Despite growing up in the USA and Ireland, Tommy Seymour was left with just “a dodgy accent” and memories as his allegiance transferred seamlessly to Scotland.
The Glasgow Warriors wing played Under-19 rugby for Ireland but will be aiming to put them to the sword at Murrayfield on Saturday as the Scots seek to avoid a RBS 6 Nations whitewash and deny Ireland a chance at a second successive championship.
Seymour’s formative rugby came in the Ulster and Irish system, but admits he was always a “Momma’s Boy” and determined to play for the country of mother Sue’s birth.
“Ireland was my entry point to rugby and it would have unnatural for me to have supported anyone else growing up,” he said. “I watched Brian O’Driscoll as much as anyone, but also admired back three players like Geordan Murphy, Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan.
“But there was always that Scottish heritage with me as well, and I loved watching the Lamont brothers, Rob Dewey always impressed me, Chris Paterson obviously as well.
“Simon Danielli was always a great help to me when we were at Ulster together. He still occasionally pops me a message now and then just to give me a reality check.”
His mum’s influence, and coming over to Glasgow, confirmed the path he always believed he was travelling, he recalled.
“Just coming over and playing for Glasgow, getting immersed in the Scottish culture and the Scottish way of playing, was very infectious,” he continued.
“There was a drive about it, there was a unity that just crept in and it became part of you as well. It felt very natural to be like that and then getting the inclusion in the squad just heightened that.
“I felt the transition to be pretty natural as the years progressed, and it’s just become more and more passionate within me.”
Only Simon Zebo and Conor Murray are in the current team from around Seymour’s time in Ireland, but he admitres the work done by Saturday’s visitors in recent times.
“They have obviously moved on well from O’Driscoll’s retirement. Any man and his horse would say that with 10 out of 11 victories they have obviously been doing something right. “They have a talented coach and a talented group of players, but let’s add another to their loss column.
“For us, we need to be realistic about doing the things we’ve done well in parts, in previous games, consecutively well over an 80 minute period.
“It is no good at test level to play good for 20 or 30 minutes; there is no let up.
“On Saturday with Mark’s try, everything we did from the lineout to the finish was perfect: the speed of ball, the lines of running, not allowing the defence to settle.
“We need to say “right, we have done that, it worked, let’s go again.” Reset and repeat. We need to do that in order to win games and we have the ability to do it.”
The frustration that they’ve been unable to do that consistently is shared in the squad, he continued.
“We have raised expectations, which was the aim from the autumn,” he went on. “We have raised that bar and everyone is now judging us from it, and that;s the way it should be
“We now need to start producing performances that get to that standard or exceed it. The expectation is to exceed it because that’s how you progress. If we can do these things we will start moving again in the right direction.”