Townsend To Remain Scotland Boss To 2027 World Cup

Scotland caput coach Gregor Townsend has signed a statement hold that intends he will stay successful complaint for nan 2027 World Cup successful Australia.

With nan 52-year-old's existent woody expiring successful April adjacent year, location had been speculation precocious that Newcastle Red Bulls were looking astatine nan Scot arsenic a imaginable head of rugby.

But Scottish Rugby will denote connected Wednesday greeting that he is staying.

With his first Test arsenic coach coming successful nan summertime of 2017, Townsend is already Scotland's longest-serving world coach successful nan master era.

And, of those still successful position, he is nan longest-serving tier-one coach successful nan world. He has overseen 94 Tests, winning 53, losing 40 and drafting one, nan epic 38-38 astatine Twickenham successful 2019.

With 4 games astatine Murrayfield successful nan autumn - nan United States, New Zealand, Argentina and Tonga - Townsend's 100th Test arsenic Scotland coach will travel successful nan 2nd information of nan Six Nations successful February - against England successful Edinburgh.

He has achieved immoderate notable victories successful his years astatine nan helm, a first triumph successful Paris successful 22 years, a first triumph astatine Twickenham successful 38 years, 4 Calcutta Cups successful a statement for nan first clip since 1970 and 4 wins successful 5 Tests against Australia.

Scotland's capacity to play scintillating rugby has had its reward successful that nan contingent of Scots selected for British and Irish Lions tours has risen sharply since Townsend took over.

In nan 5 tours pre-Townsend, Scotland's practice successful nan original squad numbered three, three, two, 3 and two.

In nan 2 Lions tours since Townsend became nationalist coach, 8 Scots were original picks connected each of them, positive a artillery of others called up during nan tour, mostly notably nether Andy Farrell successful Australia this summer.

Ben White, Darcy Graham, Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Gregor Brown each saw game-time connected tour, White especially.

Scotland person improved connected Townsend's watch, but location is thing tangible to show for it and, while it is difficult to gauge these things, location is definite support retired location for an overhaul.

Eight years - which is now group to go 10 years - is simply a mammoth innings and his critics person grown complete time.

Those Scotland fans who person been seeking alteration would person been hopeful of Glasgow's Franco Smith stepping into nan domiciled of nationalist coach. There is simply a emotion among that group of supporters that nan squad has stagnated nether Townsend successful caller seasons.

For each of nan good one-off wins, Scotland person ne'er decently challenged for a Six Nations title, pinch conscionable 2 third-place finishes nether Townsend successful 8 attempts and an mean finishing position of fourth.

The squad has go hugely entertaining connected its champion days - hence nan singular number of sell-outs astatine Murrayfield - but location has not been nan extent of squad and consistency to contend.

Townsend took them to a grounds precocious of 5th successful nan world, but pursuing connected from their conclusion to Fiji successful Suva successful nan summer, they now rank eighth.

He has besides grounded astatine 2 successive World Cups, exiting successful nan excavation shape successful Japan successful 2019 and again successful France successful 2023.

Unquestionably, making up for specified disappointment is portion of why Townsend wants to enactment on. That, and ne'er having gone to nan ligament successful nan Six Nations, will time off him pinch a emotion of unfinished business.

The World Cup tie takes spot successful December and this clip astir it will characteristic six groups of 4 teams, pinch nan apical six successful nan world rankings heading up each group.

That is bully news for Townsend arsenic he seeks to get retired of a group for nan first time.

In France successful 2023, they suffered a scary tie erstwhile pitched-in pinch South Africa (the holders) and Ireland (at nan time, nan world number one), pinch only nan apical 2 qualifying.

Even pinch a world ranking of eight, successful nan caller 24-nation format, Scotland could not beryllium landed pinch a akin excavation of decease successful Australia.

They would beryllium seeded 2nd successful nan group, pinch nan 2 apical countries, positive nan 4 champion third-place teams crossed each groups, making it to nan past 16 knockouts.

That is simply a friendlier scenery for Scotland and a much appealing 1 for Townsend.

Now that his early is secure, nan readying originates for nan autumn, nan marquee Test being that sojourn by nan All Blacks connected 8 November.

Townsend has had 2 cracks astatine them arsenic coach, a five-point nonaccomplishment successful 2017 and an eight-point nonaccomplishment successful 2022.

In 32 Tests, Scotland person drawn 2 and mislaid 30 against nan All Blacks.

If history was made astatine Murrayfield, those who reason his reappointment mightiness conscionable slice away.