SCOTLAND’S hunt for a forwards coach to replace Dan McFarland when he leaves to take the top spot at Ulster, looks as though it is about to come up trumps.
The national side are about to pinch Danny Wilson, the former Cardiff Blues head coach, from under the noses of Wasps, who had him lined up to become their forwards coach.
The details are still being hammered out but there has been agreement in principle that should lead to Wilson joining to help Gregor Townsend, the head coach, prepare for the Autumn Tests.
The sticking point seems to be that Wilson had agreed a deal with Wasps and though he had yet to start, they are likely to be demanding some payment for the loss of his services.
McFarland is working his notice period which should see him tied to the Scotland job until January but there would be some financial symmetry if he were to go early – the compensation paid by Ulster to get him released should just about cover any money Scotland have to pay Wasps.
Things appear to have moved quickly over the last few days with the big attraction being that Wilson would come in as a straight like-for-like replacement for McFarland, taking over the scrum, line-out and contact areas as his main focus.
The downside for those in Houston at the moment, preparing to play the USA at the weekend is that it probably means there is no role in the Scotland set-up for Carl Hogg, the former Worcester head coach, who is here with the squad helping McFarland in what had widely been seen as a trial period for keeping the job long-term.
The other disruptions to the squad preparations have all been injury related. Lee Jones is already back in Scotland with Dougie Fife having flown out as a replacement and now Ali Price, the scrum half, has emerged as the latest injury issue with a groin problem.
He is also heading home and Charlie Shiel, the uncapped scrum half who has just joined Edinburgh on a full-time contact, is on his way to join the squad as a replacement.
Henry Pyrgos ,probably the next in line, is also injured. In reality, it looks as Shiel may be there for the experience with Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and George Horne in contention for the scrum-half spots.
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