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Scottish Rugby Blog Podcast

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It’s another two part podcast as Scotland’s summer tour comes to an end.

In the first part Cammy and John look back at Scotland’s win over Argentina and uncover a surprising name in the list of top tacklers for Scotland. In the second part the guys look over the latest Agenda 3 proposals about the future of the game in Scotland and we chat to Scotland international Rhona Lloyd about her work with the School of Hard Knocks charity (https://www.schoolofhardknocks.org.uk/)

The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Acast, Spotify, TuneIn and Audioboom as well as anywhere else that will let you subscribe through an rss feed. You can also just listen through this webpage using your desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile device.

rss feed – https://rss.acast.com/scottishrugbyblog

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You can also find interviews and special features on our YouTube channel usually a week or so after the podcast has been launched – https://www.youtube.com/user/ScottishRugbyBlog

Please leave us a review on Apple Podcast if you like what we do and anywhere else that lets you leave a review. If there’s any other apps or podcast sites you think we should be on please let us know.

We’re also looking for our listeners to get involved in the comments on this page and elsewhere on the blog:

“Hands in the ruck” – What’s had it’s hands in your ruck? Let us know in the comments and we’ll pick out the best ones.

“Where’s Dougie Donnelly?” – It’s now mandatory to have a rumours section in a rugby podcast (apparently) so we’re looking for yours as well as news of any Scottish sporting media personalities you’ve spotted out and about. Have you seen Dougie Vipond down Tesco? Has your uncle’s brother’s aunt’s friend heard from someone down the pub that Jonny Gray is getting a new fence put in? Has your plumber been doing some work round Murrayfield and seen Richard Cockerill taking delivery of a new yoga mat? If so then let us know.

If you want to get in touch you can e-mail us on podcast[at]scottishrugbyblog.co.uk, catch us on Twitter @ScotRugbyBlog or @CammyBlack or you can leave a comment below and we’ll pick it up there.

37 Responses

  1. John and Ian are different people? I genuinely did not realise this until explicitly mentioned.

    On the swearing front, ive always liked the Edinburgh gunners forums use of referee names. Admitedly they need updated; “What the DavePearson has Nathan Fowles done to get into the scotland squad?” just doesnt mean anything to the younger folk anymore.

    For Doogelly Donelly I saw Johnnie Beattie in Ashton lane a few weeks back. He was wearing maroon trousers. I had thought better of him. He is still built like a brick JohnLacey-house though.

    1. I endorse this approach for all future comments. Although Dave Pearson is now the Scotland team’s refereeing consultant (or something similar) so he’s one of the goodies!

  2. Completely agree about Argentina being shell-shocked. Yes, they were poor, but at least part of that came from the way Scotland came at them in the first half. I’m starting to get very tired of whoever Scotland beats automatically being assumed to have had a bad game! When Wales beat them, it was all about how great Wales were playing….

    Also agree regarding some of the negative comments around the team and games.

  3. Negatives from the tour.

    Toony identified as being a poor selector against tier 2 nations.

    The loss against the USA

    The lack of an appearance from Duncan Taylor

    Positives.

    The international birth of George Horne,SHC, Hastings, Bradbury and Ritchie.

    The Revival of DD.

    The end of Swinsons playing career.

    (Pray) The end of Chris Harris in a Scotland Jersey.

    Tour Success- Yes or No ?

    No.

    While there are positives to take going forward after strong games against a poor Canada side and a average Argentine side. A First ever loss to the USA means this tour is a failure and highlights why we have not gotten Summer tours to the big 3 in so long. The worrying thing was that this was both a lack of effort from the players aswell as horrible selection from the coaches. In my opinion a few players should not get the opportunity to play in a Scotland shirt again and a coach should be given the sack to ensure the message is clear that we do not let bang average tier 2 sides beat us again.

    1. Neil, come on. Surely you mean the end of Swinson’s Test career and not his entire career? If the former, I think you’re being very hard on him; if the latter, then surely you wouldn’t wish that on him, or anyone else?

      1. To clarify i meant his test career, you know what they say, one players injury is another players shot. There are better locks about.

    2. I disagree that this DEVOLOPMENT tour has been a success as a few young players got capped for there country and they will have a better idea of the things they need to work on it George Horne on his kicking game Hastings game management Young Fagerson needs to bulk up same for Cairmaichel maybe Tonnie will learn Harries is not near good enough at this level.

      1. Man alive Neil, your post above is really bad form, and your attempt to qualify it no better. Opinions on players performances and their ability are subjective – we all have our favourites. But for you to think that a serious injury to a player is somehow a positive outcome is obscene, and then to think that it’s OK for you to put that in writing is frankly reprobate. You have a lot of input on this forum, some of it at times perhaps taking the devils advocate, but you’ve reached a low point here that I don’t think should be tolerated. By all means, be as controversial as you like, but don’t be surprised when your malignant, hateful attitude gets called out.

        Your points about the tour are irrelevant.

    3. Why so negative? Tim Swinson a great servant over the years and Chris Harris may develop. It took about 5 games before Superdunc did anything noteworthy.

      1. Toonie needs to blood these guys and get them comfortable at test level because Dunbar, Taylor, Bennett and to a lesser extent Jones are all fairly injury prone and we could easily be without some or all of them.

        Horne is experienced at this level, but it’s good to have Grigg, Harris and maybe even Johnson with some caps if they need to step in too.

    4. Andy N its got nothing to do with being Hateful or whatever, a few years ago i thought Swinson deserved more caps than he was getting. But he is not selected on form as their have been lots of better lock options.

      Pretty much the emergence of all players comes from the injury to somone older.

      Bennett gets injured Huw Jones Appears

      Rory Lamont Injured knee and and end of career and Hogg Appears.

      Front row Injury crisis a few years back and this year ? Now we have Mcinally , Fagerson and Berghan all quality players.

      Thats my point when i say a postive for Scotland is Swinsons injury, its going to give an opportunity for somone like Carmicheal/cummings/Hunter-Hill on the big stage.

      You can hear BOD say the same thing on that Irish Podcast.

      1. Sorry Neil, but that’s not your point is it. You may think that it’s your point, now that you’re desperately back tracking, but your original point was very clear.

      2. Andy N once again you are mistaken. I have said what i said and made it clear my intent. If you wish to misinterpret that and freak out i do not really care, go have a cry if it makes you feel better.

        I do not have time for White Knight social justice warriors :)

  4. Great tour. Valuable rest for many players that know Townsend and his system. Great development for those with potential. If they don’t get the game time or development on the next year then in a few years they can slot in. We only have two pro teams. People are dropping like flies in this brutal game. Strength in depth is necessary. No point in harping on this such and such is not good enough. We have only a few really quality players. The rest are ok but in a well drilled team and with confidence can do well. Love the way Townsend is playing. Fast expansive rugby which must be great to play in and encourages good skills rather than negative up the jumper play which will get us nowhere other than the odd win in crappy conditions or when a team has an off day. Yes we will lose games and sometimes heavily as were opening up but in learning different game management then hopefully the players can dictate games better in the future.

  5. Great News that Swinson is out of the autumn internationals. A complete loser who is far worse player than Toolis, Gilchrist and the Gray brothers.

    1. Disagree that he is a loser, he is a solid club player who has given it all for his club. He is not Scotland quality anymore though so agree its better that somone new gets an opportunity.

      1. Hi Rory, how come you rarely are on the podcast ? for sure you could make it less tedious.
        This podcast was actually decent as they sounded like they were having fun but its not usually the case… and the jingles…

        What happened to that referee guy btw ?

      2. Neil,
        Mostly just due to time. I have increasingly less free time on my hands than I did when I started the blog, and my spare “rugby” time goes into that. The podcast is Cammy’s baby and I appear as and when I can! I will be on the end of season round up tomorrow, as it happens…

    2. What a disgraceful post clearly intended to insight and then flame , another violation I suggest.

      I would say he is a winner , gets paid for what he does and enjoys it.

      When his rugby career is finally over he will look back, count the caps, friends he made , places he saw, smile and thank you all for paying him to enjoy himself.

      He will then move on to his next thing like any other respectable ‘loser’.

      While the real winners are posting fantasy teams and coughing up their hard earned to keep the next load of losers in a job.

      You do have it right, bravo..bravo.

  6. Long time reader but first time commenter. Really enjoy reading the comments, most are well intended.

    Don’t understand the negative comments around Swinson. He gives his all for club and country and is a real dog. He isn’t easy to play against and does the unseen dirty stuff, just gets on with it. However, as a summariser on Alba, absolute dross.

    Likewise DD, superb athlete, needs better coaching to develop but the foundations are there.

    Last thing, don’t really want to knock effort but John Beattie is NOT a commentator. Fact.

    1. Welcome and well done on 1st Post.

      I think John Beattie has made a very nice career for himself since his rugby days were cut short. I believe he is very popular down at the BBC . Agreed, he was a bit parochial with comments during the tour. What I did like was he was bringing in twitter comments which was innovative however , I hope that is not the future.

      Bill McLaren demonstrated his knowledge of the game and the players which made him lovable, no one wants to hear what a bevied up ex player is doing when watching the game, so boring, however , if it was monitored , I can see that being interesting.

    2. I would hate to think Tim Swinson is a loser, he has a great career, gets gigs as the ‘guth’ on Alba. Which makes him much more attractive than anyone in here. So why would anyone with self respect call Swinson a loser.

      1. Neil: You got that wrong as well, I have been called many things in my life and normally I would just say ‘I have been called worse’ but on this occasion, I can only say I have never in my life been called worse.

  7. Comments on commentators rather than players would be an interesting alternative during the fallow season. Certainly since the days of the late Bill McLaren, few others have reached the quality of his performances for professionalism and entertainment value. Cotton, and Johnson have been excellent; Brian Moore gets better, the further away he gets from his playing days; Eddie Butler combines journalistic skills with enthusiasm and some of the lesser known Welsh guys who commentate on the club games are very entertaining. But there is coterie of turgid, unimaginative, moaning, miserable ex players who should never be allowed anywhere near broadcasting equipment. I’d like to read other opinions and once we have commentated on the commentators we can revisit our favourite referees.

  8. Beattie was my Hands in the Ruck request to Rory – as a commentator he drives me up the wall. He tries to extend his radio persona (the bumbling Jock Louis Theroux style) into commentary and all it ends up being is a disjointed mess. There are actual professional commentators in Scotland and it’s disgraceful that Beattie is shoved above them.

    But Beattie is weegie Radio Scotland royalty and consequently can do whatever he wants.

    Back in the dark days of Matt Williams, Beattie called Scots supporters who were giving Williams a hard time racists – apparently in his head we disliked Williams because he was an Aussie, not because he was a Clancy rugby coach.

    My final point about him is his hypocrisy, when he played he was an abrasive dirty player, who gave as good as he got – he was respected for that as he was a player of his time. Since retirement and his ability to pontificate on the radio his comments about dirty play are beyond a joke – it’s as if his playing career can all be forgotten about.

    He should stick to giving politicians and easy time on his lunchtime show and leave the rugby commentary to people who care about it.

    Rant over.

  9. Really enjoyed that podcast, well done lads, more J A please Cammy , he works well with you and brings that WoS changing room humour .

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