Match Preview: Glasgow Warriors v Stormers
6 Jun 2024The knockouts are here. Glasgow Warriors take on the Stormers for the second time this season in the quarter-final of the URC this Saturday at Scotstoun.
20907216 Glasgow Warriors are flying the flag for professional club rugby in Scotland this weekend. After securing a top four spot in the competition, Glasgow have a home quarter-final for another year. With a number of Scotland internationals in the squad, the Warriors will be hoping to go all the way this year.
The Warriors faced the South African side back in Round Three of the BKT URC. Last time out, Franco Smith’s men defeated the visitors 20-9. They’ll be fighting for a similar result to keep URC dreams alive this weekend.
The Warriors come into the quarterfinal off of the back of a bonus-point win against Zebre Parma. Despite the high-scoring game, Glasgow had some key takeaway points which they’ll be looking to put right against the Stormers.
However, the game against Zebre was an authentic display of the Warriors’ DNA. Johnny Matthews scored two tries which confirmed his standing as the URC’s top try-scorer for 2023/24. Fast-flowing tries using the wings from Kyle Rowe and Tom Jordan also showed that Glasgow have threats everywhere in attack.
This fixture will be the fourth time the two sides have encountered one another. On each previous occasion, the home side has come out the victor. Although Glasgow have lost their last two games against South African opponents, the Warriors certainly have the home advantage ahead of the quarterfinal.
Every home 2023/24 URC game at Scotstoun has resulted in a win for Glasgow. This will be their third successive BKT URC quarterfinal, though this year, the Warriors will be looking to convert it into a semifinal.
Opposition Lowdown
The DHL Stormers finished fifth in the URC this season. After defeating the Emirates Lions in Round 18, they travel to Scotland in attempt to disrupt the home advantage the Warriors have this weekend.
The Stormers have a strong away record this season: they’ve won four out of five of their last away games in all tournaments. However, the South African side have never won an away play-off fixture.
With stella Springboks in their squad, the Stormers have threats all over the rugby field. This includes Manie Libbok who helped South Africa reach the final of the Men’s 2023 World Cup where they lifted the title for a third time. Youngster Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is also in the top six URC kickers this season. He has a kicking success rate of 85.7%.
The match-up will be a tight contest, the game being a must win for both sides.
Memorable Moments
There have been plenty of highlights when it has come to knockout fixtures at Scotstoun. The game versus Ulster in 2019 was an extraordinary performance and result. It was Tommy Seymour’s opener with just two minutes on the clock that set the tone. His fifth try against his old club came at the end of 17 phases straight from the opening kick-off as the Warriors immediately took control of the match.
The Challenge Cup double header against Dragons (in the Round of 16) and the Lions (in the quarter-finals) last season produced 23 tries and 158 total points scored in the space of eight days. Johnny Matthews led the way with an unforgettable club record-setting five tries against the Dragons, with Dempsey, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu and George Horne all cutting their opponents apart across a high-flying fortnight.
