As the start of the 2023 World Cup rumbles towards Scotland in the imposing shape of the mighty Springboks at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseilles on Sunday evening, Grant Gilchrist – one of their most experienced campaigners about to play in his third tournament – spoke with emotion yesterday about the awesome honour and opportunity of getting another crack at the sport’s showcase event.
“I’m going to relish every minute of it… 100 per cent,” asserted the 33-year-old. “This is going to be my last World Cup, unless I’m fortunate enough to be like WP Nel and be a 37-year-old at a World Cup, so I’m going to grab it with both hands and give it everything I’ve got, as I try to do every time I take the field for Scotland,” he continued.
“I’ve been lucky. To get one cap would have been a dream but I’m sitting here at my third World Cup, and I want to make sure I and the team on the pitch give it everything we’ve got and see where that takes us.”
Gilchrist dismissed the notion that his team have been dealt a bum hand by a draw made more than three years in advance which led to Scotland – who were ranked ninth then but are now fifth in the world – being placed in the same pool as Ireland and South Africa, who are currently the top two rated teams on the planet.
“This is as big as it comes,” he retorted. “How exciting can you be challenging yourself, individually and collectively, against the world champions on the biggest stage.
“As a front-five forward, I know if we don't do our job there is no chance we can win the game on Sunday. That is something that excites me and why I play the game. If you are not excited by that you are in the wrong team, the wrong sport.
“This is something I have dreamed about being involved in the minute we started preparation and when I saw the fixture come out I realised how great a way it is to start a World Cup.
“We started preparation for this at the end of May which was a long time ago now. Every time we have come back together, we have been closer and closer to this week. I remember that first meeting and we talked about how many days it was until we played South Africa, now that day is nearly here, and we feel we are ready.”
Gilchrist started the first two matches of Scotland’s 2015 World Cup campaign, against Japan and the USA but suffered a groin injury in the second of those contests which ruled him out for the remainder of the tournament. He then played all four pool matches during the ill-fated 2019 campaign, but understandably feels he has unfinished business at these global get-togethers.
“We weren’t horrific in that Japanese game [at the last World Cup] but we knew it was a game we had to win, and we all took it hard,” he said. “We went out in the pool stage in a game I believe we should have won. We are a better side than Japan, but we didn’t put our best performance out there and we got what we deserved on the day.
“It was a point for the whole squad where you have to go away individually and collectively and regroup, build your form back. I’m obviously over the moon that four years later I’m still in the squad and still pushing to be starting in this Test match because it would have been easy for a lot of guys to fall out of favour on the back of that.
“We had to prove ourselves again to Gregor Townsend and his new assistant coaches that we want to be part of the journey and worth keeping in the squad.
“If you bring any of the boys in here and ask them, [they would tell you] it would mean the world to them to win some big games at a World Cup,” he added. “All the focus is on being the best version of ourselves on Sunday. We know the challenge and it will take one of our best ever performances of any Scotland team to win.”
The catchword of this group throughout the summer preparation has been “connection” and Gilchrist was keen to return to that theme when asked why he believes this tournament can be more successful than the last one.
“It is the small things, not just the work on the training pitch,” he reasoned. “The conversations at dinner, the nights out, we have had a few beers. We have been through a lot and not just over the last few months.
“People pick up knocks, but you support each other and get closer and closer. The way our camp is run there is a big emphasis on connecting with each other.
“It is sitting at breakfast, getting to know guys at a different level. We try to encourage guys not to spend loads of time in their room on their own, there are times you want to chill, but spending time in the team area and making these bonds stronger has been really important. We are a squad that is tight and ready to perform.”
