FRIENDS TO FOES
Townsend expects intense new rivalry with pal Hodge
THE friendship between Duncan Hodge and Gregor Townsend goes back many years, from their heydays as players to their first tentative steps on the coaching ladder.
As team-mates on the pitch, the undoubted high point came in 2000 when they were part of the Scotland team who denied England the Grand Slam at Murrayfield.
Hodge was the star that day, kicking all the points in a famous 19-13 victory.
Whether he emerges as a hero again in the next few weeks and months remains to be seen.
After being promoted to acting head coach of Edinburgh following Alan Solomons’ departure this week, he has been given until the end of the season to prove that he should be given the job full-time.
A sixth-place finish in the Guinness Pro12 table, which brings automatic qualification for the European Champions Cup, is thought to be the minimum requirement if he is to stand any chance of doing so
He does not have to look all that far for inspiration.
Just to the other end of the M8, in fact, where old pal Townsend has transformed Glasgow Warriors into a major force in his five seasons at the helm.
From tonight, the friends will become foes until the conclusion of the current campaign when Townsend replaces Vern Cotter as Scotland head coach.
Hodge, for his part, has a battle on his hands as tough as that Calcutta Cup clash from 16 years ago, with Edinburgh currently beset by injuries and languishing in ninth place in the Pro12 after winning just one of their opening four matches.
But Townsend believes his friend can make a positive impression in the short time he’s been given by the SRU to make his mark at the capital side.
‘To begin with, I would wish Alan (Solomons) very well in the next part of his career,’ he said. ‘I enjoyed coaching against him and we had a really good relationship.
‘He won the last three derby matches, so he’s probably enjoyed it even more than me.
‘We all understand these things happen in sport, in rugby, and it’s now an opportunity for Duncan. Although they have a tough game away against Connacht tomorrow night, they showed a lot of good signs last week (against Munster).
‘I played with Hodgy and coached with him with Scotland and he’s really detailed in his preparation. He loves coaching, loves the game and, as a former stand-off, he’ll see things more attack-wise.
‘He’ll be looking to find kicking opportunities, trying to pinpoint where the defence is weak and he now has the opportunity to stamp on Edinburgh the way he wants them to play.
‘My advice to him would be to follow through what he believes in. He has a good knowledge of the game and I’m sure he’ll do well.
‘In saying that, we want to finish higher up the table than them but, for that to happen, we need to keep winning matches.’
Townsend’s Glasgow Warriors side will be in Newport this evening when they take on the Dragons, while Hodge will be hoping to hit the ground running against the reigning champions in Galway following last weekend’s 28-14 defeat to Munster.
‘We face a tough challenge tonight and, although we’ve rested Stuart Hogg, we welcome back Peter Murchie who’ll make his first appearance of the season for us at full-back,’ said Townsend.
‘We also have Fraser Brown at openside and, although he’s first and foremost a hooker, his versatility is vital for us as we have a lot of injuries in the back row.’
Hodge wasn’t available to comment personally on his appointment, releasing a short statement instead.
‘It’s been a challenging week for all involved but we have a massive game we need to win tonight,’ he said. ‘We have some fresh faces coming in from last week who will lift the team and will give us a fresh energy for the game.
‘Connacht have talismanic players among them and are always a tough team to play, but we have prepared well and can’t wait to embrace the challenge.’