Blair 'could find his way back to Scotland'
Mike Blair was Edinburgh head coach from [SNS] Johnnie Beattie believes former Scotland team-mate Mike Blair "could find his way back" to coaching in his homeland after his stint working with New Zealand. Blair, 44, will be part of former Glasgow Warriors head coach Dave Rennie's backroom team with the All Blacks, the pair having worked together at Glasgow. Former Scotland captain Blair also worked with current national head coach Gregor Townsend, was later Edinburgh head coach and has latterly been Kobe Steelers attack coach for Rennie in Japan.
"He might find his way back," Beattie told BBC Radio Scotland. "Scotland is quite a small, closed group - there's two professional teams and the national side. If you're not involved there then there's not much opportunity.
"Mike has come through the system, he's been a product of Scottish rugby. He's now coaching the All Blacks but coaching is not something that lasts five or six or seven years. "There's a strong chance that sometime in the future, Mike could find his way back into the system in Scottish rugby, hopefully in a head coach capacity with Glasgow, Edinburgh or Scotland.
So, hopefully, we see him back here soon. " Scrum-half Blair won his 85 Scotland caps between 2002 and 2012, while back-rower Beattie played 38 international matches from 2006-15. Blair captained Scotland teams Beattie played in.
"For a Scot to be associated with a sporting brand, not even a rugby brand like the All Blacks, I think they're the most successful sporting brand of the last 60, 70, 80 years, so it's wonderful to see," Beattie said. "Dave knows him really well. You've got to think in coaching groups there has to be utmost trust, reliance on the people around you and that's why he's gone for Mike.