'New Blackadder' is eager to hit the ground running

Rugby reporter

Friday 28 September 2012

Head coach Gregor Townsend has compared him to Todd Blackadder, so Josh Strauss knows the bar has been set pretty high as he prepares to make his debut for Glasgow against Zebre at Scotstoun tonight.

Josh Strauss, the South African No.8, centre, makes his first start while the Tongan prop Ofa Fainga'anuku, left, and Nikola Matawalu, the Fijian scrum-half, are on the bench. Picture: Sammy Turner/SNS

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Alasdair Reid

But then, having found himself in the sights of Super XV giants the Chiefs and the Crusaders recently, the 25-year-old South African should already know that great things are expected of him.

Strauss arrived in Scotland just more than a week ago, having opted for the Warriors ahead of their more illustrious counterparts on the basis that they offered him a three-year contract while the two New Zealand sides were only prepared to put a one-year deal on the table.

Comparisons with Blackadder have been prompted by Strauss's obvious leadership potential. A relatively late developer – he was 23 before he joined the Johannesburg-based Lions Currie Cup side as a professional – he was only at the club five months before they offered him the captaincy.He started looking around for a new employer when rumours began to circulate that the Lions Super Rugby side was set to be axed. If he lives up to his billing as one of the most dynamic forwards in the southern hemisphere then the three-year deal could yet see him turn out in a Scotland shirt rather than the Springbok jersey he once coveted. "At the moment, I'm just thinking about playing for Glasgow," was Strauss's measured response to questions on that issue. "I want to hit the ground running this first week and get the calls right, etc. But if that is an option in the future, it would be a great experience and a great opportunity."Strauss had a couple of periods in France earlier in his career, since when he has been more drawn to playing in Europe than in any other part of the world. For all that rugby will be his focus for the immediate future, he is keen to get out and see more of the country to which he has just committed the next three years of his life."I had only ever stopped over in Heathrow before, so I had never actually been in the UK," said Strauss "For me it's beautiful. South Africa tends to get a bit dry sometimes because it's so warm. I heard that the weather gets quite bad here, but it's nice and green and I like that. "The Cape Town winters are quite similar. It rains for weeks at a time there, so growing up, we got used to the rain. It's probably not as bad as it is here, but I love the scenery." Strauss will be the centre of attention for Glasgow fans, who should expect a comfortable win against the Zebre minnows despite the fact their team is much changed from the one that beat Connacht last weekend. However, the Warriors followers will also be keen to have a first look at Niko Matawalu, the Fijian scrum-half who has been included among the replacements, especially in light of the news that Chris Cusiter is expected to be out of action for the next 10 weeks.The foreign legion will be swollen if another potential debutant, the Tonga prop Ofa Fainga'anuku, is also called from the bench, while Angus Macdonald, the former All Black flanker, will be in the back-row alongside Strauss from the start. After a disappointing start to the season, in which they lost their first two PRO12 games, Townsend's side are now chasing a third consecutive victory. Depending on results elsewhere, a win could move them into the top four of the table.

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'New Blackadder' is eager to hit the ground running

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