Deal for Bhatti cements rise

SCOTLAND international Jamie Bhatti admits the scale of his rise has taken him by surprise after signing a new one-year contract at Glasgow Warriors.

The prop has signed on to stay at Scotstoun until at least May 2019 after enjoying a breakthrough season for club and country.

After making his debut last season, Bhatti has cemented his place in the Warriors squad and has featured in every game for Scotland since making his debut against Samoa in the autumn, including substitute appearances in all five NatWest Six Nations matches.

He has also played a significant role in helping Glasgow secure a home semi-final in the Guinness Pro14 play-offs.

‘It’s been a whirlwind of a year,’ Bhatti told Warriors TV.

‘I came in for my first preseason as a professional, got the opportunity to start a game at the beginning of the season and then managed to start most of the games after that.

‘I then got in the autumn Test squad and won my first cap for Scotland and played in all three games.

‘I was playing for Scotland again in the Six Nations and now, coming to the business end of the season, I have eight caps (for Scotland) and I’ve played 25 times for the club, so it has been a good first year as a professional.’

Glasgow’s league campaign continues with a trip to Ulster tomorrow in a game that could go a long way to deciding Edinburgh’s fate in the Pro14 this season.

If the Warriors win, their rivals will secure their own place in the play-offs and that, according to centre Alex Dunbar, gives the team a reason to focus rather than step off the gas with their own fate already decided.

He said: ‘It gives us a chance to rest a few boys with niggles, but we really want to push on and try to get some momentum going.

‘We have two games left and, going into the end of the season, it’s important to try and get some momentum for the semi-final.

‘If we get the win it could do them (Edinburgh) a favour, so that’s something we will be going out to do.’