Jamie Dobie insists time is on his side as he pursues his first Scotland cap.
Glasgow Warriors scrum-half Dobie has caught the eye as an exciting prospect, with the 19-year-old recently signing a new long-term contract at Scotstoun.
Dobie, who hails from Lentran, was initially invited to train with Gregor Townsend’s Six Nations squad, but made a strong enough impression to merit a full call0up later in the tournament.
Although he did not make the final 23-man squad for any of the matches, Dobie was part of the travelling camp for memorable victories away to England and France.
Scotland’s upcoming summer tour fixtures against Romania and Georgia in July could present Dobie with an opportunity, with Warriors team-mate and fellow scrum-half Ali Price having been selected for the British and Irish Lions squad.
Dobie is refusing to put undue pressure on himself, however, and said: “It’s a big goal of mine to play for my country, it always has been.
“Whenever that comes, whether it be this summer or another point, hopefully it does.
“I just have to keep working hard and keep doing what I can at Glasgow and take opportunities in games if they come.
“If that is this summer, hopefully I will be ready.
“It’s an overall goal of mine, but I’m not putting any time pressure on it.
“I’m just turning 20 next month, so I’m not in a rush. When the time is right, I’ve just got to put my trust in the coaches to do that.
“We will see what develops.”
Dobie says his first involvement with the national team was a fruitful experience, and he added: “It’s just good experience for someone like me. Even though I’m not on the pitch, there’s a lot I could pick up from just being there.
“I was one of a few younger players who got the invitation to train for a couple of weeks.
“I was fully immersed in it all, and treated as one of the squad members by all the boys there.
“Getting the actual call-up into the main squad was a big achievement, I was proud of that.
“Not too much changed in terms of actually being in the camp and being in the environment, but it was nice to get that recognition.”
‘Able to push on’ during season with Warriors
Dobie, who scored his first Warriors try against in a PRO14 fixture against Zebre in March, has also been pleased with his progression within Danny Wilson’s side, having won the club’s young player of the year award in 2019-20.
Dobie added: “The first year coming straight out of school, there was a lot of learning to be done.
“I got quite a few opportunities mostly off the bench, I think I just got one start in my first year.
“This year I have been able to push on. It’s a completely different ball game when you are starting, in one of the main controlling positions on the pitch.”
Dobie spent his childhood in the Highlands until the age of 11, when he left home to attend Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh.
Although that provided the grounding for his step up into the Warriors team, Dobie reflects fondly on his early years in which he was part of Highland’s minis setup.
Dobie added: “I spent my whole childhood in Lentram, and was at Kirkhill primary school until the end of primary six. I then headed down to school in Edinburgh.
“That’s where it all started with Highland’s minis setup.
“I played a lot of different sports and rugby was just one of them.
“It wasn’t the main one at all, I mainly played tennis at that stage. That was my main focus, probably up until 13 or 14.
“I used to travel about the country. There were limited tournaments up close to Inverness, so I found myself down in the central belt or even further most weekends from age nine or 10 upwards.
“I played a lot of golf as well, I was a member at Muir of Ord, but I also picked up rugby at that stage.
“I really enjoyed the team element of it. I think those couple of years I spent playing for the minis put me in a really good position, and gave me a really good basic set of skills even at that age.
“It gave me a basic understanding of the game that allowed me to push forward when I was older.”
