Smith relishing facing 'one of the toughest teams in the league'
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith is relishing the chance to test their improving form against the BKT United Rugby Championship title holders at Scotstoun.
Warriors host DHL Stormers on the back of a five-match winning run and fresh from double success against Edinburgh.
Smith told glasgowwarriors.org: “After finishing 2022 strongly, coming up against the defending champions will provide us with a good measure as to where we are in our development.
“The last few weeks have shown the continued development that this group of players has undertaken, and the next job for us is to continue along that path against one of the toughest teams in the league.
“We are striving to compete with the best week in, week out, and we look forward to having the Warrior Nation behind us once again on Sunday afternoon.”
Smith has brought in hooker George Turner and handed JP du Preez his second start in the second row.
George Horne starts at scrum-half after contributing 13 points off the bench at BT Murrayfield while centre Huw Jones has been drafted in to face his former club.
GLASGOW TEAM:
1. Jamie Bhatti
2. George Turner
3. Lucio Sordoni
4. Lewis Bean
5. JP du Preez
6. Matt Fagerson
7. Sione Vailanu
8. Jack Dempsey
9. George Horne
10. Tom Jordan
11. Kyle Steyn (C)
12. Huw Jones
13. Sione Tuipulotu
14. Sebastian Cancelliere
15. Ollie Smith
REPLACEMENTS
16. Fraser Brown
17. Nathan McBeth
18. Simon Berghan
19. Alex Samuel
20. Euan Ferrie
21. Cameron Neild
22. Ali Price
23. Domingo Miotti
Latest Comments
No he's just limited in what he can do. Like Scott Robertson. And Eddie Jones.
Sometimes it doesn't work out so you have to go looking for another national coach who supports his country and believes in what he is doing. Like NZ replacing Ian Foster. And South Africa bringing Erasmus back in to over see Neinbar.
This is the real world. Not the fantasy oh you don't need passion for your country for international rugby. Ask a kiwi, or a south african or a frenchman.
Go to commentsDont complain too much or start jumping to conclusions.
Here in NZ commentators have been blabbing that our bottom pathway competition the NPC (provincial teams only like Taranaki, Wellington etc)is not fit for purpose ie supplying players to Super rugby level then they started blabbing that our Super Rugby comp (combined provincial unions making up, Crusaders, Hurricanes, etc) wasn't good enough without the South African teams and for the style SA and the northern powers play at test level.
Here is what I reckon, Our comps are good enough for how WE want to play rugby not how Ireland, SA, England etc play. Our comps are high tempo, more rucks, mauls, running plays, kicks in play, returns, in a game than most YES alot of repetition but that builds attacking skillsets and mindsets. I don't want to see world teams all play the same they all have their own identity and style as do England (we were scared with all this kind of talk when they came here) World powerhouse for a reason, losses this year have been by the tiniest of margins and could have gone either way in alot of games. Built around forward power and blitz defence they have got a great attack Wingers are chosen for their Xfactor now not can they chase up and unders all day. Stick to your guns its not far off
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