‘We can’t let that happen again’ – Darge tells slack Glasgow to get ruthless
The lack of ruthlessness was the theme mentioned most often by Glasgow after Saturday’s 32-28 defeat by Cardiff Blues, a factor which will be especially important in the coming weeks.
Glasgow should bounce back against Zebre at home this coming weekend, but at the end of next month it is a trip to the home of ruthlessness, South Africa, where Glasgow’s top-four place in the URC will come under most threat.
After a slow start to the season, the South African teams are coming up fast with plenty of home games to come. Which made Edinburgh’s win at the Sharks vital in maintaining a cushion and sets the trend Glasgow will want to follow against the Stormers and Bulls.
Winning regularly on the road is the next challenge for a team with an excellent home record.
The clash in Cardiff was a strange game. It is hard to overstate just how dominant Glasgow were for long periods and how strange to watch that control slip away to end in defeat.
“It is hard to put your finger on it, it has happened a couple of times this season in that last 30 minutes, but we need to front up to it, figure out why it has happened and not let it happen again,” said flanker Rory Darge.
“It is the last 30 where we lost the game, there is a ruthless edge you have to have to bury the game because that game should really have been buried.
“Also in the first 50 we played well but maybe should not have conceded the points we did. If we had not conceded one of those tries then we would have had more of a cushion going into the last 30.
“We knew they were going to be a tough team to play against, they have lost one game all season at home, they turned over Leinster at home, so we were under no illusions, it was not a mindset thing going into the game.
“Obviously credit to Cardiff, they played well. They just took their chances really well and we were not ruthless enough.”
Glasgow secured a tryscoring bonus point in the first 42 minutes, Argentine right wing Sebastian Cancellierre scoring two of the four, centres Kyle Steyn and Sam Johnson were making yards for fun and the lineout was ridiculously dominant.
Wales centre willis hal a ho lo provided the cutting edge for Cardiff ’s revival, while the home pack started to come into the game with the breakdown battle between Darge and Wales duo Josh Navidi and Ellis Jenkins especially fascinating.
“It was a good battle over the ball. I tried to get over a couple of times, they were good at the breakdown and went hard over the ball as well to be fair to them,” said Darge.
“We are gutted to have lost the game, but we have taken two points away from home against a side who have only lost once this season.
“We should still have won that game, we are not getting away from that, but next week becomes an even bigger game for us to keep the gap from Edinburgh and the South African teams.
“If we were ruthless there, then if we are being honest that puts the game to bed. If we were a bit more ruthless and clinical then that is maybe the little bit we are missing, but take nothing away from Cardiff.”