Scott Johnson joins Scotland executive management

Excellent news, this:

"Scottish Rugby is pleased to confirm today that Scott Johnson, 49, the former Australian under-21 fly-half/centre, who has coached the Wallabies, Wales and the US Eagles, will join head coach Andy Robinson's support staff as senior assistant coach.

Johnson is currently Director of Coaching at the RaboDirect PRO 12 club, the Ospreys, who sit in second place in the league, and will relinquish that post at the end of the season to join Robinson's management group in time for the June tour to Australia, Fiji and Samoa.

Robinson had said he wished to add an experienced international coach to his management team and is pleased to have secured Johnson.

He said: "I am delighted Scott has agreed to join the Scotland coaching team. I have huge respect for him as a coach and a person having coached against him on numerous occasions."

Scottish Rugby's chief executive Mark Dodson said: "I believe this is a significant appointment for Scottish Rugby. In addition to working with Andy and the national management team, we are finalising an important wider role for Scott in helping us to better identify Scottish qualified talent around the world."

Johnson said: "I'm excited by this challenge. Scotland is a country with a great history in rugby and with Andy there's a real focus point to get it back to where it belongs on the world stage by creating something new and brighter.""

He's no slouch as a backs coach and genuinely has experience at the top.

Did Ospreys fans see this one coming?

Smart move by AR. It´s clear from his coaching experience that he knows how to get the best out of his forwards. What is also clear from his coaching experience is that he doesn´t know much about attacking flair. Scotland have to strike a balance between doing the basics right, playing to their strengths in the forwards and getting enough possession and territory to put points on the board.

What they also need, however, is a bit more variety in their backline. To be able to strike not only from the boot but also in open or broken play. To keep the opposition guessing as to what they´re going to do and to punch holes through the defensive line other than up the guts.

A welcome addition to Scotland rugby and a very astute choice by AR. He knew his job was on the line and this move will hopefully share the load and inject some much needed innovation in the Scottish backline. They have the players performing in the club scene. Now to turn that goodwill story into a test fairytale and see some much needed creativity added to the grunt and determination up front.

Seems an odd decision to me. I still think a young ambitious coach on their way up is whats needed.

I am willing to be proved wrong but I don't think this is any sort of a good move. this guy has failed several times has he not?

Not at all sure about this one - could be a stroke of genius or a total waste of time. Will hopefully take a bit of the load of Toonie's shoulders

Will you take Holley too

Pre-Six Nations: "Take him"

Post-Six Nations: "Give him back!"....?

We'll see. Fingers on buzzers. Wait for it, wait for it.......

PenfroPete wrote:Will you take Holley too

Only if you will accept an exchange for Gregor Townsend and a giant dark chocolate Toblerone.

George Carlin wrote:

PenfroPete wrote:Will you take Holley too

Only if you will accept an exchange for Gregor Townsend and a giant dark chocolate Toblerone.

Done Toby Lerone has an impressive record within Italy, we'll make him head coach

TJ wrote:Seems an odd decision to me. I still think a young ambitious coach on their way up is whats needed.

I am willing to be proved wrong but I don't think this is any sort of a good move. this guy has failed several times has he not?

Not sure how you measure this TJ, but a few things stand out:

1. Pretty important member of Wales 2005 grand slam coaching squad;

2. Coached Ospreys to Magner's League win in 09/10;

3. Has coached in at least 3 international set ups (Wallabies, Wales and USA);

4. Stock in trade is as skills coach - he played as 10 and 13 and we need some of that nous at the moment.

So on paper at least, more plusses than minuses and I cannot see Robinson taking on anyone where the chemistry across all coaches isn't right.

But there's plenty of O's fans on these boards, so their opinion is probably the most useful at present.

Oh god the SRU and their decisions...
Well, it's wonderful news for Ospreys fans, the loss to the Scarlets has been forgotten and every Ospreys fan feels as though they've had a late xmas present!

He betrayed Ruddock, then run away from Wales when he realised he couldn't do the job, then came back for a nice £250k a year at the Ospreys and has done very little to earn it, he makes bad selection choices and can't seem to come up with any kind of game plan for them to play.

He can't make Scotland any worse, but he won't help things either.

George Carlin

s stint coaching international sides all of which have been fairly poor have they not? all coaching jobs end in failure near enough but he appears to have an underwhelming record.

Interesting what yo say about himas skills / backs coach and that is what is needed somewhat.

We shall see but the coaching setup just does not fill me with hope

"In addition to working with Andy and the national management team, we are finalising an important wider role for Scott in helping us to better identify Scottish qualified talent around the world."

Sounds like he's being hired to go hunting for a McLomu or two

Well it looks like Visser will make a big impression on the Scottish fortunes this year if they convince him to play for his adopted nation... Great display for Edinburgh again tonight.

So what happens to Gregor Townsend?

Scotts will curse the day they let SJ in. He achieved nothing with Wales or the Ospreys. Full of himself and a waste of space.

maestegmafia wrote:Well it looks like Visser will make a big impression on the Scottish fortunes this year if they convince him to play for his adopted nation... Great display for Edinburgh again tonight.

They just need 14 more of his quality then they should be fine.

Well i was excited when he took over the Wallabies, hoping for something positive, but we saw the way the Wallabies went under him, not much attacking flair.

But good luck to Scotland with him, maybe he will have a better squad of players then he had with the Wallabies for 2007, and he works as good as he did with the Ospreys before he went back to Oz

Have to say I'm not exactly signing from the rooftops about this appointment - I was hoping for a bigger name than that!

Will give him the benefit of the doubt but still have no idea specifically what he'll do.....

Happy to give him a chance though

RDW_Scotland wrote:Have to say I'm not exactly signing from the rooftops about this appointment - I was hoping for a bigger name than that!

Will give him the benefit of the doubt but still have no idea specifically what he'll do.....

Happy to give him a chance though

As an assistant coach he will probably play good cop, to Andy Robinsons bad cop for the players, when the players are annoyed they will probably complain to Johnson, who will smooth it our with Robinson.
Many of the Welsh players have said he is great in that role while helping to increase general skill levels of the players, much of the handling and attacking skills during Wales 2005 grand slam can be attribited to him.

He is a good assistant coach, but when he does the role of being the boss it doesnt really work I'm afraid, however he should work out well as an assistant.

he's alright as an assistant coach, a lot was made of his contribution to the 2005 wales grandlsam, i've never seen what he brought to that gameplan that wasn't already there...

joined the ospreys half way through the season they won the magners league title, and has managed to coach players backwards in their skills levels (see Dan Biggar/Bishop/Fussell) and the Ospreys style of play has got incredibly lazy, they used to be full of incisive passing and running, not so much any more.

Talks a lot of nonsense when asked questions he doesnt want to answer by the media.

I think getting rid of him was one of the best things that could have happened for them.

I think this is a bad appointment for Scotland, personally.

I'm not a big SJ fan though, in case you couldnt tell! Maybe he'll be the perfect coaching foil fo Robinson though, it'd be nice to see some creativity in scotlands backline this 6ns, their clubs have been playing attractive rugby and you never get anything less than a solid scotland pack.