Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith has turned his focus to a massive Vodacom URC showdown against the Stormers, and he’s already sounded a warning about South African depth.
After a demanding run of rugby, Smith admitted the physical and mental toll on his squad is starting to bite ahead of the top-of-the-table clash in Cape Town.
“It’s been 22 weeks of highly intense rugby,” he said.
“It’s good to have several internationals in your team, but they don’t rest in the Six Nations. 23 of them go on and play, and they come back with the mental demand being enormous for them.”
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Smith expects another brutal test this weekend, especially away from home.
“For the last couple of years, home or away is always difficult to manage until the play-offs.”
Following this past weekend’s heavy 54-12 defeat to the Lions, he’s credited South African teams’ depth as a stand-out factor. But despite the Ellis Park thrashing, his side still top the log on 55 points.
“What makes the Lions good is that they’ve got Springbok-like players, but they are not Springboks.
“The same counts for the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers. The most valuable players are the ones that are good enough to be Boks but aren’t.
“And they make the difference at a club level.”
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Smith believes that depth gives South African sides a crucial edge, something Glasgow will have to overcome in Cape Town on Saturday.
“Our second-choice international players, compared to South African franchises’ second-choice internationals, show differences in some players,” he said.
Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
The post Squad depth worries Franco as Stormers loom appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith has turned his focus to a massive Vodacom URC showdown against the Stormers, and he’s already sounded a warning about South African depth.
The post Squad depth worries Franco as Stormers loom appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
