Gilchrist takes challenge head on to return to Scotland line-up
GRANT GILCHRIST has never been one to shy away from a challenge. And it is this mentality that has seen the lock bounce back from the disappointment of falling out of international favour to regain his place in Gregor Townsend’s team.
Gilchrist was an integral member of the Scotland squad that travelled to last year’s World Cup, starting three of Scotland’s four games in Japan as well as making an appearance from the bench against Russia.
But come the Six Nations campaign, Gilchrist failed to make it into the matchday 23 entirely for Scotland’s opening two fixtures.
Gilchrist was in good form coming into this Six Nations and it was a surprise to many, if not himself, that he was sidelined for those fixtures.
While being dropped might have been a crushing blow to some, for Gilchrist, it was just an obstacle he had to overcome, and so he immediately set about proving his worth in training.
“I felt, coming into the tournament, my form was pretty good with Edinburgh but I was also aware that we’re blessed with quality players in my position and they were also playing well,” the 29-year-old said.
“Gregor [Townsend] is pretty good, he said straight away he thought I was playing pretty well and that I’d get an opportunity at some point so I just needed to be ready to take it.
“I always believed I had attributes that I could bring to the table for the team. I was always pushing hard and I believed I could force my way in this tournament.
“[So I focused on] contributing as much as possible to the team performance so in the first couple of weeks, I was involved a lot in line-outs and stuff, making sure the guys were really well prepared for the games, which is something I’d take pride in anyway. If you’re not involved, you have to be engaged and that counts for just as much.
“I want Scotland to win so if you’re involved [in the matchday squad], great but if you’re not you still have a big job to do and that’s something I was determined to do, as well as show up well in training.
“And when you get back to your club in the gap weeks, making sure you’re putting your best foot forward for your club so Gregor knows you’re playing well.”
Gilchrist did more than enough to convince Townsend to give him his place back, with the head coach including him in his matchday squad for Scotland’s past two matches, as a replacement against Italy and then in the starting XV against France last Sunday.
Gilchrist is never short of motivation when representing his country but he admits that short period on the sidelines has given him a little extra over the past few weeks.
“I’d been champing at the bit to be involved so it was a big opportunity for me [to start against France],” he said. “Like every time you get to be involved with Scotland, you try to make the most of it. Spending a bit of time out of the team or fighting for your place just makes you better. Competition makes you better.
“I was as hungry as ever and I know that to keep my place in the team, I need to be like that every time I put the jersey on.
“I’ve been around the block and I’ve always had to fight for my place and I think that’s a good thing.
“Throughout my whole career, there’s never been a spell when I’ve been a guaranteed pick. I’ve always had to fight tooth and nail so [my mood] is pretty much the same and I fight the same way I always do.”
The second rower will certainly be in contention for a second consecutive start of the tournament when Scotland travel to Cardiff to take on Wales on Saturday.
And with the Scots sitting three points ahead of Wales, Gilchrist is looking forward to drive a fierce clash at the Principality Stadium.
“There are no bigger games than cup finals and this is like one,” he said. “It is a straight shoot out against them. If we lose they finish above us. If we win we finish above them. So it is an exciting time to go down there and leave nothing out there at the end.”
Gilchrist knows what to expect from Wayne Pivac’s men.
“Wales have changed their style a little bit. Years gone by, they’d bully you and out kick you, strangle you, that was always how they played against us,” he said. “They’ll still back themselves and we’ll need to be as good as we were [against France] and probably better in some areas. If we get on top of teams physically then it allows us to play a different way, and we saw that at the weekend.
“It is a great opportunity for us as we have had two big wins. We have wind in our sails and go down there with momentum.
“To win three in a row for the first time in the Six Nations shows how big a achievement that would be for us and something to be really proud of.”