Franco Smith is looking forward to his team enjoying a break next weekend. Image: © Craig Watson –
www.craigwatson.co.uk 
WHAT a difference a fortnight makes. Heading into their Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster on 11th April, Glasgow Warriors dared to dream that they could fight wars on two fronts to mount serious challenges for EPCR and URC glory.
A 52-0 spanking in Dublin blew that idea out of the water, and in their two URC games since then – a scrappy win over Zebre and slipshod home loss to Bulls on Friday night – Franco Smith’s injury-ravaged squad have looked nothing like the side with a firm grip on their own destiny that they appeared to be before the Aviva nightmare … and certainly not like a team gearing up for another tilt at play-off success achieved the hard way (such as they achieved last year).
Warriors are still in the box-seat to finish second in the URC, which would mean a home semi-final in the play-offs (if they come through their already guaranteed home quarter), and maybe even a home final if Leinster’s loss to Scarlets this weekend proves to be the start of complete combustion. But they are only one league point ahead of Bulls, who have a much easier final two regular season matches against Cardiff and Dragons in Pretoria (compared to Benetton and Leinster away for Warriors).
Arnold Clark Premiership Final: Ayr confirm top dog status with emphatic win over Watsonians
W6N: Scotland stun Ireland in frantic finale
URC: Edinburgh clinch a draw at the death against Zebre to breathe some life into play-off hopes
The silver-lining on being out the Champions Cup is that Glasgow at least now have next week’s semi-finals weekend off to rest, recuperate and refresh, and Smith is hopeful that key men Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones could be among a number of his wounded soldiers ready to return to the fray against Benetton.
However, on the defecit side, he spoke of his anxiety about three more players picking up injuries against Bulls on Friday.
“I’m more concerned about the trauma injuries,” said Smith, when asked for his thoughts on his team losing at home for the second time in four matches, having previously gone 15 months unbeaten at Scotstoun.
“We’re going to lose at least three. Jack Mann has got a trauma injury. Gregor Brown has got a trauma injury. Patrick Schickerling played with a badly injured foot for 40 minutes. He basically, in the first scrum, got injured.
“With Jack, we’ll see if it’s a pec or chest. It’s that area. Gregor is his knee – again it’s a tackle on the legs. Patrick Schickerling that was just the strain from the scrum. So it is unfortunate.”
“We’re concerned about it, but at the same time, now we’ve got a week off, which we’re going to use very well. And then there’s some other bodies coming back in the building, it was good to see Scott Cummings coming back after a fractured arm and be confident against a very physical pack. That was heartwarming.
“There was a good fight and determination from all of them, but it’s the back end of a long season. So to play the Bulls now, in the mood they were, we’ll take the bonus point and go on.
“Max Williamson has played 60 minutes now, we’ve built it nicely with him, 20-40-60. Then you have have Josh McKay, Tuipulotu, Jones, the Fagersons, Henco Venter all sitting in the background. Murphy Walker is on his way back. So there’s a lot of positives still to be added. We’re just going to keep on preparing ourselves to play in the final games.”
The Schickerling injury could be particularly problematic given that Zander Fagerson was sidelined for the “foreseeable future” just over a week ago with a calf injury,. leaving Warriors with only three fit tight-head props in the senior squad in Sam Talakai, Fin Richardson and Murphy Walker, and the last of that triumvirate may no longer be on the invalid listed but he has not played a competitive game of rugby since the summer of 2024.
The 13 players listed as injured before the Bulls game were: Jack Dempsey (hamstring), JP du Preez (head), Matt Fagerson (ankle), Zander Fagerson (calf), Angus Fraser (ankle), Huw Jones (ankle), Josh McKay (ankle), Ally Miller (back), Fin Richardson (back), Rory Sutherland (shoulder), Sione Tuipulotu (pectoral), Henco Venter (suspension) and Duncan Weir (shoulder).
Pressed on the likelihood of Jones and Tuipulotu being back to face Benetton, Smith said: “I sincerely hope so. But we will not jump the gun. Let’s see how they progress this week and then I’ll have a better assessment. But yes, hopefully they stay on track.
- Wyre is a leading provider of electric vehicles to football clubs in the UK and delighted to be moving into the Scottish rugby club environment.
- Wyre provides vehicles via an innovative Salary Sacrifice scheme that allows employers to save an average of £1500 per year for every employee on the scheme.
- Wyre puts, on average, £4000 per year back in employee’s pockets through tax savings.
- Wyre you waiting, find out more at https://www.trywyre.com