The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Adam is fired up by Weir and a thirst for revenge Hastings finds inspiration in the courage of a Murrayfield hero
Scotland fly half Adam Hastings says family friend and former Murrayfield hero Doddie Weir will be a major source of inspiration when they take on Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
The teams will compete for the Doddie Weir Cup in recognition of the former Scotland forward’s fight against motor neurone disease and his fundraising efforts since being diagnosed.
Hastings, whose father Gavin starred alongside Weir for Scotland during the 1990s, said: “Doddie’s a friend of my dad’s. I’ve met him quite a few times when I was younger. I think all the boys will have that in the back of their heads when they are playing.
“I don’t know how he has been so positive with the whole thing, I definitely wouldn’t be. But he seems to have taken it in his stride. It almost doesn’t seem to have bothered him. It’s pretty inspiring.”
The Scottish and Welsh rugby unions have been criticised for not earmarking any of the Principality Stadium gate receipts to Weir’s charity, with the likes of Andy Robinson and Jonathan Davies calling for donations to be made.
But Scott Hastings, one of the foundation’s trustees and Adam’s uncle, insisted last week that the charity “very much appreciates” the support of the unions in raising awareness for its work.
And Scotland skills coach Mike Blair is focused on making sure they take the trophy home.
He said: “The best thing we can do is go out and put a performance in and win the trophy and have that attached to our victory.”
Blair added: “Doddie is a larger than life character, isn’t he? I bump into him all over the place and he’s a real Scottish rugby great. And what he has done since his illness came out, I am flabbergasted by the amount of stuff that he’s able to do. To have his name tied with the cup gives that something extra.”
Scotland’s heavy Six Nations defeat in Cardiff earlier this year is also added motivation.
“I’ve still got that final score of 34-7 flashing in my mind from that final clip of the final whistle,” Blair said. “And that’s something that really hurts because we were in a good place to get the championship off with real momentum.
“So it was really disappointing but it fuels everything a little bit more again. You don’t need anything extra to play for your country but that was a really disappointing result for us and it’s something we definitely want to put right.”
Harlequins back James Lang was drafted into the Scotland squad followinginjuries to Sam Johnson (knee) and Matt Scott (concussion). The 23-year-old made his first two appearances during summer wins over Canada and Argentina.
Back-row forwards Magnus Bradbury (shoulder), David Denton (head) and Luke Crosbie ( jaw) have returned to their clubs for treatment, while uncapped Edinburgh back Darcy Graham has been promoted to a full squad member. Rob Kearney have also been left out of the squad to travel to Chicago, with boss Schmidt keeping a clutch of stellar names fresh for the three Dublin encounters.
Leinster playmaker Ross Byrne has also edged closer to his Test bow in making the Chicago squad, with Joey Carbery possibly pencilled in to start at fly-half.
Addison left Sale Ulster in the summer and has since earned rave reviews for a string of fine performances with the Belfast province.
Now the 26-yearold, who qualifies for Ireland through his mother, can push for his first Test cap when Ireland take on Conor O’Shea’s Italy in America.
Schmidt’s decision to keep some senior players fresh for the Dublin encounters also means Ireland will have a new face as captain this weekend. for