‘We trust in luck a bit to beat the Covid curse’
RORY Hutchinson has spoken of how not being able to see his grandmother for over a year has brought perspective to a rough season for club and country.
Centre Hutchinson, who starred for Northampton Saints against Worcester last week as they snapped a dismal run of 14 straight defeats, missed out on Scotland’s Nations Cup campaign through injury – but insists his pain is nothing compared to others.
As Covid-19 protocols continue to heavily restrict the lives of professional sportsmen and women, Hutchinson, 24, told The Rugby Paper: “It is so unpredictable. We put our trust in the professionals and try to do everything right, testing and distancing, but it is down to luck.
“One person could get Covid and give it to the whole squad. We are doing everything we can not to have games cancelled. It is restrictive but, luckily, we are able to come to work every day and see our mates; it is very different for many other people.
“My grandmother, for example, has dementia and is in a Cambridgeshire care home and I have not seen her for more than a year. It is bad enough that she has very bad dementia, but knowing that she is sitting there not getting up to much is hard to take.
“We find it tough sitting in our houses every day, but we are fortunate to be able to come here to play rugby and doing what we love. We have to take our situation and get on with it. Everyone is going through it and you have to stick together and come out the other side.”
Although the cancellation of today’s scheduled match at London Irish was a disappointment, Saints are now aiming to build on a convincing 29-10 win over Worcester that eased the pressure on players and coaches after some fans had called for heads.
Hutchinson said: There were definitely some smiles and quite a lot of relief. It does not take a genius to work out it had not been perfect for us in 2020. The win was a long time coming and recent performances have been better. Things are starting to come together.
“In this era, it is hard not to look on social media and see stuff. But I’ve had many messages of support from fans and it is really nice to know they are behind us. It is still early in the season and we know that two or three wins can soon get you up into the top four mix.”
With Scotland’s opening Six Nations clash with England five weeks away, Hutchinson’s return from an ankle injury is well timed as he aims to impress head coach Gregor Townsend and add to his three senior caps.
He added: “I was disappointed to miss out in the autumn through injury. You do not get selected unless you play well for your club and that is my main focus right now.
“I speak to the guys up north, going over games, getting some feedback about what I have been doing well and badly.
“It’s always nice to get a different point of view and work-ons and it’s great to get a run of games because I just want to get back to having fun with the boys here.
“It is so much better when you win and the more you play, the more opportunity you have. My Scotland career has been up and down but I would like to string games together for Northampton and do the best I can to put my hand up for selection.”