MIKE Blair's inherent inability to worry about what the future holds will set him in good stead in a season that could finish with him joining Scotland's list of British and Irish Lions, but the new Edinburgh captain insisted his laid-back attitude
was nothing compared to the new young Blair coaches are talking about.
Alex Blair has won rave reviews as a precocious talent in schools and age-grade rugby, but the 17-year-old steps up into the senior world this season with many wondering if the exciting promise will translate into the talent that could make him the third Blair brother on Edinburgh's books.
David Blair, 23 this week, returned north last summer after a successful apprenticeship with Sale and dislodged Phil Godman from the stand-off for a spell early in the season. Chris Paterson has since arrived to add to the competition and, despite caps for Scotland U18s in the centre, teenager Alex believes his future lies in the No 10 jersey.
So, from years of much teeth-gnashing over the lack of stand-offs, Edinburgh could soon find themselves with a wealth of talent pushing for the pivotal role.
"It's too early to talk about Alex competing with David and others," said Mike, "but he is a talented player. He is quick – his time for his 40 metres is 0.3 quicker than anything I've ever done – and he has the raw attributes.
"He needs to work hard on his game and the conditioning side of things, but I'm hopeful he will come through in time and join us at Edinburgh. But I don't think he knows what his plans are yet.
"He has just left school, has joined the SRU National Academy and is planning to go to Edinburgh University, where he will have to combine his rugby and studies, but he is even more laid-back than I am and the last time we spoke he said he didn't know where he'd be playing next season.
"Being a professional rugby player is something he wants to do, though he may not be very outward about it, and though he has played different positions, he sees himself as a stand-off which puts him in competition with David. I was joking with him that if David was ever released back to Edinburgh Accies by Edinburgh next season, and if Alex went there, which is our club, what would happen. He said David would end up on the bench. That's 17-year-old arrogance for you."
The youngest Blair is a confident character, but it is the fact he is a stand-off in an era where Scotland are short on depth for the position, as well as the success of his brothers perhaps, that has people talking about one family's production line. The most senior sibling, at 27, is clearly more focused on the present than speculation about the future, and though pleased to be handed the captain's armband back at Edinburgh, after leading Scotland to victory in Argentina, he insisted he had much to work on.
"You can always improve and I'm looking hard at the physical side of things at the moment," he said, glancing at his 5ft 11, 13st 5lb frame.
"I want to get stronger and improve my speed. Speed I feel is something that can really set you apart from other people so it's something I'm keen to really work on this year."
With a view to attracting the eye of Ian McGeechan perhaps, and the chance to tour with the famous red jerseys to South Africa?
"That's the future again, and I told you I don't think that far ahead," he laughed. "I think professional players realise how close you are to being injured and so I don't think many plan far ahead.
"I talk about building blocks: playing well for Edinburgh to get a chance for Scotland and then playing well for Scotland to have a chance with anything else, and if you don't get the first building blocks right you can forget the rest.
"We don't have another Scotland game until November so it's pretty easy to focus simply on what we're doing with Edinburgh, and I think that's the same for all the guys. We improved last season and quite a few of us got chances with Scotland, and we enjoyed an experience Scotland haven't had too often of winning in the southern hemisphere.
"But it all starts again now and we need everybody to step up if we are to enjoy it as much this season. But as for what will happen next month never mind next year … I'll leave that to others to worry about."
The full article contains 800 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
