Rugby: Grove curbed enthusiasm to get into the groove

Published on Wednesday 11 November 2009 08:30

NEW Scotland rugby cap Alex Grove has revealed a long-term plan for celebrating a debut in Saturday's opening Autumn Test against Fiji at Murrayfield.

Much has been made of the fact the 21-year-old Worcester centre is the grandson of former Aston Villa and Birmingham footballer Ron Wylie whose Scottish nationality he takes – and rightly so.

But, in catching the rugby "bug" Grove, pictured below, is indebted to his father and says: "My dad played for 30 years until turning out alongside my brother in a recent match at the age of 47.

"I'd love to get him out of retirement one day so that all three of us could play together for a team."

That is for the future and meantime Grove is focusing entirely on taking the final few steps to Scottish rugby immortality at Murrayfield.

"Although I live south of the border I have played all my age-group representative rugby in Scotland and that sometimes meant training on the length of track inside Murrayfield which is as close as I have got to the pitch."

Although Grove will be the youngest of the home side there has been no shortage of determination so far as he confirmed, saying: "There is a fine line between showing enthusiasm and being pushy and I recognise that.

"But you've got to keep banging on the door and show that you are at a club to do more than make up numbers and want to contribute to the team's performance.

"I would regularly go in and see Mike Ruddock, the Worcester coach, asking what more I had to do for a first-team chance.

"In fairness to Mike, he was right to keep me waiting for two years rather than risk ruining my career because with hindsight I wasn't ready when I started asking.

"It was only last season that games started to come regularly and now I am ready to step up."

Grove's confidence stems partly from being part of a successful Scotland A team at the summer Nations Cup in Romania and this time the product of the famous Rugby School where the sport's origins trace back to William Webb Ellis picking up a ball and running with it is delighted to be performing in front of his family and closest supporters.

"From even before I went to Rugby School aged 13 I was aware of the traditions and that helped as did my dad's enthusiasm and ability.

"As for my grandfather, Ron Wylie, it is always interesting to watch sport with him and see how someone who has been at the top level (he also managed West Bromwich Albion] can pick up little details that pass almost everyone else by.

"We're always having good discussions, too, about training methods and how they have changed although I don't know if I'll ever manage to educate him on the differences in the football and rugby offside laws!"