DAVID SOLE

With Dave Rennie, the Glasgow Warriors coach, heading to Australia at the end of the season, it seems like Scotland’s former Director of Rugby, Scott Johnson, is set on taking others from Scotland to join him.

It has been reported that Matt Taylor, the Scotland defence coach, has also been linked with a move back to his homeland to “get an Australian flavour” in the Wallabies camp.

Replacing Rennie is Danny Wilson, the current Scotland forwards coach and former head coach of the Cardiff Blues – an Englishman.

This means the assistant coaches at the club, John Dalziel and Kenny Murray, have been overlooked, despite being local guys and, according to Rennie, “fantastic coaches”.

With Wilson’s appointment, the only senior Scot in charge of a fully professional team is Gregor Townsend.

The coaching cupboard is looking rather bare.

Yet Scotland has a reputation of producing great coaches.

Sir Ian McGeechan is one, and Jim Telfer another. There were also the likes of Derrick Grant and Dougie Morgan doing great things as coaches.

The same cannot be said of the current pipeline of Scottish coaches, although perhaps it could be argued that is because they aren’t given much of a chance in Scotland to hone their coaching skills.

‘ The coaching cupboard in Scotland is looking rather bare

Bryan Redpath was a case in point. The former Melrose and Scotland scrum-half developed a solid reputation as a coach, leading Sale to successes they have failed to emulate in recent years.

Yet, when the opportunity arose to bring him back into the Scottish fold, for whatever reason, the offer either didn’t materialise or wasn’t accepted.

Redpath has since retired from the game and his ability and insights as a coach have been lost.

The Super6 is meant to be a pathway for coaches as well as players, but coaching in a semi-professional environment is not the same as working with players day in, day out.

In any case, when the SRU’s preference is to go for coaches from other countries for the top jobs and, in the case of Wilson, someone who is not a “marquee” name, where is the incentive?

John Dalziel and Kenny Murray must be wondering what more they need to do to step into the top job, as must Mike Blair.

The Glasgow coaching job could have been the ideal opportunity and stretch for Blair.

Where else is he going to learn how to be a head coach?

Scott Johnson must be wearing a rueful smile as he poaches the coaches he hired into Scottish Rugby over to Australia, leaving Scottish rugby in the lurch.