“I’ve come South to toughen myself up,” says Scotland giant Richie Gray

Richie Gray wants to emulate boyhood hero Martin Johnson and become a master of the dark arts of forward play following his move to the English Premiership.
The pin-up of Scottish rugby surprised everyone when he decided to pack his bags and leave Glasgow for Sale this summer.
But second row Gray, who turns 23 on Friday, feels the move south was necessary for him to become a better player, particularly in the tight areas where Johnson excelled.
“I felt Sale is the place I could improve most as a player,” Gray told The Rugby Paper. “One of the main target areas for me to improve is general forward play, my scrummaging, mauling and work in the other tight areas. The Premiership will give me those challenges week-in week-out.
“Having spoken to a number of other players about the Premiership the one thing that stands out is the physicality. And there’s no better place to start than Exeter away; they are a very tough and physical side.
“There are no easy games and it’s 100 per cent about getting the right result every week otherwise relegation can come into play.”
Not that Gray’s gaze is downward despite his 6ft 10in frame. He reckons that Sale are serious title contenders, another reason why he, like fellow stellar signing Danny Cipriani, chose Sale over a number of other clubs.
He said: “When I came to meet Steve Diamond he set out the club’s ambitions – to be in the latter stages of European competition and at the top end of the Premiership.
“I was aware of interest from other clubs but I felt Steve’s passion from that chat and decided this was the place for me.”
As a lifelong Rangers fan, the identity of Gray’s soccer idol is as surprising as the proud Scot picking someone from the Auld Enemy as his rugby equivalent.
“Growing up I was really into football and I always liked watching Thierry Henry play even though I was a defender. And then from the age of 12 I moved to a rugby-playing school and as I got older I really looked up to Martin Johnson for the way he played and what he achieved. At the time he was captain of England and led them to the World Cup.”
Rated as one of the world’s most exciting young locks through his athleticism and ball-handling skills, Gray is another addition to Sale’s expanding Scottish enclave.
Headed by owner Brian Kennedy, Sale’s ‘Tartan Army’ also includes head coach Bryan Redpath, forwards coach Steve Scott as well as fellow pack members Richie Vernon – Gray’s housemate, Alasdair Dickinson and Fraser McKenzie.
Scott coached Gray at the Scottish RFU academy and is looking forward to the blond bomber realising the potential that he showed at a very young age.
Scott said: “Richie realises he has still got some real hard work to do to reach his world-class potential. He has come back from the Scotland tour, had a holiday and has trained really well and is up to speed with what we’re trying to do.
“Everyone knows he’s a great ball carrier and is very athletic with his size and his height, but we don’t get many sunny days like this so once the Premiership gets into November, December and January, when you have wet weather and heavy pitches, that’s when we will be looking to him to take control.
“His size makes him outstanding for setting up mauls so that’s an area where I want him to really take a real grip.
“We want to play an exciting game and he’ll definitely feature in that as much as the tight play. But the game doesn’t get away from basics; you must be good at your set-piece, driving mauls, scrummaging and contact skills.”
JON NEWCOMBE