Patience the key against All Blacks says Olympian Scott

The swimmer, Scotland’s most decorated Olympian with no fewer than eight Games medals, alongside a glittering array of other championship crowns, was invited into camp recently to share his thoughts on high performance and what makes the very best tick.

Pictured: Duncan in conversation with Scotland Team Manager, David Edge, on a recent visit into the national camp. 

Duncan’s own passion for Scottish rugby has always been a part of his sporting background, never highlighted better than when he delivered the match ball ahead of Scotland match against Tonga in 2021, on a day when the likes of Sione Tuipulotu, Pierre Schoeman and Jamie Dobie won first caps.

That fixture, the first home international with supporters returning post-Covid, holds fond memories for the 29-year-old, as he told Scottish Rugby: “I’d love to know how many people have ever said no to it! I think anyone who grows up following rugby or watches it in Scotland, it’s a really cool thing, with some of the people they get to do it. Personally, at the Ireland game [in February 2025] when Sir Chris Hoy walked out, I thought the reception he got was pretty special.

“Doing it against Tonga, with the first appearances for some players who have become integral parts of the team, was a really awesome experience.

“It was an interesting one because it was the first game back from Covid, so there were parts of the stand sectioned off, but it was really special with friends and family there on the day. Before the game, it was nice to chill out and watch the players warm up, but yeah walking out was just a cool reception for what went on to be a good Autumn for the team.

Pictured: Duncan Scott bringing out the match ball during an Autumn Nations Series match between Scotland and Tonga at Murrayfield, 30 October 2021

“Having some involvement every so often with Scottish Rugby and being partnered with Arnold Clark means I’ve been to a few more games in the last 18 months or so, so I can see the guys every now and then.

To the matter at hand, then, and the heady notion of Scotland beating the fabled All Blacks for the first time in a full international this coming Saturday. As a man with no fewer than 22 global championship gold medals alone, Duncan has in recent times had to compete with French superstar Leon Marchand, whose own burst onto the scene has often left competitors in his slipstream.

But how do you approach trying to beat the best? For Duncan, there are similarities in both sports, as he explained on how he approaches the toughest tasks in the pool: “I’ve never once labelled me and Leon as a rivalry, for that reason. Before being a swimmer, I’m a huge fan of sport and he’s one of the best to ever do it in our sport, so to be considered as being even close to that is a good thing.

“It’s probably about going in and saying that everything in the past is nullified, we’re starting again. I’d probably say that’s the same for the Scotland team against the All Blacks. It’s not necessarily the same XV that go out there and the result, that unbeaten record [that New Zealand have] isn’t carried over.

“It’s probably spoken about more than what’s needed for the players. They’re all really good sportsmen, they’ll know about the situation and what’s on the line. Yes., they’ll respect the players and it’s not like they’re afraid of the badge or what they’re up against. New Zealand is a team with lots of quality but so does Scotland.

“It will happen, let’s be patient and the first thing that’s important is the process of how well the team perform in this match. And the second thing is that everything to have happened before is irrelevant. There’s a bit of freedom, especially with the way Scotland play.

“It’s an autopilot thing. The second that whistle goes, and it’s different to swimming as it’s over 80 minutes, there’s time to go in and out of that zone. For me, you’re in that moment, subconscious and all the habits you’ve trained are now being delivered upon. Whereas for rugby players, they’ll be coming in and out of the moments but regardless, the training and the subconscious is just as important.”

If Duncan were to swap the pool for the pitch, where does he think he’d be best suited?

“One of the centres maybe? I think I’d need to speak to the Strength & Conditioning coaches to put on a few pounds so I can at least go into a little bit of contact! Or put me in the scrum; 80kg, I think I’d get chucked around in there!”