Young Guns: Scotland U20 & Glasgow prop Callum Norrie
Callum Norrie was forced to watch on from the sidelines after his U20s Six Nations campaign came to a premature end due to injury, but the tighthead prop has his sights set on starring for Scotland in the World Trophy this summer.
Norrie, 19, ruptured his AC joint in the first 10 minutes of Scotland's win over Wales in round 2 of the Six Nations and was subsequently ruled out for 11 weeks.
It was a frustrating blow for Norrie, who had earned himself a starting spot in Kenny Murray's side.
Following a strong performance against England at the Stoop and a 18-17 victory over Wales, Scotland's campaign petered out with heavy defeats by Ireland, France and Italy.
Norrie said: “We were averaging four injuries a game, so even if you've got amazing depth that just kills you. France away is always going to be tough, not many teams go out to France and win because they love their rugby out there. They get massive crowds at hostile places to play. In the Ireland game, nothing went our way and we didn't turn up for it. It definitely wasn't an issue with boys wanting it because the boys worked so hard, but it was the injuries that cost us.
“The results towards the tail end of the tournament weren't brilliant but beating Wales was massive for the boys and that game at the Stoop was good but I think we should have come away with a win down there. The season has been a massive learning experience with my injury making sure I don't get bogged down, and working out what I can work on in that period to get fitter and stronger and lay down foundations for the future.”
After a poor run of results in 2019, Scotland U20s were relegated to the World Trophy from the World Cup but Norrie believes his side can go all the way in Kenya this summer.
“We're aiming to win that and qualify for the World Cup next year. It'll be really cool getting out to Kenya, we've got quite a manageable pool so we think we can win the tournament,” said Norrie.
The 6ft 3ins, 18st 9lbs Glasgow Warrior is following in the footsteps of British and Irish Lion Zander Fagerson, who he says has played a huge role in his progression as a prop.
He added: “I went to the same school as Zander and followed the same path up to this point, so he was someone who I idolised as his path is realistic because I've witnessed it firsthand. He's quality around the park, does his bread and butter well, and is a really good scrummager but also gets through a massive amount of work in the loose. He might not be particularly flashy with it, but he carries hard, tackles well, and works really hard around the breakdown.
“We came back from the U20s Summer Series at the same time as the full-time professional boys, so we did our preseason stuff with them. He was excellent at taking me under his wing and showing me the ropes in terms of the scrum and my defensive work. Everyone's been brilliant, not just in terms of giving you tips and reviewing your game, they make you feel welcome and part of the group.
“With it being a World Cup year, I'd like to be involved in some Glasgow pre-season games.”
