Despite the differences between the two sports similar debates are currently going on amongst fans of Scottish football and rugby.
In football, Kris Boyd had become accustomed to being left out of big games by Rangers and chose to quit international football because he was not satisfied with being always on the bench. This was because [...]

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The Red hand, that is, and the green of money. The Scotsman have a story that Edinburgh scrum-half Mike Blair is being offered somewhere in the region of £300,000 a year to move to Ulster, whose current scrum half Isaac Boss is rumoured to be headed to Leinster. Good move or bad? While Edinburgh have [...]

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Ha, gotcha. No, Worcester are the Warriors I was talking about. I refer to an interesting article which on reflection is mostly about nothing (something of a Scotsman specialism sometimes) over at the Scotsman speculating as to the employment future of Mike Blair, which I missed this week. Although arguably not missing him at scrum [...]

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Andy Robinson has announced Scotland is to have two captains for the autumn internationals – incumbent Mike Blair and widely touted replacement Chris Cusiter who led the A team to victory in the IRB Nations Cup. Whoever is on the pitch leads the team, presumably with the usual switch around the 60 minute mark (though [...]

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Despite another virus rifling through the Glasgow team this week, Sean Lineen has named a team close to full strength for Friday in an attempt to pilfer some away points from an Ospreys team that will be shorn of some of its top line Welsh talent. Richie Gray seemed to impress the radio commentators last [...]

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Edinburgh team to face Ospreys: Steve Jones, Mark Robertson, Nick De Luca, John Houston, Tim Visser, Phil Godman, Mike Blair (capt), Allan Jacobsen, Andrew Kelly, Geoff Cross, Craig Hamilton, Scott MacLeod, Scott Newlands, Alan MacDonald, Allister Hogg. Replacements: Ross Ford, Ryan Grant, Steven Turnbull, Roddy Grant, Greig Laidlaw, David Blair, Ben Cairns.
At first glance at [...]

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As usual, I trot back on to the pitch with a whimper rather than a bang.
I had planned a grandiose piece to open the new season about how this was the summer that rugby found its soul (on the marvellous but ultimately non-victorious Lions tour) then lost it again (gouging) and again (armbands) and again [...]

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What with Donnacha and Nathan both starting here. Could be a fun game, but it’s still pretty obviously the dirt-trackers. Hopefully Hooky and Blair get another run from the bench…
British & Irish Lions versus Emerging Springboks on Tuesday 22nd June
15. Keith Earls (Munster/Ireland)
14. Shane Williams (Ospreys/Wales)
13. Riki Flutey (London Wasps/England)
12. Gordon D’Arcy [...]

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I probably still wouldn’t put any Scots in there, save for Big Nathan – the only man to step up his game on tour so far. With the Springboks picking the Beast in the front row, its a real shame Murray is not fit as he was starting to come onto a game, and he [...]

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The Cheetahs flanker Heinrich Broussow, who almost single handedly buggered up the Lions perfect tour record, has been given a late call up to the Springbok squad as cover for possibly injured Schalk Burger. He may yet have to fight for a place behind utility forward Danie Roussow but hopefully the extra B in his [...]

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