Atomic BLOND
By CALUM CROWE Graham never envisaged meteoric rise after exploding on to Test scene
WITH ice in his veins and rocket fuel in his boots, Darcy Graham is rapidly carving a reputation for himself as one of the most lethal finishers in international rugby.
Scotland’s pocket-rocket winger is preparing to strut his stuff on the world stage and is well aware that an ability to cover large swathes of ground in doublequick time will always be a key part of his job description.
But, by his own admission, the breakneck speed of his journey over the past four years has surpassed his own expectations.
It is remarkable that a young man whose red-hot form is certain to terrify opponents in this World Cup had only just broken into senior rugby during the last edition of the tournament in 2015.
He was only a young pup back then and had only played a handful of games for Hawick’s first XV after being handed a debut just a few months shy of his 18th birthday.
It was a fairly brutal experience and one which off ered no indication that his career would see him propelled i nto the national team so quickly as Scotland’s new breakout star.
A battering against Boroughmuir in the BT Cup final in April 2015, when Hawick lost 55-17, tells a tale of just how far he has come.
‘I got my first game for Hawick (Firsts) when I was 17,’ recalls Graham, who turned 22 in June. ‘In the cup final, I got thrown i n at the deep end against Boroughmuir at Murrayfield.
‘To go from that to playing in a World Cup in the space of four years is just crazy. I honestly can’t explain how excited I am for the challenge ahead.
‘Unfortunately I didn’t score in the final — we got absolutely hammered! But it was all part of the learning experience for me.’
Graham had turned 18 by the time the World Cup in England came around in the autumn of 2015 and had begun to establish himself with Hawick.
Still, though, there was no indication of what was to follow. He was as gutted as everyone else in the country at the nature of Scotland’s heartbreaking quarter-final exit to Australia.
But to actually have a chance to set the record straight four years down the line? Well, it’s a dream come true.
‘I was watching in 2015 with the family back home in Hawick,’ he says. ‘Never in a million years did I think I would be playing in the next World Cup four years later.
‘I would never be here without the support of my family. They’ve been a massive part of my journey from day one and I’ve got so much to thank them for.’
Yet, for all that the speed of his rise to prominence has taken him by surprise, it would be wrong to patronise Graham.
He’s not some lucky fool who won a lottery ticket. The reason he is where he is now is because he has worked exceptionally hard.
He had no option. His diminutive stature meant that the doubters and critics rarely needed a second invitation to put him down.
But his size is no longer an issue. Since making his debut against Wales last autumn, he has taken the international scene by storm.
‘Four weeks ago, I was playing for Watsonians, so the last few weeks have been amazing,’ he said after that game in Cardiff.
Reflecting on what was another whirlwind journey, he continued: ‘I got added to the squad last Monday, then got told I was going to be on the bench. It has all happened so quickly.’
He has since gone on to score five tries in just seven caps to date; a strike rate which places him among elite company in Testmatch rugby over the past year.
It always felt like it might take something special to break up Scotland’s attacking trident of Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland and Tommy Seymour.
Quite simply, if those three are fit, they play. That has been the way of things for many a long year now.
Between them, they have 163 caps and 50 tries, illustrating why they have been the Holy Trinity of the backline for so long.
But Graham is now breathing down the neck of Seymour, who hasn’t scored since his hat-trick against Fiji last autumn, for a starting berth against Ireland in Yokohama on Sunday.
He scored i n both of the warm-up clashes with Georgia and was named man of the match i n the f i nal game at BT Murrayfield.
It was the games against Wales and England in this year’s Six Nations, however, that proved beyond all doubt that Graham belongs in the Test-match arena.
For all that Scotland flattered to deceive in the Championship, two of the abiding images of their Championship were provided by the pint-sized winger.
Firstly, his try against the Welsh saw the giant figure of George North hanging off his ankles as he crossed the line.
Then, in t he miracle of Twickenham, the pictures of Graham sitting pretty on top of a couple of England players in the middle of a ruck, grinning from ear to ear, spoke of confidence and a desire to entertain.
‘The England game is something that will stick with me for the rest of my life,’ he says of an afternoon which saw him score two tries in a stunning Scotland comeback. ‘I’ll never tire of telling stories about that one.
‘The second half was just crazy. The tries were non-stop. We just threw the ball about because, at that point, we had nothing to lose. It was really just a case of trying to put pride back into the shirt.’
Whether it’s against Ireland or not, there will surely come a point over the next few weeks when Graham finds himself alongside f ellow Hawick man Hogg in Scotland’s World Cup backline.
Although it is Hogg who is the more established world- class superstar, it is Graham who can claim local bragging rights back home.
His newly-acquired celebrity status has led to a local butcher in Hawick creating a personalised sausage in tribute to Graham — branding it the Darcy Banger.
On the prospect of linking up with his hero Hogg, Graham said: ‘There will be a huge buzz around Hawick with myself and Hoggy going to play for Scotland at a World Cup. It’s a proud place.
‘It’s not a big town, but we seem to produce a l ot of talent. There’s a lot of Hawick boys who have played for Scotland over the years and I’m proud to join them.’