In a recent interview, Richard Cockerill, the former head coach of Edinburgh, directed criticism towards Scottish Rugby.
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Cockerill, who now oversees Georgian Rugby, helmed Edinburgh from 2017 to 2021 before joining England as their forwards coach from 2021 to 2023.
Speaking to the Mail Online, Cockerill said: “A lot of the young players in Scotland just physically aren’t capable.
“When I arrived in Edinburgh in 2017, I felt a lot of our players in the youth system were physically underdeveloped.
“The people who were in charge of those programmes back in 2017, who I didn’t believe were good enough, are still there now. How can you change anything if nothing ever changes? That’s the reality.”
Delving deeper into the issues, Cockerill added: “The biggest thing I think about the Union (Scottish Rugby) is, if you’re not very good at your job, you don’t leave. They’ll just move you somewhere else.
““I coached seven games in Montpellier. I won one of them and got the sack. Scotland got relegated from the Under-20s World Cup.”
They lost to Uruguay. Are you telling me Uruguay have a better youth system than Scotland?
“If you don’t change anything, nothing will change. If the same people are kept in place, running the same programme that clearly isn’t producing results, why will anything change?
“I joined Edinburgh in 2017, and the two best tightheads were Zander Fagerson and WP Nel. That’s still the case now, seven years later.
“Where’s the next young kid? That’s a concern. Italy are getting stronger and Georgia are getting stronger, I’ll make sure of that.
“When this generation of Scotland players slowly starts to fall off the edge of the cliff, who’s going to take over?”
Highest-paid players in the world:
As reported by Wales Online, let’s delve deeper into the earnings of today’s highest-paid rugby players.
Siya Kolisi (South Africa) – £800,000
Siya Kolisi, the inspirational Springbok captain, has enjoyed considerable success both on and off the field. His reported salary of £800,000 at Racing 92 reflects his value to the team and his standing as one of the sport’s most influential figures.
Maro Itoje (England) – £800,000
Maro Itoje, the towering English lock, has been the subject of considerable speculation regarding his future earnings. While his reported salary of £800,000 with Saracens is impressive, potential hybrid deals with the RFU could see his income increase even further, highlighting his importance to both club and country.
