'It just felt right' - Cameron Redpath explains choosing Scotland over England
Cameron Redpath says that choosing Scotland over England was a matter of timing, but admits ‘it felt right’ when he told his Scottish family that he would be following in his father’s footsteps by pulling on the blue jersey.
The Bath centre was sensationally named in Scotland’s Six Nations squad this week by head coach Gregor Townsend, despite having been involved in Eddie Jones England camps in the past. Redpath, who is the son of Scotland scrum-half Bryan but has spent his entire life in England, says it wasn’t an ‘England versus Scotland thing’, insisting he felt the time was right for him to be involved in international rugby.
“Obviously I’m at Bath and loving my rugby again,” Redpath told Jim Hamilton on RugbyPass All Access: “I’ve spoken to Gregor a couple of times over the past few years. He’s always been pretty good and respectful about my decision to not commit.
“I always say to him ‘I want to earn my place and play well before I get picked by anyone’. He’s always been really good about that. I want to build my own legacy instead of being in my dad’s shadow. Obviously, it’s nice to have it there and I’m grateful to have a dad who’s played 60 games for Scotland, but I wanted to earn it.
“I stood by that the whole time. I didn’t want to rush into a decision.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in the England camp but for me, it was never about Scotland England, it’s been about where will I develop, where will I enjoy my rugby.
“Cause I learnt playing at Sale, and this isn’t slagging anyone off at Sale, they treated me really well. They did everything they could to do right by me.
“I got injured twice with my knee and both times they were quite big injuries. When you’re injured a lot and not performing, you don’t really enjoy it. Being 18, going from a South Africa England tour to being injured, it goes from 100 to zero pretty quick. Being injured, it wasn’t right for me.
“I wanted to leave and get a fresh start. I got that at Bath and just wanted to establish myself as a player there before I made any decisions internationally. Now I feel like I’ve done that and I’m in the leadership group at Bath, I feel like I’ve started to show people what I can do.
“I think it’s just the right time to play international rugby, well, at least try to. If I train well I’ll get my first cap hopefully.”
“It’s the right time and I didn’t think the Autumn Internationals were the right time. I wasn’t playing every week [at Bath]. I was on the bench some weeks. For me it’s about playing international rugby at the right time.”
The opportunity to play in Scotland’s backline, arguably the most exciting batch of the professional era, was also a factor Redpath.
“I’ve had both countries at different times being interested. The likes of Finn Russell and Hoggy, who I’ve played against once, for me they’re both very talented players. So for me, it felt right.
Redpath’s strong familial ties to Scotland inevitably led to a certain amount of feel-good factor when he broke the news. “There’s a big emotional side to it for my family. Telling my grandparents that I was going down the Scotland route, it was nice to hear actually.
“They’ve always been supportive no matter who I go with, but deep down you know they’re buzzing inside. A lot of family friends from up in Scotland have messaged me saying they’re buzzing for me so.”
Redpath also gave Scottish fans an idea of the type of player he is and what he could potentially bring to the national side, who are looking to build on a promising 2020.
‘I’d like to say I’m a ball playing 12 who can get a bit gritty and work hard. I don’t shy away from a jackal and I quite enjoy that side of it. Probably not great for the shoulder as a centre.
“I quite like being a ballplayer and doing the fancy stuff over the gritty stuff but it’s there as well.
“To be a world-class centre you have to have a bit of everything. If I can bring the gritty hard work and hard, straight-line carrying into my ballplaying aswell, then hopefully that will work and it bounce off the likes of Finn and Hoggy.
“Hopefully I learn off them and bring a bit of the flair you see with the likes of Finn, like nut-megs in the middle of a game, if I can play alongside of that and try to a bit of that, that’d be pretty cool.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments