'Depth of knowledge stood out': Glasgow appoint Franco Smith
Glasgow have appointed Franco Smith as their new head coach on an initial two-year contract. The 50-year-old joins from the Italian Rugby Federation where he has served as head of high performance since 2021. He took on that role having previously been the Italy national team head coach from 2020 only to be replaced by Kieran Crowley.
The Warriors had been linked with a host of names in recent months since sacking Danny Wilson on the back of their humiliating URC quarter-final exit at Leinster, a knockout match that they lost 76-14 in Dublin.
Seasoned coaches such as Dean Richards and Todd Blackadder were mentioned as possibilities to succeed Wilson, but Glasgow have instead gone for Smith who will arrive at Scotstoun at the end of August after a short notice period.
Smith will start work prior to the club’s two pre-season fixtures and he will be in close contact with his assistant coaches – Nigel Carolan, Peter Murchie, Alasdair Dickinson, and Pete Horne – in the coming weeks.
Smith said: “I have followed Glasgow for a long time since coaching at Benetton when they joined the PRO12 in 2010 and the way they play has always appealed to me because their style is embraced by the fans.
“In coaching, I always have these objectives: to play a winning brand of rugby, to have a style that is good to watch and that the fans can associate with – it is the Warrior Nation’s team and our responsibility through the coaches and players is to represent them.
“There are also opportunities at Glasgow to contribute to the pathway for up-and-coming players, making sure we are developing creative, fit, and knowledgeable rugby players from a young age that we will bring all the way through to Scotland. I’m looking forward to joining the club and getting to know the coaching staff and players as we begin working together.”
The ex-Springboks player made a try-scoring debut against Scotland at Murrayfield and won nine caps for his country between 1996 and 1999. During his club career he played for Free State Cheetahs, Griquas, Blue Bulls and The Pumas in South Africa, as well as Newport, Bologna and Benetton Treviso in Europe.
Smith began coaching soon after retiring, first as backs coach for Cheetahs before returning to Italy in 2007 as Benetton head coach of Benetton. In Treviso, he won two National Championship of Excellence titles and he returned to Cheetahs in 2014, leading them to two Currie Cup titles in 2016 and 2019. He also spent time as an assistant coach with South Africa during 2017 and 2018.
Glasgow managing director Alastair Kellock added: “We are delighted to be signing a head coach with Franco’s club and international experience to lead our squad in the coming seasons. After an extensive search, it was Franco’s depth of knowledge in the game and his experiences at professional club and international levels that stood out. Thank you to the Italian Rugby Federation for their willingness to make this appointment possible.
“I know Franco will bring an exciting identity to our game based on a high tempo and hard work, and he will bring the best out of the talented group of players we have at Scotstoun. Franco is also known for developing players from a young age, and with five recent graduates from the FOSROC Academy and a number close behind growing these players remains a key focus for the club.”
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments