THE dissatisfaction shown by Gregor Townsend after last week’s impressive victory over Leicester was shared by the Glasgow Warriors players, according to Jonny Gray. The co-captain believes that spirit of self-criticism is an indication of how ambitious the team has become, and will stand them in good stead as they continue their campaign to qualify for the Champions Cup quarter-finals for the first time.
“We were very happy with the result, but we came off the pitch thinking there were a lot of things we didn’t do right,” said Gray, who again partners Tim Swinson at lock in this afternoon’s Pool One match against Munster in Limerick. “It’s a surreal feeling, to have won a game against such a great team like Leicester and all they’ve done in Europe and in the Premiership, and come off [after the game] and then come in on Monday morning and we’re disappointed with things. That’s one of the things about the culture of the club - we’re never satisfied even when there are things we’ve done well.”
That self-critical attitude extends to Gray’s analysis of his captaincy. Still only 22, he has been recognised for his leadership qualities for some time, but he believes a lot of credit should go to those who have offered him advice or support, including his co-skipper at Scotstoun, Henry Pyrgos.
“I’m always learning as a player,” he added. “I’ve got a lot to improve. Captaincy is something that’s new to me, and I’ve still got a lot to learn.
“I’m fortunate to have guys around me like Henry Pyrgos, big Al Kellock as well, guys that have captained the team before. And there are others as well - Greig Laidlaw is always available. There are a lot of things I can get better at.”
This afternoon’s match will be played in extremely unusual and demanding circumstances, given it is the first time Munster have played since the death of their coach, Anthony Foley, in Paris last Sunday. Gray believes the best tribute both his team and their opponents can pay is to play with their customary unrelenting commitment.
“Thomond Park is a special occasion. We know it’s going to be emotional, and we’ll pay our respects before the and after the game.
“It’s a celebration as well. And it’s an honour to be involved in it.
“Munster have always been tough and very physical. It’s never been an easy game - the games against them I’ve been involved in have always been tight, and I think it’s going to be the same this time.”
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here