South Africa’s ‘bomb squad’ has become such a feature of the world champions’ rise to pre-eminence that it is rare to find any mention of those named as Springboks replacements without reference to this ubiquitous rugby shorthand.
However, Glasgow head coach Franco Smith has taken mock umbrage at the suggestion he was following the example of Rassie Erasmus in loading his bench with a stack of frontline players for Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup clash at Toulon’s Stade Felix Mayol.
Five Warriors replacements – Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, George Horne and Tom Jordan – are normally first-choice picks, with two more – Johnny Matthews and Rory Sutherland – also experienced regulars.
Another similarity with South Africa is hooker Angus Fraser getting selected on the bench as back row cover in much the same way Erasmus has used the likes of Deon Fourie and Kwagga Smith as ‘hybrid’ players capable of covering more than one position.
Smith has also consistently operated with a six-two split of forwards and backs since taking over at Scotstoun in the summer of 2022. “I’m disappointed that you are comparing me with Rassie Erasmus!” Smith quipped.
Fixture
Investec Champions Cup
Toulon
Glasgow
“Honestly. We have shown over the last two and a half years that he copied us, didn’t he?! I say that tongue-in-cheek. I said from the start that my philosophy is to pick the players that are going to be on the field in the last 20 minutes first.
“That is the part of the game where nobody goes to the fridge to get another beer. They all sit out there and usually then you have your second-string players out there and chopping away. That is not our way.
“This is going to be an important game for 80, 90 minutes, so it’s good to have that experience coming on. At the same time, it allows us to rotate the squad with an eye on the numerous high-quality games that are still to come.
“But, like I explained to them, it’s only a big opportunity if they make something of the opportunity. For now, the others must come and contribute from the back end and that’s going to be important. This is not the bomb squad being copied. The bomb squad was copied from us!”
Some may view Smith’s approach for the second game of their European campaign as curious, given Warriors served notice of their intent to go deep into the elite tournament this season by dismantling Sale Sharks 38-19 in their opener.
But while balancing the need to keep his squad fresh for forthcoming back-to-back URC derbies against Edinburgh over the next fortnight, the coach is also convinced the youngsters selected to start in the south of France have proved themselves up to the task.
A first-ever European start – and only his second overall – for 21-year-old Ben Afshar at scrum-half and the deployment of No8 Jack Mann for only his third Warriors start are two of the more eye-catching changes among seven Smith has made to his starting XV.
Smith has scrum-half insurance both on the field – with the versatile Jamie Dobie starting on the right wing – and on the bench in Horne, but back-row injuries to Jack Dempsey, Euan Ferrie, Sione Vailanu, Gregor Brown and Ally Miller have accelerated Mann’s elevation.
“Ben has proved to ourselves and to himself that he is ready for a big challenge,” Smith said. “That freshness and ability to manage our bigger squad is part of the reason, but Ben is a quality rugby player. We were always going to bring him through this year. He’s worked hard and I’m excited to see what he can do.
“Jack (Mann) showed against Scarlets (in the URC) and also last week (against Sale) he is somebody for the future. It’s the same situation as with Ben. We need to see how these guys apply themselves.
“This gives Jack the best chance to prove he can progress even more and step up for more responsibilities. He is a very strong athlete. He carries the ball well. His detail is improving. He doesn’t look like a player that is not played for a long time anymore. We want to see if he can kick on from here.”
Jare Ogentibeju, the 22-year-old-old lock, also starts his third successive match, alongside recent Scotland debutant Alex Samuel – 22 in a fortnight – in the second row. Another 22-year-old, hooker Gregor Hiddleston, retains his place after an all-action display against Sale.
