| Venue:Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Date:Saturday 26 February Kick-off:14:15 GMT |
| Coverage: Live streaming on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. |
You would be amazed at what Bill McLaren would think of Darcy Graham today if he was still alive. What glorious commentary would he create to capture the’shimmyshammy” brilliance of his fellow son from Hawick.
It’s as fast as a trout up the burn. As if a demented ferret was trying to climb a drainpipe. Three men could be side-stepped in a telephone box. Bill’s famous lines about great players could be repackaged to apply to the Scotland Wing – and we could also include that lovely thing he once said about Phil Bennett in his pomp. If you catch him, it is your chance to make a wish.
Graham is in the best shape of his life. The try that opened the game against England, the moment with Luke Cowan Dikie and the crucial turnover at the end that sealed victory. There is an overriding feeling that whenever he has the ball, which has not been nearly often enough for Scotland’s benefit, something exciting will occur.
Graham is either 5ft 9ins or 5ft 10, depending on whether you believe Six Nations stats, or Edinburgh’s stats. He’s either 84kg (or 85kg), depending on whether you believe Six Nations stats or Edinburgh’s stats. It has almost nothing. It’s amazing that none of the 15 wingers featured in the opening rounds have had to break as many tackles, nine to Damian Penaud’s, and seven to Gabin Villiere. If you were to choose a tournament team right now, Penaud’s, Penaud’s, Villiere, and Mack Hansen from Ireland would be on the shortlist.
He smiles at the memories of those who said he wouldn’t make it because of his size. “In my head, I’m 100 kilos. You must see yourself as a giant. Sometimes it works, and other times it doesn’t. Sometimes I just get too involved and then I think “Maybe I shouldn’t have done that”. I am a little like Ally, my father who was a former motocross fan. My body is not respected by me.”
We thought his first attempt in the Calcutta Cup match against England in 2019, where he cut inside Jack Nowell and then Manu Tuilagi, before performing Ellis Genge, was a masterpiece of wing play. His finish in Cardiff in front of Louis Rees Zamit is also of similar quality. He took a slight step in the direction of his opponent before turning around and looking at him from the outside. It was an awful day in Scotland, but it was a beautiful moment.
He said, “I don’t think about them much.” “I just react to the situation in front of me.” Graham received no flak despite the fact that Scotland lost to Wales. It was still very difficult to bear. The performance was not good enough. We believed that Wales was going to win the game by winning penalties, and that’s exactly what happened. Their points were earned by our mistakes and our lack of discipline. But, we are honest and we can handle the criticism.
“We don’t need someone to drill us over it. We only need to play against France on Saturday, and prove that we can be better than what happened in Cardiff. We’ll be back in the game if we win against France. They’ve been beaten twice in succession so it is no surprise that France would be angry and try to win the Grand Slam. They seem like the team to beat but we aren’t panicking.”
“It’s amazing that my brother survived.”
Graham’s attempt against Wales will be seen by everyone. Some people won’t have noticed the gesture he made in the immediate aftermath. He pointed his finger at the spot where Clark was standing, a gesture that indicated that the score had been dedicated to him.
The backstory is quite shocking, and frankly, almost miraculous. Clark, 17, crashed his car on January 4, 2020 while driving from Hawick to Galashiels on an icy road. He was in a terrible accident and ended up in a coma for three weeks with severe brain injuries. He spent three months in hospital. In Covid’s time, visits were cut to a minimum. Darcy did not see his brother for three months, which was quite a long and terrible time.
Each day brought with them dread at the thought that Clark might not live to see another day. Torment was felt every time the phone rang at the house. These were the most difficult days of their lives for the entire family: mum Leah and dad Ally, brother Brodie and sister Rhianna, as well as the larger Graham circle and Louise,
Darcy said, “He shouldn’t” “He shouldn’t. That’s something I’ve heard before. He survived after we spoke with nurses and doctors. He had to learn how walk and talk again. He had to learn how to walk and talk again.
“My mum was worried about him going to the USA, but he was fantastic. When I scored, he was sitting in front of me and I pointed him up. He and his friends were going insane. He is hoping to go back to work so that’s a huge stepping stone.
Graham’s ability to move one foot ahead of the other during his normal life is beyond comprehension. However, it is still a mystery how he was able to do this while playing Six Nations rugby.
“The France victory (won in Paris’s last play) was very moving because Clark had just begun to speak again that week. It is my enduring memory of that game. Clark was the last song that I heard in my dressing room before I left for those games. I would be in tears as he lay in hospital. Looking back, I know I shouldn’t have. I was not in the best mental state, compared to where I am now. It was a way to escape, but also for my dad and mum, it was a chance for them to spend two hours trying to figure out what to do next.
Was it a song? “I’ll keep it quiet, I really haven’t told anyone what the song’s name is. None of the boys knows what it is. To be truthful, I don’t know how it happened. While I think I did it because I felt I had to, looking back I realize I shouldn’t have. But, at the same time I’m glad I did. I have that special France memory.
It will still come over you in a few days. It’s still fresh. It’s triggered by small things. It’s not clear how long this will last, but it’s past the year mark and I feel like I’ve lost a lot of weight. Clark is a great example of how you would not have known that anything had happened.
“I keep it simple, give me the ball, and I’ll run.”
A touching story is told by him about the brother and sister Grahams. He was gifted a necklace by his sister with an angel wings pendant as a Christmas gift. Clark received the necklace while he was still in a coma. Throughout his stay at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Astley Ainslie hospitals in Edinburgh, as well as the Borders general hospital (Melrose), he kept the necklace.
Darcy then bought one for Brodie and one each for Rhianna, as well as one for him. The angel wings allow them to move on to the next chapter.
Graham’s life was consumed by rugby until the accident. His life was pretty simple and he was fine with it. He had Edinburgh, and he had Scotland. He got everything he wanted. It was all he ever wanted.
He began to think about what he and Clark could do together over the past six months. “We have started a small clothing business. Although it is small, this is my way to switch off. It’s helped me get my mind focused and has made a big difference.
It’s normal gear, casual wear, T-shirts and sweatshirts, and hoodies. Clark’s accident and our angel wings are the inspiration for everything. It means that you will always have an Angel looking out for your needs, no matter where you live. That is the origin of the business name. It’s Raphael, the angel of healing.
He believes that having an interest other than rugby is what makes him a better athlete. The evidence is clear. This is in addition to the Edinburgh changing of the guard. While he’s grateful to Richard Cockerill as his coach, Mike Blair’s rugby has been more fun and it’s allowed him to attack more. As a result, his confidence has increased.
“I love simplicity. You just need to give me the ball and you’ll see me run. There have been some great days in the past few years, but the England match at Murrayfield was my favorite. It was the best feeling I have ever felt after a rugby match.
“And then we go on to Wales, and we lose again. That is what we have to do. I am certain we will. It’s going be an exciting game on Saturday. It’s going to be a great experience.