Greg intends to grab Warriorsopportunity
American lock told jersey is his if he puts in performances
HOW well does the BT Premiership prepare a player for the nest Test-match intensity of the European Champions Cup? Greg Peterson is probably about to find out.
The Australian-born USA lock has been out in the cold at Glasgow Warriors this season, keeping himself in shape playing for Marr, which he now regards as his second club, but is almost certain to be thrown in to the side to face Leinster in Dublin on Sunday.
It will be only his second start of the season – his first was last week, against Zebre – but with injuries to rivals and places to be won in the side that will have to keep winning when the Scotland players are on Six Nations duty, it is a chance he has to grab.
“I would like to think we would get some more minutes but you never know,” he said. “Dave [Rennie, the head coach] came to see me a couple of weeks ago and said ‘you will get this shot, it is pretty much up to you if you want to hold onto the jersey or not’. It is just a case of trying to get game fitness and that.
“It is exciting, you grow up with Leinster, Munster, those big European giants. It is always great playing them, it is always a tough tussle, getting ripped in with them because they’re the cream of the crop in Ireland.”
The statistics are intimidating. Glasgow have achieved only one draw in the six years since their last win in the RDS in 2011, losing every other time they have played there in run-of-season or knockout games. They lost 34-18 to the same opponents in Glasgow, conceding a try bonus point and Leinster have a 100 per cent winning record in this year’s Champions Cup.
For the players, the rewards for a good performance could also be huge with a large swathe of the Glasgow Warriors squad likely to be involved with Scotland’s Six Nations campaign, there. The chance of a run of games is on offer.
“The team was performing and they did not need me,” Peterson accepted. “I was happy to put on the bib jersey and help them prepare well week-in, week-out.
“It’s a pride thing but it’s also the case that we’ve let the fans down this European season. We want to prove those games were a hiccup and put our best foot forward. This team will probably roll through the Six Nations.”
There is an added incentive for Peterson too. A run of games would make sure he keeps his spot in the USA team – and he is desperate to take on his current club-mates at Glasgow when the Scots travel to America on their summer tour.
“I can’t wait, it’s going to be a tough match,”he predicted. The November Tests put us [United States] in good stead. I think [the Scotland Test] is going to be in Houston again – though I’m not too sure. It’s probably going to be hot as hell and neither me nor the Scotland boys are going to be used to it.”