Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith has sounded a warning about South African depth ahead of Saturday’s Vodacom URC showdown against the Stormers.
After the log-leaders’ 52-14 defeat to the Lions at Ellis Park, Smith admitted the physical and mental toll on his squad was starting to bite.
“It’s been 22 weeks of highly intense rugby,” he said. “It’s good to have several internationals in your team, but they don’t rest in the Six Nations. 23 of them go on and play, and they come back with the mental demand being enormous for them.
“For the last couple of years, home or away is always difficult to manage until the playoffs.”
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Smith credited South African teams’ depth as a stand-out factor.
“What makes the Lions good is that they’ve got Springbok-like players, but they are not Springboks.
“The same counts for the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers. The most valuable players are the ones that are good enough to be Boks but aren’t.
“And they make the difference at a club level.”
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Smith believes that depth gives South African sides a crucial edge, something Glasgow will have to overcome in Cape Town on Saturday.
“Our second-choice international players, compared to South African franchises’ second-choice internationals, show differences in some players,” he said.
Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
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