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Ollie Smith 'never really showed how much it affected him'
By PA
Stafford McDowall believes Glasgow and Scotland team-mate Ollie Smith is ready to take his game to a new level after bouncing back strongly from the injury that kept him out of the international arena for the best part of two years.
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The versatile back featured in three of the Scots’ matches at the 2023 World Cup and appeared to be well on his way to establishing himself as Gregor Townsend’s second-choice full-back option behind Blair Kinghorn.
An anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in December 2023, however, kept Smith sidelined for 13 months and put his Test progress on hold.
After seven outings for Glasgow in the second half of last season, the 24-year-old was named in the starting XV for his first Scotland appearance in 21 months in Saturday’s non-cap international against Maori All Blacks in Whangarei, New Zealand.
“I’m massively pleased for him, he’s a great guy,” said team-mate McDowall, stand-in captain for the Maori All Blacks match. “He never really showed how much it affected him because he is such an upbeat guy but I think we all know how tough an injury like that is.
“He just seamlessly fitted back into the Glasgow set-up like he hadn’t been away and has come to the end of the season playing some of his best rugby.
“I think we’ve seen some of his performances for Glasgow at the end of the season that he’s getting back towards the level he was at before his injury, if not past it.
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“He’s been playing really well, he’s been carrying really well, making line breaks in big moments in games and we all know as well he’s got good feet, he’s got good carrying, he’s got a big kicking game as well.”
McDowall revealed the Scotland players have been enjoying the chance to “really immerse ourselves in the culture” in New Zealand during the first week of a summer tour that also incorporates matches against Fiji and Samoa.
The Scots’ summer tours have generally been experimental affairs in recent years, allowing Townsend to grow squad depth by introducing less experienced players to Test rugby and giving them an opportunity to play their way into contention for more prominent involvement.
“I think with the boys who’ve done that in the past, the young boys will be looking at that and saying this is their opportunity to go,” said 27-year-old McDowall. “These are three tough matches we’re out here playing against three big physical teams and boys will know if they can lay a marker down here then it will go a long way with the coaches.
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“I think it’s massive being able to learn from guys who’ve been in the environment for a long time and guys who’ve experienced Test-match rugby. Hopefully it benefits these guys massively being around guys with a bit more Test-match experience and they can put that on the pitch.”