No player on the pitch that glorious day two years ago appreciated Scotland finally ending their 38-year Twickenham drought than Richie Gray.
The veteran lock has recently enjoyed a renaissance and re-established himself as an automatic pick in the second row. But many might have forgotten the win in 2021 was one of his brief interludes back in the team, as a replacement.
And after six games all lost against England prior to that, dating from 2011 – three of them at Twickenham – Gray treasured the long overdue victory.
‘The guys were biting down on the gumshield’
“It was a huge achievement, even if the crowd wasn’t there (because of Covid restrictions),” he recalled. “Just to win and beat England away from home.
“I remember watching the first five minutes sitting at the side on the bench and seeing the physicality we brought. The guys were really biting down on the gumshield and running as hard as they could. The hits were incredible.
A historic win at Twickenham 🏟️
Relive the best bits from last year’s 11-6 Calcutta Cup win as Scotland started the 2021 @SixNationsRugby campaign in style! #AsOne
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) January 24, 2022
“Those first five minutes have really stuck with me. It was absolutely brilliant back in the changing room after the game and then we had a good time on the flight up the road.”
There’ll be a full house at Twickenham this Saturday. No matter how hostile they may be to Scotland and behind their team now Eddie Jones has gone, Richie can’t wait.
“How good is it to go out there in front of 80,000 fans?” he asked. “It’s the Calcutta Cup, it’s an old rivalry and pretty hostile.
“Certainly the games at Murrayfield have been pretty memorable. I always remember Ryan Wilson and Owen Farrell walking down the tunnel and getting things kicked off!
“There’s always a little bit extra in the fixture. It’s a great challenge. Mentality always plays a part in it, especially away from home.
“You have to expect the home team will always be 100% on it. You need to match that and then try to go better.”
‘I’m just trying to stay as fresh as possible’
Gray thought he might have ended his days at international level, so he’s more than thrilled to be back.
“For two years, maybe more than that, I wasn’t really getting in,” he said. “With the strength and depth across the second row, it’s an area we’re really strong at.
“There were a few moments when I was thinking, “I might struggle to get back in here”. So from that perspective I’m very fortunate to be back here.
“We went toe-to-toe with one of the best sides in the world.”
Richie Gray sums up the mood of the team post-match. #AsOne pic.twitter.com/sa9jeCovJ5
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) November 13, 2022
“I’m making the most of my time and enjoying as much as I can as I’m very aware how quickly it can all pass by.”
Injuries were an issue with those absences, but he is managing himself better than ever before at 33, thanks to S&C staff at Glasgow and Scotland.
“I spend a lot of time with our S&C team, in particular Cillian (Reardon, head of athletic performance) and Damien (O’Donoghue, senior athletic performance coach),” he said.
“Just having conversations with them: When do I need to go hard? When can I back off? It’s just trying to stay as fresh as possible while still pushing hard. Huge credit to these guys, they have helped me a lot.
“With Franco Smith coming in at Glasgow pre-season was pretty tough and the sessions demand that you are fit. And this is just a product of that.
“I’m a little bit of an older athlete now so I can’t push all the time. Sometimes I need to back off. The S&C stats are there and the staff have been really great with me.”