Scotland contenders whittled down

Frank Hadden and Steve Bates are locked in battle for the lucrative Scotland coach’s job.

Glasgow coach Hugh Campbell has withdrawn from the process, leaving the Scottish Rugby Union to conduct interviews with Border Reivers’ coach Bates and Edinburgh Gunners’ Hadden.

The SRU have already spoken with the two men and further discussions are planned this week.

Hadden is the top choice of the Scotland players but SRU president Andy Irvine said: “People will assume Frank is the front-runner as he was in interim charge.

“But, let’s be realistic, the Barbarians team we beat was anything but a world-class side and the autumn Tests against Argentina, Samoa and the All Blacks will be a completely different proposition.

“The one thing Frank does have in his favour is he has worked with all the players already and they have all said the feel-good factor he brought to the squad made a huge difference.”

The SRU have played down Irvine’s comments that he wants the country’s fourth professional rugby side to be playing out of Aberdeen within three years.

He said: “I am 100% in favour of having a northern presence in the pro game.

“We should, at the very least, be aiming to put a team together.”

But finances are such that it is already difficult trying to keep three Scottish professional teams running.

An SRU spokesperson added: “Andy made the comments in an ideal world scenario.”