Squeeze is on as decision to retain Phil Godman closes the door at No10

Published on Friday 16 April 2010 23:03

THE idea that it's 'time for a change' is in the air, and this may account for the somewhat downbeat response of a number of Edinburgh supporters to the report Phil Godman has signed a new two-year contract.

Godman has been at Edinburgh for six years now, and has been the club's first-choice fly-half for most of the time. He was Scotland's preferred fly-half last autumn before losing his place to the rejuvenated Dan Parks after the opening Six Nations game against France. He had done generally well for Edinburgh and the club's steady improvement has owed a deal to him. Yet a good many people think that he has gone as far as he can, though he himself believes his best years are still ahead of him.

He may well be right. It would certainly be silly to discount the possibility. Players can improve in the second half of their careers.

This time last year most of us thought – and many hoped – we had seen the last of Parks in a Scotland jersey. He proved the doubters wrong and was one of the stars of the Six Nations this spring. Arguably, among the fly-halves on show, only Francois Trinh-Duc had a better tournament, and it is fair to say he usually had an easier time of it than Parks, enjoying the added advantage of having Morgan Parra as his half-back partner.

Some of Godman's critics may also be right in thinking he exists in a comfort zone at Edinburgh, and that he would benefit from a move which would force him to confront new challenges. Sink or swim, as you might say; and if he was to swim elsewhere he would almost certainly have to improve his kicking from hand which remains too often weak and unreliable.

That said, he faces challenges here at Murrayfield. There are other fly-halves on Edinburgh's books, and some who would like to see Godman move may hold that opinion because they think he has had a fair chance and it should now be others' turn.

There's something in this.

David Blair has been his understudy for a couple of years. Whenever I've seen him on his rather rare appearances this season, he has looked good, with among other things, a keener eye for the break than Godman. Yet his career has stalled.

When he was in the Scotland Under-21 side, I remember John Jeffrey enthusing over his ability: "He's one of these players who always seems to have time to do things," JJ said. But, before long, time may not be on his side.

Then there is Rory Hutton, who sparkled in the only Magners League match he started. His career has been a bit stop-start. Yet from the day I first saw him, aged only 18 or so, play for Hawick, it was evident he had rare potential. There is talk of him being off-loaded. That might be in his best interest if he is not going to get regular first-team rugby at Edinburgh, as the retention of Godman makes likely.

Finally, there is the youngest of the Blair brothers, Alex, who has been the Scotland Under-20 first choice fly-half this season and who has just signed for Edinburgh. He evidently has that great quality of self-belief, and is also possessed of real pace. He reminds me a bit of a young Gregor Townsend, in that he sometimes does daft things and often unexpected and brilliant ones. But how do we best bring him on? When Townsend was his age he was already playing international rugby.

What is clear is that Edinburgh cannot make good use of four fly-halves, and that one or two must move or find themselves denied the opportunities needed to develop.

The problem is not of course confined to this single No10 position, and it applies to Glasgow also.

Furthermore, as the organisation and training of our age-group teams improves, as results this season suggest is indeed happening, more and more young players are going to emerge from these teams, capable of playing professional rugby, and eager and ambitious to do so. Many will find the path of advancement blocked. Some see the answer in closer links between the still (predominantly) amateur club game and the professional one.

There is much to be said for this, but it creates its own problems.

Not all clubs have shown themselves able to make good use of the professionals assigned to them and occasionally available. Likewise, the restrictions placed on club players who are members of the National Academy frequently irritates club coaches and supporters.

Evidently there is no satisfactory answer to most of the questions raised, and equally evidently the biggest obstacle to the development and improvement of the game here in Scotland remains the financial weakness of the SRU, which precludes any large-scale investment. So, for years to come, we shall continue to be the poor relations of northern hemisphere rugby, trying to make do with less than our rivals. And the chief victims will be young players of promise who find themselves stuck in the queue behind established players who may have gone as far as they can, but are still reliable and capable of doing an effective job.