THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS

Rugby: Scotland debutant Gray in debt to legends who pushed him all the way

Published Date: 08 February 2010
By BILL LOTHIAN
SCOTLAND'S newest rugby cap has chosen to share his moment of glory with a former Currie captain and a Boroughmuir legend.
Richie Gray, who came on in the 70th minute yesterday, said it would have been more difficult to reach that level without assistance from ex-Malleny Park centre David Wilson and also Peter Wright, who propped for 'Muir, Scotland and the Lions.

"David Wilson was my PE teacher at school (Kelvinside Academy) and introduced me to the game. Not only that but David persuaded me to keep going when I was wanting to play more football. I remember watching David as a player once he had joined Glasgow Hawks and he was always leading the charge while Peter was another big influence."

Gray, 20, played his club rugby at Hawks while Wright was coach.

"When he was based in Livingston and I was living in East Kilbride Peter would pick me up for training and drop me off at home afterwards. Peter is a hard man and we have had our disagreements about rugby but he has always been very supportive."

Gray, the fifth new cap of the Andy Robinson coaching era, now faces an anxious wait to learn whether he will be included in the squad for Saturday's trip to face Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

Although his debut stint was brief the arrival of the 19st and 6ft 8in youngster did coincide with a period in which Scotland at last achieved something resembling stability in the scrums and a bigger doubt for Cardiff concerns Ally Dickinson.

The Gloucester prop retired with seven minutes remaining nursing what was described as a sore neck while Euan Murray, who missed yesterday's game on religious grounds, is waiting in the wings.

A major problem for Robinson is the need for extra fire-power.

This article was posted on 8-Feb-2010, 14:44 by Hugh Barrow.