SCOTLAND HAVE ANNOUNCED that Nathan Hines has joined their coaching team alongside head coach Vern Cotter.
Hines has signed a two-year contract with the Scottish Rugby Union and his role will involve focusing on Scotland’s lineout play, as well as helping to develop the country’s young forwards.
39-year-old Hines, who is still playing with Sale Sharks in the Premiership but will hang up his boots at the end of the season, previously worked with New Zealander Cotter at Clermont Auvergne.
Australia native Hines won 77 caps for Scotland in the second row, while also playing for the Lions on the 2009 tour of South Africa.
The intelligent, skillful lock spent two seasons in Ireland with Leinster from 2009 until 2011, scoring a try in the unforgettable 2011 Heineken Cup final comeback victory over Northampton Saints.
Hines was eager to stay with Leinster beyond the end of that two-year deal, while the province’s coaches, Joe Schmidt and Jono Gibbes, also fought hard to keep the Scotland international in Dublin.
However, the IRFU did not agree to sign off on a new contract for the hugely effective lock due to the fact that he was preventing homegrown players from breaking into Leinster’s first team.
Hines, who had previously played in France with Perpignan, expressed his disappointment at having to leave for Clermont at that time.
The second row’s new role, which he will take up after retiring at the end of the Premiership campaign with Sale, will see him involved in Scotland’s Rugby World Cup campaign.
“I think that Scotland have got some exceptional young players and I’m relishing the opportunity to help make them better than they already are,” said Hines in an official SRU press release.
They’ve got huge potential and I want to help them in their development. The chance to work with Vern again is another great benefit of this role.
“He knows how I work and I know how he works, which might have been part of the decision why he asked me to come on board. We got on really well at Clermont and I’m looking forward to working with him again.”
“Part of helping the team mature is sharing my experience and showing them how not to make the same mistakes I did, on my travels, and in my 11 years playing for Scotland.”
