Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Scotland fans lament the coach that got away

Vern Cotter

After Scotland crashed out of the Rugby World Cup in the pool stages for only the second time on Sunday, there has been a fierce reaction from fans.

Gregor Townsend’s side fell to Japan 28-21 in Yokohama, which sees the hosts and Ireland progress to the quarter-finals from Pool A.

ADVERTISEMENT

While this could sometimes have disastrous consequences for a head coach, fans on social media are not necessarily calling for Townsend to lose his job in the wake of this result. There are certainly some demanding that, but more fans seem to be regretting the events that have transpired over the past four years, namely the departure of Vern Cotter.

The former head coach Cotter took over at Murrayfield in 2014 and took Scotland within one controversial call of a RWC semi-final in 2015. However, he left his post midway through 2017 to allow Townsend to take over and have time to build a squad ahead of 2019. It is this decision that fans are rueing, particularly the handling of the transition.

But with Cotter’s contract with Montpellier ending at the end of the season, there have been calls for the Kiwi to return to his post.

Video Spacer

Scotland were not world-beaters under Cotter, as they only managed two fourth place finishes and a Wooden Spoon in the three Six Nations that he was part of, but many obviously feel that he was building something for 2019.

It may well be nostalgia from fans after a difficult loss, but the opinion was, and remains that the former Top 14 winning coach left too soon.

It was a valiant effort by Scotland on Sunday, in a game that was played at a frenetic pace, but they ultimately came up against an inspired Japan side. While it was this match that eliminated them from the RWC, it was the opening game against Ireland that did the damage.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 27-3 loss to Joe Schmidt’s men set the tone for the tournament, and Scotland were always on the back foot from there. They failed to get a losing bonus point against the Irish, or deprive them from scoring four tries, and this one bad performance was the catalyst for their early exit.

This has been the reaction:

https://twitter.com/DanJamesGrieve/status/1183368992381161472?s=20
https://twitter.com/pjth10/status/1183363401520730112?s=20
https://twitter.com/amgbrock/status/1183346240353902592?s=20
https://twitter.com/kevinjamesriley/status/1183541955520688128?s=20
https://twitter.com/Dickson4321Iain/status/1183348110040412162?s=20
https://twitter.com/Sc077as/status/1183648129075372032?s=20
https://twitter.com/gamble1917/status/1183368057332387842?s=20
https://twitter.com/Reidstopher/status/1183363638582829056?s=20
https://twitter.com/scoolm8/status/1183648619179626496?s=20
https://twitter.com/Tesla1872/status/1183629163867136000?s=20

There are inevitably calls for Townsend to lose his job after this result, but many fans seem aware that he has only been in the job for two years. With emerging stars in the squad such as George Horne, Adam Hastings and Jamie Ritchie, and many more, Townsend should be given a chance to shape his side over the next RWC cycle.

However, that does not mean that fans are not confused at the decision making behind the scenes over the past four years.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

O
OrdonezRicci 34 minutes ago
Former All Black urges Blues head coach to shift Beauden Barrett to No.10

OMG, my crypto savings, around $230k, just disappeared in a flash! I trusted this broker for months, and they screwed me over, refusing access to my trading account after I tried to pull out. I was lost, thinking there was no way I'd ever see that money again. I even tried a few "asset recovery hackers" who were useless and stole more from me with empty promises, sad. Then, I stumbled upon a review on Trustpilot from Jenny, someone I knew a little, and she'd had a similar nightmare with crypto scammers. She mentioned how she got help recovering her lost Bitcoin. My situation was even worse; it was USDT, a whopping $230k I had sent to this fake trader on Telegram, who promised a 300% ROI in three months, dumb me to believe that.  I confided in my associate, and she introduced me to DUNENECTARWEBEXPERT on Telegram. They're a team of legit ethical hackers with tons of experience in private investigations and crypto recovery. Seriously, that referral from Jenny changed everything. I got back my lost money, and I can't stop emphasizing the breakthrough DUNENECTARWEBEXPERT has brought to my life. Suppose you are in any investment or review for gains platform. In that case, I highly suggest you contact DUNENECTARWEBEXPERT via Telegram to check their legitimacy because they will just keep asking you for deposits until you are wrecked financially and emotionally. Don't fall for these investment gimmicks, get in touch with DUNENECTARWEBEXPERT via Telegram to help you recover your lost money and crypto assets back from crooks.: support AT dunenectarwebexpert DOT com

4 Go to comments
J
JW 46 minutes ago
The numbers show Super Rugby Pacific just got even tougher

“The competition is tough, because you’ve got to spit out performances every week, and to be able to do that consistently you’ve got to have good depth.”

You’ve got to look forward to next weekend more than anything too.

The bonus points view is a good one. The majority of bonus points earned in the first three rounds last season were for scoring three tries more than the opposition, while three quarters of bonus points in 2025 have gone to the losing side getting to within seven points of the victors.

They really use this sorta system? Much smaller pool of bonus points available, that would mean they have far less impact. Interestingly you must be withen winning range/chance in France’s Top 14 league, rather that just draw territory, so 6 points instead of 7. Fairly arbitrary and pointless (something the NRL would do to try and look cool), but kinda cool.


I said it Nick’s and other articles, I’m not sure about the fixed nature of matchups in these opening rounds. For instance, I would be interested in seeing an improved ranking/prediction/reflection ladder to what we had last year, were some author here game so rejigged list of teams purely based of ‘who had played who’ so far in the competition. It was designed to analyze the ladder and better predict what the real order would be after the full round robin had completed. It needed some improvement, like factoring in historical data as well, as it was a bit skiwif, but it is the sort of thing that would give a better depiction of what sort of contests weve had so far, because just using my intuition, the matchups have been very ‘level appropriate’ so far, and were jet to get the other end of the spectrum, season ranked bottom sides v top sides etc.

3 Go to comments
M
Marlece Davis 4 hours ago
Crusaders prepare for 'dangerous in all elements' Chiefs game-breaker

I initially started trading with Pips Global because of the variety of trading accounts they offered, including their Funded Next accounts. These accounts seemed like an appealing opportunity, as they gave traders the chance to trade with a larger balance after successfully passing a challenge. For someone like me who was looking to scale up my trading without having to risk a significant amount of my own capital, it seemed like the perfect option. At first, I started with their Micro account, which had high leverage, fast market execution, and tight variable spreads. All these features seemed to align well with my trading goals, and I felt confident moving forward.However, things took a turn for the worse as I continued trading. I ended up losing a significant amount, around 30,000 AUD, due to what I now believe was a scam. The trades I placed weren’t executing properly, and there were discrepancies with the spreads and market conditions. I tried to reach out to Pips Global’s customer support, but I wasn’t receiving the kind of help I expected. It became increasingly clear that the platform wasn’t as reliable as I had originally thought, and I felt completely stuck.In my search for a solution, I came across PYRAMID HACK SOLUTION, a service that specializes in helping people recover lost funds from fraudulent brokers. Their team was highly professional, thorough, and patient. They guided me step by step through the entire recovery process, keeping me informed at every stage. They also provided me with solid advice on how to avoid falling into similar traps in the future. Thanks to PYRAMID HACK SOLUTION, I was able to recover my 30,000 AUD, which was an incredible relief after such a stressful experience.If you’re considering trading with Pips Global, I strongly recommend doing thorough research before committing. Website; https://pyramidhacksolution.com While their Funded Next accounts and other account options might seem enticing, my personal experience with them was ultimately disappointing. I would advise anyone looking to trade with them to be cautious, especially if things don’t seem to be going as expected.If you find yourself in a situation similar to mine, I can’t recommend PYRAMID HACK SOLUTION enough. WhatsApp; +447414280914 Their expertise in fund recovery was a lifesaver, and they were instrumental in helping me get my money back. Thanks to their support, I’m now back on track, and I’ve learned a valuable lesson about being more cautious with online trading platforms.

6 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 25 Six Nations Memorable Moments: 15 to 11 25 Six Nations Memorable Moments: 15 to 11
Search