Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist believes the experience of captaining his country can turn him into a leader for club side Edinburgh this year.
Head coach Vern Cotter handed the 23-year-old the Scotland captaincy for the last two matches of the summer Tour against Argentina and South Africa, despite having only won six caps previously. Gilchrist made his international debut against France in the 2013 RBS 6 Nations and will be eyeing up a call-up to next year’s tournament. But for now, the 6ft 8in second-row is prepared to succeed former Edinburgh captain Greig Laidlaw should head coach Alan Solomons hand him the responsibility. “It was a massive honour to captain Scotland, something I really enjoyed as well,” Gilchrist told the Edinburgh Evening News. “When you first get told you are not sure if it will affect your play and make you more nervous, but I actually enjoyed the extra responsibilities. “It did feel a bit surreal when people referred to me as Scotland captain and for a spell it almost didn’t seem right but it is something I am very proud of. “I’m happy to do it [captaincy] if required. Above all I want to keep doing my job for Edinburgh the way I have been for the last few years and keep developing my game. “I’ve come back keen to develop captaincy as an area of my game as well and try to become more of a leader.”
Visit our official RBS 6 Nations Instagram page to follow all the best images from the Championship
