Rugby reporter Steve Scott turns the spotlight on Scotland’s pro clubs

Glasgow: Steve Scott assesses a season of under-achievement

The season: The first-ever European Champions Cup quarter-final appearance is the exclamation point of the Warriors’ campaign, but even in that outstanding achievement there’s a feeling that the club actually underachieved.

Missing the PRO12 play-offs for the first time since 2010 and the conclusive nature of the ERCC quarter-final defeat to Saracens are jarring on what seemed another year of development, the last under Gregor Townsend before he moves on to the Scotland head coaching job.

But the actual crucial difference to the Warriors’ season this year was those weeks when the club’s squad system always worked wonders before, the international “windows”. The Warriors had a success rate of between 60 and 70% in the games played during the November internationals and the Six Nations under Townsend, but this season they lost their first six games in those weekends.

The new plastic pitch, which was supposed to be such an advantage for the fast-playing Warriors, wasn’t nearly that; Ospreys and Ulster had their first ever wins at Scotstoun, Munster (twice) and the Scarlets also won there. Glasgow had lost just one PRO12 game at home in two seasons before this campaign.

Having so many players on Scotland call unquestionably was a factor, but the supporting cast was not of the quality of previous years either. Townsend can hardly be blamed for failing to turn up more gems of the quality of the departed Leone Nakarawa – although Brian Alainu’uese has definite promise for that role – and injuries especially in the second and back row blighted selection when the Scotland players were away.

Glasgow still had famous home and away triumphs over Leicester and Racing 92 in the ERCC to reach the quarter-finals, but the most significant contest of that campaign was not the astonishing and historic 43-0 win at Welford Road but the home loss to Munster.

Francis Saili’s late try and the failure to get a late drop goal to win the game meant Munster, not Glasgow, won the group and got the home quarter-final against ailing Toulouse.

The Warriors probably couldn’t have coped with the mighty Saracens any better in a semi-final than they did in the quarter, but it would have been interesting to see a game between the two in front of a capacity crowd at BT Murrayfield.

Most of the bright spots for Glasgow ended up as Scotland regulars, notably Zander Fagerson and scrum-half Ali Price, who went from fringe player to first choice Scotland 9 in just a few months working with Mike Blair. Pintsized centre Nick Grigg will certainly tour with Scotland this summer after an excellent debut campaign.

… the supporting cast was not of the quality of previous years either

The continuing excellence of Scotland regulars like Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and Jonny Gray – although he now looks as if he could use a prolonged break – was crucial. Tommy Seymour, Ryan Wilson and Tim Swinson had their bestever seasons.

The future: Every step has been taken to ensure that the transition to new head coach Dave Rennie will be as seamless as possible. Foreign coaches at the pro teams – Andy Robinson aside – have not been successful in the past, but Rennie has been in close contact all year and is more likely to have a Vern Cotter-style inclusive approach than that of past failures Kiwi Searnacke or Tony Gilbert.

He’s already added strength to what will be the “international window” team to make sure there is no repeat of the issues there this season.

With Huw Jones arriving, the Warriors have a line-up of half-backs and three-quarters most would be perfectly happy to see turn out in Scotland shirts.

With the inventive Jason O’Halloran coming from the Scotland set-up, the Warriors may actually be a better attacking team than ever.

A defensive specialist to replace Matt Taylor is the only outstanding issue, although a change was probably due with the Scotland man having been in post so long.

With sell-outs at Scotstoun now the norm rather than just for the big games, the Warriors are still moving forward.

There’s no reason to think that they won’t be back in the play-offs and challenging for a European knockout place again next season. stscott@thecourier.co.uk

Picture: SNS Group. Ali Price: the emergence of the young scrum-half and his step up to the international side have been bright spots for Glasgow.