Gray Plots Unique Course with ‘Opportunity Too Good to Miss’
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The Sunday Times June 4, 2017 7 GARY HUTCHISON MARK Matt Taylor has ditched hectic A TESTING SUMMER PALMER club-and-country roles to focus AHEAD FOR SCOTLAND Eye for detail: Matt Saturday v Italy in Singapore (kick- on defensive commitments Taylor is renowned off 1pm UK time) for a meticulous Saturday, June 17 v Australia in for Gregor Townsend’s side approach to his Sydney (kick-off 6am UK time) coaching Saturday, June 24 v Fiji in Suva (kick-off 3.30am UK time) att Taylor has had plenty of practice in being there Gregor Townsend’s first match as for Gregor Townsend. Scotland coach will take place “Back at the Borders, he indoors to avoid the 30-degree heat played ten and I played and 90% humidity that is the norm seven, so I did a lot of his for Singapore. Cool air is pumped tackling for him,” says the into the national stadium to stop the Scotland defence coach, players and crowd from overheating. the one member of Vern Italy will be missing some of their Cotter’s staff retained in most experienced players, including the new regime. “I’m not sure he’ll like Sergio Parisse, Simone Favaro, Mme saying that, but Gregor and I have this Leonardo Ghiraldini and Lorenzo bond. Even though he’s my boss, we’re Cittadini. friends at the same time.” The pair hit it off in the two seasons The Australia game sees Scotland they spent together at Netherdale return to the Allianz stadium in between 2002 and 2004. Townsend, like Sydney where Townsend helped Gary Armstrong and Doddie Weir, was secure a dramatic win over Fiji at the the local hero trying to establish a con- 2003 World Cup. Bryan Redpath’s nection between the revived team and its team lost to the hosts in the quarter- region. Taylor was one of the support finals, but won the last time they cast, moving down from Edinburgh to tackled the Wallabies on home soil in escape Martin Leslie’s shadow and push 2012. Michael Cheika has named for more than the “A” caps he’d won up to eight uncapped players in an then. experimental squad. Neither he nor Townsend lacked immediate incentives, but both were Edinburgh’s Viliame Mata, and already looking to the future and that’s NATIONAL former Glasgow favourites Leone where they found common ground. Nakarawa and Niko Matawalu, are in “I always felt I was going to get into the Fiji squad for the clash in Suva. coaching, so I was writing down a lot of Scotland won 37-25 on their last visit drills, activities and philosophies and to the island five years ago. Gregor did the same,” says Taylor, who played a couple of trial games in the same back row as Ross Ford before the Kelso Gregor, I wasn’t involved in coaching and man switched to hooker. “Having a simi- didn’t go to the game. I’ve played Austra- lar outlook allowed us to strike up a really lia three times now and lost all three, tight relationship and we always kept in albeit narrowly each time. contact when we took on different roles. I “The whole tour will be good for us. always knew this [Test coaching] was Italy will be really sore from how they’ve where he was going; he always had the gone, and have had a long time to pre- right head. He’s always been very good at pare. Everyone’s been giving Aussie looking at different people, taking the SERVICEpitch up for work at Scotstoun on the Fri- actually quite nice to pull back, reflect, really ready for it. If you do a poor job, him of the nights he’d commandeer the rugby a hard time, but not much more good bits and finding ways to improve. day night then be back wearing the thistle and have a look at what the guys are you don’t get another opportunity. I’ve family VCR to watch the Scotland games than a year ago they were in a World Cup He’s always been hungry for knowledge, come lunchtime the following day. doing. I’ll probably still do a day a week taken bits and pieces from all the head his uncles, Bob and Lawrie Dewar, sent final and I know the Australian mentality hungry for success.” Taylor admits to having found the pace with Glasgow and a day with Edinburgh coaches I’ve worked for: Gregor, Robbo, across on tape. — when people give them a hard time A pivotal reunion took place in 2011, addictive, and you’ll struggle to identify a and visit other provinces where there are Scott [Johnson], Vern, Ewen. The guys A number of match programmes, they rise up. Fiji have picked their best when Townsend, then Andy Robinson’s Glasgow or Scotland player whose Scottish guys. It’ll be good for me and laugh at me with all my hard drives, but I including all those from the 1984 Grand squad in a number of years, so every one attack coach, spent a fortnight at the Reds defence could be called neglected. That good for the team.” like to write things down and have a pro- Slam, also reached the other side of the of those games is going to be a battle.” where Taylor was in charge of defence. said, he didn’t object when Townsend Taylor goes way back with Dave Ren- gramme ready so that when the time world before Taylor and wife Kirsten Taylor reports that Townsend, true to Ewen McKenzie’s side won Super Rugby made it clear one of the hats would be nie, Townsend’s successor at the Warri- comes, I’m prepared for it.” made the opposite move to his parents. details-freak form, has been “squeezing that year, and Townsend loved the going. “After five years of doing both, it’s ors. The Kiwi was in charge of the coach- He’s looking forward to going back to Their 14-year-old daughter, Brianna, was absolutely everything possible” from the energy and thoroughness of their work. a good change for me to really focus on ing course that Taylor undertook at the Australia for Scotland’s game in Sydney, born in the Borders General, while nine- preparation time available. He’s a man The following spring, he was being lined the national team. Up to now, you’re renowned International Rugby Academy but says the real homecomings have been year-old Cruz speaks with a Glasgow who likes to challenge, but Taylor is com- up to take over at Glasgow and needed a nearly always in game mode from week of New Zealand more than a decade ago, when he’s done the trip in reverse. accent and plays for GHK. fortable turning the tables. defence coach. As luck would have it, to week, which is a good thing, but it’s and the duo then coached against each Although Taylor was born and raised in “I’ve always had a very deep connec- “All good head coaches welcome opin- Robinson also had a vacancy with the other at national under-20 level when Brisbane, his parents are both from Dun- tion to Scotland, and the longer we’re ions, because it costs them nothing. If national team. “The stars aligned and it’s Taylor was with Australia. Their most fermline and maintained a fierce attach- here, the more likely we could stay for the you ask people’s opinions, they feel like been a quick five years,” says Taylor. “I After years of juggling recent meetings came in Super Rugby, a ment to their roots when they emigrated rest of our lives,” says Taylor. “The Syd- they’re being listened to. There are some haven’t really looked back, and I haven’t Glasgow and Scotland competition Rennie has twice won with in the 1960s. ney game will be nice, because even thing Gregor takes on, and some things had a chance to.” the Chiefs. Taylor’s father, Stewart, did an though it’s a 12-hour drive from Brisbane, he doesn’t. That’s his prerogative The 44-year-old has been on duty roles, Taylor will be Taylor himself harbours ambitions of apprenticeship at the Rosyth dockyards, I’ve got family coming down and we’ve a because the buck stops with him, but you pretty much every weekend of every sea- being a head coach, and typical of his then got a job at the Ford Motor Company lot of friends in the city anyway. always feel able to have the conversa- son, sometimes having to swap hats half- able to pull back, meticulous approach, has clear ideas in Melbourne before returning to ship- “The Super Rugby season had only just tion.” Worldly-wise yet curious, ambi- way down the M8. In the international reflect and see what about how he’ll get there. building in Queensland. He and wife Kath finished last time round [when Scotland tious but utterly loyal: Taylor is the right- windows, it’s been common to see him “You need to make sure that if you do will be at the Allianz stadium on June 17, beat the Wallabies 9-6 in 2012], so even hand man who was never going to get left spend the whole week with Scotland, the players are doing go into one of those roles, you’re really, ready to support their boy and remind though I spent the week with Robbo and behind by a boss who knows his value.