The phrase appeared here a couple of weeks ago jokingly but Ayr coach Kenny Murray really can be excused for a despairing cry of ‘where did summer go?’
On the heels of Ayr’s Scottish Hydro Cup Final win then the league match against Heriots, it was time for the coach to pack the bags for Argentina and head for the U20 World Cup where he was part of the Scotland coaching squad.
“That was a great experience” he said “and although it was disappointing in that we suffered heavy defeats against South Africa and Australia, it was part of the learning curve as a coach to get the boys back up from there to face their other matches.”
“It also highlighted the whole area of how we prepare young players for that level of competition and we have to increase the level of intensity at which they are playing week in week out and that means that they have to be involved at the very least in Premier 1. We are up against players who are involved in Super14 for example and we know that the Australians, who got to the final against New Zealand, will have a large number of their players still available next season so it is something which we have to address urgently here in Scotland.”
”The opportunity of meeting up with coaches from other countries as well as the involvement with our own coaching team from Scotland was one which will I will find invaluable going into the new season.”
That is the ‘where did summer go’ cry kicks in since Murray’s feet had no sooner hit the tarmac in Glasgow than he was into player planning and then actual coaching with a view to taking Ayr to even greater things in 2010-11.
“We have the usual frustrating pre-season scenario” he admitted “because not all the squad are available all the time at the moment due to the farmers work commitments, holidays, injury, players still to arrive due to other playing commitments like Ross Curle who is involved in sevens so should come back fully fit and Jono Crossan and Frazier Climo who have been involved in competition in New Zealand up until last Saturday.”
“We start in real contact situation with the Hawks tournament on Friday night which opens things up for all the clubs involved and last season everyone agreed that fifteen a side played to sevens format, ie seven minutes each way over several games, was a success then after that on August 7th we are at Gala before taking on London Scottish at Millbrae for our final warm up on the 14th . Then we travel to Hawick for what will be a real test of an opening Premier League match on August 21st.”
“We are looking at a couple of injuries at the moment to Julian Rae and Johnny McClung but from this weekend Nick Cox will be involved at training and he has been in contact to say how much he is looking forward to coming to Millbrae and to have picked up a player with his experience of England U21, Gloucester and captain of Hawks in a position where quality players at a premium is a real bonus. Mark Stewart’s brother Dean has just finished up his season along side Climo and Crossan at New Plymouth Old Boys and he will give us a bit of depth at second row and we might have another couple of youngsters coming in as well.”
See Kenny Murray-see diplomatic! When I brought up the subject of the re-vamped Premier 1 set up for next season (after eleven games the top eight play off, the bottom four play the top four out of Premier 2 to decide promotion and relegation and the bottom eight in Premier 2 battle to avoid the drop.) “It will be very interesting” was as far as he would be drawn. We did agree that that if an eighteen game match schedule was what was wanted, why not just go for the oft-mooted ten team league. “It does mean that we will have different challenges next season” he admitted “and one of the things we have for the first time is three separate drafts involving the pro players. There will be the first draft for the opening eleven games, a draft for the British and Irish Cup and then when the leagues split the pro layers allocated to the bottom four Premier 1 sides will be re-drafted to the top eight since pro players are not allowed to compete against Premier 2 sides. It does mean that we will have a powerful squad for the British and Irish Cup but we will ensure that in those games in particular it is an Ayr side which represents Scotland with the availability of the pro players something we can take advantage of as we want.”
It all kicks off for Ayr four weeks on Saturday at Mansfield Park and Kenny Murray would be the last to make any outrageous claims but you don’t have to scratch very far below the surface to sense the burning ambition that the coacf has to take Ayr to even greater things. It could be a cracker of a season.