The Scotsman's David Ferguson chats to South Africa's Patrick Lambie as he reacquaints himself with his Scottish heritage.
"Lambie, who can also play at centre and full-back, has been honing his skills under the watchful eyes of Springbok coaches, including the legendary Percy Montgomery and current fly-half Morne Steyn in Edinburgh this week and yesterday the 20-year-old met up again with Peter Brown, the former Scotland captain, whose grandmother was the sister of Lambie's great-grandmother, and Sanny's wife.
"But we need not dust down the archives to find the new Springbok's Scottish connections as his dad Ian was born to Scottish parents, Jack and Neeta Lambie, and spent his early childhood in Troon, something Patrick is well aware of.
"My dad (Ian) lived here for the first 12 years of his life and his parents were from Scotland," he said. "My dad was actually born in England, but he grew up here until he was 12. He has been in South Africa for 40 years so he is definitely South African now!
"When I got my British passport a couple of years ago that was when the family connections really came up. My dad was keen on my brother Nicholas and myself getting a British passport and I think it's a nice thing to have. My dad played a few games for Natal in the 1980s, as a wing/full-back, and my mum's dad Dr Nick Labuschagne played hooker for England and the Barbarians, so there is definitely rugby in the genes."
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