Bhatti delighted to be on Scotland beat
● Warriors’ loosehead - who could make his first start for the national side against the Wallabies - reveals how a botched interview to join the Police saved his rugby career
Scotland’s front- row resources have a bit of a thin blue line feel about them at the moment but it would have been even more threadbare if Jamie Bhatti had ditched being a prop to become a cop.
The Glasgow Warriors loosehead won his second cap off the bench in Saturday’s memorable 22- 17 loss to the All Blacks but revealed yesterday that a couple of years ago he was ready to walk away from serious rugby and pursue a career in the police.
At 24, he is a young man, especially in propping terms, but it was only t wo years ago that he was given a Glasgow academy contract, which classes him as a bit of a late develop - er, signing full terms in the summer.
“There was a time when I thought the pro thing had passed me by,” he a d mi t t e d ye s t e r d ay a t S c o t l a nd’s Oriam t raining base. “I was l o oking at other careers. I applied for the police but I messed up the interview for that.
“I passed the fitness test, passed the written test and then came to the formal interview and I made a mess of it. I just froze. There were t wo of them in front of me firing the questions and I just panicked. It was all a bit formal.
“It was maybe a godsend I didn’t get it. I said if I got in the police I would have stepped away from rugby.”
Bhatti was working in a Bridge of Allan slaughterhouse at the time and was looking for a change.
“Anything to get out of there,” he said. “I didn’t want to be there for the rest of my days. Anything would have done.
“B ei ng t here makes you want i t more. Work that bit harder so you don’t have to go back and do the manual labour. Get up at half five in the morning, driving into your work.”
The well- documented run of injuries which has hit a raft of Scotland’s leading front- rowers has presented Bhatti with his opportunity, first with the Warriors and now, incredibly, with a national team he was in the BT Murrayfield stands cheering on at this time last year.
The product of Hillfoots RFC m o v e d t o S t i r l i n g C o u n t y before Melrose coach John Dalziel brought him to the Borders last summer.
“I don’t have time to reflect on it,” said Bhatti of his rap - i d rise since. “I was saying to [ f or wards coach] Dan [ Mcfarland] in the changing r o o m b e f o r e my f i r s t c a p [ a g a i n s t Samoa] that in April this ye a r I was i n t h e s a me c h a ng i n g rooms playing for Melrose against Ayr [ in the BT Cup final, which Melrose won 23- 18].
“Six months later I am in there winning my first cap for Scotland!
“In the shor t space of time it has come I am j ust enjoying i t . I have been given an opportunity and just taken it. I have been given a lot of game time with Glasgow and played most weeks this season.” Bhatti actually got over t he line for a touchdown on Saturday but had already heard the whistle and knew it wouldn’t c o u n t , a l t h o u g h t h e r e h a s since been a bit of controversy about the incident. I t c a m e w i t h S c o t l a n d t r a i l - i n g 2 2 - 1 0 a n d p r e s s i n g i n front of the All Black posts, six minutes before Huw Jones’ tr y got the home side back within five points. Jonny Gray clearly had the ball slapped forward out of his hands by Kiwi skipper Kieran Read. Bhatti pounced and dotted down but English ref Matt Carley had stopped play.
“I have seen it, aye,” said Bhatti. “I am not a ref but I would say it should be play on. I never saw the slap at the time, but you do as you do. I reacted to it, picked the ball up and the sticks were there so that was it.
“The ball came squirting out from Jonny’s hands and I picked it up. As I picked it up, the whistle went, so I didn’t celebrate.”
It would have been Bhatti’s firstever tr y at pro level.
Forwards boss Mcfarland was also asked about the incident and said: “Yellow card. Quite possibly [ a tr y], quite possibly a penalty try, but I can see that that would be something for discussion, but that’s not up for discussion, is it. That’s just cynical, isn’t it. They’re an extremely competitive side and ever ybody in world rugby knows that, when you get the ball into their 22, the very last thing they want to do is concede a tr y. That’s how they play.
“These t hings sometimes go f or y o u , s o me t i me s g o a g a i n s t y o u . That’s a difficult job making those kinds of decisions in front of 67,000 people where ever ybody wants the game to go on as well.”
With fellow new boy Darr yl Marfo nursing an ankle problem from the weekend, Bhatti could be in line for a first S cotland star t when the Wa l l a b i e s c o m e c a l l i n g t h i s weekend.
Bhatti accets that, for all the plaudits that came the Scotland squad’s w a y f o r t h e i r a d m i r a b l e e f f o r t against the All Blacks, there is room for improvement and another formidable Test match in store.
“Absolutely. 100 per cent,” he said. “Obviously i t wil l b e a t ough t e s t against Australia this week and they had a bad loss against England, but they are a world- class side, so we have to be at our best to beat them.
“I am sure we will talk about that [ i mproving f ur t her] t onight with Gregor [ Townsend] as i t i s some - thing that is necessary.”
‘ MAYBE A GODSEND’ “There was a time when I thought the pro thing had passed me by. I was looking at other careers. I applied for the police but I messed up the interview for that… it was maybe a godsend. I said if I got in the police I would have stepped away from rugby”
JAMIE BHATTI
is the SRU’S aim to have as many international players in- house as possible, so they can be managed and monitored within the S cottish system and appropriately rested for the benefit of the national team.
Russell’s club coach Dave Rennie recently warned that English and French clubs would want their “pound of flesh” if the player was to leave but the 31- times capped stand- off clearly feels it is the right time in his career to move on.
“I don’t want to go into Finn’s case in particular, but it’s definitely better for Scotland to have S cottish players playing in Scotland. Definitely, that’s on the record. It’s not a complicated issue,” continued Mcfarland. “In Scotland we have a good record of managing players and making sure that their long- term welfare is looked after, so they can represent their country and their clubs. That has been done well. If they are not under your control you can’t do that. It’s the market place, isn’t it? The thing for Scotland and the players is that they are looked after in Scotland. There’s a recognition of that. Longevity of your career and being at your best for key games are things players take into account when making decisions.”
Saracens wing Sean Maitland, pictured, and Glasgow hooker Fraser Brown, who has made a speedy recover y from a knee injury, have joined the squad, but Mcfarland gave a reasonably optimistic medical report yesterday in the wake of a full- on Test match against the All Blacks.
Hamish Watson( back ), Luke Hamilton and Darryl Marfo (both ankle) are being treated by the Scotland medical staff. “We’ve got two guys in concussion protocols[ Zander Fager son and Alex Dunbar]. They’ll work their way through it this week,” added Mcfarland. “The rest of the guys, as it stands at the moment, nobody is ruled out. They’ re all in treatment and we’ re hoping they’ ll be available.”
The doubts over F ag er son and Marfo simply add to the litany of problems in the front row, although Mcfarland is not keen on using the word “problem”. “It is a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity ,” he said .“We still have to prepare for Australia. They have a good scrum and a front row that’s been together for a long time. They are just off the back of playing New Zealand, South Africa and Australia in the Rugby Championship, so they have had some top- level scrummaging. They’ll be ready for us and we will have a good challenge. ”
Meanwhile, Scotland lock Ben Tool is, who earned his sixth international cap against New Zealand on Saturday, will be an Edinburgh player for at least the next two years after signing a contract extension.
‘ It’s definitely better to have Scots players playing in Scotland’
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