David Ferguson on rugby: Scots have to prove they're not also-rans

Published on Wednesday 7 October 2009 22:48

THE rugby spotlight shines on the Heineken Cup this weekend, and we await with eager anticipation the annual drama of French clubs who flatter to deceive, English sides who are more likely to forget their toothbrushes than their blood capsules, and Irish provinces who turn out to be not quite as old as they would like us believe as they leave everyone standing.

The Ospreys are lifting Welsh hopes of a first-ever Heineken success, but the Scots are so highly regarded that they were almost conducting their interviews in the car park at this week's tournament launch in Reading.

Quel surprise. The venue itself was an indication of the standing of Scottish clubs in the European firmament. Separate Heineken Cup launches were held in Ireland and France, which the Italian rugby media also attended, with the Welsh, English and Scottish media invited to one briefing in Reading. Handy for the cash-strapped English and Welsh media perhaps; not so for Scotland. But do Scottish teams deserve better treatment?

Edinburgh and Glasgow attract among the lowest crowds in the competition, the SRU have not been able to bring any broadcasting cash to the pot, but share in what everyone else has, and the teams themselves have only made any real impact once in 14 years, in 2003-4, when Edinburgh reached the quarter-finals, and were then knocked out by Toulouse.

Toulouse was the venue for last season's high point, when Glasgow produced a performance and result that deserved its full 15 minutes of fame, but that match, and Edinburgh's equally fine first French double, over Castres, still did not register in the business end of the tournament.

Both Scottish teams kick off with French opposition this weekend, providing a terrific opportunity to make the early mark that is desperately needed. Edinburgh winning against Stade Francais in Paris would represent a milestone for Scottish rugby and Glasgow beating another cup finalist, Biarritz, would set a thrilling new standard in front of their own support.

If momentum is vital for success, opening wins would be the perfect start for pro sides and provide a springboard for the autumn internationals.

Putting things into perspective, Biarritz have a budget of over 12m this season, Stade Francais nearly 20m and Glasgow and Edinburgh around 3m each. The French teams had to leave players out of their squad to submit a 38-man list to the Heineken Cup organisers; Glasgow and Edinburgh had to call on club and national academy players to reach the figure.

Glasgow prised Chris Cusiter back from Perpignan and offered Rob Dewey a welcome end to his Ulster exile, while Biarritz signed 11 players in the summer, adding England Test pair Iain Balshaw and Ayoola Erinle to their compatriot Magnus Lund signed the year before. They fill in beside French, Argentine, Samoan and New Zealand internationals.

It is like comparing Rangers with Manchester United in football, but it did not matter when Glasgow beat Toulouse in their own backyard in January. With the SRU's stringent budget controls, coaches Sean Lineen and Rob Moffat have fewer players this season, yet the top 20 or so are arguably stronger than ever with Cusiter, Max and Thom Evans, Kelly Brown and John Barclay at Glasgow, and Mike Blair, Ally Hogg, Alan MacDonald and John Houston at Edinburgh all providing reasons for optimism.

Again, there can be no realistic expectation of Scots reaching the quarter-finals. But hopes have grown that one-off victories of recent seasons can be moulded into back-to-back wins. Then, if these peaks can be reached in October, December and January, the quarter-final Holy Grail becomes achievable. Anything less and Edinburgh and Glasgow will continue to be viewed as no more than also-rans on the European stage, with no cause for complaint over their treatment as after-thoughts.

Borders talent is spotted

THE Borders may be struggling to hang on to its place as the modern-day heartland of Scottish rugby, but it continues to research paths to brighter sporting development.

An event in Galashiels this week marked the second anniversary of the Borders Athlete Support Programme (ASP), a scheme that was praised by Sportscotland as an example for sport across the country. Scottish Borders Council launched the programme in 2007 with a three-year commitment of 50,000 per year, but it now runs as a stand-alone project managed part-time by Gregor Nicholson, the former international manager at the Scottish Rugby Union and a Scottish athlete, and supported by the Winning Scotland Foundation, the East of Scotland Institute of Sport and the Borders Sports Development Group.

It has so far identified 36 talented youngsters and coaches across 13 sports missed by, or for whom there was no place available in the Scottish institute network. They have access to services including specialist coaching, physiotherapy, sports psychology, nutrition advice and access to training facilities – all the areas athletes need to stay in touch with the top in their chosen fields.

Kirkcaldy aiding Samoans

GLOBAL concerns figure high among the priorities at a Scottish club on Saturday when a collection and raffle is held for victims of the tsunami in Samoa at Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy.

The Lang Toun club is coached by Samoan international Quintan Sanft, and although his family were lucky enough not to be affected by the tragedy, the plight of his countrymen back home has been very much in the thoughts of those at the Scottish Hydro Division Two club.

The raffle prizes include two tickets for each of the Autumn Tests, against Fiji, Australia and Argentina, and the Six Nations matches with France and England in 2010. Kirkcaldy and other Scottish clubs have been well-served by Sanft and this will be an opportunity for Scots to show the popular fly-half how much they care about his homeland.

The day also marks the hosts' first meeting with newly-promoted Dunfermline in a derby for Fife rugby fans and the possibility of either side putting one over their new rivals will be sure to whet the appetite.