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Opponents in Focus - Glasgow Warriors

22nd September 2006


The only way is up for Glasgow Warriors, quite literally, as they finished the Celtic League in 11th place last season after a year of turmoil both on and off the pitch.

With a total of three separate home venues, four different training grounds and a mid-season change of Head Coach, the Warriors didn’t have their troubles to seek as the peripatetic team struggled to settle and find any level of consistency.

While not many wins were posted in the first half of the season – three from thirteen – the frustrating aspect for the Warriors was the close nature of the defeats with half of them involving a bonus point for being within seven points at the final whistle.

The second half of the season saw four wins from 13 games and another three losses with bonus points but despite their curse of inconsistency – beating Edinburgh Gunners 46-6 in one Celtic League game only to go down 13-24 to Border Reivers in their next league match. Being pipped 23-25 by Ulster with the last kick of the game then slumping 22-46 to Leinster the following week – there was one team the Glaswegians shone against…the champions of Europe, Munster.

The Heineken Cup holders were defeated by the Warriors both in Scotland (32-10) and on home soil (26-20) in performances that the Warriors will be looking to emulate in all their games this season under new Head Coach Sean Lineen and new Captain Alastair Kellock.

With a stuttering start to the 2006-07 league, the Warriors found their form and yet again it was against the mighty Munster as they emerged 24-13 victors last Friday in the Magners League.

With a return to their favourite ground in the city’s West End, Hughenden, and a return to mainly Friday night rugby, the future looks bright for Glasgow Warriors as they head in to what they hope will be a more successful 2006-07 season.

Team: Francisco Leonelli, Hefin O'Hare, Andrew Henderson, Scott Barrow, Thom Evans, Dan Parks, Graeme Beveridge, Justin Va'a, Fergus Thomson, Euan Murray, Andy Newman, Alastair Kellock (c), Andrew Wilson, John Barclay, John Beattie

Substitutes: Eric Milligan, Kevin Tkachuk, Dan Turner, Calum Forrester, Sam Pinder, Colin Gregor, Sean Marsden