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November 22, 2010

Posted on 11/22/2010

'Papa' McLaren inspired us to victory

Captain Rory Lawson and the Scottish team took inspiration for their shock 21-17 win over South Africa on Saturday from Scotland's most famous uncapped rugby figure, the skipper's late grandfather Bill McLaren. The Scotsman's David Ferguson writes.

"McLaren, the former Scotland trialist, journalist and "voice of rugby" commentator, died in January of this year and there was something fitting in the way his 29-year-old grandson was handed the captain's role in the last Murrayfield Test of 2010, recovering from injury and slipping back into the No 9 jersey with Mike Blair out with concussion, for Saturday's gritty triumph.
"McLaren did not have it easy, battling tuberculosis contracted during a horrendous wartime battle, just missing out on a Scotland cap and losing a daughter to cancer, but he became one of the most respected figures in world rugby. Lawson decided to add to his eve-of-match speech by handing out McLaren's legendary Hawick Ball sweets to team-mates.

"...It was a neat touch from a popular player who has worked incredibly hard for his place at the top table. He came to the pro game at 22, under-studied Blair at Edinburgh for three years with few opportunities to play and left for Gloucester on a relatively paltry salary, with the promise of it being enhanced if he could earn a first-team slot inside a year. He grasped that challenge and has become a central figure in Gloucester's improvement, and having missed the game with the All Blacks due to an injured hand - which was still painful on Saturday and strapped up afterwards - his leadership was a key plank of Saturday's win."

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