DUNCAN WEIR has been a peripheral figure for Glasgow Warriors this season, managing just one start and three bench appearances in the campaign, but the veteran playmaker insists that he is not yet ready to drift quietly off into retirement.
Widely viewed as a kicking stand-off, Weir does not stand out as a natural fit for the free-wheeling style of rugby which has been championed by head coach Franco Smith since his arrival last summer – but the man himself does not see any reason why he can’t push his way back up the Scotstoun pecking order.
And he knows that a big performance in tomorrow night’s Challenge Cup clash against Bath at Scotstoun could be a turning point in his season.
“I’ve had some good discussions with Franco, and he knows I still want to play every minute possible,” said Weir. “He backs me as a player and says he still wants to use me, but I know it is up to me to make the decision for him through performing well in training and whenever I do get game-time.
“Mentally, I’m not at that point in my career where I’m not fussed if I’m in the squad or not. I still feel good physically. I’m only 31 and I’m fitter than I’ve ever been, so I feel like I’ve still got a big role to play in helping this team fulfil its potential.”
Weir got an earlier-than-expected opportunity last weekend when he replaced Domingo Miotti, who had hurt his back after only 11 minutes of the team’s impressive Challenge Cup win away to Perpignan. He used his time on the park to show that there will be points in the season when his less expansive approach can be just what is required.
“We played really well at times last weekend,” Weir reflected. “The two yellow cards we picked up in the second half kind of limited our chances to attack compared to the first half, so it became more about game management. We just had to play a bit tighter and look after the ball. Perpignan are a physical bunch and they hung in there, so it was a good win for us in the end.”
That victory booked Glasgow’s place in the last-16 of the Challenge Cup, but they need a win over Bath if they are to secure a home draw in the knock-out stage.
Miotti’s injury is still being assessed so he will not be back in action, while Ross Thompson has not yet recovered from surgery on his ankle at the start of December, and rookie Tom Jordan needs his game-time managed after starting 10 and coming off the bench in the other one of Glasgow’s 11 leagues games, meaning Weir is set to make only his second start of the season tomorrow night.
Their opponents are second from bottom in the Gallagher Premiership and have lost all three Challenge Cup games. Meanwhile, Glasgow is hunting their eighth win on the bounce in all competitions.
“We’re in a good place at the moment,” said Weir. “In terms of the systems and structures put in place by the coaches, we’ve all got a good grasp of that now.
“Even guys who haven’t played a lot of rugby have still come in and contributed at different times. The whole squad is integrated and everyone’s on the same page.
“We’ve got good confidence and it’s a really positive environment to be a part of, so we just need to keep grafting and working hard.
“We can’t say we’ve had a successful season at this point in January -- we need to keep going and keep pushing on. Every time you play in Europe, you want to do well for the club and push on to the latter stages of the competition. We fell short in Lyon last season, but this is another opportunity to keep that momentum going at Scotstoun.
“I think we’ve earned the respect of English clubs. When I joined the club first time round back in 2010, there was probably an arrogance around the English sides. But I definitely feel like it’s different now. The two leagues are much closer. The English clubs definitely respect us now.”
