In Episode 8 of the BRFC Podcast we have news of the Colinton Derby against Watsonians and interviews with Greig Scott and Greg Cottrell, as well as news of a TV deal for Scottish Club Rugby.
Apologies to Mark Ross, who would also have featured on this week's episode had I remembered to turn the mic on when interviewing him. Mark's dulcet tones will make their appearance in the coming weeks.
You can download the podcast vis iTunes or by clicking here.
Friday, 10 October 2008
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Notes from Myreside
There are three things on my mind this week.
1) Apologies to Greig Scott. Video evidence suggests his sprint to the line for his try against Watsonians was more in the region of forty-five yards than the thirty-five suggested in my match report. As a forward who doesn't get the ball over the line too often, I'm sure Greig will be claiming every one of the hard yards his gangly legs carried him.
On the subject of Mr. Scott, it's great just to see him back playing. There was a time during his spell out when I wondered if he might go the same way as another lock forward at the club, Ally Ness, but he's shown great spirit to overcome his shoulder problems and right now he's playing as well as he ever has.
Like the rest of 'Muir's forwards, he had a wonderful game against Watsons. They systematically took their Myreside opponents apart and by the end of the game had a level of domination that was, quite frankly, staggering. I wasn't sure under the new rules whether it was going to be possible to see one side drive another back some thirty metres via superb use of the rolling maul, but that's exactly what we saw about an hour into Saturday's match. It was an example of just how superior 'Muir's pack were on the day.
2) When, as they did on Saturday, Boroughmuir play well and show a distinct superiority over their opponents, the Senior WebMonkey starts acting like the Energizer Bunny on crack. Seriously, he bounces around more excited than an eight year-old with ADHD, but it is nice at least to see that it all matters so much to the old man.
During the games he takes notes on a Dictaphone, from which I later write the match report. If it's clear from early on that 'Muir are going to win, and from the time Ed Mills cut a perfect angle to finish off Greg Cottrell's searing break on Saturday, it was that clear, his notes become more and more infused with hyperbole as the match progresses. By the end of the tape I was expecting to hear, "Bring on Toulouse, we'd take those French numpties, nae problem."
3) The refereeing performance during the match on Saturday was, shall we say, baffling. It was noted by more than a few people during the match that the three WebMonkys (Auxiliary Monkey joined us after he finished work) were none too amused at some of the decisions made by Mr. Healy of GHA; we each yelled ourselves horse at the Baldy Whistler.
I'm in no way accusing the man of being biased, I'm sure that if I were a Watsonians fan (perish the thought) I would have been just as stumped in trying to fathom some of his decisions in 'Muir's favour, but there were some absolute shockers.
I could sit here for hours and list some of his bizarre calls, but it'll suffice to say that I think both Ed Mills and Neil Malloy were unlucky to be shown yellow cards - though not as unlucky as Joni Hare, who didn't even get on the pitch but had Bill Lothian reporting that it was he, not Malloy, who was sent to the sin bin - and I was never aware that there was an offside line in open play. In fact, I'm pretty sure there isn't. Maybe I'm wrong though, it could just have been an ELV that the IRB forgot to announce.
1) Apologies to Greig Scott. Video evidence suggests his sprint to the line for his try against Watsonians was more in the region of forty-five yards than the thirty-five suggested in my match report. As a forward who doesn't get the ball over the line too often, I'm sure Greig will be claiming every one of the hard yards his gangly legs carried him.
On the subject of Mr. Scott, it's great just to see him back playing. There was a time during his spell out when I wondered if he might go the same way as another lock forward at the club, Ally Ness, but he's shown great spirit to overcome his shoulder problems and right now he's playing as well as he ever has.
Like the rest of 'Muir's forwards, he had a wonderful game against Watsons. They systematically took their Myreside opponents apart and by the end of the game had a level of domination that was, quite frankly, staggering. I wasn't sure under the new rules whether it was going to be possible to see one side drive another back some thirty metres via superb use of the rolling maul, but that's exactly what we saw about an hour into Saturday's match. It was an example of just how superior 'Muir's pack were on the day.
2) When, as they did on Saturday, Boroughmuir play well and show a distinct superiority over their opponents, the Senior WebMonkey starts acting like the Energizer Bunny on crack. Seriously, he bounces around more excited than an eight year-old with ADHD, but it is nice at least to see that it all matters so much to the old man.
During the games he takes notes on a Dictaphone, from which I later write the match report. If it's clear from early on that 'Muir are going to win, and from the time Ed Mills cut a perfect angle to finish off Greg Cottrell's searing break on Saturday, it was that clear, his notes become more and more infused with hyperbole as the match progresses. By the end of the tape I was expecting to hear, "Bring on Toulouse, we'd take those French numpties, nae problem."
3) The refereeing performance during the match on Saturday was, shall we say, baffling. It was noted by more than a few people during the match that the three WebMonkys (Auxiliary Monkey joined us after he finished work) were none too amused at some of the decisions made by Mr. Healy of GHA; we each yelled ourselves horse at the Baldy Whistler.
I'm in no way accusing the man of being biased, I'm sure that if I were a Watsonians fan (perish the thought) I would have been just as stumped in trying to fathom some of his decisions in 'Muir's favour, but there were some absolute shockers.
I could sit here for hours and list some of his bizarre calls, but it'll suffice to say that I think both Ed Mills and Neil Malloy were unlucky to be shown yellow cards - though not as unlucky as Joni Hare, who didn't even get on the pitch but had Bill Lothian reporting that it was he, not Malloy, who was sent to the sin bin - and I was never aware that there was an offside line in open play. In fact, I'm pretty sure there isn't. Maybe I'm wrong though, it could just have been an ELV that the IRB forgot to announce.
Friday, 3 October 2008
Episode #7 - Brian Richardson & Tom Bury
For the return of the BRFC Podcast, we take a look at how each team has done during September, and in particular the 1st XV's triumph over Hawick in the Hugh Macmaster Trophy.
We talk to Brian Richardson and Tom Bury about how the season has panned out so far, and ask what they think ahead of the derby clash with Watsonians on Saturday.
Download the podcast here or via iTunes by clicking on the 'subscribe' button.
We talk to Brian Richardson and Tom Bury about how the season has panned out so far, and ask what they think ahead of the derby clash with Watsonians on Saturday.
Download the podcast here or via iTunes by clicking on the 'subscribe' button.
Thursday, 18 September 2008
A World Without a WebMonkey
It was a strange experience, watching Boroughmuir without the Senior WebMonkey beside me. Since we began work on the website in December ’99 there can’t have been more than a dozen games we’ve not attended together. I suppose we could be thought of as Tweedledum and Tweedledee, though I tend to think of us as Dumb and Dumber.
Of course, the fact that I got to see ’Muir hand out a thumping lesson to what was a relatively young Glasgow Hawks side in many ways made up for the strangeness. Had I been presented with another match as soul-crushingly disappointing as the Currie game, I think I’d have felt a lot more jealous of the Mediterranean sun beating down on the WebMonkey’s balding bonce.
For most of the first half I thought we might be in for another slice of defeat pie, we seemed to be making a lot of the same mistakes, although at least not in the same quantities. And had the referee not obviously thought he was in charge of a football match and played a, quite franky, ridiculous amount in injury time, we might not have got the chance to learn the lessons we did.
The main of those lessons was that, when we execute our basics well, we can exhibit pace and power that is difficult to live with. During the second half we held onto passes more often than not, the ball carrier was well supported and the possession quickly recycled and we averaged a try every 5.7 minutes. OK, so you won’t get that high a return every week, but as we proved last season we will at least give ourselves every opportunity to win.
I think the most surprising thing about the weekend, however, wasn’t the realisation of just how much work it takes to get the website done when you’re doing it alone. It was the shock of hearing the result from the Ayr-Watsonians game. Don’t get me wrong, the fact that Ayr won at Millbrae wasn’t a surprise, it was the nature of just how they jamspangled a Watsons side which included international lock forward Jim Hamilton. To be honest, I don’t see Selkirk keeping up the pace they’ve set on their return to the top flight, but if Ayr get a couple more wins under their belt then they’ll have to be considered the most serious of contenders.
Of course, the fact that I got to see ’Muir hand out a thumping lesson to what was a relatively young Glasgow Hawks side in many ways made up for the strangeness. Had I been presented with another match as soul-crushingly disappointing as the Currie game, I think I’d have felt a lot more jealous of the Mediterranean sun beating down on the WebMonkey’s balding bonce.
For most of the first half I thought we might be in for another slice of defeat pie, we seemed to be making a lot of the same mistakes, although at least not in the same quantities. And had the referee not obviously thought he was in charge of a football match and played a, quite franky, ridiculous amount in injury time, we might not have got the chance to learn the lessons we did.
The main of those lessons was that, when we execute our basics well, we can exhibit pace and power that is difficult to live with. During the second half we held onto passes more often than not, the ball carrier was well supported and the possession quickly recycled and we averaged a try every 5.7 minutes. OK, so you won’t get that high a return every week, but as we proved last season we will at least give ourselves every opportunity to win.
I think the most surprising thing about the weekend, however, wasn’t the realisation of just how much work it takes to get the website done when you’re doing it alone. It was the shock of hearing the result from the Ayr-Watsonians game. Don’t get me wrong, the fact that Ayr won at Millbrae wasn’t a surprise, it was the nature of just how they jamspangled a Watsons side which included international lock forward Jim Hamilton. To be honest, I don’t see Selkirk keeping up the pace they’ve set on their return to the top flight, but if Ayr get a couple more wins under their belt then they’ll have to be considered the most serious of contenders.
Saturday, 13 September 2008
For God's Sake Catch the Ball
I honestly can’t remember a time when I saw Boroughmuir drop the ball more than they did against Currie. Honestly, I reckon the egg hit the floor more often than in the entire of last season. I hope some araldite has been applied to the hands of certain players in preparation for the Hawks match.
I went along with a fair dose of optimism. OK, we hadn’t been perfect against Accies and the weather wasn’t exactly as we’d have liked it but even the Prophet of Doom wasn’t particularly vocal – which is about as close as he ever comes to optimism. The two wins against Currie last season were amongst our more straightforward, and after the chastening experience of having eighty points put on us two years ago, I was convinced we wouldn’t let it happen again.
If I’m being truthful though, some might say a bit harsh, it was as bad a performance this time around as it had been back in Currie’s title winning year. The significant difference in the score line, for me, was largely down to the fact that the hosts are far from the level they reached back then.
The game was the first appearance of the season for my brother, the ‘auxiliary’ Webmonkey, who is generally charged with picking up ‘interesting’ camera shots. He’s usually a good omen as well. In his most recent appearances he’s seen wins over Ayr, Hawick and Watsonians, so his presence was another notch on the optimism belt.
Given the result, however, he’s been issued with a three match ban. We need wins over the next few weeks to ensure that we don’t fall too far behind and we can’t take the risk of him being an bad omen. So the earliest we could see him again would be the trip to Myreside – though I might try to think of some excuse to keep him away from that one as well.
Hawks this week will be tight. It always seems to be so against the team I somewhat see as our West Coast counterparts. Like us they always try to play good rugby, and now with Peter Wright in charge there’s even more reason to like them. And without the Prophet of Doom for the next few weeks either – he’s been sent away to the south of France – I’ll get to watch the match in unobstructed optimism, it’ll be a disconcerting experience.
I went along with a fair dose of optimism. OK, we hadn’t been perfect against Accies and the weather wasn’t exactly as we’d have liked it but even the Prophet of Doom wasn’t particularly vocal – which is about as close as he ever comes to optimism. The two wins against Currie last season were amongst our more straightforward, and after the chastening experience of having eighty points put on us two years ago, I was convinced we wouldn’t let it happen again.
If I’m being truthful though, some might say a bit harsh, it was as bad a performance this time around as it had been back in Currie’s title winning year. The significant difference in the score line, for me, was largely down to the fact that the hosts are far from the level they reached back then.
The game was the first appearance of the season for my brother, the ‘auxiliary’ Webmonkey, who is generally charged with picking up ‘interesting’ camera shots. He’s usually a good omen as well. In his most recent appearances he’s seen wins over Ayr, Hawick and Watsonians, so his presence was another notch on the optimism belt.
Given the result, however, he’s been issued with a three match ban. We need wins over the next few weeks to ensure that we don’t fall too far behind and we can’t take the risk of him being an bad omen. So the earliest we could see him again would be the trip to Myreside – though I might try to think of some excuse to keep him away from that one as well.
Hawks this week will be tight. It always seems to be so against the team I somewhat see as our West Coast counterparts. Like us they always try to play good rugby, and now with Peter Wright in charge there’s even more reason to like them. And without the Prophet of Doom for the next few weeks either – he’s been sent away to the south of France – I’ll get to watch the match in unobstructed optimism, it’ll be a disconcerting experience.
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Episode #6 - Bronson Ross, Kevin Brown & Stuart Waddell
In episode 6 of the BRFC Podcast we look at the first week's action for both the 1st and 2nd XV whilst reporting on the final pre-season match for Meggetland.
Download the podcast here or subscribe via iTunes by clicking the button to the right.
Download the podcast here or subscribe via iTunes by clicking the button to the right.
Thursday, 4 September 2008
Get This Party Started
There was, it has to be said, a certain amount of excitement around the house on Saturday morning. Despite the return of The Prophet – who was naturally predicting a defeat, albeit a narrow one – even the Senior WebMonkey was looking forward to his regular weekend rugby fix again.
We had a new addition to the team, our two year old, desperately excitable Springer Spaniel,Milo . I think the idea came about purely because my mother wanted to make him a little scarf from Boroughmuir tartan. She reckoned it would be ‘cute’. I reckoned he’d just bark to buggery and make a nuisance of himself.
We had a new addition to the team, our two year old, desperately excitable Springer Spaniel,
To be fair to the scamp, he did himself proud and so, perhaps more importantly, did the team. OK, so there was an error count which would have justified shouts of derision from the touchline had it been produced by a team of five year olds but there were also moments of outstanding quality. Moments that suggested the side were ready to pick up just where they left off last season.
Like everyone else, I was delighted with the win, even more so when news filtered through that
For about the first time in this ridiculous excuse for a summer we’ve been having, we didn’t get battered with rain. When the time comes to put together the season review it’ll be nice to have footage of one week in the season at least when the action isn’t obscured by a curtain of water.
Judging by the forecast for Saturday, and the fact that the game’s at Malleny Park (I’m not sure I’ve experienced anything other than driving rain and a howling gale in the many years I’ve been to Currie’s ground) things should be back to normal for round two of the championship.
Some might say that will favour the home side’s big, marauding pack. I think we proved enough last season that we can compete with any team in any style if we get our game right on the day.
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