ROSS CAN DOUBLE UP
Warriors boss backing Thompson to lead side to second win over Exeter
DANNY WILSON is confident his Glasgow Warriors side can complete a famous Heineken Champions Cup double over Exeter tonight with young playmaker Ross Thompson pulling the strings.
The 22-year-old Scotland international, who has kept the more experienced Duncan Weir out of the starting team for most of the season, was the star of last month’s 22-7 home win over the English side — kicking five penalties in foggy conditions.
Now Wilson believes he can produce another top-quality performance in this evening’s showdown at Sandy Park.
‘Ross keeps impressing me and it’s another away game for him to experience in a different environment,’ he said. ‘He did that in France, too, when he played pretty well in La Rochelle.
‘It’s a different pressure away from home, with the crowd against you, but these experiences are brilliant for a young ten like Ross.
‘He keeps taking them in his stride and I’m sure he’ll do the same again this weekend. He’s a calm, collected character, and his performances have reflected that, but I think there’s more to come from him and we’ll have a positive performance from him at Exeter.’
Wilson described the team’s Scotstoun display as their best since he took over, but insists they need to improve again to back it up against Stuart Hogg and Co.
‘Beating Exeter at home was a big, big win for us, a real milestone victory against a top side that was fully loaded,’ he said. ‘We won comfortably at 22-7. That doesn’t take away from the amount of hard work it takes to get a win against that sort of opponent. They’re a brilliant side and have been for a long time.
‘Maybe, in their eyes, they felt they weren’t up to their usual standard and will want to put that right. That will be their motivation. Likewise, we want to show we can do it home and away. Beating them at home is a big achievement, but beating them away as well this season would be massive.
‘They’ve opened a new stand earlier this season to let more fans in which will give them a lot of support. It’s a different pitch, different venue, and they have the advantage of being at home, but that’s the challenge for us.’
Wilson knows every point will be precious in this European campaign, which is why he wants his side to keep their cool in a hostile environment.
‘Probably the most pleasing thing for me when we played them at Scotstoun was our discipline,’ said the head coach. ‘Our discipline has let us down in a number of other games, where we’ve given away double-figure penalties. You simply can’t do that in big European matches against the calibre of teams we’re now facing. That’ll be another big focus.
‘Our physicality was good against Exeter, as was our forward display where we won the set-piece battle, both scrum and lineout.
‘If we do that again, then we will be in a good place because that’s their strength. Our defensive collisions in our own 22 were massive and need to be the same this week.
‘Hopefully our backs can also fire like they have been. With the likes of Sione Tuipulotu in our side and the damage these guys can do, we’re confident going down there but fully aware of the challenge ahead.’
Wilson has named a strong bench in a bid to match Exeter’s. It will include Glasgow’s joint captains Fraser Brown and Ryan Wilson, the latter set to play his 200th game for the club when he comes off the bench. Ali Price is the starting captain, as he has been over the last few weeks when Brown and Wilson were unavailable for selection.
‘In tight games you need some leadership to come off the bench, especially if you’re taking your captain and leaders off,’ said Wilson.
‘The most pressured situations and decisions come in the latter stages of tight games.
‘We only got away from Exeter at home because we scored a seven-pointer right at the end of the game. Until then it was extremely tight, so bringing on those guys who can bring leadership and experience could be vital if the game is as close as we presume it will be.
‘With that in mind, Ryan has been brilliant this week. His response when I explained to him he’d be on the bench rather than start his 200th game was the mark of the man.
‘Look, he obviously really wanted to start the game and he always believes he should start — that’s what you want from your players, that competition.’
Both of the Gray brothers, Richie of Glasgow and Jonny of Exeter, are out injured although Scotland internationals Hogg and Sam Skinner both start for the English outfit.
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter has backed his players to bounce back from last month’s reverse after telling them to treat it as ‘a blip’.
‘It was a mixed performance in the first game,’ said Baxter. ‘Yes, you have to give Glasgow some credit for the way they played and the things they did in the game, but watching it back it was clear to see where we had some of our issues.
‘I’d like to think the Glasgow performance was a bit of a blip for us, just because for the last five or six weeks it’s felt like we have been on a real upward curve.’