XV-a-Side rugby column: Scotland 'outside bet' for Six Nations glory

WEEKLY ANSWERS

Last week’s Mystery Player was Gareth Edwards. Last week’s True or False was TRUE. Scotland players were given just one jersey.

RECENT RESULTS

Falkirk and Kirkcaldy were engaged in another high-scoring game and again it was the Fife team that came out on top with a 34-32 win. The cup and the league matches between the two have provided some exciting rugby.

The top of National Two sees Gordonians ahead on thirty-four points with Stewart’s Melville six points behind.

Kirkcaldy are third on twenty-five points while Falkirk and GHK are two behind them. Falkirk seconds lost 26-24 up in Broughty Ferry in another close finish.

Grangemouth firsts were beaten 31-17 by league leaders Perthshire at the North Inch. The Women’s side lost 59-5 to Broughton. The team will finish third behind Dundee Valkyries and Broughton.

Linlithgow firsts lost 24-10 against Ardrossan Accies. while the seconds fixture against Preston Lodge in Prestonpans was cancelled as the home side had insufficient players and were deducted one point.

BEYOND LIVID

“Beyond livid” was the understatement of the year from the staff at Twickenham when the annual accounts of the RFU were revealed.

Chief Executive Bill Sweeney was paid £1.1m (including a £385k bonus) at the same time as forty staff redundancies were announced.

While he had fully hit targets for financial performance (aided by the £100k of income from the sale of the naming rights of Twickenham), he had failed to score anything for inclusivity and improving community participation for women and girls.

Four professional clubs had disappeared on his watch, almost three hundred games had been cancelled and walkover results announced, and there is a shortage of referees.

LOOKING AHEAD

What are the prospects for the Six Nations 2025?

We look at each country going for glory.

England (4/1) should be doing better given their player resources, but still lack flair and improvisation.

Ireland (7/4) showed in the Australia game that they can be vulnerable.

Scotland (12/1) could be an outside bet if they can keep their discipline and play like they did in the second half against The Wallabies.

Wales (80/1) are in a sorry state and the game there is in crisis, with problems at club and national level. Who would have thought that these odds would be quoted for a Welsh rugby team?

Italy (250/1) are the great unpredictable, but they are closing the gap with some stuffy performances.

France (5/2) look to be the favourites and can lift the trophy.

Could we see a Winner-Takes-All end of the season in Paris on March 15th between France and Scotland?

FIXTURE CARD

The league programmes are running down as we approach the Festive Season. Grangemouth Firsts play Dundee Rugby at Glensburgh, while the Seconds are up in Anstruther to take on Waid Academy F.P.

Linlithgow Firsts are at home against Strathmore with their Seconds play Currie Chieftains Thirds.

MYSTERY PLAYER

Who is this Ireland player?

TRUE OR FALSE

Duhan van der Merwe has played for South Africa at Under-20 level?