TOWNSEND BACKED FOR WORLD CUP BID

SRU chief executive Mark Dodson has made clear Gregor Townsend will be the man to lead Scotland into next year’s World Cup in France after an internal review was held to evaluate his performance.

Scotland finished fourth in the last Six Nations, winning just two of their matches, while they lost 2-1 in the three-match Test series in Argentina over the summer. Townsend’s hold on his players was called into question in the Six Nations when six of them — including captain Stuart Hogg and playmaker Finn Russell — went out without his permission. When asked if Townsend had his 100 per cent backing, Dodson replied: ‘Yes. We are a year out from the World Cup and we are sending a message that we’ve got to be better, smarter and deliver more — and that’s a message from John Jeffrey (chairman) and me and the SRU board.’

Dodson refused to reveal what he thought of the performances in Argentina, despite having talked with Townsend at length on the matter. ‘The process is internal,’ he said. ‘We meet after every game, after every tour, and John Jeffrey, myself and Jim Mallinder (head of elite rugby) meet with Gregor — sometimes more than just Gregor — and we talk through the whole process.

‘We don’t go through an elaborate external review, but we understand exactly what went on and what the coaching group think went well and what the players think went well.’