Gary Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Gary Armstrong is a former Scottish
rugby union
player who played scrum-half. He played for Jed-Forest RFC
, Newcastle Falcons
, The Borders and represented Scotland
and the British Lions
. His nickname is the Border Terrier. In Jonny Wilkinson
's book How to Play Rugby My Way Armstrong is given a similar nickname–"the scrap-yard dog"– because Wilkinson said that he had never met anyone as "tough as him".
Richard Bath writes of him:
, which Scotland lost 31-13.
Gary equalled Roy Laidlaw
’s then record as Scotland’s most capped scrum-half when he won his 47th cap
against Romania
in August 1999. He then joined the 50-cap club when he led Scotland
to victory in the World Cup play-off match against Samoa that October.
He retired from international rugby after Scotland’s 18-30 defeat by New Zealand
in the 1999 Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
, playing his eighth Test as captain as Scotland grasped pole position with their stunning 36-22 victory against France
.
He was skipper throughout the previous two Five Nations Championships and was also captain on Scotland’s 1999 visit to South Africa
, when he played in all four matches and scored the opening try of the tour in the victory over Border.
and Andy Nicol
– Gary would surely have won many more caps in an international career that began in 1988.
Twice, in 1992 and 1994, he suffered serious knee damage and it spoke volumes for his tenacity and courage that he returned to the top flight. He had succeeded a fellow Lion
and Scotland cap, Roy Laidlaw, as scrum half at Jed-Forest.
, touring with the latter in Australia in 1989.
in 1995/96, and his appetite for the fray was seen to best advantage when the club won England’s Allied Dunbar Premiership
title in 1998. Many supporters believe Armstrong to be the best player in the club's history.
.
. 1988 - A. 1989 - W E I F Fj R. 1990 - I F W E NZ1 NZ2 Arg. 1991 - F W E I R (WC) J I WS E NZ. 1993 - I F W E. 1994 - E I. 1996 - NZ1 NZ2 A. 1997 - W SA (rep). 1998 - It I F W E SA (rep). 1999 - W E I F Arg R WC (SA U Sam NZ).
Points: 21 - 5 tries.
(Rewritten from the SRU website - used with permission)
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who played scrum-half. He played for Jed-Forest RFC
Jed-Forest RFC
Jed-Forest Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team who are based at Riverside Park in Jedburgh.One of the world's oldest and most famous clubs, the team was founded in 1885 and currently play in Premiership Division Two and the Border League .-Honours:Kings of the Sevens - 2006Jed-Forest Sevens...
, Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
, The Borders and represented Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
. His nickname is the Border Terrier. In Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
's book How to Play Rugby My Way Armstrong is given a similar nickname–"the scrap-yard dog"– because Wilkinson said that he had never met anyone as "tough as him".
Richard Bath writes of him:
- "...despite his apparently painful shyness, Armstrong has proved throughout his career to be obsessively focussed once out on the pitch. A relatively small man, Armstrong tackles way over his weight and combines this with quick service to his backs and an uncanny ability to break around the fringes just as easily from the first-phase as from ruck or maul. Although Armstrong failed to shine on the victorious 1989 Lions tour of Australia, his gritty nature stood him in good stead when the chips were down in 1990, that famous year for Scotland... he perhaps more than any other player was the on-field catalyst for Scotland's 13-7 win in the Grand Slam decider against the Auld Enemy England at Murrayfield."
Scotland's most capped scrum half
Gary Armstrong made his international debut in 1988, in a game against AustraliaAustralia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, which Scotland lost 31-13.
Gary equalled Roy Laidlaw
Roy Laidlaw
Roy James Laidlaw is a Scottish rugby union footballer. Laidlaw was capped 47 times, as a scrum half, for Scotland between 1980–1988, and British Lions in New Zealand in 1983....
’s then record as Scotland’s most capped scrum-half when he won his 47th cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
against Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
in August 1999. He then joined the 50-cap club when he led Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
to victory in the World Cup play-off match against Samoa that October.
He retired from international rugby after Scotland’s 18-30 defeat by New Zealand
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in the 1999 Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
Five Nations
Gary Armstrong led Scotland to the 1999 Five Nations ChampionshipSix Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, playing his eighth Test as captain as Scotland grasped pole position with their stunning 36-22 victory against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
.
He was skipper throughout the previous two Five Nations Championships and was also captain on Scotland’s 1999 visit to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, when he played in all four matches and scored the opening try of the tour in the victory over Border.
Injuries
Had not injury intervened – and the presence of such peers as Bryan RedpathBryan Redpath
Bryan William Redpath is a former rugby union player, and a member of the Scottish line of scrum-halves that include Gary Armstrong, Roy Laidlaw, Alan Lawson, Chris Cusiter and Mike Blair. Bryan attended Kelso High School in Kelso, Scottish Borders.Redpath won 60 caps playing for Scotland,...
and Andy Nicol
Andy Nicol
Andrew Douglas Nicol , is a former rugby union player and the first British player to lift the Heineken Cup as captain of Bath Rugby...
– Gary would surely have won many more caps in an international career that began in 1988.
Twice, in 1992 and 1994, he suffered serious knee damage and it spoke volumes for his tenacity and courage that he returned to the top flight. He had succeeded a fellow Lion
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
and Scotland cap, Roy Laidlaw, as scrum half at Jed-Forest.
British Lions
Gary Armstrong then went on to emulate Laidlaw by playing for both Scotland and the LionsBritish and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
, touring with the latter in Australia in 1989.
Newcastle
He joined Newcastle FalconsNewcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
in 1995/96, and his appetite for the fray was seen to best advantage when the club won England’s Allied Dunbar Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
title in 1998. Many supporters believe Armstrong to be the best player in the club's history.
The Borders
Gary finished his career by returning home to play for the newly created professional team, The Borders. He retired in 2004 at about the same time as Doddie WeirDoddie Weir
George "Doddie" Weir, born 4 July 1970 in Edinburgh, is a Rugby Union player, in the lock position.George Weir started playing rugby for Stewarts Melville RFC, his former school, in Edinburgh. He studied at the Scottish Agricultural College, gaining an HND, from 1988-1991 . He moved to Melrose RFC...
.
Career statistics
International career: 51 capsCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
. 1988 - A. 1989 - W E I F Fj R. 1990 - I F W E NZ1 NZ2 Arg. 1991 - F W E I R (WC) J I WS E NZ. 1993 - I F W E. 1994 - E I. 1996 - NZ1 NZ2 A. 1997 - W SA (rep). 1998 - It I F W E SA (rep). 1999 - W E I F Arg R WC (SA U Sam NZ).
Points: 21 - 5 tries.
(Rewritten from the SRU website - used with permission)