Wilson fit to lead Warriors bid for perfect 10 from African safari
ILL health may have forced Ryan Wilson out of last weekend’s meeting with the Toyota Cheetahs, but the flanker has declared himself fully fit to help Glasgow Warriors bid to take a full 10 points from their African safari on Saturday.
Along with fellow international Nick Grigg, the club’s co-captain succumbed to a stomach bug which saw them effectively quarantined together during their first week on the continent, but by the end of it his absence was essentially precautionary. “I had a bit of illness but I’m good now. I’ve had a week to get over it and I maybe could have pushed it last weekend, but I’m all good to go now,” he said.
His return can help lift a squad that has suffered some blows this week with international prop Zander Fagerson having to undergo surgery after fracturing his ankle during what was ultimately a romp to a bonus point win in Bloemfontein on Saturday, while international colleague Stuart Hogg had to return home from South Africa without playing after the ankle injury he suffered the previous week against Munster failed to clear up.
However, Wilson indicated that spirits remain high with every advantage having been taken of an opportunity to bring the squad ever closer together in early season with two weeks in the sunshine.
“It’s really good,” he said. “We got away a little bit in the pre-season, but to get a two-week trip away over in South Africa with the whole squad is definitely something we can use. We are a pretty close group already but it’s important to try and get the boys away.
“We are in Cape Town at the moment, which is a brilliant city to be in. We’ve had a pretty good balance of mixing business with pleasure.”
That has been helped by basing themselves in a tourism-oriented area, before heading up to Port Elizabeth to face the Southern Kings in what will be the first PRO14 match to be played at the Nelson Mandela University Stadium after a relatively late decision to switch it there from Nelson Bay Stadium, which is preparing to host the Springboks’ meeting with the Wallabies in the International Championship the following weekend.