Does Gregor Townsend’s uneasy showdown with the Scottish media ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Tonga show us that he is heading towards the Murrayfield exit door and an early move to Newcastle Red Bulls?
A dismal Autumn Nations Series has left the Scotland boss fighting to save his job, despite penning an extension in September that will take him through until after the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Townsend’s decision to take a second job with the Austrian-owned Red Bull hasn’t gone down well north of the border, despite suggestions that it could lead them to invest some much-needed cash in Scottish Rugby.
One of rugby’s worst-kept secrets is that he has then agreed to take charge of Newcastle, whom he is advising on strategy and philosophy as part of a 30-day-a-year consulting deal with the energy drink giant on its global rugby strategy.
Scotland have slumped to ninth in the latest World Rugby rankings after losing to a weak New Zealand side 23-17 and imploding from 21-0 up against Argentina last weekend to lose 33-24 to leave Townsend on the brink.
He has been in charge of Scotland for eight years, but they have exited the last two World Cups at the pool stage and have also won only two of five games in three of the last four Six Nations campaigns.
The knives are out for Townsend in Scotland, who were booed off the pitch last weekend, but he came out swinging in his pre-match media conference yesterday. “I’m here to address anything,” he said.
Adding: “I’ve seen the team play the best rugby it’s played in the eight years over the last two or three weeks. Now, we’re very disappointed we didn’t get a win against New Zealand and Argentina.
“We created enough against New Zealand, and we were 21-0 up against Argentina. To get in those positions, to be 21-0 up, the team is delivering up to that point.”
And the whispers reaching Fissler Towers every day are growing stronger, that nobody would be surprised if Townsend wasn’t ousted from Edinburgh and installed at Kingston Park before the start of the Six Nations.
Newcastle’s situation is dire. They are bottom of the Gallagher PREM with five defeats from five and no points despite a late flurry of signings by former Director of Rugby Steve Diamond, who was sacked as soon as Townsend’s role was announced.
