Jamie Ritchie: Scotland captain is older, wiser and less inclined to get involved in ‘handbags’

Jamie Ritchie turned 27 on Wednesday and, while he’s not ready yet for the pipe and slippers, he believes he’s a cooler, calmer figure than he was in the tempestuous early days of his rugby career.

The back-row forward will captain Scotland at the World Cup next month and as befitting a player who will lead his country on the sport’s greatest stage, he will bring a maturity to the role. Gone, he says, are the days of being too fired up and becoming involved in unnecessary argy-bargy. “I used to waste a wee bit of energy with some handbags back in the day,” he reflected. “Growing up, I’m a bit more experienced and realise that I didn’t need to be there to be playing well. I used to feel that I needed to be angry and aggressive to play well. Now I’m more confident that I can be a bit of a calmer head that can play with that controlled aggression that I need.”

Ritchie was appointed Scotland captain for the first time last autumn and has grown into the role. It’s not always easy to go from being at the bottom of a ruck to imparting important information to the referee but the Edinburgh flanker has never been one to shy away from getting his point across, as those who watched Scotland’s match against France in Saint-Etienne will attest. Ritchie had an ongoing dialogue with Nic Berry on Saturday night as the Scots found themselves on the end of some tough calls from the South African ref in the first half. Things improved after the break and the player feels he is better now at combining captaincy with playing duties. “I feel like I’m growing in experience all the time in and around that stuff and I’m starting to separate the two better,” he said.

This will be Ritchie’s second World Cup, the player having enjoyed a breakthrough at the tournament in Japan in 2019 when he recovered from injury and went on to be one of the few Scotland players to burnish his reputation. Defeat by the hosts in Yokohama in the final group game meant an early exit for Gregor Townsend’s side, eliminated at the pool stage for only the second time in the competition’s history. The build-up to the match against Japan was played out in extraordinary circumstances, with Typhoon Hagibis wreaking havoc in parts of the country and casting doubt on the game being played. A remarkable clear-up operation allowed it to go ahead and although Scotland lost 28-21, Ritchie’s performance was recognised by the Japanese players who presented him with a katana, or Samurai sword, after the match. The captain thinks the 2019 tournament will stand him in good stead but he believes he’s a better player now.

Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie during the Rugby World Cup squad announcement at Scott's Restaurant, Queensferry. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

“For me that World Cup was a bit of a whirlwind with the circumstances going into it – getting injured in the game just before we left, not sure if I was going to play, missing the first game [against Ireland] because I hadn’t recovered from my operation. Then after the first game, we needed to win every game with a bonus point. The last game, with the typhoon beforehand and everything going on around it…it was a great game, probably one of my favourite games in a Scotland jersey, even though it was a loss. It was just such a massive occasion, one of the best atmospheres I have ever been involved in. I would like to think I have improved, I probably have a bit of a cooler head on the pitch now. I used to be a bit angry back then!”

The squad as a whole looks better equipped now than four years ago and the two recent performances against France in warm-up games - one win and one narrow defeat - suggests they are able to compete with the world’s best which is something they will have to do at this year’s tournament where they are drawn in Pool B with the No 1 ranked Ireland and the World Cup holders, South Africa. “We know who we are a bit better now,” said Ritchie. “We are really clear in what we’re trying to do and how we are trying to play. Not that we necessarily weren’t in 2019, but it just feels much better now in terms of ‘right, this is how we are going to attack’. Our defence is different and, in my opinion, stronger. Everyone is buying in. As a collective I think we are in a stronger position.”

Crucially, he also believes the squad are fitter than they were four years ago, something born out by the way they came back from 27-10 down against France in Saint-Etienne, scoring three tries in the final quarter to draw level before being pipped by a late Thomas Ramos penalty. “I think we’ve learned from our experience in 2019 and around what we’ve been doing in pre-season - a little more contact-based stuff and more variety of game focus,” adds Ritchie.

He talks up the group’s ‘culture’ as well as their ability and believes this Scotland squad is “arguably one of the strongest ever”. “The depth we have is excellent. Even when you look at the guys who have unfortunately missed out on the squad and could easily have been in there and arguably would have been there in previous World Cup squads. We've got a really strong group and I think we're building really nicely. Individually everyone's really good and has got better over the last couple of months because we've had that intense time together. Our culture when we're in camp together is great. You'll not find a closer group of people. Everyone’s great mates but when it comes to training we all compete. We've been training hard and trying to make each other better.”