Six Nations: World Cup flop left Barclay ‘fed up’ with rugby until Sean Lineen provided a kick up the backside

John Barclay, who is back in the starting XV for Sunday’s game against France, revealed yesterday that he became “fed up with rugby” in the aftermath of last year’s World Cup, and has only recently been able to enjoy playing again.

“I think I had a bit of a hangover from the World Cup,” he said. “I didn’t play particularly well there.”

Besides failing to qualify for the last eight at the World Cup for the first time, Scotland have lost their first two matches in the Six Nations Championship. But while Barclay has found the last few weeks frustrating because of those defeats to England and Wales. he has also dispensed with the jaded feeling he had last year, and which he is convinced was born out of the huge physical and mental preparation required for the World Cup.

“I stopped playing in February or March to prepare myself for the World Cup, so effectively my World Cup started then,” he explained. “And to put that much physical and emotional preparation into something that was over just like that, and then we came home . . .

“I think it just took a bit out of me, and I didn’t particularly enjoy playing rugby that much when I got back. I was just fed up with rugby and what was going on.

“I think it was just a case of we didn’t qualify and I didn’t play as well as I could have. And that personally is reasonably hard to take.

“You play rugby because you enjoy it. You have to remember that sometimes rugby can be crap, and it isn’t fun losing, and that’s what we’ve experienced in the last few weeks, that it’s not fun to lose. And you get fed up and you get frustrated. But, ultimately, it’s a pretty good job to do, and you have to pick yourself up.

“It doesn’t change the fact that you want to win. You have to enjoy yourself as well.”

The desire to win is as yet unfulfilled in the championship, but there have been moments of enjoyment for Barclay in his appearances off the bench against England – for the last 20 minutes – and Wales, in which he played almost the whole second half after injury to Alasdair Strokosch. After three or four years in which he was almost an automatic choice, being listed as a replacement for those two matches helped the Glasgow forward appreciate the sport more.

“You can’t be too upset to be on the bench for Scotland, because you’re still involved and it’s still a great honour. If you get on the pitch it’s something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s been different, and it’s been frustrating from a personal, selfish point of view, but also because of how results have gone.”

Before being omitted by Scotland coach Andy Robinson, Barclay was left out of the Glasgow side by Sean Lineen. That too was a shock, and played a part in his rehabilitation. “Getting a kick up the arse and getting dropped by Glasgow hadn’t happened for years. I’m quite enjoying my rugby again, which is the most important thing.”

Although still best known as a No 7, Barclay has been playing some games at No 8 for Glasgow this season, and has taken the No 6 jersey from Strokosch for Sunday. He is shorter, lighter and faster than the stereotypical brick outhouse of a blindside, but he does not think there is only one way to play in the position, or that it need be a radical departure from playing on the other side of the back row.

“I don’t think it’s too different to playing openside. I’m not Sebastien Chabal, I’m not Jason White, I’m not 6ft 6in and 110 kilos, but it will allow me to get my hands on the ball a bit more. Certainly coming off the bench in the last few games I felt pretty comfortable, specially against Wales – I felt I made a good impact and carried the ball a lot. I just need to do that from the start of the game.”

If he does, he will enjoy Sunday’s match all the more. And so, perhaps, will the long-suffering supporters.