Challenge Cup: Glasgow Warriors to ‘reset their bodies’ for final after URC exit

Dylan Coetzee
Franco Smith Italy coach SN 2021 - PA.jpg

Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith is looking for his team to refresh ahead of their Challenge Cup final after being knocked out of the United Rugby Championship.

Smith’s side crashed out of the URC at the hands of Munster, who beat the Scottish side 14-5 at the weekend after a first-half red card to fly-half Tom Jordan took its toll on the clash.

Rest time

Despite the disappointment, Smith has chosen to look on the bright side, which is the additional time his team has to prepare for their Challenge Cup final against Toulon on May 19.

Smith underlined that the Warriors went all in for the Munster clash but will now use the rest period to their advantage.

“In all honesty, to ask these boys to play in two finals, from where we are in year one, would have been a huge task. Now, in retrospect, obviously not before,” he said.

“We were all in to win this, there was no talk about taking our foot off the pedal.

“But now we are going to be smart about it. We probably won’t train until way later this week.

“We are going to use the rest days in our benefit. There will be four or five days where we reset the bodies and get their minds liberated a little bit.

Looking to finish on a high

“I could sense in the dressing room there is so much determination to finish this season on a high.

“I am looking forward to making a proper plan for Toulon and then with freshly-recovered bodies to
see if we can go and bring something back.”

The Challenge Cup showpiece game will be the club’s first European final and is an impressive feat in Smith’s first season at the helm.

Toulon will present a huge challenge for the Scottish side, who will want nothing more than to lift the title.

READ MORE: United Rugby Championship Team of the Week: Stormers and Munster rewarded for quarter-final performances