Gregor Townsend: ‘Red Bull link can help me and Scotland’
There is no doubt Townsend will be in trouble if Scotland have a poor autumn series, a disappointing Six Nations and a poor summer. His new job will be used as a stick to beat him with. It can be very disturbing.
“If we have a bad autumn, a bad Six Nations, a bad summer tour, then they will criticize me as head coach anyway and I don’t think they need to say it has anything to do with Red Bull,” he says.
“My time, my focus, my connection with the players will be the same as before. My intention is to have as good an autumn as possible.
“Me being with Red Bull in the next few weeks and going to Austria to look at how they have set up their facilities and academy will not put us in contention against the All Blacks – but it could add an extra layer to our experience as a coaching group, just like the things we learn from the players going out on the field. [British & Irish] Lions.
“It’s not going to get us over the line and it’s not going to stop us from winning these games, and there will be criticism either way.”
Scotland’s autumn squad will be named on October 21st and, apart from Huw Jones, it looks to be a pretty clean bill of health. Of course, that’s what everyone was thinking as the Six Nations approached. Soon the players started dropping like flies.
Current Wales coach Steve Tandy will be replaced by a new defense coach in Lee Radford.
Townsend is optimistic about Scotland’s prospects next season.
“The level of collective experience, the individual experience, the talent, the depth, what we have been through, the good and the bad, we are in the best position we have been in the time I have been here,” he claims.
It’s a big decision, and perhaps one that Townsend has made himself a hostage to fortune.
“When you look at other teams that have achieved success, there are a few common elements. One of them is player leadership and we now have some real leaders in our group. The other is the top numbers, so we’re currently in the top four or five in the world in terms of top teams in our team.
“We know we’re facing great teams again, but I feel like this team is in the best place it’s ever been and I’ll be a part of it for the next two years.”
Autumn is calling you. For Townsend, it will be one doomsday after another.
