Hastings Junior knows there is hard work ahead
Adam Hastings admits last year’s summer tour with Scotland opened his eyes to the level he had to consistently find in his game to play international rugby.
And the 22-year-old readily admits he still has plenty of learning left to do if he is to keep up the family tradition of playing in World Cups.
The stand-off is currently training with the extended 44-man Scottish squad with the aim of trying to make Gregor Townsend’s final 31 that will travel to Japan for the World Cup in September, October and November.
If he gets on the plane, he will be following his father Gavin and uncle Scott to the showpiece event, the duo having played in the 1987, 1991 and 1995 stagings of the tournament.
Hastings Junior has had a good season with Glasgow Warriors and the national side, but has revealed that his first Scotland tour 12 months ago to Canada, the USA and Argentina really showed him the strengths and weaknesses in his game.
“In terms of blending into the set-up and playing international games, it was so good for me,” he said.
“It showed me, and the other younger lads, the levels we have to reach. It gave me so much extra confidence as it had been a frustrating season for myself, not playing too much with Glasgow leading into the trip.
“A lot of young lads went on that tour and did half-decent, I thought.
“After the season just gone, I managed to get away on holiday and freshen up. But
now it is coming thick and fast from here. The World Cup is still far away but we are looking towards it now.
“You would be telling lies if they said they weren’t thinking about selection. Everybody will be thinking about getting on that plane to Japan.
“It is about getting stuck into training just now and, hopefully that will help when it comes to selection.
“I went to Newcastle in 2015 to watch the pool match between Scotland and South Africa.
“That’s the cool thing about rugby. I watched the last World Cup, now I have a chance of going to the next one.
“As a young boy, you want to play for your country. I have done that a few times now and playing in the World Cup has been a goal of mine over these last couple of years.
“Fingers crossed I get the chance to go.”
Hastings has 11 full caps now, but one man looking to be a “bolter” in the World Cup squad is Northampton Saints uncapped centre, Rory Hutchinson. Hastings knows him well, having been a team-mate at Under-20 level, and he said of the 23-year-old: “Rory is a good lad and is a special player.
“He has been really unlucky with injuries over the years.
“This season just gone, he picked up an injury at the start. But you just have to look at how he has come back since.
“It is good to see him with our squad. He deserved the call-up.”