The gaps widen.
Three unions linking to form a single league were bound to show their national characteristics, making uniformity difficult, if not impossible.
The best Scottish and Welsh players are invited to join PWR clubs in England; only a few Irish bother to make the leap.
Clovers and Wolfhounds are full of test players, and that shows in the results.
Results:
Brython Thunder 7 Clovers 91
Glasgow Warriors 19 Gwalia Lightning 31
Edinburgh Rugby 22 Wolfhounds 31
Playing against strong opposition is a fine way of learning lessons and improving your own game, but within the confines of the league table (see below) it risks reducing to intra-Irish and Scottish- Welsh competition.
A combined home-and-away result of Brython Thunder 7 Clovers 149 does few people any favours.
Gwalia continued their pleasing ascent, beating Warriors away. Lindey Smith, the Glasgow coach, saw signs of advance, but the focus on development before next week underlines the early stages of progress the squad has reached.
The lack of success around Scotstoun (one win) is a concern for the Scottish authorities. They feed on two districts only, the two major cities. If one of them – even with additions from sources further afield – cannot win games, it’s an adverse comment on their systems.
International level
We still await Sean Lynn’s player choice for the 6 Nations, but Bryan Easson’s squad shows the usefulness of the CC in widening his player-pool. Both then have the task of fitting the newer faces into a coherent whole.
Scott Bemand too has used evidence from the CC, but is likely to need far fewer uncapped players to build a strong squad.
Behind these questions lie deeper matters: how do standards in coaching compare? What are the gaps in priority the three unions are giving to the women’s game and especially the pathways to international standard?
Only the Welsh case is clear. There is nationwide criticism of the bosses at the WRU. The publicists may have called the Brython match “an electrifying clash” to attract the punters, but the reality was a distance removed.
Positions after eight rounds:
Wolfhounds 34
Clovers 32
Gwalia 30
Edinburgh 15
Glasgow 9
Brython 7
It’s curious how the leading franchise in each nation represents the eastern regions. Wolfhounds are Ulster and Leinster combined (including both capitals); Gwalia are East Wales and Edinburgh lies east of Glasgow.
