Next article
Previous article
Got an opinion?
Discuss this article in the comments section or register with the glasgowwarriors.com forum.

Search this site

May 26, 2005

Manchild hungry for first cap

Posted by Assistant Editor on May 26, 2005 07:45 PM | One comment | Print | E-mail author

Andy is keen to earn his first cap
Andy Wilson has got a taste for International rugby after his appearance against the Baa-Baas on Tuesday night, but knows he will have to be patient.

The former Ellon and Aberdeen Grammar flanker, now at Glasgow, took his bow as a 63rd-minute replacement for Ally Hogg during the surprise 38-7 win over the Baa-Baas at Pittodrie.

While it could be argued that the youthful Scots beat ageing opponents, they were also experienced rivals and a victory against any Baa-Baas side is no mean feat.

The achievement - Scotland's first win in 10 attempts against the Baa-Baas - can be measured by the fact it was accomplished without regular starters such as Chris Cusiter, Gordon Bulloch, Jason White and Simon Taylor.

But Andy is not getting carried away. He said: "Hopefully this will be the first of a lot more to come my way. That is not down to me, though. I just have to go out and do my job at club level.

"To produce a result like that without other important players such as Chris Cusiter shows we are building again."

Scotland's five-try haul under interim coach Frank Hadden set them on their way to burying the memory of Matt Williams's 17-month tenure.

Whether Andy is part of the side which lines up against Romania on June 5 ahead of the autumn Tests remains to be seen. He insists, though, this latest success must be used as a springboard towards a better future.

The 24-year-old said: "We cannot dwell on what we have done. We have to go to Romania and get a good result to keep progressing. A word we used before the Barbarians match was enthusiasm, and it was there in abundance.

"Everyone was eager to work for each other and that showed through, particularly in the second half.

"This is one step and, hopefully, many more will follow. The coaches are aware we still have a long way to go, as are the players. We are just happy with a victory and it is good to simply get on that first rung of the ladder."

For Andy, making his Scots debut in his hometown was a special moment after coming through the youth ranks at international level.

He admits he would love some more of the caps he is hoping for to come at Pittodrie, where 20,228 supporters turned up on Tuesday.

He added: "I was really chuffed to get on and it was brilliant to see the crowd being close to a capacity one.

"It just shows taking our games around the country is a good idea and the atmosphere was electric. I would love to see international games brought back up here again, although it is not up to me to make that happen.

"If it is meant to, though, it will happen in time and it would be good to keep producing crowds like the one we had this week. The demand is certainly there and it was fantastic to see so many people inside Pittodrie. It is great for the area."

The story was taken from www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk

Comments
Posted by FTDL on May 27, 2005 07:18 AM | Reply to this comment

Andy made an impression on the game up front when he came on. I have been impressed with his performances when I have seen him play for Glasgow. Good to see him starting to break through into the international scene.

He is another hard, aggressive and dynamic loose forward with lots of potential that Glasgow and Scotland should continue to nurture to get the best out of him.

Well done and good luck.

Add a comment to this article

If you're replying to an existing comment, please use the 'Reply to this comment' link above the entry. This will display the comments in a way which is far easier for other readers to follow.