Leslie calls on chiefs to give clubs their young stars

Published on Tuesday 9 December 2008 08:56

WATSONIAN rugby manager Iain Leslie has urged Murrayfield bosses to loosen their grip on talented players who are increasingly being groomed for stardom through academy structures rather than in traditional clubs.

"It is getting to the stage where we now never see the best players we are producing," said Leslie, whose remarks have to be set against a backdrop of some national under-20 squad members already having been withdrawn for conditioning work ahead of February's age-group international programme.

"Some of them are lucky if they play a dozen games a year. That talent could be playing week in, week out, at club level," said Leslie.

His comments come as it is confirmed that some leading Premiership clubs have become so disaffected by the way the game is being run in certain areas that they have considered breakaway action.

Choosing his words carefully, Leslie went on: "As manager I can say we are always looking at Watsonians to be in the vanguard of change."

"As a club we are constantly getting a hard time in some areas as the ones who use the cheque book to bring in players," he continued.

"We are producing players but what worries me is that a lot of them go to foreign markets such as Andy Skeen at Amatori Milan and Willie Lipp at Wasps while several went to Rotherham before returning."

Both Skeen and Lipp had layers of gloss applied after joining Watsonians from elsewhere and Leslie is rightly adamant the Premiership has much to offer even if many fear for the dwindling profile. But he also admits any route into European cross-border competition has been sealed off.

"The clubs versus districts argument finished long ago. Things have moved on a helluva lot," he explained.