James Telfer (born 17 March 1940) is a Scottish former rugby union coach and player. As a player, he won 21 international caps in the amateur era, also having a career as a headmaster at Hawick High School and Galashiels Academy and Forrester High School as a chemistry teacher. With Sir Ian McGeechan he had success with both the Scotland national team and the British Lions.

Playing career

Telfer played for Melrose RFC and was still a student when he was first selected for international duties.^[2] He later worked as a chemistry teacher.^[3] His first cap came against France at Murrayfield on 4 January 1964.^[4] His last match for Scotland was on 28 February 1970 at Lansdowne Road against Ireland.^[5]

Telfer gained twenty one caps for Scotland, and, but for injury, might have gained more. Allan Massie wrote of him:

"Telfer is a man of innate authority. (There's a wealth of quiet reserve and self-knowledge, touched by that form of self-mockery which appears as under-statement, in the way he will describe himself as being a 'dominant personality')"^[6]

Telfer played back row for Scotland and for the British Lions in 1966 and 1968. He was impressed and heavily influenced by New Zealand rugby.^[6] After a cartilage operation he slowed up.^[6] He played 23 games for the British Lions on their 1966 tour to Australia and New Zealand^[7] and 11 games on their 1968 tour to South Africa.^[8]

Between 1963 and 1967, he played 8 times for the Barbarians, scoring six points.^[9]

George Crerar said of him "The great thing about Jim Telfer is that he makes sure that if he isn't going to win the ball the other side won't get it either."^[10]

Coaching career

Telfer was head coach to the British Lions on their tour of New Zealand in 1983. He was assistant coach, with particular responsibility for the forwards, on the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa, where he made his well-known motivational 'Everest' speech to the forwards before the 1st Test.^[11][12][13]

Telfer coached Scotland to the Grand Slam in 1984 and, as assistant to Ian McGeechan, to his second Grand Slam in 1990. In his third term as head coach from 1998 to 1999, Scotland won the final Five Nations Championship.

In 2014 he was coaching the Melrose RFC Under-18 team – Melrose Wasps.^[14]

Telfer has been open about copying some New Zealand approaches to the game.^[14]

Coaching statistics

Scotland (1981–1984)

International matches as head coach

Record by country

Opponent	Played	Won	Drew	Lost	Win ratio (%)	For	Against
Australia	4	2	0	2	050	57	92
England	4	2	1	1	050	66	50
France	4	2	0	2	050	61	54
Ireland	4	2	0	2	050	67	54
New Zealand	3	0	1	2	000	44	76
Romania	2	1	0	1	050	34	34
Wales	4	3	0	1	075	79	52
TOTAL	25	12	2	11	048	408	412

Scotland (1993–1995, 1998–1999)

The period 1995–98 saw Telfer promoted as director of rugby for the Scottish Rugby Union. Richie Dixon was the head coach of the Scotland National team during this time. Telfer stepped in as head coach of Scotland when Dixon quit in 1998.

International matches as head coach

Record by country

Opponent	Played	Won	Drew	Lost	Win ratio (%)	For	Against
Argentina	3	0	0	3	000	54	64
Australia	2	0	0	2	000	14	78
Canada	1	1	0	0	100	22	6
England	4	0	0	4	000	67	97
Fiji	1	0	0	1	000	26	51
France	5	2	0	3	040	106	136
Ireland	4	3	1	0	075	89	48
Italy	1	1	0	0	100	30	12
Ivory Coast	1	1	0	0	100	89	0
New Zealand	3	0	0	3	000	63	129
Romania	2	2	0	0	100	109	35
Samoa	1	1	0	0	100	35	20
South Africa	3	0	0	3	000	49	115
Spain	1	1	0	0	100	48	0
Tonga	1	1	0	0	100	41	5
Uruguay	1	1	0	0	100	43	12
Wales	4	2	0	2	050	78	81
TOTAL	38	16	1	21	042	963	889

Honours

In 2021, World Rugby inducted Telfer into its World Rugby Hall of Fame, alongside Osea Kolinisau, Humphrey Kayange, Huriana Manuel, Cheryl McAfee and Will Carling.^[15]

As a player

• Scotland
  • Five Nations Championship
    • Winner: 1964
    • Runner-up: 1966, 1967
  • Calcutta Cup
    • Winner: 1964, 1965, 1966

As a coach