XV-a-Side: Week four of our new rugby column

MYSTERY MAN – Who is this former Scotland captain? (Photo: Getty Images) T or F - 5,000 spectators watched Hawick and Melrose play in Scotland’s first ever floodlight rugby match in 1879?

THE TOP THREE

The early pacesetters in the Tennent’s National League Two all won on Saturday. Stirling County beat Berwick 31-10, and Lasswade saw off Newton Stewart 34-18. Pride of place goes to Falkirk who beat Aberdeen Grammar 62-36 in a tremendous game at Horne Park last Saturday. It was a great advert for the amateur game and there was a veritable feast of fast and open rugby for the large crowd to enjoy.

MARSEILLE SLUGFEST

Fast open rugby it was not. The England v Argentina game was not a good advert for the professional game, and stood in stark contrast to the flair, excitement, and skills we all saw and enjoyed in the heyday of International Rugby Union. It would not have persuaded many to take up the game and was certainly not a great spectacle for the viewing millions. At times it resembled a scene from a Lord of the Rings film, with two armies of ponderous automatons crashing into each other to gain minimal territorial advantage.

FALKIRK RUGBY CLUB

All the signs are there that this could be a good season for Falkirk, both on and off the park. The reconstruction work will provide excellent facilities for players and the quality of the team’s play against Aberdeen Grammar, a team which played in National One last season, was impressive.

GRANGEMOUTH STAGS

For the second successive week, the Grangemouth side was involved in a close-run thing, but this time they were on the losing side in Cupar, when they went down 19-17 to Howe Crusaders.

BO’NESS RUGBY CLUB

The Rhinos got their Caledonian Midlands Division Three season underway but lost 34-19 to Anstruther side Waid Academy.

WOMEN’S RUGBY

The local side faced Strathmore in Forfar last Sunday in a match played in scorching heat and went down narrowly 22-17.

RUGBY MEMORIES

Linlithgow meet on Monday, 25 September at 10.30am in their clubhouse. Grangemouth will soon be starting sessions at their Glensburgh clubhouse, while arrangements are completed for their planned reminiscence centre.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Saturday (All kick-off times 3.00pm). Berwick v Falkirk; Grangemouth Stags v Falkirk 2nd XV; Perthshire 2nd XV v Bo’ness.

WORTH EXPLORING?

Next week we will look at some radical proposals put forward by a former Irish Lions star to improve rugby.

SCOTLAND’S START

Scotland’s opening half against the Springboks in their World Cup opener was impressive and they defended well. There were few opportunities in a one-sided second period, and Gregor Townsend gave a very realistic assessment of the game afterwards. Scotland could play much better than that.