DESPITE Glasgow Warriors’s breakthrough to the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup last year, their failure again this year is allowing some to question what the Scots bring to the tournament.
That, however, is all the motivation the players need to make sure they finish with a flourish.
So while tomorrow’s match in Montpellier is a dead rubber for the Scots after losing 22-29 to the same opponents at Scotstoun, it is still a match where the players have something to prove and will go flat out to do that.
For one thing, there is an element of pride in front of Vern Cotter, these days the Montpellier head coach but also the man who gave debuts to many of the Glasgow side when he was in charge at Scotland and a man widely respected at Scotstoun.
Then there is the danger of facing the embarrassment of being whitewashed in this year’s tournament to add to the determination.
After all the feeling amongst the Glasgow coaches and players is that they could have won the home tie if they had stuck to their guns and not panicked when Montpellier changed tactics and hit back on the scoreboard after George Turner’s yellow card – which has now turned into a citing and a subsequent four-week ban.
“It is not going to be difficult at all to get up for the game” said Zander Fagerson the Warriors prop.
“Champions Cup rugby – there is always a buzz around the place even when you go and get stuffed.
“I am really looking forward to going to right wrongs and getting a win this weekend. We are not here to lie down.
“It has been a tough start, we are out of it – lets not beat about the bush – but we have ambitions and want to put in a good performance,” Fagerson added.
“We still have ambitions and can end the season well, we want to show up well in the last few games.”
To add even more of an edge to the game, many of the side are playing for their places in the traditional festive 1872 Cup derby against their great rivals Edinburgh the following week.
“It doesn’t matter if you have been here for a month or 10 years, these are still games you want to play in,” Fagerson said.
“When they are coming up, there is a definite edge in training.”
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