1
Glasgow Warriors player ratings vs Leinster | 2025 Investec Champions Cup QF
By Ian Cameron at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Glasgow Warriors players ratings: Franco Smith’s side just didn’t have an answer to the gulf in class between his side and Leinster in this embarrassing 52-0 defeat.
ADVERTISEMENT
Here’s how we rated the players:
1. Nathan McBeth – 5
Didn’t get bulldozed, didn’t stand out. Made his tackles and contributed where he could, but part of a pack that was second best in contact and at scrum time.
2. Johnny Matthews – 5
Lineout was functional and he always brings some energy in the loose, but Leinster didn’t give him much to work with. Carried into heavy traffic all night.
3. Sam Talakai – 4
Tough night at the office. His side of the scrum creaked and he was squarely in the frame. Offered little around the park and spent more time going backwards than he’d like.
4. Gregor Brown – 5
Put in a decent shift defensively. No big highlights, but didn’t go missing either. A meat-and-potatoes performance on a night Glasgow needed three courses and a dessert.
5. Alex Samuel – 8
Hit of the season contender. Absolutely folded Caelan Doris in half with a tackle that echoed around south Dublin and might have stopped time briefly. He backed it up with proper work rate too. A breakout performance, albeit in a team in disarray.
6. Matt Fagerson – 4
Tried to force things and it backfired. A botched NFL-style pass into touch, some sloppy turnovers, and too many handling errors. Plenty of effort, but this wasn’t his night. Sadly left the field on a cart with what looked like a nasty injury.
ADVERTISEMENT
7. Rory Darge – 5.5
Never stopped grafting but found himself second to every breakdown. Didn’t manage his usual mischief at the ruck. Hardly helped by the overall momentum.
8. Sione Vailanu – 5
A few bashful carries but was subbed off after just 33 minutes. Didn’t get long enough to leave a mark, and never looked quite at full tilt.
9. George Horne – 6
Kept trying to light a spark in a rainstorm. Zipped around, asked questions, but it was mostly a losing argument. One of the few who seemed to believe a comeback was possible, until it clearly wasn’t.
10. Adam Hastings – 4.5
A maddening performance. Beat a few defenders and showed glimpses of his flair, but gave away far too many penalties and a penalty try for a deliberate knock-on that really summed things up.
ADVERTISEMENT
11. Kyle Steyn – 3.5
Endless heart, but that won’t fix the many errors – and there were plenty, including a missed tackle on Tommy O’Brien that led to a Leinster try. Tried to lead from the front but was caught on the back foot too often.
12. Tom Jordan – 4.5
Showed flashes when he actually got ball in hand, but there were too many errors and loose moments. Turned over multiple times and couldn’t impose himself – though to be fair, he was feeding off scraps.
13. Stafford McDowall – 5
Jordie Barrett is not who you want to see lining up opposite you on a bad night, but McDowall fronted up and held his own well. A few blunders aside, a steady shift given the circumstances.
14. Jamie Dobie – 4
Completely anonymous. Couldn’t get into the game and looked more like a fan who’d won a radio competition than a starting wing. Listed as making 19 metres but that seems generous.
15. Kyle Rowe – 6.5
A proper bright spark in a dismal team display. Excellent under pressure, beat defenders, made metres and looked like Glasgow’s most dangerous runner — all from a retreating platform. Far from perfect but he can be proud of his work.
REPLACEMENTS:
16. Grant Stewart – 5
Brought some extra edge and got stuck in at ruck time. Not much else to report, but didn’t let anyone down.
17. Jamie Bhatti – 5
Came on and added a bit of grit upfront. Not enough to stem the blue tide, but showed some fight.
18. Patrick Schickerling – 5
Scrum was slightly more stable when he came on. Slightly. One or two involvements but Leinster had the game in the bag by then.
19. JP du Preez – 5
Massive 6’10.5 frame, limited impact. Tackled hard and helped defend the line, but couldn’t change the script.
20. Max Williamson – 5
Looked to bring some bite off the bench but struggled to assert himself in a match that had slipped away.
21. Euan Ferrie – 4
A couple of tackles but didn’t manage to impose himself. Leinster already had one foot on the bus home by the time he got on.
22. Ben Afshar – 4
Probably exerted himself more during his warm-up than playing.
23. Sebastian Cancelliere – N/A
Not on long enough to rate.
To be first in line for Rugby World Cup 2027 Australia tickets, register your interest here
