A Bold Appointment, Let's Give The Guy A Chance

Jim Mallinder, our new Director of Performance Rugby

THE WAY in which the appointment of JIM MALLINDER as the new Director of Performance Rugby for the SRU was broken is proof of George Orwell's dictum: “News is something somebody does not want printed – everything else is advertising.”

In an ideal world, The Junta would have unveiled Mallinder to a stunned world, at a set-piece presentation at BT Murrayfield. TCD would have smiled graciously on all us unclean media scum and got his ugly mug plastered across the papers and TV as he welcomed his new recruit aboard.

This scenario, of course, depended on keeping the appointment quiet, until they were ready to break the story, and having a media department fit for purpose. Ah well! Ce'st la vie.

The initial social media reaction was predictable, once LL-B had confirmed the appointment in a tweet early this morning – outraged Scots bemoaning the arrival of yet another Englishman to swell the already heavy salary and ancillary costs of performance rugby in Scotland. However, this rather overlooks the obvious drawback – we don't have a suitably-qualified Scot available.

I am not going to decry Mallinder, he brings an impressive CV to the job and I am prepared to give him time to settle-in, then make his changes. My only slight concern is, he has been appointed before Ben Ryan has presented his findings on the state of the Performance Department.

Let's hope Ryan and Mallinder are singing off the same hymn sheet.

There have also been suggestions that Mallinder, a former player and coach with Sale Sharks, is perhaps an old Mancunian buddy of TCD. He may have won his England caps ought of Sale, but, Mallinder is a proud Yorkshireman, born in Halifax. A read through of his profile on Wikipedia gives the impression of a very-talented and driven coach. I believe he will prove to be a good appointment.

Also, he has been plucked from the RFU's management team and anything which might hurt England, that's ok by me.

He also continues the SRU's relationship with his last club, Northampton Saints; Toony played there, Ian McGeechan coached there, so, that's another point in Mallinder's favour.

All things considered, it's a good appointment, let's give TCD some praise for pulling it off, and the new guy time before we rush to judgement.

TOM HOWIE'S funeral will be held, at 2pm on Monday, 26 August, in Dunlop Kirk, followed by interment, at Dunlop Cemetry, at 2.30pm. I expect the great and good of Glasgow and West of Scotland rugby to be there in numbers to bid farewell to a great servant of the game.