It was the list of those who were uninvolved that made the result achieved by 14-man Glasgow Warriors against a team packed with players who have previously tormented them all the more extraordinary.
None of current co-captains Callum Gibbins and Ryan Wilson, the latter’s fellow Scotland back-row man Matt Fagerson; international locks Jonny Gray and Rob Harley; Scotland hooker Fraser Brown; and an entire international back division of Ali Price, Adam Hastings, Pete Horne, Huw Jones, Tommy Seymour, DTH van der Merwe and Stuart Hogg were in the match 23 when Alex Allan was shown a red card against a quality Scarlets side..
For all that was a mid-season game, then, it was within that context Adam Ashe could hardly be accused of hyperbole when claiming that: “It was brilliant, one of the best wins I’ve been involved in with Glasgow as a player.
“It was one of those games where every time I looked to the side of me there was somebody getting smashed. It was just amazing and the energy and buzz that brings, I guess the confidence as well is phenomenal, so I think it was one of those performances where we just dogged it out and everybody was really up for it and hitting hard and the physicality was there. When you get that right the chances of winning are high.”
The effect was felt not only by those involved, but across the squad.
“A lot of the guys were excited after the game, came into the changing room and the spirits were high. It just goes to show that we’ve got some really good depth here, that we can go out and beat teams with players who aren’t playing regularly,” said Ashe.
Looking at that list of returning players, he knows that all bar a few of those who produced that heroic victory can expect to be involved when Glasgow attempt to gain the initiative in bidding to qualify for the Champions Cup quarter-finals for only the second time in Lyon tomorrow.
However, in acknowledging that it is now becoming as hard to get into the Glasgow side as it is to claim a place in the national team, Ashe reckoned the excitement generated in recent weeks can only work in their favour as they head into this crucial stage of the season.
“Over the past few weeks a lot of guys have stuck their hands up,” he said. “It’s obviously been quite a successful campaign for us with people away, so there are going to be guys coming back in and a few who have managed to keep spots in the team. It’s certainly exciting and I think we’re all looking forward to the big occasion.This year the depth we have here, it probably comes back to the standard we train at. At any Tuesday or Wednesday session, the speed and ferocity we train at is impressive. I was in the Scotland squad, but there’s not much of a jump when you go into the international camp. It comes down to that. If you’re training like that it will transfer onto the pitch every week regardless of who’s playing.”
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