Sports
I took playing for Scotland for granted – Bradbury
Magnus Bradbury wants to play his way back into Scotland contention when he returns to Edinburgh next season – and admits he took his status as a Test player for granted earlier in his career.
Bradbury, who won the last of his 19 Scotland caps against Argentina in July 2022, will rejoin the capital side from Bristol in the summer.
âI think itâs quite easy to get caught up in all that international stuff,â Bradbury, 28, told the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.
âYou maybe think youâve made it or didnât realise how fragile that existence is. Itâs one of these things that can be taken away from you just as quickly as you get it and maybe I didnât realise that at the time.â
During his first spell at Edinburgh, Bradbury was tipped for big things and was made captain at the age of just 22 by head coach Richard Cockerill.
However, the role was quickly removed following an off-field incident.
âThere was definitely a couple of demons that needed addressing,â Bradbury said of that episode.
âIâm never going to blame anything in my career on one incident. That was a lesson for me and while Iâm not glad it happened, the learnings I took from that and the years after that with Edinburgh were almost a kind of reward in terms of how it could have gone to what it ended up turning into.
âThe couple of seasons I had afterwards – made the Scotland squad, played in the Six Nations, played at the World Cup – to me that was a reward for the hard work I put in.â
Bradbury scored a try in Scotlandâs remarkable 38-38 draw with England at Twickenham in the 2019 Six Nations and later that year played a key role at the Rugby World Cup in Japan having initially been left out of the squad.
A slump in form saw him fall out of favour with Scotland coach Gregor Townsend and despite rediscovering his best since a switch to Bristol â he was named the clubâs Playersâ Player of the Year last season â Bradbury has struggled to get a look in again.
He was called into the training squad during the 2024 Six Nations but did not feature in any matchday squads.
âItâs frustrating for me not being involved but at the same time Iâm not playing and training day in and day out, week in and week out to play for Scotland,â said Bradbury, who made his Scotland debut against Argentina in 2016.
âObviously thatâs where I want to be but itâs about how well I play for Bristol or how well I play for Edinburgh before that happens.
“If I do get the call, like I did in the Six Nations to come up and train, thatâs the next step. Itâs about training really well with Scotland and putting your hand up.
âItâs been an emotional rollercoaster but I try not to let it get to me too much [when not selected].
“Scotland are going so well and Iâm not involved but itâs about turning that frustration into playing well for Bristol and you never know whatâs going to happen.
âFor whatever reason Iâve not been involved as much and itâs just about how I handle it from my end for Bristol and Edinburgh. Weâll see where that gets me.â