“It’s a chance to immortalise ourselves in Moray history” - Moray Rugby Club captain Lewis Scott looks forward to National Shield final against Cumnock at Murrayfield
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Moray Rugby Club captain Lewis Scott says his team-mates can become legends if they pull off a Murrayfield success on Saturday.
Watch the tries that took Moray to Murrayfield.
Moray take on Cumnock in the final of the National Shield at the Hive Stadium, home of Edinburgh Rugby Club within the Scottish national stadium complex.
Read more: Playing at Murrayfield will mean the world to Millar
Watch interview with player coach Cameron Hughes
The club is also on the brink of clinching promotion to the national leagues.
Skipper and top try scorer Scott (28) says victory in the final would cap his long career at the Morriston club and give him his proudest sporting day.
“It's not often you can tell people you have played at Murrayfield. I am really excited for it, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.
“Making it to the final is just unbelievable and to have the chance at some silverware and also be chasing another promotion and going for the double, it is just unheard of.
“It would be up there with my highest moments if I was able to lift that shield.
“Last year was one of the highest in my career getting promoting but on Saturday, not just for me but all of the lads its a chance to essentially immortalise ourselves in Moray history.
“We’ll be 22-man squad who went down to Murrayfield and had the chance to lift the national shield - I can’t wait for it.”
Under the charges of player-coach Cam Hughes, Moray won Caledonia North Division 2 last season, gaining promotion to the North Conference which they also topped this term to reach the promotion play-offs.
Last week’s victory at Dundee 2nds - where Scott scored a hat-trick of tries - took Moray to within one victory of promotion to National Division 4.
For now, all the focus is on the cup final and the chance to make history.
Their journey to the showpiece match has been memorable. In three of their ties against Grangemouth, Ardrossan and Linlithgow, they overcame considerable deficits to fight back and snatch victory in the closing moments.
“The guys have a don’t-die attitude and it was shown against Ardrossan who were top of the West league, coming from 15-0 down to 22-20,” Scott said. “Then Linlithgow being top of the east, we came back again. The players feel they can come back from any deficit, almost, and it is fantastic to see.
“Even at Dundee on Saturday we were tied at 22-22 in a really competitive game and all it took was a few drives up the side and three tries in the space of eight minutes. A game can always change in the blinking of an eye. But the work-rate is unbelievable from the team.”
Scott first played rugby at Moray at the age of 11 before work commitments led to him taking a sabbatical from the sport.
He returned seven years ago when his job allowed him time off at weekends and he has taken great delight in watching his club’s fortunes grow.
“There’s a lot of boys, ones who I call The Moray lads who are just red and white underneath.
“I couldn’t ask for a better bunch of lads to be captain of. Anything you say to them they will listen to you and they always give you feedback, and everyone takes it in.
“I will get feedback if I’m having a bad game or done something wrong and I take all that in as part of the team. I see myself as more of a player than a captain but I have to remember that I am captain.”
Last season in the lower league, Scott went over the opposition line for a try 27 times, and last week’s treble matched the previous year’s tally.
“I remember making the joke that I would try and beat it, but I was humble in what I was thinking knowing that going into the higher league it wouldn't be easy.
“But I am currently on 27 and it's been great. Most people who look at me think I am a prop and don’t seem too impressed to see me on the wing.
“It helps when you are in, going in the contact and I hear the boys shouting at me, or my fiancee or my parents, anyone cheering me on - it gives me a little bit of extra edge.
“I believe then ‘I can win this contact’ and I will happily run into four or five guys and I feel if I power into them I can gain some ground especially when I have momentum.”
The dad of two young children, Scott would love nothing better than to tell them when he is older that he captained a double-winning Moray team and lifted a trophy at Murrayfield.
“For the final, I don’t know how many supporters buses are coming but I know I’ve got a lot of my family coming down to watch and its amazing when people are taking time off work to cheer us on.
“There’s 29 of us going down on the Friday, and two or three buses. My fiance is travelling down with the youngest, she had a few in the car, my mum, my stepdad and my dad as well.
“All of the players have all sorts of family coming down as well so I can quite believe we are going to fill a fair bit of the stand.”
Cumnock have reserved their best form this season for the National Shield and Scott admits it will be another step into the unknown for Moray.
“You can look back at their league results but take it with a pinch of salt because you don’t know what they are going to bring, and I think that’s what really excites us as well.
“We have played teams like Dundee, Panmure, Ardrossan and it’s an excitement not knowing what they are going to bring and they don’t know what we are going to bring so it makes it all the more competitive. When you play the same teams year in, year out you kind of know what they are going to do.
“With Cumnock, I have a vague idea of what they are going to bring but I am not that focused on that. I am more focused on them not knowing what we will bring and that’s part of the battle. Can they keep up with the way we play?
“This weekend we have one of the strongest teams we can field and I trust each and every one of them.
“I always ask them week in, week out just to follow me for 80 minutes and I will back them all the way. On Saturday I will back them to every end and we will see where it takes us.
“I’ve got every faith that we can win the double but we will see what Saturday brings.
“I want to play in the national leagues as well and I am looking forward to trying to help us get there if we can.”
