Category: Scotland National Team

Rumours, Rumblings And Some Rare Robinson Speculation

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You’ve heard of yin and yang, right? The Taoist notions that polar opposites give rise to one another through their mere existence, in the natural world at least? Well I never thought I’d accuse Andy Robinson of being a Taoist, but in yesterday’s squad announcement he displayed his need for yin and yang; the light and the dark; the positive and the negative; the real and the fictional. In effect he has given with one hand and taken away with the other.

Filling Out The Corners

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Tomorrow Andy Robinson will announce his extended training squad for this year’s Six Nations (starting a month from now with a match against England), and as Alan pointed out in his earlier piece there are very few players guaranteed a spot in the starting team, so picking a captain will be hard.

What about the fringe players making a claim for a spot – who might get the call up?

Reaching Critical Massimo

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On Monday afternoon the peace will be broken and two packs will crumple into each other. At the crush of the scrummage both Edinburgh and Glasgow will be fighting to gain as many inches of ground as possible. One man will be delighted whatever the outcome is. With a burst of glee Scotland’s scrum coach Massimo Cuttita tells me “there will be fireworks alright!”

1872 Cup clash - Image courtesy Edinburgh Rugby / PA Images

Blood And Thunder May Distract From Points

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There will be not billboard featuring Dougie Hall in black and blue, arms unfurled, above the immortal line “Welcome To Glasgow!”. There will be no pigs heads thrown onto the pitch. There will be no flares. There will be no drive-bys. What this coastal rivalry shall have, though, is keenly contested rugby.

On Boxing Day we will see the first game in the 1872 Cup.

Edinburgh Team to face Aironi

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Edinburgh have gone back to strength for the visit of Aironi tonight even though, on paper, fronting up to an understrength Munster last weekend might have seemed like more of a priority. This game gives them a chance to try and translate some of that Racing Metro joie de vivre into RaboPro12 table position – they won’t admit it but I’m sure a bonus point win will be a target – and also reclaim a winning mentality ahead of the back to back Heineken trips to Cardiff that may make or break their season.

Auld Enemies And A New Generation

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On Monday morning I attended a press launch for the Glengoyne Auld Enemies Dinner.
The Event looks like a good one and the charity involvement is great. For everyone there, though, talk inevitably turned to the Heineken Cup…

Nathan Hines Retires from International Rugby

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Big Nathan Hines has announced his retirement from International Rugby, making the game he played against England in the World Cup at Eden Park his last in Scotland colours. A stalwart of Scottish rugby, Nathan combined a vibrant offloading game with a “rugged” streak that often found him in the role of on-field enforcer dishing out a bit of street justice, like someone took Chuck Norris and put him in Willy Wonka’s gum stretching machine.

Cup In The Air, Feet On The Ground

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Humility is an attribute that is getting rarer in contemporary professional sport. With football players refusing to play so they can get big money transfers and NFL MVPs obligated to say they are “going to Disneyland!” you are unlikely to see the best of the best refusing to celebrate or a last-gasp loser showing magnanimity.  

Who To Pick for the Semis

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It’s not the RaboDirect PRO12 on a week where BBC Alba has deserted you, or even the LV Cup (although that is on this weekend). Nope, no matter how hard you look, there is no Scottish involvement in the Rugby World Cup Semi-finals this weekend. Not even a touch judge to root for. So who are you going for? Here’s a little help.