Townsend has his own talisman in Finn Russell and it was the Scotland stand-off who showed the coach the goal which set the football team on their way to qualification, prompting Townsend to get in touch with Steve Clarke in the aftermath of the Hampden thriller.

Gregor Townsend, the Scotland head coach, has defended his part-time consultancy role with Newcastle Red Bulls in the wake of back-to-back Test defeats against New Zealand and Argentina.

SCOTLAND were booed off after blowing a 21-point lead at home to Argentina. And this latest shambles will heap pressure on Gregor Townsend’s shoulders following last week’s collapse against the

John Barclay believes that Scotland can still flourish under Gregor Townsend but admits the under-fire coach needs to solve his final quarter woes soon.

Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more. EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Gregor Townsend extended his contract as head coach of Scotland's rugby team through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup and said ...