'No one believed that' - Huw Jones reveals how Glasgow Warriors changes delivered big win at Bath

Glasgow's Huw Jones tackles Bath's Tom de Glanville during the Pool B - Challenge Cup match at The Recreation Ground on Saturday. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

With a dozen players out through injury and a similar number rested by head coach Franco Smith, the Glasgow team selected to face Bath on Saturday looked very much like a shadow side – on paper at least.

On the pitch, however, the Warriors excelled, winning 22-19 at the Recreation Ground to get their Challenge Cup Pool A campaign off to a flying start.

So how does a supposed second string manage to put in a first-class performance? By not thinking of themselves as in any way inferior, according to Huw Jones, who celebrated his long-awaited second debut for Glasgow by scoring one of his team’s three tries.

“It’s easy to get drawn into the ‘Oh well, we’re the second team’,” said the Scotland centre, whose return to the Warriors team after a season with Harlequins had been delayed by a back injury. “But no-one believed that. You could see with everyone there that there is a first-team squad: we’re all there to pitch in and compete, and drive the team forward.

“I think that was the biggest thing. The guys on their debuts weren’t nervous. They didn’t seem like they were not sure about being there, because we trained and trained and trained, and they know their roles. They’re physical, they’re fit, they know exactly what they have to do, so they were able to just step in and play really well.

“So I was super-proud of everyone today, but especially the younger guys and the guys playing their first games.”

Lewis Bean and George Turner scored the Warriors’ other tries, and Domingo Miotti chipped in with two conversions before Duncan Weir sealed the victory with a late penalty. And, despite his long absence, Jones showed no sign of rustiness as he helped take the game to Bath.

“We train at quite a high intensity, so it does replicate the games quite well,” he explained. “So actually I felt quite good out there.

“I’ve been training for three or four weeks - that’s always a nice thing, to get a few weeks’ training under your belt before you get into games. It felt like a mini-pre-season for me.”