Warriors need to raise their standards

AS the only one of the four sides that have qualified for the Pro14 play-offs that are not involved in the forthcoming European Champions Cup semifinals, Glasgow Warriors look set to find out whether they have got any closer to closing the gap on the continent’s best team as they head into the closing stages of this season.

The contrast between the club’s long winning league run in the early part of the season and their European travails as they exited the Champions Cup in the minimum number of games was the latest evidence of the huge gulf that exists between the competition in which they have been regulars in the play-offs and the one in which they have never made a significant impact.

Under the new competition set-up they should secure top spot in their conference when struggling Connacht visit Glasgow on Friday night and they will then have a fortnight to prepare for their final league match against Edinburgh.

However as has been acknowledged by Chris Fusaro (above), one of the men who played on the club’s greatest day three years ago, it is when they reach the play-offs that they will find out if they have made any progress since that latest ignominious Glexit from Europe.

“Measuring ourselves against the likes of Leinster and Scarlets will be a good marker for us,” said the flanker.

“Going forward into Europe we want to do better.”

He added: “They are in the same competition as us. It does show if you get things right in European games we can progress as they have.”