THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS



THE appointment of Mike Brewer and Graham Steadman as Scotlands new assistant coaches this week provoked a mixed reaction from Scottish coaches, some of whom are frustrated at a lack of succession planning and opportunities to progress in the Scottish game.

However, Henry Edwards, the SRU's Head of Performance, insisted that this was now being vigorously tackled to ensure there were some genuine home-bred contenders for the top jobs the next time they come around. Frank Hadden has been under pressure as head coach in the past year due to results and the national teams changing styles of play, but with the SRU desperate to maintain the upwards curve at Glasgow and Edinburgh under Sean Lineen and Andy Robinson respectively, there has been a worrying lack of candidates vying to take over.

When George Graham and Alan Tait were effectively sacked they are now coaching in Italy and England respectively the cupboard was left pretty bare. So, Hadden turned back outside the country despite his passion for bringing on the country's own talent. Craig Chalmers, the former Scotland and Lions stand-off, coaching Melrose for the past three years, is critical of the SRU's inability to bring coaches through over the past decade. He said: "It's a kick in the teeth to Scots coaches to see more coaches parachuted into top jobs from outside the country. I've got nothing against Mike or Graham, but it's hellish frustrating being a coach who wants to get somewhere in Scotland.

"I've applied for loads of jobs � age-group sides, pro teams, the club international side � and sometimes not even had my application acknowledged. I've been encouraged, like former teammates Bryan Redpath, Carl Hogg and Stuart Grimes, to go and coach in England, but I don't want to do that. I got a lot out of rugby in Scotland and I want to put something back here. I'm not saying I'm a great coach; I know I have a lot to learn. Ex-players don't always make good coaches, but I do have a lot of experience, knowledge and understanding of the game that could surely be helpful."

One of the problems for coaches striving to make their way up the ladder is the lack of opportunities with only two professional teams in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Another is a failure of the SRU to run enough elite coaching courses, which has forced some well-known former internationalists to pursue coaching careers through the RFU programme in England. The SRU are working on a new UK coaching certificate 'level 4' course, but only in October will they stage their first 'level 3' course, which has been running for some time in other countries.

Peter Wright spent many seasons in the system with age-grade teams, but quit this year to go full-time at club side Glasgow Hawks. He said: "We're not having a go at the coaches coming in, it's just there is no pathway there; very little coach education. If you could see light at the end of the tunnel you'd go for it but there's no light."

Former Edinburgh and Scotland A coach Edwards took over as the SRUs head of performance in February and stated that only now, 12 years into professionalism in Scottish rugby, had a performance plan incorporating the full gamut of rugby from talent identification to international performance been mapped out. However, he insisted that that provided new hope.

"There is no hiding from the fact there has been a lull in high-performance coach development," he said. "There have been changes in structures, which affected funding, but I'm hopeful the new structure we're working on will remain no matter what changes happen elsewhere. There are two areas we're working on: coach education with the UKCC courses, and we're working with the England and Wales unions, as well as Stirling University, to develop the new level 4 course, and to improve opportunities and experience.

"We have identified about 30 coaches from different backgrounds, are doing analysis on these guys and working to develop individual coaching plans for them. Guys like Eamon John at Boroughmuir, Heriot's coach Bob McKillop, Graham Marshall at Selkirk, Gordon Henderson from Preston Lodge, Mark Appleson from Merchiston Castle � they're all involved. There are, of course, loads of others, who are not part of that group, but I'd encourage them to keep applying for jobs."

John has been a leading figure below the top level of Scottish coaching, working with age-group teams as well as club champions Boroughmuir. He added: "It has been frustrating, but Henry and the SRU are working hard.

"There is a huge problem in Scotland with opportunities � for every one full-time coaching post we have there are 101 in England. I originally came up here from Wales and I've never failed to be impressed at the quality of coaches up here. We need a better mentoring system and more involvement in some capacity for up-and-coming coaches to understand the demands at the next level better, but I'm hopeful now that that is now coming."

This article was posted on 23-Aug-2008, 07:07 by Hugh Barrow.