Chill-out chat with David Denton

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: David Denton of Scotland is tackled by Mike Brown of England during the RBS Six Nations match between England and Scotland at Twickenham Stadium on February 2, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by David Rogers - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Nicknames: I also get called the Octopus because when I run I tend to be very loose, with limbs flying everywhere.

The young Scotland No 8 talks sevens, socks and superstitions

RUGBY WORLD: Who’s the best player to room with for away games?

DAVID DENTON: Chunk (Allan Jacobsen) is a pretty good one. You learn an awful lot about life in a very short time.

RW: And the worst room-mate?

DD: Tim Visser is a nightmare. He watches some very strange TV, loves a long bath, and let’s just say he’s not shy.

RW: Have you got any nicknames?

DD: I’ve picked up a few nicknames while I’ve been at Edinburgh. A few of the guys started calling me Chewy, in honour of Chewbacca from Star Wars, after they heard me making a Wookiee-like noise. I also get called the Octopus because when I run I tend to be very loose, with limbs flying everywhere. There are plenty more but I’ll leave it at that I think!

RW: Who’d play you in a film of your life?

DD: Will Smith?

RW: Who are the jokers in the Edinburgh squad?

DD: James King and Netani Talei love a practical joke. One of the better ones was when the Scotland squad was on the summer tour and, after a 30-hour journey home, Tim Visser returned to find his car covered bumper to bumper in cling film.

RW: Do you have any phobias?

DD: I don’t have any big phobias but I steer clear of any large spiders, snakes or dodgy airlines as much as the next guy.

RW: Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with?

DD: A comedian, someone like Michael McIntyre or Jimmy Carr. On second thoughts, Miranda Kerr and her friends at Victoria’s Secret would be better. I’m sure they’re mildly comical…

RW: If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

DD: I’d like to be able to teleport so I can take away all the time I waste through travel and walking to the bathroom at 4am.

RW: You must spend a lot of time up and about in the middle of the night! Do you have any superstitions?

DD: I’ve never had any, but at the start of the season I noticed that, more often than not, I had my socks on the wrong foot – each pair has an ‘L’ or an ‘R’ on them. So I’ve recently started making sure they were the right way round, though it has yet to start paying dividends!

RW: Who would be your three dream dinner-party guests?

DD: Without a doubt my first choice is Jamie Oliver and needless to say he’d be cooking. Second would probably be Gerard Butler and lastly Jennifer Aniston.

RW: What’s your guilty pleasure?

DD: I watch a lot of reality TV, things like Jersey Shore, Geordie Shore and so on.

RW: What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen on the pitch?

DD: I get a lot of stick from the boys about when I was playing for the Scotland Sevens side in George. From one of the kick-offs during the game against Wales, I managed to completely miss the ball and it bounced off my head 20 metres forward. Somehow – thankfully – the video hasn’t got around.

RW: How would you like to be remembered?

DD: As a player who is hard and aggressive and works as hard as he possibly can.

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This article appeared in the March 2013 issue of Rugby World Magazine.

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