SCOTLAND forward Matt Mustchin leaves Edinburgh today en route to a new career in Japan with a "remember me" message to the next Scotland rugby coach – whoever that might be.
And, refusing to give up on wearing the dark club jersey at least one more time, he said: "Stranger things have happened and I've never announced my international retirement."
Mustchin feels any chance he might have of adding to his six caps from
out of the Docomo Kansai club would be best served by the appointment of Edinburgh mentor, Andy Robinson.
"Andy is the best coach I have ever had," said Mustchin whose graduation to full international honours came at the end of Robinson's first season with Edinburgh. "I came (from Ulster] as a bit of a journeyman player and I'm leaving as an internationalist which is great. Andy is generally regarded as the front runner (to succeed Frank Hadden] and it is not hard to understand why.
"His interest and enthusiasm goes beyond the Scotland coaching job. He is keen to improve the whole structure of the game here from the links between the pro teams and the international set-up to the club scene."
In taking his leave after four years in the Capital Mustchin makes it clear his backing for the Edinburgh supremo goes well beyond any sense of parochialism while it is natural that Robinson, of the apparent four contenders for the vacancy at the short list stage, should know his capabilities best.
"I sat down with Andy on Saturday for a chat ahead of Edinburgh's final Magners League match at Cardiff and the way he goes about things is terrific.
"Some could get the impression they are being targeted or picked on but all Andy is interested in is making a player better." Mustchin was particularly delighted to be able to share in Edinburgh's 36-14 win at Cardiff when he came off the bench for a second-half swansong.
"To get a good chunk of game time was tremendous and for it to coincide with a display such as we produced even better. Three tries in ten minutes killed them off.
"When I arrived we were mid-table and it is a sign of how far the club has come that we have finished runners-up in the table."
Few professionals have as much insight as Mustchin into the overall health of Scottish rugby having coached initially at Murrayfield Wanderers before re-emerging earlier this year in charge of the Watsonian forwards.
"The introduction of a British and Irish cross-border cup for club players will be as beneficial for them as having the Heineken Cup to aim for at pro level from out of a domestic league."
Whether or not he is able to add to his Scottish honours from afar, Mustchin is determined to remain in the game beyond his playing days as a coach.
"There are frustrations attached to coaching, of course. But you only had to see the pleasure on Andy Robinson's face at the end of Edinburgh's victory at Cardiff to know how rewarding it can be, too," said Mustchin, 32, who will return to his native New Zealand – he qualified for Scotland on residency – for a fortnight before starting work in Japan on June 6.
The full article contains 555 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
