Opportunity knocks for Hidalgo-Clyne

By Mark Stevens
13/11/20

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne hoped his move to Exeter Chiefs would offer him a new lease of life in terms of his rugby career.

Almost six months after arriving at Sandy Park, the gifted scrum-half could not have asked for a better introduction to life in Devon.

Fresh from helping his new club secure English and European title success, Hidalgo-Clyne is now back in the international mix, recalled to the Scotland squad ahead of the new Autumn Nations Cup tournament.

Tomorrow, the 27-year-old will be looking to his 12 Test caps to date, having been named on the bench by Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, who has talked up the form of the player since his switch to the Chiefs.

“It’s a chance that has come around through his own performances,” said Townsend. “He’s got a lot of his strengths to his game. He’s a very good kicker, he’s competitive like all good 9s, he has an eye for a gap, and has an all-round skilful game.

“He played 10 and 15 when he grew up, so he’s a heads-up 9, and we’ve seen those elements come out with Exeter, whether it’s starting a few games - he played very well against Northampton and Bristol - or coming off the bench, which he did in their semi-finals and finals.

“So we wanted to involve him in this period now, and he’s got an opportunity quite quickly after joining us to be in our match-day squad this weekend.”

Hidalgo-Clyne last pulled on a Scotland jersey during the 2018 summer tour when he started in the win over Canada and appeared as a replacement in the defeat by the United States and the victory over Argentina.

Ten of his dozen caps have been won from the bench and he has experienced good and bad against Italy. He was on the pitch when Scotland lost at home to the Italians for the first and only time in the 2015 Six Nations after conceding a last-gasp penalty try. But he also started in the 16-12 win in a World Cup warm-up game in Turin later that year. He will be understudy to Ali Price in Florence tomorrow, getting the nod ahead of Scott Steele.

Hidalgo-Clyne will be joined in Scotland's match-day squad by club-mates Jonny Gray, Sam Skinner and Stuart Hogg, the latter of whom will captain his country on his 79th Test appearance.