'We've got to sharpen ourselves up... we're a bit frightened about upsetting English clubs'
In almost three years as a Scotland talent scout, Alan Tait grew increasingly frustrated by the bureaucracy that clogged his path. The operation was too cluttered and intransigent. Too many people at Murrayfield wanted their say on a player’s credentials.
Tait couldn’t alert the coaches at Edinburgh or Glasgow about a top youngster he had studied – rather, the information was relayed through what he calls “a system within a system”, slowing the process and discouraging sought-after athletes.
At times, he believes his Scottish Rugby Union bosses placed more faith in their structures than his significant expertise across 32 years as a professional player, dual-code international, British and Irish Lion, coach and director of rugby.
The former centre was hired as part of the SRU’s Scottish Qualified programme, which very publicly aimed to identify and recruit eligible talent beyond the national borders. His scouting territory was the north of England, while Ian Smith, another former Scotland international, scoured the south.
Tait spent an eye-watering volume of hours traversing his patch, watching school and academy games, forging fertile relationships with professional clubs who were initially wary of his presence and hostile towards his advances. But with the financial damage wrought by Covid-19 and the absence of any rugby to watch, he and Smith were let go when their contracts expired in the summer.
Having voiced his concerns privately to Scottish Rugby, Tait is speaking out now publicly in the hope of engendering change to a set-up that he argues must be streamlined to fulfil its purpose. “We have got to sharpen ourselves up,” he told RugbyPass. “Every club in England has got a scouting system – I know the Sale scouting system looks at 500 kids every weekend, it’s all covered. Newcastle is the same.
“In England, they are making it as hard as they can for us – they don’t want their players to go to Scotland and that is where we have got to be strong and step in and we’re a bit weak in that area. We’re a bit frightened about upsetting English clubs. But at the end of the day, they can’t all play for England and we are doing a lot of these kids a favour by giving them the experience of international rugby.”
The list of recent Tait captures for Scotland is impressive. He convinced Ewan Ashman, the Sale hooker, to play for the Scottish U20s having also been a part of England’s age-grades. Ashman was the top try-scorer at last year’s World Rugby U20 Championship.
Newcastle back row Tom Marshall was another who excelled in Argentina. Tait advocated strongly for Dan Nutton and Nathan Chamberlain, half-backs who went on to play for Edinburgh, and spotted the Melville twins, Ollie and Cameron, in action for Sedbergh School, propelling them to Scotland U18 honours.
“Gregor Townsend likes Ewan Ashman,” said Tait. “See, there’s a kid that we got to turn round. We knew about him, he was registered with us at an early age with his Scottish father, but England had him in their system and they really wanted him to get through. Just by talking to his father, working with him, he eventually came down the Scottish route and did really, really well for us.
“I got Tom Marshall up to Glasgow and we talked about joining the club. He ended up deciding to stay with Falcons. Newcastle weren’t very happy but at the end of the day, England promised him things, he didn’t make their squad, and he went with Scotland. He and Ashman were probably our best two forwards in Argentina. Hopefully, he will come through with Falcons this year. He enjoyed his time with Scotland and he is there for us now if Scotland need a No8.
“I pushed Fraser Dingwall at Northampton Saints and Cam Redpath, Bryan Redpath’s lad, really hard, but there had been nothing to link these kids into the Scottish system beforehand and England had already got into them. With players coming to the end of their academy contracts and going full pro, we have to be sharper.”
https://www.facebook.com/rugbypass/posts/3874807142592580
The highest-profile recruit, right at the genesis of the SQ programme, was Callum McLelland. Tait watched the then-18-year-old playing rugby league for Castleford and saw in the fly-half a player with all the tools to take rugby union in Scotland by storm.
Scottish Rugby agreed on a fee with Castleford to release McLelland from his contract and place him in Edinburgh’s squad, but Tait was dismayed at how poorly the transition was handled. McLelland never made a senior appearance for Edinburgh but was brilliant for Scotland U20s in their 2018 Junior World Championship campaign. Just nine months after switching codes, though, he returned to rugby league.
“People wanted him to fail – some would rather see him fail than come through because of his background,” Tait said. “He’s from a single-parent home in Castleford and they put him in £700-a-month flat in Edinburgh and had him driving all the way down to Hawick to play because of the draft system.
“It should have been done better. Gregor knew what we had there. The kid was 18, he went out to the U20s World Cup and showed what he could do after four games of senior rugby union with Hawick. He was the gem I found. He could have been an absolute megastar. Hopefully, they have learned from it, but it shouldn’t deter them from signing league players again. I did get the comment, ‘oh we’ll never do that again’ from somebody. We lost a good talent.
“We should have bent a little to try and make it as easy for him as we could, not as hard as we could. Richard Cockerill hardly knew who he was. I should have been reporting to Cockers saying, ‘look, we’ve got this kid, get him in your system, he’s a real good kid’.”
This disconnect between scout and pro-team coach is a problem Tait stresses repeatedly. Checks and balances were necessary, of course, and Scottish Rugby is working behind the scenes to “sharpen up” as Tait would like. A scheme based on people is naturally unwieldy, with each player’s specific needs, age, goals and potentially education is taken into account.
But having picked the brains of his Irish counterparts, Tait felt it needlessly complex to go through multiple members of the Scotland performance arm before a player could be signed. “I couldn’t go direct to Cockers or Dave Rennie because there were so many walls beforehand,” he explained.
“Too many lads wanted their opinions – is this player good enough? Can he pass off his left hand? Can he kick off his right foot? I reported these players back and instead of being able to go to Edinburgh or Glasgow and go to the academies there, it goes through a system within a system and that delays the process.
“Professionalism, you have got to be more streetwise and sharper than that. For the best players available, you have got to be more urgent. Instead of which, we have got him having his say, him having his say, him having his say, and can the player come up for a training session to see if he is good enough. I’m telling you – I’ve watched him six times in matches, I know he’s a good player. They just had to pass so many tests.
“I spoke to Cockers towards the end of my time in the job. He just wants the best that is out there. I want to see Scottish kids do well, but if we have got a Scottish-qualified kid in England and he is really talented, a star in the academy games, then we have to seriously make a move and do things more professionally and sharper.
“We have got to put more trust in the scouts rather than going through all these hoops to get him there. We can’t dilly-dally and that is what we’re doing. We’ve got too many people with too many opinions and we are going to miss out on players.”
For now, Tait is back on the tools in the Scottish borders. A roofer by trade, he is looking for a cottage to renovate and sell on as his next project. Over the years, in many different roles, the union has been good to him, but he worries that fine young players will be lost without dedicated scouts to detect and monitor them, and a clunky procedure to get them from their schools and clubs to the Scottish Rugby system.
He is encouraged by the appointment of Jim Mallinder as director of rugby and the alignment of the national academies with Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors, allowing the burgeoning crop to run about with the pros. “I don’t want to be paid if I’m not doing any work. It’s pointless paying me if I’m not out watching rugby,” Tait continued. “There are worse things happening than losing your job, but it was a shame because we were three years in, the doors were opening everywhere and we felt we were getting somewhere.
“With Jim Mallinder coming in, he knows the Premiership and he is a great appointment, so hopefully it will improve. You are not pushing every player to the professional teams straight away, but when you find the diamonds, who are really sought-after by clubs, you don’t want many hoops to jump through or you will lose them.”
With its shallow player pool, Scotland can ill afford to squander such opportunities.
Comments on RugbyPass
Quite frankly, all this is a bit pathetic. The first time Wales get the Wooden Spoon in 21 years and everyone is on the bandwagon for a ‘play-off’ game. Wales have no obligation to Georgia and no obligation to the rest of the Six Nations to play such a game. If they want Georgia in so badly then they need to include South Africa into a Northern Hemisphere competition with 2 leagues of 4 teams with the top 2 competing for the Championship. Sadly, this will end Triple Crowns and Grand Slams forever. Is this really what you want?
4 Go to commentsI think Finau to start Blackadder to come on. Poss Prokter instead of Ioane, haven't seen much from Reiko so far this year.
10 Go to commentsJoe will have had a good chat with Dave Rennie, a smart move to begin with while it’s doubtful Fast Eddie will be consulted? Plenty of Aus players hitting top form so they should go OK.
3 Go to commentsMmm. Not sure I like this article or see it as necessary.
2 Go to commentsBlackadder but no Finau! 😀 It’s Razor so you are probably right, plus Taylor at 2…
10 Go to commentsThe strongest possible AB side would actually include Aaron Smith, Bodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Shannon Frizzel.. don’t get me started on the rest of the injury hit brigade that got flung on the heap so left. Many a whole not getting filled as of yet.
10 Go to commentsI don’t think anyone knows what Schmidt will do, one thing is certain it ain’t gonna be all the picks we on the keyboard will think. My impression of him is that he will be looking at who can step up and what is the best combination. He will ignore individuals as he looks for guys who can build a powerful team and not just guys who can make a flashy run or ignore the winger as they want to score themselves.
3 Go to commentsSome dumb selections there. Not Porecki Not Donaldson Not Gordon Not Lonegran - both Not Nic White - Fines instead Not Liam Wright Not Paisami Definitely not Vunivalu Other than that not bad.
3 Go to commentsI've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
10 Go to commentsYou doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
44 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
10 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
10 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
10 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
10 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
10 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to comments