Loyalty to Scotland gives versatile Rory Hutchinson World Cup chance

Loyalty is often cited as an essential rugby value, but in the professional age – where careers are made or broken in the blink of an eye – it is a luxury which many young players feel they can’t afford.

Rory Hutchinson could win his first Scotland cap this weekend. Picture: SNS

Northampton Saints centre Rory Hutchinson could easily have decided after graduating from the Scotland Under-20s programme in 2016 that his next step should be to pursue full international recognition in the land of his birth. With all Gallagher Premiership clubs required to field at least 70 per cent English Qualified Players [EQP] in their match-day squad – and Hutchinson fitting that criterion as he was born in Cambridge – that route would have made him a more attractive and valuable proposition for his day-to-day employers.

Then, of course, there is the small matter of the £22,000 match fee that the RFU pays those lucky enough to wear the rose, which dwarves anything he is likely to get for wearing the thistle.

But when his form during the second half of last season started speculation about his inclusion in an England squad in the not so distant future, Hutchinson made it immediately clear that switching allegiance was not an option. It was his maternal grandparents from Bellshill who qualified him to play for Scotland, and it was the faith and support Scottish rugby showed him during his formative years which persuaded him to stay put.

The initial reward for that loyalty is a place on the bench tomorrow night in Nice when Scotland take on France. Beyond that, there 
is the chance for the 23-
year-old to play his way into Gregor Townsend’s final 31-man squad for the World Cup next month.

“If it wasn’t for Scottish Exiles – the Under-18s and the Under-20s – then I wouldn’t have played the vast majority of my rugby to date,” Hutchinson said earlier this week. “I played two whole Six Nations and three World Cups with Scotland Under-20s so that was a massive chunk of my rugby development.

“Scotland have put a lot of work and time into me. I just want to make my 
family proud and represent Scotland and hopefully I can do that soon.

“I have had conversations with various people about it and the implications, but it doesn’t faze me,” he added, addressing the issue of the imminent surrender of his EQP status. “The way it has been put to me is that if you are playing well then you will play.”

There is no doubt that Hutchinson will come off the bench for his debut tomorrow, at which point there will be no turning back. But it is clear that the player will not be pausing to consider whether he is doing the right thing.

“There were no mixed emotions from me. I’m Scottish,” he told The Scotsman back in June, soon after his 
selection for the World Cup training camp.

The more intriguing question now relates to which position he will fill when he does get on to the park. He has appeared predominantly at outside-centre for Saints these last two seasons, but can also fit in at inside-centre, and played stand-off for Scotland Under-20s for the first two of his three years in the set-up.

He is covering all three positions this weekend, and with Townsend eager to have as much versatility in his squad as he can, there is a real chance that Hutchinson will get a run at first receiver – if not this weekend then at some point before the final squad is announced on 3 September.

With Finn Russell the main man at stand-off, and Adam Hastings his back-up, Hutchinson’s emergence could be bad news for Pete Horne – who is also able to play anywhere in midfield.

“His versatility is very valuable,” Townsend, pictured, said at Wednesday’s team announcement. “He played a lot of the first part of his senior rugby as a stand-off, including two seasons for Scotland Under-20s and finishing games for Northampton there, but the majority of his games have been at 13 and if you were to ask him what his 
preferred position would be, it is 12!

“Even when he plays with a 13 on his back, Northampton use him as 12 for most of their starter plays. He is a link player who takes the ball to the gain-line, but he also has a real acceleration, which is of benefit when you play 13 for that outside break and closing attacks down in defence. The plan would be that he would come on somewhere in that centre field, but if he has to come on at 10 for whatever reason we are looking forward to that, too.”

Hutchinson is a low-key but self-assured character who gives the impression that he will take whatever happens in his stride, whether that be at 10, 12, 13 ... or even 11, 14 or 15 in an emergency.

“It would just be a dream come true to represent my family, represent Scotland,” he added. “I like to think I have worked very hard to get into this position and if I do play it would be brilliant.”