RaboDirect Pro 12: Gregor Townsend’s ‘Roundheads’ are facing an uphill battle

Everyone is either a Roundhead or a Cavalier at heart, at least according to a recent BBC television programme. Essentially the narrator suggested that you are either dour, stodgy, cautious and considered or you are a flamboyant show-off who loves taking risks.

Australia are obviously Cavaliers and South Africa are self-evidently Roundheads while the All Blacks display the best of both, which is why they are several streets ahead of the rest of world rugby at the moment.

Closer to home Edinburgh are the dictionary definition of Cavalier, at least they were last season, and Glasgow are profoundly Roundhead in attitude and outlook. Gregor Townsend spent much of his playing life as a Cavalier but the very first Glasgow team hand-picked by him was Cromwellian in appearance. It boasted two natural inside centres in the midfield, big blokes in Graeme Morrison and Alex Dunbar, largely because the club doesn’t have a proven 13. Peter Murchie (Roundhead) is a defensive full-back, replacing the injured Stuart Hogg (Cavalier) and Townsend picked a breakaway trio that is more destructive than constructive.

It is the Glasgow way but they were unfortunate that they came up against another Roundhead side in Ulster who play in a similar style, only better. Ulster were missing several key internationals (Ruan Pienaar, Stephen Ferris, Tommy Bowe etc) but still Glasgow could not cope with their urgency at the breakdown, the speed of their defensive line and their priceless ability to score at crucial times in the game.

Glasgow might argue that they were unlucky to lose to a yellow card and an interception try but that would be missing several points. Admittedly Ulster’s twin wingers both scored when Tommy Seymour was in the sin bin, Mike Allen crossing the line where the winger should have been, but Townsend knows that you make your own luck in rugby. If Seymour’s yellow card was a little harsh, it only came about because of an accumulation of appalling indiscipline from the team as a whole that wore out the referee’s patience.

Furthermore, the try was preventable because someone – it looked like Mike Cusack – defended an Ulsterman that Ryan Wilson already had covered. Had the prop pushed out instead of in, there would have been no overlap and even tightheads need to make good defensive decisions.

In addition Ulster left 11 points on the table on the night – replacement stand-off Niall O’Conner fluffed three simple penalties and one tricky conversion – and the home side should have scored a third try. The giant Kiwi No.8 Nick Williams barrelled his way over the Glasgow line, only for Tom Ryder to strip the ball off him. It was a gamble – if Ryder doesn’t dislodge the ball then Williams scores – but one that came off.

Glasgow did make things easier than they needed to be for Ulster, firstly with the chronic indiscipline and secondly with myriad mistakes. This was the first match of the season but ring rusty barely covers it. Ryan Wilson fired a pass two metres over Duncan Weir’s head. Weir missed touch from a penalty and threw an interception pass. Ruaridh Jackson’s drop goal attempt was charged down, while the forwards were given a roasting at the breakdown.

It wasn’t just the players who made mistakes. Al Kellock was substituted off the field with an injury after 30 minutes, to be replaced by blindside specialist James Eddie. Townsend gambled with his bench, choosing three front row forwards with two breakaways covering the back five. He lost.

Eddie spent 50 minutes in the second row and it hurt Glasgow. The set scrum wobbled when Gordon Reid had Eddie and the diminutive Chris Fusaro behind him in a series of punishing scrums five metres from the line. Former All Black prop John Afoa enjoyed the whip hand until Ryan Grant came on in the second half and put him back in his box.

With Kellock gone Glasgow lost their leader and their lineout because, in the absence of Richie Gray, the skipper is the go-to guy. On the night Glasgow lost at least four throws, which is about as many as they lost all last season.

Where were the second row substitutes? Well, Tim Swinson, the new signing from Newcastle, is injured and that’s it. Glasgow don’t have any other locks in the squad, just the three. Nick Campbell is still on an apprentice contract but he was to be found sitting on Ayr’s bench yesterday afternoon which is hardly a ringing endorsement from his Glasgow coaches.

Townsend admitted in an interview broadcast on BBC Alba at half time that he had been coaching for the last five years but only now is he being held to account. He also stated the club’s priority was first and foremost being tough to beat but his Glasgow team fell short of that Roundhead goal on the opening weekend.