STV REPORTS
NEIL DRYSDALE

Perhaps it's a cliche that nice guys win nothing in sport, but the sacking of Edinbugh Rugby coach, Rob Moffat, proves that sentiment counts for little once results have dipped and supporters have dried up. The writing was on the wall for the genial Borderer from the moment his team were trounced 37-0 by Northampton - who themselves were no great shakes on the night - in the Heineken Cup in mid-January and the anti-climactic manner of the Scots' subsequent demise against the Cardiff Blues probably signified the end of the road for Moffat. Occasionally, his side served up breathtakingly expansive fare, as when they threatened to run riot against the Saints at Murrayfield last October. Yet, in the end, that tussle was lost and, in this case, the statistics don't lie.

The problem for Edinburgh is that they aren't exactly bursting at the seams with world-class talent, and especially once the injuries start mounting up, as has happened throughout the last few months. With the Six Nations Championship looming into view, their best personnel's thoughts will, inevitably, be on the championship and earning plus points with Andy Robinson, as the countdown commences to this autumn's World Cup in New Zealand. Nick Scrivener, who has inherited the job in the short term from Moffat, has the advantage of knowing the Edinburgh players - he has been carrying out the assistant's role at Murrayfield - but one could equally argue that it is time for a complete clear-out of the coaching staff and the recruitment of somebody who can drag the Scots out of the cosy comfort zone which many of them appear to inhabit.

If you doubt that, just consider this: Edinburgh (and, to a lesser extent, their Glasgow counterparts) have stacked up a bundle of losing bonus points in the Magners League and Heineken Cup over the last two seasons. For those of us who don't believe that the vanquished should gain any reward, this simply reinforces the notion that there is a soft underbelly amongst the two pro teams in this country. A number of players, genuine warriors such as Allan Jacobsen (whose last-minute try prevented Edinburgh from becoming Aironi's first victims in the ML), Chris Paterson, Ross Ford, Al Kellock, John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie, Graeme Morrison and Max Evans, understand that professionalism is a state of mind, and doesn't merely involve collecting a salary at the end of every month. But there are others - and their number includes some internationalists - who seem to pick and choose their games in which to shine and that culture must be tackled.

In which light, Scrivener has plenty to prove, particularly with a weakened party at his disposal, in the next couple of months. If he makes a success of it, good luck to him. Yet I won't be the only person who believes that Edinburgh could do a lot worse than hire the former Scotland and Lions prop, Peter Wright, and grant him a clean slate with which to galvanise the capital organisation.

Wright has plenty of positive attributes, which he has amply exhibited at Glasgow Hawks and working with Scotland's age-group squads. He is a voracious collector of data with inspirational leadership qualities and, as somebody who turned out for Boroughmuir and Melrose, allied to his work as a pundit, there is almost nobody in the Scottish game he doesn't know. He could have moved to England a few years back, but his commitment to his homeland is exemplary and he is still only in his 40s. Oh, and incidentally, he doesn't have a great deal of time for yours truly, just in case anybody imagines that this is a journo doing a favour for a pal. No chance!

The crux of the matter is that men in his mould - and the Ayr coach, Kenny Murray, is another individual, who deserves elevation in the future - recognise that it is futile to bleat about a paucity of resources or financial clout. That is just the way it is in Scotland and, given that the SRU chief executive, Gordon McKie, has already intimated that there will be no increased cash for the pro teams this summer, both squads have to learn to be lean, mean, fighting machines, with something of the characteristics of Ian Holloway's Blackpool FC or Jim Jefferies' Hearts. It might not always be pretty to watch, but if it gains victories on a regular basis, few will be complaining.

As for Moffat, one trusts the governing body can find some role for him, even in nurturing the grassroots in his beloved Borders. But now Edinburgh have to shed their image as fancy-dans and prove they can get down and dirty with their rivals on a weekly basis.

Change at Murrayfield

This article was originally posted on 31-Jan-2011, 18:56 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 31-Jan-2011, 19:49.