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‘We got stung a bit': Smith reveals Glasgow’s key focus for Ospreys clash


Glasgow Warriors' Scottish fullback Ollie Smith runs with the ball during the European Challenge Cup rugby union final match between Glasgow Warriors (SCO) and Rugby Club Toulonnais (FRA) at the Aviva Stadium, in Dublin, on May 19, 2023. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)
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Ollie Smith has urged Glasgow to focus on making a fast start as they bid to clip Ospreys’ wings in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash in Swansea.

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The Welsh side romped to a 24-0 victory at home to Zebre last weekend and full-back Smith recalls how they opened up a 15-0 lead on their way to a 32-31 win at Scotstoun in the last meeting between the teams in March.

“It’s going to be a difficult match,” said Smith. “Travelling away from home is always difficult in this league. Ospreys are playing a good brand of rugby, they had a good win against Zebre last week so it’s going to be a tough game in tough conditions probably.

“As we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks, especially last week, Ospreys start pretty well. They scored two early tries and it was the same when we played them at Scotstoun last year.

Fixture
United Rugby Championship
Ospreys
17 - 42
Full-time
Glasgow
All Stats and Data

“We got stung a bit in the first 20 minutes so there’s a lot of focus on the first 20 minutes from us, coming out the blocks fast and starting the game from there. It comes back to being ready to go from the first whistle and not taking too long to get into the game.”

Warriors head coach Franco Smith has made nine changes from the team that started last weekend’s 49-0 demolition of Dragons but Scotland forwards Zander Fagerson, Jack Dempsey and Rory Darge, all of whom are battling to return from injury in time for the upcoming autumn internationals, have not been included in the 23.

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NoLongerARuck 6 minutes ago
Rugby's Greatest Rivalry deep dive - what has happened to the All Blacks’ scrum?

Alot of people have talked about how the AB's are making progress and getting closer to the Boks. Its also important to ask where the net gain has been. In 4 games under Razor the AB's attack failed dismally and struggled to score tries. The Boks outscored them comprehensively. Even so the All Blacks led for long periods in Joburg and Cape Town in 24. They lost each game by one score. They led all the way in Auckland and led for a quarter of the match in Wellington. Razors team always lost control in the final quarter of matches against the boks where the Boks bench completely overpowered them.

Under Rennie the AB's have scored plenty of tries, more than the Boks, they have rediscovered their attacking threat but they have regressed in other areas. Their scrum has totally capitulated, their lineout has been hammered, they are turning the ball over more at break down and in the tackle. They are making mistakes within their attacking template that has cost them and presented the Boks opportunities and so their defence has suffered with the Boks making hay in the last 3 games outscoring them in terms of tries and pts during that period. They have conceded 2 and 3 score leads in the last 3 matches heading into the final quarter. At Cape Town it was 16 points, Soweto 12 pts and in the US 15 pts. The Boks established control of Rennies team earlier and led for longer with AB's forced to chase games. They won the second half in Ellis Park comprehensively and the final quarters in the next 2 matches matches but little else illustrating the lack of control for the AB's.



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