WHEN you are preparing for your biggest match of the season, you do not want the preceding game to be flawless. In that sense, Glasgow Warriors’ display against Connacht last weekend was close to ideal, precisely because it was not perfect.
There were flaws which would have been more ruthlessly exposed by a better team – and Saracens, who the Warriors meet in the Champions Cup quarter-final on Sunday, are a significantly better team than Connacht are at present.
But there was also a lot of determination on display, as well as a fair amount of intelligence as the Glasgow players worked out how to get on top after spending much of the first half under heavy pressure. The dismissal of Tim Swinson was a significant blot on the afternoon, but on the whole there was a lot to work on as attention turned to the match in north London this weekend.
“We did the analysis the next day and there were a couple of things we could have done a bit better,” Nick Grigg, the Glasgow centre, said. “But in terms of the bonus-point win for the PRO12 and leading into the European Cup quarters, it was just what we needed.
“They’re different kinds of teams, Connacht and Saracens, so we’ve had to look at them [Saracens] in a bit more detail.”
Grigg’s rise through the ranks at Scotstoun has come as a surprise to many people. The centre only made his debut for the Warriors this time last year, shortly before signing his first pro contract. Now he is in line to start this match, the club’s first in the last eight of European rugby’s premier competition.
Born in New Zealand but Scottish-qualified thanks to a grandfather from Ayrshire, Grigg was seen as no more than a useful member of the Glasgow squad at the start of this season – the sort of player that head coach Gregor Townsend could rely on when his first-choice centres were away on international duty. But the 24-year-old has made 15 appearances so far in this campaign and has been a revelation.
He is a lot shorter and lighter than many of his opponents, but he is fast and elusive on the ball, and determined in defence. If Townsend reckons the versatile Pete Horne is best covering both centre and stand-off from the bench on Sunday, the way would be open for Grigg to partner Alex Dunbar in the starting line-up.
“Last season I was in the Academy and playing for Stirling County and I managed to get one game for Glasgow,” Grigg said. “So this year I wasn’t too sure how it was going to go, but obviously it’s gone the right way.”
“It’s been an exciting season for me. I didn’t really expect to get as much game time as I’ve had, but I’m really glad to be given the opportunities. And I guess grab them by the neck and try my hardest, which is all I can do.”
Saracens’ star-studded squad includes some members of the England team that thrashed Scotland in the Six Nations, but Grigg insisted he and his team-mates would not feel intimidated by their reputation.
“I don’t think that we get overwhelmed or scared of the names and the players that they have. If you outwork your opposition players at the end of the day you will come out on top.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here