Munro gives Glasgow a French boost

Further good news is that Shade Munro, due to arrive back in Scotland today, could be playing for Glasgow on Saturday when the team flies to Montferrand (France), hopefully avoiding the kind of result that befell the Scottish Borders in Pau.

Munro, who knows a thing or two about injury, is returning after a successful stint in the middle row for Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. He would be a valuable addition to the Glasgow pack both for mobility and lineout presence.

``I have been trying to get hold of Shade since Sunday night,'' said Hamish Fyfe, the Glasgow convener. Let's hope that he does indeed contact the man, although I thought that both of Glasgow's second rows played well enough to deserve a second chance.

So how does Fyfe, the former West of Scotland and Glasgow stand off, see things? Glasgow have been training hard for the battles posed by the European Conference, and after a good win against Newbridge on Saturday much tougher tasks await against Sale, Montferrand, and French aristocrats Agen. ``There has been a very positive attitude shown by the players so far.'' Fyfe said.

``The players, by the way, have had a good few sneaky work-outs getting ready for all of this. There was a buzz after the game in Wales, and we had a good, but very sensible night of celebration. Gone, it would seem, are the traditionally wild excesses symbolised by the post-match drink.'' It's only footballers, it would seem, who keep that one alive.

But there is bound to be a conflict arising as the clubs, who have always resented the fact there is a tier above them called a district, must now realise that to grasp the future is to grasp the district and feed it. The Glasgow committee, just like the SRU committee, is the butt of many jokes, and, oh, that we had the same pragmatism as the New Zealand clubs, who are proud that one of their members went on to play for Glasgow.

``I don't want to go into the battleground of clubs and districts in Glasgow,'' said Fyfe, whose friends include many in the club scene. ``But what I will say is we need proper preparation for games of this size. We were lucky that the first game was against Newbridge, and we will do well to remember what Sale did to Stirling County.'' What Sale did was maul them, good and proper.

I would go further than Fyfe ever would in print and say that the clubs in Glasgow have to accept a secondary status, and now that this is the route to testing our best sixty players - by pitting them into Europe as a prelude to internationals - we must have the Glasgow provincial side in far more big games, either by going on tour or playing a championship before the mid season, to get ready for the likes of Agen.

If Glasgow had been on tour before last Saturday they would have conceded less points, and they would be able to look at Sale as very beatable. At the moment Sale are possibly beatable.

It is no longer a question of preserving the number of games a player plays for a club, as some clubs have been arguing, it is a question of limiting the number of games a player takes part in so that we keep him fresh for his province.

If the people running English club rugby get a European competition off the ground next season then we, in Glasgow, must make sure that our side in it is, if anything, this provincial one.

Fyfe added: ``The boys in the squad feel this is the way to go, and that they are really pleased to have been included.''

I bet they are. The side made a special presentation to Brian Robertson after the game on Saturday as it was his fiftieth match. There is a senior committee involving Fergus Wallace, Kenny Logan, Gordon Bulloch and the coaches, and Fyfe is, I suspect, having his quiet, sensible, and non-demonstrative way.

All of which is good news. As is the imminent arrival of Munro. Prepare for some scrap against Sale.