Edinburgh Rugby Supporters Club

[Loops]

Out-of-work Brewer linked with Scots coaching post
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/Outofwork-Brewer-linked-with-Scots.4338386.jp

For one brief, exciting moment I thought we were getting our own beer maker, to help bring down the bar prices!

[Arlene]

Scotland coach Frank Hadden today announced two new recruits to Scottish Rugby.

Former All Blacks captain Mike Brewer joins as national forwards coach and Graham Steadman becomes national defence coach, after an illustrious playing and coaching career in both league and union.

Hadden said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the quality of the additional staff we have appointed to the National Management Team and to the Scottish Rugby coaching group.

“To secure the services of the ex-All Blacks captain, Mike Brewer, is a boost. He is now a very experienced coach having worked in club rugby in Ireland, England and Italy before becoming forwards coach for Leinster.

“Anyone who knows rugby will have been impressed by the progress Leinster, the reigning Magners League champions, have made up front during his three years in that role.

“Graham Steadman is among the most experienced defence coaches in the world having now spent five years in that position in rugby union with firstly Munster and then Ireland. That followed his 21-year-career as an international player and coach in rugby league.

Brewer said: “I’m looking forward to working with Frank and the other coaches. Scotland have a young team, with a great work ethic and players who are very keen to learn. I think they have the potential to develop into a really good international side in the next three to four years.”

Steadman, who will also undertake defence coaching with the Edinburgh pro-team, said: “I have been an admirer of Scotland and the work that Alan Tait has undertaken in the last few seasons. I look forward to being part of Frank’s coaching team and to getting the players trust and buy-in to the defensive systems I’ll look to put in place. The experience I’ve gleaned from involvement in both union and league will hold me in good stead.

“I’ll also look forward to working alongside Andy Robinson and the coaching team with Edinburgh, it gives me a great opportunity to work with those players and also monitor the performances of Scottish qualified players in the Magners League and Heineken Cup.”

The duo will play a key role in preparing the Scotland squad for the Bank of Scotland Corporate Autumn Tests: v New Zealand at Murrayfield on Saturday 8 November; v South Africa at Murrayfield on Saturday 15 November; and v Canada at Pittodrie, Aberdeen on Saturday 22 November. Tickets are on sale now for these games via www.scottishrugby.org or by phone on 0131 346 5100.

[Tarquin]

These sound like high calibre recruits and i hope they can take us up a level. I hope Hadden has the sense to ask for their input into selection as well.

[djphilp]

[Loops]

From the BBC site :

[Derrick Lee's #1 Fan]

[Brambles]

Some interesting assessments on 606

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/F10951246?thread=5788781&show=50

[djphilp]

[Martin Bell]

These guys will need to prove themselves like anyone else.

Given that Matt Williams also came from Leinster and, some may feel, was not an unqualified success, the jury's out on Brewer. However, it is undoubtedly true that their pack improved significantly during his tenure. Better personnel will have helped, but presumably he had something to do with that. I can see someone like Stroker responding well to the Bewer approach if it reflects some of these 606 comments.

Anyway, probably the best Scotland forwards coach of my lifetime was Telfer. Creamy could be single-minded and pretty abrasive too: didn't mild-mannered Damian Cronin - I think it was - sock him in the dressing room prior to an international?

It'll be interesting to see what difference Steadman makes to our (ER) defence, which is already pretty solid.