'more Of The Same No Longer Good Enough As Townsend Carries On'

When nan astir powerful man successful Scottish Rugby says that much of nan aforesaid from nan nationalist squad is not bully capable anymore past you cognize that an ante has been upped.

As capacity director, David Nucifora is that man and that was astir surely his connection connected Wednesday erstwhile formally announcing a artillery of caller appointments and caller reasoning connected nan measurement nan crippled is tally successful Scotland.

Gregor Townsend has had his statement extended to 2027. Franco Smith, nan Glasgow Warriors coach, is sticking around, too.

A full caller subordinate pathway programme has been unveiled pinch circumstantial experts coming successful from nan National Basketball Association (NBA), nan MLB (Major League Baseball), Team Andy Murray, GB Aquatics and from nan world of Artificial Intelligence.

Closer to home, Al Kellock, managing head of Glasgow and totem of nan club, is nan astonishment prime for caput of pathways capacity and is, possibly, successful statement to return complete from Nucifora successful nan apical capacity occupation erstwhile nan clip comes.

All of those heads of caller departments are tasked pinch nan occupation of processing talent for nan future, but nan present and now was mostly astir Townsend.

Nucifora is simply a fan. He's wholly down Townsend, admires nan activity he has done and feels he deserves a greater chance to amended connected it. He describes him arsenic world class.

"He's successful a position now wherever we've sewage a squad that is maturing nicely, starring into a World Cup successful 2027," said Nucifora of Townsend. "He's now sewage a high-performance section astir him that's sewage a batch much support, a batch much bulk.

"Gregor's a personification that is perpetually seeking to improve, to get better. He's a funny coach. He wants to find ways to germinate some himself personally, but besides to germinate nan team. I deliberation erstwhile you suffer that thrust and curiosity to improve, that's erstwhile you cognize that caput coaches person astir apt tally their clip and Gregor's decidedly not successful that space. He's arsenic keen aliases keener than he's ever been."

Is much of nan aforesaid bully capable erstwhile it comes to Six Nations and World Cup performance, Nucifora was asked. "Well, no, successful precocious capacity you ne'er beryllium still," he replied. "You ever person to beryllium evolving.

"So no-one ever is sitting location going, 'I deliberation I'll conscionable do nan aforesaid arsenic what I did yesterday' because group conscionable title past you successful this business."

So, much assets for Townsend but also, it would appear, much unit to deliver, albeit his main executive, Alex Williamson, would not talk astir circumstantial targets.

"We're not putting wins and losses arsenic a difficult target," he said. "I conscionable deliberation that you illness successful connected yourself connected that basis.

"We are really focused connected having nan champion coaches pinch what we deliberation is simply a really talented group of players pinch much coming done our pathway and that we expect to onshore america successful nan very champion spot for nan World Cup and, earlier that, nan Six Nations."

Williamson, was asked nan aforesaid mobility astir Scotland continuing to decorativeness successful and astir 4th successful nan Six Nations and whether that was acceptable.

"No, I don't deliberation that would beryllium existent of immoderate portion of immoderate organisation sloppy of whether it's precocious capacity aliases not because nan infinitesimal you go satisfied pinch wherever you are, you are instantly going backwards astatine a complaint of knots," he said.

"We are highly ambitious, we're investing astatine a level successful our precocious capacity situation that Scottish Rugby has ne'er invested before. I want to beryllium nan starring national successful world rugby and this is nan first articulation, I guess, of our intent."

So, nary pressure, then. Townsend will beryllium fixed much support connected physio and rehabilitation, nutrition and different areas. These are nan pillars of nan caller initiatives announced by Nucifora and Williamson.

"I would opportunity that Gregor has been hamstrung somewhat by nan measurement that our building has been group up," said Williamson. "We're changing that now truthful going guardant he'll person a full-time high-performance situation that's dedicated to him.

"For nan first clip nan men's nationalist squad will person dedicated spot and conditioning physios, nutritionists, coaching resources (that are not shared by different teams successful nan organisation)," said Williamson.

"Immediately, he's getting an uplift of, let's say, 40% successful position of existent disposable clip from individuals and that's a immense boon for him.

"And past beyond that we person a pathway which is being designed to bring players done not only quicker but besides pinch each of those master skills already embedded.

"I surely deliberation that they've sewage each of nan constituent they request to beryllium nan very champion type of nan Scottish nationalist squad some men and yet for nan women arsenic well. We're giving ourselves nan very champion opportunity to beryllium successful."

Scotland will play 4 games successful nan autumn against nan USA, New Zealand, Argentina and Tonga. Their Six Nation run originates successful Rome earlier nan Calcutta Cup takes spot successful Edinburgh a week later. That will beryllium Townsend's 100th Test arsenic Scotland coach.

Wales away, France astatine location and Ireland distant complete nan campaign, Townsend's penultimate Six Nations. His best-place decorativeness is third, which he achieved successful 2023 and 2018. Scotland person vanished 4th connected 5 occasions connected his watch.

Is that bully enough? Is it much of nan same? In investing truthful overmuch clip and money successful trying to get Scotland moving guardant connected each fronts, a title situation worthy of nan sanction is surely nan target now.

Townsend should bask nan challenge, but nan power has been turned up a little, connected him and connected everybody astir him.