‘Si Blond, Si Bon!’ trumpeted the incomparable French sports daily L’Equipe about 21-year-old Richie Gray way back in 2011, but the version 12 years on is a far better.
Both Gray and Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend agree that at 33 the veteran lock is in the best shape and form of his career, and a key man for the Scots in Paris on Sunday.
After just intermittent appearances for Scotland in the last six years, the 6ft 9in Glasgow second row – a self-proclaimed ‘older athlete’ – has reclaimed his place.
‘What a difference he has made’
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The French loved him from the outset in that debut Six Nations game as a bleached blond. He spent nearly a decade playing in the Top 14, but injuries blighted much of his time there. Coming back to Glasgow last season sparked a renaissance.
“It’s come from himself,” said Townsend. “When he came back to Glasgow he was playing well, their lineout defence was the best in the league.
“We were watching and thinking ‘he’s back at a level where he could play Test rugby’. But he felt he wouldn’t able to perform well at Test level.
“But this season, with his physical conditioning, his performances, we felt he could make a difference – and what a difference he has made.
“It shows you that age is becoming increasingly less relevant in sport. We see his GPS and his speed times – they are the best they’ve ever been. He looks after himself so well.
“He is putting that work to do the tough training that second rows have to do, play 80 minutes for us at the weekend. It’s his best rugby for Scotland I believe – better than when he broke through, because his all-round game is now so good.”
‘A different haircut, certainly!’
Townsend recalled that midfield break in 2011 that brought even the French fans to their feet, and Gray remembers that as being ‘fun’.
“From a personal point of view, being selfish, it was quite fun but at the end of the day we lost the game quite convincingly,” he said.
“The team is in a different place from where it was 10-12 years ago. I’ve got a different haircut, certainly!
“I think I’m a bit more refined, a bit more importance placed on what my role is in the team.”
Health and happiness with his role is also a key, he added.
“If you can have a bit of run staying on the field it makes things a bit easier,” he said.
“I’m very happy to be back in the team and, credit to the coaches and the players, I think the environment created has been is outstanding. I can’t speak highly enough of that.
“Back at Glasgow we’ve got a pretty good environment there. I’m certainly an older athlete, so I’m always having conversations to see how best to manage my week.
“Everyone is very receptive, Franco (Smith, the Glasgow coach) has been very receptive and in fact he has been the one driving it. If I tail-back at the start of the week, I’m able to get more at the end.
“It’s certainly something that’s working and I hope it can continue.”
‘Everyone is pulling in the same direction’
The attitude among the Scotland players is what has made the difference in the Six Nations so far, he added.
“I think we’ve learnt lessons from the past,” he continued. “When you win games at Test Match level you enjoy yourselves, so we had a good time in the changing room after England.
“But an hour after that it was, ‘right, we’ve got a game against Wales’. And we had a hard week going into Wales, we had to buck up our ideas because the rest of the squad gave us a tough time.
“Everyone is pulling in the right direction and pushing each other further.”
But the feet stay firmly on the ground, he added.
“We have all been involved in Scottish sort for a long time, so let’s just take it one game at a time,” he said to suggestions that some fans were dreaming of a title.
“We still have a lot of growth to do, that’s not just white noise. If you look at the first half against Wales there is a lot to improve on.”