GLASGOW lock Jonny Gray is a player who will go on to captain both club and country, but Al Kellock, who has done both, is urging coaches not to rush his young protege into either role before he is ready.
"It does not need to happen in the next year. He has got all the attributes, the skills set, the communication, but let him find his feet and let him see where he fits in first," was how Kellock put it.
The Glasgow captain's own role in helping to turn the club from PRO12 points fodder into a side that has reached the tournament play-offs in five out of the six years since they were introduced, that finished top of the pile at the end of the regular season and is many people's favourite to go on and clinch the title, has not gone unnoticed outside the club. It was the main thing that earned him a special chairman's prize for services to the game at the PRO12 awards night.
"It gives me a sense of pride," Kellock acknowledged. "Look at the guys who have been given it before. Shane Williams, Brian O"Driscoll, Michael Swift from Connacht, guys who have given an enormous amount to the league. It is nice to recognised in this way. All my pro rugby has been in this league, so to see it grow and the impact Glasgow Warriors has had on it is great.
"It is not something I was chasing. You carry yourself as well as you can, train, play as well as you can. When I finish - hopefully in two weeks - I will look back on my career with enormous pride and hopefully be happy with the 13 years I have played."
He is happy he will be leaving the club in good hands, pointing out that apart from his own role in club and national colours, his time as Glasgow captain has also seen players like Chris Cusiter and Kelly Brown go from the club to captain Scotland, showing the emphasis he has put on developing leaders within the squad.
"Jonny Gray is a future Scotland captain, but I would not rush him into it," Kellock said. "Give him a leadership role by all means. He is running the line-out which is a difficult enough task, let him develop into becoming a leader. It is not something that you can chuck at someone. You have to mentor them through it. I was 23 when I captained at Edinburgh and 24 when I captained Glasgow.
"I had good mentors such as Todd Blackadder and you learn as you go on. Nine years ago I didn't have the nous I have now and that helps the captaincy. It will take time. When he [Jonny Gray] leads a line out session nowadays he really leads it. A year ago he would ask questions about what was going on. He makes statements now. It is the same on the park. Players have different personalities.
"The gobby guy from Bishopbriggs [Kellock himself] is not the same as the young quiet lad from East Kilbride [Gray]. I have said that to Jonny and other captains like Josh Strauss, Chris Fusaro. They don't have to captain like I captain. They can do it their own way, find their own way. Part of my job next year will be to help guys like Jonny but it is up to players like him to find their feet and make themselves better captains."
Before he even begins to think about the future, however, Kellock is determined to go out on a high, starting with a win over Ulster on Friday night that would take them to the Guinness PRO12 final in Belfast - the first time it will have been staged at a neutral venue. "It will be a tough game," Kellock accepted. "It hope it will be about rugby and for us to play our brand of rugby. When we get our brand of rugby right we can beat anybody. We will be looking to play fast, quick tempo rugby."
The other huge Scottish success on the night was Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, the Edinburgh scrum half, who admitted later he had been more than honoured just to be nominated as young players of the season, and was staggered to actually win it. "When they showed the shortlist I was second, so I was sure that meant I hadn't won it," he said. "It tops the season off, it has been a fantastic season breaking through and this has been a real honour to finish it."
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