In Praise Of Townsend

THERE MAY WELL be a case for a change of coach for the Scotland team after the recent World Cup. Received Wisdom appears to suggest, after a short number of years, the players switch-off hearing the same voice, perhaps saying the same thing to try to get his point into their thick heads; so, a fresh voice is called for.

The trouble with ditching Gregor Townsend is the reality of his track record.

For the first half, or more, of the history of international rugby, a selection committee sorted out the wheat from the chaff and assembled a team, it was up to that team, under the direction of the Captain, to sort themselves out, then go onto the field and win.

The came in Scotland's case: an 'Advisor to the Captain' who was still handed a squad by the selectors, and the gradual evolution to today, where we have adopted the North American fashion for: “the Head Coach as God.”

Trying to go through Scottish Rugby history to discover when we gave the full shout to the Head Coach has beaten me. Thirteen men have had that role, however, the first Bill Dickinson, was memorably 'Advisor to the Captain' and he, and his successors in the Amateur era and in the early days of Open Rugby were still being expected to work with the squad the Selectors gave them.

However, I was able to find workable records for 9 of the 13 Head Coaches, whose records read:

Gregor Townsend – 41 wins from 72 games – 56.9% wins

Sir Ian McGeechan – 19 wins from 35 games – 54.3% wins

Vern Cotter – 19 wins from 36 games – 52.78% wins

Jim Telfer – 28 wins from 63 games – 44.4% wins

Andy Robinson – 9 wins from 22 games – 40.9% wins

Frank Hadden – 16 wins from 41 games – 39% wins

Richie Dixon – 5 wins from 16 games – 31.25% wins

Scott Johnson – 5 wins from 16 games – 31.25% wins

Matt Williams – 3 wins from 17 games – 17.6% wins

These figures tell us, the median winning percentage for a Scottish Head Coach is 45.1%; so, Gregor Townsend is currently batting some 26% better than the average Scottish Head Coach. Will that silence the “Toony Must Go” faction? Ah hae ma doots.

One of the core factors in compiling this post is team selection. Toony first took command of the Scotland team in June 2017, v Italy, in Singapore. His team that day was:

Allan Dell, Ross Ford, Willem Nel, Tim Swinson, Ben Toolis, John Barclay, Ryan Wilson, Josh Strauss; Ali Price, Finn Russell; Tim Visser, Alex Dunbar, Matt Scott, Damien Hoyland; Duncan Taylor. On the bench: Fraser Brown, Gordon Reid, Zander Fagerson, Rob Harley, Magnus Bradbury, Rory Hughes, Henry Pyrgos, Peter Horne.

Six and a half years and more than 70 games on, only three of the starters and one of the bench boys will be involved in a playing sense today. So, during his tenure, Toony has had to almost totally recast his squad. We may not always agree with his selections, but, he has, over his period in-charge cast his net far and wide to find players, capping 112 in all.

I am actually struggling to think of a Scotland-qualified player, playing in either the BKT United Rugby Championship or The Gallagher Premiership who he hasn't at least had a look at in at least one squad. We might argue that he hasn't used a player as often as he might have, but, Toony is paid to make the big decisions and if he prefers one player over another, or maybe doesn't rate a third as “Scotland Class” - well that's one of the things he's paid to decide on – that's the system.

Or maybe the TMG Gang (that's Toony Must Go) are simply being Scottish -thrawn in the extreme. The ordinary Scottish fan has never been entirely happy with the selection – even when, as today, we beat England for fun.

Selecting sports teams is perhaps more an art form than a science – there is no one formula for success. If you are putting together a team, made-up of the best players from your country, by definition they ought to be good enough to win, provided somebody half-way capable is running the show.

There is, however, another belief, which contradicts the certainty of the Coach as God, that says: “The hardest part of coaching is team selection.” Some terrific hands-on coaches, able to wring extra effort out of players through great organisational skills and fantastic man management, can be undone by their poor selection decisions. Or perhaps a particular player and a particular coach simply do not get on, to the detriment of the team.

Jock Stein famously said: “The secret to coaching success is to get more out of the five players who like you than from the five who hate you.” I suppose, in Rugby Union terms, the measurement is seven and seven – since scrum-halves hate everyone.

In the Amateur Era the rugby Selectors had to endure constant public criticism. I can remember, back half a century ago, leaving Murrayfield having been impressed by one of the young Andy Irvine's early Scotland appearances, only to overhear a couple of other Scotland fans, obviously from Galashiels, lamenting the absence of Arthur 'Hovis' Brown from the side, and claiming he would have done better than Irvine.

At the same time, there was a body of opinion in God's County, to the effect that Dalry's own Niven Rose should be wearing the 15 jersey for Scotland, while, you will still find folk in Kelso, convinced George Fairbairn's absence from the ranks of the capped Scots is a disgrace. And, since I had better not overlook them, as a sop to any Teri reading this – Harry Whittaker.

With a Selection Committee, there was strength in numbers when a team selection is criticised. Cliff Morgan I think it was, had a story of, after being dropped by Wales, he was assured by every single Selector, that: “You had my vote Boyo, but, I was out-voted.”

See, giving him a hand with selection might make Toony's life easier.

The men from The Land of the Long White Cloud may not have won every running of The Rugby World Cup for instance, but, since that competition began, they have been the team you have to beat if you want to win it; while, for most of the years between each tournament, they tend to be top of the World Rugby Rankings.

This may have something to do with the fact, while they do give somebody the grand title of Head Coach, they have tended to operate a more collegiate system, involving a three-man coaching team. Sure, the Head Coach has the final say, but, the New Zealanders work a sort of idealised Cabinet management system, whereby the Head Coach is, as used to be said about the British Prime Minister: the man in the hot seat is: “First Among Equals.”

FINALLY - if we look, for instance, at Scotland's record in International Football – over 826 games since 1872. The various Selection committees between 1872 and 1967 chose the team in 321 internationals, of which Scotland won 177 – a 55.14% winning record.

In 1967, Bobby Brown was appointed Team Manager, and allowed to pick the team himself, bringing-in the age of the professional Manager/Sole Selector. Since then, including Caretakers, 18 men have been entrusted with picking, then managing the international team. Over 515 games, their median winning average is 42.6%.

OK, you could argue, the various Selection Committees had more, and most-definitely more “good” players to choose from. You could also argue that up until 1929 and their first overseas tour, Scotland only played against England, Ireland and Wales (and we only really bothered about beating England). But, in matters of team selection, seven heads have often proved better than one.

Back then, how the team actually played was left to the Captain to organise and the likes of Jimmy McMullan, who led the immortal Wembley Wizards of 1928, had a record of 4 wins and 2 draws from his 6 games as Captain – a 67% winning record.

His great contemporary, Rangers' Davie Meiklejohn also had a 67% winning record (6 games, 4 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat). Another great Rangers and Scotland Captain of the 1930s, Jimmy Simpson, had a 53.8% winning record (13 games, 7 wins, 4 draws, 2 defeats) – both losses to Wales funnily enough.

But, Scotland's greatest Captain/Manager was undoubtedly Rangers' George Young in the period 1948 – 1957. England had appointed Walter Winterbottom as their first Team Manager in 1946 and the Scottish Football Writers, the legendary “fans with typewriters” wanted the SFA to follow the FA's lead. However, SFA Secretary Sir George Graham shut them up by saying: “We don't need a Team Manager, we've got George Young as Captain and he does that job.”

Young's record: Captain in 48 games – won 29 – drew 9 – lost 10 – 60.4% wins appears to back-up Graham's assessment of his managerial qualities. I have been assured by more than one player who played for Scotland under Young, and subsequently under various official Scotland Managers, that Young did that job in all but name, and better than many managers who had the title.

In 1949, when, captained by Young, our football team won every game, there were suggestions we might have done even better, had the Selectors picked Rangers' Iron Curtain defence and Hibs' Famous Five forward line. The Selectors stubbornly turned a deaf ear to all such pleas.

I suppose, being Scottish, we all ken better than the man with the big job, even if, like Gregor Townsend, he appears to be doing a good one.