Townsend unsure over Lions role

Gregor Townsend admits he is ‘really e xc i t e d ’ by the prospect of next summer’s British and Irish Lions rugby tour to South Africa, but insists he remains in the dark over whether he could join Warren Gatland’s coaching team.

The Scotland head coach and his Lions counterpart met recently when Gatland made a trip to Edinburgh to assess the facilities his squad will use prior to facing Japan in a warm-up match at Murrayfield in June.

However, Townsend, who turned down a coaching invitation for the 2017 tour to New Zealand, is adamant he was given no indication whether Gatland will ask him to help make up his backroom team to take on the World Cup winners.

Townsend, who won a series in South Africa as a player in 1997, has already admitted it would be a ‘privilege and an honour’ to t a ke up a role, while Scottish Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson has indicated he would encourage the 47-year-old to get involved.

But, with his players giving their chances of touring a shot in the arm with a first win in Wales in 18 years last Saturday, Townsend remains unsure of his own possible involvement.

He said: “No decision has been made, I believe, on the coaching side, so I don’t know just now.

“He (Gatland) was up in Edinburgh a few weeks ago looking at the facilities the Lions will be using before they play Japan.

“So, we caught up. A lot of it was to do with the intricacies of the tour and our players.

“It was good to connect with him – I’m sure he’s done that with all four nations and the coaches there.

“Like, I think, everybody involved in UK and Irish rugby, I’m really excited about the Lions tour.

“It’s still something that gets everybody’s attention and it’s still something the

players are so desperate to be involved in.

“That’s great and let’s hope it can go ahead because it would be a great thing for our sport after the challenges we’ve had in the last few months.”

Townsend added in the BBC Radio Scotland Rugby Podcast: “It ’s all hypothetical and, given the fact it was a ‘no’ last time, we’ll see what happens.

“But we obviously have a number of games to focus on from a national point of view – another four in the Autumn Nations Cup, five in the Six Nations and our own summer tour.

“So, it’s going to be a busy time to focus on all things Scottish.”

D ra g o n s h av e been forced to postpone their next two Guinness PRO14 matches, with everyone at the club self-isolating after

an outbreak of coronavirus cases.

After seven new positive C o v i d -1 9 tests were recorded this week, the club and the Welsh Rugby Union “collaboratively and proac tively ” made the decision to close the region and suspend training and games.

The P R O 14 m e d i c a l advisory group gave their full backing to the decision and the upcoming round five and six games with Connacht and Glasgow Wa r r i o r s have been postponed, with the aim to reschedule them in early 2021.

Dragons’ round seven fixture with Edinburgh, set for November 23, will be under re view with all players, management and staff at the Newport-based club set to self- isolate and follow all Pu b l i c

Health Wales guidelines.

Munster defeated Dragons 28-16 on Sunday, but have returned a full list of negative results from their testing this week.

France’s electric scrumhalf Antoine Dupont was voted 2020 Six Nations player of the championship.

The first Frenchman to win the award received 46% of votes submitted by fans in recognition of his creative brilliance in a tournament that saw a resurgence from Les Bleus.

Also shortlisted were D u p o n t ’s team-mates Gregory Alldritt and Antoine Dupont, England duo Maro Itoje and Ben Youngs and Ireland’s CJ Stander.

The inaugural women’s Six Nations player of the championship award was won by England centre Emily Scarratt.

Gregor Townsend: Excited by the prospect of being part of Warren Gatland’s staff.