Whether it was in Galashiels or Melrose, John Dalziel has spent a long time with British & Irish Lions royalty – now the forwards coach will live out his own dream.
Growing up in the Borders, Dalziel found himself following in the footsteps of Gregor Townsend, a few years his senior, before going onto be coached by Jim Telfer.
The duo combined in memorable fashion on the 1997 Lions Tour to South Africa – and have had a big influence on Dalziel’s own journey.
The current Scotland forwards coach has been named as one of Andy Farrell’s assistant coaches for the 2025 Tour of Australia, alongside Simon Easterby, John Fogarty, Andrew Goodman and Richard Wigglesworth.
And he is looking forward to following in the footsteps of some illustrious men of the Borders.
He said: “Gregor and I originate from the very same small Border town called Galashiels, we went to the same high school. I grew up with Gregor a few years above and he was the star boy at the high school and went on to everything he achieved.
“That 1997 Lions Tour, to see somebody that you grew up with, I was so proud of him and the way he went about his career. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him and playing with him and we’re back working together again. He’s someone I am going to lean on massively, I’ll pick his brains to find out more. He was on the last tour as well so he knows the lay of the land.
“I played under Jim Telfer at Melrose. Although I was born in Gala, I moved to Melrose before professional rugby, I played under him and during the professional days. He was coaching Under-18s when I was coaching Melrose alongside him, so he’s a great man. He’s been a massive inspiration to me growing up.
“Those Lions meetings and the inspiration he gave there, as the game has got more modern and more the analytical side, but that for me resonates a huge part of what the Lions are about, the connection that he brought. You pinch yourself now from watching that, there are big shoes to fill!”
Meet the 2025 Lions Tour Coaches
Telfer’s Everest speech has gone down as perhaps the most iconic in Lions history, while Townsend has toured as both a player and a coach.
Dalziel has learned a lot from both, and is now desperate to put that to good use to allow the players selected on 8 May to shine against the Wallabies this summer.
He added: “The Lions is about the players, we’ve had world class coaches all the way through the Lions, but it’s about the players, playing at their ultimate best and being successful. That is where we fit in as coaches, it’s an honour for us, it’s about getting the right strategy and the right environment so that the players can come and be themselves and be the best versions of themselves.
“With these lads, we know we are going to have world class players so it’s about the cohesion and how we get that group together and how we get the best out of them. Us as coaches, we can learn a lot off the players, the different philosophies that we all have from different nations.”
