Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith says his players are “hitting their straps” as they head into Friday night’s big BKT URC clash with the Vodacom Bulls.
Smith’s team have scored 13 tries in their last two matches while recording bonus point victories at home to Dragons RFC (49-0) and away to the Ospreys (42-17).
That has taken the 2024 champions up to third in the table, just three points off the top.
Now comes the Scotstoun showdown with the sixth-placed Vodacom Bulls from Pretoria, which has all the makings of being a cracking contest with both teams having won three of their first four league matches.
“It’s the start of the season, so it takes a while for all the engines to start up,” said Smith.
“But the players are now starting to find their way and hitting their straps.
“In this first block, we had three objectives – to manage the internationals and allow them to be in top form when they go into the autumn series; to continue to bring young players through, creating a new generation of Warriors; and at the same time to keep the performance.
“Those were our main ingredients and objectives, and, bar the result against Benetton, I think we have seen that progression.”
Now for the Vodacom Bulls in a repeat of the 2024 BKT URC grand final.
“We know we must be at our best as we look to finish the first block of fixtures on a high,” said Smith.
“The Bulls possess one of the strongest and deepest squads in the URC and are consistent in the quality of performances they produce.
“We know we must be at the right level physically and mentally in order to meet their challenge.”
Smith was particularly pleased with last weekend’s six-try win over the Ospreys at the Brewery Field given what a fortress the Bridgend ground has been for the Welsh team over the past couple of years.
“I was very nervous around that one. We knew it was going to be tough,” said the former Springbok who played at the venue in his days with Newport RFC.
“But the boys stepped up from an emotional and creative point of view.
“The Ospreys are a very good team, very well coached, tenacious. They never back off; they made some big collisions. We had to break them down.
“I’m delighted that we performed well. There was good energy, we were technically good, and there was good application. It was much better.
“Consistency is obviously what we’re after. I still feel our scrum set-piece can improve, and I think there’s more from the individuals in our team to add value to the general structure.”
As for the Vodacom Bulls, they were involved in a much closer contest last weekend, squeezing past Connacht Rugby 27-26 in Galway amid a dramatic conclusion with the hosts having a chance to snatch the spoils at the death following Mack Hansen’s late try, but failing to land the touchline conversion.
“Obviously, you couldn’t get it closer,” said Bulls coach Johan Ackermann.
“We could have lost it. They had the kick to win it, so we were grateful to get over the line, but I felt we did a lot of good things.
“We probably didn’t feel too guilty about the win because we really were in control of the game until that last moment.”
Ackermann took particular heart from the way his team bounced back from the previous week’s 28-7 defeat to Ulster in Belfast.
“The pleasing thing was the character. I asked the players that we don’t have that big slump we had against Ulster, and they showed that fight,” he said.
However, he admitted there is still work to do in terms of cutting out costly lapses in concentration.
“The ability is there, the skill is there, but we tend to switch off,” he said.
“We feel in control, then one little mistake snowballs, and we let the other side in. Every week, you play quality sides that will punish you when you make errors, so if we want to progress, we need to cut those mistakes.”
The trip to Scotland brings down the curtain on a three-match adventure in Europe for the Vodacom Bulls.
“It is a tough old tour. But then again, we are getting it out of the way early,” said Ackermann.
“It’s a challenge playing Glasgow at their home. They’ve been one of the most consistent sides the last couple of years under Franco Smith and are one of the best attacking sides in the competition.
“They are well coached style-wise and tactics-wise with quality players. They have a strong culture and a passionate crowd.
“It’s another opportunity to measure ourselves. As a team, we are still not firing like we want to, but this is another chance.”
In terms of the team news, Glasgow have made six changes from the side that beat the Ospreys, while second row Ruan Nortje returns to captain the Vodacom Bulls.
Related: URC Round 5 Team Sheets
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