Gregor Townsend claims a report he has already agreed to join Newcastle Red Bulls on a full-time basis is an attempt to destabilise Scotland before next week’s Calcutta Cup match against England.
Speaking as he announced that Blair Kinghorn had been dropped from the match-day squad for Saturday’s Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome, Townsend claimed there was “no truth” to the suggestion he had already put pen to paper on a deal with Newcastle for when his contract as Scotland head coach ends after next year’s World Cup. He added that the timing of the report had been deliberately engineered to disrupt preparations for the game against Steve Borthwick’s men. In that Murrayfield clash on February 14, the Scots will bid to claim a fifth win in their past six matches against England.
Ever since he took on a controversial side-hustle consultancy role with the Red Bull energy-drinks giant last October — weeks after landing a heavily criticised contract extension with Scotland — it has been widely assumed that a permanent position at the Gallagher Prem outfit is the next logical step in his career path.
Kinghorn has not been named in Townsend’s squad for Scotland’s opener against Italy on Saturday
MARK RUNNACLES/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
However, he reacted angrily to the report published in The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday and sought to shoot it down. “It’s pure speculation. I’ve not signed a contract beyond the World Cup with anybody,” Townsend said. “It’s a story that is being put out there to try to disrupt ahead of this game or next week’s game against England.
“It’s just something that comes out, things like these, ahead of the England game in particular. There’s no truth [in the claim that] I’ve signed the contract beyond the World Cup and my focus is on the Scotland team right now and hopefully up to the World Cup.”
Asked if he had any concerns about the uncertainty affecting Scotland’s Six Nations preparations, Townsend said: “No, not at all.”
He added: “I’ve loved the last two weeks, I really have, and I’m really excited about whatever’s going to happen in the next few weeks. And regarding the article, the timing, don’t take the bait from an English newspaper that are trying to do something the week ahead of the Calcutta Cup.”
Newcastle are the only rugby property on Red Bull’s books, and while the Scottish Rugby Union initially insisted Townsend would not be working directly with the club in his role as a “part-time strategic advisor and consultant”, this absurd claim was blown out of the water when Alan Dickens, the Newcastle head coach, confirmed days later that Townsend had already spent time in their set-up and that he was “looking forward to tapping into his wealth of experience”.
The Times revealed last month that Gavin Vaughan, a key part of Townsend’s staff since 2012, will join Newcastle as their head of recruitment after the Six Nations. In further Scottish links at Kingston Park, Jonny Petrie, the former Scotland back-row forward and senior executive with Edinburgh and Ulster, is now Newcastle’s managing director, while John Fletcher, who previously headed up the pathways system at the SRU, is the club’s academy and pathways director. Scott Macleod, the former Scotland lock who is the uncle of present star Darcy Graham, has spent many years as Newcastle’s lineout coach.
Vaughan, right, will join Newcastle Red Bulls as their head of recruitment after the Six Nations
DAVID GIBSON/FOTOSPORT
As with fellow Edinburgh wing Duhan van der Merwe, Graham has not been included in the starting XV for Saturday’s Stadio Olimpico clash. With the in-form Glasgow duo of Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie preferred on the flanks, Graham is only a substitute, while Van der Merwe misses out altogether.
In a further change to the established back three, Kinghorn has also failed to land a spot in the match-day squad. Tom Jordan, who has consistently impressed with Bristol Bears this season, gets the nod in the No15 shirt, while the other backline bench cover is provided by the scrum half George Horne and the fly half Adam Hastings.
Up front, the veteran Grant Gilchrist retains his starting spot in the second row alongside Scott Cummings, with the up-and-coming Warriors pair of Max Williamson and Gregor Brown forced to settle for cameo roles. Jack Dempsey, the powerhouse No8, has overcome a minor foot issue to start as part of an all-Glasgow back row with Matt Fagerson and Rory Darge. Like Kinghorn, the vastly experienced Jamie Ritchie will travel to the Italian capital as cover.
Gilchrist will start in the second row at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday
ERIC MCCOWAT/ALAMY
“Blair, Duhan and Darcy have had some terrific games for us and they’re very proud playing for Scotland. But there is competition in that back-three area as there is in other positions,” Townsend explained.
“We feel Jamie [Dobie], Kyle and Tom deserve their starts given how well they’ve been playing. Selection is about giving players opportunities and they’ve earned it. All three of them individually have taken games to the opposition, worked really hard at areas really important at Test level.
“But the three players that weren’t selected are quality players. How they’ve trained will be positive for the future if and when they get back into the team.
“It [Italy] is our most important game. And when you look at the context of the Six Nations it’s a lot about momentum. You build momentum through performances, and with three games in a row this year, it’s going to be massive.
“You roll on to next week pretty quickly so getting a performance and win will really help how you’re going to play the rest of the tournament.”
Scotland T Jordan; K Steyn, H Jones, S Tuipulotu (capt), J Dobie; F Russell, B White; P Schoeman, E Ashman, Z Fagerson, S Cummings, G Gilchrist, M Fagerson, R Darge, J Dempsey. Replacements G Turner, N McBeth, E Millar Mills, M Williamson, G Brown, G Horne, A Hastings, D Graham.
Italy v Scotland
Stadio Olimpico
Saturday, 2.10pm
TV BBC One