SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY REPORTS

Why rugby folk now yearn for a quiet life
IAN MORRISON
WE LIVE in interesting times. Deposed Wallaby coach Eddie Jones spent last week helping the Springboks prepare for the World Cup. Welsh pin-up Gavin Henson claimed that, on balance, he'd rather not be famous and peace is threatening to break out between the RFU and the English clubs, who expect to announce a lasting agreement soon. Sadly, no such ceasefire has interrupted the rammy between Edinburgh and the SRU which continues its drunken pas de deux.

Several weeks ago, with the SRU allegedly withholding money, Edinburgh's Bob Carruthers invited all his international players to look elsewhere for a job, phoning the players' agents and telling them: "If your man has got somewhere else to go, then tell him to take it."

Last week saw Chris Paterson and Marcus Di Rollo take the Edinburgh owner at his word. The one-time Scottish skipper jumped from a ship that, if it isn't sinking, is listing like the Tower of Pisa. The winger has decamped to Gloucester while Di Rollo is off to brush up his O-level French.

Although Carruthers' comment was later rescinded, it was a little too late. The invitation to flee was made several times and the players' agents are holding him to it. After taking legal advice their view is that, regardless of any existing contract, the Edinburgh boss made a binding verbal offer to his players to move club so he can hardly be surprised when they do so.

Taken on an individual basis, last week's moves look like good business. Paterson was going to leave at the end of the season so not having to pay his wages when he would have turned out rarely for Edinburgh makes good commercial sense. The same applies to Di Rollo, especially since Edinburgh boast Ben Cairns who does most of what the older man can do and costs approximately one quarter as much.

A similar case can be made for several of the internationals that have left Edinburgh but, when the exodus is taken as a whole, the club now looks horribly short of experience. Nine internationalists left this summer, and between them Paterson, Dougie Hall, Scott Murray, Simon Taylor, Alasdair Strokosch, Rob Dewey, Di Rollo, the Australian Peter Jorgensen and All Black Dave Hewett boast 282 caps.

On the plus side of Edinburgh's ledger is Roland Reid, with two caps (on the wing) and Steve Larkham who has over 100. He is known as "Bernie" after a character from a film who is, er, dead. Apparently off the field Larkham is so laid back that he barely registers a pulse, but even in his comatose state Larkham must be dimly aware of all the shenanigans.

Against that, one Edinburgh player insisted last week that it was "business as usual" for the remainder of the squad. He even mused that the strength in depth is greater this season than it was last season. Crisis, what crisis?

In addition to the internationals, and one promising prop in Ally Dickinson, Edinburgh have also misplaced an executive chairman in Alex Carruthers, a managing director in Graeme Stirling and a press officer in Iona Scott. But if Carruthers has lost some executive talent, the same could be said for his opposite number. Shortly after his arrival at Murrayfield, Gordon McKie, the SRU's chief executive, appointed John Donnelly as marketing director but not only has he left the Union but so too has his successor, Kevin Johnston. Meanwhile, Scotland are without a main shirt sponsor for next year.

Something similar has happened in human resources, where McKie appointed Susan Campbell, who has been succeeded by Jackie Anderson who, in turn, has been replaced by Fiona Wilson. That would represent a high turnover of staff at McDonald's, never mind the SRU. Neither of the protagonists will win any employer of the month awards any time soon.

The fact remains that, while McKie is locked in an unseemly arm wrestle with Carruthers, the reputation of Scottish rugby, already horribly tarnished by the political upheavals of the past few years, is dragged ever further into the mire.

At the root of the evil is money that Edinburgh alleges the SRU still owes them although Carruthers has insisted that he would sign tomorrow the exact same deal the SRU offered him last March if it was re-presented. That looks unlikely because the SRU end-game appears to have undergone a sea-change from accommodation to something more sinister.

Carruthers has offered arbitration, McKie has declined. Carruthers says he can be bought out for the money he has invested; but since these two men can't agree on the time of day it seems fanciful to suggest that they can shake on the outside investors' contribution.

The SRU's council and board both met last Thursday and gave McKie their backing. His goal now is almost certainly to end Carruthers' participation in Scottish rugby as quickly and painlessly as possible. Much will depend on how much enthusiasm Carruthers has left for the fight. Meanwhile, the men in wigs are rubbing their hands like Fagin in anticipation of a dandies' convention.

We live in interesting times but how the game longs for a few years of boardroom boredom.

This article was posted on 29-Jul-2007, 07:29 by Hugh Barrow.