THE SCOTTISH Rugby Union have again turned to Ireland to find coaches to assist the national squad, though neither man is Irish.
Mike Brewer, the former All Blacks captain, and recent forwards coach at Leinster will take over the pack reins from George Graham, while ex-Great Britain rugby league stand-off Graham Steadman steps into the shoes of Alan Tait as defence coach, wher
e he will work both with Scotland and Edinburgh.
Hadden was left on his own after an internal review of the 2008 RBS Six Nations Championship decided Graham and Tait be replaced and while Andy Robinson and Sean Lineen assisted on the Argentina tour, the respective Edinburgh and Glasgow head coaches stated that they could not continue due to the demands of their day jobs.
With concerns remaining about the development of Scottish coaches by the SRU and opportunities for talent to rise in Scotland, Gordon McKie, the SRU chief executive, was left with few native choices. He was also acutely aware of the trials that engulfed the national squad under Matt Williams, Willie Anderson and Brett Igoe in 2004-5 – Scotland won just three Tests in 17 – the previous time the union looked outside the country.
Brewer and Steadman follow the same route across the Irish Sea as did that trio, but McKie and Hadden, also involved in the recruitment process, clearly envisage greater success this time.
Hadden said: "I'm absolutely delighted with the quality of the additional staff we have appointed to the National Management Team and to the (SRU's] coaching group.
"To secure the services of the ex-All Blacks captain, Mike Brewer, is a boost. He is now a very experienced coach having worked in club rugby in Ireland, England and Italy before becoming forwards coach for Leinster.
"Anyone who knows rugby will have been impressed by the progress Leinster, the reigning Magners League champions, have made up front during his three years in that role. Graham Steadman is among the most experienced defence coaches in the world having now spent five years in that position in rugby union with firstly Munster and then Ireland. That followed his 21-year-career as an international player and coach in rugby league."
Brewer, now 43, launched his coaching career in England with West Hartlepool, and also coached L'Aquila in Italy before joining Leinster as forwards coach in 2005
Steadman, 46, both coached Castleford and assisted GB before he was snapped up by Munster as a defensive coach in 2004. He was promoted to Ireland's coaching team in 2005.
The new recruits are strong signings by the SRU. The key over the next few months will be how Hadden, a strong-willed character, knits together a former league coach and ex-All Black who wants to be a head coach sooner rather than later in a way that brings the best out of them and the Scotland squad.
The SRU issued the following comments on their behalf yesterday. Brewer said: "I'm looking forward to working with Frank and the other coaches. Scotland have a young team, with a great work ethic and players who are very keen to learn. I think they have the potential to develop into a really good international side in three to four years."
Steadman said: "I have been an admirer of Scotland and the work that Alan Tait has undertaken in the last few seasons. I look forward to being part of Frank's coaching team and to getting the players trust and buy-in to the defensive systems I'll look to put in place.
"I'll also look forward to working alongside Andy Robinson and the coaching team with Edinburgh. It gives me a great opportunity to work with those players and also monitor the performances of Scottish-qualified players in the Magners League and Heineken Cup."
The SRU is also to appoint a new strength and conditioning coach to replace Mark Bitcon, who has joined Gloucester
The full article contains 664 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
