Dempsey's journey from Australia to Scotland rugby prominence
Observing Jack Dempsey's commanding performances for Scotland in this Six Nations tournament, it is surprising to recall that he was once dismissed by his native Australia for a perceived lack of physicality.
While Australia lost a valuable player, Scotland and coach Gregor Townsend have benefited greatly since the 31-year-old switched his international allegiance in 2022. Dempsey has firmly established himself in a position that has long challenged Scottish rugby.
Over the Six Nations era, Scotland has seen several competent number eights. Some have been versatile back-row players who filled in when necessary, while others were dedicated eights who made strong carries but only for limited periods, failing to consistently provide Scotland with the front-foot ball needed to compete with top-tier teams.
These players have ranged from powerful enforcers to skillful footballers, but few have combined both attributes effectively. Dempsey represents the complete package.
"If you look at the professional era, Dempsey is probably the best we've had," said former Scotland number eight Johnnie Beattie.
"Simon Taylor would be - when he was fit - the best we've had, and now probably Dempsey. His performances this year have been right up there.
"He's really dynamic, impactful, has tireless workrate and he's got a real point of difference. He gives us go forward and metres that are hard earned."
An unconventional path to Scotland's team
Dempsey's route to representing Scotland is unusual in Test rugby terms. He has described it as "a long and weird road."
He earned 14 caps for Australia and participated in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. However, after Dave Rennie, former Glasgow coach and current All Blacks head coach, was appointed Wallabies coach in 2020, Dempsey fell out of favour. Rennie explained, "We always felt he lacked a bit of physicality."
Following a three-year hiatus from international rugby, Dempsey became eligible to play for Scotland in 2022 due to his Scottish grandfather.
Physicality and resilience in Scotland jersey
Physicality has not been an issue for Dempsey since joining Scotland. He is known for his focused approach to the game.
"I'm not the first one on the team sheet for my defence. I'm there to get the ball in my hands," Dempsey told the BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast in 2023.
He combines strength and agile footwork, making him difficult to tackle and allowing him to control contact situations.
Dempsey's powerful ball carries have generated valuable front-foot ball and served as a cornerstone for Scotland's attacking strategy, which has dismantled both England and France in this Six Nations. He was a standout player in both matches.
A pivotal moment in Scotland's campaign was Dempsey's recovery from what appeared to be a tournament-ending bicep injury sustained against England. Although he missed the victory over Wales in Cardiff, he made an unexpected return to start against France, playing the full 80 minutes with an impressive performance.
"Everybody likes lining up with a tough bloke," said Scotland defence coach Lee Radford.
"To be able to bounce through the pain barrier like he has, how physically he plays the game, both with the ball and without it, there's a lot of the little stuff.
"There was the clip of him snapping his bicep. He finds his way out to an edge defensively, but stays on the field and then makes a right shoulder shot that should have been a left because he'd snapped his bicep.
"So to stay on the field and come up with those plays says a lot about the character of the bloke.
"You think back, he was done three weeks ago. To put his hand up for selection and then not only to put his hand up for selection, but obviously to put up that performance as well, that was inspirational."
Character and adaptation off the field
Dempsey is an intriguing individual. He seldom appears before the media, but when he does, he commands attention. He speaks thoughtfully, with candidness and directness akin to his playing style.
He has discussed the adjustment involved in relocating from Sydney to Glasgow. While with the Waratahs, he would often spend time at the beach after training — a luxury not available for much of the year in the West of Scotland.
After spending nine months sidelined with injury last year, Dempsey reflected on the difficulty of that period following his return in October.
"I love Glasgow, it's my home, but there's not a huge amount to do when you're not playing rugby," he said.
During his recovery, his sole focus was returning to the pitch and performing at his best. Since then, his club and international displays have reflected a player approaching each game with maximum intensity.
"I think he offers a point of difference that none of the other back rows have in terms of his ability to break a tackle, generate space and time for others, and move Glasgow or Scotland up the field," Beattie added.
"He is so very physically dominant. Not the tallest guy, not the biggest guy, but he has explosive power, which is rare and precious."
