Glasgow Warriors carry scars from semi-final collapse into new season
The short version
- Glasgow Warriors lost 22-21 to the Bulls at home in last season's URC semi-final after leading by 18 points
- Gregor Brown says the squad is not fully over that defeat or the Champions Cup quarter-final loss to Toulon
- Glasgow open the new season Saturday at Munster
- Brown, 25, is embracing a mentoring role with the club's academy graduates
Lock Gregor Brown says the squad has not fully moved on from last season's playoff defeats as Glasgow open their campaign Saturday at Munster.
Gregor Brown says Glasgow Warriors have not fully put last season's painful finish behind them as the new campaign approaches. Franco Smith's side finished top of the United Rugby Championship table, then let an 18-point lead slip in a 22-21 home semi-final defeat to South Africa's Bulls.
The lock, who also plays for Scotland, described the ending as a hard lesson in how playoffs can erase a year's work. "It's kind of the cruel part of sport," Brown said, noting that a strong season can be undone by a single knockout result.
Glasgow's European season followed a similar pattern. They won their Champions Cup group and beat Saracens, Toulouse and Clermont, only to fall to Toulon at Scotstoun in the quarter-finals.
Brown said the squad aims to start the new season with excitement rather than dwelling on those defeats. He believes real closure will only come after the first few games, and said players must perform in a Glasgow jersey to make amends. The Warriors begin their season Saturday away to Munster.
A title winner with Glasgow who later became a British and Irish Lions tourist, Brown, 25, is now helping guide the club's recent academy graduates. He said he takes a mentoring role with the younger players and enjoys helping them develop.
