This morning I was fixed with a smile and told “I’m a pretty positive sort of guy.”
Over a plate of biscuits Sean Lineen assured me of Glasgow’s focus and of his renewed passion for the game on the west coast. Last season the Warriors finished in a lowly 11th place and there was talk of the head coach being courted by Aviva Premiership outfit Bath. This time round, though, the former Scotland centre is looking to rebuild and get the best out of a young team.
Some press releases can be taken out of a clichéd handbook. “This preseason is the best we’ve ever had/we’re the fittest we’ve ever been/the new signings have created a real buzz around the place!”
Starting his 5th season as Glasgow Warriors Head Coach Sean Lineen has heard and said these several times. Now, though, he must know that he has this season, and this season alone, to try and turn things around after last term’s near disastrous plummet to the foot of the Magners League.
If you ask Charlie Hodgson about former Scotland Forwards coach Mike Brewer he will probably throw a string of expletives at you. Those two just didn’t get along, did they?!
Sean Lineen has ruled himself out of contention for the Scotland Rugby head coach’s position. Wise enough to mastermind a famous away victory in Toulouse, the original kilted Kiwi is also wise enough to know that he has unfinished business with Glasgow. He talks a lot of sense about where he is as a coach, realising his own strengths and weaknesses and he’ll probably be a great Scotland coach, just not this time round. This leaves Andy Robinson as pretty overwhelming favourite now. Will he take a similar step out of the spotlight, clearing the way for a worldwide headhunt, or is he actually far more anxious to prove himself once again on the biggest stage? One overwhelming thing in his favour is that he doesn’t get on with Brian Moore. We should know if he throws in the hat or the towel in the next week or two.
While rumours abound that Sean Lamont is Edinburgh bound – he certainly seems to be MIA at Saints although that may be more to do with the form of Paul Diggin – one thing for sure is that Robinson has also just completed the signing of Sevens captain Roddy Grant to a full-time contract at Edinburgh. Grant, who plays as flanker in the fifteens game, should be afforded an ideal opportunity to learn his trade first hand from a coach with a pretty large knowledge base in that area. Unless of course he moves upstairs…
Meanwhile Lineen, with an even stronger Glasgow squad for next year including Chris Cusiter and Rob Dewey, wants to give himself a chance for success there first, realising that one good Heineken Cup result does not a good Scotland coach make.
Oh, wait…
According to press reports whizzing about just now, Ol’ Franky baws has jumped, possibly whilst being pushed.
While in recent years the team has lapsed into a fairly inconsistent sort of malaise, I feel Scottish Rugby fans (and players) will always wish Frank Hadden well simply for restoring faith and a little hope in the aftermath of the Matt Williams era. His record in home Calcutta Cups was pretty good and his team notched up an away Southern Hemisphere win, something of a rarity. Okay, Argentina without Llofreda or Hernandez. But – south of the Equator. Live with it.
However (without wishing to kick a man whilst down) he may also be remembered for an over-reliance on reputation (or relationship?) at the expense of form (cough Dan Parks, Marcus Di Rollo cough) whilst stalling before bringing in players who merited a run in that famous navy shirt of ours (Godman, Cairns, Evans, Evans). Should I even mention Mossy and the standoff debate? Sorry, no time – dinner’s ready. Whatever he’s up to next Al and I shall wish him well, as he always seemed a decent bloke. But it is time for this Scotland team to move on. Or try to.
Now talk inevitably turns to: which fool wants the job? Steve Bates/Todd Blackadder/Eddie Jones/Marcelo Llofreda/Bryan Redpath/Rob Moffatt etc etc… Will Robinson and Lineen want to abandon rebuilding the pro-teams, now they seem to be getting somewhere? Can the SRU afford anyone decent? Will a newcomer hang on to Brewer, Steadman and Townsend? Does Tom Smith have any coaching qualifications?
Discussion, as always, in the coming weeks – as the size of Frank’s name in the tag popularity cloud to the right diminishes slowly into the night…
“Back” when Scotland and Edinburgh were one dimensional in attack and never got the ball past 12, at least you could count on Rob Dewey. When within 10 metres of the line, it would be “Rob Dewey time”. Chuck him the ball and let him have a batter – at close range he was trick to stop and you stood a good chance of crossing the line. Soon fame and injury beckoned at Ulster, and by then Scotland’s opponents had him well marshalled. Briefly last year he appeared in the Churchill Cup A Team looking almost a different player, displaying the “worrying” trait of varying his lines of running and offloading, with fairly decent results.
With Scotland having a few problems getting the ball past the number 12 shirt at times on Saturday (so much so that BBC pundit and former Ireland centre Rob Henderson had worked out most of Scotland’s Morrison-centric game plan by half time), could now be the time to announce Rob Dewey’s return to Scotland to team up with former central-belt foes the Glasgow Warriors? Yes it could. Having been shunted into a club team by loveable Aussie Matt Williams, Dewey is ready to return to this fair country and stake his claim in a Glasgow back line that next year will already have the likes of Chris Cusiter, Mark McMillan, Ruaridh Jackson, Andy Henderson, Graeme Morrison and of course both Evans brothers competing for places. Exciting times ahead for Sean Lineen’s Glasgow. If you were him you’d want to stick around there for a while rather than get involved with the muck higher up…
Speaking of which, after a considerable session in the Irish-mobbed Roseburn bar on Saturday, your fearless Scottish Rugby Blog correspondents witnessed the second half debacle at Murrayfield first hand. Hopefully Al will be here with his near-patented Big Rant later. Watch out, Frank.
Michael wrote in today with a link to the following petition to remove Frank Hadden as national coach.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Frankout/petition.html
While I should point out that here at Scottish Rugby Blog we do not necessarily endorse this viewpoint that Frank Hadden should go – I’m fairly ambivalent to be honest, although considerably more likely to sign it than I was, say, last month, and I’m not sure about Al – I felt it only fair to give you, the reader, the option to make a decision for yourself should you wish to get involved.
Despite some Quixotic selections in recent weeks, my main hesitation is the lack of a current viable alternative. Where is our Warren Gatland? Our Shaun Edwards-type in Alan Tait has already gone to be replaced by another league man. With more (better?) coaches under him now, hopefully Hadden recedes to a director of rugby type role that might suit him more than as a hands on coach. Given that Andy Robinson and Sean Lineen (certainly Robinson) are more than happy where they are and more to the point best left in place as quality coaches who can develop new talent, who would you replace him with?
Give it till the end of the Six Nations, and then maybe it’ll be time to pile on.
Last Monday saw the inevitable spilling of blood at SRU HQ with Frank Hadden managing to cling onto his job. After a woeful last 6 months that saw Scotland throw away a chance at a World Cup Semi-final and struggle to make any sort of positive impact on 2008′s 6 Nations it was inconceivable that there wouldn’t be changes to the coaching structure. Whilst Hadden has, somehow, clung onto his job both George Graham and Alan Tait were not so fortunate. In have come the 2 coaches from Scotland’s professional sides, Sean Lineen (Glasgow) and Andy Robinson (Edinburgh).
It will be intriguing to see how these 3 coaches are able to work with each other. All 3 have differing approaches to the game and whether this ‘soup of styles’ can be carried off will make for interesting viewing.
These changes are hardly a surprise and are, probably, the least the SRU could have been expected to do after such a poor run of results. Make no mistake though, it now appears that unless Hadden can get results away in Argentina then surely his time as national coach will be coming to an end.
An interesting aspect of these changes is that with Hadden retaining his position the SRU are failing to tackle the main issue with this Scottish side – namely the inability to attack and effectively hurt opposition. Hadden’s tenure has been characterised by the image of the ball being passed down a flat line with no gain in territory with the ultimate end product of the ball being booted away. Game after game we see players, who for their club sides run the ball and break the line, fail to display the attacking verve required at the highest level. To be honest some of the play over the last 6 months has been feckless. The players need to look at their own level of performance, but surely the man in charge of coaching the backs (Hadden) needs to take responsibility for picking the wrong players, the wrong tactics and failing to have any sort of game plan. Hadden’s failing as a head coach are tiny in comparison to his failings as a Backs coach.
The appointment of Robinson and Lineen put the pressure firmly on Hadden. Whilst neither Lineen or Robinson admit to wanting to take the national job you have to ask would they turn it down if offered? Robinson was essential to England success at the 2003 World Cup and, whilst his spell as head honcho with England was a mess, he could be seen as the logical next step. He will surely be keen to rebuild his image on the international stage and Scotland could be a good platform for him to show what he can do.
My feeling is that Lineen and Robinson are being eased slowly into the national setup and barring a marked upturn in performances, and results, this 2-pronged leadership may well be in charge come next years 6 Nations. In my opinion this still leaves a gap, a figurehead to sit above these 2 – someone with knowledge of the game at all levels. If (when?) Hadden leaves I hope the SRU appoint a ‘Director of Rugby’ who’ll guide the development of the game. The SRU may already have this role in the setup (?) but this needs to be a far more visible presence. Presuming that Scotland don’t have the balls to approach someone like a Jake White (don’t get if you don’t ask – although, in fairness to the SRU, they may well have), or that Jake would rather wash his hair, we need to look outside of the box. They needn’t be Scottish, just someone with the passion to succeed and someone who wants to improve the whole structure ensuring that schoolboy rugby up receive the same high level training and are all trying to play the same type of rugby. Its a big job but the rewards could be huge.
Anyway, as ever I digress. I look forward to see the impact of Lineen and Robinson, hopefully it’ll be a start to sorting out the mess we are in at the moment…we can but hope!
Over and out.
Al
