The Scotsman reveals

Published Date: 11 June 2010
By BILL LOTHIAN
A DARK cloud hangs over Scottish rugby following the 73-0 humiliation inflicted on the under-20s by South Africa at this week's world championships in Argentina.
It follows a 72-3 thumping when the teams last met two years ago and, adding further to the gloom, is the fact that prior to the new format to go before this month's AGM top players were being withdrawn from the club scene to undertake conditioning work for the under-20 Six Nations and world championships.

Also, an SRU-run British and Irish Cup team known as Gael Force and comprising under-20s, the academy and pro-team fringe players, failed to win a match and has been binned after one season, it was confirmed today.

But, in clinging to a belief that the darkest hour may be before dawn, a member of the group chosen to present the major changes at a Murrayfield media briefing hinted fresh hope may be on the horizon.

In helping unveil the new fixture format Brian Drinkwater, Watsonians' president, said: "If we implement this for a couple of seasons and then play South Africa we might lose but by a smaller margin and score some tries."

Colin Thomson, head of community rugby, praised the new plans saying: "The super-tanker is being turned around and we are all heading in the same direction again." He referred to the Argentinian debacle as being connected to a "numbers game" in which Scotland were at a disadvantage.

Thomson insisted building blocks were now in place to grow resources from which Scotland could draw albeit critics have long argued that forming centrally-run district teams at the expense of clubs discouraged external investment and turned off potential players.

A decade ago Scotland's under-21s drew with Australia and some argue a wrong turning was taken.

Steve Gemmell, head of player development, admitted that mistakes had been made while putting faith in a structure that will see under-20 and national academy players available to clubs "up until Christmas" each season.

Gemmell said: "Everyone is massively disappointed and Scottish rugby has a shared responsibility. The fact we have been looking at this shows there is an acceptance that things need to move forward and work more closely together – the plc, players, clubs and spectators."

There appeared general agreement the buck stops with Performance Director Graham Lowe who was brought in from New Zealand last season.

"Graham Lowe will come back from Argentina with an outsiders view. He has been actively involved in putting this together. We all have to accept there have been mistakes but move forward," added Gemmell.

This article was posted on 11-Jun-2010, 14:08 by Hugh Barrow.