GREGOR TOWNSEND is confident that both he and his Glasgow squad are far better equipped to deal with today's PRO12 final than they were a year ago.
The Warriors lost 34-12 to Leinster in last year's final - an experience which, no matter how bitter, should stand them in good stead when they meet Munster at Belfast's Kingspan Stadium this evening, according to the head coach.
"I believe we weren't ready for the final - the occasion itself affected maybe some of the decision-making," Townsend said of that 2014 defeat. " I include the coach as well as the players in that. I firmly believe we'll be ready for the game this time.
"We didn't get the build-up right, and I learned a lot from that. We'd burned a lot of nervous energy.
"We had a long build-up to that game - maybe we built it up too much, talking about the achievement and what it would mean to win a final, rather than just treating it as another game.
"We've shown this year, when we've prepared well and trained well, we've been consistent in our performances. Yes, it will take an extra effort to win a final. But you can't think too much beyond that. You have to think about what will win us the game.
"I'm very confident we'll see a much more focused team. But, even with that, it'll be a really tough game.
"We'll be in a better position with our experience. Whether that leads us to win, we'll see."
Townsend believes that last week's semi-final win over Ulster showed how his side have matured to the extent that they can now find a way to win even when they are playing beneath their best. "What I have seen from this group is that they have learned from previous experiences," he continued. "The way they came back at the weekend showed they can take a bit of adversity and challenge, yet still work out a way to win.
"We've gone away and won in France this year, from missing out the year before. So I have seen people in this group in similar situations, figuring out a way to win. That will be the way to go."
Of the five players who are about to leave the club, only two, DTH van der Merwe and Dougie Hall, have been named in the starting line-up. The other three, Al Kellock, Hon Welsh and Niko Matawalu, are on the bench.
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