JAMES Lang has played Test rugby in both hemispheres, boasts a 100 per cent winning record in the international arena, yet has never played a senior game in the country he represents. That, though, could change on Saturday when he and his Harlequins club-mates head north to face Glasgow Warriors in a pre-season friendly.
While the 23-year-old previously represented his Hamilton-born mother’s homeland at Under-18 level, his was the most unfamiliar name in the Scotland squad that headed to the Americas two months ago since, as a utility back capable of playing at stand-off, inside centre and full-back, he is by no means a regular in the Quins starting XV.
Middlesex-born, so very much a local boy at the Twickenham-based club, he underwent rugby finishing school in the land of his Welsh father, attending Bangor University before joining Gogledd Cymru. However, he clearly believes he was lucky to have had an additional option in terms of a route into international rugby and his introduction could hardly have gone better.
Having made his Test debut in the comprehensive tour-opening win over Canada, he was fortunate to be among those left out when Scotland suffered one of their worst international defeats at the hands of a USA side that is 15th in the world rankings, before returning to the team that claimed a credibility recovering win over Argentina.
“It was wicked, an amazing summer, one of the best summers of my life, probably,” is his account of that trip. “It has just been awesome getting to know the coaches and players in Scotland and the style of rugby Gregor [Townsend, Scotland’s head coach] wants us to play is a really enjoyable, fast-paced, free-flowing game. It was just a really, really enjoyable four weeks away.
“I’ve learned loads. I came in as a 10 at Quins and kind of moved around between there, 12 and 15, but was on tour as a 12 so I got to learn off the other centres there and having four weeks to focus on that means I have learned a lot in that position to take back to Quins for the upcoming season.”
It is a recurring refrain from players involved in the current Scotland set-up that they enjoy the environment, ostensibly a good thing, but potentially raising concern that the way they are encouraged to express themselves represents a reversion to professional rugby’s early days when Scottish teams were considered nice to watch and nice to play against.
Lang can help ensure that does not happen, however, exposed as he is now to the methods of Paul Gustard who, as England’s defence coach before taking over as Harlequins head coach this summer, was the man who did most to ensure his national team was, until recently, the most difficult team in the world game to break down and consequently pretty much the hardest to play against.
“This is only my second week and I’m loving it and I know the boys all were when I was on my holidays,” said Lang, who was among those given extra time off because of his international commitments. “He is a great coach and I think this season is going to be really good for us with a different style of rugby he has brought in. He is bringing in a lot of good ideas, so I’m really excited for the start of the season and seeing what this group of players can achieve and get Quins back to where they should be at the top end of the table.”
The first opportunity to put that all into practise could see Lang confront some of his new international team-mates on their home turf, albeit Saturday’s meeting with Glasgow Warriors takes place in Perth rather than at Scotstoun. Staged in an innovative pop-up arena on The Fair City’s North Inch and with more than 5000 tickets sold Lang’s first senior appearance in the country he has chosen to play for could be quite an occasion.
“I’m just looking forward to the chance to catch-up with the lads from the tour, but it is a good opportunity for me to put down a marker by going out there and performing, showing what we have been working on in pre-season for Quins and hopefully push on from there,” he said.
“Everyone wants to play in the World Cup and that is my ultimate goal for the year, but I can’t look too far forward. At the minute, I am concentrating on having a good pre-season, putting my hand up for a place in the first game of the season and then going from there. All I can do is play well for my club and whatever happens after that is out of my hands.”
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