Wounded Warriors will have to do it the hard way if they are to defend URC crown

Daily Mail​

6 days ago

Bruised, battered and bashed-up for much of the season, there was almost a cruel sense of inevitability that Glasgow Warriors should lose another key player to injury ahead of the URC play-offs.
The absence of Huw Jones due to an Achilles injury is undoubtedly a blow to Glasgow's chances of beating the Stormers in their quarter-final clash at Scotstoun tonight.
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith spoke yesterday of how the problem is not expected to be long-term, and of how Jones could even return as early as next weekend for any possible semi-final.
But to lose one of the form players in Europe this season, and bearing in mind that Jones had only recently returned to action, felt in keeping with the rotten luck Glasgow have experienced throughout the campaign.
It is perhaps just as well that Smith has become well-accustomed to operating with one hand tied behind his back over recent months.
As reigning champions, Glasgow's title defence has been pockmarked by the loss of key players. The injury list has been extensive, to the extent they actually had well over 20 players out of action at one point.
Jones has only played four times for Glasgow since the turn of the year. His partner in crime in midfield, Sione Tuipulotu, has only recently returned from a four-month lay-off.
Zander Fagerson has started just one match since the Six Nations finished in March and the word at Scotstoun is that he may not play again this season due to a calf injury, before he heads of with the Lions in the summer.
His brother, Matt, also continues to be a big loss due to an ankle injury and hasn't started a URC match since late December.
Jack Dempsey hasn't started a URC game for Glasgow since last October and hasn't played at all since Scotland's Six Nations win over Wales in early March.
These are all players who would go straight into a first-choice XV for Glasgow. There have been other squad players who have also missed a large chunk of the season.
Smith is able to welcome back Josh McKay and Henco Venter for tonight's clash with a Stormers side who finished the regular season with four straight wins and are former champions.
That is undoubtedly a welcome boost, but it's undeniable that Glasgow's team has a makeshift and patched-up look to it in certain areas, most notably up front.
Murphy Walker comes in to make his first start of the season at tighthead. That's a tall order at this stage of the season against a South African side who are sure to put him under huge pressure in the scrum.
Indeed, there are only three of Glasgow's forward pack — Jamie Bhatti, Scott Cummings and Rory Darge — who could claim to be first-choice. The rest is make do and mend.
Smith acknowledged that having such a depleted squad is far from ideal at this stage of the season, but he sees it as a challenge. It is a chance for his players to dig deep and show resilience.
'These three games that are lying ahead in the play-offs are a different season,' said the Warriors head coach. 'It's a completely different task than what is expected in the first part of the season.
'This is the 12th play-off game that we're going to be involved in since I arrived and there's a clear understanding that it's different.
'The challenge that people may overlook over a period of 35-36 weeks is to stay mentally and physically prepared, rotate the squad, win, stay on top when you're the leaders or the previous year's champions.
'It's a big mental challenge. We've played games with hookers at loose forward, flankers at lock, locks at flanker and things like that.
'We see that as a completely different challenge and we're looking forward now to the next one, which obviously we have worked hard to be a part of.
'We just want to go out and finish this season on a high. Everybody goes through a bit of a patch where they're challenged. But I'm not concerned, I'm excited.'
Glasgow beat the Stormers at the same stage of the competition last year on their way to winning the title, winning 27-10 at Scotstoun before going on to win away at Munster in the semis and the Bulls in the final.
As was the case last year, this is likely to be their last home game of the season tonight, with a semi-final away in Dublin against Leinster looming large on the horizon.
But, in order to get there, they will need to dig deep. The Stormers are a quality outfit who finished the regular season like a steam train.
Reeling off four straight wins, they scored an aggregate of 172 points in those four matches against Connacht, Benetton, Dragons and Cardiff.
However, all four of those wins came on home soil in South Africa, so this will be a much stiffer proposition going away from home against a Glasgow side who have made Scotstoun a fortress under Smith.
Stormers lost at home to Glasgow 28-17 earlier in the season, so they will need to raise their game if they are to progress to the semi-finals. But with the likes of Springbok star Manie Libbok on the bench, they have plenty of star power to cause Glasgow serious problems.
Asked about the expectation that it will be a tight game, Smith replied: 'Yeah, we expect that. Play-off rugby is all about that. That's why I say it's a completely different competition from previous rounds.
'We've got that experience. We've been in close games. I think there's some cool heads on the pitch who have played a lot of Test match rugby as well.
'I'm sure that the plan and the approach that's in place allows the players to manage that well.
'I'm sure that playing at home, being motivated with the amount of people in the stands and with the pride that we have for the jersey, I've got no doubt that we will manage the back end of the game well.'
This is a test of Glasgow's character and resilience as much as anything. They have been the walking wounded for much of the season.
But, even bashed-up and without so many first-team starters, they won't give up their title without a fight. It promises to be a Friday night thriller at Scotstoun.