Edinburgh: Chris Paterson, Lee Jones, Ben Cairns, Alex Grove, Tim Visser, Phil Godman, Mike Blair, Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford, Geoff Cross, Fraser McKenzie, Scott MacLeod, Alan MacDonald, Netani Talei, Roddy Grant (capt)
Replacements: Andrew Kelly, Kyle Traynor, Jack Gilding, Craig Hamilton, Scott Newlands, Greig Laidlaw, David Blair, John Houston

Quite an exciting back division with last years golden boy Tim Visser and new flyer Lee Jones on the wing plus Alex Grove, if they can click quickly it could be fun, and of course there is the return of Mossy. The pack looks a little lightweight without Jim Hamilton, but still it’s good to see many of the front line players ready for the start of the season. Jamie Roberts, Gethin Jenkins and Ben Blair will all be missing but Cardiff have plenty depth. Plus you get a Parks vs Godman Scotland trial early in the season too – clever of Rob Moffat to have a go at Parks early in the week, that sort of thing never backfires! He must have been hanging out with Warren Gatland.

Glasgow face Leinster at home, that one’s live TV on BBC Alba and most likely radio coverage on BBC Scotland (Friday night, k/o 1905), so you can practice the time-honoured technique of watching the TV but listening to Scottish radio commentary you honed while watching the Six Nations…

Glasgow: Bernardo Stortoni (capt), DTH van der Merwe, Max Evans, Graeme Morrison, Federico Aramburu, Ruaridh Jackson, Henry Pyrgos, Jon Welsh, Fergus Thomson, Moray Low, Tom Ryder, Richie Gray, Ryan Wilson, Chris Fusaro, Richie Vernon.
Replacements: Pat MacArthur, Ed Kalman, Ryan Grant, Aly Muldowney, Rob Harley, Duncan Weir, Hefin O’Hare, Peter Murchie

It looks a little bit weaker with Glasgow seriously struggling for experience at the moment with losses to injury or transfer. However the second row pairing of Richie Gray and former England U19 Captain (but Scottish qualified) Tom Ryder is interesting, and the Argentinian wing Aramburu has seemed up for it during the pre-season. Fergus Thomson will be looking to lay down a serious challenge to Ross Ford at national level if he can get a solid string of appearances, while the young back row will be looking to show that it is not all about the Killer Bees – R for Ryan, R for Richie, R for FusaRRRo?

Magners League Dream Team:

15 Ben Blair (Cardiff Blues)
14 Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster)
12 James Hook (Ospreys)
11 Tim Visser (Edinburgh)
10 Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors)
9 Tomas O’Leary (Munster)
1 Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues)
2 Ken Owens (Scarlets)
3 Adam Jones (Ospreys)
4 Leo Cullen (Leinster)
5 Ali Kellock (Glasgow Warriors, captain)
6 Jerry Collins (Ospreys)
7 John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors)
8 Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)

Congrats to all the winners, especially Mossy, Tim and dream team skipper Al Kellock.

The opening weekend saw rafts of new signings, an early start, the beginning of a shiny new league and cup set-up and the champions falling at the first hurdle. Yup, Scottish Premier Club rugby is back to being unpredictable and (touch wood) exciting… well, at least for the first round of games…

Of course, for the Prem 1 teams there is a need for a good start in your first couple of games because of the new league structure. Put simply, after playing every team in your league once (this stands for Prem’s 1 and 2) the top 8 Prem 1 teams splinter off into their own group, keeping the points they have amassed, and all playing again once to see who the champions are. Meeeeeeanwhile the bottom 4 teams from Prem 1 and the top 4 from Prem 2 start a new group, with a clean slate, and play for the 4 spots in Prem 1 next season. Ok? Finally, the remaining 8 teams in prem 2 fight it out for survival and avoiding the Prem 3 trap door.

Wow! The leagues just heard this idea and dove right in there, didn’t they? The belief is that the competition between Prem 1 and 2 teams will be heart-pounding stuff. However, there is a fear in many quarters that it will be the exact same 12 teams in Prem 1 next season. What do you think?

Anyway, the important thing is that the first round of games has been played…and before any snow or fog! It’s almost like summer rugby!

Here’s a Prem 1 round-up;

Hawick 22-36 Ayr
at Mansfield Park

First time out back in the, ahem, ‘big time’ and the Greens ran the cup holders close. Looking like a rejuvenated side, and with locals Cottrell, Mactaggart, Hutton (next week!), Hogg and Gibson all returning to Hawick the team is feeling loudly confident. Shame then that even in poor form, which Kenny Murray openly admits Ayr were in on Saturday, the men in pink are still capable of tucking away a result. In the end it came down to missed kicks, Green forwards running out wide, and the Pink midfield scything through limp tackles.

Hawick should be formidable at home all season, while Ayr can still welcome back ‘Skippy’ Kelly next week, Scott Sutherland in future months and maybe, just maybe, Climo miiiiight resurface eventually.

Hawick: N Renwick; C Robertson, G Johnstone, G Hogg, S Anderson; S Hogg, G Cottrell; B McNeil, M Landels, S Linton, C Charters, M Robertson, N MacTaggart, D Landels, D Lowrie.
Replacements Used: G Lowrie, R Sutherland, A Marsh, H Scammell
Ayr: G Anderson; S Manning, M Bennett, M Stewart, C Taylor; R Curle, AJ MacFarlane; G Reid, S Adair, S Fenwick, D Craig, J Young, J Crossan, A Dunlop, G Tippet.
Replacements Used: S Forrest, J Hunter, N Cox, A Kelly

Scoring Summary
Hawick Tries: Renwick 2, D Landels, McNeill. Con: S Hogg.
Ayr Tries: Stewart 3, Curle, Hunter. Cons: Curle 4. Pen Curle.

SRB Man of the Match: Mark Stewart

Heriot’s 39-14 Watsonians
at Goldenacre

There was a lot of promise in this one but neither team really got going, even if Heriot’s dominated. Indeed the home side’s set-piece was in charge for large parts of the game, even pushing a maul 30 yards up field, but they just couldn’t get past 4 phases for most of the game. On the maroon side, they cannot be happy with the lack of threat offered by any strike runners, and the rate they were losing players must be alarming to the coaches.

Heriot’s will hope full back Colin Goudie carries his blistering form into the game against Stirling next week, while ‘Sonians will have fingers crossed their threadbare squad can cope after the losses of prop Owenson, back row Rowley and stand off Skeen.

Apologies for not having the full Watsons squad up, but I can’t name the full team off the top of my head without doing someone the disservice of naming them wrong, forgetting them or playing them out of position. I’ll amend this if I ever find a team list online, i.e. get yer finger oot Scotsman…

Heriot’s: C Goudie; M Nimmo, M Learmonth, P Saunders, G Walker; C Ferguson, G Wilson; A Dymock, S Burnett, W Blacklock, M Reid,R Martin, J Parker, P Eccles, M Lee.
Replacements Used: G Cameron, K Bryce, G Hunter, G Bryce.
Watsonians: – (I saw a pic of M. Di Rollo in the paper – Ed.)
Replacements Used: -

Scoring Summary
Heriot’s Tries: Goudie 3, Saunders 2. Con: G Wilson ?. Pen: Wilson ?
Watsonians Tries: Paulo. Pen: Ker 3

SRB Man of the Match: Colin Goudie

Selkirk 12-34 Boroughmuir
at Philiphaugh

Well the pre-season reports that ‘Muir had recruited heavily and with experience were confirmed when they romped away with this one. Ally ‘The Hulk’ Warnock is a proven match winner and helped guide Currie to the title a few seasons back, so with the added bulk of Sean Crombie in the forwards and ‘Chad’ Wilson in the backs, they may have added a bludgeon to their arsenal.

It’s too early to tell if Selkirk will be fighting it out at the bottom, come the split, because they are always at their best with their back is against the wall. This could also be said of Boroughmuir; are they completely reinvented? We will see when they play the big boys. However, if they can play at this pace and with such precision with Warnock kicking tatties, they should be there or thereabouts when he hits his stride.

Selkirk: F Harkness; S Hendrie, D Cassidy, R Armstrong, C Beattie; G Craig, M McVie; G Patterson, S Forrest, M Weller, A Renwick, S Willett, N Darling, C Patton, R Crockatt.
Replacements Used: I Walling, M Murray, C Marshall, C Beattie, R Godsmark
Boroughmuir: S Ruddick; T Bury, M Clapperton, S Wilson, J Webster; A Warnock, S Johnson; N Fraser, S Crombie, F Lait, G Scott, A Davidson, J Doubleday, N Rodger, D O’Riordan.
Replacements Used: C McIntosh, R Hislop, J Hare, R Neill, R Samson.

Scoring Summary
Selkirk Pens: Cassidy (4).
Boroughmuir Tries: Doubleday (2), Rodger, Scott, Samson, Wilson. Cons: Warnock (2).

SRB Man of the Match: Alastair Davidson

Glasgow Hawks 41-15 West of Scotland
at Burnbrae

Last season Hawks were well drilled, but unable to truly dominate a game. Well at least in this game things were different. The Old Anniesland club took advantage of the rather inexperienced West side put before them and the Gossman brothers in particular seemed to run with a weight of their shoulders as the try tally ticked over. For West it seems like they will have to hope the promise their youngsters show quickly turns into performances, because without any pro drafts that look handy, they will be without reinforcements for a while.

This local rivalry was a one sided affair.

Glasgow Hawks: C Gossman; K Gossman, D Kelbrick, D Milne, T Steven; M Adamson, P Jericevich; N Nyemba, E Milligan, G Hunter, R Hamilton, A Kirkland, R McKay, B Karalus, R Miller.
Replacements Used: J Malakoty, C Taylor, G Oommen, A White, J White.
West of Scotland: A Davis; A Park, R Dalgleish, A Matheson, A McCall Hagen; A Stevenson, A Fisken; A Longwell, G Haswell, E McLaren, M Jenkinson, R McAlpine, D Young , A De Ste Croix, A Morrison
Replacements Used: D McKenna, Marshall, G Perrett, A Hiddeston

Scoring Summary
Glasgow Hawks Tries: K Gossman 3, Nyemba, C Gossman 2. Cons: Adamson 3, White.Pen: White.
West of Scotland Tries: Jenkinson, Fisken. Con: Davis. Pen: Davis

SRB Man of the Match: Keir Gossman

Dundee HSFP 34-37 Stirling County
at Mayfield

The home side played Jekyll and Hyde here as they scored regularly but offered up poor defensive organisation and too many missed tackles. Stirling, on the other hand, will be buoyed by their late come back and their doggedness. Furthermore, after a strong season at home they should look to make their field a fortress, and score with the ease they showed at Dundee. This, it would seem, means getting Doneghan on the ball.

For Dundee it’s not quite panic stations, as they will have a few new faces coming in over the next few weeks, but they will be heading to Malleny this Saturday to face a Currie side looking to set the record straight…

Dundee HSFP: J Fleming; M Smith, H Duthie, F Clark, A Hay; A O’Connor, A Dymock; N Dymock, S Forrest, A Brown, R Hawkins (capt), A Linton, C Cumming, R Cessford, D Levison.
Replacements Used: C Kerr, D Russell, R Milne, R Gray, B Jones
Stirling County: R McGowan; G Lindsay, B Addison, D Gilmour, M Doneghan; S Edwards, S Kennedy; M Hunter, A Moffat (capt), G Mountford, C Deacons, G Gilchrist, T Edwards, S Robertson, C Eadie
Replacements Used: A Simpson, D Morrison, B Barsanti, G McRorie, J Hope

Scoring Summary
Dundee HSFP Tries: Smith 3, N Dymock, Linton. Con: Fleming 3. Pen: Fleming
Stirling County Tries: Eadie, Kennedy, McRorie, Lindsay, Doneghan. Cons: Edwards 3. Pen: Edwards 2

SRB Man of the Match: Mike Doneghan

and finally…

Melrose 32-29 Currie
at The Greenyards

A tight one was always on the cards here, and it seems as if the Currie Juggernaut has been slowed by Melrose side stumbling to victory. In fact interceptions and turnovers led to the scores that helped the ‘Rose to victory over an unusually off-beat Currie side.

Discipline and decisiveness were the difference between the two sides, and Melrose will be on top of the world right now. Unfortunately for Currie, they will be scratching their heads wondering why they lost a game they would have won last season. Indeed it doesn’t get any easier as they look set to lose Thompson and Kinloch to English universities. For Melrose, they have enough manpower to see them through at least their home games.

SRB Man of the Match: Allan Dodds

Aha, I thought, here’s a chance to plug the blog as the season gets under way and get some more lovely readers for our ramblings. So I duly texted in, mentioning said blog, shed and bed. Sure enough, the bed in the shed gets on air straight away but no mention of the blog. Later it transpired Peter Wright was unable to grasp the concept of a bed in a shed – I suppose I forgot that most folks’ sheds are small garden jobs not some ramshackle old cowshed with space for a double (plus cows if required, I suppose). So I followed up, only for the saga to continue – I thought the tractor in the coal mine was a lot more interesting, how did he get reception? – but still without any pluggage and me looking more and more like a weirdo. So here, for the benefit of them (and possibly no-one else) is a picture of Friday’s work and also the partially complete bed possibly to illustrate what exactly I was up to.

And now, since the bed was finished on Friday night and can now be moved indoors, and the season is upon us: back to rugby.

• Borders/Edinburgh/Sale prop Gavin Kerr has announced his retirement from pro-rugby. We wish him well with whatever he goes on to next.
• Al Kellock and Chris Cusiter are both set to miss out on the autumn tests due to injury/surgery. This is a pretty major blow for Andy Robinson as they were two of the key leaders in the team during recent successes. Rory Lawson will be licking his lips now though, as a couple of good indications early on in this season that his form has carried over from the last and he could be looking at pinning down the Scotland 9 shirt for the first time.
• Bad news for big Al is good news for Scott Macleod and possibly Richie Gray as the lock slots start to open up. Big Nathan will be back in contention though which he wasn’t in the summer. You can also see Scott Macleod and Alex Grove modelling the new Edinburgh strip here. It is manufactured by an Italian company at what was presumably a good deal for the SRU (Glasgow remain with are they bust/are they not firm Canterbury), and is reasonably stylish I suppose, if you like biohazard signs. Perhaps they outfit the two new Italian sides also. Let’s see if they can come up with something truly fantastico for the 1872 Cup silly shirt.
• The Women’s Rugby World Cup kicked off this week. Scotland played their first game today against Canada, losing 37-10. Also in their group are France and Sweden. Good luck!
• The club rugby season kicks off this weekend with the new rejigged league programme, hopefully A.D will return from his self-imposed exile in the Canadian “wilderness” with some updates on that front soon.

I’m off to see what’s on the radio, more news as we get it, and may your favourite team win this weekend if they are in action. As long as it’s not Bath. Sorry, Andy.

UPDATE: commentary on Glasgow vs Sale pre-season friendly on BBC Scotland.

Scotland 7s squad: Mike Adamson (Glasgow Hawks), Alex Blair (Edinburgh), David Callam (Unattached), Scott Forrest (Ayr), Chris Fusaro Glasgow Warriors), John Houston (Edinburgh), Lee Jones (Edinburgh), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Scott Newlands (Edinburgh), Hefin O’Hare (Glasgow Warriors), Colin Shaw (Glasgow Warriors), Andrew Turnbull (Edinburgh)

Reserve players: Struan Dewar (Edinburgh), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), James King (Edinburgh), Scott Riddell (Blaydon)

After watching endless people fall, slip and stumble around out in the middle (and not just when Al and I caught The Boss in concert there), now Rocky Elsom and Richie McCaw have piled on, with criticisms of the pitch as “mud painted green” disguised as a preview of their recent Tri-Nations fixture, which was played on a pitch in Melbourne not normally used for rugby. The All Blacks went on to win the game.

Sadly, Peter De Villiers was unavailable for comment. However here is some other rubbish he has come out with, courtesy of the lovely chaps over at The Rugby Blog.

What about you – best and worst pitches you have ever played on?

Tickets are now also on sale for the Boks and the Blacks. Reckon we could be in with a shout against South Africa if Du Preez stays injured. The All Blacks are cleverly peaking in between World Cups again so I don’t fancy our chances there. And quite what Samoans will make of playing rugby in the North Sea, I don’t know…

One player sadly absent will of course be Thom Evans, who (unfortunately but unsurprisingly) it seems was forced to retire from rugby following his serious injury against Wales. All at SRBlog towers wish Thom every success in his recovery and whatever he does next. Meanwhile, Scotland will have to resume the search for searing pace on the wing that Thom gave us all too briefly.

“It’s about restating our collective values and our commitment to strive for improvement.” says Andy Robinson. So by Scotland “duty”, I mean sitting around watching re-runs of the Ireland and Argentina matches and general back-slapping over coffee (no booze for Mossy).

Who knows, they might run about like mentalists with ball in hand but this close to pre-season it’s unlikely there will be much in the way of heavy beasting allowed by the clubs. It may be more like my upcoming three day camp at the Tartan Heart Festival this weekend, but with less beer, pirate flags and over-priced hamburger.

Scotland squad for three-day camp at St Andrews, August 9-11:

Backs: Mike Blair, Ben Cairns (Edinburgh), Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Phil Godman, Alex Grove (both Edinburgh), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Rory Lamont (Toulon), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh), Hugo Southwell (Stade Francais), Jim Thompson (Edinburgh), Nikki Walker (Ospreys).

Forwards: John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors), Nathan Hines (Leinster), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Gloucester), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Alan MacDonald, Scott MacLeod (both Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Northampton Saints), Kyle Traynor (Edinburgh), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester), Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors).

In attendance: Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow Warriors).

Ayr at Millbrae on Saturday 7 August (kick-off 3pm)
Sale Sharks at Firhill on Friday 20 August (7.30pm)
Wasps at Adams Park on Saturday 28 August (3pm)