{"id":99208,"date":"2025-05-13T22:38:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T22:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/99208\/"},"modified":"2025-05-13T22:38:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T22:38:09","slug":"sione-tuipulotu-to-return-as-glasgow-deal-with-mental-scars-from-recent-leinster-thrashing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/99208\/","title":{"rendered":"Sione Tuipulotu to return as Glasgow deal with “mental scars” from recent Leinster thrashing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Sione Tuipulotu is set to return for Glasgow this weekend. Image \u00a9 Craig Watson <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n

IT will take a lot more than simply having Sione Tuipulotu back to help Glasgow get over the \u201cmental scars\u201d left from their previous outing against Leinster.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Warriors return to Dublin this weekend looking to avenge their 52-0 Champions Cup thrashing a month ago<\/a>, the result that sparked an alarming recent drop-off in form, culminating in Saturday\u2019s heavy loss to Benetton in Treviso.<\/a><\/p>\n

That saw Franco Smith\u2019<\/strong>s side slip into third place in the URC table and, barring an unlikely win in the Aviva, there is every chance they will slide down another spot to finish the season in fourth place \u2013 the same position as last year.<\/p>\n

URC: Edinburgh v Ulster: Mosese Tuipulotu facing a lengthy lay-off<\/a><\/p>\n

The Monday Bulletin (12th May): Dalgliesh takes on Scotland Under-20s role and relegation play-off for Laidlaw\u2019s men<\/a><\/p>\n

Cairnhill announced as Main Grand Stand sponsor for 2025 Howden Melrose Sevens<\/a><\/p>\n

Nigel Carolan,<\/strong> to his credit, does not try to sugarcoat it, the Glasgow attack coach admitting the team have struggled of late to find their best form. He did, however, also point out that it was a similar story this time a year ago and everyone knows how that one ended up panning out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s still a few mental scars from the last time,\u201d admitted the Irishman ahead of the Leinster rematch. \u201cIt was the quarter-final of the Champions Cup and it\u2019s hard to put our fingers on it, but maybe there was a little bit of tension and pressure that we put on ourselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot underestimating Leinster, they\u2019re a quality team, no matter who they put out. Obviously, they put over 70 points on Zebre at the weekend, so there\u2019s quality. Again, no matter which team they put out for us, you still try and focus on yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s as clich\u00e9d as it can be, but we try and put our best game on the field. We know when we do that, we ask some good questions. When we don\u2019t, it\u2019s trouble. We have some tough days at the office when we don\u2019t get our best game out there. I think even last weekend at Benetton is another one of those. Some things go against us and maybe we drop the heads, the energy gets sapped out of the group and it\u2019s hard to get back on track.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsidering the quality and the experience that are absent from the squad at the moment, there\u2019s guys learning how to do that. I think we found last year, particularly this time, we came back from South Africa and we had a bit of adversity there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t play particularly well against Zebre in the last game of the season, but we learned from that and I think we\u2019ve got a new bunch with all the injuries who are learning to deal with those as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think until we get to the end and all these guys return, there\u2019s going to be days where we\u2019re going to have to take the hit, where it hasn\u2019t gone that well for us, but hopefully we\u2019ve learned along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tuipulotu\u2019s return should help both on and off the field. The Scotland captain has been sidelined for four months<\/a> with a pectoral muscle injury but is ready to play a role at the Aviva, either from the start or off the bench. It is a timely comeback.<\/p>\n

\u201cFingers crossed, we hope to have him involved this week, either starting or off the bench at least,\u201d added Carolan. \u201cHe\u2019s in good spirits. He\u2019s ticked all the boxes medically. I know the medical people are happy that he\u2019s gone the distance that he has and that he\u2019s in a good position.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s been a bit of patience. He probably could have played a couple of weeks ago, but they wanted to make sure he\u2019s right, particularly with what\u2019s down the road in terms of the business end of our season and that important stuff [the British and Irish Lions tour] in Australia in July as well.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cSione is not just a fantastic rugby player. In many ways, he\u2019s like a spiritual leader among the group and he really drives the energy. It\u2019s that experience and it\u2019s having players like that that gets the best out of everybody else in the squad, particularly with all the young guys you have.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever he says, they\u2019ll sit on everything that he says. Every word, they take it as given and they\u2019ll follow his lead as best as possible. Going back to the Aviva, I think he\u2019s going to be a crucial element this week. If we get the energy right, hopefully we get a performance. If we get the performance right, it can lead to results. That\u2019s the sequence.\u201d<\/p>\n

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As one player finally comes off the Warriors\u2019 injury chart, another one or two go on it, with hookers Johnny Matthews<\/strong> and Gregor Hiddleston<\/strong> both picking up knocks in the defeat to Benetton.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny hyperextended his knee,\u201d revealed Carolan. \u201cThankfully he has got lax ligaments, so he can take a bit of punishment, to be fair. He\u2019s in a knee brace at the moment and he\u2019s managing that throughout this week. Whether he\u2019ll be available for this weekend, it could be too early, but it\u2019s not a long-term injury, thankfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cGregor got a bang on his shoulder so we had a one-legged and one-armed hooker at the weekend. It doesn\u2019t help, but it\u2019s just part of the challenges that we\u2019re facing. At the moment, those guys are getting rolled out every week and they\u2019re taking a bit of punishment, to be fair.\u201d<\/p>\n

The purge of non-Scottish-qualified players continues, with Sebastian Cancelliere<\/strong> set to complete a move to Hindu Club, his former club back home in Argentina. Carolan admits it would be a blow to lose the winger but insists it\u2019s not a move of Glasgow\u2019s making.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, I think it wouldn\u2019t be all on Glasgow Warriors if that\u2019s true. Seb has been a massive contributor to our success over the last few years. I guess with the reduction in foreign player availability and what we can accommodate in our squads, the powers that be are maybe hinting that we\u2019re trying to bring more Scottish players through.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Seb has been and continues to be a great contributor to us. He\u2019s been there in all the big games and scoring tries. So look, if that\u2019s the case, he\u2019s going to be a big loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen our international players are away, these are the guys that step up and carry us through. They\u2019re important for us, for the club, and they\u2019ve done really well. I don\u2019t think Glasgow Warriors would be in as good a place without the help of some of these guys over the last number of years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely [about finding] a balance. If they\u2019re blocking the road of a Scottish player, I think there\u2019s a conversation to be had there. But I think when they\u2019re contributing and bringing young Scottish players through, I think there\u2019s value to be had in them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose guys like Henco Venter<\/strong> and Sebastian, have been really positive for us. I think it\u2019s a healthy thing. You can\u2019t have a team overloaded with it, but I think a certain number helps to maintain the quality while we bring the young lads through.\u201d<\/p>\n

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