I don't get the hostility. Townsend is literally the most successful Scottish coach of this century. Under his stewardship, Scotland have frequently beaten other teams and have consistently challenged for a top half 6 Nations finish. Poor Gregor. Scottish rugby fans are just so ungrateful.☹️👎🏼
I do think that Vern Cotter could have done just as well, if not better with that group of players… Frank Hadden maybe; Matt Williams not so much…
I don't understand why we panicked so much and ended Cotter's contract early. There was this paranoia that Townsend would go elsewhere, but why couldn't we have waited?
We're not ungrateful. Took us to fifth in the world and gave us our most exciting side for a generation. But failure at consecutive world cups, and despite something of a golden generation of players, never looked like winning a 6N. Every squad benefits from fresh ideas, and that's overdue now.
Don't you have a consultation survey to fill in?
Even I need a break from spamming the survey.
...and never look like doing any better. Results have been about par with the squad available, I'd say. It's miles better than his predecessors have had for so long. I think the frustration is that we always lose to the same sides in exactly the same way
I'd rather discover that he was doing a great job than have another group stage exit in the next RWC with this group than wonder what someone else might have done with this squad.
Are you suggesting that 'this squad' has underachieved?
Possibly. I'd argue it has plateaued under him, for sure. Results arent much better than under cotter but the squad sure js. He's done a decent job but the world cups have been really poor.
Plateaued absolutely nails it. And the last two world cups saw meek capitulation to an admittedly fine Irish side, but we haven't beaten them for 12 years. Not acceptable given the players we have.
We beat Ireland once! Under Cotter obviously.... When Sexton was out injured and wee Greig scored that late penalty to put us clear. Must have been 2017.
Yes you're right, think we scored three tries in the first half hour, and then held on. But since then, the cupboard is bare.
Yep, Hogg and then Dunbar sneaking into a line out. It's depressing how similar the defeats (and the tries we concede) are each time as well.
You think going out in the groups is a good result with that bunch?
When and how could they have conceivably done any better?
By not getting pumped by Japan in 2019. By not falling to 10 in the world to get a group with Ireland and the boks in 2023. By not putting in two absolutely pathetic perfomances against Ireland and SA in 2023.
Don't forget the hurricane in 2019. If it wasn't for that hurricane, I reckon you would have qualified from the group. 100%.
Technically it was a typhoon not a hurricane.
Is that what the lawyers eventually determined? It must be a tricky undertaking, suing the weather. Fairplay to the SRU for giving it a shot,
Probably our issue right enough. We're not used to playing in anything other than glorious sunshine and flat calm weather....
Hard to believe their most memorable moment in the last decade is threatening legal action against the gracious Japanese hosts who’d just been hit by a typhoon.