The Offside Line Podcast: The First for Scottish Rugby

Burnsy and Barney catch up for a quick review of last weekend's Arnold Clark Premiership action, where Ayr delivered another statement win, and Hawick took a big step towards safety with their away win over Edinburgh Accies.

They discuss how concerned we should be about Edinburgh's loss at Benetton, and celebrate Glasgow's free-wheeling start against Lions ... although they wobbles a but after the break.

And, of course, it All Blacks week, with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend having some big selection decisions to make as his team seek to break their age-old losing record against a depleted New Zealand side.

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Barney, Robin and Stuart catch up to look ahead to the final round of Arnold Clark Men's Premiership matches before the halfway-stage break for the Inter-District Championship.

Ayr are back on top but face a tough assignment away to second-placed Melrose this weekend, while third-bottom Hawick have a chance to put further daylight between themselves and the relegation zone when they head to second-bottom Edinburgh Accies.

It was close but no cigar for Glasgow Hawks again last weekend, this time away to city rivals GHA, but they face an even bigger challenge when an in-form Heriot's pitch up at Balgray this weekend.

Meanwhile, fourth-placed Currie Chieftains will look to bounce back from last weekend's thumping defeat to Ayr when they host a GHA side looking to build some momentum and force their way into the play-off race.

Kelso are on a high after knocking Melrose off top spot last weekend, but will be without influential backs Dwain Patterson and Archie Barbour when they head to Myreside to take on Watsonians.

Plus, there's a look ahead to a potentially pivotal weekend across National One, National Two and the Women's Premiership, with some intriguing top-of-the-table clashes on the cards.

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Barney and Burnsy are joined by friends of the show Mark Palmer of The Times and extraordinaire Craig Watson to chew over and digest Gregor Townsend's Scotland training squad selection for next month's Nations Championship Autumn Series, which will see New Zealand, Australia and Japan visit Murrayfield on consecutive weekends, followed by finals weekend in London on 27th-29th November.

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Robin returns from a week off to jump right back into a fascinating weekend of Arnold Clark Premiership action.

Reigning champions Ayr got a fright last weekend against bottom of the table Glasgow Hawks and now face their closest challengers in recent seasons, Currie Chieftains, who are a team on the mission. It could be a class for the ages at Millbrae!

Meanwhile, it is derby day in Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Borders.

Hawks will be looking to build on the promising performance when they head across the city to take on a GHA team who need to start winning soon or let their play-off hopes go.

Edinburgh Accies will also be encouraged by their performance at Myreside last week when they head to Goldenacre to take on Heriot's.

And top of the league Melrose head to Poynder Park for a match against a Kelso team talking down their chances ... but Stuart isn't buying that!

The other top flight game of the weekend sees Watsonians head south to face Hawick.

If you enjoy listening to us talk about Scottish rugby, you’ll find much more of it written up on our website, http://www.theoffsideline.com/. That’s where our reporters cover the game at every level: Scotland, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh, the Arnold Clark Premiership, men’s and women’s, and the club and age-grade game too.

Visit us here to check out the subscription options today!

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Barney and Burnsy catch up to review last weekend's Arnold Clark Men's Premiership action, lament some horrifying score-lines in the Sarah Beaney Cup and reflect on Scotland Women extending their losing run to eight matches.

Edinburgh had a frustrating night against Toulon at Hive Stadium in round one of the Challenge Cup on Friday, so the boys discuss whether it is just a hiccup or a return to the bad old days?

Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors played some scintillating rugby to get their Champions Cup campaign off to a flyer against Sale Sharks at the CorpAcq Stadium on Saturday afternoon with the boys celebrating the excellence of wingers Jamie Dobie and Kyle Steyn in particular.

With several potentially key players racing to be fit in time for Scotland's Autumn Nations Championship campaign, national team head coach Gregor Townsend has pushed back his training squad announcement from Tuesday of this week (20th October) to next Monday (26th October).

Who will make the cut? And who will be unlucky if they miss out?

Could Dave Cherry be involved?

Would the up and coming Jake Dalziel benefit from being involved or would his development be better served by pulling him out of the fast lane to let him spend some time getting used to the pro game at Newcastle Red Bulls next month?

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After last weekend's welfare break, the Arnold Clark Men's Premiership returns.

With Robin missing in action, Iain Heard steps back into the breach to join Stuart and Barney for a look ahead at this weekend's fixtures, which includes a Borders derby between top of the table Melrose and Hawick, a west coast clash at Balgray between defending champions Ayr and still winless Glasgow Hawks, and a capital city showdown at Myreside between Watsonians and Edinburgh Accies.

Two teams with play-off aspirations but struggling for consistency this season meet at Goldenacre, when Heriot's host GHA.

Meanwhile, a highly charged afternoon is on the cards at Malleny Park, when Currie Chieftains will look to pay tribute to club legend Ally Donaldson the day after his funeral in the way he would have appreciated most when they take on Kelso.

The guys also run through National One and National Two with Stirling County and Highland, respectively, the teams to beat.

This episode is sponsored by KubeNet - a multi-award winning technology solutions provider based in Glasgow.

It's Cyber Security Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to take stock of your organisation's cyber defences. Championship-winning teams know success starts with a strong defence, and resilient businesses are no different. Our sponsors KubeNet provide managed IT services, cyber security solutions and proactive support to help keep your organisation protected against evolving threats. Don't wait until you've conceded a costly cyber attack. Get ahead of the game and strengthen your defence today. You can contact KubeNet at hello@kubenet.net to learn more.

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Hello Offside Liners and welcome to this week’s show. Barney and Burnsy get out of the studio to record a special interview with former Scotland U20s, Stirling County and Heriot’s second-row Adam Sinclair about his life and career, which has taken him from Bannockburn to South Africa, France and England (as well as the Scottish Premiership). They also review all the latest URC action, schoolboy rugby, Jake Dalziel’s Prem breakthrough and World Rugby law changes.

This week we’re sponsored by Sterling Sinclair Group.

As the undisputed masters of the Scottish self-storage and removals industry, the Sterling Sinclair Group delivers a complete one-stop shop experience across the nation. Through their strategic facilities – Perth Self Store, Edinburgh Self Store, and Stirling Self Storage – they provide secure, flexible space for every need.

This expertise is seamlessly supported by Sterling Sinclair's premier fleet of 19 specialist vehicles, ensuring professional packing, removal, and shipping services. Furthermore, their Hiab Container Scotland division completes their comprehensive service by expertly selling and moving shipping containers throughout Scotland. Find all the details at https://sterlingsinclairremovals.co.uk/ which includes their storage options.

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Bob McKillop - head coach of Stirling County and the Edinburgh District team this season - joins the usual suspects to chew over the season so far at the top end of the club game and to look ahead the Inter District Championship which will run over consecutive weekends in November this year.

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Barney and Burnsy catch up to discuss the return of the Scotland Men's Sevens team this coming weekend, Edinburgh's gritty win over Stormers last Friday night and whether George Horne cost Glasgow Warriors a win over Ulster on Saturday evening.

There's also a revelation about how a missed deadline by Barney gave Burnsy his big break in the literary world!

This episode is sponsored by KubeNet - a multi-award winning technology solutions provider based in Glasgow.

It's Cyber Security Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to take stock of your organisation's cyber defences. Championship-winning teams know success starts with a strong defence, and resilient businesses are no different. Our sponsors KubeNet provide managed IT services, cyber security solutions and proactive support to help keep your organisation protected against evolving threats. Don't wait until you've conceded a costly cyber attack. Get ahead of the game and strengthen your defence today. You can contact KubeNet at hello@kubenet.net to learn more.

Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barney is back from his golfing jolly to join Stuart and Robin as they look ahead to the final round of matches before the Arnold Clark Men's Premiership 'welfare' break.

Game of the day looks like being at Myreside where Watsonians will look to bounce back from last weekend's agonising defeat at the Greenyards by getting the better of a Heriot's side on a high after becoming the first side to beat Ayr in a league match in just shy of two years.

Elsewhere, Ayr and GHA will each look to exorcise the demons of last weekend's defeats when they meet at Millbrae, while still winless Glasgow Hawks face a tough trip to the Borders to take on Kelso at Poynder Park, and Edinburgh Accies welcome Melrose to Raeburn Place.

The Hawick versus Currie Chieftains game has been postponed as a mark of respect following the new earlier this week that Currie stalwart Ally Donaldson had passed away following a short illness.

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A short sharp pod to start the week with Barney and Burnsy catching up to celebrate two bonus-points wins on the road for the Scots teamson the opening weekend of the URC ... and four Irish defeats!

Meanwhile, how much should we read into Arnold Clark Men's Premiership champions Ayr suffering their first league defeat in just short of two years against Heriot's at Goldenacre?

Congratulations to Garioch whose perseverance in the Arnold Clark Women's Premiership was rewarded with a first win of the season over Cartha Queens Park on Saturday, but it was a disappointing afternoon for Scotland Women who couldn't build on a positive first half against Australia and ended up slumping to a third defeat in as many weeks at Hive Stadium.

Finally, the boys reflect on the gut-wrenching news that Ally Donaldson – a Currie Chieftains and Scottish rugby legend – has passed away on Sunday evening following a short illness, aged just 60.

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Barney has gone golfing so Iain Heard - former referee turned pundit and champion of the club game - steps into the breach, and there's some big games in the Premiership to look forward to this coming weekend, including Ayr taking their long winning streak on the road to Goldenacre where Heriot's await in what looks like being game of the day.

Meanwhile Glasgow Hawks host Hawick at the other end of the table, there's a capital derby between Currie Chieftains and Edinburgh Accies at Malleny Park, in-formMelrose welcome Watsonians to the Greenyards, and it's GHA versus Kelso at Braidholm.

There's also a top of the table clash in National One with second in the league Gala hoping to burst Stirling County's unbeaten bubble at Netherdale.

And there's a fair old battle on the cards in the north with National Two leaders Highland heading to Countesswells to take on third placed Gordonians.

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With the URC kicking off this weekend, Barney and Burnsy popped into the Edinburgh Rugby offices at Murrayfield to catch up with the club's managing director, Doug Struth, for a wide-ranging chat. Including: David Nucifora's role in recruiting three Australian assistant coaches this summer, why Jamie Ritchie heading to Glasgow was a surprise but not a disaster and the importance of A team games.

There has been 60 percent turnover in rugby-facing staff over the summer, and Struth says there is a fresh buzz about the club ... but will that be evident against Ulster on Friday night?

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Some huge games on the menu this weekend with Heriots' trip to the Greenyards to take on Melrose in a clash of two of the form teams in the league perhaps match of the day, although the basement battle between Edinburgh Accies and Glasgow Hawks could also be a gripping encounter.

Barney, Stuart and Robin get together to look ahead at another exciting weekend of action in the top flight of men's club rugby in Scotland, and they also hear from Stirling County head coach Bob Mckillop

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Burnsy is on a mini-tour of the UK this week but has found the time to catch up with Barney to digest last weekend's Arnold Clark Premiership action and to discuss the importance of Murrayfield showing a bit more love and respect for this top tier of the club game in Scotland as it needs to be an essential step in the performance pathway for the long term health of the game.

The boys are also joined by Stuart Bathgate to catch-up on Scotland's WXV campaign, which kicked off with a heavy defeat to Canada at Hive Stadium on Saturday. Dave Butcher's side appear to be low on confidence but is there light at the end of the tunnel?

This podcast is sponsored by Kudos Sports Services.

Kudos Sports Services supports grassroots and community sports clubs with the work that happens off the pitch. From funding applications and sponsorship to club development, governance and project planning, Kudos helps clubs turn ideas into practical, fundable projects. If your club needs support to become more sustainable or develop its next project, visit kudossportsservices.com or follow Kudos Sports Services on LinkedIn.

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Unbeaten sides Currie Chieftains and Melrose meet at Malleny, Hawick head into the lions den to face Ayr at Millbrae, Kelso are missing their two co-captains for a tough trip to Goldenacre to take on Heriot's, GHA and Edinburgh Accies each hunt their first win of the season at Braidholm and the guys anticipate a tight clash at Balgray when Glasgow Hawks host Watsonians.

Meanwhile, National One is shaping up a real battle, with every team capable of beating any other side in the league ... apart from Stirling County, maybe?

And there's a top of the Arnold Clark Women's Premiership table clash at Bridgehaugh with Stirling County hosting Watsonians, and both teams coming off big wins last weekend.

This week we’re sponsored by Sterling Sinclair Group.

As the undisputed masters of the Scottish self-storage and removals industry, the Sterling Sinclair Group delivers a complete one-stop shop experience across the nation. Through their strategic facilities – Perth Self Store, Edinburgh Self Store, and Stirling Self Storage – they provide secure, flexible space for every need.

This expertise is seamlessly supported by Sterling Sinclair's premier fleet of 19 specialist vehicles, ensuring professional packing, removal, and shipping services. Furthermore, their Hiab Container Scotland division completes their comprehensive service by expertly selling and moving shipping containers throughout Scotland. Find all the details at https://sterlingsinclairremovals.co.uk/ which includes their storage options.

https://www.sterlingsinclairremovals.co.uk/

https://www.hiabcontainerscotland.co.uk/

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Barney and Burnsy are joined by Eric Jones to discuss all the latest in the men and women’s Premierships, which included some major blow-outs on the scoreboard. They also examine Edinburgh and Glasgow’s pre-season games and preview a daunting WXV campaign awaiting Scotland.

This week we’re sponsored by Sterling Sinclair Group.

As the undisputed masters of the Scottish self-storage and removals industry, the Sterling Sinclair Group delivers a complete one-stop shop experience across the nation. Through their strategic facilities – Perth Self Store, Edinburgh Self Store, and Stirling Self Storage – they provide secure, flexible space for every need.

This expertise is seamlessly supported by Sterling Sinclair's premier fleet of 19 specialist vehicles, ensuring professional packing, removal, and shipping services. Furthermore, their Hiab Container Scotland division completes their comprehensive service by expertly selling and moving shipping containers throughout Scotland. Find all the details at https://sterlingsinclairremovals.co.uk/ which includes their storage options.

https://www.sterlingsinclairremovals.co.uk/

https://www.hiabcontainerscotland.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barney, Stuart Cameron and Robin Purdie reconvene to digest the first round of Arnold Clark Men's Premiership action last weekend, and to look ahead to round two, with match of the day likely to be Currie Chieftains and Heriot's at Malleny Park, with both sides coming off big wins last time out and keen to press their credentials as the side who can break Ayr dominance of the league in recent seasons.

There's also a humdinger of a clash on the cards at Mansfield Park where Hawick will look to bounce back from their opening round walloping at Goldenacre to extend their impressive winning steak at home against Kelso into a 40th year.

This episode is supported by PhiiT Limited and their app, PitchsidePal. If you've ever played club rugby, you'll know the drill – the coach is texting players at midnight about who's available, players are waiting to find out if they're cleared to play, and someone's injury notes are on a piece of paper that's about to go through the wash. Sara Marshall has been there as a physio – at Edinburgh Uni, Watsonians and Lasswade – and she built PitchsidePal to sort it out. It's a single platform for physios, coaches, and players to manage injuries, clinic bookings, return-to-play dates, and communications, all in one place, designed specifically for the amateur game.

If your club needs to get organised book a meeting or demo with Sara now through http://phiit.org.uk/.

Act now to use code PRESEASON26 for 5% off your first year's subscription before 30th September.

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Hello Offside Liners and welcome to season 3! Barney and Burnsy get back on the horse after a restful summer and are fired up and ready to go. This week they discuss the first round of the Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership and chat with Eric Jones ahead of the opening round of the Arnold Clark Women’s Premiership this weekend.

This episode is supported by PhiiT Limited and their app, PitchsidePal. If you've ever played club rugby, you'll know the drill – the coach is texting players at midnight about who's available, players are waiting to find out if they're cleared to play, and someone's injury notes are on a piece of paper that's about to go through the wash. Sara Marshall has been there as a physio – at Edinburgh Uni, Watsonians and Lasswade – and she built PitchsidePal to sort it out. It's a single platform for physios, coaches, and players to manage injuries, clinic bookings, return-to-play dates, and communications, all in one place, designed specifically for the amateur game.

If your club needs to get organised book a meeting or demo with Sara now through http://phiit.org.uk/.

Act now to use code PRESEASON26 for 5% off your first year's subscription before 30th September.

Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a fresh club season dawns, The Offside Line has launched its new weekly ‘Clubhouse’ podcast, landing every Thursday to digest the latest goings-on in the club game and look ahead to the weekend.

This week, Barney, Stuart Cameron and Robin Purdie get together for a whistle-stop tour of the comings and goings in the Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership ahead of round one of the 2026/27 campaign on Saturday.

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