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BBC News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Stuttering Glasgow head to Dublin in hope rather than expectation'
What on earth has happened to Glasgow? Two defeats in a row, just three wins from the past six matches in the URC and dumped out of the Champions Cup by Leinster. If you look at 2025, it's seven wins and five defeats in all competitions. It doesn't make for pretty there anyway to justify it? Injuries are one, Glasgow have been without key players throughout the season at different times, with the back row decimated in recent weeks. The second row situation has got better with the return of Scott Cummings and Max Williamson, while Huw Jones returned to the centres for the first time since the Six Nations. Unfortunately, this had zero impact on the way Benetton completely dismantled the Warriors. The centre pairing for the Italians were incredible but it was fly-half Jacob Umaga who controlled the full game. A night to forget for the Warriors and things don't get any go to Leinster to close the regular season out. A near must-win if Glasgow are to have any chance of a top-two finish but unfortunately it's looking more likely that a third or even fourth-place finish lies in store. The positive? It's similar to last though have so many of the top stars dropped off? Glasgow finished last season on 22 June. Two weeks later eight players were involved for Scotland against Canada. The next week, 13 players played the United States. It feels like a few front line players need a break after another long club Franco Smith and his side get anything from Dublin this weekend? It's going to be tough and likely watched in hope rather than any sort of expectation.
Scotsman
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scotland star admits he did not expect Lions call-up
Lock expected to miss out on summer tour of Australia Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scott Cummings has fond memories of rising early to watch the 2013 Lions in Australia but the Scotland forward had no expectations of making Andy Farrell's squad for this summer's tour. The Glasgow Warriors lock had been out for more than three months after fracturing his arm in the Champions Cup against Harlequins and had played only 20 minutes of rugby since the injury when Farrell called him up. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was a sweet moment for one of the most conscientious players in Scottish rugby and someone who rarely seeks the spotlight. The broken arm meant he had missed the entire Six Nations and Cummings wasn't holding out much hope for a Lions call. Glasgow Warriors' Scott Cummings has been called up to represent the British and Irish Lions in Australia this summer. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group) | SNS Group 'I thought that might have been my chances over,' he said. 'I was gutted at not getting to represent Scotland as well because the injury was just the week before [the Six Nations]. I was just trying to fight to get back as quickly as I could.' Cummings, 28, made his comeback for Glasgow when he came off the bench against the Bulls last month but his inclusion in Farrell's squad when it was named on Thursday came as a shock to the player. Asked when he thought he might be in with a chance of being a Lion, he smiled. 'When my name was announced! When you start playing for Scotland, it's in the back of your mind. At the time of the last tour [in 2021] I had only just broken into the Scotland team so I wasn't expecting to go. You don't know if you're in contention or if they've thought about you. It's never something I've expected to get to but it's something I've strived to get to. It is the pinnacle of my career.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Celebrations in the Glasgow Warriors team room as Zander Fagerson, left, and Scott Cummings find out they're in the Lions squad. | SNS Group The Lions are returning to Australia for the first time in 12 years and Cummings is one of eight Scots in the touring party. There are only two Welsh players in the squad, a far cry from 2013 when the starting XV for the decisive final Test in Sydney contained 10 Wales internationals and went on to crush the Wallabies 41-16 to clinch the series. 'I still remember getting up early to watch the 2013 tour to Australia, so these are the sort of moments that I've dreamed of for years. 'I remember being with my mates - we all got up and watched it. That third Test, they picked a lot of the Welsh players, played really well and got the win. There's lots of massive moments. Seeing boys like Zander [Fagerson] on the last tour was amazing as well. It's amazing to feel I'll be following in their footsteps.' Fagerson has been picked again, as have his Warriors team-mates Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu, Edinburgh's Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe, Bath's Finn Russell and Toulouse's Blair Kinghorn. There is also Scottish influence in the coaching staff, with John Dalziel appointed as one of Farrell's assistants. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Reality check for Lions stars as woeful defeat all but dashes Glasgow Warriors' top-two hopes
After the euphoria at Scotstoun last Thursday when the British and Irish Lions squad was announced, this was a major reality check for Glasgow Warriors. Just a couple of days after having four players selected for the summer tour of Australia, everyone at the club came back down to earth with a bump. A woeful 33-7 defeat to Benetton in Italy will surely rank as one of the poorest results and performances of the Franco Smith era at Warriors. The Italians ran in five tries and were dominant throughout, denting Glasgow's chances of finishing second in the URC standings. Warriors will head to Dublin this weekend to face leaders Leinster in the final game of the regular season. That would be a tall order at any point. But, on the basis of this display, and also given that Glasgow lost 52-0 to Leinster only a few weeks ago in the Champions Cup, it could be three figures if they don't buck up their ideas. Glasgow are still certain to make the play-offs, but it is starting to feel like months of dealing with injuries to key players is beginning to catch up with them. The reigning champions are limping into the play-offs. Momentum has been lost and the sooner they get their big hitters back, the better. Huw Jones, one of the four Lions, made his return from a hand injury on Saturday and scored a consolation try. Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu is expected to be back for the trip to Dublin, with the fitness of Zander Fagerson still unclear. Scott Cummings was the other Lion picked in Andy Farrell's 38-man squad and Glasgow need him back to his dynamic best as soon as possible. On a desperately deflating defeat, head coach Smith said: 'We're all very disappointed about this. 'But we're going to take the positives out of this in the sense that we can't be second now basically. I think that is unnecessary baggage we're carrying around now. 'Hopefully, with that out of the way, we can just approach the quarter-finals with clear minds, continue to learn from these mistakes and get back to being ourselves next week. 'We needed this. A disappointment like this can be a positive sometimes and I hope to turn this into a positive. 'Compliments to Benetton. They have got a good team here and obviously bounced back after the loss against Stormers. 'We have got a lot of work to do. We've got to fix a couple of things and we'll be excited to get out there next week. 'Well done to them, they filled the field, put their bodies on the line and showed a lot of character.' Meanwhile, Cummings admits it was a dream come true to hear his name called out as a British and Irish Lion. The big lock missed all of Scotland's Six Nations campaign and knew that selection would be touch and go. 'I still remember getting up early to watch the 2013 tour to Australia, so these are the sort of moments that I've dreamed of for years,' he said. 'I wasn't even sure if I was in contention because I haven't played too much recently with my injury. 'I thought that might have been my chances over. I was gutted not getting to represent Scotland as well because the injury was just the week before. 'I was just trying to fight to get back as quick as I could. We've obviously got some massive games coming up for Glasgow. 'Every time you get injured, coaches always tell you it will help you out at the back end of the season. 'In some ways it has — I've not had the aches and pains some of the other boys have probably had who have played. 'Having a bit of time out has given me a chance to refresh and I'm ready to crack in at the end of the season. 'This is just the beginning. Being selected for the tour is just the first moment of it. We're going over there as a squad and we've got to try and gel as quick as we can. 'I've no idea when we meet up or how it all works but I'm excited to find out about it and crack into it.'
Scotsman
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Lions stat is credit to Franco Smith as key Glasgow Warriors players return
Coach backs Jones and Tuipulotu for Test team Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Franco Smith was proud to see four of his Glasgow Warriors players called into the Lions squad this week and he welcomes two of them back into his starting line-up for the URC game against Benetton in Italy on Saturday. Huw Jones plays for the first time since the Six Nations after recovering from an ankle injury and Scott Cummings starts at blindside flanker after 20 minutes off the bench against the Bulls last time out. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The game in Treviso comes a week too soon for a third Lion, Sione Tuipulotu, while the fourth, Zander Fagerson, continues his rehab. Glasgow Warriors' Scott Cummings with head coach Franco Smith. Cummings was this week named in the Lions squad. | SNS Group Thursday was a momentous day at Scotstoun as the Glasgow squad gathered to hear Andy Farrell's selections and Smith admitted it was emotional. 'It's the first time I've coached a team that the Lions get picked from and I'm really proud of them,' he said. 'I think one or two boys may be unlucky to not be there, but you never know going forward.' Leinster were the only club to supply more players to the Lions than Glasgow, for which Smith deserves huge credit, but he was typically eager to share the plaudits. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There's a lot of hands that have contributed,' he said. 'I appreciate the compliment. I think the whole environment in the last three years allowed players to develop to an international level. 'We've got a lot of internationals and these four guys that will go on to play for the Lions will probably make room for another four to be picked by Scotland. This is an environment that creates national players and players that can perform at international level. That's a compliment to our current structure and our rugby programme.' Smith sees no reason why the Jones and Tuipulotu centre partnership can't work in the Lions Test team. Glasgow Warriors' Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu after being called up for the British & Irish Lions squad. | SNS Group 'Look, they're a proven pair, aren't they? They've shown that for both club and country consistently, not just on and off. It wouldn't surprise me. I can't put words in anybody's mouth, but if they both recover their form and they play well in the next five weeks, I definitely think they must be main contenders to play the Test matches.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Murphy Walker is on the bench for Glasgow and is set to make his first appearance since playing for Scotland against Uruguay on last summer's tour. Benetton v Glasgow Warriors (URC rd 17, Stadio Monigo, Treviso, Saturday, 5.15pm BST) Benetton: Rhyno Smith; Ignacio Mendy, Tommaso Menoncello, Ignacio Brex, Paolo Odogwu; Jacob Umaga, Alessandro Garbisi; Thomas Gallo, Siua Maile, Simone Ferrari, Scott Scrafton, Federico Ruzza (capt), Riccardo Favretto, Manuel Zuliani, Lorenzo Cannone. Replacements: Agustin Creevy, Mirco Spagnolo, Giosuè Zilocchi, Niccolò Cannone, Sebastian Negri, Nicolò Casilio, Leonardo Marin, Malakai Fekitoa. Glasgow Warriors: Ollie Smith; Jamie Dobie, Huw Jones, Stafford McDowall, Kyle Steyn (capt); Tom Jordan, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, Johnny Matthews, Fin Richardson, Max Williamson, Alex Samuel, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, Sione Vailanu. Replacements: Gregor Hiddleston, Nathan McBeth, Murphy Walker, JP du Preez, Euan Ferrie, Ben Afshar, Adam Hastings, Kyle Rowe.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jones returns as Glasgow bid to 'hit our straps when it counts'
Huw Jones returns to the Glasgow Warriors side to face Benetton in the URC on Saturday having been sidelined since the Six Nations with an ankle injury. Jones joins fellow Lions squad member Scott Cummings in the starting line-up, the latter shifting from his usual position in the second row to blindside flanker. Sione Tuipulotu is not yet fit to return from the pectoral injury that has kept him out since January but is in contention to face Leinster in the final round of the regular URC season next weekend. Murphy Walker could make his first Warriors appearance in a year from the bench. Glasgow have already secured a home quarter-final in the play-offs but aim to finish second, which they currently occupy, which would also bring a home semi-final should they make the last four. Warriors are just a point clear of Bulls, with the South African side having a more favourable looking run-in with home matches against Cardiff and Dragons. "If I look across the number of caps that we have in the team at the moment, we're not inexperienced," head coach Franco Smith told BBC Scotland. "Nothing is new to the boys. It's now about gelling us together and make sure that we hit our straps when it counts most. "So our focus is absolutely on how we are going to go about our business and we've managed to stay in the second place for 16 rounds. It would be fantastic to finish the season there. That is obviously our objective but that is not the primary plan for this week. "We play Benetton, we will play Leinster and we will play whoever in the quarters and whatever happens after that." Glasgow: Jamie Bhatti, Johnny Matthews, Fin Richardson, Max Williamson, Alex Samuel, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, Sione Vailanu; George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Steyn (c), Stafford McDowall, Huw Jones, Jamie Dobie, Ollie Smith Replacements: Gregor Hiddleston, Nathan McBeth, Murphy Walker, JP du Preez, Euan Ferrie; Ben Afshar, Adam Hastings, Kyle Rowe
