Gilchrist feels ‘honoured’ to resume captaincy
IT MAY be just a World Cup warm-up but everywhere you look in the Scotland squad for tonight’s Test in Turin, there is meaning and importance to be found.
Aside from the obvious fact that places in Vern Cotter’s final 31-man pool that will go to next month’s tournament in England remain there to be seized, there are storyline strands which suggest that, while this game is likely destined to be a soon-forgotten footnote in the annals of Scottish international rugby, it will take on a more memorable mantle in the memories of many protagonists. For the three new caps in the starting XV – John Hardie, Stuart Mcinally and Rory Hughes – and the two more probable from the bench – Willem Nel and Damien Hoyland – the fact this is as close to a “friendly” as you get in Test rugby will take away none of the pride in becoming an international player.
Even for some of the more seasoned figures, this evening’s clash with Italy is imbued with great significance.
Grant Gilchrist has the honour of leading his country again after injury robbed him of the autumn Test series captaincy, while Edinburgh team-mate Matt Scott is desperate to show he is back to his best after suffering a seasonending shoulder injury at the end of the Six Nations.
The skipper, who played his first game for almost ten months in Dublin last Saturday, said: “I’m trying to get back to my best personally, and I knew that there were leadership skills that I could bring to the team – I was hoping to bring those to the team anyway as part of who I am as a player.
“Vern’s asked me to take it on this week and obviously I’m more than happy to do that.
“It’s a huge honour as it always is