Coach’s plan to have
Scotland playing the fastest-tempo rugby in the world suits his limited resources but comes with a riskWhen Gregor Townsend told his employers in the middle of 2016 that he wanted to take charge of Scotland, he was, at 43, still in the relatively early stages of his coaching career. He might easily have acquired a lucrative post elsewhere for a time before turning his attention to the national team. But the then coach of Glasgow Warriors – a team owned by the Scottish Rugby Union –was convinced there was a significant opportunity at that point which might have disappeared had he waited: the lure of working with what he believes is a uniquely talented generation of young Scottish players.
Three years on that belief remains. Townsend, who had to wait for Vern Cotter’s contract to expire before assuming office in the spring of 2017, now has what may be his only chance to make the most of that talent – and to convert his own promise as a national coach into reality.