Richie Gray tipping his brother Jonny for Lions call-up

Returning Glasgow lock expecting big things from his little brother following his switch to Exeter

Richie Gray, left, is expecting his little brother Jonny to challenge for silverware following his switch to Exeter Chiefs. Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images

The return home only to find everything has changed. It’s a well-worn story which has provided the theme for many a work of literature and cinema.

Richie Gray is experiencing that now after making his way back to his first club after eight years away to discover a Glasgow Warriors much different from the one he left in 2012.

No Finn Russell, Stuart Hogg or, most notably for him, his younger brother Jonny, and no prospect of playing in front of 1,500 on a muddy pitch at Firhill. It is certainly a more confident, successful and ambitious Glasgow that the 30-year-old lock rejoins from Toulouse after spells at Castres and Sale Sharks.

Back at Glasgow Warriors, Richie Gray says his wife gave him a 'two all over' lockdown haircut. Picture: SNS

Gray fully backs 26-year-old Jonny’s move to Hogg at Exeter Chiefs and believes it could be the catalyst to him following his older brother into the red jersey of the British and Irish Lions next year.

“I certainly hope so. I think he’ll be competing for a Premiership final, competing for a European Champions Cup and I’m sure it’ll be the same next year given the quality of side that he’s moved to,” said Richie. “If he’s performing well there, I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t be in the conversation for the Lions.”

Jonny has crept just eight behind Richie’s 65 Scotland caps but after a couple of years of successive injuries and a sabbatical to deal with the arrival of his son Ostin, which saw him miss the World Cup, the 6ft 10in second-row is looking to tick along his tally again.

He feels that his time in France has improved him as a player and, still only 30, is not viewing this move as a cosy wind-down to his career.

“If I can highlight one area, the lineout,” he said. “My role in the lineout has changed and I feel I’ve improved massively there from a leadership point of view. I went to Toulouse and ended up as part of the group that was running things and leading them throughout the week so I also feel there’s been a massive improvement there which I certainly hope to bring to Glasgow.

“My work in the tight has improved as well, which there had been big question marks around in my early Glasgow days, as France is one of these places where you have to be good in that tight combat area.

“But there are still things I’d like to get back, to continue to become more well-rounded.”

Gray will look to lead in those areas but feels captaincy or co-captaincy would be a bit hasty after just coming back in the door.

“I am certainly hoping to be part of the leadership group, that is very important for me, and I want to share as much as I can with the group, but I know Scott Cummings has done well with Glasgow so far running the lineout,” he said.

“As regards to captains and co-captains there has been nothing said as yet, but from a personal point of view I am just coming back to the club while there are other guys that have been here a long time like Ryan Wilson, Pete Horne and Sam Johnson so there is a good group who have been here a long time.”

Appearing on a Zoom call with the media, the former blond bombshell was looking very neat and tidy up top, and a bit darker, and admits he cracked during the strict lockdown in France and allowed wife Ellie to employ some emergency hairdressing. Asked if the new shorn look was desperation or a sign of maturing, Gray laughed and said: “A bit of both!

“You’re married with kids and I think you kind of need to grow up but it was also a stage two months into quarantine, and it was just getting out of control. So I asked my wife if she could shave a bit off and she took a razor to it and gave me a number two all over! Thankfully it’s grown back a little bit.”

With the loss of Jonny, Richie’s return is a major signing for the club but he isn’t sure if there will now be more pressure and expectation than those younger days when he was the poster boy of Scottish rugby.

“Who knows, those early days at Glasgow were pretty crazy,” he said. “But I think now you have some big players at the club, massive fan favourites like Leone [Nakarawa, inset] and Sam Johnson who is a cracking player who the fans love.

“From an expectation point of view that will be a personal thing for me to come in and do well, with my brother, who was a massive player for the club, moving on I hope to do my best to match up to that.”

With Cummings bursting on the scene in the last year or so and young lock talents like Kiran McDonald and Ally Bain honing their craft, Gray doesn’t know if Nakarawa’s unique talents might be deployed in the back row.

“What a player he is, he can play anywhere, he can play all across the back five and whenever I was up against him at Racing we used to try and analyse him, but he is impossible to play against. He is so good across the board.”

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