By Jim Stokes

Matt Williams guided Leinster onto another level

Matt Williams always wanted to coach an international side. Now he has got his chance.

In agreeing to take on the Scotland job when Ian McGeechan moves upstairs at Murrayfield, Williams's dream has come to fruition quicker than he expected.

The 42-year-old Australian becomes the first non-Scot to be in charge of the international team, and he will revel in his new-found elevation.

Williams lands Scotland job

With the Ireland and Australian coaching jobs outside his present compass, the trip across the Irish Sea and beyond is heaven sent.

Williams was 12 months into a new three-year deal with Leinster, whom he had guided to heights never achieved before.

He obviously talked the good talk to convince the likes of the hard-nosed Jim Telfer that he has the requirements to pull Scotland out of their present malaise.

The articulate Williams, who was formerly in charge of the New South Wales Waratahs, arrived in Dublin as assistant to Welshman Mike Ruddock in 1999.

When Ruddock was coaxed back home, Williams took over the reins, and Leinster's stock just kept on rising, and he leaves the province better off than when he arrived.

Leinster killed off teams with their pace, ingenuity and free-flowing total rugby

In the three years he was in charge, Leinster won 32 out of 47 games and drew three.

Not a bad record for a team that was acknowledged to be the great under-achievers of Irish rugby.

Leinster gave the impression they were the posh and privileged. But when things went against them, they cowered back.

But Williams is a very shrewd operator. He brought in a tough defensive system, recruited the popular Alan Gaffney from back home as his assistant, and offered Australian immigrant Keith Gleeson a chance to play for Ireland.

He also resurrected the coaching careers of Irish scrummaging doyen Roly Meates and forward specialist Willie Anderson, who has now been handed a caretaker's role at Leinster.

True, he had Brian O'Driscoll, Denis Hickie, Mal O'Kelly, Victor Costello and a few other top quality players at his disposal.

Dublin-born Keith Gleeson was brought back from Australia by Williams

Bingo! He managed to take them up to the last mile. But not quite past the last hard yards.

Nevertheless, it was a very professional Leinster set-up which became tungsten tough, and backs were just not prima donnas unable to finish off plays.

At times they killed off teams with their pace, ingenuity and free-flowing total rugby.

They won the inaugural Celtic League in 2002 by defeating Munster with 14 men, and also won the Irish inter-provincial championship for the first time in over a decade.

Everything was going extremely well this season too and they were touted as favourites to lift the Heineken Cup.

Leinster had indeed arrived, and not surprisingly Williams was strutting around the coup like a prize cockerel.

He also showed a little infallibility when his side crashed out to Perpignan in the Heineken Cup semi-final

His worth grew as Leinster went through the group phases unbeaten, and Williams was also handed the Ireland 'A' coaching duties for a second season.

He was also offered the director of rugby role at Saracens last season, before Leinster came back with an improved contract to keep him in Ireland.

Williams, though, is not without his flaws. When Gaffney moved to take over the reins at Munster, he lost a great ally, and a conduit between players and management.

He also showed a little infallibility when his side crashed out to Perpignan in the Heineken Cup semi-final.

His relationship with the media was already beginning to sour before that defeat, and questions were asked about his selections and ability to change tactics on the hoof.

Finally, last month, a public fall-out with fly-half and former Wallaby Nathan Spooner got a little nasty.

Many believe the time is right for Williams to move on. But he does leave a legacy.

If he manages to transfer some of those positive attributes that lifted Leinster out of mediocrity to an ailing Scotland side, there will be a skirling of the pipes for sure.