David Ferguson: How Tim Swinson nearly made Eton mess

WITH even casual conversations with players now strictly forbidden by a Scotland media management that appears to be modelling itself on Johannesburg security officials, the delights of touring these days tends to be catching up with parents of the players, who we bump into regularly as they follow their sons around the globe.

Glasgow Warriors and Scotland lock Tim Swinson. Picture: SNS/SRU

What they put themselves through supporting their offspring players probably only have an inkling of. Take Alastair Kellock’s parents. His father Stuart’s brother lives in South Africa so as they prepared to leave Durban after week one, Stuart’s sibling suggested driving up through Swaziland rather than taking the more straightforward seven-hour drive north to the country town in Mpumulanga, with the warning that checkpoints back out closed at 5pm.

A wrong turning or five later they arrived at the Swaziland border an hour or so late and duly had a ‘lock-in’ far less pleasant than one in a Bishopbriggs pub. We can report, however, that a few detours, far longer trip than they expected and a helpful Swaziland border control officer finally secured their peaceful release, and they made it to Nelspruit in time for Kellock junior’s 32nd birthday and 54th Test appearance off the bench against the Springboks.

Chat with the parents of the new Scotland lock Tim Swinson, who left his mark on South Africa, was just as fascinating. Scott Johnson had fun last week talking up the big Glasgow Warrior’s private school background and saying it did not quite fit with the hard-edged sod he saw on the training field and in matches this season.

Mr and Mrs Swinson have little idea where his steelier side comes from, but the lock pays tribute to the coaching of former England hooker John Olver at Oundle School. One wonders if that would have developed in the same way had he instead gone to Eton.

Mr Swinson senior revealed that young Timothy had shown a determined edge when, after telling his parents as a young child that he liked the look of that big school Eton, having been impressed by famous individuals that had gone there, he duly worked his backside off to stun them and meet the entry qualifications. His father informed him that there were other schools in England and insisted on a tour first.

“We had no intention of sending him to private school but he had it in his head and when he got the results we had to stand by that,” said Mr Swinson senior.

“But I wanted him to realise there were other schools than Eton. One we visited was Oundle and during the visit we stopped at the school workshops, and Tim was fascinated at seeing students making a car. When told that he could learn to make one himself in around 18 months, he decided that it was not Eton he wanted to go to but Oundle.”

And so Scotland has a promising lock, who has come into the Test team via Northampton, Australia and Newcastle, and given Johnson new hope for the future depth of strength in the Scottish boiler-room.