‘It’s brilliant to see someone not deviate from his unique talent’ – Deadly Darcy in numbers

Darcy Graham might have been celebrating a 50th cap for Scotland well before now but for a series of injuries robbing the pocket dynamo of swathes of his career over the last few years, including two Six Nations campaigns.

It is testament then not just to the diminutive Borderer’s physical and mental resilience but his continuous desire for self-improvement that he reaches the milestone against Argentina on Sunday as one of the most prolific and respected wings in the world game.

His numbers have gone through the roof in recent years and stack up against just about any elite poacher these days, with a sense the 28-year-old is in the prime of his sporting life.

Graham has 34 tries in 49 Tests, a strike-rate of 0.69 per game. Only Louis Bielle-Biarrey (0.90), Will Jordan (0.85), Kurt-Lee Arendse (0.79) and Damian Penaud (0.70) have better among active players (Photo Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

Graham has been an electric presence in blue from the moment he made his Test debut as a late replacement against Wales in Cardiff in November 2018. His full debut, also against Wales, in the 2019 Six Nations brought a first Test try and a double in his next start – the bonkers 38-38 draw against England at Twickenham – fast-tracked him into Scotland’s World Cup squad later that year.

But Graham’s tries came steadily in the first four years of his Test career – there were five tries in his first 11 Tests, nine in his first 19, 12 in his first 29.

But over the past three years since November 2022, he can lay claim to being the deadliest finisher in the global game, with 22 tries in 20 Tests – those have all come in his last 18 – across that period.

Average tries per 80 minutes of tier one players since November 2022 (min. 400 minutes) – Opta

That record is all the more remarkable when you consider the run of injuries he has had. Torn MCL knee ligaments in December 2022 kept him out for over three months; he returned from RWC2023 with a hip injury – two more months out – and after just four games back, quad and groin injuries cost him the rest of that season and a 2024 summer tour.

But each time he returns, the magic dust in those twinkle-toed feet seems to be scattered in rapid order. His first Test back after that run of injury setbacks saw him bag four tries against Fiji last November, one of a record four hat-tricks he has scored for Scotland.

“He’s had a lot of disappointment and upsets in his career, but his attitude never changes – ‘I’ll pick up what I need to do, get on with it and get back playing’,” notes Chris Paterson, Scotland’s record points-scorer who has worked with Graham since his days coming through the Borders age-group teams.

“When he’s had those injury periods, he’s one of those players who can come back in and immediately hit the ground running. Some players take longer to get their eye in and get up to speed. Darcy is just as he always is, whether he is coming back from three or four months out or he is playing 10 games on the bounce.”

Average line breaks per game of tier one players since November 2022 (Opta)

At a shade over 5ft 9in and 85kg (13st 5lb), Graham is relatively miniscule in a game of giants. But he is anything but lightweight in terms of impact. With his low centre of gravity, searing acceleration and lightning footwork, he has averaged more line breaks per game in Test rugby than anyone in the last three years, with a shade under six defenders beaten per match, on average.

Paterson has marvelled at how Graham has remained true to the approach that has worked for him since his teenage days with his local team, Hawick Wanderers.

“He was almost exactly the same then as he is now – desperate to learn, 100% committed, so natural, so many attributes to his game,” Paterson recalls. “He is hugely powerful, brave and strong, but especially when you are smaller – he would certainly be considered small as an international back-three player – there would be a real pressure to forget about your natural talent and try to develop your game to compete with bigger, stronger players.

“But Darcy has stayed true to his natural ability. In terms of beating opponents – his footwork, his fend, his drive through contact – that is how I remember him playing with the Under-18s. It is brilliant to see someone, who has undoubtedly been challenged in terms of his size, not deviate from his unique talent, which is so infectious.”

Average number of defenders beaten per game – tier one players since November 2022 (Opta)

At Murrayfield, and the Hive Stadium next door where Graham plays his club rugby with Edinburgh, there is a heightened buzz of anticipation any time the ball enters his orbit, whether motoring onto a pass in attack or sizing up his options after collecting a high ball in his own half.

“He’s got that ‘wow’ X-factor you long to see in the game,” Paterson enthuses. “He says it himself – he runs first and then finds the space second. Some people scan for space and then accelerate into it. He has the ability to just go, and then with his footwork and change of direction, his stop-start ability, he is so powerful, he can run flat out and change direction without slowing down. It is a brilliant skill.”

Like the best wings in the world, whenever Graham has the ball in his hands, he invariably makes ground for his team – and plenty of it.

Average number of metres gained per carry – tier one players since November 2022 (Opta)

While Graham can usually run his way out of trouble and away from would-be tacklers, he also works with Paterson on his kicking game – “little and often, which is good”, says the man who scored 699 of his Scotland record 809 Test points with the boot.

“Darcy’s first instinct is to run, and he loves it, but he has that mature decision-making and confidence that if he has to go to the boot, he will execute that pretty well too,” says Paterson. “He had half an eye on full-back [where he has started a handful of games for Edinburgh, and one Test for Scotland, against Tonga in 2021] growing up, so he worked hard on his kicking to give himself that ability if needed.

“Sometimes it is more about him slowing down to a speed where he can kick. He is so dynamic and quite often in the backfield he is flying to get away from defenders and kicking at that speed becomes difficult. But he has learned to slow the tempo down and be really efficient there too.”

Graham has also worked hard on his kicking game to accompany his devastated running skills (Photo Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

If Scotland can get the ball to both Graham and their other wide-men – Kyle Steyn deservedly starts again on Sunday, though long-time incumbent Duhan van der Merwe is poised on the bench and could return for their final autumn Test against Tonga, with Graham unlikely to start all four – on 10 or more occasions each during a game, they will invariably win.

That doesn’t mean the wingers always take the glory. Another aspect of Graham’s recent development, as well as his aerial prowess and contact work, has been to break open the game and create opportunities for others to finish, as well as himself.

Average try involvements (including assists) for tier one players since November 2022 (Opta)

That said, tries remain the currency of an elite Test winger and against New Zealand last week, it was something of a surprise that Graham twice failed to cash in when over the line.

In the first half, from Blair Kinghorn’s offload on the right touchline, he was held up by a swarm of All Blacks. Later, with the score 14-17 and Scotland’s second-half comeback in full swing, Finn Russell and Kinghorn worked the ball into classic Graham territory on the right touchline.

The wing promptly skipped round Damian McKenzie, then wriggled out of Quinn Tupaea’s tackle. But as he dived for the right corner, Cam Roigard’s superb last-ditch tackle did just enough to dislodge the ball from Graham’s grasp in the act of touching down.

Fans thought Graham had put Scotland ahead against New Zealand but a TMO check confirmed he had not grounded the ball (Photo Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Given the sky-high standards he sets himself, you imagine that moment has gnawed away at him all week.

The last time Scotland let a golden opportunity to end their historic failure against New Zealand slip away, in 2022, they took out their frustration on Argentina the following week. Graham bagged a treble – his first Test hat-trick – in a helter-skelter 52-29 victory, albeit after the Pumas had Marcos Kremer sent off in the first half.

Argentina are again next up, after another agonising near-miss against the All Blacks, with Graham no doubt keen to expunge the memory of a rare occasion when he couldn’t add to his joint-record 34 Scotland tries.

He has already scored more times – 23 of his 34 – at Murrayfield than any other Scotsman, overtaking fellow Hawick legend Tony Stanger’s previous mark of 21 (of his 24 overall) with his treble against USA earlier this month.

Another try or two on Sunday would be a fitting way to bring up Graham’s half-century of caps. But don’t expect him to stop there. Small in stature but a giant of the genre, Graham will always want more.