Leinster 37-19 Glasgow: Three things we learned
Scots downed in Dublin… again
For a Scottish rugby player, heading for Dublin must be about as much fun as heading to the dentist – you know there's going to be pain.
No Scottish side has ever won at the Aviva Stadium and Irish rugby's haunted house spooked Glasgow into playing well below their capabilities.
Advertisement
Leinster were very good. There was a lot of pre-match chat about them being off the boil, but the sight of Scottish opposition on home soil was the perfect tonic.
It followed a similar pattern to many Irish v Scottish match-ups in recent times, and the hex the Irish have over their Celtic cousins shows little sign of being broken any time soon.
Warriors can be proud of title defence
Despite the disappointing finale, Glasgow can be proud of the defence they put up of their URC title in what has been a very testing season.
The injury list has been savage. Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings and Jack Dempsey have all missed big chunks of the season. They're not the only ones.
Advertisement
It's been a struggle and Warriors have had to dig far down into their reserves to find players to step into the breach.
The fact they made it to the last four, and dispatched a good Stormers side so impressively in the quarter-finals, is an achievement in itself.
Franco Smith – will he stay or will he go?
Franco Smith looked emotionally drained when he spoke to BBC Scotland in the bowels of the Aviva Stadium after Saturday's defeat.
Long seasons away from your family, living every moment of highs and lows of a team you have invested so much into emotionally, will do that to you.
The South African was in no mood to offer any guarantees he will still be at Scotstoun next season.
Advertisement
Smith is clearly unhappy at the direction of travel under performance director David Nucifora with regards to player recruitment, and you wonder if the head coach perhaps feels he has done all he can at Glasgow Warriors.
Watch this space...
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Overwhelmed' Wassell relishing return to Scotland squad
Emma Wassell says the gallows humour of the Scotland dressing room is keeping a smile on her face during what she describes as an "overwhelming" return to the international camp. After major surgery to remove a tumour that was found in her chest last September, the 30-year-old lock is now targeting August's World Cup in England after being included in the initial 38-woman training squad. Advertisement As she readjusts to the demands of international rugby, the former Loughborough Lightning star admits she's enjoying some lively locker-room banter. "They keep me very, very humble shall I say," Wassell said. "I get a lot of grief" Any time the tumour's brought up everyone's like; 'oh, she had a tumour? Who knew?', we joke about it a lot. "There's a lot of banter around and any time I don't get my way, I try to say; 'guys, I had a tumour', and they're like 'shut up!', so it's pretty light-hearted." The fact she can now laugh about it all shows not just how far she's come physically, but also mentally. Not that the reintroduction to international-level training has been easy. Advertisement "Something I've found quite overwhelming - given I've trained for three or four months myself – is to now be put back in this environment where all the girls are pushing each other and there's a level of pressure around you. "It's been a little bit overwhelming but in the best way possible. " Her aim now is making the final World Cup squad for a tournament she thinks could be a game-changer for Scottish rugby. "It's the closest I'll definitely get to a home World Cup and I just think it could be huge for women's rugby in general," she added. "For Scotland, it will really push us on a bit more in terms of growing the game."
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Warriors Facing Potential $30 Million Decision in Offseason
Warriors Facing Potential $30 Million Decision in Offseason originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Steph Curry's injury might just turn out to be some form of blessing in disguise for the Golden State Warriors. Advertisement The former back-to-back Most Valuable Player winner suffered a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the Warriors' second-round NBA playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which ultimately cost him the rest of the series. The Warriors struggled mightily without Curry, eventually falling to Minnesota, 4-1, and it just emphasized the need to get this man some help. The result of losing their best player in the Wolves series might just force the Warriors' hand to make a big move in the offseason. They already swung for the fences with the Jimmy Butler deal, and it appears it still wasn't enough. Curry's injury, along with the fact that he has just a few more prime years remaining, could serve as enough motivation for the Warriors to go all out this summer. One player that has already been linked to Golden State is Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner, who is competing for a championship in the NBA Finals. The 6-foot-11 center is entering free agency this summer, where he is expected to be one of the most coveted players on the market. Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) controls the rebound against New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3). Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images A new report from NBA insider Jake Fischer has indicated the Pacers remain in the driver's seat in terms of re-signing Turner in free agency. The report also indicated the 29-year-old is expected to bag a massive deal in the offseason. Advertisement "There is a strong sentiment among various league executives that Turner will re-sign with Indiana," Fischer reported. "Cap strategists are projecting his salary to land in the $30 million range in terms of average annual value." In 72 regular-season games with the Pacers, Turner averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. During Indiana's postseason run, Turner is scoring 15.2 points, pulling down 5.1 rebounds and blocking 2.2 shots. Given their salary cap situation, the Warriors won't be able to compete with other teams in free agency. They could, however, still acquire his services via a potential sign-and-trade deal. With the Pacers seemingly determined to retain Turner, the only way he ends up with the Warriors is if Turner is unable to agree to terms with his current team. This could open a window of opportunity for Golden State, but this will force them to make a big decision on whether or not they are willing to give Turner the money he wants. Advertisement The Warriors will also need to let go of some major assets — potentially Jonathan Kuminga and draft capital — in order to lure Turner away from Indiana. On top of that, Golden State also will need to perform significant cap-space maneuvering in order to accommodate Turner's potential $30 million contract. There's no denying that it's going to be a risky move for the Warriors, but considering what Turner brings to the table on both ends of the floor, it could be the type of make-or-break decision Golden State needs to make to contend for a championship in 2026 and beyond. Related: Draymond Green Did Not Mince Words on Chicago Sky's Blowout Loss to Fever Related: Fans Couldn't Believe New Photos from Steph Curry's Wife Ayesha Curry This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Tennessee 2026 center Gan-Erdene Solongo commits to Notre Dame basketball
Tennessee 2026 center Gan-Erdene Solongo commits to Notre Dame basketball Notre Dame men's basketball is taking a page out of football head coach Marcus Freeman's book, as it has landed its second commitment in as many days. On Sunday it was Jonathan Sanderson, a Michigan point guard and son of the Irish's new director of strength & conditioning Jon. On Monday morning, Tennessee center Gan-Erdene Solongo joined him in Notre Dame's 2026 class. The 7-foot and 270-pounder is ranked by On3 as its No. 99 overall recruit, giving the Irish two top-100 players in the group. Head coach Micah Shrewsberry hasn't put it all together on the court, but he is building towards much better times in South Bend. Last year's four commits were ranked as the No. 5 overall class in the 247Sports Composite, and with these two verbals, Notre Dame is again near the top of the rankings in 2026 at No. 7. The future is extremely bright for the Irish, as they continue to add impressive talent to the roster.