Scott Cummings could be forgiven for having other things on his mind as he approaches the final week of a season that started last May.
Cummings is one of a handful of players who were involved in Scotland’s Rugby World Cup preparations who have played right through an arduous season.
Such has been the 27-year-old's importance for club and country he’s played 34 games – and more than 2,000 minutes – in the past 12 months, but he’s ready to go one more time against Uruguay this weekend.
“There's no beating around the bush, it has been a long season. For the Glasgow guys especially, it has been especially long, but we wouldn't have it any other way.
“There's been times where the body has maybe been a bit sore - but we're still raring to go.
“A lot of the boys have not played every game on this tour so there's not been back-to-back weeks we've had to put out so we're feeling pretty fresh.”
After Saturday’s game in Montevideo, Cummings will get five weeks off before he has to report to Scotstoun for pre-season training with the new URC champions.
However, it won’t all be rest and relaxation, with the second row set to tie the knot with fiancée Catherine.
Scott Cummings and partner Catherine at the Rugby World Cup (Image: SNS)
He added: “I’m getting married in three and a half weeks now so it’s getting close,”
“Catherine has been great. She’s done all the planning and I’ve done nothing really. I’ve been useless. She’s been messaging me every day with things to organise but I’ve been terrible at it.
"Fair play top her for putting up with me - she’s been great and we’re both really looking forward to it.”
While Cummings admits he has taken a back seat in arranging the upcoming nuptials, the absence of so many front-line players has meant a change in his role within the Scotland squad on tour.
He said: "With some of the forward and line-out stuff I’ve taken a bit more control.
“One of the main points of this tour is to get the young guys up to speed with what we do but I’m here to learn as well.
“It has maybe been a little different in the sense that I haven’t been playing every week, so in my off weeks I have been helping out where I can.”
While Scotland will go into their tour finale with three comfortable wins under their belt, Uruguay go into the game having been thrashed 79-5 by a second-string Argentina at the weekend.
Cummings, a former Kelvinside Academy pupil, knows they will be wounded by that result and expects a response
He continued: “We know they will be hurting about that result as any team would be, and we’re expecting a pretty fiery start to the game like we saw against Chile.
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“When you come in as favourites for these games, with the opposition at home, and who are very passionate as South American teams are, it is going to be a hostile start to the game and we know we are going to have to ride that in the first 10-20 minutes.
“They're really physical up front and they've got some good backs. We're expecting a pretty tough battle. We still believe if we play our game how we want to, we'll do well.
“If we get caught up in trying to do our own thing and going off-script, they'll make it a tough day for us.”
Cummings also believes the four-game tour of the Americas has been beneficial. While the other home nations have toured the southern hemisphere giants, he feels Scotland have learned plenty while they have been away.
Scott Cummings is set for a 15th international appearance of the past 12 months in Uruguay (Image: SNS)
He said: "Playing the top teams in the world sharpens you in some ways but also we've managed to get in a lot of players who might not have got the opportunity for another year or so, for them to get the opportunities early on, we can now see the quality of depth in Scottish rugby.
“If there are any injuries, the next man is ready to come in, he's not just going to be thrown in having not had any experience.
“That's one of the reasons for this tour, but to play different teams and experience different styles of play has broadened what we want to do.
“There's obviously benefits of both sides.”
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