Alex Glashan with All Black Sonny Bill Williams

Alex Glashan announced himself to the rugby world with a Man of the Match performance in March 2009 as his Edinburgh Academy side beat George Watson’s College in the final of the Scottish Schools U15 Cup at Murrayfield.

Since then the 17-year-old scrum-half’s rise has been as steady as one of his passes, and Scotland U18 head coach Grant McKelvey believes Glashan is destined for great things. “He fits the mould of the modern No 9,” says McKelvey. “He’s tall and has the pace of a wing, an excellent breaking game and a good kicking game.”

Glashan is involved in the Scottish Academy programme, a facet of which is to align young talent with an established professional player in the same position. Glashan has Mike Blair, also a product of Edinburgh Academy, as his ‘mentor’ and the two have spent time working on the youngster’s game. Blair is also accessible on email should Glashan wish to pick his brains.

The teenager toured Spain last summer with McKelvey’s U18 squad and the coach envisages Glashan featuring prominently in this year’s U18 Six Nations. “Despite being a year young he coped well in Spain. I’ve no doubt he’ll be able to cope with playing the likes of England U18 and the French,” he says.

“One of Alex’s strengths is his character; he’s very self-aware and works hard to improve all areas of his game. Every task we’ve set Alex he’s completed to a high standard. He has a maturity beyond his years.”

RUGBY WORLD VERDICT

Glashan has the tools to go all the way to the top of the game.

Gavin Mortimer

This article appeared in the March 2011 issue of Rugby World Magazine

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