{"id":107518,"date":"2025-05-16T23:15:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T23:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/107518\/"},"modified":"2025-05-16T23:15:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T23:15:10","slug":"franco-smith-sticks-to-his-selection-guns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/107518\/","title":{"rendered":"Franco Smith sticks to his selection guns"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"StaffordStafford McDowall is covering back-row from the bench for Glasgow Warriors against Leinster on Saturday night. Image: \u00a9 Craig Watson –
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FRANCO SMITH has confirmed that centre Stafford McDowall has been selected to provide back-row cover from the Glasgow Warriors bench in tomorrow night\u2019s final outing of the URC regular season against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This left-field selection is in keeping with Smith\u2019s often stated selection philosophy that the number a player has on his back is irrelevant compared to the value of getting the best 15 men for the job at hand on the field at the same time.<\/p>\n

We have previously seen hookers Angus Fraser<\/strong> and Gregor Hiddleston<\/strong> pressed into action in the Warriors back-row, while Jamie Dobie<\/strong> has started as many games on the wing as he has in his primary position of scrum-half this season, but this is his boldest selection curveball yet \u2013 and demonstrates just how stretched the squad is in that area of the park with Gregor Brown<\/strong> (knee), Jack Dempsey<\/strong> (hamstring), Matt Fagerson<\/strong> (ankle), Jack Mann<\/strong> (pec), Ally Miller<\/strong> (back), Henco Venter<\/strong> (suspension) and Angus Fraser<\/strong> (head) all unavailable, while Sione Vailanu<\/strong> needs to rest a number of niggles following seven games in eight weeks since returning from a long-term lay-off.<\/p>\n

URC: Leinster v Glasgow: Sione Tuipulpotu returns as Seb Stephen handed debut<\/a><\/p>\n

Louise Dalgliesh names Scotland Women U20s squad for Six Nations Series<\/a><\/p>\n

Glasgow Warriors announce the recruitment of Charlie Savala<\/a><\/p>\n

It also indicates that the courage of his convictions has not been shaken by a recent dip in form by Glasgow Warriors, which has seen them end up stumbling towards the end line of a season which began to falter after their 52-0 drubbing to Leinster in Dublin at the quarter-final stage of the EPCR Champions Cup five weeks ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, he [McDowall] is going to cover the back-row. We have trained him there for the last couple of months and you\u2019ve seen him jump in the line-out now and then, so he can play there if needed. It allows us to get the best players out on the pitch, so it\u2019s not necessarily the first thing we would like to do, but we might see him doing that role if needed,\u201d explained Smith, before confirming that this is a move to add an extra dimension to McDowall\u2019s game rather than the start of a positional switch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to give you a headline there! He\u2019s a centre. I had to remind him this week quite a bit, \u2018you\u2019re a centre\u2019, because he really enjoyed the change of scene in our unit sessions. But no, we\u2019re making sure that if we have a yellow-card or something happens going forward then we have some of these players doubling up, so that we are not disrupted if something like that happens. Y<\/p>\n

\u201cYellow and red cards are part of the game \u2013 that has bitten us before in a quarter \u2013 so to make sure that a lot of players can cross traditional borders is important in our preparation going forward. We do not want to be caught out. He\u2019s a classic example of somebody that can convert and do that top of the row for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Smith has also offered two novices in hooker Seb Stephen<\/strong> and flanker Macenzzie Duncan <\/strong>a chance to go toe-to-toe with a home side containing seven British & Irish Lions, knowing that they have nothing really to lose and a chance to make a name for themselves. He has made similar calls in the past, notably with Mann excelling when he was\u00a0 thrown in at the deep end against Bath at The Rec the start of the 2022-23 Champions Cup campaign and Hiddleston doing liekwise against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park a year later.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe said from the start we\u2019re going to bring people through this season and obviously this week is important but Seb has shown a lot of improvement in the last four months since he\u2019s joined us. He\u2019s a quality rugby player and he\u2019s going to play for the Warriors for a lot of games going forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I did with Gregor Hiddleston last year when introducing him against Exeter in the European Cup, I think there\u2019s no better place. There\u2019s enough very good players in the team around him and will support him mentally. I believe that\u2019s how young players must be brought through. The outcome of the game shouldn\u2019t depend on them and they must be honest with how they deal with the experience. I hope that this will be a start to his career.<\/p>\n

While Smith acknowledged that his hand had been forced in the Duncan selection by that long list of back-row unavailabilities, he did stress that after three previous selections as a replacement \u2013 coming off the bench for 16 minutes against bottom of the table Dragons in mi-February \u2013 the time has come for the former Cleveden RFC and Bristol Bears Academy prospect has earned his chance to start. \u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to seeing him,\u201d said the coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pleased and excited. We\u2019re all excited about going back out there. You can just think how he\u2019s going to struggle to sleep tonight. Looking forward to tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut every game in this competition is tough and hard like that. There would never be a right opportunity to introduce young players. It takes bravery from the group to introduce these boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the next 160 minutes, hopefully the next 320 minutes, are going to be very important for us. I\u2019m excited about what they\u2019re going to bring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith added that Max Williamson<\/strong>\u2018s absence this weekend with a shoulder injury is precautionary, and he should be available for the play-offs in a fortnight\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure that next week we have a good prep-session,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want everybody to be fresh and eager and ready. When in doubt, you\u2019re out was basically my mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t go around putting it that way but there\u2019s a month of rugby still left. It\u2019s the 16th May today and it finishes on the 14th of June. There\u2019s a lot of things that can still happen if you\u2019re involved in every game.So, one or two are precaution. \u201c<\/p>\n

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