'Jeez bro, when he is fresh, he is a different animal'

Scotland No.8 Jack Dempsey was lauded as a “different animal” and a “big-game player” after delivering a powerful player-of-the-match display in his first competitive game for seven months.

The 31-year-old Glasgow back-row has endured a frustrating time on the sidelines since March, when he picked up a hamstring injury before Scotland’s final Six Nations game against France.

That ultimately curtailed the rest of his season and cost him any chance of contending for a place in the British and Irish Lions squad for this summer’s tour of his native Australia.

Dempsey made his comeback for Warriors in a pre-season game against Northampton, only to then sustain a groin injury in the warm-up before he was about to start their first URC fixture against Sharks, meaning a further three weeks out.

But there were little visible signs of rust as he led the Glasgow charge against the visiting Bulls with 23 carries as Warriors overcame a 12-7 deficit with two tries in the final quarter of a ferocious contest to emerge 21-12 winners, their fourth victory out of five before the international break.

Fixture

United Rugby Championship

Glasgow

21 - 12

Full-time

Bulls

All Stats and Data

A highlight came after Warriors had reclaimed the lead with a penalty try after 64 minutes, when Dempsey caught the kick-off and rampaged up-field, ploughing through Bulls counterpart Jeandré Rudolph, who was subsequently forced off after the bruising collision.

“Jeez bro, when he is fresh, he is a different animal,” enthused Glasgow centre Sione Tuipulotu, who scored an early try in another impressive outing before he resumes the Scotland captaincy this week.

“I was expecting him to be on it. I have known him a long time and I was expecting that type of performance. He is such a valuable asset for us. He just kept us going forward. You don’t need to call anything, you just give him the ball and let him go.”

While there were other big performances on the night – Tuipulotu, Stafford McDowall, Max Williamson, Matt Fagerson and Gregor Brown among them – Glasgow captain Kyle Steyn said Dempsey’s return was “massive” for the Warriors.

“He is one of our best carriers and every time he comes back from injury, he normally puts in one of his best performances,” Steyn said. “We’re really buzzing to have him back. He is a big-game player for us and really stands up in those tough moments.”

Head coach Franco Smith admitted he had contemplated removing Dempsey from the fray after so long out but ultimately left the No.8 on for the full 80 minutes, such was his continued impact.

“He was fantastic,” Smith said. “He really wanted to contribute and I think he would have been really unhappy with me if I had taken him off earlier! He managed the intensity of the game and applied himself really well. His performance is some accolade for all the hard work he has put in.”

Dempsey, who was playing his first game for Glasgow since January, admitted there might have been easier games in which to make his comeback, with Bulls bringing their ultra-physical approach to the collisions and breakdown.

But he believes exposure to such intensity in his first game back will bring its own benefits as he heads into Scotland camp on Sunday, ahead of the first of four autumn Tests next Saturday against the USA, with New Zealand due at Murrayfield a week later.

“It didn’t feel good to be honest, coming back from six or seven months out and playing against one of the best teams in the comp, let alone the style they play,” Dempsey told Premier Sports. “It was tough but it is easier when you have got these boys next to you; it makes it easier.

“When you get to my age – I’m 31 now – you kind of hope you learn how to find form quickly. It is just more getting the lungs used to it and the legs going again. When you play a team of that quality, it fast-tracks you in a way. It was good.”

Watching Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend will certainly have been taken heart from Dempsey’s performance as he ponders his back-row options over the coming weeks.

Those include the rapidly emerging Brown, whose power, athleticism and deft handling skills offers a compelling mix.

The 24-year-old ‘hybrid’ forward has started two of Scotland’s last three Tests at lock alongside Grant Gilchrist, but with Lion Scott Cummings and fellow Warrior Max Williamson back in the second-row frame, another strong outing at blindside may bolster Brown’s chances of further starts in navy blue.

“Gregor is not a lock although he has played there quite a lot recently,” added Smith. “It is not a surprise he played well at six because that is where he prefers.

“I think his versatility – his ability to scrum and run – that is the thing. When all the blood goes into your legs after a scrum or a maul, to then still be able to move around the park is important. He is a good ball-carrier and brings some physicality between the 15s. I mean, he is a good player.”