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Townsend and coaching team sign Scotland contract extensions

Gregor Townsend during the Six Nations match between Scotland and France at Murrayfield on February 11, 2018 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend has extended his contract with the national team until 2021, together with extensions for his coaching staff of Matt Taylor and Mike Blair.

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Scotland have averaged four tries a Test since Townsend took over in the summer of 2017, with the historic home and away wins over Australia and 2018 Six Nations victory over England among the notable highlights that helped Scotland finish third in the 2018 Six Nations and capture the imagination of the Scottish support.

He said: “I have always been incredibly proud to coach Scotland and I’m delighted and grateful to be able to extend my involvement with the national team.

“It’s a privilege to coach such a hardworking group of quality players, which is continuing to grow in depth.”

“It’s great that the immediate future of our coaching staff has also been secured, as Matt (Taylor) and Mike (Blair) contribute massively to what we do as a group.

“We are really looking forward to Danny (Wilson) joining up with us, which will enable us to seek further improvements in how we can bring the best out of our players.”

Scottish Rugby Chief Executive, Mark Dodson said: “I’m delighted that Gregor has decided to continue as Scotland Head Coach until 2021.

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“I was convinced that Gregor was going to make an outstanding Head Coach for Scotland and we’re delighted to have secured his services for the next three years, at a very exciting time for Scottish Rugby.

“It was also important to maintain the high level continuity created with the other world-class coaches within the national team set-up in Matt Taylor and Mike Blair and I’m very pleased they will continue to work alongside Gregor through to, and beyond, Rugby World Cup 2019.”

Some 13 Test matches now stand between Scotland and Rugby World Cup 2019, including three Autumn Tests and the 2019 Six Nations, before four Summer Tests against France and Georgia present the players with the final opportunity to play their way into the 31-man squad heading to Japan.

After a bright start to his national team tenure, Townsend believes there is more to come for the men in blue.

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Townsend added: “There’s certainly a lot of improvement to be found – both from us as coaches and also our playing performances – but we’ve also seen some excellent displays over the past season, as well as a genuine desire from the players to give their best for their country.”

“I’ve been really pleased with the way the squad has come together whenever we’ve been in camp. The players have built strong relationships with each other, trained with intensity and learned quickly after any setbacks we have faced. They have also been terrific ambassadors for their country on tours or whenever they have interacted with our supporters.

“We’re well aware we’re entering a crucial and exciting time for this group, as we continue to seek improvements across the board and target a strong Autumn Test series and Six Nations, before our build up to the Rugby World Cup begins in earnest.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time for the sport in Scotland.”

The new deal will see Assistant Coach Matt Taylor become the longest-standing Scotland coach since Scottish Rugby Hall of Famers Jim Telfer and Ian McGeechan, with the three-year contract taking him to almost a decade in service to the national team.

The former Border Reivers and Scotland A back-row returned to Scotland in 2012 after helping Queensland Reds to the 2011 Super Rugby title, first taking up a joint role with the national team and Glasgow Warriors – and winning the PRO12 title in 2015 – before focussing solely on Scotland since 2017.

Now, with the coaching group secured, Taylor believes the cohesion brought by the consistency can help maintain and even improve the fortunes of the national team.

He said: “It’s a great privilege to continue in my role as Assistant Coach, one in which I take great pride. It’s also great to be continuing my relationship and work with Gregor Townsend, who has really improved and strengthened the team in the last year and a half.

“It’s a role and a job that I’m really passionate about. Scottish Rugby has been really good to me and my family over the years and you want to back up and perform for an organisation of people who have looked after you.”

He continued: “I think the tour just past exposed some really good young players, which is exciting for Scotland, and those individuals who are now pressing for selection for the coming Test matches.

“What’s exciting is that there’s plenty more to come for this Scotland team over this next year. We have a great opportunity to really push forward.”

Assistant Coach (Attack) Mike Blair – the country’s most-capped scrum-half and former captain – joined the national team coaching set-up ahead of the 2017 summer tour and continues to operate in a dual capacity with Glasgow Warriors, outwith Test-match windows. He has also extended his involvement with the national team for at least a further two years, committing to June 2020.

He said: “I am very proud to be able to continue to be part of the coaching group for the Scotland national team into what will be a very competitive and exciting couple of years.

“I enjoy the coaching dynamic with Gregor and Matt and I’m looking forward to working with Danny too. The playing group we have is hugely exciting and fully understands the positive, attacking game we want to, and can, play which makes coaching them a real pleasure. There is a lot of hard work ahead and I’m really looking forward to seeing what this group can achieve.”

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
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Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

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CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


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The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


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