Last weekend’s URC play-off quarter-final loss to Munster at Scotstoun will not burst the bubble of self-belief which the Glasgow Warriors squad have inflated around themselves this season, insists Stafford McDowall.
The 25-year-old centre – who has enjoyed a second coming in his professional career under Head coach Franco Smith this season – says Warriors will charge into Friday night’s Challenge Cup final ready to cause an upset against Toulon, who are one of the most decorated teams in European club rugby history.
“I think we have got enough confidence from what we have done this season that we will take anyone on at the moment,” he said. “Obviously, we are massively disappointed with the Munster result and it has been a tough one to shake off – losing a knockout game at home – but you can always get yourself up for a European final. I don’t think it will take too much for the boys to be chomping at the bit, ready to go.
“We were given a little bit of time off at the start of the week after the Munster game, so it was just a case of trying to recover and get the bodies right since we don’t have a game this weekend. We’ve put in a lot of hard work this season and we feel like we’re in a really good place heading into next week.
“Of course, we would obviously have loved to have been playing another semi-final this weekend, but this gives us a bit of a longer look at Toulon and we’ll be going into that game fresh. It’s a massive occasion for the club and we’re not going to look too far ahead at the end result. First and foremost, we just want to take care of our performance.
“Obviously there are international stars littered across their team – a lot of individual talents who can light up a game – and who they play at 10 varies how their game plan runs. They’ve got Dan Biggar as a massively experienced international and British & Irish Lion who will probably control the game a bit more and kick a bit more, or Ihaia West who won a Champions Cup with La Rochelle last year and will probably attack the line a bit more and look to play from a bit deeper. They’re a massively threatening team but one we’re looking forward to taking on.”
