Game on for Townsend . . .

Senior Sports Writer

Thursday 30 August 2012

his record as Glasgow Warriors head coach reads played three, lost three, but Gregor Townsend is confident that a very different Warriors side will go into action in tomorrow night's RaboDirect Pro12 opener against Ulster.

Gregor Townsend has quality options to choose from in the Warriors ranks. Picture: SNS

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Kevin Ferrie

The former Scotland utility back has, in many ways, had the best possible introduction to his new role since pre-season results are of no relevance in the greater scheme of things, and anything gained against last season's Heineken Cup finalists will be viewed as a bonus.

He believes, though, that his men are ready for genuine tournament play and have the capacity to make life uncomfortable for tomorrow's hosts, albeit he acknowledged that Ulster have had a rather more impressive pre-season in drawing with Leicester Tigers and beating Newcastle Falcons. "You can tell there's been a step up in focus this week and excitement," he said. "It's great to have everyone who is fit available and there will be a lot of experience and physicality going into this game."In both longer and shorter terms, he has been helped by improving news on the injuries front. He said he believes that Stuart Hogg will not be sidelined for as long as had been suggested, while he has been able to recall the youngster's fellow international back Graeme Morrison who has fully recovered from undergoing knee surgery.Indeed, rather than his hand being forced by simply having to pick those available in the starting XV – that was generally the case for all of his predecessors – he has quality options to choose from.It has allowed him to bring John Barclay and Chris Cusiter, previously regarded as automatic choices, back into the squad on the bench, with Chris Fusaro and Henry Pyrgos trusted to start among a 23 containing only one player not qualified to play for Scotland: Mike Cusack, who is a third of the way towards doing so on residential grounds.Among the overseas brigade left out, perhaps the biggest surprise is the omission of DTH van der Merwe, the Canada winger who has become a firm favourite among Warriors supporters. Townsend indicated that player management was a factor in that decision. "I thought Tommy [Seymour] had a good game against Exeter and the fact that he played for Ulster is good motivation for him," the coach said.Meanwhile, as cricket's Kevin Pietersen fiasco still simmers away, Seymour admitted that he remains friendly with a number of the Ulster players, particularly those he grew up playing alongside and against.He made it clear, though, that, with Warriors also in the same Heineken Cup pool as the Irish province this season, there have been no exchanges of inside information as well as insisting that he got any strangeness over playing against them out of his system when he made his Warriors debut against Ulster this time last season.He did admit to having experienced some envy as he watched them reach the Heineken Cup final last season, just as there had been for all Glasgow's players as their inter-city rivals Edinburgh reached the semis of the tournament. He is confident that Glasgow are poised for similar success on the back of last season when they reached the Pro12 semi-finals."We had our own stuff to concentrate on last year, making sure we progressed as far as we could," he said. "There was so much to take [out of it] for Glasgow and so much buzz around the club that, while you have your small jealousies, I was enjoying being a Warrior and I wasn't looking back with any sort of regret."I 100% believe we can be as successful [as Ulster]. Ulster, a few years ago, were going through the same re-development stage, bringing players in and changing the ground and re-funding. Glasgow obviously started doing that last year, with players of the quality we've brought in last year and this year, not to mention all the youngsters we're bringing through."We're now able to keep the talent we have and attract talent from all over the globe which is the biggest statement we can possibly make."His appointment to his post having been a controversial one, Townsend knows he needs to oversee victories quickly, but his observations about the venue for his competitive debut as head coach played to the image held by those who feel he flattered to deceive as player and coach.Most players' fondest memories are of places where they have enjoyed substantial success, so his description of Ravenhill as "one of my favourite places to play as a player" seems odd. Asked if it was because he had won there, he admitted: "I don't think so; I lost there with the Borders . . . We played there with the South [of Scotland] against Ulster back in, probably, 1991 and got a win there."Why, then, is he so keen on the place? "I just love the atmosphere," he said. "The noise is great. You're guaranteed to be playing in front of nine or ten thousand. There's the width of the pitch as well. It's one of the biggest pitches you can play on."As conveying confidence to, and nurturing it in, players is a significant part of the psychology of a good coach, Townsend will certainly be entitled to accord Ravenhill a very special place in his personal history – as well as that of the Warriors in years to come – if his positive outlook is enough to inspire his charges to produce a victory tomorrow.

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Game on for Townsend . . .

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