The evolution of Ewan Ashman as Scotland's starting hooker - 'it's completely different now'

Ashman spurred on by his supportive Scottish father

With so much talk surrounding 2025 being the year of success from this current Scotland team, it is reassuring to hear one of the principal players in the camp speaking about improvement and maturity.

Hooker Ewan Ashman knows this is his time to step up. The 24-year-old has spent most of his Scotland career playing second fiddle to George Turner but after his move to Japanese rugby last year, Ashman has emerged as head coach Gregor Townsend’s first choice in that department.

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Going into the Six Nations, Ashman’s importance to this team is heightened by a tournament-ending injury to his understudy in Sharks man Dylan Richardson. Ashman is competing with fellow Edinburgh hookers Dave Cherry and young Patrick Harrison, yet it would be a major surprise if he does not start against Italy in Saturday’s curtain-raiser.

Ashman burst on to the international scene in November 2021 by scoring a diving try at the corner flag in a win over Australia at Murrayfield. It was an example of his explosive nature away from lineouts, scrums and mauls and an insight into his style of play. The Toronto-born man believes some of that youthful exuberance has been curbed as he has got older and wiser.

Ewan Ashman during a Scotland men's training session at the Oriam this week. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)Ewan Ashman during a Scotland men's training session at the Oriam this week. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)
Ewan Ashman during a Scotland men's training session at the Oriam this week. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group / SRU

“Yes, I feel a different player,” smiles Ashman when that try against the Wallabies was brought up. “I was extremely raw then. I feel like I've come on so much, I'm a much more experienced, better player. Due to the coaches here and the system and being in it for a while I think I've grown a lot since then.

“I think when I was younger, much like anybody else probably, you've got those natural tendencies. You do what you're good at. I was guilty of making rash decisions or making silly defensive decisions. I think I've improved a lot in that area. I could probably name most facets of the game, but where I'm a lot more calmer and better is in terms of decision making. Maybe back then I was just ‘give me the ball, I want to make a big hit’. It's completely different now.”

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Townsend needs that from his hooker, although Ashman does not see himself as a shoo-in for selection. “No, I would never take anything for granted, that's for sure,” he says. “It's the same as anybody else. I think everybody's first job is getting in the squad. You're always waiting for that phone call - the emotions get high when you're getting that.

“So, no, I wouldn't ever take anything for granted. I don't think anybody else would either. Everything Is earned. You can't rest on your laurels or anything like that. You've just got to put in the work every day and push the intensity which is a lot of what we've been talking about. So every single day you have to train your best and be as professional as possible and then, after that, it's out of your hands.

Scotland's Ewan Ashman scores a try during the Autumn Nations Series match against Australia at Murrayfield, on Novermber 07, 2021. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)Scotland's Ewan Ashman scores a try during the Autumn Nations Series match against Australia at Murrayfield, on Novermber 07, 2021. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)
Scotland's Ewan Ashman scores a try during the Autumn Nations Series match against Australia at Murrayfield, on Novermber 07, 2021. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group) | SNS Group

“You can control controllables and do what you can in training and play as well as you can for your club, but at the end of the day somebody else is choosing the team. Obviously, I feel experienced and I feel like I try and drive people around me more just because I'm familiar with everything now. I've been in the system for a while so I'm comfortable with the calls, the defence calls. I can help people out and try and drive those standards a bit as everybody should in the squad.

“I'm as hungry as ever. I feel like I have exactly the same mindset as I was when I came in for the first time. I was 20 and I was just catching balls for Fraz Brown and Rambo [Stuart McInally]. Every time I pull on that jersey it's the exact same feeling. I just want to go out and do the best I can.”

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Ashman goes out there in a Scotland shirt with one other person driving him on. He qualifies for the country through his father Jonathan, who drives up from just outside Manchester to watch him play every single week.

“You can't stop my old man honestly,” Ashman laughs. “I was on the bench against Black Lion the last weekend, and I said ‘Dad, you can have a week off if you want, I'll probably just get half an hour and it's not as glamorous as coming up to Murrayfield for Scotland games’, but he was like ‘no way, I'm there’.

“Every week he's following me around, so I'm sure he'll be just as excited, if not more, than me for these Murrayfield games coming up. It's probably one of my biggest motivations, my old man coached me when I was younger. He absolutely loves it, he's the most Scottish man you'll ever meet in your life, a proud Edinburgh man. It’s a huge, huge motivation for me, I just want to give back to him and he's definitely one of the reasons that I play.”

Scotland's Grant Gilchrist, Ewan Ashman and Kyle Steyn at full-time after the Guinness Six Nations defeat to Italy last year. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)Scotland's Grant Gilchrist, Ewan Ashman and Kyle Steyn at full-time after the Guinness Six Nations defeat to Italy last year. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)
Scotland's Grant Gilchrist, Ewan Ashman and Kyle Steyn at full-time after the Guinness Six Nations defeat to Italy last year. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group / SRU

No doubt Ashman Snr will be back in his home town on February 1 to cheer on his son. Scotland feel they have some business to attend to after suffering a surprise defeat by the Italians in Rome last year. It was a big stain on an otherwise pretty impressive year for the team.

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“I think, if anything, last year’s result is just a bit of added fuel because it was a sore one and it's still fresh in my memory,” adds Ashman. “I think that'll just drive the standards in training leading into the game and I think all the boys will show huge respect towards them.

“They're a great team, Italy, so we're not looking past that first week and we know we have to be on top form at Murrayfield. There's nothing better than playing at Murrayfield. It's really hard to articulate, but it's honestly just a whole vibe. And even in the camp, the buzz going into those home games is different and it's already started.

“We are massively looking forward to Italy and hopefully that can be a game where we can build momentum and get behind each other and really build a vibe in the camp.”

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