Shade Munro aims to match the glory that was his Grandad's.
SHADE MUNRO, Scottish rugby's comeback kid, wins his second cap
against the Auld Enemy at Murrayfield today, 65 years after his maternal
grandfather, the great John M. Bannerman, made the last of his 37
consecutive international appearances in the same fixture at the same
ground.
Bannerman, who was later ennobled, entered the political arena and
went on to make his mark as one of the most kenspeckle Scots of his
generation, captained the side that day and bowed out with a 12-6
victory.
Today the grandson -- playing in the same position but representing,
at 6ft 6in and 17st 5lb compared to grandfather's 13 stones, a perfect
example of how sportsmen have developed physically in the intervening
years -- hopes to mark his Murrayfield debut with a similar result.
The game itself has dramatically altered too, within the space of two
generations. Shade, who overcame devastating injury problems to win his
way back into the international reckoning this season, trains four times
a week with Scotland squad and club. That is in addition to playing with
GHK on a Saturday afternoon.
By comparison, the Scotland stars of the Twenties would meet on the
morning of a Murrayfield international and, in some cases, literally
introduce themselves one to the other.
They reckon that when John Bannerman won his Oxford Blue the only
serious training he did was to switch his cigarette brand from Golf
Flake to State Express. There is, too, the tale told by fellow 1925
Grand Slam hero Jimmy Ireland of how they travelled together by train
from Glasgow to Haymarket Station on the morning of a Murrayfield
international.
Throughout the journey John regaled Jimmy on what they were going to
do to the Welsh. When he was reminded that it was the Irish who were
that day's opponents, Bannerman replied without blinking: ''Doesn't
matter a hoot. We'll give them the works too!''
Changed days. But the streak of cussed determination which made
Bannerman the greatest forward of the Twenties is reflected in his
grandson. In 1990 Munro, now 27, was on the brink of international
honours. He had been selected for the New Zealand tour that summer but
broke his right leg and shredded the knee ligaments in a charity match
two weeks before departure.
''It was a very bad injury and things didn't look good,'' he recalls.
''I was pretty down but Jimmy Graham, my surgeon at the Western General
in Glasgow, said right from the outset that he saw no reason why I
shouldn't play again. That kept me going through the months of
recuperation and physiotherapy.''
A year and a half later Munro made his comeback with GHK thirds but
fate dealt another cruel blow. He severely damaged the ligaments in his
left ankle. That meant another six months before the recovery programme
was back on track.
Rehabilitation continued with an outing in the Students' World Cup in
Italy and a couple of apearances for Scotland A. ''The Students' World
Cup really gave me back my appetite. It was hard rugby and I proved to
myself that I could cope at a higher level.''
Shade (the name has been in the Munro family for at least four
generations and the latest recipient has no real idea where it comes
from) made his much-delayed Scottish debut in the gloom, glaur and
defeat at Cardiff Arms park but ''really enjoyed it'' nevertheless.
''I didn't play well,'' he confesses. ''I don't think any of us did.
At the line-out I was jumping out of position in the middle and I didn't
get many calls but that's not an excuse. The thrill of running out on to
the park for Scotland after years of disappointment is just
indescribable. The volume of sound from the anthems was just amazing and
the game itself seemed to be over in no time. I can't wait for the
Calcutta Cup game.''
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