The Scotsman reports

Rugby's roll of honour for 2008



Published Date: 28 December 2008
Iain Morrison takes a look back at the year to single out his heroes and the odd villain
INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: MIKE BLAIR

The slight scrum-half wins the award after becoming the first Scot to make the shortlist for the IRB's annual prize-giving although he eventually lost out to Shane Williams. Blair looks a certainty to
our with the Lions next year where the firm going will suit his top-of-the-ground style. His anticipated battle with Fourie du Preez could be the highlight of the whole show.

Runner-up: Euan Murray

PRO-TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JOHN BARCLAY

Other players have good days and they have bad days but the Glasgow flanker only appears to deliver various shades of excellence. The player was instrumental in helping Scotland to their first ever win in Argentina last summer and Frank Hadden's decision to leave him out of the first Test in Rosario remains one of life's unsolved mysteries.

Runner-up: Ben Cairns

CLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DAMIEN KELLY

Damien "Skippy" Kelly may hail from Australia but he is now part of the fixtures and fittings at Millbrae. The big man has been instrumental in dragging Ayr to the top of the table with the same ruthlessness as he shows to opposition defenders. How the pro-teams would love a ball-carrier with his mix of athleticism and sheer size.

Runner-up: Dan Teague

TEAM OF THE YEAR: SELKIRK

The newly promoted Borders side showed what can be done with local talent and a heap of enthusiasm, the template for all Border teams, hell, the template for all Scottish clubs! Selkirk were predicted to struggle, not least by me, in their first season back in Premier One but instead they sit a proud third in the table with a game in hand over the team above them. Look and learn.

Runners-up: The Scotland 'A' team

UNDERRATED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: GREIG LAIDLAW

Scotland already has an abundance of excellent scrum-halves and Laidlaw looks like adding to the glut after a series of outstanding performances in the SHE Premier One. Against any other rival Laidlaw could have expected a host of pro-team starts but, with Mike Blair holding sway at Edinburgh, he has had exactly none this season. Ultimately the Borderer may have to move elsewhere to fulfil his potential.

Runner-up: Callum MacRae

LUCKLESS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: MARC TEAGUE

After years of toil for Heriot's, the lively winger was finally granted his wish of a professional rugby contract last summer but opportunities have been few and far between. Teague finally started his first game for Edinburgh against Georgia last month only to see the floodlights fail after 26 minutes. He had barely touched the ball.

Runner-up: Scott McLeod

BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR: MARK ROBERTSON

The winger showed amazing skills to grab back-to-back scores in the Heineken Cup but one of his two tries against the Scarlets early in the season would have had dad Keith purring in the stands. When he received the ball the winger still had it all to do but he cut infield, beat two defenders on the way and still had the pace to make the line.

Runner-up: Max Evans

MATCH OF THE YEAR: SCOTLAND A 67-7 IRELAND A

This was high tempo, breathtaking, spellbinding rugby from first minute to last as Andy Robinson's side ran in nine (yes, nine) tries while conceding just one to the Irish visitors. Never mind the dubious quality of the opposition, this game proved beyond doubt that Scottish players have the skills to play this style of ball-in-hand rugby if only the coaches display the necessary ambition.

Runner-up: Scotland Sevens' dramatic overtime victory against Fiji at Murrayfield

VILLAIN OF THE YEAR: THE SRU'S MARKETING OFFICE

The pro-teams have a fair support on Friday evening but persuading just 36,000 fans to visit Murrayfield for what proved to be an absolute thriller against the reigning World Champions was frankly useless. This match was twice the quality of the All Blacks encounter that preceded it and yet the game against the Springboks drew 20,000 fewer fans. The SRU had budgeted for more and are having to cut their cloth accordingly.

Runner-up: Those officials handling Scott McLeod's drugs cases

UNSUNG HEROES: THE LONDON SCOTTISH BACKERS

Despite the credit crunch, the club's numerous backers continue to plough money into the exile club, doing the SRU's job for them by creating a development team in London. The London Jocks sit proudly at the top of England's National Three (South) after winning all but one of their games to date and even that was a draw. The sooner Murrayfield add their tuppence worth to the venture and get some young Scots into the exiles' mix the better it will be for all concerned.

Runner-up: Every volunteer in the game

This article was posted on 29-Dec-2008, 08:45 by Hugh Barrow.