Festive Franco Smith on why Glasgow Warriors were right not to take the easy way out
Glasgow coach hails ‘special bravery’ behind 1872 Cup first leg win
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – DECEMBER 22: Warriors Head Coach Franco Smith during a BKT United Rugby Championship match between Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby at Scotstoun Stadium, on December 22, 2023, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)
Franco Smith likes to talk about sticking to the processes but he also sticks to his promises and after his Glasgow Warriors side beat Edinburgh on Friday night he donned a vibrant Christmas jumper for the post-match interviews. The garish red sweater had “Ho ho ho” printed on the front and looked rather incongruous on the normally taciturn coach but he had pledged to wear it if his side won the match. They did so with a display which bore all the hallmarks of a classic Glasgow performance under Smith.
Edinburgh had ended the first half stronger and started the second in similar vein, moving 10-8 ahead in the 46th minute. But Glasgow didn’t panic and gradually moved their opponents back up the field. Edinburgh gave up a raft of penalties but the Warriors turned down the chance of an easy three points and continued to kick to the corner, trusting their lineout maul to deliver as it had done with astonishing regularity under Smith.
What wasn’t part of the plan was for Edinburgh to steal the ball which they did twice but Glasgow kept the faith, eventually forcing the visitors into more penalties which saw captain Grant Gilchrist sent to the sin-bin. The Warriors pounced immediately, Johnny Matthews being driven over the line for their second try of the evening and then Ally Miller added a third shortly after to put the match beyond Edinburgh. “I’m really proud of the guys sticking to their process,” said Smith after the 22-10 win[1]. “It would be so tempting after 60 minutes to kick at goal and try to take the easy way.
“It’s not always about the lineout drive but to stay up there and keep on knocking on the door until it opens needs a special bravery. The whole world would have been shouting at us to kick at goal but they end up getting a yellow card and it all changes and we end up with two tries instead of one, and it sets you up for the chance of a third as it suddenly all opens up. “If we’d kicked those points in the 60th minute we’d have had to defend them like we had been doing and if we’d made one error then they could have taken the lead again so having the bravery to stick to it was fantastic.”
“I think that’s fantastic,” said Smith. “It’s a great compliment to Scottish rugby at the moment. Edinburgh are competitive, they’re up there, we’re up there, and both teams are playing a brand of rugby that everyone wants to see. I think everyone involved can be proud if that number goes to 30,000.”
The squad will now have a couple of days off to enjoy Christmas and it will be extra special for Smith whose wife Tania and daughter Cara have flown from South Africa to Scotland to join him, prompting a rare show of emotion from the coach whose family is scattered around the globe. “You’re going to bring me to tears now!” he smiled. “It’s fantastic because I have my wife and daughter here. They are only here for short parts of the year.
We’ll have our Christmas dinner and spend time with each other, and I’ll get my boys on the video call and make sure we spend enough time with them.”
References
- ^ the 22-10 win (www.scotsman.com)