Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'Still improve a lot': Franco Smith urges huge growth from URC champs

Glasgow's Head Coach Franco Smith during the Investec Champions Cup Round Of 16 match between Harlequins and Glasgow Warriors at The Stoop on April 5, 2024 in London, England.(Photo by Bob Bradford - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Glasgow head coach Franco Smith has thrown down the gauntlet to his United Rugby Championship winners by insisting they need to be 20 per cent more efficient in attack to justify his faith they can mount another title challenge.

ADVERTISEMENT

Nearly ten weeks after their stunning final victory over the Bulls in Pretoria, the South African is confident he has the quality and depth of resources at his disposal to ensure that momentous triumph was not a one-off.

Warriors finished last season with the URC’s best defensive record (39 tries conceded in 21 matches including the knockout phase, at just under two per game), a resilience which served them well in a stirring semi-final victory over Munster at Thomond Park and then against the Bulls in their Loftus Versfeld stronghold.

Video Spacer

Percy Montgomery on the greatest players he played with and against | RPTV

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:48
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:48
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Percy Montgomery on the greatest players he played with and against | RPTV

    Springbok legend Percy Montgomery chats about some of the All Black greats in the latest episode of Boks Office, available now on RugbyPass TV.

    WATCH NOW

    Glasgow’s exhilarating attacking style also brought them the third-highest try tally in the league, behind Bulls and Leinster. They averaged four a game (84 in 21 games) across their whole URC campaign, and scored exactly 100 tries in 26 matches overall last term.

    But Smith believes there is still plenty of scope for raising the bar and becoming more ruthless in attack.

    Fixture
    United Rugby Championship
    Ulster
    20 - 19
    Full-time
    Glasgow
    All Stats and Data

    “I think our execution of our attacking plays, specifically,” he explained. “There are so many opportunities created in every game. It’s the team that can make the most of those opportunities that obviously becomes more successful and shows that growth.

    “The experience that the players have had in some difficult conditions and away from home should allow them now to challenge themselves even more from an execution perspective.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “We want to keep on creating more opportunities and be able to identify the space and play to that. We have the skill set, our team make-up is built around that, so it’s now about taking more of those opportunities.

    “We won’t ever take everyone. If there are ten opportunities, if we can get to 60 per cent I’ll be really happy. But currently we’re round about three or four out of ten in execution. It still gives you three or four tries, but I feel with the challenges ahead and the way that other teams are going to approach their game against us, we will need to make even more of those opportunities created.”

    While several key Warriors such as Zander Fagerson, Richie Gray and Jack Dempsey have enjoyed a summer off, the 16 players involved in Scotland’s summer tour of North and South America are still easing themselves back into the pre-season fray.

    But Smith has already seen enough to suggest that after last season’s exploits, no one is resting on their laurels as the new campaign approaches.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “I’m really confident,” he said when asked about the prospects of further success in the forthcoming season, which begins in the URC with a trip to face Ulster on September 21. “I always say good people make good players and they have handled our successful season really well up to now with their approach.

    “They have got into training again after the break and the physical and mental effort they have already shown in the first part of pre-season means a lot because they have learned and they are ready to discover even more from themselves.

    “We are not hunting only success. To win is important but we want to be significant. We want to be consistent and we want to be playing a brand every week that makes our supporters and sponsors proud. It will sometimes lead to victory and sometimes not, but the way we go about our business should never differ.

    “We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. There’s a process and we want to build and become as good as we can get. Yes, along the way accolades may be bestowed on us, but we can still improve a lot. Even on the review of the final there were still things we can do better, so I’m looking forward to that part of our objectives.”

    Glasgow will have their first pre-season hit-out against Zebre in Parma on Saturday. Smith has left around 20 internationals at home – many will return for their second friendly against Connacht at Scotstoun on September 7 – but emphasised the “enormous part” the wider Warriors squad played in last season’s success.

    Related

    “The fact that we used a lot of our non-internationals in important games last season set us up to have our best team out in the last three or four games,” he pointed out. “Guys put their hands up in difficult periods and I could even add Stafford McDowall to that list. He wasn’t necessarily one of the top two centres at the beginning.

    “The likes of Max Williamson, Gregor Brown, Euan Ferrie, Ben Afshar all contributed at important parts of the season, just before and just after international games, when there were injury concerns. They gave us momentum and kept the momentum going.

    “As much as we’d want to avoid expectation around the team, it’s obvious there is a lot more expectation this year and therefore to maintain quality and creativity and enthusiasm and energy and make sure our effort is high, we need everybody in the squad to contribute at some period in the season.”

    Three players that won’t be involved for several months yet are Scotland fullback Ollie Smith, Tonga flanker Sione Vailanu and South African lock JP du Preez, who are all still recovering from serious knee injuries.

    Smith, 24, was initially given an eight-to-twelve months recovery period after his injury against Bayonne on December 15 last year, and the head coach confirmed he is likely to need a “full year” before he returns, ruling him out of Scotland’s November Tests.

    “We are not going to rush him back in, so the earliest I think we will see him is around December, just before Christmas,” he said.

    The same applies to Vailanu, who was injured a week after Smith against Edinburgh, and Du Preez, who missed the whole of the last campaign after sustaining his injury in pre-season training.

    Related

    ADVERTISEMENT

    O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 5 | Making Waves

    Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

    Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

    Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series | Full Day Replay

    Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

    Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

    Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

    Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    0 Comments
    Be the first to comment...

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    B
    Brian evangeline 1 hour ago
    Conor Murray: French giants weigh up shock move for Ireland star

    Ask META TECH RECOVERY PRO for help via:

    Metatech @ Writeme . Com

    contact@metatech-recoverypro.com

    WHATSAPP +1 (469) 692‑8049

    My elation knew no bounds as my earnings began to surge higher. Intrigued, I increased my investment. This investment firm assured me that I could retrieve my profits after two months. Upon the expiration of those eight weeks, I attempted to access my invested capital, only to discover I was locked out of my account. My cryptocurrency investment had been compromised, and I was then instructed to remit a substantial sum to regain full access to my investment. I was utterly bewildered, as the amount demanded was exorbitant. I implored them to deduct the necessary sum, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. I then sought alternative methods to recover my hijacked crypto assets as time was going by, and my business capital, which I tampered with, was crumbling. I engaged with several crypto recovery specialists, but they all absconded with my funds, leaving me deep in debt. I cannot precisely recall how I encountered META TECH RECOVERY PRO, though I believe it was through Facebook. I contacted them, outlining my situation, and they assured me of a successful recovery, along with a forensic analysis of the data I provided. I harbored some skepticism during my interactions with META TECH RECOVERY PRO, yet they ultimately upheld their commitments. I successfully recovered my hijacked crypto assets, which were returned to my digital wallet. Kudos to the team of META TECH RECOVERY PRO, I really applaud their expertise.

    Thank you.

    7 Go to comments
    B
    Brian evangeline 1 hour ago
    Conor Murray: French giants weigh up shock move for Ireland star

    Ask META TECH RECOVERY PRO for help via:

    Metatech @ Writeme . Com

    contact@metatech-recoverypro.com

    WHATSAPP +1 (469) 692‑8049

    My elation knew no bounds as my earnings began to surge higher. Intrigued, I increased my investment. This investment firm assured me that I could retrieve my profits after two months. Upon the expiration of those eight weeks, I attempted to access my invested capital, only to discover I was locked out of my account. My cryptocurrency investment had been compromised, and I was then instructed to remit a substantial sum to regain full access to my investment. I was utterly bewildered, as the amount demanded was exorbitant. I implored them to deduct the necessary sum, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. I then sought alternative methods to recover my hijacked crypto assets as time was going by, and my business capital, which I tampered with, was crumbling. I engaged with several crypto recovery specialists, but they all absconded with my funds, leaving me deep in debt. I cannot precisely recall how I encountered META TECH RECOVERY PRO, though I believe it was through Facebook. I contacted them, outlining my situation, and they assured me of a successful recovery, along with a forensic analysis of the data I provided. I harbored some skepticism during my interactions with META TECH RECOVERY PRO, yet they ultimately upheld their commitments. I successfully recovered my hijacked crypto assets, which were returned to my digital wallet. Kudos to the team of META TECH RECOVERY PRO, I really applaud their expertise.

    Thank you.

    7 Go to comments
    J
    Julio Langworth 4 hours ago
    'Their eyes lit up': Ben and Tom Curry relishing Jack Willis test

    In 2024, I received a substantial tax refund, which I saw as a golden opportunity to improve my financial situation. Eager to invest, I became interested in Bitcoin, a digital currency that many believe represents the future of finance. Unfortunately, my excitement led me to a fraudulent company that promised incredible returns on investments. Their persuasive tactics and seemingly legitimate operations drew me in, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that I had been deceived, and my hard-earned money $572,000 had vanished.Feeling devastated and hopeless after losing such a significant amount, I reached out to a friend who had faced a similar ordeal. They recommended a company called GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , which specializes in recovering lost Bitcoin. Although I was skeptical, my desperation pushed me to contact them for help.From the very first interaction with GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , I was impressed by their understanding and willingness to help. Their team guided me through the recovery process, providing the support I needed during this challenging time. They explained each step clearly and kept me informed throughout the entire journey. Their dedication rekindled my hope of recovering my lost funds.Thanks to the diligent efforts of GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , I was able to reclaim my stolen Bitcoin. This experience not only restored my financial situation but also taught me invaluable lessons about the importance of conducting thorough research before making any investments. I now have a solid investment strategy in place and am much more cautious about where I allocate my funds.I want to emphasize the importance of being vigilant in the world of cryptocurrency. While Bitcoin offers tremendous potential as an investment, it also attracts scammers looking to exploit unsuspecting individuals. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I strongly encourage you to seek help from a trustworthy recovery service like GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES .Investing in Bitcoin can be a rewarding venture, but it is crucial to approach it with caution. Always perform comprehensive research and remain skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true,but if fallen victim to scam a GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES is available for you.You can reach them on whatsapp +18582759508, web at ( https://graywaretechservices.com/ )    also on Mail: (contact@graywaretechservices.com)

    0 Go to comments
    TRENDING
    TRENDING Gabriel Hamer-Webb eligibility decision looms as Prem comes knocking Gabriel Hamer-Webb eligibility decision looms as Prem comes knocking
    Search