James Telfer (born 17 March 1940) is a Scottish former rugby union coach and player. As a player, he won 21 international caps in the amateur era, also having a career as a headmaster at Hawick High School and Galashiels Academy and Forrester High School as a chemistry teacher. With Sir Ian McGeechan he had success with both the Scotland national team and the British Lions.
Playing career Telfer played for Melrose RFC and was still a student when he was first selected for international duties. He later worked as a chemistry teacher. His first cap came against France at Murrayfield on 4 January 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 wrote of him:
"Telfer is a man of innate authority. (There's a wealth of quiet reserve and self-knowledge, touched by that form of self-mockery which appears as under-statement, in the way he will describe himself as being a 'dominant personality')"Massie, p189
Telfer played back row for Scotland and for the British Lions in 1966 and 1968. He was impressed and heavily influenced by New Zealand rugby. After a cartilage operation he slowed up. He played 23 games for the British 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, scoring six points.
George Crerar said of him "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."Massie, p190
Coaching career Telfer was head coach to the British 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 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.
Telfer has been open about copying some New Zealand approaches to the game.
Coaching statistics Scotland (1981–1984) International matches as head coach Matches (1981–1984)MatchesDateOppositionVenueScore(Sco.–Opponent)CompetitionCaptain19811 17 January Parc des Princes, Paris 9–16 1981 Five Nations Andy Irvine2 7 February Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 15–6 3 21 February Twickenham, London 17–234 21 March Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 10–95 13 June Carisbrook, Dunedin 4–11 1981 tour6 20 June Eden Park, Auckland 15–407 26 September Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 12–6 Romania tour8 19 December 24–15 Australia tour19829 16 January Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 9–9 1982 Five Nations Andy Irvine10 20 February Lansdowne Road, Dublin 12–2111 6 March Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 16–712 20 March Arms Park, Cardiff 34–1813 4 July Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane 12–7 1982 tour14 10 July Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 9–33198315 15 January Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 13–15 1983 Five Nations Roy Laidlaw16 5 February Parc des Princes, Paris 15–1917 19 February Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 15–1918 5 March Twickenham, London 22–12 Jim Aitken19 12 November Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 25–25 New Zealand tour198420 21 January Arms Park, Cardiff 15–9 1984 Five Nations Jim Aitken21 4 February Murrayfield Stadium 18–622 3 March Lansdowne Road, Dublin 32–923 17 March Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 21–1224 20 May Stadionul Dinamo, Bucharest 22–28 Test match25 8 December Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 12–37 Australia tour Roy Laidlaw
Record by country Opponent Played Won Drew Lost Win ratio (%) For Against 57 92 66 50 61 54 67 54 44 76 34 34 79 52 TOTAL 408 412
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.
International matches as head coach Matches (1993–1995, 1998–99)MatchesDateOppositionVenueScore(Sco.–Opponent)CompetitionCaptain19931 20 November Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 15–51 New Zealand tour Gavin Hastings19942 15 January Arms Park, Cardiff 6–29 Five Nations Gavin Hastings3 5 February Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 14–154 5 March Lansdowne Road, Dublin 6–65 19 March Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 12–206 4 June Estadio Arquitecto Ricardo Etcheverri, Buenos Aires 15–16 Argentina tour Andy Reed7 11 June 17–198 19 November Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 10–34 South Africa tour Gavin Hastings19959 21 January Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 22–6 Test match Gavin Hastings10 4 February 26–13 Five Nations11 18 February Parc des Princes, Paris 23–2112 4 March Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 26–1313 18 March Twickenham Stadium, London 12–2414 22 April Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 49–16 RWC Warm-up15 26 May Olympia Park, Rustenburg, South Africa 89–0 World Cup16 30 May Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa 41–517 3 June 19–2218 11 June 30–48199819 7 February Lansdowne Road, Dublin 17–16 Five Nations Gary Armstrong20 21 February Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 16–5121 7 March Wembley Stadium, London 13–1922 22 March Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 20–3423 26 May National Stadium, Suva 26–51 Oceania tour Rob Wainwright24 13 June Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney 3–4525 20 June Lang Park, Brisbane 11–3326 21 November Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 10–35 South Africa tour Bryan Redpath199927 6 February Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 33–20 Five Nations Gary Armstrong28 20 February Twickenham Stadium, London 21–2429 6 March Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 30–12 Test match Eric Peters30 20 March 30–13 Five Nations Gary Armstrong31 10 April Stade de France, Saint-Denis 36–2232 21 August Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 22–31 RWC Warm-up33 28 August Hampden Park, Glasgow 60–1934 3 October Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 29–46 World Cup35 8 October 43–1236 16 October 48–0 Bryan Redpath37 20 October 35–20 Gary Armstrong38 24 October 18–30
Record by country Opponent Played Won Drew Lost Win ratio (%) For Against 54 64 14 78 22 6 67 97 26 51 106 136 89 48 30 12 89 0 63 129 109 35 35 20 49 115 48 0 41 5 43 12 78 81 TOTAL 963 889
Honours In 2021, World Rugby inducted Telfer into its World Rugby Hall of Fame, alongside Osea Kolinisau, Humphrey Kayange, Huriana Manuel, Cheryl McAfee and Will Carling.
As a player
Five Nations Championship Winner: 1964 Runner-up: 1966, 1967 Calcutta Cup Winner: 1964, 1965, 1966
As a coach
Five Nations Championship Winner: 1984, 1999 Grand Slam: 1984 Runner-up: 1981, 1982, 1995 Triple Crown Winner: 1984 Calcutta Cup Winner: 1983, 1984 Centenary Quaich Winner: 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999
(as assistant coach) Five/Six Nations Championship Winner: 1990 Grand Slam: 1990 Runner-up: 1989, 1992, 1993 Triple Crown Winner: 1990 Calcutta Cup Winner: 1989, 1990, 2000 Centenary Quaich Winner: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2001
References
Sources Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ) Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ) Telfer, Jim Jim Telfer: Looking Back... For Once (Mainstream Publishing, 2005, )
External links Jim Telfer (The Scotsman)