nd of September. We see the same adverts and hear the same appeals on STV (only) and a select few radio channels. Don’t forget about the Rabo-League!

It is also apparent that despite restructuring and new directives; fewer ‘elite’ teams and the same fixed number of B & I Cup places, Club rugby is gearing up for its new season much as it has every other year.

The bigger clubs do the rounds ‘asking’ players their plans for the year, some players finally achieving success hang up the boots. Some of those rather ‘miffed’ at relegation retire rather than swap clubs. Some players swap clubs like night-out t-shirts. The merry-go-round whirls undeterred (I will analyse the Prem 1 pre-season and offer up my own predictions for each team just before the RBS Premier 1 season begins on the 27th of August).

We also realise that the full-timers have their squads almost set in stone now, with the flitting of the 7s players to be taken into account and no new signings looking likely to swell ranks. The news of Hugo Southwell officially becoming a Wasp is no surprise. Edinburgh and Glasgow, it seems, are happily left to their own devices as every focuses in on the Big Team’s World Cup Preparation.

Oh yeah. That Webb Ellis thingy.

It’s time to step up our build-up to RWC 2011.

In the next few weeks we will be looking at New Zealand’s preparation for the tournament, analysing our group opponents, analysing our potential squad and, perhaps most importantly, evaluating our selections and form leading up to the first match against Romania.

Rory will do what he can from the ‘Ends of the Earth’ but back in Blighty I will be doing what I always do: conducting interviews, dissecting official statements and press conferences and trying not to be toooooo negative.

 Tomorrow I begin my countdown to the Rugby World Cup 2011 with an Interview with a Kiwi and Haggis flavour, and from here on out everything is focussed on the glorious return of Rugby.

In the meantime:

What do YOU think of the Scotland team to play Ireland this Saturday in the first EMC test?

15 Chris Paterson (Edinburgh) 104 caps and 783 points

14 Nikki Walker (Ospreys) 22 caps and 30 points
13 Joe Ansbro (London Irish) 6 caps
12 Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors) 28 caps and 15 points
11 Sean Lamont (Scarlets) 55 caps and 40 points

10 Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) 6 caps and 8 points
9 Rory Lawson (Gloucester) 27 caps CAPTAIN

1 Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh) 55 caps
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh) 48 caps and 10 points VICE-CAPTAIN
3 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh) 5 caps
4 Jim Hamilton (Gloucester) 31 caps and 5 points
5 Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 10 caps
6 Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester) 19 caps and 5 points
8 Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow Warriors) 15 caps and 15 points
7 Ross Rennie (Edinburgh) 6 caps

 Substitutes

16 Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors) 34 caps and 5 points
17 Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks) 19 caps
18 Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors) 32 caps and 5 points
19 David Denton (Edinburgh) uncapped
20 Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh) 1 cap
21 Nick De Luca (Edinburgh) 24 caps and 5 points
22 Jack Cuthbert (Bath) uncapped

 Me? I will reserve judgement until Friday, and then I will have a match review on Sunday. Still wanna go to the game? Dont panic. You can still get tickets:

•  Online – at www.scottishrugby.org until 12noon v Ireland and 3pm v Italy.
• From the 24 hour hotline- 0844 335 3933 until 12noon v Ireland and 3pm v Italy
• Or in person by cash or credit card at specially designated ticket sales outlets located in front of Murrayfield Stadium, off Roseburn Street from 9am until kick-off. (FINALLY!)

Saturday 12 November – London Irish v Edinburgh, Madejski Stadium, Reading, kick-off 1.30pm, Sky Sports. The “Capital Group” kicks off with Joe Ansbro and Ross Samson vs the rest. Tricky but winnable opener.
Sunday 13th November – Glasgow Warriors v Bath Rugby, Firhill, kick-off 2.45pm. Coverage on Sky Sports. A difficult test, and chance for new boys Tommy Seymour and Troy Nathan to show some class and perhaps Ruaridh Jackson to visit his glory, um, day. Glasgow have a real tough group and you suspect it will take some top performances to get anything like a “positive” rating for their campaign.

Friday 18 November – Edinburgh v Racing Metro 92, Murrayfield Stadium, kick-off 8pm. Le French = always tricky to predict. A team with some real class, but might not travel well if we can get a decent crowd there. No word on TV coverage.
Sunday 20 November – Leinster Rugby v Glasgow Warrior, TBC, kick-off 12.45pm. Coverage on Sky Sports. There’s always the chance they rest their top guys against Glasgow but hey folks this ain’t the Rabobank ProDirect Wotsit League 12, so the champions will probably sell out the Aviva (stadium TBC) and administer a schooling in Heineken Cup rugby to our plucky heroes.

Friday 9 December – Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh, Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 8pm, S4C. A chance to give Dan Parks an early Christmas present, assuming his place in the Cardiff team hasn’t been nicked by a Welsh tyro during the World Cup. Let’s hope we don’t though, eh – this is one Bradley should target for a sneaky away win.
Sunday 11 December – Glasgow Warriors v Montpellier Hérault, Firhill, 12.45pm. Coverage on Sky Sports. Another match on a Sunday, good job Euge is not playing for Glasgow any more. Difficult to know what to expect but you would hope Glasgow can win this at home then go looking for the return leg too.

Friday 16 December – Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues, Murrayfield, kick-off 8pm. Coverage on S4C. Edinburgh might not win the away leg but should definitely be looking at the least to put this one in the bag ahead of the break.
Saturday 17 December – Montpellier Hérault v Glasgow Warriors, Stade Yves du Manoir, 16.40pm. Coverage on FR2 so most likely nowhere else for Glasgow’s first Saturday fixture of the 2011-2012 Heineken Cup. Out of sight, out of mind and entirely possible Glasgow will be looking for one of their French away wins to get them feeling good ahead of the 1872 Cup while everyone else is thinking about Santa.

Percentage of these players who will not be in the Glasgow team next year: 30%.
Watch it: Firhill or BBC Alba, Friday night, 8pm.

Edinburgh Team to Face v Dragons: Paterson, Webster, Thompson, De Luca, Visser, Laidlaw, M Blair, Traynor, Kelly, Cross, MacLeod, Lozada, McInally, Rennie, Denton

Watch it: at Murrayfield.

Glasgow 22-19 Leinster

DUNCAN WEIR GOOD, DEFENCE AT SET PIECE BAD. BBC ALBA ME NO UNDERSTAND. GOOD TITLE SEQUENCE, BUT CHEAP FONT MAKE HULK MAD.

Cardiff 34-23 Edinburgh

OFFLOAD GOOD, EVERYTHING ELSE MAKE HULK ANGRY. EXCEPT TIM VISSER. GROVE TACKLE GOOD NOT GET BALL. DAN PARKS BREAKING LINE AND STEPPING MAKE HULK CHEER. BBC WALES ME UNDERSTAND A LITTLE. BUT NOT WHY THEY CALL HIM TOM VISSER.

Now go and read our very own hulking beast’s rundown of the Premier 1 action last weekend.

Congrats to the BBC for doing this – might get some decent numbers tuning in!