Vern Cotter may be Scotland head coach a lot earlier than a year from now as the SRU’s grand unveiling of the New Zealander at Murrayfield was overtaken by events.
Reports from France suggested that Cotter had given notice to present club ASM Clermont-Auvergne rather than seeing out the final year of his contract and joining Scotland once next season is complete.
A statement on the club website stated that Cotter had tendered his resignation following a contentious newspaper article about how the club he’s coached to the top of European rugby over the last eight years needed to move forward.
But the 51-year-old re-iterated that he planned to see out his final year in the Auvergne.
Events conspired to overshadow the SRU’s first show of Cotter in national colours with his trademark baseball cap intact as chief executive Mark Dodson’s attempt to clarify the somewhat confused nature of the negotiations with Cotter just ended up being more confused.
ASM president Rene Fontes’ angry reaction to the article stated that Cotter had given notice but the coach denied that.
“I have not offered my resignation,” stressed Cotter.
“I had an article in this morning’s paper saying how I hoped the club should move forward. I gave an opinion of how I thought things had to move forward.
“It was honest and my vision of how they had to move forward in a hard, very competitive competition.”
Cotter’s article was critical of ASM players and stressed the need to recruit superstar players to keep up with big-spending rivals like Toulon and Racing Metro, but seems to have been interpreted in France as him burning his bridges there.
“I need to have more understanding of what has been said by Rene Fontes,” he said.
“The last conversion I had with him he was asking me to finish my contract in 2014.
“This is quite often what happens in France, things get emotional. I’ll have to see what’s been said and how the article has been interpreted. My intention is to stay (at Clermont).
“Even in the article in today’s paper I said I was looking forward to another year. Losing the Heineken Cup final by one point was obviously disappointing but you just need to see how things develop.
“I’m surprised (by this). I’ll definitely enquire.”
Getting back to his next job, the former Crusaders forwards coach was attracted by the history and future of Scottish Rugby, he continued.
“It’s a great opportunity,” he said. “When I was a kid I loved the way Scotland played, the loose forward especially, and those impressions stay with you.
“To be part of that organisation building toward a World Cup with the people we’ve got here, it’s very hard to say no. There’s an exciting group of players, you only have to look at what Glasgow have done this year.
“There are young players coming through, and some good older, experienced players. You can feel a real passion and I think rugby’s thriving in Scotland at the moment.
“I’ve coached Jason White and Nathan Hines at Clermont and they were a big part in making the decision. There’s good talent and good people here.”
Should he stay with Clermont as planned for next year, he believes that he and director of rugby and interim head coach Scott Johnson can move the national team forward while he is absent.
“You definitely don’t want to get into a situation where you are doing neither job properly,” he continued.
“Jonno’s got the team playing really well, preparing really well so it’s just a matter of staying in contact.
“We have a philosophy on how the team should be playing and of course that will develop, so I’m really happy with what they’re doing.
“A year (before the 2015 World Cup) is enough because the time is being spent now, you see what they were doing in the Six Nations and they’re working the same way. It’s just a question of detail.”
Johnson will act as backs coach as well as his overseeing role, but neither man expects there to be any clashes.
“Two managers is one too many but egos are left at the door,” said Johnson. We understand that, we’re grown men with experience and we want what’s best for Scotland.
“We understand the roles, we understand where it crosses the lines and we’re big men. Coming from the south we’ll work each other if there’s an issue.”