Warriors get new, improved Richie
Hairstyle is not the only change about Gray
Richie Gray is certainly not returning to Glasgow to wind down his career.
The Scotland lock left the Warriors eight years ago, and rejoins as a vastly-experienced player, having turned out in the English Premiership with Sale and in the French top-flight with Castres and Toulouse.
But Gray, part of the 2013 Lions squad that won a Test series in Australia, insists he isn’t coming home to take things easy.
“No, not at all. I’m coming back with big ambitions and big expectations, “said Gray.
“I still have a lot of drive and, certainly in my last couple of years at Toulouse, that was to win games and get far in competitions.
“Winning’s pretty nice and I’d certainly like to continue doing that with Glasgow. It’s certainly not a wind-down.”
The towering lock – 6ft 10ins in his socks – turns 31 next month, but that compares favourably to some of his international counterparts in the second row of the scrum.
“What was Paul O’Connell when he had to hang his up boots, 35? Alun Wyn Jones is 34 and still going and performing really well. So it gives you hope,” Gray pointed out.
“When O’Connell was coaching Stade Francais, Toulouse played them, and after the game I had a really good conversation with him. He was brilliant, so I can certainly learn a lot from these guys.”
Speaking of passing on experience, new Warriors coach Danny Wilson admitted part of the reason he lured Gray home was so that he could act as a mentor to young locks, Scott Cummings and Hamish Bain, and as a leader to the squad as a whole.
“I’ve been in France for seven years,” Gray nodded. “I’ve learned a lot, and part of me coming back to Glasgow was using that experience to help these younger guys.
“I went to Toulouse, and ended up as part of the group that was running things and leading them throughout the week.
“So I feel there’s been a massive improvement there, which I hope to bring to Glasgow.
“I am certainly hoping to be part of the leadership group. That is very important for me, and I want to share as much as I can with the group.
“But I know that Scott Cummings has done well running the lineout.”
Gray insisted Glasgow have signed a changed player from his first spell at the club.
“My role in the lineout has changed,” he said, “and I feel I’ve improved massively there from a leadership point of view.
“My work in the tight – which there were big question marks around in my early Glasgow days – has also improved as France is one of those places where you have to be good in that tight combat.
“But there are still things I’d like to get back, to continue to become more well-rounded.”
Another change is the absence of the trademark bleach-blond locks.
But was it the Covid lockdown or passing 30 that saw Gray ditch the peroxide?
“A bit of both! When you’re married with kids I think you need to grow up a bit,” said Gray.
“But there was also a stage, two months into quarantine, when it was just getting out of control.
“So I asked my wife if she could shave a bit off. She took a razor to it and gave me a No. 2 all over!”