Treviso Benetton v Glasgow Warriors

Glasgow kick off their season with a difficult away fixture to one of the most improved sides in the league. If any benetton fans feel like updating us on their squad and/or season's peospects I would be very grateful.
It's The General's first competitive match and he has gone with a 6-2 split on the bench.

1. Jamie Bhatti (67)
2. Fraser Brown (123)
3. Lucio Sordoni (0)
4. Lewis Bean (18)
5. Richie Gray (83)
6. Sintu Manjezi (0)
7. Matt Fagerson (79)
8. Jack Dempsey (22)

9. George Horne (80)
10. Tom Jordan (0)
11. Kyle Steyn (C) (49)
12. Stafford McDowall (38)
13. Sione Tuipulotu (20)
14. Sebastian Cancelliere (9)
15. Cole Forbes (24)

16. Johnny Matthews (31)
17. Oli Kebble (77)
18. Zander Fagerson (115)
19. Scott Cummings (90)
20. Rory Darge (20)
21. Thomas Gordon (52)
22. Ali Price (111)
23. Duncan Weir (125)

Unavailable for selection: Allan Dell (calf), Jamie Dobie (hamstring), Huw Jones (back), Ally Miller (back), Domingo Miotti (hamstring), Enrique Pieretto (shoulder), Ollie Smith (back), Ross Thompson (back).

The starting front row, all internationals, looks good and the replacements have over 200 Glasgow appearances between them.
Bean and Gray are a fairly bulky pair in the second row and shouldn't be bullied at the breakdown.
The back row is basically three big lumps; all of whom could play 8. Actually Big See You Man Jessie! could also plat 4. The replacements; Darge and Mullet are both smaller and very quick around the pitch. put them on with Scott Cummings, one of the most mobile second rows in the league, and I think Benetton could be getting run ragged in the last 20.
At half back Horito and Tom Jordan should be creative and dynamic....if they get front foot ball. Starting Jordan ahead of Meatball is a big call. Let's hope it works out.

i really hope Glasgow are still burning with the remembered shame of the thrashing Leinster gave us. And the collapse at Sandy Park.
I like Benetton but hope they really suffer tomorrow night.

Well done for the thread Jim.

Yes, a different looking team for Glasgow to start the campaign.

It looks like the bulk of the Scotland test players being eased back in off the bench.

A couple of others like Tom Jordan and Lord Stafford, who really did not get much of a look in under DW getting their chances. You suspect Franco might rotate the squad around a bit for the first few games to see how some of them are responding to his game plans and new fitness regime.

The starting front five looks a little light, but the bench looks strong.

Glasgow are undoubtedly undercooked for this one, but first games can be a bit of a lottery, so fingers crossed and we will see how this one goes.

The well-travelled SHC on the bench for Benetton tomorrow!

He probably won't even know many of these Glasgow players!

Just as an aside: I'm reading Living On The Volcano by Michael Calvin. It's about how the stresses of being a football manager can seriously damage a person's mental health. It has made me re-appraise Cowboy Dave's tenure at Glasgow and not in a good way.

A few managers talk about the responsibility they feel towards the young men they manage and how difficult it is to drop/not select players. Almost all the managers stress the need to be honest and open with all players at all times. Most talk about being custodians of the culture of a club; even in the sense of, "I can win games in the short term but might end up destroying the very thing which gives this club its identity."

Here are my thoughts on Cowboy Dave; he came over to tick a box on his CV, he was wonderful with the players he considered his matchday 23, he had picked that 23 before the season began and stuck with it whenever possible, the players outside his 23 have commented on how evasive and lacking in transparency they found him (putting it as nicely as I can), he got results and almost won the final against Leinster but the club he left behind was not as robust as the one he inherited.
Would I ever want to see him back at Scotstoun?
I'd rather sit in a bar in Murrayfield and listen to FES crowing about how the Luvvies stuffed us in the 1872.

It will be very interesting to see if a hard working, but much lower profile coach like The General, can refire the Glasgow culture, which was formidable at times during Toonie's reign, winning so many games that we really should have lost.

Time will tell i guess.

I thought the name of the club was simply Benetton Rugby and has been so since 2017/18 season.

The pack choice is interesting with a clear focus on being physical in the contact area to begin with and a bench full of whippets to come on later. I like it, The General has a clear plan and half of being a good coach seems to be getting good buy in on a simple, easily understood game plan.

Keen to see how this season unfolds for Glasgow!

can't say I'm surprised by that result. Glasgow didn't deal with Ayrshire bulls particularly well in Inverness and then didn't get to play Ulster. Treviso are also a strong team now, a great squad and well coached.

Glasgow should bounce back but it must be frustrating for Smith to start his new job with such a poor showing.

Don't worry lads, the proper rugby starts tomorrow.....

funnyExiledScot wrote:Don't worry lads, the proper rugby starts tomorrow.....

Yep, those fleet footed Dragons are bound to entertain.

RiscaGame wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:Don't worry lads, the proper rugby starts tomorrow.....

Yep, those fleet footed Dragons are bound to entertain.

Well just watched the game this morning, having managed to avoid the score last night at work.

Not great viewing really but some mitigation for Glasgow due to their lack of a pre-season and some hope looking at the way they started to play once the bench came on, albeit that the game was already gone by then.

The starting XV bar Dempsey and Fagerson really struggled and some of them have a lot to do to show they are starting players in this team.

A lot of mistakes, almost inevitably from a rusty side and in wet conditions but they also did not help themselves with poor kicking. Tom Jordoa, in his first games gets a bit of slack for several sliced clearances but George Horne should have done better and again, as often before, showed that for all his flair, he lacks the ability to really control the game. The difference when Price came on was chalk and cheese and Jordan looked much more comfortable once he was getting a better service.

A bit to soon to mack judgements really but we need to see a much better performance next weekend when we can't really claim to be undercooked anymore.

I gave myself some time to calm down.

1. Jamie Bhatti (67)
2. Fraser Brown (123) Matthews
3. Lucio Sordoni (0)
If you're getting bullied in the scrum it doesn't matter what you do around the park. That front row were utter mince.

4. Lewis Bean (18) Last night made me wonder why we kept him and released Kiram McDonald.
5. Richie Gray (83) Still running the lineout but needs better support than he got from Bean.

6. Sintu Manjezi (0) Reminded me of Bob Harley in his last days; too slow for 6 too small for 4.
7. Matt Fagerson (79) Put a shift in but he's not a 7. What did we benefit from having Big Man Jessie at 6?
8. Jack Dempsey (22) Put in his usual shift.

9. George Horne (80) The long heart to heart he had with his brother at the end of the first half spoke volumes. His game management was almost non-existent and his service to Jordan was poor at times. How did such a potential become our third choice 9?
10. Tom Jordan (0) Never really got the centres moving, recieved some terrible passes from 9: see his first sliced kick from our 22. Apparently he is a 12 who "can play 10". Let's play at 12.
11. Kyle Steyn (C) (49) Tended to get drawn in defensively and was then scrambling to cover when the ball went wide. Looked like a very good 13 playing 14. Much better going forward. Never stopped trying.
12. Stafford McDowall (38) Smashed it up, made his tackles. Never really worried the Benetton defence.
13. Sione Tuipulotu (20) See above. Looked better once 9-10 were changed. But had the home side eased up slightly by then?
14. Sebastian Cancelliere (9) Constantly full of energy. Always wants the ball and tries to make things happen. Top marks for effort.
15. Cole Forbes (24) Has the look of someone who knows they're waiting for Smith, McKay or Jones to be fit and then he's on the bench. i keep feeling there's a really good player there but he's not able to show us.

16. Johnny Matthews (31)
17. Oli Kebble (77)
18. Zander Fagerson (115)
19. Scott Cummings (90)
20. Rory Darge (20)
21. Thomas Gordon (52)
22. Ali Price (111)
23. Duncan Weir (125)
Everything looked better once the bench was emptied There needs to be a big reaction next Friday.