TEAR WE GO
An emotional Cotter insists this is just the start for Scots
VERN COTTER signed off with a resounding win over Italy and a bag of records, but insisted that this is just the start for this Scotland squad.
His side lacked the bristling ebullience with which they started the tournament, but four tries from man-of-the-match Finn Russell, Matt Scott, Tim Visser and Tommy Seymour ensured they finished it with five points and contesting an historic runners-up spot in the championship. Scotland finished tied with Ireland and France on 14 points, five behind champions England, and only slipped to fourth on points difference.
It was an emotional farewell for Cotter and his family, over 65,000 supporters cheering him to the rafters in appreciation of a three-year tenure that brought record tries and points hauls, and an end to long waits for wins over Ireland, Wales and France.
The SRU decided to release him and appoint Gregor Townsend from June, to avoid losing the current Glasgow Warriors coach abroad, which has left the bizarre situation of Scotland sacking their most successful coach of the professional era.
Cotter showed no bitterness, insisting: ‘The records are nice, but for me it’s just good to see a solid win and character from people. It was nice to finish at home with a bonus-point win.
‘It was the objective at the start of the game, and it wasn’t always perfect, but we got there in the end. Job done.
‘As I said right from the start, it’s been an honour and a privilege to be part of this, to work with such good people and have good people around me.
‘It would be nice to finish with a win and they did, so yeah, that’s it now, move on. I was a supporter before I came here and I’ll be a supporter now that we are moving on, but with some additional emotional attachments.’
On the ability of his side to move forward without him, he added: ‘These guys are gaining experience together. We always said last week that (in Twickenham defeat) would help us and those days have, in a lot of ways.
‘We’ll be looking at the World Cup in 2019 with a real desire to do well.’