RICHIE Gray is one of Scotland’s most decorated and recognisable rugby players but even the 6ft 10in lock forward with the peroxide blonde mane breathed a massive sigh of relief when he made the cut for Vern Cotter’s 31-man World Cup squad. The 26-year-old Castres player, who has earned 45 caps for his country, was part of Andy Robinson’s group for the World Cup in New Zealand four years ago and was one of just three Scots in the 2013 British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia. He has his younger brother Johnny for company in Cotter’s squad, and while the prospect of the two Grays lining up alongside each other would be something to behold, the likes of Grant Gilchrist and Tim Swinson also have a claim for game time.
“There were no guarantees,” said Gray. “I'm absolutely delighted given the competition for places, particularly in the second row. So it was a relief and I'm absolutely delighted to have made it in.
“I'm definitely not trying to get one over on him [Johnny],” he added. “I support him in whatever he does. If I do get the opportunity to play alongside him the first thing I'll look to do is give him the support he needs, though he doesn't need too much.”
Scotland have one World Cup tune-up match still to come, against France in Paris on Saturday, but Gray feels this group are fitter than any previous squad in history. “It's been a very difficult camp, as it was in 2011, but the boys have been made to work incredibly hard and we're seeing the results now from a strength and conditioning perspective. I was in the fitness group, so I was doing a lot of extra running! But across the board of the squad some of the numbers the guys are doing is incredible. It's not just a few guys, everyone is really pushing the bar.
“We're also making gains on the rugby pitch as you saw at the weekend there,” he added. “There's a bit of everything there and lot's to work on. We've got to keep making improvements. France is a huge game we'd like to get something out of but then we've got Japan in a few weeks, so we'll be preparing first and foremost for France but also a little bit for Japan. We're moving along nicely but now the real hard work starts.”
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