Frank approach takes a willing Scotland back to their roots

In his role as Scotland's caretaker head coach, Frank Hadden has already swept his temporary charges into new territory. In front of a raucously appreciative near-capacity crowd at the Pittodrie football stadium in Aberdeen 12 days ago, Hadden's Caledonians made tidy work of brushing aside the Barbarians, running in five tries in a 38-7 victory. It might have been an end-of-season non-cap contest against a scratch side, but it was the first time Scotland had taken the scalp - or even the fleece - of the Baa-Baas.

In his role as Scotland's caretaker head coach, Frank Hadden has already swept his temporary charges into new territory. In front of a raucously appreciative near-capacity crowd at the Pittodrie football stadium in Aberdeen 12 days ago, Hadden's Caledonians made tidy work of brushing aside the Barbarians, running in five tries in a 38-7 victory. It might have been an end-of-season non-cap contest against a scratch side, but it was the first time Scotland had taken the scalp - or even the fleece - of the Baa-Baas.

It was an impressively assured performance, lifting much of the lingering gloom from the ill-fated Matt Williams era and raising Scottish spirits for the Test against Romania in Bucharest today. Scotland have won in the Romanian capital once before, back in 1986, but the Grand Slammers of 1984 and the World Cup semi-finalists of 1991 both came to grief there. Another victory and another polished performance today would undoubtedly enhance the already bright long-term job prospects of Hadden - a man who has followed his national side not so much as a coach as on a coach.

"I would probably be one of the first national coaches who has been on the bus as a supporter to the away games in the Six Nations," Hadden mused before assembling his squad for the flight to Bucharest. "I've been to Dublin, Cardiff, Twickenham, Paris, just on the bus with the lads at the club. I've done the overland trip to Dublin that took forever: the car to Stranraer; the ferry; the train; lots of sore heads on the way home. I've been there, done that. Maybe it does give you a sense of appreciation of what the people want from the international side."

It remains to be seen whether Hadden, Edinburgh's coach since 2000, will be given the chance to guide Scotland on a permanent basis. An appointment will not be made until the new Scottish Rugby Board comes into being at the end of June. Undoubtedly, though, his temporary assignment, with a backroom team that includes Hugh Campbell, Steve Bates, George Graham, Sean Lineen and Alan Tait, has in itself been in a step in the direction of what the Scottish people want from their national team. Williams, a Sydneysider, had alienated the Scottish rugby public, and indeed many of the Scottish players, with a complex vision and approach that led increasingly to confusion and humiliation on the pitch. Turning to Hadden has drawn the national team closer to its roots in every respect.

A 50-year-old Dundonian, the self-effacing Hadden takes no offence at the passing references in print to his own playing career having been one of "modest achievement". In fact, he was a good enough outside-half with Dundee High School Former Pupils and with Headingley to play at district level in Scotland for the North and Midlands. He joined Headingley after moving to Leeds to study on a post-graduate course at the Carnegie College of Physical Education and his time at the club coincided with the tail end of Ian McGeechan's playing career and the start of Peter Winterbottom's. He eventually became full-back in a Headingley team coached by McGeechan, before injury forced him to retire at 26.

"That allowed me to get into coaching a little bit earlier," Hadden reflected. "I started coaching at a school in Yorkshire and then moved up to Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, where I spent 17 fantastic years." Fourteen of Hadden's rugby-playing pupils at Merchiston have progressed to the professional ranks - among them Duncan Hodge, scorer of Scotland's 19 points in their 2000 win against England at Murrayfield, and Phil Godman, an uncapped outside-half who will be on the bench in Bucharest today. Hadden also coached Scotland's Under-16s and Under-19s and was assistant coach with the short-lived Caledonian Reds before he accepted Jim Telfer's invitation to become head coach at Edinburgh five years ago.

"I've just been Steady Eddie, coming through the ranks," he said, poking fun at himself and pointing towards to a lack of profile outside Scotland that is hardly justified. His Edinburgh team might not have been the most consistent of sides but in the past two seasons they have beaten Toulouse and Perpignan in the Heineken Cup and they have attacked with a speed and a width that has been lamentably lacking from the national side.

"When I first started as a professional coach with Edinburgh we just couldn't live with the French sides," Hadden reflected. " I used to go down to the south of France thinking we should be taking a white towel with us. Now we've moved on to being very dangerous against them, and that gives me a lot of pleasure. If I had an ambition for Scotland it's that we become a dangerous opponent - whether I'm involved or whoever else."