Chris Cusiter insists Glasgow Warriors will hone attack for home bow

GLASGOW’S Chris Cusiter is confident his team-mates have the ability to become a more potent attacking threat this season.

The team developed into a very tough one to beat under former coach Sean Lineen and defence chief Gary Mercer but, with Gregor Townsend and Matt Taylor now in charge along with Shade Munro, there has inevitably been a change of direction, however slight. The Warriors struggled to impose themselves in their first match of the season, losing 18-10 to Ulster in Belfast last Friday night, which led some to wonder whether the new coaches were asking too much of their charges too soon.

But, as they prepare to welcome the Scarlets for the historic first match at Scotstoun Stadium, Cusiter is confident the Warriors’ game is coming together.

He said: “There were valuable league points we missed out on last weekend – we didn’t even get the bonus point – and from experience I know how important those points are, so we have to make them up now. Our history starts this week. We have no history here so we have to make Scotstoun a tough place to come.

“We are looking to have slightly more attacking emphasis, being able to identify the opportunities where we will attack, keeping the ball in hand and developing a fast-paced game. Coaches are different but rugby is a fairly simple game. You have to do the basics well. Matt has brought a different emphasis in defence and angles of looking at things, and that’s been really interesting and will pay dividends as the season goes on as we become used to his methods. But I don’t think it will take a long time. There are new signings, a slightly new coaching system and it takes time to bed in, but the gameplan is not vastly different to last year. If you lose as many lineouts as we did last week [four] and the scrum doesn’t go well, then it is very hard to win a game.

“Last year we were very difficult to beat because we got the basics right and we have to have that foundation again. Once that starts firing then we can start to add the little bits that the coaches are looking for. I am confident that this Friday night will see a vast improvement on last week.

“It is a very positive environment here and we know we have everything in place to go on and be one of the top teams in this league, so the pressure is on us to go out and perform.”

Cusiter is one of a handful of Scotland players making his first start of the season tonight and he admitted that it felt strange coming off the bench for his first taste of competitive action in a fully-fledged league match.

“I told Gregor I’d rather have played some pre-season games because it’s strange to have your first rugby of the season being a competitive game,” he said. “It’s probably the first time it’s happened, but they have a plan and we do get managed well in Scotland so I buy into that.

“We [Scotland tour squad] were only back for maybe a week and a half or two weeks by the time the first game came around, and it’s not ideal then to be playing. If you’re playing games you’re getting bumps and bruises and can’t get the same time in the gym, so a balance has to be struck.

“You have to sacrifice something going on tour, and for me that was the pre-season games. It’s not the end of the world. It’s just about looking after yourself. OK, we’re probably not going to be peaking in the first game, but by the second or third hopefully we’re on form. I feel a lot better now with 40 minutes under the belt. I was a bit rusty, which is to be expected, but I’m expecting to play better this week.”

There is great anticipation around the playing squad as the long wait to make Scotstoun their home ground as well as their training venue comes to an end. Ticket sales were heading to the 4,000 mark last night with a capacity inside the new ground of just 5,000, with standing 
behind each goal.

But the Scarlets are out to spoil the party. Each team has won three of their last six meetings, although the Welsh side has lost six of its last seven trips to Glasgow. They head north buoyant after a 45-20 defeat of Leinster last weekend.

Wales stand-off Rhys Priestland leads a strong back-line with Jon Davies and Scott Williams at centre, Andy Fenby and George North on the wings and Tavis Knoyle at scrum-half.

Skipper and No 8 Rob McCusker is joined by Johnathan Edwards and Aaron Shingler in the back row, Richard Kelly and new signing George Earle remain at lock and Matthew Rees comes in at hooker with Rhodri Jones and Deacon Manu in the front row.

GLASGOW TEAM

v Scarlets at Scotstoun Stadium

tonight, 7.35pm; live on BBC Alba

15 Peter Murchie

14 DTH van der Merwe

13 Alex Dunbar

12 Graeme Morrison

11 Sean Lamont

10 Ruaridh Jackson

9 Chris Cusiter

1 Ryan Grant

2 Pat MacArthur

3 Moray Low

4 Tom Ryder

5 Al Kellock, capt

6 Rob Harley

7 John Barclay

8 Ryan Wilson

Subs

Dougie Hall, Mike Cusack, Gordon Reid, James Eddie, Chris Fusaro, Henry Pyrgos, Duncan Weir, Peter Horne

Scarlets: Liam Williams; George North, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, Andy Fenby; Rhys Priestland, Tavis Knoyle; Rhodri Jones, Matthew Rees, Deacon Manu, George Earle, Richard Kelly, Aaron Shingler, Johnathan Edwards, Rob McCusker (capt). Subs: Ken Owens, Phil John, Peter Edwards, Sione Timani, Kieran Murphy, Gareth Davies, Aled Thomas, Adam Warren.