Should Gregor Townsend Receive a Debrief After Scotland’s World Cup Exit?
Key Highlights :
The Scottish national rugby team arrived in France with high hopes for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, having climbed to fifth in the world rankings on the back of a string of impressive results. However, Scotland were unable to overcome the challenge of being grouped alongside defending champions South Africa and the world’s top-ranked side, Ireland, in a top-heavy Pool B. After a narrow 18-3 defeat to the Boks, Scotland bounced back with heavy wins over Tonga and Romania, only to be knocked out of the tournament by a 36-14 blitzing from the Irish in Paris on Saturday night.
The players were understandably disappointed and frustrated at the team’s failure to progress, with centre Tuipulotu saying “We wanted to do better in the tournament but we ran into two pretty good teams in our pool and ultimately just got beaten by better teams.” Flanker Rory Darge added that “they are the number one team in the world and they showed it”, highlighting the clinical nature of the Irish performance.
The question now is whether Scotland’s head coach Gregor Townsend should receive a debrief following the team’s exit from the tournament. Townsend has been in charge of the team since 2017 and has overseen a period of significant improvement, culminating in the team’s highest ever world ranking. He has also been credited with introducing a more attacking style of play to the team, which has been successful in the past.
However, there are some who feel that Scotland’s exit from the tournament is a sign that Townsend has taken the team as far as he can. The team’s failure to take their chances against the Irish, as well as their inability to break down the South African defence, have been seen as signs of a tactical naivety that Townsend has failed to address.
Ultimately, it is up to the Scottish Rugby Union to decide whether or not a debrief is necessary. However, it is clear that, while Townsend has achieved a great deal in his time as head coach, there are still areas in which he can improve. A debrief may be the best way to ensure that Scotland’s future performances are of the highest standard.
