Rugby: Scottish brothers a tall order

Jonny Gray (left) and brother Richie may cause high anxiety for the ABs. Photo / Getty Images

Giant double act in forwards will keep NZ lineout on their toes

At 2.06m, it's not often Dominic Bird encounters someone as tall as him on the field, but that will be the case at Murrayfield tomorrow when he comes up against Richie Gray, one half of a giant family double act in the boiler room of Scotland's pack.

The experienced Gray, 25, so easy to spot on a rugby field thanks not only to his height but also to his wild blond hair, is the same height as Bird, who will be playing only his second test. At 126kg to Bird's 112kg, he is slightly heavier.

Gray's 20-year-old brother, Jonny, stands 1.98m and weighs 121kg. One can only imagine the food bill at the family home as these two were growing up near Glasgow.

Remarkably, the pair had never played rugby together until last weekend when they marked the occasion by both scoring tries in Scotland's impressive 41-31 victory over Argentina at Murrayfield.

The Gray brothers present a formidable challenge for the All Blacks' lineout, into which debutant hooker James Parsons will be throwing for the first time. Jeremy Thrush is another key component, and at 1.98m, the All Black lock is the same height as Jonny Gray. As a point of reference, those as tall as Thrush and Jonny Gray (1.98m) have to duck their heads as they walk through a standard door space.

The All Blacks will have variations in mind, though. Veteran hooker Keven Mealamu said during the week that finding space in the set piece was the key, a theme continued by Victor Vito, who will call the lineout for the All Blacks at No8. Not surprisingly, Vito was determined to give nothing away.

The Grays, meanwhile, will look to put Scotland on the front foot in order to continue their good run under new coach Vern Cotter, a New Zealander who spent a year coaching the Crusaders alongside Robbie Deans. And the dynamic between the brothers might not be as you would expect.

"Jonny is the boss," Gray the elder told the media before the Argentina test. "He tells me where to go. I just shut up and listen."

Asked who got the better of the backyard tussles, he said: "When you are 12 years old and your brother is 7 it was a bit easier but as he got a big bigger it started to get a bit harder.

"It was a tough one to call."

Bird, incidentally, is the tallest All Black, eclipsing the 2.05m Mark Cooksley.

Richie Gray, however, is not the tallest to play for Scotland. That honour belongs to Richard Metcalfe, who surely must be one of the tallest to have played international rugby. Metcalfe, who played nine tests for Scotland in 2000-2001, stands 2.13m (7ft).