THE HERALD REVEALS

Who will be next to inherit the poisoned chalice?
DOUG GILLON April 03 2009
Scotland's recent international rugby record, winning a solitary match in each of the past three Six Nations, suggests the succession to Frank Hadden may prove a poisoned chalice.

As much will be evident to those in contention, which may even rule out some who might be considered among the favourites. Timing the run in rugby is critical, not just making it. The coaches of the Glasgow and Edinburgh professional teams, Sean Lineen and Andy Robinson, will be well aware of that, and though their names may be high on contender lists, such wily figures may not see it that way. They will know this may not be the time to stake their reputations.

So who else? When Hadden replaced Matt Williams, Steve Bates ran him very close. Bates won only one England cap, but his coaching credentials are impressive. He was coach under director of rugby Rob Andrew at Newcastle Falcons, and got them promoted to the Premiership which they won at the first attempt, in 1997-98. He twice took them to the final of the Tetley's Bitter Cup, winning once.

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He took over as head coach of an under-resourced Reivers, and led the Border men back into the Heineken Cup before the SRU folded the side. He also coached Scotland A to the final of the 2006 Churchill Cup, in which they beat England Saxons and Canada before losing the final to New Zealand Maori.

Bates is now back on Tyneside as director of rugby, but is still in touch with the Scottish game, for his two underlings there are Stuart Grimes, the former Scotland lock, and Alan Tait.

Tait was Scotland defence coach until he and forwards coach George Graham were sacked after Scotland's poor season a year ago.

Newcastle were not great shakes, but after a dire start have won seven of their last eight matches and are rising up the Guinness Premiership. They have done so without Jonny Wilkinson, whom Bates took there a decade ago after having discovered him as a schoolboy.

With Scotland drawn against England in the 2011 World Cup, there may be an attraction in having the services of somebody with a profound knowledge of the English game and their players.

There's also an under-20 management team of honourable pedigree which night be considered worthy of promotion. Great White Shark John Jeffrey, the former Scotland and Lions flanker, has steered the under-20s to three wins out of five in their Six Nations tournament. Just turned 50, he has two other ex-Lions, Craig Chalmers and Peter Wright, in that backroom team.

Other contenders from left field might include Dean Richards, who along with Jeffrey played rugby with the Calcutta Cup on Princes Street. What an irony if the two men who were once judged to have brought the game into disrepute were now reunited as manager and coach of Scotland.

Once ranked Rugby World player of the year, Deano was hugely successful at Leicester before he was sacked in a bitter parting.

In Australia there is a legend with a known fondness for Scotland: Rod McQueen, who led his country to the World Cup title in 1999.

But the most immediately available contenders remain the men guiding the two professional sides, though neither achieved any consistency this season.

Robinson succeeded Clive Woodward as England head coach, but the beginning of the end for him was the 18-12 Calcutta Cup defeat by Scotland. His Edinburgh side beat Leinster and Leicester last year, but Lineen's Glasgow men have outshone him in the Heineken Cup this year. Lineen has got his backs firing, witness the emergence of the Evans brothers, and the win over Toulouse was the biggest shock in the tournament's history.

This article was posted on 3-Apr-2009, 07:15 by Hugh Barrow.