Dalziel will lean on Gregor experience

SCOTLAND forwards coach John Dalziel will lean heavily on Gregor Townsend's experience as he prepares to go into "a brand new world" after earning a surprise call to join Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions backroom team.

- by ANTHONY BROWN

Townsend was involved with the Lions as a player in 1997 and then as a coach in 2021 and the Scotland head coach was one of several people Farrell spoke to about Dalziel before including him on Wednesday as part of his coaching staff for this summer's tour of Australia.

"Gregor's been brilliant," 48-year-old Dalziel told the Scottish Rugby podcast.

"Obviously, the initial conversation [with Farrell], he didn't know a lot about what was going to happen but he just said he's very keen because he asked a lot about you.