Defence Coach
Matt Taylor
Matt Taylor is an Australian-born rugby union defence coach who has been the Wallabies' defence coach since 2019, after seven years with Scotland and Glasgow Warriors.
Australia · 3 caps for Scotland A (2001-2002)
Age 53 · 1.83m · 97kg
Facts checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata on 7 September 2026.
Background
Matt Taylor has been Australia's defence coach since 2019. He arrived there after seven years in Scotland, running the defence for Glasgow Warriors and then for the national side, and before that he coached the Queensland Reds. A back-rower who played for Edinburgh, the Border Reivers and Exeter Chiefs and won three caps for Scotland A, he has spent two decades building the defensive systems that opposition attacks break on.
Honours
- Defence coach, Australia (Wallabies), 2019-
- Defence coach then assistant coach, Scotland, 2012-2019
- Assistant coach, Glasgow Warriors, 2012-2017
- Defence coach, Queensland Reds
Career
- Edinburgh Rugby (2000-2002)
- Border Reivers (2002-2004)
- Exeter Chiefs (2004-2005)
- Queensland Reds, Defence Coach
- Glasgow Warriors (2012-2017), Assistant Coach
- Scotland (2012-2019), Defence then Assistant Coach
- Australia (2019-present), Defence Coach
Strengths
- Defensive Systems
- Line Speed
- Tackle Technique
- Tactical Analysis
- Player Development
- Leadership
Free guides
Guides with Matt Taylor
- Rugby Training Apps: What to Look ForThe features that separate a real rugby development system from a workout PDF in an app wrapper, and the questions to ask before you subscribe.
- Rugby Drills: How to Pick and Run Drills That TransferDrills organised by skill and session slot, and the session-design rules that decide whether a drill transfers to the game or just fills time.
Train with Matt Taylor
Sessions, programming and breakdowns from Matt Taylor and the rest of the coaching group sit inside Elite Rugby App.
Start for free