Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend’s future after this year’s World Cup would appear to be away from Murrayfield with reports from France suggesting he has applied for an assistant’s job with their national team.
Although the tournament is still nine months away, rugby paper Midi-Olympique reports Townsend “presented his credentials” for the attack coach job under French head coach Fabien Galthie. The post is to be vacated by Laurent Labit after the tournament is played.
Scotland’s longest-serving head coach since rugby went pro
Mignoni et Sempéré, l'appel des Bleus en Une de Midi Olympique !
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— Midi Olympique (@midi_olympique) January 8, 2023
Townsend’s contract expires after the tournament. He will have been national head coach for six years, the longest tenure for Scotland since the game went professional.
Until Warren Gatland made his return to Wales last month, Townsend was the longest serving head coach in the Six Nations.
It has been thought that the 49-year-old might seek a coaching post back in France after his term with Scotland was complete. He played for several clubs in the Top 14 during his playing career and is a fluent French speaker.
However it was expected that he might seek a head coach post at a club rather than an assistants role with the French national team.
And if Townsend is actively seeking a post in France it seems that – either mutually or otherwise – he’s definitely not going to have a further role at Murrayfield after the World Cup in France is over.
Dodson’s appointment
Chief Executive Mark Dodson appointed Townsend in 2017 rather than extend the contract of Vern Cotter. The New Zealander had piloted the Scots to within a few minutes of the 2015 Rugby World Cup semi-final.
Dodson then extended the Townsend’s deal despite Scotland’s failure to get out of their pool in the 2019 tournament in Japan.
Scotland have already lost one of their coaching team prior to next month’s Six Nations. Attack coach AB Zondagh has been released to take up a post with Lyon.
The South African came to Scotland less than two years ago from Toulouse. There’s been no mention of a direct replacement for the Six Nations or the World Cup. It is thought likely that Townsend will assume the entire attack brief for the forthcoming tournaments.
Scotland open the Six Nations against England at Twickenham on February 4.
Four warm-ups for the tournament
Dates for your Summer diaries 📆
Ticket information and kick-off times will be confirmed in due course.
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— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) January 10, 2023
In the meantime, Scotland will play four warm-up games – three at Murrayfield – in preparation for the World Cup.
The Scots will play Italy at Murrayfield for the second time in 2023 on July 29. They meet there in the final game of the Six Nations schedule on March 18.
They’ll also play World Cup hosts France home and away on August 5 and 12. Preparations are completed with a home game against Georgia on August 29.
Sctoland’s first game of their pool in France is against reigning world champions South Africa at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome on September 10. They also play Tonga in Nice (September 24), Romania in Lille (September 30) and Ireland in Paris (October 7).