Glasgow Warriors' 'spiritual leader' can help heal mental scars

Glasgow Warriors still bear the mental scars of last month’s 52-0 hammering by Leinster but hope the presence of the talismanic Sione Tuipulotu will help them make amends when they return to Dublin this weekend.

The centre is on course to make his long-awaited comeback from a serious pectoral injury and his availability would provide a welcome tonic for a team that has wobbled in recent weeks.

Glasgow have been uncharacteristically off colour, losing three of their last four matches, and have slipped to third place in the United Rugby Championship.

Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones have not played together since Glasgow Warriors' win over Racing 92 in the Champions Cup on January 10. | SNS Group

Saturday’s match against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium is their final game of the URC regular season before the play-offs begin with a home quarter-final on May 30. The identity of Glasgow’s opponents will hinge on results this weekend but the Stormers or Scarlets look the most likely.

The Warriors have been without a number of their international contingent through injury but Huw Jones played his first match since the Six Nations in last Saturday’s disappointing loss to Benetton and his centre partner, Tuipulotu, is on course to join him against Leinster.

Sione Tuipulotu update

“We hope to have him involved this week, either starting or off the bench at least,” said Nigel Carolan, Glasgow’s assistant coach. “He's in good spirits. He's ticked all the boxes medically. I know the medical people are happy.

“And it would be great if we could get the two [Tuipulotu and Jones] back in a partnership this weekend. I think they feed off each other and they bring just a really good energy to the team as well.

“Sione is not just a fantastic rugby player. In many ways, he's like a spiritual leader among the group and he really drives the energy. It's that experience and it's having players like that that gets the best out of everybody else in the squad, particularly with all the young guys you have. They'll sit on everything that he says. Every word, they take it as given and they'll follow his lead as best as possible.

“Going back to the Aviva, I think he's going to be a crucial element this week. As I said, hopefully he can get the energy right. If we get the energy right, hopefully we get a performance. If we get the performance right, it can lead to results. That's the sequence.”

Glasgow Warriors conceded eight tries in a 52-0 loss to Leinster in the Champions Cup in Dublin in April. | Getty Images

Glasgow were overwhelmed by Leinster in the Champions Cup quarter-final in April, conceding eight tries and failing to score any points for the first time in a competitive game under Franco Smith.

“I think there's still a few mental scars from the last time,” said Carolan. “It was the quarter-final of the Champions Cup and it's hard to put our fingers on it, but maybe there was a little bit of tension and pressure that we put on ourselves.

“Not underestimating Leinster, they're a quality team, no matter who they put out. Obviously, they put over 70 points on Zebre at the weekend, so there's quality. Again, no matter which team they put out for us, you still try and focus on yourself.

“It's as clichéd as it can be, but we try and put our best game on the field. We know when we do that, we ask some good questions. When we don't, it's trouble.

“We have some tough days at the office when we don't get our best game out there. I think even last weekend in Benetton is another one of those. Some things go against us and maybe we drop the heads, the energy gets sapped out of the group and it's hard to get back on track.”