Townsend confirms he’ll take coaches to Scotland

Gregor Townsend has confirmed that current Glasgow Warriors colleagues Matt Taylor and Dan Mcfarland will have assistant coaching roles in his backroom team when he takes the Scotland reins from Vern Cotter in June.

As revealed by The Scotsman earlier this month, national attack coach Jason O’halloran and pack chief Jonathan Humphreys will go in the other direction and team up with New Zealander Dave Rennie when he takes over at Glasgow.

There was no mention in the Scottish Rugby media releases about the future of “resource coach” Nathan Hines but he is widely expected to be moving to Montpellier with Cotter next summer.

Townsend said: “I’m delighted to confirm the support of two hard-working coaches for the future national coaching group.

“I have known Matt since our playing days and he has developed into an outstanding defence coach since hanging up his boots, winning Super Rugby with [Queensland] Reds and the Pro12 at Glasgow. He’s always striving to improve and it’s great 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. He is able to combine forensic detail from the technical side of the game with a love of learning and looking to bring out the best in his players.

“He 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.”

Former Edinburgh, Borders and Scotland A flanker Taylor has already been working with the national team as defence coach in tandem with his day job at Scotstoun, where he has been at Townsend’s side since the pair joined the Warriors in 2012.

He has helped steer them to the play-offs in every season, culminating with the team becoming the first Scottish professional side to win the Guinness Pro12 in 2015.

Mcfarland joined Glasgow as forwards coach last summer after nine seasons with Connacht and spells as Emerging Ireland, Ireland Wolfhounds and Ireland under-20 coach.

O’halloran joined fellow Kiwi Cotter’s team as attack coach following the 2015 World Cup and knows Rennie well, having played under him at Wellington and coaching together with Manawatu and New Zealand U20s.

Former Wales forward and Ospreys coach Humphreys joined Cotter’s staff in 2013.

Rennie, who will move to Glasgow from Waikato Chiefs in June, added: “I’m really looking forward to working with both Jason and Jonathan.

“Jason and I have a lot of history. I have a huge amount of respect for him as a man and as a coach.” 0 How we revealed the changes on 15 October.