Townsend backs dual captains

Townsend: Backing joint captaincy

It is a unique idea but one thing we're trying to do is create a learning environment and also give responsibility and empowerment to the players

Gregor Townsend
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Gregor Townsend is fully behind the controversial decision for Mike Blair and Chris Cusiter to share the skipper's armband for Scotland in this month's autumn internationals.

Scotland attack coach Townsend has expressed his support for head coach Andy Robinson's radical move, which will see whichever scrum-half is on the field at the time captaining the side during their matches against Fiji, Australia and Argentina.

The decision has raised eyebrows in some quarters, but former Scotland captain Townsend concurs with Robinson that as many players as possible should take a leading role.

"It is a unique idea but one thing we're trying to do is create a learning environment and also give responsibility and empowerment to the players, so we need as many leaders as we can," said Townsend.

"We've got them in certain areas like attack, defence, set-piece, but to have two captains just adds to that, that we have someone on the field who's going to be the leader, someone off the field, and they can rely on each other to move the team forward."

Blair and Cusiter have been competing for the scrum-half position for some time, but Townsend insists that dividing the captaincy will actually benefit their relationship.

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"I think we've got a very good situation in having Chris and Mike and Rory

(Lawson) as well, who plays at Gloucester - three very good scrum-halves in the squad - knowing they have got someone there to support them, that can add knowledge," added Townsend.

"Now we're a 32-man squad, but we'll be going down to a 22-man squad, so the more knowledge we can use in sharing that leadership, the better."

The dual-captaincy model was revealed by Robinson on the first day of the squad's three-day training camp at St Andrews.

"It's been very worthwhile," said Townsend. "The majority of the squad has been fit, which is a positive thing, we've got a lot of the organisational game-plan things out of the way and we'll look more at the opposition next week."

Robinson received mixed news on the injury front in training yesterday, with record points-scorer and cap holder Chris Paterson able to take part after requiring hospital treatment on a foot problem, but Edinburgh team-mate Ben Cairns is sidelined with a knee injury.

Glasgow number eight Johnnie Beattie also missed out, though his absence with a groin injury was precautionary, but Gloucester prop Alasdair Dickinson was ruled out of the entire November programme due to a shoulder problem, with Kyle Traynor promoted to the full squad in his place.

Glasgow star Max Evans trained throughout the camp but will not appear due to a knee injury, despite only just returning from surgery on his opposite knee.

The outside centre will undergo surgery again for a minor procedure and will be ruled out for at least a month.