TELFER ON...

BEST PLAYER I COACHED

The man who epitomised being Scottish was Gary Armstrong (below). He was a flanker playing scrum-half. But he had heart. Will to win. If he played for Jed Thistle one week, Jed the next, Scotland the next and the Lions the next, he would not play any differently. He was one of those players you could look at in the dressing room and say: ‘I know what I am going to get from him. Everything.’

BEST PLAYER

Jonah Lomu changed the game completely, a bit like Tiger Woods in golf. Richie McCaw comes close, too. But you tend to look at the past through rose-coloured spectacles and Colin Meads was a phenomenon. He was a bruiser.

PRO RUGBY

The game had to go professional because you cannot develop an amateur sport to its full maturity.

SCOTTISH GRAND SLAMS

I will be honest, 1984 was a bigger event than 1990 because it was the first time for 59 years.

THE WARRIORS

What encourages me is that the Glasgow crowd have taken to the Warriors — and are prepared to spend money to watch it. The model in Ireland where people go all over to watch their teams, well, we are getting that at Glasgow. Edinburgh need a base.

LIONS SELECTION

Most rugby players who reach international level are pretty decent guys. They have been through the process. You are choosing from a group of players who have been disciplined to play in a certain way. They very quickly have to become humble. When they come from their countries they are all stars, but somebody in the squad could be better than them. They have to accept that.