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Kiwi mentor helps rising star Gilchrist realise dream

Grant Gilchrist was taken under the wing of All Black Sam Whitelock while in New Zealand. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS

SAM Whitelock made himself a first-choice for the All Blacks in the recent World Cup and his new Scottish protégé is following a similar trajectory since spending a Kiwi winter with the Crusader.

Grant Gilchrist was in New Zealand from April to June, along with Harry Leonard and George Turner, courtesy of the John Macphail Scholarship programme, and he pitched up at the perfect time to find the Crusaders and New Zealand lock Whitelock ready and willing to take the 21-year-old under his wing. Gilchrist returned to Edinburgh while Whitelock was pushing past Ali Williams into the New Zealand team, and after one half off the bench in the professional game the Scot has gone on to start six of Edinburgh’s eight RaboDirect Pro12 matches this term.

He will today be named in the XV to make his first start in the Heineken Cup against London Irish tomorrow afternoon, and the former Lornshill HS pupil who emerged from Alloa RFC and latterly Stirling County pays tribute to Whitelock’s influence.

“This is something I’ve dreamt about for a long time,” he said. “Playing in the Heineken Cup is massive. I have come a long way in the last year. I broke my ankle at a bad time during last season, but then I might not have had the chance to go to New Zealand, and the four months in New Zealand have made a big difference in my development.

“I spent a lot of time with Sam and I learned a lot from him. He suffered an ankle injury in the game with the Sharks at Twickenham, which was when I went out, so he had a lot of spare time and was nice enough to spend it with me and review my games, and give me small tips. The time spent with him was really good. It’s hard to pinpoint everything that I benefited from; it was just his outlook and the way he showed me how to look at my game in more detail.

“At lineout time he knows what he’s talking about and has a whole lot of good ideas that I felt I could take on board. There were too many little things to mention, but things that will all make a difference.

“I don’t think it changed my thinking really, just added a bit and developed me more. I’ve definitely come back a better player. Mentally I was always focused on doing my best but it was an opportunity that has helped accelerate me quicker I think.”

Gilchrist is one of a crop of talented young players that Scottish coaches have been excited about for some time, one with good ball skills and no little intelligence, on and off the field clearly, having studied chemical engineering and worked briefly with BP. His step-up in recent weeks is timely given Richie Gray’s decision to leave the Scottish game for Sale next summer, providing a reminder that there is more than one talented second row on the horizon.

Gilchrist and Whitelock, who is just 23, are not dissimilar types of players, both standing 6ft 7in tall, but the Scot is almost two stones heavier at 18st 1lb and is showing signs of learning how to cope with the extra bulk and still play the mobile yet powerful game required of a modern lock forward.

“I played alongside Sam in the club game when he came back and though he wasn’t a World Cup winner then, he was obviously an All Black who had won the Tri Nations and Super 15, and I played alongside and felt ‘I can do that; he’s not that much better than me’ and that was an experience on its own,” he said.

“He was talking to me through the games and afterwards a lot of people, club coaches, said they didn’t see a lot of difference between the two of us and that’s a massive confidence booster and compliment. Obviously, I’ve got a lot to earn to reach his standards, but hopefully I can try my best to do that.

“We’ll keep in touch. I’ve sent him emails and I know he’s somebody I can turn to if I have a question on something. He is someone I can use as a contact moving forward, and having someone of his experience you are linked to is pretty special.”

Those comments provide an insight to Gilchrist’s self-belief and work ethic, which four months in New Zealand surrounded by leading All Blacks – Todd Blackadder was also on hand for advice – and a few earthquakes only enhanced.

“Those earthquakes were a bit scary though!” he added, shaking his head. “It was great to go there and support the people of Christchurch after all they had been through, and I experienced a couple of earthquakes one day, which was one of the most scariest things I’ve experienced.

“The second time it happened, I was sitting in the stand [at Rugby Park] getting my boots off and I don’t think I’d run 30 metres and hurdled a fence so quickly in my life. The Crusaders boys were in the showers and were running out naked. There was plenty banter going on, but it was scary.”

The prospect of facing London Irish at the Madejski Stadium seems trifling by comparison, and Gilchrist is certainly optimistic.

“I just want the Heineken Cup to start right now; I can’t wait to get going and come half one on Saturday I’ll really be in a good place,” he said.

“I have watched them for a number of years and they play an exciting brand of rugby. This year they are a lot more physical and direct than they have been and that’s the challenge we’ve been preparing for and will be ready for.”