Glasgow Warriors centre Stafford McDowall praised the players who stepped up admirably against Munster in the URC on Friday in the absence of 20 first-team regulars.
Franco Smith’s men were massively depleted at Scotstoun Stadium but still put in an impressive showing as they ran out 31-22 winners that saw them seal a maximum.
In truth the scoreline did not reflect how dominant the Warriors were over the course of 80 minutes, as Glasgow won their ninth successive fixture in all competitions.
Depth tested
15 players were away with the Scotland squad as they prepare for Six Nations duty while five other stars were out injured, meaning Glasgow had to dig deep on Friday.
Led by the impressive McDowall the hosts scored through Ollie Smith, Dan Lancaster, Jare Oguntibeju and Josh McKay, with Lancaster also adding 11 points off the tee.
Speaking after a fine victory, the centre touched on how the fringe players stepped up to the plate in the absence of their Test contingent and how proud he was of them.
“It’s something we pride ourselves on here massively is that whoever steps into the jersey does the same job,” he said.
“These are some of the most fun times to be a Glasgow Warrior when the international boys are away and the boys who work hard every week and maybe don’t get a chance get their time to play. It’s nice to see them step up and play really well.”
McDowall was one of five members of Glasgow’s 18-strong contingent in the Six Nations squad who were released to feature in the United Rugby Championship clash. The 16-cap centre responded with a Player of the Match display as he caused Munster all kinds of problems with ball in hand.
“It’s an easy one to get up for when you are playing here at Scotstoun in front of your fans and your family and you know the boys are going to dig in,” he said.
Happy Smith
Adding his thoughts on the contest, Glasgow head coach Smith said: “We always knew it was going to be a tough one with Munster also playing well this season. So, to get the win is good.
“There’s obviously a lot to work on, but we are excited to get five points against Munster who are a very tough team to play, so I am happy with that.”
The result leaves Glasgow top of the URC standings going into the first Six Nations break, with the Warriors returning to action on Saturday, February 28 at Connacht.
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