'I got on with the lads... but I never felt I played well enough to earn their respect'
Injuries have a habit of rearing their heads at the worst possible time for Cameron Redpath but after his latest setback – a neck injury that saw him miss the majority of the Guinness Six Nations – he is back fit and keen to find his best form.
After starring in Scotland’s first win at Twickenham for 38 years on the opening weekend of the Six Nations, a gutted Redpath was forced to watch from afar having been involved for the championship opener. He made a timely return to help Bath into the Challenge Cup semi-finals with victory over London Irish last weekend and will line up again for Stuart Hooper’s side when they face Leicester in Premiership action on Sunday.
Redpath believes he has come back from his most recent setback as a better player. “It’s part of the game and I feel like I have had a lot of opportunities where I have got injured at the worst possible time, but it’s one of those things,” he said.
“You have got to take it in your stride and every time you get injured, you have got to grow as a player off the field. Every time I have a setback I try to come back stronger. You have got to come back and try to be a better player.”
A change in club environment has helped Redpath, who admits he did not enjoy the latter part of his time at Sale as he was frustrated at being a bit-part player unable to find his best form or spending too much time on the treatment table.
Stuart Hooper's words apparently struck a chord in the build-up to Bath's revenge win over London Irish
https://t.co/VmMP6PZR3w— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 16, 2021
“When I first got approached (by Scotland) I wasn’t playing well at Sale. When I first spoke to Gregor (Townsend) he was telling me he thought I was someone who could play for Scotland but for me, I hadn’t played well at Sale.
“I don’t think I did play well at Sale at all. I got on with the lads and the coaches at Sale but I never felt I played well enough to earn their respect so coming to Bath, I wanted to earn the respect of the boys before thinking about any international honours.
“I have still got massive respect for Sale. They were the ones who made my professional career start so I can’t sit here and slag them off when I was the one not playing well and I couldn’t stay fit. I needed to get away and get a fresh start.
“I had too many injuries and too many average performances. I needed to get away from home and challenge myself – I was very immature as a player and I was relying on too many things that happened in the past to keep me going.”
The move to Bath, which Redpath admits took him wholly out of his comfort zone, rejuvenated a young man with huge potential, and he marked his return with an all-action display in the Challenge Cup quarter-final win over London Irish, even slotting in at fly-half when Orlando Bailey was concussed early on.
“There are a few things that I need to work on but I have not played for eight weeks, so I was expecting that. It was nice to get out there and get challenged playing at 10 a bit more than I normally would at 12.”
Redpath is now keen to put a run of games together for Bath and help the club get their hands on a trophy, with more international honours a target for the summer. “We want to get a trophy. It’s the aim every year. It’s tough but we have got a chance,” he said as Bath look to win silverware for the first time since the 2007/08 Challenge Cup triumph.
“I don’t know what is going on with summer tours at the moment, but I need to play well enough to get picked for Scotland. I want to play rugby at the top level so I can be fit to go on tour.”
Redpath has been mentioned in some quarters as a potential Lions bolter and passed on his congratulations to Townsend and Steve Tandy for their appointments in Warren Gatland’s coaching staff. “It is massive for Scottish rugby. They have done a great job and they deserve it,” he said before picking out a handful of his teammates with club and country that he feels are worthy of facing the world champion Springboks in July.
“Hoggy [Stuart Hogg] and Finn (Russell), they deserve to go massively. Same with Hamish Watson – you can’t get the Six Nations player of the championship and not go. Duhan (van der Merwe) on the wing was the top try-scorer in the Six Nations. There are loads of boys there who deserve a shot.
“Toby [Faletau] as well – he showed what he can do at the weekend with a chip and chase with his weaker foot. There’s a couple of boys who are in with a shot and that would be great for the club, and for them.
Redpath admitted he was gutted to miss Scotland’s first win in Paris for more than two decades, but revealed he joined in with the celebrations from his sofa. “I wanted to be there but I was jumping up and down when they scored at the end. I was going crazy in the house,” he said.
If the 21-year-old can return to the peak of his powers before the end of the season, there is likely to be a chance of a summer tour, whether that is with Scotland or as a wildcard selection to South Africa. “If I play well, everything opens up and I have done everything I can to control getting selected for a summer tour.”
"Joining Bath helped me move on from being a kid. I’m still 21, but I don’t get treated like a 21-year-old, I get treated as a senior player."@JLyall93 speaks to @BathRugby Cam Redpath who plays against Leicester tomorrow. https://t.co/oqnzQhrRpv
— RugbyPass+ (@RugbyPassPlus) April 17, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
3 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments