AS the last few names of British & Lions squad members were read out and it became obvious that the Scottish contingent would once again number only three, a Scottish Rugby Union official murmured bitterly: "Surprise, surprise."
Familiar faces filled the room set aside at Scotstoun to host the SRU's "Lions brunch" but, pleased as people were for Richie Gray, Stuart Hogg and Sean Maitland, there was a general sense of deflation.
Thankfully, James Robson, the Scotland and Lions doctor of the last two decades, provided the authoritative voice of reason when telling those assembled that the representation reflected Scotland's status fairly.
Once again, the call is to take stock and bring to account those responsible for the complete failure of Murrayfield administrators to develop the sport properly in the professional era, as reflected in Scotland's feeble contribution to one Lions tour after another. Many in the Scottish rugby community may be tired of my repeated references to the national team's over-reliance on three communities – the Borders, the private schools and the Exiles – but what else can be done until the necessary changes are made?
At the last count there were at least 70 rugby development officers in Scotland and running them the SRU's handbook lists 15 people in its "rugby operations" contact list plus a further 19 in its "high performance" department. Total annual cost? Best guess is well into seven figures.
Yet there has still to be one state schoolboy from the city of Glasgow, the nation's largest population centre, capped by Scotland, while Joe Ansbro – he was adopted into a white family and educated at an English private school – remains the only black man to have played for Scotland.
Set that against the following:
*Maitland's selection alongside those of Dylan Hartley and Mako Vuniploa means there are more native New Zealanders in this Lions squad than Scots-born players.
*There are as many South African-born players – Matt Stevens and Ian Evans – and as many South Sea Islanders – Manu Tuilagi and Mako Vunipola – as Scots-born players.
*There are more players from Leinster (six), Leicester Tigers (six), Ospreys (five) and even the RaboDirect Pro12's ninth-placed side Cardiff Blues (four) than there are Scotland internationalists.
*As many players have been produced by Newport-Gwent Dragons, second bottom of the Pro12, as by Scottish rugby.
Nor is this some freakish year. Since the last successful Lions tour, Scottish rugby's development structures produced a combined total of eight players – five from private schools and one Borderer – among the 134 Lions tourists in 2001, '05 and '09. Only the Murrays – Scott in 2001 and Euan in 2009 – have represented the vast swathe of Scottish state schools in the central belt and the north.
Three more Scotland internationalists have been involved, but Tom Smith and Andy Nicol (private school-products both) were Lions before their 2001 involvement, while the 2009 tourist Nathan Hines can no more be considered a product of Scottish rugby than Maitland.
Smith alone has started one of the matches that matter and, other than him, Scottish players have spent a combined total of less than one full Test match on the field. Gordon Bulloch was a seventh-minute blood replacement for Keith Wood in Australia and a 70th-minute replacement in the dead rubber in New Zealand; Ross Ford was a 37th-minute replacement in the dead rubber in South Africa; and Chris Cusiter was a 60th-minute replacement in the pre-tour game against Argentina in Cardiff in 2005.
This time around, the breakdown is one former private schoolboy, Richie Gray, one Borderer, Stuart Hogg, and one Exile, Maitland.
Pointing this out is not an attack on those communities. Indeed, they are to be commended for keeping Scottish rugby afloat, but what could be achieved if the rest of the country began to produce?
This pattern is reflected in other sports too, my colleague Doug Gillon having pointed repeatedly at the over-dependence on products of private schools to provide a disproportionate number of Scottish medals at major athletics events.
It cannot all be laid at the door of administrators because everyone with an interest in sport has a responsibility to contribute and, in the case of Scottish rugby, its clubs do, in particular. Four years have elapsed since Stirling County brought forward a motion to Scottish Rugby's annual meeting demanding an integrated youth tournament be introduced, rather than a schools cup – dominated by private schools – and a club youth league – dominated by a well-organised few – running in parallel.
I remember Cammy Mather, then a Herald Sport columnist, joking at the time: "They should name the new competition after us given how much we have banged on about it." He spoke too soon, sadly. Despite Frank Hadden, Scotland's head coach, having been among those calling for its introduction, it is still not in place. Yet where is the outcry?
The mechanisms are there for clubs to do something about this and there is no shortage of off-the-record moaning about the SRU, but no-one seems to have the stomach or energy to do the necessary homework to examine what can be done to address the failures. The officials responsible for ignoring the will of clubs should have been called to account long ago but can instead rely on apathy and inertia to prevail.
So, we can grumble among ourselves as much as we like but, as the good doctor says, Scottish rugby's malaise is not down to some sort of external prejudice but to our own failure to address shortcomings.
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