Vern Cotter has moved to put his own stamp on the Scotland coaching team with a reshuffle and the recruitment of a fellow Kiwi, according to reports from New Zealand.
As Murrayfield announced that current backs/attack coach Duncan Hodge was to join Alan Solomon’s staff at Edinburgh Rugby from next season, news agencies in New Zealand were reporting that Jason O’Halloran, currently head coach at Manawatu province, would be joining Cotter’s Scotland staff at the completion of the current ITM Cup season.
The highly-rated O’Halloran was regarded by many in New Zealand as the next Kiwi coach to be promoted to a Super Rugby franchise, having led the Manawatu Turbos to the NPC Championship last year. He has been head coach of the province since 2012, and was previously an attack, backs and skills coach with the New Zealand Under-20 team.
O’Halloran will not be free until the end of the New Zealand season on October 30, so will play no part in the Rugby World Cup. However he visited Scotland in February on a fact finding mission and has opted to come to Scotland despite being offered assistant coaching jobs with the Chiefs and Hurricanes Super Rugby teams. There has been no official comment or confirmation of the move from Murrayfield.
Meanwhile Hodge, who was kicking coach within the international set-up before being given the broader attack role when Scott Johnson opted to concentrate full time of his director of rugby duties, will switch to Edinburgh at the end of the World Cup.
Hodge will join head coach Alan Solomons and assistant Stevie Scott, returning to the club he led as a fly-half in 11 seasons encompassing the amateur and pro eras.
“Edinburgh Rugby has been a massive part of my life and I’m looking forward to being part of it again, working with Alan and Stevie to develop the players and continue the progress of the club with an exciting group,” he said.
Cotter said: “I think it is a great move for Duncan, his personal development and the club. He’ll be working with players that are, or will become, Scotland international rugby players and knows what skill-sets are important to play at that level.
“Not only is he a great coach but he’s a great guy and I’ll enjoy exchanging with him through the national set-up. I’m sure he’ll do an excellent job.”
Cotter made no immediate changes to the coaching team he inherited from interim head coach Johnson when he took the reins of the national team last summer, but appears to be making his own mark. He appointed former international lock Nathan Hines as an assistant coach to the national set-up when the 39-year-old veteran retired at the end of the Aviva Premiership season.
Hines replaced the departing Massimo Cuttitta as a specialist coach while forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys is out of contract at the end of this autumn’s World Cup.