Scott Cummings buoyed by Rennie giving Warriors licence to thrill

Glasgow lock Scott Cummings trains with his team-mates at Scotstoun. Picture: SNS/SRU.

The 20-year-old ran in a spectacular touchdown in last Friday’s final pre-season game against the Dragons in Ebbw Vale – a 40-23 win – but laughed off tongue-in-cheek suggestions that he might be considering a switch to the wing.

“Not at all,” said the youngster with a smile of his half-the-pitch effort. “I only just made it to that line. I just had to support ‘The Flash’ [new Warriors wing Lelia Masaga] and his amazing run to be honest.

“Obviously playing an expansive game you will find bigger guys out in wider areas from time to time.”

Cummings, who captained Scotland Under-20s at last year’s junior World Cup in Manchester, may be more used to grunt work in the engine room but is excited by the fact that Rennie, pictured, is going to build further on  his mentor Gregor Townsend’s high-tempo, flair-led  foundations.

“He’s changed a lot of areas and given us a great expanse to play heads up rugby, play what we see,” said the second row of the fledgling Rennie regime. “Day to day a lot hasn’t changed, he’s just brought that different edge to the game he wants to play.

“We’re all really fit after pre-season. The S&C [strength and conditioning] team have done a really good job with us. We’re all coming into the season probably the fittest we’ve been, we’ve all been breaking PBs in our fitness scores.”

With Scotland star Jonny Gray out for the opening months of the Guinness Pro14 season, which starts on Saturday with a trip to Connacht, Cummings has an opportunity to get some early games under his belt, in contrast to last term when he suffered an agonising dislocated shoulder on the eve of the new season and was out until  February.

“I obviously wish Jonny all the best with his recovery and hope he is back as soon as possible,” said Cummings.

“I feel really good, really fit and feel I’ve been playing quite well in the pre-season games. But for me I’ve just got to play my best whenever possible.

“Whether that means I’m starting or on the bench, it’s up to the coaches.”

Cummings, who was recently included in Townsend’s Scotland training camp at St Andrews, notched his first ever try in a Warriors jersey in a home clash with the Irish province but has yet to taste the unique experience of the Sportsground. He said: “I’ve never been to Galway before. I know the crowd is always pretty close. I’m sure there will be a great atmosphere and a lot of wind I’m guessing.”

Glasgow also opened at then reigning champions Connacht last season and cruised to a six-try 41-5 revenge raid in the west of Ireland.

“I was injured and watched that game on TV,” he said. “We had lost there twice in a row at the end of the previous season. We went there with a mentality that we can’t go there three times in a row and lose again.”

According to reports, meanwhile, former Scotstoun favourite Niko Matawalu has been training with Glasgow as a free agent after the Fiji scrum-half left Exeter in the summer.