Murrayfield crowd could be most important in history
IT happens in football all the time due to bad behaviour, but it’s not very often in rugby that attention switches to the fans rather than the players and coaches. This week sees one such occasion, however, and it is crucial for the sport in Scotland. Indeed, it is crucial for all sports in Scotland.
By necessity I have been viewing sport on television since we began to come out of lockdown, and I have to say that it really isn’t much fun watching games of football and rugby, cricket matches and athletics events without any spectators.
I actually don’t mind there being no cheering at racecourses because then I can concentrate solely on my latest money-backed donkey going backwards and I don’t have to endure the cheers of those who have bet on the winner.
Now I have absolutely no idea of the identity of any of the 1,000 people who will be able to attend the Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors match at Murrayfield on Friday.
I am sure, however, that they might just be the most important fans ever to attend a rugby match in Scotland. For make no mistake, this is very much an experiment which will be comprehensively reviewed by the Scottish Government experts, not to mention Police Scotland and the Scottish Rugby Union itself.
If the fans who are allowed in can conduct themselves in an orderly fashion and go wherever and whenever they are sent, then there might just be a chance of more relaxation of the lockdown rules in rugby and football because people will be showing that they can be trusted to act like adults and take the necessary precautions.
I have said almost from the onset of this pandemic that the SRU can and should be trusted with getting the sport back to some sort of normality sooner rather than later, and I believe this Friday’s match is the reward for their activities – it’s something of an honour for the SRU to be chosen to host the first experimental spectator attendance, but it’s deserved because I know how much work has gone in to get us to this stage.
As I always say, we must always put the health and the lives of people before sport, but now that we can see genuine progress in tackling the virus here in Scotland, it is permissible to talk about how we get the game going again and Friday is a big step forward in the process.
Anecdotal evidence from across the country is piling up to show that our community-based clubs have done really well just to keep going.
Yes, I know some have been suffering badly and have lost members, but others have made sterling efforts to retain membership and even expand it.
The professional game at PRO14 level got under way at the weekend with the Warriors v Edinburgh match which was not entirely memorable apart from the fact that it was behind closed doors, but nevertheless showed that the two teams are getting up to scratch.
There was a discernible lack of match fitness on both sides but Edinburgh did look fitter. That they not only won but qualified for a home semifinal when Leinster defeated Munster later that evening was a seriously good outcome.
They clearly had the better of the game overall, especially in the back row with Hamish Watson again outstanding and Luke Crosbie looking better than ever, while Nic Groom took his tries well and Blair Kinghorn did very well at full-back.
I have to say that at times Edinburgh were looking just to hold on as the Warriors threatened to take a grip on the game, but the way they came back to win quite comfortably was a real testament to their spirit and strength. Can they go all the way and win the tournament? Of course they can, but I’m not tipping them as that would be the kiss of death to their chances.
The Warriors looked just one or two players short of a proper 15 and one of those players is a genuine international star in the shape of Leone Nakarawa. The Fijian will not be playing on Friday but coach Danny Wilson has said he will be in training this week following his paternity leave back home, and since Glasgow will have a break from Friday to the first weekend in October, I expect Wilson to have Nakarawa in prime condition for the start of the new season. He will be called up by Fiji, but nevertheless Glasgow will benefit from having a genuine star in their ranks.
So not a bad re-start for professional rugby in Scotland and soon we will hopefully be able to get fans back on seats in time for the forthcoming internationals. The chosen 1,000 on Friday must play their part in helping it to happen.
The chosen 1,000 must play their part