POOL THREE LEINSTER v GLASGOW: JOHN O'SULLIVANon why Joe Schmidt's side are determined to ensure the Scottish visitors' poor record in the Heineken Cup will continue on Sunday
ON A superficial level, Glasgow Warriors’ 23-19 league victory over Leinster at the RDS in September suggests an entitlement to be bullish about Sunday’s Heineken Cup clash at the Dublin venue.
Scratch the surface though and the notion of placing any store in the league result seems a little skewed. The teams this weekend will be vastly different from those that took the pitch eight weeks ago, to the point of being almost unrecognisable.
Leinster are defending their European title and after last week’s creditable draw in Montpellier – in circumstance rather than performance – they are aware that nothing other than a victory will suffice. That will be reflected in the intensity of their approach on Sunday.
So too, Glasgow, buoyant after a somewhat fortuitous last-minute victory over Bath at Firhill last Sunday; a catalogue of good fortune began with a blocked drop-goal attempt and culminated in a try for impressive secondrow Richie Gray.
The Warriors’ history in the tournament is flecked with excellent one-off performances, illustrated by victories over Toulouse (away), Leicester Tigers, Biarritz Olympique and London Wasps in sundry campaigns, to alight on four in particular.
However, only once, in their first season in Europe, 1997-1998, did they manage to qualify from the pool. They beat Ulster home and away en route to the knock-out stages but an auspicious journey disintegrated when they travelled to Welford Road and were mauled 90-19. Leicester’s World Cup-winning South African outhalf Joel Stransky scored 35 points and Michael Horak helped himself to four tries.
If that was a low point, a run of 13 consecutive defeats in the Heineken Cup that began in January 2003 and ended three years later to the month, when they beat Bourgoin, constituted a very troubled time for the franchise; coincidentally, their last victory in the tournament was against the same French side.
Glasgow have finished third in a pool on seven occasions and fourth four times, a meagre diet.
They were desperately seeking an identity and a support base, having started out as Glasgow Rugby, later amalgamated with the Caledonians Reds to form the Glasgow Caledonians, before being rebranded again in the 2005-2006 season to their current incarnation, the Glasgow Warriors.
Present coach Sean Lineen arrived in that season – he succeeded Hugh Campbell – and he’s had a relatively positive impact on the playing side of affairs: qualified by a failure to escape the pool stages in Europe as four consecutive third places in pool finishes in as many seasons illustrates.
The 49-year-old New Zealand-born former centre, who won a Grand Slam with Scotland in 1990, can’t allow himself to be distracted by events at the club off the field. Yesterday Mark Dodson, Scottish Rugby Chief Executive (SRU) announced that Nathan Bombrys would succeed Kenny Baillie as chief executive at Glasgow Warriors, with the latter pursuing a new career in London.
Bombrys will move from his role in the commercial wing of the SRU, prompting a reshuffle in several areas of both the governing body and their Glasgow constituent.
The franchise will also move next year, quitting Firhill for Scotstoun in the west end of Glasgow.
The Warriors already train there but will play all their home matches at Scotstoun – it is also a world-class athletics venue – from next season.
They have struggled to attract support, illustrated by the fact that just 4,205 souls turned up for their European Cup victory over Bath at Firhill, a venue they shared since 2007 with Patrick Thistle FC.
Glasgow previously played at Hughenden and it is difficult to escape the feeling they are struggling to find a core community that will drive support into five figures.
There are also issues pertaining to the playing roster and the club’s ability to keep their stand-out players, following the decision of 6ft 9in lock Gray to accept an offer to join Sale Sharks next summer. Last weekend’s match winner is a brilliant athlete and on the basis of his club and international form, a strong contender for the next Lions tour (2013 to Australia).
On foot of Gray’s decision is speculation that the Manchester club are looking to recruit another Glasgow stalwart in John Barclay. The flanker is out of contact at the end of the season and his departure would be another significant blow. The Sharks’ Steve Diamond admitted: “We could become known as Sale McSharks as we are also owned and coached by a Scot.
“Richie (Gray) is ambitious and it shows he is coming for all the right reasons as I know he was offered a lot more money to go elsewhere. We had identified three top-class players. Richie was one and another is secured and will be announced in the next week or so.”
Lineen knows though his prime focus must remain on Sunday’s clash at the RDS. “No matter the result against Bath, we are in no doubt how tough it will be against Leinster. They hold the trophy and earned a draw with Montpellier in France without playing that well.
“But we have beaten them recently in the Pro 12; so we do know how to win over there. It will be a different atmosphere and a different reason for wanting to win. We need to back up last weekend’s performance with another really good one.
“We have had isolated victories in the past against Toulouse and Biarritz but the aim is to do it consistently.”
