Glen Young is lone Borderer in Scotland Six Nations squad and cites Jed man who inspired him

Glen Young will fly the flag for the Borders in this year’s Six Nations and specifically the town of Jedburgh.

Glen Young and family after Edinburgh's win over Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield on December 30. Young's form with Edinburgh has won him a Scotland recall. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

The Edinburgh lock forward is the last man standing in Gregor Townsend’s squad from the region considered the game’s cradle in Scotland.

Darcy Graham’s absence through injury, Stuart Hogg’s retiral and the non-selection of Rory Sutherland has deprived the squad of the three Hawick men who’ve been mainstays in recent years. It is hoped Graham will recover in time for round three and Sutherland remains a contender but in the meantime Young is the lone Borderer as Scotland gear up for Saturday’s opener against Wales.

“Obviously it’s disappointing not having Darcy here,” said Young. “But it’s exciting. They are so passionate about it down there in all the towns. I can only speak for Jed, really, but I’ve seen how much the town gets behind the Hawick boys and stuff. It’s good to do it for the whole Borders; it’s good to represent them.”

Glen Young, centre, flanked by Javan Sebastian, left, and Pierre Schoeman, ahead of his Scotland against Argentina in Santiago del Estero during the 2022 summer tour. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

It was Greig Laidlaw, another son of Jedburgh, who inspired Young and became a focal point for the town during a storied career which saw him captain his country a record 40 times.

“He’s a Jed boy - not the same position, but I remember when he started playing for Scotland, how much the town got behind him,” said Young. “It was the same when I turned pro - they’re so passionate about it there, and the town got behind me. When I saw that Greig could do it - he’s just a regular Jed guy - it didn’t look too far out of reach.”

While Young is flying solo in terms of Borderers in the playing squad, the contingent from the south of Scotland is of course augmented by head coach Gregor Townsend and forwards coach John Dalziel, both from Galashiels. Young has been working closely with Dalziel since his call-up as he reacquaints himself with the Test game.

“He’s been good,” said Young. “He and Gregor are Borderers as well, so I’m not the only one. This is the first week that I’ve been working with him this year. JD is really hot on breakdown work and lineout work, and he was complimentary about my lineout work. He also gives you little areas to work on. It’s a good cue for me to make sure I’m at the breakdown every time.

“There are some things that you get away with at club level, that you’re not going to get away with at international level. So you have to be hot on every area of your game. I’ve been having a real focus on that this year when I’ve been playing. There are certain aspects of my game that have potentially been weaknesses, and I’ve been having a real focus on that. Not trying to over-think the whole game, just trying to put it into small areas of the game and focus on those. I think that has been helpful.”

At 29, Young is a bit of a late developer in the international game. This is his first taste of the Six Nations although he has won three caps, against Argentina (twice) and Australia, all as a replacement. Having spent the early part of his career in the English Premiership with Newcastle and then Harlequins, it was only after he moved back north to join Edinburgh in 2021 that he made his Test breakthrough. His Scotland debut came in the third Test against Argentina in Santiago del Estero the following summer and he won a couple more caps in the autumn of 2022.

“When I came back to Edinburgh I wouldn’t say I thought the ship had sailed or anything, but I was a bit later in my career. Then I did finally get called up, so I was pretty buzzing,” he said.

Young, now in his third year at Edinburgh, is arguably in the form of your life. He’s been a fixture in the second row for Sean Everitt’s side this season and also filled in at flanker during the recent Challenge Cup tie with Gloucester. Such versatility won’t go unnoticed by the Scotland coaching staff as they weigh up their options for Cardiff. They will go into the Wales game without the suspended Grant Gilchrist, and although Richie Gray and Scott Cummings are likely to be the starting locks, Young will also be in the mix, along with Sam Skinner.

“This year I’ve had a real focus on myself, trying to put my best foot forward in training and in games, and if that then leads to game time with the national team, then that’s great. But all I can do is focus on myself," added Young who is on the cusp of fulfilling a childhood ambition.

“It’s my first Six Nations, so I’m really excited about it. That’s the one for me that I grew up watching. You had the World Cup every four years, which is also exciting. But I can’t remember watching that too much - and I can remember every year watching the Six Nations and dreaming of playing for Scotland. At half-time I would go out into my street and play - we would pretend we were playing for Scotland.

“I just remember watching boys like Ross Ford and Chris Paterson playing - watching them play and just loving it. As I say, we used to go out into my street. We’d go two v two, full contact on the concrete - but I don’t think any of us got our heads split open or anything!”