Super double act gives Glasgow coach a headache
The Herald reports


Published on 5 Sep 2010

Alasdair Reid

It is pretty well established that one swallow does not a summer make, but you might be forgiven for reaching for the Raybans and the Bermuda shorts when two turn up at once.

As it happened, Sean Lineen was rather more conservatively dressed when he turned up in the Firhill press room after his side’s 22-19 victory over Leinster on Friday evening, but the performances of Ruaridh Jackson and Duncan Weir had given him more grounds for optimism than he might have dared to imagine only a week ago.

And things certainly looked sunnier for those Glasgow supporters who had feared for their team in the wake of Dan Parks’ departure for Cardiff. Jackson, the starting fly-half, may not have controlled the game as adroitly as Parks might have done, but there were some distinctly Dan-like touches in there. Twice, he took the pressure off his defence with raking, inch-perfect kicks that were as good as any Parks had delivered on the same ground.

And Weir? Astonishing. In the post-match huddle with the 19-year-old playmaker it was tempting to ask for his lottery numbers as well as his thoughts on how the game had gone, for this was an occasion in which everything went right for him. After coming on for Jackson, his 15-minute cameo brought an imperious conversion, a nonchalant dropped-goal and a match-winning penalty, as elegant and as significant a full-house as any kicker could wish for.

Lineen now has a headache that most other coaches would he happy to live with: how to accommodate both Weir and Jackson in his squad. “A great double-act, eh?” he quipped, but there is bound to be pressure as the two gifted young players push their claims for the starting position.

“They’re both level-headed lads,” said Lineen. “They’re both ambitious. What I want them to do now is push each other up the way.”

Of course, there are differences in style between the two, but they are more matters of emphasis than anything else. Jackson has the sharper attacking game and Weir appears to be the better all-round controller, but Lineen believes they should not be pigeon-holed into obsolete categories. “Rugby has moved on,” he said. “They both have to be all-rounders.”

All seems to be sweetness and light for the moment. “We’ve got a really good relationship,” said Weir of his friendship with Jackson. Yet it is inevitable that one of the pair will become favoured above the other in the weeks and months ahead, a scenario that will demand careful management by Lineen.

If both live up to their potential then the long-term forecast must be that one will head elsewhere. For the moment, though, Lineen is just happy to bask in the sunshine.

Super double act gives lineen headache

This article was originally posted on 6-Sep-2010, 05:51 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 6-Sep-2010, 05:53.