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'Feels like a natural fit': Redpath appointed London Scottish DoR
Ex-Scotland scrum-half Bryan Redpath has jumped back into frontline rugby coaching, agreeing to become director of rugby at London Scottish in the Championship five years after he stepped down from his head coach role at Yorkshire Carnegie. He was 45 at the time, believing it best to take up a position in the financial sector away from the game.
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However, the soon-to-be 51-year-old – whose son Cameron has emerged in recent years with Bath and Scotland – has been tempted back into the Championship, agreeing to become the boss at Scottish just days after they parted company with Matt Williams whose film and TV production company business was increasingly taking up more of his time.
Redpath will continue to work in the foreign currency sector but his return to the game should be a massive boost for a second-tier club that found the going brutally tough in 2021/22 as they finished bottom in the eleven-team league following just a single win in 20 matches.
A club statement read: “London Scottish are delighted to announce that Bryan Redpath has joined the club as the new director of rugby. The former scrum-half, who has 60 caps for Scotland and has captained the national side on 26 occasions, went to three World Cups and had a successful club career with Melrose, Narbonne and Sale Sharks.
“After retiring from playing, Redpath joined Gloucester as backs coach in 2005 before being promoted to head coach in 2009. He stayed there for three years before moving back to Sale in 2012 and then moving on to then Championship side Yorkshire Carnegie (now named Leeds) in 2015.”
Redpath said: “I’m delighted to have the chance to join London Scottish at what is an incredibly exciting time for the club. The partnership with Harlequins is a great opportunity to build a lasting and competitive playing pathway for London Scottish players alongside Quins players. Being a proud Scotsman myself, it feels like a natural fit to join London Scottish.
“The main focus for me is to get the club back to being very competitive in the Championship after some tough times in recent years. I’d also like to thank Jackson Swiss Partners for allowing me to take on this role while I continue to work alongside them.”
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London Scottish chairman Roddy Caxton-Spencer added: “Not only is it great to have found a new director of rugby so quickly, but I’m delighted we have managed to secure someone of Bryan’s calibre and experience. It feels fitting that we have a Scottish rugby legend now at London Scottish and I’m incredibly excited for the future.”
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments