Townsend hails Parks as ‘one of the best’
DAN PARKS split opinion like no other rugby player, but Gregor Townsend has paid tribute to the mercurial star on his retirement from the game by hailing him as one of the best professionals he has ever seen.
The Australian-born stand-off, who frustrated and delighted Scotland fans in equal measure after qualifying to wear the dark blue courtesy of an Ayrshire grandfather, has decided to call it quits aged 36.
His career, during which he won 67 caps before standing down from international duty in 2012, was full of highs and lows.
Parks’ supporters will always point to his ability to win matches almost single-handedly with his kicking game, while his detractors bemoaned a perceived reluctance to spin the ball wide to bring his backline i nto play — but Glasgow Warriors head coach Townsend, who worked with him at both international and club level, insists he was a ‘top-class’ No 10.
‘It’s a sad day for me to hear Dan is retiring,’ said Townsend of the man who scored 266 international points and a record 17 drop goals for the Scots after making his debut in 2004.
‘He played well for Connacht last season and, physically, he has looked after himself really
“It’s a sad day for me to hear Dan is retiring”
well, so I’m a bit surprised he has called it a day.
‘I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Dan. He was coaching the Connacht Under-18s last season and I’m sure he’ll be a cracking coach if that’s the road he goes down.
‘Anyone who plays 10 for their country splits opinion and Dan was no different. He’ll go down in my book as a top-class stand-off and someone who played his part in some terrific Scotland wins.
‘People never gave him enough credit for his open play as his passing was very good and he moved onto the ball very well.
‘When we beat Argentina in back-to-back Tests in 2010, his attacking play was outstanding. His stats were fantastic. He had 65 touches of the ball, 61 passes and four kicks which shows how well he could move the ball.
‘He had a fantastic kicking game and was one of the best professionals I’ve ever seen or coached. Maybe his final game against England was not what he would have l i ked but I prefer to look back at the good memories and all the great wins he was involved in.’
Perhaps his finest moment was his last-minute, match-winning penalty against Ireland at Croke Park in the 2010 Six Nations, closely f ollowed by his two performances against the Pumas that same year when he kicked all the points in a 24-16 win in Rosario before bossing the game in a 13-9 victory in Tucuman.
Other high spots included the home wins against England in 2006 and 2008 and over South Africa in 2010.
His lowest point came when Andy Robinson persuaded a reluctant Parks to play one last Six Nations in 2012 due to an injury crisis. He had a nightmare in the opener against England at Murrayfield when Charlie Hodgson charged down his kick and ran in to score a try and he was substituted in a 13-6 defeat.
Booed by the home fans, a distraught Parks retired from i nt e r nati o nal r ugby wi t h immediate effect, although he continued to play club rugby up until the end of last season.
However, as he looked back yesterday, Parks insisted his Scotland days were the highlight of his career.
‘I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to play a sport which I love for over 11 years as a pro,’ said Parks, who was released by Connacht last April, following successful spells at Glasgow Warriors and Cardiff Blues.
‘My highlight was being able to wear the blue of Scotland, something I will forever treasure and hold very close to my heart.
‘I plan to stay closely involved with the game, through TV, commercial work and coaching, and I am really excited about the future and continuing to be involved in the sport that has given me so much.’
GREGOR TOWNSEND is supporting purpleTV’s new SportCity Glasgow app which allows iOS users to discover Glasgow’s rich sporting heritage and traditions with interesting facts and photos of the people and places that have continued to make the city one of sporting renown. For more information about purpleTV apps, visit www.purpletvapps.tv.