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David Davies
Think Again

2013 Lion Ryan Grant hits out at 'lack of respect' shown to Scottish rugby

‘Even though boys are putting up results against Ireland and Wales, they’re not getting the recognition’.

SCOTLAND FRONT ROW and 2013 Lion Ryan Grant has claimed Scottish rugby is viewed as inferior by other home unions.

Just two Scots – Tommy Seymour and Stuart Hogg – were included in the Lions’ initial squad for the current tour of New Zealand. Greig Laidlaw, Finn Russell and Allan Dell would all make their way into Warren Gatland’s touring party eventually – the former as a replacement for Ben Youngs, the latter two as injury cover – but no Scot has featured in a Lions Test squad yet this summer.

Grant, who currently plays for Worcester Warriors in the Guinness Premiership, told BBC Scotland that there’s “not much respect from players in the English Premiership for the Pro12,” and maintained such a feeling had filtered its way to international level.

“They think it’s a lesser standard of rugby. Less so now, but definitely in the past, and I guess it’s the same for international rugby.

I’d be lying if I said that other unions didn’t think Scottish teams weren’t that good. There were four Scots on the last Lions tour, five on this tour, so even though boys are putting up results against Ireland and Wales, they’re not getting the recognition, and that can only be because they’re perceived to be not as good.

The former Glasgow loose-head does however believe that this perception is changing, but not in time for a large Scottish contingent to be selected in Warren Gatland’s 45-man initial squad.

“The players are obviously not happy about it but I think they’re going about it in the right way – let the results do the talking,” the 31-year-old said.

“I think perceptions are changing, but there’s not an England team that won’t be favourites against Scotland for a while until we can prove otherwise. They believe they’re better than us, which to a certain degree they are, but the respect still needs to be there.

“I think in the next tour possibly we’ll see a Scottish coach in there, and we’ll definitely see more Scottish players involved. I think the future’s bright for Scottish rugby and that can only serve the Lions well to have more Scottish players in there and take it back to that kind of evenness, if you like, of a 1997 tour as opposed to a 2017 tour.”

Grant himself was named as a substitute for the second Test in 2013 – which the Lions lost – but even with starter Mako Vunipola “wrecked,” per the Scot himself, he was not brought on by Gatland. He was later left out of the squad for the series decider, and told BBC Scotland that he avoided forwards coach Graham Rowntree for a few days afterwards in case he said something “stupid.”

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