Sam’s selection may annoy RFU

If it wasn’t a discussion between reasonably pragmatic adults, you’d think there was a bit of juvenile spite going on between Scotland and England over player eligibility.

The latest movement is Sam Skinner, Exeter’s former England Under-20 lock, being selected by Gregor Townsend in his Scotland Autumn Tests squad.

Townsend is missing Richie Gray and Tim Swinson among his experienced second row contingent for this fourgame campaign, but said yesterday that Skinner would have been picked in this squad no matter what.

The 23-year-old has impressed for the Chiefs this year and last, and as appears is the custom, the feelers from Murrayfield have been prodding at the player for some time.

That interest hardened before Scotland’s summer tour, but there was a mutual agreement between player and management to hold off until now. Skinner’s stock has continued to rise, and they’ve gone public.

The RFU’s response will be interesting. Last year they fired a shot across the bows of the other home nations complaining about recruitment of national academy players.

It was surely no coincidence when squads began to assemble last season that Newcastle’s Garry Graham, son of former Scotland coach and prop George, appeared in an England squad.

Graham, a solid enough player but maybe eight or ninth in the back row pecking order even for Scotland, duly appeared at English camps, and declared his intention to pursue England caps.

He’s not even got on the bench yet. Despite Eddie Jones’ assurances that Garry was his kind of teak-tough player, he was quietly omitted during the

Six Nations and not even included for England’s summer tour of South Africa.

He and Gloucester’s Ben Vellacott, another dual qualified player, are apparently still in England’s elite group, but with little prospect of a cap.

Maybe I’m over-cynical, but their cases smack of the RFU (or Jones, or both) being mischievous and trying to prove a point; pretty unforgivably if true, as they’re effectively playing games with players’ international ambitions.

It hasn’t deterred the Scots from wading through birth certificates and family trees; if anything, it’s increased it.

Townsend had a twinkle in his eye when he spoke about Skinner yesterday “I imagine you’ve all been googling” and also when asked about any other players he has in his sights, but he has no qualms whatsover about trying to improve his player base by whatever means are open to him.

And neither should he. England’s player resources are so enormous that they can easily withstand Scotland or Wales or Ireland siphoning off the odd dual-qualified player who grows misty-eyed at thoughts of the auld country.

Or even, and just as legitimately, those who just see their grandparental links as a route into international rugby that might otherwise be blocked.

Rein it in, lads

In one of the most famous moments in Scottish rugby history, Peter Brown’s conversion to beat England at Twickenham in 1971, one can see in the ancient black and white TV pictures the great man angrily waving away the congratulations of his team-mates as he returns to his half.

In those days, not that long back, a firm, manly handshake – and then only on occasion – was enough to celebrate the most significant try or an epochal winning kick.

Now I’m not averse to modern trends, and I get that rugby’s now an entertainment business.

Merely flipping the ball nonchalantly to the kicker seems no longer acceptable after a try unless you’re 30 points down in the 79th minute.

But things are getting out of hand. Freddie Burns’ disaster as he seemed to score for Bath against Toulouse on Saturday was really an accident waiting to happen.

You’ll guess I have no sympathy for Burns, and an admiration for Maxime Medard, who saw Burns’ air kiss and badge punching celebration before he’d grounded the ball and thought “Sacre bleu, complaisant, vous?”

Burns is now the poster boy for try-scoring hubris. Yet it’s only the tip of the celebratory iceberg.

I’ve been bugged for the last few seasons at the trend of replacement celebrations, where the subs warming up in the in-goal area (why is this even allowed?) join in the try-scoring hugs en masse.

I know, in rugby’s 21st Century cliché bingo, it’s a 23-man game these days. But to me that should be an automatic penalty, yellow card. Stay out of the damn game until you’re actually in it.

Even worse is opposition players joining in the celebrations in apparently ironic fashion, as Maro Itoje did at Scotstoun on Sunday when DTH van der Merwe (and a good number of Saracens defenders) didn’t hear Mathieu Reynal’s whistle.

The message is blunt. Rein it in, fellas. A few cuddles is OK. A few more manly handshakes. And the first man who does a Peter Brown – when not 30 points down – gets my player of the year.

Townsend has no qualms whatsoever about trying to improve his player base by whatever means are open to him

Picture: Getty Images. Exeter lock and new Scotland squad member Sam Skinner is mobile enough to play sevens rugby effectively.