Whether Townsend likes it or not, his Red Bull role and Scotland's fortunes are inextricably linked... and fizzing fans will want him canned if national team fall short in upcoming Tests

There was a moment during Gregor Townsend’s media conference yesterday when he put on a look of mock exasperation before asking: ‘Can we get back to talking about Scotland, please?’

Townsend, it seems, is happy to take the fat cheque that comes with being on the Red Bull payroll but isn’t quite as keen on the scrutiny that comes with that.

To be blunt, if the Scotland head coach doesn’t want people asking, speaking or writing about his controversial call to take on a second job — one that would seem to benefit his new employers far more than it does Scottish Rugby — then perhaps he shouldn’t have agreed to it in the first place.

Townsend wanted all the focus instead to be on the 45-man squad he had just announced for the forthcoming autumn international series and the four home matches against the USA, New Zealand, Argentina and Tonga.

There are three uncapped players involved — Harri Morris and Liam McConnell of Edinburgh and Montpellier’s Alex Masibaka — while injured Glasgow pair Zander Fagerson and Rory Darge will be given the chance to prove their fitness right until the week of the All Blacks match.

Given Scotland’s paucity of suitable alternatives at tighthead, not having Fagerson available for such a challenge almost doesn’t bear thinking about. Cam Redpath and Johnny Matthews were the most notable omissions from the squad list.

Whether Townsend likes it or not, however, his new role with Red Bull and the fortunes of the Scotland national team are now inextricably linked.

If the team underperforms in any of next month’s matches then aggrieved supporters, rightly or wrongly, will feel within their rights to grumble that they might have been better prepared if their boss hadn’t been swanning around Salzburg, inspecting ice hockey facilities and hob-nobbing with Red Bull bigwigs. That’s the harsh reality of the situation that Townsend now finds himself in.

Then there is the Newcastle Red Bulls angle. Townsend has insisted he will have no official input into the English Prem club’s recruitment policy but they aren’t paying him to not have an opinion. If Scottish Rugby wants to sign a player — Ben White being a recent example — for either Glasgow Warriors or Edinburgh but Newcastle are also interested, then where do Townsend’s loyalties lie? It is a situation fraught with conflict and danger.

‘That’s something that obviously we’ve discussed with Scottish Rugby,’ he insisted. ‘Newcastle and Red Bull use a recruitment company but if any information did come my way that involved a Scotland player, I would flag that to Scottish Rugby.

‘Now, after that, it’s a case of them being an independent club and being able to sign who they want. It’s an open market but I would have to make sure that Scottish Rugby are aware of that. So that’s on me, to make sure that anything we deem as a potential conflict of interest, I’m in those communications with Scottish Rugby.

‘Everyone’s got their opinions. [Taking on this role] is something that obviously I talked about with Scottish Rugby, and the benefits that we saw in the role. It’s in my own time and I’d like to learn from other sports and organisations. This gives me an opportunity to do that but it’s not going to be something that I’m focusing on in the next few weeks because that’s going to be the Scotland job.’

That’s a relief as this is a four-week challenge that will need his full attention. The United States and Tonga should both be taken care of with relative ease — even with only Scottish-based players to call upon for the series opener — but the middle two matches against the All Blacks and Argentina will both be thoroughly demanding and draining encounters.

Townsend can call upon one of the best backlines in the game and, for the first time since the World Cup, has Darcy Graham, Duhan van der Merwe and Kyle Steyn all fit and available. Throw in Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn and Sione Tuipulotu and it is an attacking threat as good as anywhere in the world.

Alas, the picture isn’t anywhere near as rosy up front, which is where the matches with New Zealand and the ever-improving Argentina will likely be won and lost. There is a mixture of youth and experience in the squad with uncapped pair Morris and McConnell at one end and veterans like Grant Gilchrist, Elliot Millar Mills and Rory Sutherland at the other.

But, given the enormity of the task ahead, it is no surprise that Townsend will give Fagerson and Darge as long as possible to prove their fitness. Could the Glasgow prop go straight into an All Blacks match having not played at all since early April?

‘That’ll be the question I’ll have to answer in about a week’s time,’ replied Townsend. ‘We know how Zander’s progressing. He’s started some scrummaging, he’s running. We will want to see him train next week in full scrums.

‘We believe he’ll be back to full training and available for that New Zealand game. But, right now, I can’t honestly make a call on whether we think he’ll be playing against New Zealand.

‘We have one of the best tightheads in the world and have had for a number of years. That is a brilliant position to be in. 

'Zander played 80 minutes against France and was outstanding against one of the biggest packs in the world. I think they were 7-1 that day on the bench and scrummed really well but Zander was carrying right to the end of the game. His value to the team is very high.

‘We know him as a player, how he’s responded after injuries and what his value is to the team. But we need to see him at training.

‘We need to get a feel for where he is and that’ll be through the coaches’ contributions and Zander and the medics to say, “Right, you’re ready to go” or it’s the following week [against Argentina] or even Tonga. But our aim is to be able to have both Zander and Rory in that selection discussion on the Monday of the New Zealand week.’