In the bowels of Murrayfield on Saturday, Jonny Gray spoke after appearing in his first international rugby match in almost two years.
Gray is not the most gregarious member of this Scotland squad. He’s not a natural performer in front of the cameras. But he’s honest and likeable and, most importantly, he’s back.
When he started to talk after the victory over Italy, his words had a power of their own.
Once the mainstay of the Scotland pack, he has had a miserable time with injury.
From the day in late April 2023 when he blew out his knee playing for Exeter, to early September 2024 when he turned out for his new club, Bordeaux, Gray played no rugby.
He wanted to make himself available for the November Tests but just didn’t feel like his body was ready. Then he got injured again.
No action in the six weeks leading up to Saturday, he wondered what the day held for him.
We saw Gray out there on the pitch and we heard from him afterwards, but what we knew nothing about was the anguish he’d gone through in all those months.
How difficult was that time? Very, he said.
Did he ever doubt that he’d play for Scotland again? Yes, he did.
How special was Saturday? He spoke of his two young sons who were in the stand, the first time the pair of them were there to see their father play for his country.
Emotional? Just a bit. And it was lovely.
You didn’t really need to hear his words to know what it meant to him, it was written on his face as he thanked the people who stood by him and believed in him.
