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Cam Redpath explains why recent Scotland try 'wasn't one I loved'

By PA
(Photo by Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

Cam Redpath feels ready to start establishing himself in the Scotland set-up after a terrible series of injuries prevented him from building on his memorable debut in the 2021 Calcutta Cup victory at Twickenham. The 23-year-old Bath centre has been restricted to just three caps since his stunning start away to England – one as a replacement in last year’s Six Nations defeat by Wales in Cardiff and two more in the recent Autumn Tests against Fiji and Argentina.

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Having finally started to enjoy an injury-free run this season, Redpath, who is in Gregor Townsend’s squad for the upcoming Six Nations, is hoping to start making his presence felt at international level. “I definitely want to push on,” he said. “I have wanted to do that for a few years but I have been held back a bit with my body not being ready. Hopefully, I can push on and play as much as I can.

“I have played 14 games this season and about 12 of them were for 80 minutes. At the start of the season I didn’t expect to play this much rugby, I set myself the target to get 10 games under my belt. Having done that I’m trying to find a bit of form. I feel pretty good in some aspects of my game, though some aspects have been quiet.

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“I definitely feel I’m trying to find my feet a little bit. To find some form at international level would be pretty cool but that is something I can work on.”

Redpath, whose father Bryan won 60 caps for Scotland between 1993 and 2003, signalled his recent upturn in fortunes when he scored his first international try in the team’s last outing against Argentina in November.

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“It has been a tough couple of years for me so it meant a lot to me to get that try,” he said. “I didn’t really do a lot for it – Finn (Russell) just kicked it and I dived on it. It wasn’t one of the tries I loved, but at the end of the day, a try is a try. I’ll take it. I’m on the same as my dad now so I’m happy.”

Scotland’s first match of this year’s Six Nations takes them back to Twickenham for the first time since Redpath’s debut, which was played behind closed doors due to Covid-19, and he would love to be involved this time round in front of a full house.

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“I have not had many caps with a full crowd so it would be pretty cool,” he said. “But I’ve got to work hard because there have been a lot of centres playing well and the competition is right up there. It’s one I’d love to play in.”

Recalling his Scotland debut at Twickenham, Redpath said: “It was weird with no fans and a first cap. It was strange, but overall it was a great day and a great memory that I will never forget so it is something I’m very excited to try and do again.

“I’d love to try and beat England with the full crowd this time, I think in the last few years Scotland have had the momentum and we’ve won two out of the last three, so it’s an exciting time for Scotland and hopefully we can go and do it again.”

Meanwhile, Glasgow assistant coach Pete Horne, who won 44 caps as a player, has been added to the Scotland coaching set-up ahead of the Six Nations, while former New Zealand assistant coach Brad Mooar will also join Gregor Townsend’s management team on a consultancy basis.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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