Grand Slam greats to present match ball
9 Feb 2024Two of Scotland’s heroes from a past famous victory against France will present the match ball at tomorrow’s international at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium.
24/03/10
MURRAYFIELD - EDINBURGH
Emirates Sevens Ambasidors Roy Laidlaw (right) and John Rutherford look ahead to the forthcoming tournament The half-backs from Scotland’s 1984 Grand Slam success against France, John Rutherford (Selkirk) and Roy Laidlaw (Jed-Forest), will present the match-ball as part of the 40th anniversary.
Laidlaw’s brace of tries at Lansdowne Road in the Triple Crown clinching game against Ireland, which preceded the Grand Slam decider, are forever enshrined in Scottish rugby folklore.
Rutherford, like Laidlaw a British and Irish Lion in New Zealand the previous year, was one of Scotland’s all-time great stand-offs and is a member of Scottish Rugby’s Hall of Fame.
The 1984 Grand Slam is also celebrated in the match programme, where there is an exclusive feature with Jim Calder – scorer of the decisive try against France – Euan Kennedy (who thundered over for a try against England) and the redoubtable “Bear” Iain Milne, whose scrummaging sapped French resolve.
All five will be Scottish Rugby’s guests for tomorrow’s match – along with team-mates, Colin Deans, David Leslie, Peter Dods, David Johnston, Keith Robertson, Iain Paxton, Jim Pollock and John Beattie.
