Borderer Darcy Graham using being benched as motivation to try to make it back into Scotland’s starting XVs at rugby’s 2026 Six Nations
Hawick’s Darcy Graham admits being dropped from the Scottish national rugby team’s starting line-ups has been hard to get used to after years of being his country’s first-choice right-winger but says he’s using his disappointment at being benched as motivation to try to reclaim that No 14 shirt.
The Hawick 28-year-old hasn’t started for head coach Gregor Townsend’s team since hitting his half-century of international caps for a 33-24 defeat at home to Argentina at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium back in mid-November, going on to play for all 80 minutes of their first loss hosting the Pumas for 16 years.
Scotland’s No 14 shirt went to Kyle Rowe for their 56-0 autumn test win versus Tonga a week later and to his Glasgow Warriors teammate Kyle Steyn for all three of their matches since, with the South African 32-year-old putting in full shifts and Graham restricted to cameo roles lasting half an hour for their opening 18-15 defeat in Italy on Saturday, February 7; just over 20 minutes for their 31-20 Calcutta Cup win versus England a week later; and 26 minutes for their 26-23 victory away to Wales on Saturday, with that last game in Cardiff also yielding his first international try since a hat-trick against the USA at home almost four months ago.
Much as the 53-times-capped Borderer covets getting that No 14 shirt back, he says he can’t begrudge it going to Steyn, a fellow try-scorer in Cardiff, taking his tally for his adopted country to 16, 19 behind Graham’s joint-record total with Edinburgh teammate Duhan van der Merwe of 35.
“You always want to be starting in these big games, but the way Kyle is playing, he deserves every minute that he’s on,” he said. “Steyno’s playing unbelievable.
“He’s world class and he’s raised the bar, especially when I came into camp as I had to catch up.”
“I’m glad to still be involved and bring my energy because these wins are special.”
Though he owns up to having his nose put out of joint by being benched for Scotland’s last three games, and eight all together, Graham says that disappointment is spurring him on to raise his game in the hope of trading in the No 23 shirt he’s been allotted so far this championship for the one he’d been used to beforehand.
“It’s been a tough couple of months,” said the ex-Green, scorer of 45 tries for Edinburgh since joining the United Rugby Championship club in 2017.
“Coming off benches is hard. It’s been something totally different and I’ve had to adjust to it.
“The way teams are announced, you have a wee ten-minute sulk and then you’re straight on the training park to prove why you should be there, so you try to use it as motivation, especially myself as I love starting.
“I’m not in a huff but obviously disappointed. I just want to get my opportunities out there. I’m just trying to prove that I’m still in and around it.
“You try to remember it’s not just the starting team. It’s going to take a massive squad effort. Everybody’s pulling together to go out there and win at weekends.
“There are about 23 other boys disappointed when squads are announced, so I can’t be too down on myself to sit on the bench.”
Next up for fellow Borderer Townsend’s second-placed team is a visit from France on Saturday, March 7, with kick-off at 2.10pm, and a first win against opposite number Fabien Galthie’s side since 2023 could see Scotland – currently four points behind them going into round four of the championship, on 11 to their visitors’ 15 – replace them at the top of the table and that’s a turn of events Graham, scorer of one of the Scots’ three tries during that Rugby World Cup warm-up win at Murrayfield three years ago, is hoping to help bring about.
“We’re back right up there,” he said. “France at home is going to be the big one, and if we can topple them, it would be massive.
“Everybody would have a lost a game at that point, so everything's on the line.”
Looking back over his Finn Russell-assisted try on Saturday, three minutes after being brought off the bench, scored after Wales had gone 23-12 ahead and were harbouring hopes of a first Six Nations victory for three years, Graham added: “Finn said as they were taking the penalty ‘Darcy, be ready’.
“I saw him sprint up to the halfway line and he gave me the nod. I gave him a nod and I knew it was on, so I just went as hard as I could for that ball and got a lucky bounce.
“He’d obviously seen that space and it worked out. I’ll probably never get a bounce like that again.”