Ashe has the dash to be a Glasgow gem
ADAM ASHE joined in the emotion-charged send-offs for retiring skipper Al Kellock and Dougie Hall on Friday night, but only after destroying Cardiff and revealing the new generation of quality poised to fill their boots.
Hall started the rout with the opening try and praise was rightly heaped on Kellock and hat-trick hero Peter Horne for their inspirational displays as Glasgow scored five touchdowns and wrapped up another Guinness Pro12 victory.
The 21-year-old Ashe, however, was a key figure in the team’s domination of the first 50 minutes, storming in for the fifth try — his first for the Warriors — before being substituted.
And his return to form after three months out of the game because of a neck injury will have pleased watching Scotland coach Vern Cotter.
‘It was a good win,’ said Ashe of the 36-17 triumph, ‘and great to get it for Al and Dougie. Al’s focus, as usual, was on us winning. It wasn’t about him.
‘Al and Dougie are legends, so a lot of the motivation for us now is on winning every game for them as well as for ourselves.
‘Against Cardiff, the key was patience. In the first 15 minutes, both sides made line-breaks but couldn’t score.
‘But we didn’t worry and we scored three quick tries. We finished the half with another try and I got on the scoresheet early in the second half — and that was the game won.’
Ashe is not yet widely known across Scottish rugby — but that is destined to change in 2015.
He comes from a soccer background, his father a footballer and his brother a former Stirling Albion player. Ashe was a decent centre-half/midfielder on youth forms with Falkirk and Alloa before he decided to try rugby.
The Alva Academy kid came through the ranks at Hillfoots as a centre and full-back. He played in every row of the pack before settling on No 8 at Under-18 level.
‘My family liked their football but I wanted to try something different,’ he said. He slotted in quickly and by developing his physique for the modern demands of rugby he presents a powerful, balanced runner.
Scott Johnson took him on tour last summer and Vern Cotter handed the Glasgow youngster the No 8 jersey at the start of the autumn Tests.
Ashe suffered a painful lesson despite playing well against Argentina and New Zealand — a bulging disc in his neck was the result of poor tackling technique exposed at Test level — but after three months recovering, he is back firing on all cylinders.