Johnson names Scottish lieutenants

Two former international forwards will join interim head coach Scott Johnson’s Scotland management team for this year’s Six Nations Championship.

Former England No.8 Dean Ryan and Scotland hooker Stevie Scott will work alongside Johnson, defence coach Matt Taylor and specialist coaches Duncan Hodge and Massimo Cuttitta with the national team.

Scotland A will be led by head coach Shade Munro, forwards supremo at Glasgow Warriors and a previous forwards coach when the A team reached the final of the Churchill Cup in North America in 2006 and again in 2008.  

Munro is joined by Scotland’s most-capped forward, fellow internationalist and line-out exponent Scott Murray, who has been coaching the pack as well as playing for Mont de Marsan in France’s Top 14.

Duncan Hodge takes charge of the backs for the A team’s sole match of the Six Nations window – against England Saxons at Kingston Park, Newcastle on Friday, February 1.

Ryan, 46, the former head coach at Bristol and Gloucester, will take on the role of interim Scotland forwards coach.

Scottish Rugby’s CEO Mark Dodson said: “Dean will be with us for 12 weeks and will bring all his top-flight coaching savvy and experience to bear on our forward pack.”

Ryan, who won four caps for England during a playing career which saw him represent Saracens, Wasps, Newcastle and Bristol, said: “I’ve responded to an invitation from Scott to assist the Scotland management team over the next 12 weeks and will look to bring my experience to bear to give Scotland players the best opportunity to represent their country in the best way.”

Galashiels-born Scott, 39, who was a member of the management team that led Scotland A to a 35-0 victory over England Saxons last year and who was a coach at Sale Sharks, will be an interim skills coach.

Dodson added: “Dean and Stevie will start work on Monday. I believe in Dean and Stevie that we have a combination here of hard-nosed experience and deep-rooted understanding of Scottish rugby and its players, which Scott Johnson and his management team will be able to call upon.”

Johnson told scottishrugby.org: “I’m delighted we have secured the services of Dean and Stevie for this year’s Championship.

“To get people of their calibre mid-season is a real coup.  Dean is a sound, knowledgeable, mature rugby man and Stevie, with his background of having played 11 times for Scotland, knows what it means to wear the jersey.

“With Matt, Hodgey and Massimo already fully engaged in Six Nations planning, we’ve now a management team in place for the start of the Championship next month.”

Scott said: “It’s great to be back coaching and to continue my association with Scottish rugby, which has meant a huge amount to me throughout my life.”

With the A team, Munro will be joined by Murray, who won 87 caps between 1997 and 2007.

Murray, 37 later this month, has been coaching the forwards at Mont de Marsan in the French Top 14 for the last month and was targeted as a coach at his previous French club, Castres.

“I see this as a golden opportunity and anything I can give back to Scottish rugby, I’ll be honoured to do so,” he said.