Scotland next head coach?

What's everyones thoughts on who should take us through to the next World Cup?

Not sure if anyone has put their name in the hat or who would necessarily be interested but it's hardly the worst job in the world of rugby. Part of the 6 Nations, a winnable summer tournament against World Cup group opponents, majority of the players a centrally contracted, good bunch of young players coming through and I'm sure the SRU package isn't too shabby.

Personally I like Johnson, he seems to have a positive effect of the players but I don't want him as head honcho.

Ewan McKenzie has been linked with the Ireland job but maybe he could be persuaded to link up with Matt Taylor again and have Johnson in charge of the backs and press conferences.

Anyone else?

That would be my preferred scenario

I think our backs have gone forward under Johnson but our forwards have gone backwards. We seemed timid at the breakdown during the 6N and it was the main reason we lost the games we lost.

Dean Ryan may be a great at the video and analysis work but our pack seemed a lot less streetwise, which is surprising when we consider the experience in there between Brown, Beattie, Hamilton and Murray.

How much of our breakdown woes were related to Rennie/Barclay's absence is an unknown. I would settle for Johnson in charge since I don't think he did much wrong and for the most part he picked the best side.

I think the consensus amongst us was we would have given MacArthur a chance and maybe mixed up the outside centre berth to find alternatives to Lamont but for the most part his selections were good.

All we need is a bit more bite in the pack and I reckon we'll cause teams problems.

Well if Johnson is to stay, having him in charge of press conferences would certainly play to his strengths.....

My own view, just in case you haven't heard it a million times, is that we should go to Nick Mallett and Steve Meehan, and beg.

What really put me off Johnson was the final two games of the 6N.

When Scotland had played 4 games with only France remaining, I think we were all hoping Johnson would have the answer to win or come close to winning against a very poor French team gaining some momentum.

Most people had given him the answer, including the BBC pundits. Give the backs better ball and don't just try to mount attacks off the set piece. Instead the backs got hardly anything and it was just kick it long, high, wide, anywhere really. Don't try to keep the ball in hand. Yet when the game was lost and Scotland tried to play it through hands things suddenly lit up for a few minutes before the whistle went, like against Wales in the final quarter of that game.

I'm not massively opposed to him, I just hated the game plan he employed. If he can select one that suits Scotland better then I would be more than happy for him to get the full time job. But it would be criminal to let Visser, Hogg and Maitland rot away...

I don't think he should be allowed the head coach rule and should be kept with the backs, I think they should get Ewan McKenzie in as head coach, George Graham in as forwards coach, and leave Taylor with the defence. The forwards simply weren't good enough during the six nations and that's mainly why we lost to Wales and England however to say the backs' success to is solely down to Johnson isn't entirely true, the backs now are far superior to those who Robinson started with, the likes of Maitland, Visser, Hogg, Scott and Dunbar are incomparable to Walker, Danielli, Morrison and Parks. I think our current backs would suit a more expansive style and I think Hamilton should be dropped to allow the more mobile Gilchrist to play, I'd also pick Bennett during the summer too, outside-centre is currently a weakness we might as well fill it with someone with the potential to be great rather than an ex-winger or a player who's never filled his potential. I'd like to see a coaching team of:

Head Coach: Ewan McKenzie
Backs coach: Scott Johnson
Forwards coach: George Graham
Defence coach: Matt Taylor

And a squad of:

1. Grant
2. Ford
3. Murray
4. Gilchrist
5. Gray
6. Brown
7. Rennie
8. Beattie
9. Laidlaw
10. Weir
11. Visser
12. Dunbar
13. Bennett
14. Maitland
15. Hogg

16. Welsh
17. MacArthur
18. Low
19. Swinson
20. Barclay
21. Kennedy
22. Scott
23. Lamont

As well as that in the squad I'd like to see: Reid, Hamilton, Denton, Wilson, Fusaro, Pyrgos, Cusiter, Jackson, Seymour, Cairns, Horne, Brown.

After that I'd play a game plan based on playing expansively but only if it was, either, "on" or in the right part of the pitch.

Bennett!!

funnyExiledScot wrote:Bennett!!

Don't get me wrong, I don't think he's our best outside centre, in fact I doubt he's Glasgow's best but 13 is our weakest position and aside from the Scarlets game, he's played very well when he's played for Glasgow. The Scarlets game wasn't even his fault he just had the misfortune to be playing outside Horne and Jackson who had shockers. There's no doubting his obvious potential to be great and what better time to get him in an international shirt than in a tournament which will have very little coverage and very little will be expected of Scotland as, hopefully, our best players will be otherwise engaged.

I think it's time for a player coach in world rugby. I can't think of a better choice than Maitland...

Gilchrist !!!

Numbers, the SRU would like to employ you as a head hunter for coach selection! Your choices for the coaching set up are pretty top notch

However. You are not allowed to be part of squad selection!

Bennett - No. Over hyped and beleives his own hype - Not actually that good!
Dropping Matt Scott - Why??? I'd say other than brown he was Scotlands player of the 6N's - Stats may mislead, but statistically he was the best performing centre in the whole tournament!

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Gilchrist !!!

Agreed - wouldn't have him in the Scotland squad at the moment, not until he starts hurting the opposition on the field.

Locks should be Hamilton and Gray, with Swinson on the bench. Switch Hamilton and Swinson if you expect the game to be at high tempo.

The centres for me should be Scott and Dunbar, with Alex Grove on the bench.

Whats Dan Parks up to after this season?

FES - Please stop talking sense! You know it is banned on this forum!

Grove on the bench!!!! sheesh! you know that kind of rational thinking will be the downfall of this forum and also put a stop to any possible chance of having Veron playing at centre!

For what it's worth (quiet at work) - my presumptive 23 for next season:

1.Grant 2.Ford 3.Murray 4.Hamilton 5.Gray 6.Brown (c) 7.Rennie 8.Beattie 9.Laidlaw 10.Weir 11.Visser 12.Scott 13.Dunbar 14.Maitland 15.Hogg

16.Cross 17.MacArthur 18.Welsh 19.Swinson 20.Denton 21.Cusiter 22.Jackson 23.Grove

Scotland A for the 6 Nations:

1.Dickinson 2.Hall 3.Low 4.Gilchrist 5.Kellock (c) 6.Harley 7.Barclay 8.Wilson 9.Pyrgos 10.Heathcote 11.S Lamont 12.Horne 13.Bennett 14.Seymour 15.Tonks

16.Allen 17.Lawrie 18.Hislop 19.Ryder 20.Fusaro 21.Kennedy 22.Leonard 23.NDL

Two very nice looking teams there FES. Only issue is that you are assuming Cusiter wont be injured!!!

I feel for Harley. The boy did really well when he played this year. Its harsh to have him drop down to the A team but we have some options in the back row. This being said, Denton really needs to get his finger out or he could see Harley taking that bench spot over him!

Do you think Tonks could cover centre? If Hogg goes down we'd have no FB cover. Or maitland would go to 15 and then we'd see Grove or Jackson on the wing? It's that or have laidlaw cover 9 and 10 and replace jackson with another outside back?

Beacuse you need to have a replacement prop and hooker, it makes the bench forward heavy! The IRB should allow a 24 or 25 man squad I reckon!

I think with Brown at 6 and captain, Harley is the wrong call for the bench. Realistically you're looking for ball carrying impact at 8 in my view, which is why I'm going for Denton, in the assumption that he's back fit and firing next season. It is tough on Harley, but if Brown gets injured, then he goes straight into the XV, with Strokosch covering 6 for Scotland A.

Always hard to cover injuries in every eventuality. Were Hogg to get injured I'd probably move Maitland to 15 (where he can play), and have either Grove on the wing, or move Dunbar onto the wing (where he has played before) and have Grove at 13. You could have Tonks on the bench, but again I'm thinking more about impact than injury cover, and I like the possibility of moving Dunbar at 12 to be more direct, and having Grove come on at 13 to pick up on Dunbar's offloading game.

Letting Laidlaw cover 9 and 10 is certainly an option, but given Weir's youth and inexperience, I would rather have a specialist 10 on the bench, and if we are going well with front foot ball, Jackson is our best footballer and distributor.

I'm not mad keen on expanding the bench. I quite like games to open up a little in the last 20 with players getting tired. If you go for a league style format, with more subs being allowed, you effectively keep the intensity up throughout the whole 80 minutes.

Also, most other sides have better depth than us - so I don't think it would help Scotland at all!

The thing with Harley is that he also covers 7. Brown also covers 7 I suppose so if Rennie went down then Denton to 6 and brown to 7?

It is actually a pleasure to be worrying about having to drop Harley. Nice to have some strength somewhere on the park.

I wish we had more strength at 10 and in the centres! I think Heathcote is one for the future. I think I rate him more than meatball to be honest! I'm not going to talk about Bennett. I think he needs left alone to deveope! We could also do with a young and impressive 9 coming through. I really do not rate Pyrgos. One set peice move is all he has really done imo! Why can matalawu be from Crieff or summit!!!

tigertattie wrote:The thing with Harley is that he also covers 7. Brown also covers 7 I suppose so if Rennie went down then Denton to 6 and brown to 7?

At international level Harley doesn't cover 7 in my view. He's a specialist 6. I also don't think Denton is much use at 6, he's a specialist 8. Whilst an injury may require a player to be out of position, I certainly wouldn't legislate for it by choice.

If Rennie were to get injured in my formation then yes, I'd probably shift Brown to 7 and Denton to 6, or just ask Denton to do a job from 7.

You can never legislate for injuries, but you should prepare to use subs in an impact capacity.

Don't want to be controversial but... I don't think Harley is an international backrow. He's not good enough as an attacking threat with ball in hand or ball carrying. He could (and should) be an international second row with an extra 5kgs of muscle on his bones and good scrummaging technique.


Strokosh - limited in attack but good in defense. Not international class.
Denton - enjoys carrying and hitting people but not the high work rate required. Definite no. 8

Brown is the only Scottish player that has all the assets to play 6.

I agree with you re: the weaknesses in Harley's game, but it's early days yet. Jason White started out as a tackling machine without a serious ball carrying aspect to his game - and worked on it hard until he became a very good ball carrier into contact indeed.

Harley has the raw materials to become an excellent 6. I agree though, he's a distant second to Kelly Brown.

Think it's highly likely that Josh Strauss will be the Scotland no6 in a couple of seasons time. If not he'll be no8.

I'd like to see Nick Mallett in charge, I think he's played a big part not only in Italy's past success but their present success too.

Jake White might be a shout too but I think he's less likely. Although what we need really is a streetwise forwards coach who teaches our players to dirty it up a bit, in which case McKenzie might be in for a shout. I remain optimistic that the SRU will make the right choice. For me it has to be, keep Johnson in camp for morale and a nasty b**tard in charge to rile the players up.

Who ever comes in will have roughly 20 test matches to develop their team before the next RWC, not ages but the spine of the team is alreadly in place.

I'd like to see a youngish squad go to South Africa this summer;

1 - Welsh
2 - MacArthur
3 - Low
4 - Gilchrist
5 - Kellock
6 - Harley
7 - Barclay (c) (rest Rennie)
8 - Beattie
9 - Kennedy
10 - Heathcote
11 - Visser
12 - Scott
13 - Grove
14 - Lamont
15 - Tonks

16 - Hall, 17 - Dickinson, 18 - Cross, 19 - Swinson, 20 - Wilson, 21 - Prygos, 22 - Jackson, 23 - Horne/Dunbar

I'd also like to see a couple of the U20s guys go, not necessarily to play but to get the experience (Gray, Sinclair, Bennett).

That's not bad squad and it's great that there's almost an entire XV not included (Grant, Ford, Murray, Hamilton, Gray, Brown, Rennie, Laidlaw, Cusiter, Weir, Ansbro, Maitland, Hogg)

reallybored wrote:Who ever comes in will have roughly 20 test matches to develop their team before the next RWC, not ages but the spine of the team is alreadly in place.

I'd like to see a youngish squad go to South Africa this summer;

1 - Welsh
2 - MacArthur
3 - Low
4 - Gilchrist
5 - Kellock
6 - Harley
7 - Barclay (c) (rest Rennie)
8 - Beattie
9 - Kennedy
10 - Heathcote
11 - Visser
12 - Scott
13 - Grove
14 - Lamont
15 - Tonks

16 - Hall, 17 - Dickinson, 18 - Cross, 19 - Swinson, 20 - Wilson, 21 - Prygos, 22 - Jackson, 23 - Horne/Dunbar

I'd also like to see a couple of the U20s guys go, not necessarily to play but to get the experience (Gray, Sinclair, Bennett).

That's not bad squad and it's great that there's almost an entire XV not included (Grant, Ford, Murray, Hamilton, Gray, Brown, Rennie, Laidlaw, Cusiter, Weir, Ansbro, Maitland, Hogg)

I think we should put our best team out for both games, as of yet Samoa have never beaten us and if that remains the same until 2015 we will have a psychological advantage over them, if on the other hand we put out weakened teams now and they get thrashed then we will be at a massive disadvantage.

Agreed numbers. We should just pick the best side available. Happily that includes a number of promising young players.

Is it a bit worrying when you consider the Scotland head coach is a bit like mopping up the plate with a bit of bread once the top tier teams have had their fill? Everyone else seems to get first pick and then you're left with the fat, wheezy kids with a note from the matron from which to choose? Is this just down to money or is it a failure of the system? Why isn't the SRU lining up potential candidates before other countries get their first pick?

Because the Scotland job will never be a top job. The very best coaches want one of the top teams. We have a choice of up and coming young coaches out to prove a point or second raters.

I think the Scottish job would be quite attractive, there's a very good group of players but very little expectation. I think the SRU need to chuck money at top coaches because money talks.

We've tended in the past to either have internal style appointments (Dixon, Hadden) or taken coaches with a point to prove (Williams, Robinson and Johnson).

I don't believe the SRU have ever really made an appointment with the players and style of rugby in mind. It's why I've been screaming for Steve Meehan all these years, and now more so than ever. His teams play a fast-paced offloading game, very much the sort of game that our players are suited to, he's also a good man manager, and has brought some seriously good rugby out of a number of players during his tenures at Stade and Bath. His Bath side played some cracking stuff, and have not moved forwards since his departure.

Whoever they hire needs to be able to convince the SRU that they have a game plan to suit the players, and the SRU needs to be hiring both the Edinburgh and Scotland coach with that game plan in mind. Thankfully Glasgow are already on the right track.

With limited time spent with players, it's imperitive that the coaches of the pro sides, and the Scotland coaches are all signing from the same hymn sheet. I think there have already been some tangible benefits in having the same scrum coach across the sides. All three now have a significantly better scrum than in the 5 years prior.

I think Heathcote should get his chance and start both games during the summer, presuming he’s fit and in the squad. He’s a better all-round flyhalf, is good off the tee and has a better haircut, which we all know makes or breaks a 10.

Question - who should the wingers be on the summer tour if Visser or Maitland are with the Lions?

I think it should be Lamont on one and Visser / Maitland on the other depending on who travels (if any!). We will need his physicality against some big hitting teams and he will probably see it as his last tour with Scotland.

Seymour started the season well but has barely played this half of the season. Fife is a bit too raw just now and Tom Brown has been average all season and isn't a regular for Edinburgh. There is Max Evans too but we all know what he can be like...

The less that is said about Lee Jones the better...

Shlong was great for the weeg last week. I'd put him on the wing (not the centre)

I don't think Vis and Maitland will both travel. Will be one or the other (if any) but if they both travel then we are kinda stuffed for chunky wingers. Jacobson to come out of retirement like shame williams for a last run out on the wing?



sorry...........

RDW_Scotland wrote:Question - who should the wingers be on the summer tour if Visser or Maitland are with the Lions?

I think it should be Lamont on one and Visser / Maitland on the other depending on who travels (if any!). We will need his physicality against some big hitting teams and he will probably see it as his last tour with Scotland.

Seymour started the season well but has barely played this half of the season. Fife is a bit too raw just now and Tom Brown has been average all season and isn't a regular for Edinburgh. There is Max Evans too but we all know what he can be like...

The less that is said about Lee Jones the better...

On the assumption that Hogg is also with the Lions, my back three for the summer would be:

15. Tonks
14. Seymour
11. S Lamont

I suspect Max Evans will tour as well. Scott Johnson seems to like him.

Seymour has barely played since the 6N, and probably won't play in the remaining games of the season. On the basis that Maitland or Visser won't both travel I think we won't need him.

On the other hand Hogg really should travel, so will be good to see what Tonks can do at International level. But chances are SJ will pick bloody Murchie instead!

....or Max Evans at 15, a horrific concept we saw briefly used in the 6 Nations....

You never know, maybe Rory Lamont will be fit....

funnyExiledScot wrote:....or Max Evans at 15, a horrific concept we saw briefly used in the 6 Nations....

You never know, maybe Rory Lamont will be fit....