Hadden touted as possible Lions coach

SCOTTISH coach Frank Hadden is being suggested as a possible alternative or at least an ally to Eddie O’Sullivan as coach of the next Lions tour to South Africa in 2009.

Either way, Scotland’s back coach Alan Tait, a hero on the Lions tour to South Africa in 1997, wants Britain and Ireland to supply the coaching staff. “We needn’t have to look to the southern hemisphere to bring a northern hemisphere side down there,” he said.

Tait believes his boss is worthy of mention alongside Ireland’s O’Sullivan and emphasised: “I think he has helped put a lot of pride back in Scottish rugby, while Eddie has been to the forefront of everything good that Ireland have done in the last few years. I think it’s a good situation to have. Eddie is clearly the front-runner but I can’t see why Frank shouldn’t be in the frame.”

Both coaches, he noted, had something in common in that they didn’t play at top-class international level, but they more than made up for that on the training pitches. “Just as long as both these guys are contenders, I’ll be happy to have a coach from the four nations involved, not someone from outside.”

Meanwhile, Tait has also backed Marcus Di Rollo, the Scottish centre, who is coming under pressure to produce the goods after a dismal run of try-scoring in a 17-match Test career. The outside centre has notched just two tries in that time, while Brian O’Driscoll has scored 29 in 73 appearances.

“I’m not sure that his record is as bad as it looks because he has contributed to a lot more tries for Scotland; it’s not all about the guy who dots down but the one who creates it as well,” said the coach.

Tait himself scored 17 times in 27 outings, a remarkable strike-rate, but he wasn’t about to moralise.

“I think it’s only a matter of time before Marcus produces the form that produced three tries in his last six Edinburgh outings. It hasn’t quite been easy for Brian (O’Driscoll) either in recent games.

“Things are getting tighter in defence; the midfield tends to get cluttered and there’s not much room.

“All you can do is hope that gaps open up elsewhere.

“When that happens, gaps might open up in the middle as well.”

Tait continued: “These things tend to come and go in terms of success and failure.”

Tait is in no doubt that his Scottish side can win at the weekend.

“We lost the game to Italy in a short, sharp few minutes at the start of the game.

“If we get ahead, it will be interesting to see how this Irish team respond against opponents capable of getting in amongst them,” the Scottish side’s back coach added.