Warriors stronger after African rout sayswilson
Glasgow’s two-match trip to South Africa may have been pointless where the league table is concerned, but captain Ryan Wilson is convinced it could have lasting benefits for squad morale.
The Warriors’ 29-17 defeat by the Bulls in Pretoria on Friday night followed a 32-7 loss to the Stormers a week earlier.
The two reverses leave Wilson’s team precariously perched near the bottom of the URC’S eight play-off places.
They are away to Lyon in the Challenge Cup quarterfinals next weekend, they visit Edinburgh in the last regular league match later this month, and they will be on the road again if they get any further in either competition.
It’s additional travel that seems sure to take its toll on a playing group already depleted by injury.
Even so, Wilson claimed that the squad had grown stronger as a result of the fortnight in South Africa, and insisted that the gruelling schedule could not be held responsible for the losses.
“I’ve said to the boys during the past few weeks that we’re a lot closer from being away together,” the back-row forward said.
“With all the Covid stuff over the last few years, being able to come away for two weeks as a group has been really special. We’ve really enjoyed each other’s company.
“We’re a lot tighter as a group and that will bode well going into the end of the season.
“It’s a shame we come away from these two games with nothing, but if there are any positives to take it’s that we’re tighter for the experience.
“It’s been brilliant, especially for some of the young guys to come out here and experience some of the stadiums they have and different cultures.
“I think it’s brilliant having
the South African teams in there and I’m all for it myself.
“It is draining,” Wilson continued. “But you just have to find ways to deal with this.
“I don’t think we can blame these last two weeks on the travel. We prepared really well for the games and were in a good place before.
“And if we have to come back out here for another game we’ll prepare well for that too.”
Glasgow came close to picking up a losing bonus point
in a late revival on Friday night, but Ollie Smith’s touchdown was rightly chalked off for a forward pass.
The failure to take anything from the Bulls match now makes it all the more important that the Warriors beat Edinburgh.
That game will be played at BT Murrayfield, but Wilson agreed with Edinburgh’s Hamish Watson, who said last week that he would have preferred the game to
be played at the DAM Health Stadium.
“It would have been nice to have taken something from these two games, but Edinburgh was always going to be a must-win,” Wilson added.
“It doesn’t matter where it’s played. It would probably have suited us better at the DAM Health as it’s a pitch that we’re used to.
“But it doesn’t make a difference to us.”