Latest news with #URCPlayoffs
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Wounded Warriors will have to do it the hard way if they are to defend URC crown
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.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Confident Edinburgh ready to thrive as underdogs
Wes Goosen is backing Edinburgh to thrive as underdogs and says they take momentum and a "good vibe" into the URC Everitt's side squeezed into the top eight with wins away to Connacht and at home to Ulster in their final two they face a trip to face Bulls in South Africa in the quarter-finals, but full-back Goosen believes his side's late-season form provides plenty of hope."I feel like we had a lot to prove and a lot to play for in the last three, four, five weeks, so the momentum's good and there's a good vibe in the camp," the full-back said."We've basically been playing finals rugby for the last six, seven weeks. And you get confidence and belief from that as a team, getting close and getting those victories."I think it's very dangerous in sport when a team's got a lot of confidence."I quite like to be seen as an underdog when people are overconfident, maybe, or just don't take us fully serious."But I think we know, as a team, we're getting better. And I think we can definitely compete with the best, we have been shown it."Edinburgh's previous visit to Bulls ended in a 22-16 defeat last September but they defeated the South Africans 34-28 at home in the Challenge Cup quarter-final last month."It's going to be a big task, it's going to be physical, it's going to be tough in the altitude," Goosen said of the trip to Pretoria."But we played them here not too long ago and we really dominated the first half."If we can do that in their backyard, it's going to be a tough game for them. If we do what we do well, then we can win. We're just going to stay in it and give it our best."
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Murchie unfazed by Warriors' drop-off in form
Pete Murchie is unfazed by Glasgow's patchy form heading into the URC play-offs because he recalls that they were not at their consistent best before winning the title last defending champions host Stormers in the quarter-final on Friday after losing four of their last five matches, and each of their last defence coach Murchie was quick to point out Warriors lost two of their last three games of the regulation season a year ago before pulling it all together when it mattered most to defeat Stormers, Munster and Bulls and claim the championship."We're not in the business of losing games and being happy about it," he said. "But in the last game against Leinster (a 17-5 defeat) we looked a lot more like ourselves, based on the amount of young players we had playing and how we fronted up."It was definitely a step forward in terms of performance. Last year, I wouldn't say we were exactly humming in the three or four games before this period, so it is about putting our best quality performance out this weekend."Glasgow's bid to make an impact in the play-offs has been aided by the return from injury of Lions' call-ups Scott Cummings, Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu in recent Tuipulotu, who played the first half against Leinster, "didn't look rusty at all" added Murchie."Obviously players who have got experience of having done it before, international players who have played on the bigger stage, he's obviously got massive leadership qualities for us," he said."He did pretty well in his 40 minutes against a tough opposition. He didn't look rusty at all, so it's big to have someone of his quality back available for these games."
IOL News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Jake White discusses selection challenges ahead of URC Playoffs
SELECTION HEADACHES Jake White has given insight into the Bulls' strategic selection challenges and team management tactics ahead of the URC Playoffs, highlighting key factors behind Leinster's knockout struggles and the Bulls' finals setbacks. Seen here: Hooker Akker van der Merwe with the ball. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix For a rugby tournament that runs as long as the United Rugby Championship (URC), the key to winning the title can be debated ad nauseam. Leinster once again dominated the group stages, in which each side played a gruelling schedule of 18 matches. Leinster ended top of the table on 76 points, eight ahead of the second-placed Bulls. The Bulls also enjoyed a six-point cushion over the Sharks, while Glasgow Warriors completed the top four with their 59-point tally. Key Factors Behind Leinster's URC Knockout Struggles and Bulls' Finals Setbacks Leinster have been the team to beat in the last few seasons of the URC, but they have been unable to carry that dominance into the knockout stages since the last title they won was in 2021. Since then, the Bulls have twice finished runners-up and, in fact, lost in the final on their home turf to Glasgow Warriors last season. It brings up then, what ultimately proved to be the difference for the winners? There's always the debate of when to rest players and how often your first choice team should run out onto the park. Bulls coach Jake White said there would be no way of not knowing which approach worked ahead of time. "Only what happens on June 14 [URC final] can answer that question. If you rest players and then they look underdone, then you're open to criticism. But it could also backfire if you keep playing your best team, or it could be called a masterstroke if it works out,' White told "In our case, we couldn't afford to go too far away from what we have put out on the field because we have a lot of players unavailable and the last four or five weeks have been knockout rugby - we had to win, or we would not get a home semifinal.'
