Gregor Townsend
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| Gregor Townsend | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Gregor Peter John Townsend | ||
| Date of birth | April 26, 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Galashiels, Scotland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Weight | 93 kg (14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Nickname | Toonie | ||
| School | Galashiels Academy | ||
| University | University of Edinburgh | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Current status | |||
| Position(s) | Retired | ||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Fly-half, centre or fullback | ||
| Amateur clubs | |||
| 1985-1995 1992, 1995 |
Gala RFC Warringah |
||
| correct as of 7 August 2006. | |||
| Professional clubs | Caps | (points) | |
| 2005-present 2004-2005 2004 2002-2004 2000-2002 1998-2000 1995-1998 |
Border Reivers Montpellier Natal Sharks Borders Castres Brive Northampton Saints |
||
| correct as of 15 November 2006. | |||
| National team(s) | Caps | (points) | |
| 1993-2003 1997 |
Scotland British and Irish Lions |
82 2 |
(164) (0) |
| correct as of 7 August 2006. | |||
Gregor Peter John Townsend MBE (born 26th April 1973 in Galashiels) is a Scottish rugby union player and coach at The Borders Rugby Club, he has played at fly-half, full back and latterly centre.
He has represented both Scotland and the British and Irish Lions winning 82 caps for Scotland and two for the Lions. A world-class player, though not without flaws. Often described as mercurial, his play was touched by genius on a good day and dreadful on a bad one. Observers say that he needs strong and thoughtful support to flourish.
Contents |
[edit] Playing career
Townsend was first with Gala RFC, coming through from their ranks from the mini section. He won his first full cap for Scotland in March 1993, as substitute for Craig Chalmers in the Five Nations match against England at Twickenham.
In 1995 Gregor joined Northampton Saints and joined the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa. He left Northampton Saints in 1998 and joined the French club, Brive.
When Rob Wainwright was injured in 1996, Townsend became captain of Scotland.[1]
In 2000 he moved to Castres and then returned to Scotland to play with The Borders.
Townsend represented Scotland at the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup, but afterwards was most controversially deemed surplus to requirements by Scotland coach Matt Williams at just thirty years old. (The new Scottish coach Frank Hadden has decided to return Townsend to the national squad.)
In 2004, free to travel the world after being relieved of Scotland duties, he represented the Natal Sharks in the then Super 12 and played the 2004-05 season with Montpellier in France. He returned to the Borders for the 2005-06 season as a player and coach and during that time represented the Scottish based sevens side, Bone Steelers at the 2005 Dubai Sevens.
Gregor scored a try in every game in the last ever Five Nations Championship in 1999.
Richard Bath writes of him that:
- "The contrast between Northampton fly-half Gregor Townsend and his great rival, Melrose's Craig Chalmers, could not be greater. When the youthful prodigy Townsend was first drafted into a Scotland side dominated by the boot of Chalmers since 1989, his brief was to instil a running game more suited to the mobile rucking style the Scots were determined to pursue under coaching guru Jim Telfer. Although a true flair merchant, Townsend certainly struggled to fulfil that brief, most notably in 1993 at Twickenham when England's Stuart Barnes exposed the full extent of his defensive frailties. Yet class will out, and Townsend's ability to find a gap and use his extraordinary pace off the mark to glide through were always likely to see him through. Indeed, it was Townsend's ability to read a game and the remarkable sleight of hand which produced his inside pass to Gavin Hastings for the try that saw Scotland win for the first and only time at the Parc des Princes in 1995."[1]
[edit] Toonie flip
This is the name of the magical reverse pass which Gregor gave to Gavin Hastings for Scotland to register a dramatic and famous last-minute 23-21 victory against France in Paris in 1995.
[edit] Views
Townsend strongly supports the continued existence of The Borders rugby team, despite financial problems. As he told The Scotsman newspaper: "In my mind, a third team in Scotland is absolutely priceless because we need as many players exposed to professional rugby week in, week out as we can get." (From a report dated January 3, 2005)
[edit] See also
- Chris Paterson, also a former pupil of Galashiels Academy
[edit] References
- Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ISBN 1 86200 013 3)
- Townsend, Gregor Talk of the Toony: The Autobiography of Gregor Townsend (HarperSport, 2007 ISBN 978-0007251131)
[edit] External links
- Townsend sets date for retirement, BBC, June 2, 2006
- Townsend launches kids' summer camps, The Scotsman, June 28, 2006
- Gregor Townsend in the Scotsman newspaper
- Gregor Townsend's Sporting Heroes Profile)
- Townsend admits Test career is over, The Scotsman, May 2, 2006
- Townsend part Gregor groan, part Merlin (Telegraph, March 9, 2003)
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