FOCUS ON SCOTLAND
What was your highlight of 2018? The best year of my career. Edinburgh made the knockouts of the Pro14 for the first time in ages, we made the Champions Cup for the first time in a long while as well.
Making my Scotland debut in Canada was incredible and playing my first Test at Murrayfield, against Fiji, takes some beating. It’s what I’ve dreamt about since I was a kid. You’re still a bit of a kid though… I’m 22 but it feels like I’ve been around for years. I signed for Edinburgh straight out of school, at only 17. I made my debut at 18 and my first start on 12 December 2015 against London Irish.
A memorable day in other ways?
It was also the day I became a father. Oscar was born four weeks before his delivery date. My missus was in hospital but things didn’t look like they were about to happen quickly so I decided to play.
I’d just got on the plane to go to London when my missus rang. He’d been born minutes earlier. I played about an hour and then went back. It was crazy and amazing.
We have a little girl now as well. Ava’s 11 months. We’re starting early. What was it like to score your first international try against Fiji? Awesome. It took me 42 games to score for Edinburgh and it only took me four games to score my first try for Scotland. Both were from about half a metre. I wish they’d been more spectacular but I’m not complaining. What are the goals for 2019? Loads. We’ve come a long way at Edinburgh under Richard Cockerill. We’re working harder than ever and we’re hungrier for success.
I was glued to the Six Nations as a kid and I would love to be involved. Competition for places is massive, but that’s the dream.