How Gregor Townsend's Scotland could be set to reap the rewards of Glasgow Warriors' URC title win

Rory Darge hopes Glasgow’s success in winning the United Rugby Championship will also have a positive knock-on effect on the Scotland squad.

Twelve of the Warriors line-up that started in the final against the Bulls in June are also regulars in the national team, with fly-half Tom Jordan also eligible to join them later this year.

Gregor Townsend’s men take on Australia and South Africa as part of a testing Autumn Nations series that also includes matches against Fiji and Portugal. And Darge believes having that winning mentality into the Scotland dressing room can only help.

Rory Darge with the URC trophy during a Glasgow Warriors civic reception at the Glasgow City Chambers. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

The back-rower said: “Gaining that belief that we can do it in these big games is going to be massive. In the Six Nations, we actually proved that we were close. We obviously beat England, beat Wales and had that game against France with a held-up try right at the death. We also held out Ireland for large parts and pushed them.

“So we know that we're close and a lot of the guys that are involved in the national team are also involved with Glasgow. But it’s not just going to come because of Glasgow Warriors winning a trophy.

“That doesn't mean it's just going to come, that winning mentality. We're still going to have to work hard, build that belief throughout the season and then when the time comes, go and deliver.”

Warriors’ URC title was just the club’s second ever major honour. The 2015 Pro 12 champions failed to push on to win more titles but Darge insists Franco Smith’s side won’t be settling for just the one championship.

He added: “I think for sure it doesn't feel like this is the culmination of our journey. Franco definitely pushes an ethos that this is the time to go again. The squad can offer so much more. The mindset is not ‘that's us and we can relax now’. We want to go and achieve more.

“We always felt like we had the team to go and do something like that, but there's a massive difference between feeling like you've got a team to do it and actually doing it.”