Franco Smith says Glasgow’s march to the top of the Vodacom URC standings will count for little if they fail to deliver when the knockout rounds begin.
The Warriors secured first place with a dramatic 26-22 win over Ulster in Belfast on Friday night, with wing Kyle Rowe scoring the decisive try four minutes from time.
That result earned Glasgow a home quarter-final against Connacht as they look to defend the title they won in 2024.
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Smith praised his players for navigating what he believes has been the toughest URC season yet.
“To stay on top of these teams is a massive achievement for my players, the club and the coaches,” said the former Springbok.
“It’s arguably the toughest competition this year that we’ve ever been part of.
“The players have worked really, really hard in terms of their effort. They got stuck in.”
Despite securing top spot, Smith believes Glasgow still have significant areas to sharpen before the business end of the season.
“We wanted five points out of this game. That was the mission,” he said.
“There is still a lot to work on. We got held up three times over the line. Executing those opportunities is going to be massive in play-off rugby.”
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Smith warned that the regular season now counts for nothing.
“It’s a case now of drawing a line under the season,” he said.
“We enjoyed it, fantastic, but it’s now something of the past.
“The play-offs are quite different from the round robin.”
Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
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