Jim Telfer

James Telfer (born 17 March 1940) is a Scottish rugby union coach and a former rugby union footballer. As a player, he gained 21 international caps in the amateur era, also having a career as a headmaster at Hawick High School and Galashiels Academy as a chemistry teacher. He won fame as a Scottish forwards coach who gave punishing training sessions to his players. With Sir Ian McGeechan he has had success with both the Scotland national rugby union team and the British and Irish Lions.
Playing career.
Telfer worked as a chemistry teacher. His first cap came against France at Murrayfield on 4 March 1964. His last match for Scotland was on 28 February 1970 at Lansdowne Road against Ireland.
Telfer gained twenty one caps for Scotland, and, but for injury, might have gained more. Allan Massie writes of him:
Telfer played back row for Scotland and for the Lions in 1966 and 1968. He was impressed and heavily influenced by New Zealand rugby. Unfortunately, after a cartilage operation he slowed up. He played 23 games for the British and Irish Lions on their 1966 tour to Australia and New Zealand and 11 games on their 1968 tour to South Africa.
Between 1963 and 1967, he played 8 times for the Barbarians FC, scoring six points.
George Crerar said of Telfer "The great thing about Jim Telfer is that he makes sure that if he isn't going to win the ball the other side won't get it either.""
Coaching.
Telfer was head coach to the British and Irish Lions on their tour of New Zealand in 1983. He was assistant coach, with particular responsibility for the forwards, on the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa, where he made his well-known motivational 'Everest' speech to the forwards before the 1st Test.
Telfer coached Scotland to the Grand Slam in 1984 and, as assistant to Sir Ian McGeechan, to his second Grand Slam in 1990. In his third term as head coach from 1998 to 1999, Scotland won the final Five Nations Championship.
In 2014 he was coaching the Melrose RFC Under-18 team – Melrose Wasps.
Philosophy and approach.
Telfer focuses on the 'honesty' of players in their playing, and is open about copying some New Zealand approaches to the game.
Coaching statistics.
Scotland (1993–1995, 1998–1999).
The period 1995–98 saw Telfer promoted as director of rugby for the Scottish Rugby Union. Richie Dixon was the head coach of the Scotland National team during this time. Telfer stepped in as head coach of Scotland when Dixon quit in 1998.