Mike Blair admits victories over England and France in the RBS 6 Nations will go down as some of his best memories in the game after the Scotland scrum-half announced his retirement from all forms of rugby.
The 35-year-old is one of Scotland’s most-celebrated players since the turn of the millennium, after an 85-cap career that saw him nominated for the IRB Player of the Year in 2008.
Of those 85 caps, 39 were won in the RBS 6 Nations and two of his finest victories at BT Murrayfield were over England in 2006 and 2008 – with him being captain for the latter.
Blair will now move into a coaching role with Glasgow Warriors, and he is looking forward to bringing through the next generation of Scotland scrum-halves.
“I’ve got a lot of memories that will live with me for the rest of my life,” said Blair, who retired from international duty in 2013.
“Beating England here a couple of times [2006 and 2008], beating France and also Australia away from home, and playing in a European Cup semi-final with Edinburgh. There are plenty of memories.
“My recent spell on the sidelines has allowed me to start coaching earlier than expected, working with scrum-halves Henry Pyrgos, Grayson Hart and Ali Price, all of whom are currently playing very well.
“They have been a pleasure to work with and I look forward to working with them more as the season draws to a close and extending this role to the rest of the squad as we move into next season.”
