Scott Gray, an African-born flanker, last night revealed his aim of following in the footsteps of Simon Danielli, his Bath clubmate, by playing international rugby for Scotland.
Though he is Zimbabwean by birth and spent six years of his career in Australia, the
25-year-old's father is from Barrhead and he hopes to impress the Scottish selectors.
''My Scottish qualification has always been at the back of my mind,'' the former Brisbane Broncos rugby league player said, having been named in Zurich Premiership-topping Bath's starting line-up for the first time. ''I am keen to pursue that if the chance comes, but I have to perform for Bath first.''
Gray had the opportunity to play for Zimbabwe early in his career down under, then he was targeted by the Australian under-21 management while he was a member of the ACT Brumbies development squad. He was ineligible to represent the country at that stage and remains available to Scotland.
Speedy enough to have played in the centre for the Broncos last season before his move to Bath in the summer, he is a fine footballer who can play anywhere in the back row. He will start at blindside against the Italian side, L'Aquila, in Bath's Parker Pen Challenge Cup tie this weekend, but his pace could make him a contender as an openside.
Cammy Mather filled the role superbly in his belated recall to the national team after injury removed Andrew Mower from the World Cup campaign, but he is more of a specialist blindside.
Gray knows he must prove himself in the Zurich Premiership before he has a chance of honours. ''I didn't do any of the pre-season work here and only arrived in time for the final trial match, so the guys involved throughout were entitled to their chance, and deserve to have kept their places in the side because they have been playing superbly,'' said Gray. ''This is a very big opportunity for me this weekend.''
A try-scorer against North-ampton in an appearance as a replacement for Bath, Gray admitted drawing inspiration from the way Danielli burst on to the Test scene this year having decided to opt for the country of his birth, saying: ''Simon has done well and it shows how quickly things can happen.''
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