Townsend: Our fans will make it like a home game

Glasgow Warriors coach Gregor Townsend described tomorrow’s Champions Cup quarter-final with Saracens at Allianz Park as “a brilliant occasion for Scottish rugby”. Over 5,500 Glasgow fans have bought tickets and are travelling down from Clydeside, while a large contingent of Scots living in London is also expected.

Both teams contain a sizeable number of Scottish players, with 14 of Glasgow’s starting side Scotland internationalists while four of the Saracens matchday 23 – starters Jim Hamilton and Sean Maitland, and Kelly Brown and Duncan Taylor on the bench – are also Scotland caps.

“It will be almost a home game with the support we will have there – and the Warriors fans make a fair bit of noise,” said Townsend. “We were blown away in the first Pro12 final when we had three or four thousand there, but now it’s 5,500 officially and I’m sure others will get along there. We had about 1,000 at Leicester and it gave the players a boost when they arrived. It gave us more energy.”

Townsend also believes that Scotland’s travails at Twickenham will help Glasgow. Not only were 10 Warriors players introduced to the Saracens defensive system, a variation of which is also used by England, but the motivation to win has been heightened by the defeat.

“We are playing Saracens, not England, but I would hope that there will be real determination not to miss this opportunity to deliver a true reflection of what they are capable off,” he said. “Saracens include guys who will be starting Tests for the Lions, so it is a quality side, but we are excited about the challenge because we believe we have the quality to win this game.”