Scott Cummings: Talk is cheap ahead of Glasgow Warriors' Challenge Cup final with Toulon

Glasgow lock Scott Cummings knows that talk is cheap on creating something special at Scotstoun until they can prove it with silverware.

Scott Cummings is hoping for European glory when Glasgow Warriors take on Toulon in the Challenge Cup final.

The EPCR Challenge Cup finalists have had some outstanding results and performances this season, their first under South African head coach Franco Smith. In the European competition alone, they have won at Bath and Perpignan and scored 139 points in three knockout games to reach Friday’s final against Toulon. Highlights of their BKT United Rugby Championship season included a 38-26 win over Munster – the eventual finalists – at Thomond Park and a festive double over Edinburgh. Their league campaign ended at the quarter-final stage when Munster avenged that home defeat against a Warriors team that finished the game with 13 men at Scotstoun, and Cummings is determined to have something to show for their campaign.

Cummings said: “We have had ups and downs, we have had good wins and a couple of losses at the start of the season that we weren’t too happy with. We have definitely been building towards something. I know that’s easy to say, obviously it doesn’t matter until you win something. This (the final) is the only match that is really going to matter when it comes down to it. It’s going to be a big occasion but we are really excited for it.”

The 25-times Scotland international is one of a number of Warriors players with big-game experience that will stand them in good stead at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Cummings said: “It’s an amazing stadium and I’m sure it will be pretty full. I have played there a couple of times myself and quite a few of the guys have experienced it before. It won’t be too much of a shock to a lot of the guys but obviously big occasions like that are why we play rugby. We have a lot of experienced guys, a lot of guys who have played a lot of games for Scotland, a lot of games for other countries as well. We have someone like Richie (Gray) who has won things with other clubs. We have good experience and calm heads who are going to help guide us during the game.”

Cummings is one of the survivors of Glasgow’s most recent final, their PRO14 defeat by Leinster at Celtic Park in 2019. “It was a while ago but that still lives in the back of quite a few of our memories,” he said. “Obviously being at home, the fans we had that day were unbelievable. It seems there will be a good turnout of Warriors fans over in Dublin. That memory does live with us but this is a new team, a new challenge, new coaching, new philosophies, so we are looking to build our own legacy.”