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How moving to Scotland 're-lit that fire' inside of former Wallaby

By AAP
(Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Jack Dempsey wants to repay Scottish rugby for ‘relighting his fire’ after the former Wallaby’s recent decision to switch allegiance.

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The 28-year-old Glasgow back-rower was born and raised in Sydney and won 14 caps for Australia between 2017 and 2019.

However, Dempsey recently made himself available for Scotland following a change in World Rugby’s international eligibility rules that mean a capped player can now switch allegiance to another country to which they have “a close and credible link via birthright”, so long as they undertake a three-year cooling-off period.

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Coincidentally, Dempsey, who has a Scottish grandfather, made his debut for Gregor Townsend’s side in the second half of Saturday’s 16-15 defeat by the Wallabies, the side he last represented in their World Cup pool match victory over Georgia in October 2019.

“Look, I’m not going to lie. I came over here (to join Glasgow in 2021) thinking my Test career was probably over,” he said.

“I didn’t come over here specifically to play Test rugby. At that point, the rule didn’t exist. It was unplanned and a bit of a curveball, but I’ve loved every moment of it.

“After I got my cap, I said to the lads that I came over here in a bit of a weird place in my career. I wasn’t loving my rugby as much as maybe I used to.

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“I’m just thankful that I made this move. Not only to Glasgow, but to Scotland. The way the city and country have accepted me has just re-lit that fire inside me over the past 14 months or so.

“I said to the boys that I hope I can repay this faith over the next few weeks, months or years – whatever it may be. I’m happy with the decision I made.”

Dempsey is confident he still has plenty to offer on the international stage.

“I wouldn’t have made this decision if I didn’t think I was up to it,” he said. “Not only playing at this level, but making a statement.

“The way that Scotland play, I feel like it suits me well. Whether my role is to come off the bench and add impact, or add experience, I’m looking forward to it.

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“I’ve only been in camp for about a week. I’ve only heard Gregor speaking in training for a week. He’s saying all the right things and he’s the kind of coach you can get behind.

“I’ve enjoyed meeting all the boys. There’s something brewing here, which I want to be part of.”

Dempsey made his debut as a 60th-minute replacement on Saturday and admitted it was “weird” facing his former nation.

“There was obviously a big build-up during the week,” he said. “There was always the possibility of this happening and I’d play against Australia, so I kind of readied myself.

“Even when the moment came, it was very strange. At one moment, on the other side of the scrum, was Hoops (Michael Hooper). I’d played every pro game with him before I moved over here.

“It’s good for the plot, that one – to play against your old team. I was just happy to get out there, get my first cap and be welcomed by all the boys into the family.”

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J
Jon 9 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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