Scotland scrum coach Cuttita promoted to forwards coach for 6Ns

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/top-rugby-stories/rugby-cuttitta-in-line-to-take-charge-of-scotland-forwards-for-rbs-six-nations-1-2672399

I have to say despite our dreadful performances, one of the highlights has been the scrum (especially against SA) so I don't think this is a bad move.

However this does concern me as I feel it suggests that Dodson is going to bring in Johnson as an interim, he talks about the need for the extra support for whoever steps in. Johnson being a backs coach it'd lead me to believe he's definitely going as interim. I hope its as short-lived as his tenure at Wales.

I'm going to withhold judgement until we see some results. The same goes for Johnson. I'm not convinced either are the right appointments, even on an interim basis. But they are in place and should be given a chance to show what they can do in the 6N's.

Having said that it looks a bit like we're giving everyone another chance, even if they were in place for the AI's and the Tongan collapse. Robinson was so exasperated, he chucked in the towel and left, I question whether his team can do any better.

I ruddy well hope that does not mean its gonna be Johnson.

I don't care who it is, as long as it's someone with no affiliation with Scottish rugby.

We need a fresh set of eyes to make up their own mind about the players.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:I don't care who it is, as long as it's someone with no affiliation with Scottish rugby.

We need a fresh set of eyes to make up their own mind about the players.

Agreed, but somehow I can't see that happening. Wooden spoon again this year I think.

In terms of a backs coach I'm amazed Brian Ashton has stayed out of international rugby for so long. I know he went to Fylde as head coach but I've no idea if he's still there. In fairness he may well be enjoying a well earned retirement by now.

He was a brilliant backs coach and could fit in with a lot of sides both a club and int level given how teams are trying to play.

If you want a man who swore by Noon and Tindall and the idea that Ian Balshaw was a good idea at fullback and hadnt noticed that farrell senior was playing as a forward for a reason ....then Scotland really are in trouble.

He couldnt save Andy Robinsons job, he shouldnt have been allowed to take it. Dont wish that history to be repeated upon yourselves.

PSW

I'm an England fan so more just thinking out loud than making a wish list!

Also I was suggesting him as a specialist backs coach a role he excelled in for Bath for many years. He then took on a poor England side which ended up in RWC final (though many plaudits go to Vickery during the tournament).

I also disagree on the idea that Balshaw is a poor player as many try to point out consistently. The guy put in great performances for Bath and now Biarritz and had plenty of good games in an England shirt that many choose to forget!

We do not need someone like Ashton. We need a young ambitious coach.

I agree with TJ but I think we need a hard man to be honest, more like a Warren Gatland figure/Nick Mallet

king_carlos wrote:PSW

I'm an England fan so more just thinking out loud than making a wish list!

Also I was suggesting him as a specialist backs coach a role he excelled in for Bath for many years. He then took on a poor England side which ended up in RWC final (though many plaudits go to Vickery during the tournament).

I also disagree on the idea that Balshaw is a poor player as many try to point out consistently. The guy put in great performances for Bath and now Biarritz and had plenty of good games in an England shirt that many choose to forget!

Well as you allude to the world cup perfomance was inspite of some insipid back play and down to the players revolting against Ashton
Balshaw was fine as a wing, but was by no stretch a fullback. It would be like playing Chris Ashton there or perhaps more similar JSD. Running lines is all well and good but you also need to be able to catch the ball and kick it. His defenders always point this out, saying he was missued and it was unfair to critisize him based on those games...hence why I critisized the use of him as a fullback, at least Johhno only played Monye there once.

Indeed Neily. I wish we had a Scot who fitted the bill but we do not.

It has to be someone to approach things with an open mind and a clean slate and someone who can motivate people - and someone not tainted by failure

What about Shade Munro from Glasgow? I've met him before (friend of a friend, met at the ACDC gig a few years back at Hampden) and he's a pretty intimidating figure without even saying anything!

Tramptastic wrote:What about Shade Munro from Glasgow? I've met him before (friend of a friend, met at the ACDC gig a few years back at Hampden) and he's a pretty intimidating figure without even saying anything!

Doesn't have that Telferesque x-factor, altho nice fella as you say

There was talk on the RWC draw show that Scott Johnson would get the job who to be honest doesn't exactly fill you with confidence when talking about getting the best out of the youth and going forward...

I'd almost like to see Lineen in if its going to be a caretaker job... At least he's hard enough to get the best out of some of those players...

oh god http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/20587368

The Johnson power project has begun in Scotland!

No, pls, if there's a god/Jeebus thingy out there, see reason and endure this man has no shot at the job (in case of doubt, that's feicin praying not clapping)

Johnson doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of getting the job. I'm certain with our ranking so low and a much less intimidating RWC pool that the Scotland job will be appealing for unproven, gutsy young coaches to come in over a few years, increase our world ranking and get us out of our RWC pool.

well the SRU seem to have a habit of giving failed coaches a second chance. I really think we'll be seeing Johnson next six nations, which deeply worries me, all the interviews with Dodson seem to be indicating an interim coach and that coach to be Johnson, I'd hope they pick Lineen as interim but I have a feeling he's fallen out of favour somewhat.

Not meaning to be a pain or anything, but I've only really followed the Scottish game before and was wondering, what's the issue with Johnson?

I get that he seems to be a character and may rub people up the wrong way, but isn't that true of many coaches? So what else has he done/not done?

I wouldn't at this stage consider him to be a failure with Scotland, given he's only been in the job a few months. If he does have to go, I dread to think how much it'll cost to pay him off! The SRU seem to have majorly screwed up with his appointment as Robinson's assistant if Robinson's position was under scrutiny after the 6N.

The issue with Johnson is not that he's a "character". The Times claims that's close to the players, popular with them (as he was with the Welsh players) and in fact has a good chance of landing the job.

The issue for me is that he hasn't been a success anywhere ever, and I thought the Scotland backs against Tonga, after his expert coaching, were utterly dreadful.

So I reject him for that most old fashioned of reasons: not good enough.

Why this insistence on an interim option? Is Nick Mallett not free? The SRU have already missed a trick if they haven't already sent a delegation down to South Africa to beg him to take the job.

Johnsons record is a deeply mediocre one of failure after failure. failed for a club ( ospreys? ) , failed as wales coach. Previous failures as well. has never actually achieved anything. a major league bullshitter

I just look at how wales did under him as a head coach, and ospreys, and I worry. He has a very poor track record

I don't think the SRU are insisting on an interim option - just saying it is an option IE they do not have to rush into a permanent appointment

I hope not. It's just that every article I seem to read is focused on who the interim coach will be. That for me is the worst possible outcome - more time wasted. Let's identify out top 3 targets, send a contingent of Scotland's finest to persuade them to cover over, and take it from there.

I agree that waiting a few months for the right person is better than swiftly appointing the wrong person, but I'd like to think the SRU aren't going to drag heals over this for ever. If we start hearing names of expensive recruitment firms being used, I'll weap.

When his attacking master plan is to use Matt Scott as a crash ball centre, I think it's reasonable to question Mr Johnson's credentials

Waiting for a news article saying Mallett has applied for the Scotland job, Wayne Smith wants to be his deputy and Jim Telfer wants to be our sports psychologist

I'm a bit concerned that it looks like we might have an Aussie accent at head coach. an Italian forwards coach and a defence coach who played for Scotland but has an Aussie accent.

We've all said that this Scotland team needs to find it's passion and motivation for playing for Scotland - is a multi-national coaching team going to be able to do that?

RDW_Scotland wrote:I'm a bit concerned that it looks like we might have an Aussie accent at head coach. an Italian forwards coach and a defence coach who played for Scotland but has an Aussie accent.

We've all said that this Scotland team needs to find it's passion and motivation for playing for Scotland - is a multi-national coaching team going to be able to do that?

There's obviously a fine line here, because whilst ideally we'd have a talented and technically superb coach who is Scottish and a former player, brimming with passion for the country, we don't have one. On balance I'd far rather we went for the best technical coaches available. If the players can't get themselves motivated and passionate to play for Scotland (and personally I don't feel like that has been a big issue), then we are well and truly sunk.

Bring in a team of external motivators who will inspire the players and make them see what it means to be Scottish/represent Scotland. No doubt the SRU would bring in Mel Gibson and bring Idi Amin back from the dead rather than appoint the likes of Telfer...

If pulling on that Navy jersey and belting out flower of Scotland is not enough to ignite your passion, heart and soul I don't know what is going to be enough.

A coach should have nothing to do with instilling passion, pride and honour for representing your country.

A coach IMO is there to pick the best players, come up with the game plan to play to our strengths and expose the opposition's weaknesses.

It's the captains Job to galvanize the team and make sure they play for each other.

The passion and pride comes from the individuals.

I don't see any scots with the skills required. I want a young ambitious coach.

I'd be quite happy to see John Jeffries / Jim telfer in the setup somewhere tho

I don’t think there is a problem with the players’ motivation, or lack of it, in playing for Scotland. The big problem for me is that the players are not chucked out of their comfort zone on a regular basis. Some of them knew that they’d be picked by Robbo pretty much no matter what their form was like. That has to change as it gives players carte blanche to perform poorly.

Captain_Sensible wrote:I don’t think there is a problem with the players’ motivation, or lack of it, in playing for Scotland. The big problem for me is that the players are not chucked out of their comfort zone on a regular basis. Some of them knew that they’d be picked by Robbo pretty much no matter what their form was like. That has to change as it gives players carte blanche to perform poorly.

By that comment do you mean players playing out of position?

If so that has been a criminal offence committed by every Scottish coach since Matt Williams.

well unless we have a coach in Scotland who is willing to take them further we're looking at an international appointment anyway. There's no chance Geech will be interested, although as a Wasps fan I'm not convinced he's the best coach anyway he was the beginning of the end for us plus he seems to be becoming a bit of a journeyman in regards to his loyalty to the clubs he signs to, Redpath hasn't been convincing at all as a head coach but is a good backs coach but unless Johnson goes that's not going to happen, Chalmers is definitely the mould of a good Scotland coach but he needs to make the step up, perhaps Bradley will be removed from his post if Edinburgh have a dire season next season which would be a good opportunity for him, Alan Tait has actively said no, Jim Telfer I don't think would touch Scotland with a barge pole right now.

The only viable Scottish candidate is Lineen and I can't see him getting the post if someone like Mallett is willing to take Scotland forward.

I personally don't mind if its international as long as they don't take bs from the team, which I think seems to be the problem of late. Also if they're a coach willing to completely drop Max Evans for younger, better players they have my respect.

I think motivation is a huge issue - too many of the players look ok after a loss - guys like Ford have become complacent. It should hurt to lose = see lamonts outburst last year

TJ wrote:I think motivation is a huge issue - too many of the players look ok after a loss - guys like Ford have become complacent. It should hurt to lose = see lamonts outburst last year

Or Lamont at the end of every game in the Autumn, he looked furious.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:

Captain_Sensible wrote:I don’t think there is a problem with the players’ motivation, or lack of it, in playing for Scotland. The big problem for me is that the players are not chucked out of their comfort zone on a regular basis. Some of them knew that they’d be picked by Robbo pretty much no matter what their form was like. That has to change as it gives players carte blanche to perform poorly.

By that comment do you mean players playing out of position?

If so that has been a criminal offence committed by every Scottish coach since Matt Williams.

No, I don’t mean out of position. By ‘comfort zone’ I mean getting put on the bench, or being dropped entirely and watching the game from the stands or from the sofa at home. That doesn't happen often enough, so our key players can put in mediocre performances and know they’ll probably get picked for the next game.

I’m a firm believer in playing players in their proper positions. Laidlaw back to 9! Brown back to 6!

aye we need a coach who will cut players who get complacent and not reward them for it. I think this is the step away from being a good team. Good selection policy and a no bs policy

Thus why I'd like Mallett for the job!

Martin Johnson is free

damage_13 wrote:Martin Johnson is free

... I laugh but its exactly the sort of daft sh*te the SRU would pull

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:If pulling on that Navy jersey and belting out flower of Scotland is not enough to ignite your passion, heart and soul I don't know what is going to be enough.

A coach should have nothing to do with instilling passion, pride and honour for representing your country.

A coach IMO is there to pick the best players, come up with the game plan to play to our strengths and expose the opposition's weaknesses.

It's the captains Job to galvanize the team and make sure they play for each other.

The passion and pride comes from the individuals.

This is exactly what Gary Armstrong identified as a problem, Radge, complete absence of player passion

Martin Johnson?
I wouldn't laugh.
He was getting there with England but the players themselves blew it with the dwarves and the ladies.