THE Scottish Rugby Union has confirmed that Gregor Townsend’s two assistant coaches will move with him from Glasgow Warriors to the Scotland camp next season, while two of Vern Cotter’s assistants with the national team will travel in the opposite direction.
Matt Taylor, the Warriors’ defence coach, has already fulfilled the same role on a part-time basis with Scotland, but will now be part of the national set-up full-time. Dan McFarland, who joined Glasgow from Connacht in the summer of 2015, will become Scotland’s forwards coach. Both will make the move from Glasgow to Edinburgh along with Townsend next June, meaning the new coaching team will be in place for the tour to Australia.
“I’m delighted to confirm the support of two hard-working coaches for the future national coaching group,” Townsend said yesterday. “I have known Matt since our playing days, and he has developed into an outstanding defence coach since hanging up his boots.He is always striving to improve and it’s great that we’ll be continue to learn together over the next few years.
“Dan has done a fantastic job since arriving at Glasgow last season, and before that in Ireland. has more than lived up to the reputation that preceded him and has developed very good relationships with the players at Glasgow. It's great news that he's joining us and I'm sure he will thrive in the international arena.”
Jason O’Halloran and Jonathan Humphreys are the two coaches who will join the Warriors as assistants to Dave Rennie when he succeeds Townsend next summer. They look after the forwards and backs respectively.
Meanwhile, the SRU appears confident it will get the go-ahead this evening for its plan to offer a substantial stake in the Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby to outside investors. A motion granting permission to the union’s executives to seek such investment will be put to a special general meeting at Murrayfield, and provided a quorum of 106 voters is reached, it is expected to be carried. A two-thirds majority is required for the motion to be passed.
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