Wales has 3 good teams. The Scarlets, Ospreys and Blues all have a host of internationals, and have all got through to the later stages of the Heineken Cup, not something Glasgow can claim. But Glasgow can beat them all regularly, last year's 28-0 win over a Cardiff Blues team that came close to the Heineken Cup final was a particular highlight.

And then there's the Newport Gwent Dragons. No star players (in fact, no one I'ver ever heard of), no long cup runs (they once lost a play-off for entry to the Heineken Cup to an Italian team!!!). And our record against them is abysmal. There's no better illustration of the frustration of being a Glasgow fan, one sight of the Dragons turn us from The Cat into Duane Dibbley, if that's an analogy that can survive the translation into rugby terms.

Last weekend's latest encounter in Wales with this team of nobodies was a classic, some of the softest tries it's been my misfortune to witness. And unfortunately our coach gets it in the neck for making 6 changes; this was a game we should have targeted to win, resting our captain doesn't look the smartest move in the circumstances. And the losing habit is catching, 10 point half-time lead turned into a 10 point defeat v the Ospreys at home this weekend.

Perhaps good job I'm not able to witness all this. Maybe a bad season to launch a blog since I'm missing all the games! And won't make Biarritz in the Heineken Cup either. Oh well, never stopped me spreading uninformed comment across the ether before...

Here, rugby gods, leave our talented players alone!

So Ruaridh Jackson is out for the next 3 months (see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/scotland/6163741/Ruaridh-Jackson-ruled-out-for-three-months-after-suffering-shoulder-dislocation.html). Typical; young Scottish players with potential specialise in poorly timed injuries, see Chris Cusiter, Simon Taylor, and especially Tom Philip. Whereas our not-quite-international-class plodders seem immune to injury, and end up acquiring 50 caps more than they'd get in any other team in the 6 Nations - see Dan Parks, Andy Henderson, Gavin Kerr. Have to say I'd hardly seen Jackson prior to his cameo on Friday, and there wasn't much for me to judge him on there, but watching his try again on TV from behind the posts, you see the fantastic sprint he made to be in position to take Morrison's pass. From there the try was almost certain, because he'd anticipated correctly and done the hard work when it mattered. It's the sort of support running that Craig Chalmers used to be famous for, albeit he was nothing like this quick.

But in Ruaridh's absence, I'm not writing Dan Parks off yet; it's only 2 years since he was winning Man of the Match awards at Firhill so often as to suggest his Mum was the judge. Except that he deserved them all, and it wasn't just down to kicking; on his good days he can get the backs running as well as any fly half in league rugby. Just a pity he never seems able to adjust to the greater pace of international rugby, where he keeps getting charged down and intercepted in ways that very rarely happen for Glasgow.

We're on the Telly!

Well, the pitchside camera was pointed straight at us for several seconds as some Glasgow points were celebrated on Friday, but we'll need Irish spies to tell me if it was actually used, since the games aren't being shown live anywhere else. Don't get me started on rugby coverage in Scotland. Actually, do get me started, what's the point in having a blog if you don't get to rant about your obsessions, I'll probably return to this one regularly. The BBC are a particular disgrace at present, their Friday night radio programme aside.

But at least we have a new STV Rugby programme on Sunday to show the highlights of this and all the other Magners game. And having at last watched my video, it isn't bad at all. Especially compared to STV's last rugby show a couple of years back which seemed to depend on fans sending in their home videos to fill the allocated half hour. The new show is an hour of proper action and comment and doesn't try to do 'rugby for beginners'. Andy Nicol as presenter needs work, but looks like he'll improve, and Scott Hastings as resident pundit is relaxed and fluent, and never yelled "Try time" (catchphrase from his commentating days) once. All commentary on the Magners games was the Welsh and Irish versions, but it's nice to get the external view and to marvel at how spectacularly biased Jonathon Davies is. On the negative side, highlights that show kicks at goal but no evidence of why the penalties were awarded is unusual. And asking Mike Blair to comment on how well Chris Cusiter played for Glasgow was a bit insensitive!

Firhill for frustrations

3,694 fans at Firhill for the Warriors' first game of the new season, apparently. Not enough to spill over into a 2nd stand, but better than in years gone by. Unfortunately said crowd still includes two drummers who can't actually play the drums, though they make lots of noise trying. We got in just before kick off and almost sat next to them before spotting the paraphernalia and making a sharp exit from that row of seats. Still too close for comfort though, a chap behind us made regular threats to kill them and he was saying what lots of people were thinking. Still, compared to years gone by it's good to be complaining about too much noise at Glasgow games.

Big crowd also means 15 minute plus queues for drinks, even if you join said queue 10 minutes before half time. When I finally got my order in, the bar staff announced that they only sell alcohol (not an option for Viv); and all soft drinks have to be procured from a separate counter nearby. With a separate 15 minute queue!! I spotted an unopened bottle of lemonade behind the bar, asked for a glass, and was told this was only for shandies. So I asked for a shandy without any beer. The mental gearsticks whirred and clicked for a few seconds, and lemonade was eventually handed over, 'just this time, mind'. Well fine, provided they stock some real soft drinks at the beer bar next time. The current system will do nothing to encourage designated drivers.

Same again for the rest of the season, please

This blog will follow and comment on the exploits of my 3 favourite rugby teams; Melrose, Glasgow Warriors, and Scotland, over the 2009/10 season. It will tell Craig Chalmers, Sean Lineen and Andy Robinson who they should and should not be selecting and why. It will mix dispassionate analysis with one-eyed prejudice. It will regularly veer off into commentary on other sports and other parts of my life. It will create hostages to fortune, it will contradict itself regularly, and it will be wildly inconsistent. In short, it will be pretty much like me in the pub before and after every game.

And if the results are anything like this weekend's, the blog will be uncharacteristically upbeat! Glasgow knocked off the Magners League champions, Melrose maintained their unbeaten start, and a few other Scottish players and coaches got their seasons off to good starts.

I was at the Warriors game with Alan, Viv and Neil to see Glasgow's win, notable for Chris Cusiter proving himself far tougher than his Greek God hairstyle would suggest, Dan Parks recovering from kicking his first garryowen 20 yards backwards to play a typically solid game, and Graeme Morrison finally learning to sidestep. More significantly, our new prop Jon Welsh looks a find and the forwards bossed Munster around at the crucial times. A few signs of early season rust, and as everyone's been saying, it was a good time to get Munster with none of their Lions, but they still had the likes of Horan, Leamy, and various Southern hemisphere backs who would all play for Scotland if we could find Scottish grannies for them, so a fine effort.

Re Melrose, all I know is what's been in the papers, but sounds like they've found the knack of squeezing victories out of tight games, always a good sign. Also pleased to see good wins for Bryan Redpath's Gloucester (featuring 4 Scottish players, almost the only ones left in the English premiership after post-season moves and retirements) and Rob Moffat's Edinburgh in Wales.

But back to Glasgow for a final word. And the word is 'Oops'. In the light of his recent drink driving conviction, Parks' decision during the lap of honour to wave at a mate in the crowd and toss back an imaginary pint (presumably shorthand for 'let's get pished later') was a tad unfortunate...