John Barclay hadn’t qwuite made his peace with himself about his international career ending, but just about until Vern Cotter called.
The 40-times capped open side wasn’t used by Scotland head coach Cotter or by his predecessor Scott Johnson laterally, and while originally frustrated, had learned to love with it.
Now, however, he has a great chance just as he did eight years ago as a 20-year-old if he impresses in tomorrow’s World Cup warm-up match against Italy at BT Murrayfield.
Barclay was a surprise choice for the 2007 tournament, played in 2011 “one of the most disappointing experiences of my life” and 2015 is therefore “unfinished business”.
It reignited when Cotter called him after the Six Nations, when Barclay freely admitted “I thought that would be it” for him and Scotland.
“Made my peace is a bit extreme, but I was enjoying my rugby and I thought I was playing pretty well where I was,” he said. “It took me a while to realise that you can only do what you can do, if you don’t get picked, you don’t get picked.
“Then Vern phoned me and said, `keep your head down, we know you’re doing some good stuff, we’re just looking at different combinations of players’. He gave me some bits and bobs that would strengthen my game, I took that away worked with coaches at Scarlets and felt like I put some good performances in the last few months of the season.”
Sure enough, Cotter thought so too, and now he has his chance this weekend, but with the philosophy of experience to help him.
“Of course I’ll be really disappointed if I don’t get picked, but if I play as well as I can and I still don’t get picked what can I do? I can’t change that.
“I have enough understanding now to know that if you put your best foot forward and you still don’t get picked then that is out of your control.”
He recalls his own first squad in 2007 and the disappointment of his friends, but is mature enough to do he can’t change anything but by impressing on the field this weekend.
“I remember Johnnie Beattie missing out four years ago and Johnnie never got the chance, and he’s devastated by that.
“But I’ve got a chance this weekend, and that’s all I’m focusing on. It’s my first test match start for a couple of years so I’ve got get the most out of myself because if you look too far ahead at the end picture you lose sight of what you have to do.”