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Townsend left with Scotland void to fill as AB Zondagh set to exit
By Ian Cameron
Gregor Townsend and Scotland look set to lose assistant attack coach AB Zondagh to the Top 14 – with reports in France suggesting Lyon has signed the 36-year-old.
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Multiple reports in France have Zondagh becoming attack coach at LOU Rugby, replacing Kenny Lynn this summer, just months out from the Rugby World Cup in France.
It looks like Zondagh will become assistant coach to Xavier Garbajosa at Les Loups, who are currently sitting in ninth on the Top 14 table, prior to the World Cup.
Alan-Basson Zondagh, who is South African, joined Scotland from Toulouse RFC following the team’s European and French Championship double-winning season in 2020/21.
He joined the club in 2019 as an assistant coach focussing on kicking, attack and skills development, having previously been a consultant with the side in 2018.
He previously coached at the Sharks in his native South Africa, earning several promotions in skills and high-performance roles from his first association in 2013 through to 2019, winning the Currie Cup on two occasions in 2016 and 2018.
His career began at the highly respected Rugby Performance Centre in South Africa in 2007 before coaching roles with the Border Bulldogs followed from 2012, leading on to the association with Sharks.
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Scotland’s previous assistant coach focussing on attack, Mike Blair, was appointed as the head coach of Edinburgh Rugby.
It will leave Townsend with a vacuum to fill.
It’s potentially more bad news for Scotland, who have lost the services of Adam Hastings ahead of the Guinness Six Nations.
The fly-half damaged his shoulder while playing for Gloucester in their Gallagher Premiership defeat away to Leicester on Christmas Eve.
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A statement on the club’s website on Thursday revealed that Hastings will require surgery, while head coach George Skivington said earlier this week “he will not be back any time soon”.
It now looks likely that Munster flyhalf Ben Healy, who has just signed for Edinburgh, could be in line for a call-up to the squad as a result. Healy qualifies to play for Scotland through his Glasgow-born mother.
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Fully agree but would go further. The RFU Council needs a fundamental overhaul. The incompetence on display over recent years is staggering. One simple question I have is who is in charge of PR and Media Relations? These people are allowing the sport to be led by the nose by those who hate the fact rugby is a physical (and therefore has an associated risk). This constant handwringing about the risks of the game mean the main takeaway for potential future players is almost entirely negative. They even thought announcing a fundamental and surprise law change with the obvious ramifications JUST BEFORE THE 6 NATIONS was a good idea!!!
Go to commentsthe risk of serious knee injury could go up as well and as a amateur player id rather have a concussion over torn knee ligaments rugby league it is i guess since union players already dive straight into peoples knees majority of the time with out wrapping arms in tackles which refs dont seem to call at amateur or pro level.
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