I look back now and see rugby as a form of insanity
SAYS CHRIS CUSITER
CHRIS CUSITER is relaxing in the California sunshine and dreaming of what used to be. The hard knocks and physical battles of a career spent at the coalface of international rugby.
Nowadays, he watches Scotland games from his home in Los Angeles and wonders how on earth he survived it all.
‘I look at some of the challenges that go in and they make me wince,’ he admits. ‘When you’re in that rugby bubble and those hits are on you, it seems so normal.
‘In that environment, you get hit, you take it, you get up. It looks crazy now. It seems like a form of insanity.
‘When you are in the bubble, you don’t think about that. You just keep going. I don’t miss that. I watch games now and I certainly don’t wish I was still playing.
‘I enjoy watching them. I feel like a supporter and it’s fun. Not when Scotland lose, right enough, but every other time.’
Cusiter is living the American dream. California is his home, where work involves his whisky retail business and play is riding his Ducati scrambler motorbike in the hills above LA or hanging out with his family on Malibu beach.
It sounds blissful, but he will reunite with some of his former friends and team-mates — Gregor Townsend and Mike Blair among them — when he flies down to Houston at the weekend to watch Scotland take on the USA.
‘The best known place for watching rugby games near where I am is Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica,’ says the former Scotland and British and Irish Lions scrum-half.
‘They show all the Six Nations games live. The first time we went there was to watch Scotland v Ireland a couple of years ago.
‘Scotland won and got three tries early on. Breakfast and a pint of Guinness at six in the morning watching the game in the USA was certainly different viewing for me.
‘Since then, I have watched most of the Six Nations games at home and maybe have a friend or two round to join us.
‘There is no chance I can see any club rugby, but I always look out for the results of my former clubs — Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks and Perpignan.’
The match between Scotland and the USA Eagles will hardly register with the American public. Cusiter hasn’t heard it mentioned outwith the hardcore rugby fans.
There is only a select few in LA who are interested in the sport and when locals find out that Cusiter used to play, one of the first questions they ask is why nobody wears helmets?
‘Americans see rugby as a tough sport, but it doesn’t get the same coverage as the more traditional sports,’ says Cusiter. ‘Most people wouldn’t know Scotland are playing the USA this weekend. That is just the reality over here.
‘Rugby is just not on the radar. They did try a pro league last year, but that folded and there is a new one starting in a different format.
‘I have spoken to a couple of guys about the new league and, while there is a section who are keen on rugby, it is relatively small.’
He travels to Houston expecting a Scotland win after being impressed by the strength of character shown by the team in the Six Nations.
‘That opening game against Wales was a tough one to take,’ admits Cusiter. ‘I was optimistic about our chances in Cardiff and the result put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
‘What really encouraged me was the strength of character the team showed after that. That resilience to come back from a bad result is vital in tournaments like the Six Nations and the World Cup.
‘The victory over England will live long in my memory, not just for the result. That amazing pass from Finn Russell that led to the try by Sean Maitland was brave, brilliant and showed how Finn can change games. You won’t see a better try ever scored by Scotland.
‘We have players like Finn and Stuart Hogg who can make things happen like that. Then you have guys like Sean Maitland and Tommy Seymour out wide. It is not risk-free rugby, but it is skilful and fantastic to watch.’
Cusiter made his Scotland debut as a 22-year-old against Wales back in 2004 and is delighted that Townsend has taken so many relatively young players for the tour out to North America and Argentina.
He insists there is method in what Townsend is doing, a masterplan, and says: ‘It is about having the boys peak in time for the World Cup in Japan. You have the nucleus of experienced guys in there already with the likes of Hogg, Maitland and Russell.
‘Then you have some other guys who, hopefully, make their name on this tour and give Gregor a few selection headaches.
‘We are a bit thin on the ground in certain positions, like fly-half and the front row, so we need a bit of luck with injuries. But this tour is perfect to answer some important questions.
‘Will it be Peter Horne, Adam Hastings, Ruaridh Jackson, who goes on to be back-up No10 to Finn? Hopefully, Stuart McInally is fit again and he can share some game-time at hooker with Fraser Brown and George Turner, who are excellent players.
‘I am really looking forward to watching Scotland this weekend. It is an exciting squad of players and I think we can be really optimistic going forward.’