Robinson begins search to add an experienced head to coaching team

Speaking yesterday in a series of informal media discussions reviewing Scotland’s performance in the World Cup and looking ahead to his third RBS Six Nations Championship in charge, Robinson stated that he had decided that he and his assistants Gregor Townsend and Graham Steadman would benefit from a more experienced head inside the camp.

He refused to be drawn on who that might be, and whether it would be a full-time or part-time role, but the former England and British and Irish Lions coach is not the sort to tout such a possibility without first having a clear idea of who he wants. Names such as Graham Henry, who stepped down last month after leading the All Blacks to the World Cup title, former England and Ireland coach Brian Ashton and former Australia coaches Eddie Jones and Alan Gaffney are all the kinds of figures that could be in the frame.

“I would like to bring in an experienced coach,” he explained, “because I feel it is something that could provide us with support as we try to take Scotland forward.

“All I’ve got to look at is how we win games and have a successful team. That is my focus; how over the next couple of years we can create a really successful international side.

“I don’t have names. Yes [I have thoughts], but it’s someone who has that coaching experience. Maybe a sage-like figure who can really add to what we’re doing. It’s all about knowledge and trying to help us so that we’re not getting into situations that we are in at the moment.

“It’s about always looking for ways to improve and looking at how [a newcomer] can challenge me and the other coaches. You look at other coaching teams. Take Ireland for example, where Alan Gaffney has worked with the Irish squad and given them support. You take New Zealand and the three coaches that were there all with international coaching experience.

“I now think this is the best way for us to move forward as a coaching group.”

Henry is the most obvious high-profile character available and, while it might seem far-fetched for the All Blacks coach to join the Scotland camp, he was at pains to advertise himself on television last week as being interested in a coaching role in Europe, mentioning the Heineken Cup in particular, admittedly, but one that would allow him to spend just three months in the northern hemisphere and the rest of the time in his native New Zealand. That would clearly fit around time on a summer tour, autumn Test series and the RBS Six Nations.

And as well as Robinson having worked closely with Henry on the 2001 British and Irish Lions tour, the SRU’s Director of Performance Rugby, Graham Lowe, also worked very closely with Henry in the New Zealand camp for a number of years, including around the 2007 World Cup, and is known to have very good relations with Henry.

Closer to home, Ashton also has a history with Robinson, having coached him at Bath in the 1990s and, after they worked together in the England set-up in the early 2000s, being called back in from Bath to assist Robinson with the full England side in 2006. He duly took over from Robinson at the England helm, lasting until 2008, and currently works with Fylde as a technical director.

Ashton’s particular area of expertise is in back play, and within that he specialises in improving players’ creativity and finishing skills. Yesterday, Robinson spent some time with members of the media in looking back on Scotland’s World Cup performance, highlighting – as he did after the 2011 Six Nations – where the team’s attack was showing clear signs of improvement and why the tries were not coming.

On several occasions he pinpointed instances of players making basic errors in attack with a try at their mercy, a series of intricate attacking plays well executed and exposing an opposition flank, only for a Scotland player to ruin the overlap by daft rugby.

“We are still trying to solve problems individually rather than collectively,” Robinson said. “I won’t single out players, because, ultimately, I’m accountable for that, but these situations have to be solved as a team.”

Ashton could bring some experience to bear in that area, but so could Alan Gaffney and Eddie Jones, Australians who are fastidious about attacking skills and have a great deal of knowledge. Jones, at just 51, does not quite fit the “sage” type character Robinson is looking for, but 63-year-old Gaffney does.

There is a sense of “you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear”, which may seem a bit disrespectful to the current crop of Scotland players, who form a squad potentially stronger than any of the past decade or two. But every coach has to work with the players he has and, while Robinson is also keen to expand his scouting network, little will change in personnel between now and February.

The fault for the lack of polish in the Scotland Test side does not necessarily lie with the current players but in the failure of the Scottish system to expose players through their late teens to their intensity of competition that their peers receive in Wales, Ireland, England and France.

Robinson agreed, but also acknowledged that, after two-and-a-half years in the post, he was ultimately responsible for turning around a record of just two wins in ten championship matches pretty swiftly. He was quick to back his assistants, Graham Steadman and Gregor Townsend, again insisting that he is happy with Townsend despite criticism in some quarters of the attack coach’s inability to conjure up tries in his team.

Robinson stated that the desire to have more experience in his coaching team was not a reflection on the current incumbents but did admit that he would also be looking to uncover more opportunities for Townsend to develop his coaching experience. The former Scotland stand-off was brought into the set-up in a specialist role to provide an understanding of the current game and the challenges of modern Test rugby along with the respect he had from the current generation of players.

However, Robinson said: “One thing he hasn’t had the opportunity to develop is the real day-to-day coaching. The new experience we’re looking for is to challenge us all, but I see Gregor as a potential future head coach. He has tremendous ability and qualities which have impressed me and the players, so we are looking at how he can develop, perhaps working with the professional clubs a bit more.”

SEEKING WORDS OF WISDOM: SIX POSSIBLE SAGES

BRIAN ASHTON

One of the most revered coaches in the British game in terms of attacking play and developing backs. He worked within the England set-up while Robinson was assisting Clive Woodward at the England helm, and coached Bath while Robinson was a player in the 1990s.

GRAHAM HENRY

The World Cup-winning All Blacks coach has been touting himself around Europe for a role as an adviser, working only around three months per year with a team on a consultancy basis.

ALAN GAFFNEY

The Australian has coached club sides, including Saracens, Munster and Leinster, and worked with the Australian and Ireland national sides, and is now back home coaching the New South Wales Waratahs. Likes working in the Northern Hemisphere.

EDDIE JONES

Tendency to rub people up the wrong way and did that on the 2001 Lions tour when Robinson was in the Lions camp, but has been an adviser to South Africa and is well regarded as a technical and skills coach.

IAN MCGEECHAN

The former Scotland coach has worked closely with Robinson on the British and Irish Lions. He is now coaching at Robinson’s old club Bath and so it is very unlikely he would be available to take any kind of role within the Scotland camp again.

JIM TELFER

The most well-respected candidate in Scotland, Telfer coaches Melrose Wasps in the Borders Semi-Junior League, whilst also helping out with Borders coaches. At 71, he would be happy to advise informally, but unlikely to be on Robinson’s horizon.