Monday 3 November 2014 17:56, UK
Blair Cowan is looking forward to making his family proud when he makes his BT Murrayfield debut for Scotland against Argentina on Saturday.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, to a Scottish mother and Cook Islander father, the London Irish forward earned his first three caps for Vern Cotter’s side this summer.
My family are very Scottish orientated and since coming up here and seeing the values in people, I can see where they got it from.
Fiercely proud of his Scottish roots, he was already looking forward to the chance of running out at the famous Edinburgh arena for the first time.
But the fact his mum Joan - born in the small village of Blairmore near Dunoon before emigrating to New Zealand with her parents - has flown halfway round the world to see the first Autumn Test has pushed his patriotic sensitivities into overdrive.
"My family are very Scottish orientated,” he said. “Since coming up here and seeing the values in people, I can see where my family got it from.
"My grandad, my uncle, my mum - they are all based in New Zealand but are all very Scottish. They were born here and raised here.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of my father's side and where I grew up. But a lot of the stuff that has been driven into me comes from my Scottish side.
"My Scottish family are all very proud people, very passionate. I think that shows in the way I play. I wear my heart on my sleeve.
"When I call my grandad to give him some good news, he still gets a crack in his voice. That almost brings me to tears. So now it is really nice to represent Scotland on behalf of my family as well.
"My family has been the backbone to my career so I owe them a lot when I go out to play."
Cowan first moved to the UK in 2009 when he signed for Cornish Pirates before a spell at Worcester Warriors led to his move to the Irish Exiles.
My family has been the backbone to my career so I owe them a lot when I go out to play.
The 28-year-old’s inclusion in Cotter's latest squad is also notable as it seems to have spelt the end of former skipper Kelly Brown's international career.
But with a World Cup just 10 months away, the new man in the squad is refusing to let the fall-out of that episode ruin his big chance.
He said: "Kelly has obviously been a huge part of Scottish rugby and I have the utmost respect for him.
“But Vern knows what he wants. That's the nature of professional sport and I'm just lucky enough to be what Vern is after.
“Kelly's absence is the elephant in the room but I have put it behind me and I'm just concentrating on my job.
"I want to take the next step with Scotland. I was reasonably happy with the end-of-year tour but there were still things I could improve on. Now is a chance to show exactly what I can do if I get the opportunity to play."
