"To be responsible for an under-pressure national side must induce a similar feeling. So what do you do when coaching life starts serving you lemons? After a while there are only two options: try to ride it out, or accept it might be wiser for someone else to have a go. It can be a delicate judgment, often shaped by non-sporting considerations."
"It is not that a coach's powers have necessarily declined, merely that his or her words are going in one ear and straight out the other. Familiarity and consistent messaging are great until, suddenly, people want to hear something fresh. Which brings us to Gregor Townsend, head coach of a Scotland team whose inconsistency has become a defining characteristic. Townsend has been in charge of Scotland for almost nine years, having served previously as backs coach for a couple more."
Ashleigh Brilliant's aphorism—"I try to take one day at a time but sometimes several days attack me at once"—illustrates the acute pressure on national coaches. Coaches under prolonged strain face two main responses: persevere or hand over responsibility to fresh leadership. Dressing-room dynamics can precipitate that decision, as appeared to occur with the ousted All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. Extended familiarity can blunt a coach's influence even when ability remains intact. Gregor Townsend has led Scotland for almost nine years and received a contract through the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Scotland's inconsistency and a recent defeat by Italy have renewed scrutiny of that continuity.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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