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Mixed reaction to Glasgow's appointment of Wilson as Rennie's successor
By Josh Raisey
Glasgow Warriors always faced a challenge replacing a coach of the calibre of Dave Rennie when he left.
So when it was announced this week that he would be leaving last season’s PRO14 runners-up to take over Australia at the end of this season, the Warriors were quick to appoint Scotland forwards coach Danny Wilson, but this has not been universally popular.
Wilson has an impressive resume, having had successful spells with both Wales under-20 and Cardiff Blues in the past, leading the latter to the Challenge Cup in 2018. He also guided Wales to a third-place finish in the under-20 World Championship.
Given the success that he had in Cardiff, many Glasgow fans back Wilson to have more success at Scotstoun as he is inheriting a better squad (if both teams are based on last season’s performance alone).
Wilson is also thought of very highly by those from Cardiff, who recognise what a success his time at Cardiff was, helping the Blues return to the Champions Cup after a four-year exile.
Furthermore, many Glaswegians are hoping that with funding and backing from the club, something he may not have received with Cardiff, he can maintain the side’s growth which they have shown over the past few years.
However, there are those that are a bit more sceptical about this deal. Ultimately, being a two-time Super Rugby winner, Rennie was always a hard act to follow.
Moreover, some fear that the brand of rugby that the Kiwi has established in Glasgow will now go with the arrival of someone that may be less expansive.
That may come down to who Wilson has in his coaching team, however, and does not mean that the Warriors will lose their high-tempo style of play.
What has concerned Glasgow fans as well is the performance of Scotland’s forwards since Wilson joined Gregor Townsend’s coaching team in 2018. If anything, some have accused the Scotland team of regressing, which does not look encouraging.
What is clear is that there is a fairly mixed reception to this news, but Wilson will arrive at the Warriors already with an understanding and relationship with many of the players from his time with the national team. That may make the process of acclimatising much easier.
WATCH: Rugby Australia officials explain why they have appointed Dave Rennie to succeed Michael Cheika
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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