Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Jonny Gray reveals why he was a 'bit of a mess' on Scotland bus

By PA
Bordeaux-Begles' Scottish lock Jonny Gray is seen during the French Top14 rugby union match between Union Bordeaux-Begles (UBB) and Stade Francais Paris at The Chaban-Delmas Stadium in Bordeaux, south-western France on September 7, 2024. (Photo by ROMAIN PERROCHEAU / AFP) (Photo by ROMAIN PERROCHEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Jonny Gray revealed there were times he feared his Scotland career was over before he banished almost two years in the Test wilderness with an “emotional” return in Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations victory over Italy.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 30-year-old lock won his 78th cap at the weekend in what was his first national team appearance since the home game against the same opposition in March 2023.

In between those two Murrayfield outings against the Azzurri, Gray’s career was derailed by a 16-month lay-off with a serious knee injury sustained while playing for previous club Exeter in their Champions Cup semi-final away to La Rochelle in April 2023.

Video Spacer

Lomu – The Lost Tapes – Jonah’s family & discipline | RPTV

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 2:08
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 2:08
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Lomu – The Lost Tapes – Jonah’s family & discipline | RPTV

    Featuring never-before-seen footage, Jonah Lomu shares his story and how he escaped gang violence to become the planet’s most iconic rugby player. Watch the full documentary on RugbyPass TV and via the RugbyPass app

    At a low ebb as he was forced to sit out the 2023 World Cup in France and last year’s Six Nations, the second-rower – who eventually returned to action after landing a move to Bordeaux Begles last summer – worried his days as a Test player were behind him.

    “Yeah, I did, if I’m being honest,” said Gray, occasionally pausing to keep his emotions in check. “There was a lot of doubt. I’m just thankful for how blessed I am to get out and play at Murrayfield again.

    Fixture
    Six Nations
    Scotland
    18 - 32
    Full-time
    Ireland
    All Stats and Data

    “It’s been a while, it’s been a tricky almost two years now. I’ve definitely learned a lot and questioned a lot of things. You have to think about some things and how you get there and stuff, but I’m just so thankful for the people who stuck by me.

    “I’m thankful for the journey I’m on, and to be back at Murrayfield, it was just emotion… It’s always emotional when you play here, but to have that chance again was huge for me.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “I was a bit of a mess on the bus on the way in, if I’m being honest. I’ve never taken playing for Scotland for granted, but Saturday’s game in particular, I’ll remember for a long time.”

    There was further doubt about Gray’s international future when, after playing regularly in the opening months of the Top 14 campaign for Bordeaux, he turned down the chance of a Scotland call-up for the autumn series, with head coach Gregor Townsend saying in October that he was “disappointed” with his decision.

    Speaking for the first time about that situation, Gray said: “It was a hard decision. I think every 15 minutes, I was questioning if I was making the right one or not because obviously I managed to get back to playing rugby and then had the opportunity, potentially, to play international.

    Jonny Gray
    Jonny Gray and brother Ritche – PA
    ADVERTISEMENT

    “I made myself unavailable and spoke to the club and spoke to Gregor, and I can understand the frustrations here, but it was more (a case of) at some points I thought I wasn’t going to get back to rugby, so I thought the best way to put myself in good shape to sustain going forward was not to play in the November window. But, trust me, it wasn’t an easy decision.

    “I went from nothing to playing quite a bit of rugby at the start (of this season), which was great. You see the intensity of international matches so it was just to make a plan there.

    “I got a month off of rugby (in November), and then I did my ankle in the second game back which wasn’t part of the plan, but that was the reason for my decision.”

    Gray revealed a debt of gratitude to Bordeaux for placing their faith in him last summer.

    “I’m really grateful to UBB because I was out for over a year and they still went ahead and signed me,” he said. “To have belief like that in someone they don’t know, it was massive for me.

    Set Plays

    8
    Scrums
    5
    100%
    Scrum Win %
    100%
    13
    Lineout
    14
    100%
    Lineout Win %
    93%
    6
    Restarts Received
    6
    100%
    Restarts Received Win %
    100%

    “If someone’s showing you that much belief, all you want to do is repay that, so hopefully I’m doing all right for them. I’m loving it in France, I’m enjoying my rugby. I’m not looking far ahead at all. I’m just trying to be present there.”

    The Scots started their Six Nations with a 31-19 victory, but only after letting a 19-6 lead slip as Italy levelled things up at 19-19 heading into the final quarter.

    Gray admits his side will have to sharpen up ahead of Sunday’s visit of Ireland.

    “I think Scotland of old would have maybe panicked a lot more at 19-19, but the biggest thing is we found a way to win,” said the forward.

    “Sometimes in the past, if we’re being honest, we’ve messed up those games. It’s a great start for us, but we know we have to get better.”

    Download the RugbyPass app now!

    News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!

    ADVERTISEMENT

    LIVE

    Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 1

    HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Men's Highlights

    HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Women's Highlights

    Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

    Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

    Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

    Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

    The Rise of Kenya | The Report

    The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    0 Comments
    Be the first to comment...

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    T
    Tulijuanacutler 44 minutes ago
    Geoff Parling: An Englishman roasting the Lions?

    For the past three years, I've been involved in Forex trading, constantly learning new strategies and honing my skills. Along the way, I’ve come across many opportunities, but one particular online trading contest left me shaken and wiser. What appeared to be a legitimate contest with a grand prize turned out to be an elaborate scam. I’d like to share my experience to help others avoid a similar trap. It started with an online ad promoting a Forex contest. The hosting company seemed reputable, the prize was attractive, and the website looked professional. Eager to join, I paid a $1,000 registration fee. Soon after, I got an email saying I’d qualified for the next round but to proceed, I needed to cover $2,000 in shipping costs for the prize. Believing it was worth it, I paid. But after that, communication stopped. No prize. No response. Suspicious, I started researching and found out that many others had been caught in the same scheme. I had fallen victim to a professional scam and lost a total of $10,000. Feeling overwhelmed, I began looking for help. That’s when I found a digital recovery service specializing in online scams. I provided all my evidence, and they began working on my case. Thanks to their expertise, they were able to trace the transaction and recover my funds. This experience taught me the importance of verifying everything before making financial commitments online. I hope my story raises awareness about online trading scams and helps others avoid them. Be cautious if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.


    Email: digitalresolutionservices @ myself. c o m


    Stay vigilant,

    Tulijuana Cutler

    44 Go to comments
    LONG READ
    LONG READ Will wounded Carbery come back to haunt former side Munster? Will wounded Carbery come back to haunt former side Munster?
    Search