The 'quite weird' Redpath reaction to his Scotland unavailability
Cameron Redpath is finally back to full fitness and raring to go with Scotland, but the Bath midfielder is unavailable for this Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series opener versus Australia even though his club have a bye week in the Gallagher Premiership.
Gregor Townsend confirmed last week when announcing his 40-strong squad for the four-match series that Scotland would only be able to select their home-based players to take on the Wallabies due to the October 29 game taking place outside the agreed player release international window.
It means that Townsend is down ten options this week as nine of his chosen 40 – including Redpath – are contracted to Premiership clubs while Rory Sutherland recently hooked up with Irish URC club Ulster following the demise of Worcester.
The curiosity, though, is that Bath have no top-flight match this weekend as their fixture at Worcester was cancelled when the Warriors were suspended for the remainder of the 2022/23 season. However, that club-front idleness won’t free up Redpath – or his roommate Josh Bayliss – for Scotland and he will instead only become available to play from the November 5 Fiji match onwards.
“It’s outside the window so we are not allowed to (play) which I do agree, I find it quite weird,” said Redpath during a guest appearance on this week’s Rugby Pod show with Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton.
This week the lads react to England’s injury worries and Scotland selection controversies PLUS we’re joined by Bath and Scotland centre Cam Redpath.
?Listen now on Spotify ?https://t.co/PbV0RMM4XB pic.twitter.com/NIE5bH7F8a
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) October 25, 2022
“I’d love to have the opportunity to play, especially as we have got a bye week. But it is probably not something I can go and argue about. I am just happy to be fit for once in camp and hopefully, I can get a shot over the next three weeks to show people what I can do again. I’d love to play but it is weird and I don’t know why it is like that. I know England have four games as well, which makes it even weirder again, but no, I don’t think I will be allowed (to play this week).”
The 22-year-old Redpath is hoping to finally get an injury-free run with Scotland as his Test career has been restricted to just two caps, a debut start versus England in February 2021 and a blink-and-you-missed cameo off the bench eight months ago against Wales.
“Both times I did my neck afterwards and never played again,” he admitted before specifically talking about his debut nearly two years ago at Twickenham. “Definitely, it was as weird as anything. I didn’t really feel like I was playing an international. The game was tough and I was absolutely shattered after it but a few beers helped and the flight back was good.
“Unfortunately, I was sat next to Finn (Russell) on the flight and he wouldn’t let me be seen without a drink. It was a good flight home but for me, it was all weird that it all happened. I had this dodgy neck at the time and I couldn’t do a press-up the morning of the game – and I didn’t want to tell anyone because I can’t pull out this late.
“Me and Ollie (Lawrence) playing together at (England) U20s, it was both of us at twelve playing against each other and we hadn’t spoken all week and we normally do, we stay in touch quite often.
“It was just a big occasion and it felt (like) a big occasion building into the week but the day of it, because it was so quiet at the stadium with nothing really going on, I was really relaxed and it didn’t feel like an international at all. We played the game and the next morning I told them I couldn’t do a press-up.
“At the time they thought, ‘Two weeks, I’ll be back’. I thought I was going to be back for the back end of the Six Nations and never made it back until ten weeks after a neck injection, and then the following year I did exactly the same thing.
“My international career so far hasn’t really felt like an international career. It feels like I get in camp for a week and then I go home again. I’m rooming with Josh Bayliss up here at the minute and this is the first time we have both been here without some sort of injury. He has always been concussed or I have had a big neck or knee issue or something.”
Comments on RugbyPass
that 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
24 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 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
24 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.
24 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. 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.
24 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.
24 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.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
24 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to commentsAfter missing the curfew, the player was simply too “Shagged” to stand up.
17 Go to commentsVernier is probably the best 12 in the world though she has some English competition these days . I am nervous for England because it is unpredictable France and who knows which team will turn up, but they have not yet shown anything that should worry England, Saturday could be a different day. I would be more confident against the BFs.
1 Go to comments