What a disappointing game…

I was chomping at the bit for a high paced try-fest, but neither team wanted to catch the ball never mind throw it around the paddock. I guess though, for all the forwards out there that like watching twenty minutes of scrummaging it was a thriller. Personally, I would rather watch a game of touch. But a win is a win and looking at the bigger picture, it’s good for the tour and the game.

Onto the Chiefs game, it should have become obvious to everyone who the mid-week players are and who the test team players are. However, the game is going to be over shadowed by the ridiculous decision to call up another six players to the tour, four welsh and two scots.

Yes, there has been a handful injuries already, but how can you take forty-one players on tour have a couple of call ups in the first two weeks and with only five games left decide to call up another six players. Bloody nonsense! It tarnishes the famous jersey and defeats the point of having touring teams. To try and put a positive twist on things, Finn Russel got the call up. After a good six nations and two great performances against Italy and Australia he is deserving of the call up and my fingers are crossed he gets some decent game time. Onto my prediction for the game, Lions 21 – Chiefs 27.

Talking about Finn Russel, what a game Scotland vs Australia was. After a convincing victory over the Azzuri in Singapore and the previous four games against the Australians being decided by six points or less, it was built up to be a close one. Both teams are playing an expansive brand of rugby and look to use every inch of the pitch to get past the defence. The commentators talked about how suffocating the Scottish defence was and how they rely on picking up the scraps. A spot on description of how they played and when an opportunity arose they pounced. It was a double header for us scots, the under 20s also beat Australia to finish fifth in the world cup, our highest placing ever! If this is not evidence of the hard work us development officers do for the game I don’t know what is.

Away from the top flight of rugby, I was down the road last week for a development officer conference.

We had a number of topics to get through, Tartan touch, hive updates, season summary. But the main focus of the day was a session with Bryan Easson, Scotland under 16s and Edinburgh Accies coach. He ran a “technical blueprint” session on attack and the breakdown. Showing us how to work on these skills while making the majority of your session games based. Was a good session and took away a couple new ideas for club sessions at Ross. What really impressed me though, was being able to see the technical blueprint work! The idea that the whole country is working towards playing the same brand of rugby. Focusing on playing a high tempo game, keeping the ball alive and the attitude that the number on your back doesn't justify what your skill set is. Exciting times ahead.

Catch you on the flip side
John Mann, Community and Rugby Development