‘Where are yas off to then?’ asks the ticket inspector on the quiet ScotRail train that runs through the hills from Edinburgh to Galashiels.
We’re heading out of town to meet the legendary coach Jim Telfer, now 85 and living in a bungalow a mile or so from the station.
‘Ach!’ replies the inspector, perching on an empty table on the other side of the aisle. ‘I saw a video of that Lions speech the other day. “This is your f***in’ Everest boys!“’
He nips off to open the doors at Eskbank before continuing: ‘Gregor Townsend gets on this train sometimes. I held the service for him at Tweedbank once and he ran down the platform. He doesn’t move like a rugby player anymore!
‘I’m ready to sit in ma hoose and cry this weekend. That game against Italy was embarrassing. It’s all gone down the swanny now.’
Disembarking on to the wet platform at Galashiels, it is a short taxi ride up the hill to Telfer’s home. This icon of Scottish rugby is waiting with a tray of KitKats and Christmas cake, ready to talk all things Calcutta Cup.
We’re heading out of town to meet the legendary coach Jim Telfer, now 85 and living in a bungalow a mile or so from Galashiels station
This icon of Scottish rugby is waiting with a tray of KitKats and Christmas cake, ready to talk all things Calcutta Cup
Telfer lifts the final Five Nations title in 1999 – it remains the last time Scotland finished top of the pile in the championship
He puts a log on the fire and settles down on the sofa, explaining how he watches every major sporting event on the giant TV on the wall. His sister used to compete in curling, so he has been keeping one eye on the Winter Olympics.
But rugby remains the first love of the man who spiritedly coached Scotland in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s.
‘I like watching Fin Smith and Northampton – Fin’s granddad, Tommy Elliot, lived just up the road from here,’ he says. ‘About six miles away on a hill farm, keeping sheep. He played prop for Scotland and was a bit of a character. A typical farmer, rough and ready. Fin’s granny, Jenny, is still alive and lives on the farm.
‘His parents are both Scots but Fin was brought up in England. The Scots have a history of moving around the world. As Billy Connolly says, they always end up in places with s**tty weather. They need to start emigrating to Spain or Barbados rather than England and Invercargill!
‘I met his granny at a function at my sister’s and said, “I’m not very pleased with your grandson!” I would love to have to seen Fin playing for Scotland but he would have had problems with Finn Russell there. Fin is a bloke who could take over.’
Smith will be on the bench at Murrayfield as England plot to win their 13th Test in a row. Spirits are high in English rugby. In sharp contrast, the Scots were beaten in Rome and their head coach Townsend’s commitment has been questioned amidst his connections to Newcastle Red Bulls.
Sipping coffee from his ‘Lordship’ mug, Telfer shakes his head when I share the ticket inspector’s prediction of a 37-0 victory to England. So, what does he make of the criticism aimed at Townsend, who he first coached as a 20-year-old player?
‘Gregor’s been getting pelters,’ says Telfer, whose 65 matches as Scotland head coach rank behind only Townsend and his old partner in crime Sir Ian McGeechan. ‘I think it’s very unfair what they’re saying about him. He’s an intelligent bloke, went to Edinburgh University. If you’ve coached your national team more than 100 times then you must be a very good coach.
Telfer leads us through the memories that adorn the walls of his house
His most famous tour, the 1997 Lions where he gave his ‘Everest’ speech, had Gregor Townsend (sixth from left) as fly-half
Telfer in Scotland training in 1968 with Gordon Connell (left) and Ian Robertson (right)
‘Taking a contract with Red Bull didn’t help and that’s a weakness that people can get at. The fans who went to Rome would be very disappointed but you don’t get the performances that Scotland have put in for eight or nine years without being well prepared.
‘Everyone’s forgotten that we were beaten by 30 points by the All Blacks when I played or coached. The last couple of games against them have been very close. When I coached Scotland, the autumn tests didn’t fill up. Murrayfield was full in November.
‘We haven’t won major championships but that’s very difficult to do. The pundits expect a lot from Scotland but I think Gregor has done an excellent job. Everyone has their tenure, even Warren Gatland lost the magic – or did he just have very good players? I don’t think there should be a change. I do think Gregor should go through to the World Cup, aye.’
Locals often spot Telfer in the stands at his beloved Melrose RFC but he will be watching the Calcutta Cup at home with his wife, Frances. He was invited to join McGeechan at a function at Murrayfield but he walks with a stick these days and prefers the comfort of his own home over a 40-mile trip into the capital city.
‘I don’t want to go to the match and be a burden,’ he says. ‘You meet so many people you know but I can’t stand for very long now. I like to be in control of the controllables and when I go to Murrayfield, I might not be – so I’m not going.
‘I’m looking forward to the game. (England vice-captain) Jamie George has been saying all the right things in the paper but there’s something about rugby that you cannot legislate for. Yellow cards, referees decisions, the bounce of the ball.
‘Even though England scored 48 points at Twickenham last weekend, that does not reflect what will happen on Saturday.
‘Historically, Scotland have always been a bit of a problem for English teams. Football, rugby… even cricket. But we’re far too mature a nation now to think we’ve got bragging rights if we beat England.
Celebrating Scotland’s most recent Grand Slam with Sir Ian McGeechan and their players in 1990, sealed with a win over England at Murrayfield
With McGeechan (centre) and Derrick Grant, watching Scotland take on Australia in 1988
Back in 1967 as captain of his beloved Melrose RFC, the club he still goes to watch on a regular basis
‘We can handle the historical side of things against England. People say, “Jim, you’ve said things about the English in the past”, but look at that photograph by the front door and it’s got Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio and Richard Hill on it. Some of my best friends are English.
‘The press build this up to be the Battle of Bannockburn but we don’t need to do that. The players all know each other now. Ben Spencer will be sitting next to Finn at Bath in a few weeks. They’ve lived together on Lions tours. I don’t think the bragging rights are as important as they used to be, but these are players who still want to win.
‘When Scotland travelled back on Sunday, they would all agree that they didn’t reach their levels in Italy. I would think the Scottish coaches’ problem this week would be keeping the players from getting overexcited. Not because it’s England, but because they were beaten last week.
‘Jamie Ritchie can come back and get up folks’ noses. I have no worries about the Scottish team rising to the occasion, because rugby at all levels is about emotion and confrontation.’
Every now and then, Telfer leans forward as he did when he delivered his iconic ‘Everest’ speech to the likes of Johnson and Dallaglio in 1997. Bill McLaren’s commentary notes from some of his favourite Tests in 1969 and 1999 are framed on the wall and he reels off names, dates and results as if they were yesterday.
Yet he is happiest talking about the here and now. Steve Borthwick paid him a visit after he was named England coach in 2023 and Telfer is a keen admirer.
‘He’s a good bloke,’ says Telfer. ‘Quiet, methodical, thorough. He made the excuse that he was coming up to visit his relatives in Carlisle. It was just a conversation and he takes things that he puts into the back of his mind.
‘He’s always been a thinking rugby player. When he played second row for Bath and Saracens and England he was always a player who was different from the rest.
‘Steve Borthwick’s always been a thinking rugby player. When he played second row for Bath and Saracens and England he was always a player who was different from the rest’
‘The press build this up to be the Battle of Bannockburn but we don’t need to do that’
‘I like his selections. England have no apparent weaknesses. They could put out a pack after 60 minutes who are as strong as the pack that started. They have competition on the wings, in the centres, in the half-backs.
‘It’s probably the strongest squad England have had since 2003… although they were actually even stronger in 2002! They were unbeatable.
‘England haven’t done much yet as far as championships are concerned but Steve is working towards the World Cup. I think he might have more overall depth than Sir Clive Woodward had. You’ve got guys like Tom Pearson and Alex Dombrandt who aren’t in the squad.
‘The most successful teams are all led by the players. Sir Clive was the coach in 2003 but Johnson, Dallaglio and Jonny Wilkinson were the true leaders.
‘George Ford is a leader. I feel a wee bit sorry for him not being selected by the Lions. So are Maro Itoje and Tom Curry. Ellis Genge, too, if he stops messing about.
‘The thing is, will this 13th win, 14th win, 15th win chat start to become a weight around the neck? It’s a great thing for the players but it becomes a yoke.
‘I think it’s a mistake to start talking about the French-English game as a decider. In the early 2000s, when the Six Nations came in, I was working for Scottish Rugby and there was a train of thought that the last game of Super Saturday should always be France versus England.
‘It was mooted by the English and the French because they assumed they would be playing for the Championship. That got short shrift from the other unions and over the past 20 years it’s proved it was a false outlook.’
‘In the early 2000s, when the Six Nations came in, there was a train of thought that the last game of Super Saturday should always be France versus England – that got short shrift’
Jason Robinson goes over in 2003 as Sir Clive Woodward’s Grand Slam team and eventual world champions ran out 40-9 winners – Telfer believes this is England’s strongest team since
Over the course of a couple of hours, Telfer turns his attention to all matters. Politics, private schools and how he would love to coach Henry Pollock
Over the course of a couple of hours, Telfer turns his attention to all matters. Politics, private schools and how he would love to coach Henry Pollock and tell him that he ‘does not always need to play the villain’.
He offers a lift back to the station, driving over the River Tweed that used to power the watermills and explaining how railway closures damaged the local wool trade.
As I hop out of the car, I ask if he has a prediction to share with the ticket inspector.
‘I’ve stopped trying to predict the score – I’m getting a wee bit more sensible,’ he says. ‘England hold all the aces but last weekend does not reflect what will happen this weekend.’
