Jonny Gray: Exeter switch could give Scotland lock 'extra edge' says Richie Vernon
- Published
Gray is expected to follow Scotland teammate Stuart Hogg to Sandy Park
A move to Exeter Chiefs could help Jonny Gray find an "extra edge" and take his game to the "next level", says former Glasgow and Scotland team-mate Richie Vernon.
Gray, 25, is expected to follow Stuart Hogg in joining Exeter when his deal at Scotstoun expires at the end of the season.
And Vernon, who played for Sale as well as having two spells with Glasgow, believes the physicality in the English Premiership can bring more from the Scotland lock.
"I certainly think for him, it might just give him that bit of an extra edge that might make a difference in the long term," Vernon told BBC Scotland.
"The competition within a club like Exeter and in the league itself, the level of physicality, that could well just keep pushing him."
Last season Scotland full-back Hogg made the switch to Exeter after nine years at Scotstoun, with fly-half Finn Russell departing in 2018 for French club Racing 92.
Number eight Josh Strauss is another player from Glasgow's 2015 Pro12 winning side that left for a fresh challenge with Gray, who has 55 caps for Scotland at just 25, the latest to attract interest from other clubs.
And Vernon, who played for two seasons in England's top flight before returning to Glasgow as part of the league-winning team, believes England is a harsh environment which can breed toughness and improve players.
"It's the depth, and the threat of relegation, which makes a huge difference," he said. "Just week in, week out, you have to deliver and bring a level of consistency. And beyond that, it's the style of rugby. In England, teams will just try to dominate you up front.
"The Irish and Welsh teams, if that doesn't work initially, they'll try something else, whereas the English teams just keep hammering you and keep hammering you. So you just need to be able to deliver.
"Up front you need to be physical, you need to be good at mauls, your scrummaging needs to be strong, or you just won't survive in that league. For someone like Jonny it'd be a fantastic league for him to work on those elements. Things he's very good at the moment, but it can take his game to that next level, just being battle tested week after week."
'Unique' Nakarawa can boost Glasgow season
Nakarawa has not played since appearing for Fiji at the Rugby World Cup in October
Glasgow confirmed they have re-signed Fijian lock Leone Nakarawa until the end of the season, after the 31-year-old was sacked by Racing 92 for returning late from the World Cup.
The Warriors have made a slow start to the season having lost five of their opening nine Pro14 matches, and find themselves on the verge of elimination from the Champions Cup.
Vernon played alongside Nakarawa as he excelled in a three-year spell at Glasgow before departing for Paris in 2016, and believes he can have a transformational effect on the Warriors season despite the circumstances in which he became available.
"The attacking edge that Glasgow have maybe lacked a little bit of, the clear finishing ability, that's something he can directly help with and that's rare to find in a second row," Vernon said of European Rugby's 2017-18 Player of the Season.
"He's just got that bit of class, he's unique. On his day, he can be the best player in the game.
"There is a bit of risk that's inherent, it is just to the end of the season so it's not huge. I'd say the risk is probably in the conditioning element.
"But he's a really hard-working player so I'm sure if he does arrive out of shape, he can adapt quite quickly."