Kudos to any Glasgow Warriors player still keeping cool and calm given the events of last weekend and the one approaching.
Knockout rugby hasn’t always been kind to Franco Smith’s side over the last two seasons but the thrilling nature of their United Rugby Championship quarter-final victory against the Stormers on Saturday night would surely have got the adrenaline pumping again.
READ MORE: Glasgow's URC dream goes on as they stun Stormers
Glasgow’s reward is an even greater challenge, an invitation to try to dethrone the number one seeds and reigning champions, Munster, in their own backyard, a prospect that must be exciting but daunting all at the same time. It will be a miracle if any player got a fitful night’s sleep any night this week with that prospect whirring constantly around their heads.
Pete Murchie, though, is doing his best to try to keep a lid on things. Work has already begun in preparation for Saturday night’s semi-final at Thomond Park in Limerick but it is of the practical rather than the emotional kind.
Drills were being run at training at Scotstoun on Monday afternoon, with players shaking off the effects of the demanding 80 minutes against the Stormers and getting physically ready to go ahead this weekend.
Getting them mentally revved up for the biggest match of the season, however, comes later in the week, as Murchie explained.
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“You don’t need Tuesday warriors, you need Friday and Saturday warriors,” said the defence coach. “There’s definitely a balance. We played less than 48 hours ago so we’re still reviewing the game and starting to move on to Munster. You don’t want to push the emotional button too early in the week. There is no point having guys headbutting the walls today, saying what they’re going to do.
“It’s more about building that through the week, along with our game plan. Then you start tapping in to the emotional bit and making sure we’re in the right place to take on a semi-final, away from home at Thomond Park. We know the place we’re going to have to get to, but you don’t push that button too early.”
Thomond Park will be rammed to the rafters this weekend with 25,000 noisy Munster fans but Glasgow might be relieved that it’s there and not Musgrave Park in Cork.
That was the host of the previous meeting between the sides in December when Warriors shipped 40 points in one of their heaviest defeats of the season.
“I think we gave away six or seven penalties in the first five minutes, got a yellow card after ten,” recalled Murchie, not particularly fondly.
“Discipline-wise we came out on the wrong side of the referee. We barely touched the ball for the first 40 minutes - we just defended.
“We’ll need to defend a lot better [this weekend] than we did in Cork, that’s for sure, but I think we saw against the Stormers what we’re capable of for large parts of the game defensively.
“It’s going to take a massive effort on both sides of the ball. We know that. But I think it’s two pretty different teams that are going to take to the pitch at Thomond Park compared to that day in Cork. We’re going to have to be at our best.”
Murchie was part of the last Glasgow squad to win silverware back in 2015, with he and Duncan Weir both back at Scotstoun and happy to talk about it to anyone who will listen. But the time has come, he feels, for others to enjoy their own shot at glory.
“I think having that experience [of winning], whether it’s through a player like Duncs or Richie Gray who won with Castres, or coaching staff - it’s important,” he added.
“But we’re talking about guys who are seasoned internationals and have played right at the top of the game, have won huge games, played at World Cups as well.
“So you can definitely draw on those experiences but at the same time nobody wants to hear about what we did in 2015 - it’s a long time ago. The guys are keen to make their own history.
"If there’s something really important where you can add value, then you say it. But we’ve got an experienced group now who have played in high-pressure games and know where they need to be.”
There was good news on the injury front with Stafford McDowall back in training after recovering from a hand infection.
“He trained today and he looked pretty good moving around, so it’s a step in the right direction. We’ll take it step by step. We’ve still got a bit of time.
“[His hand] is a lot better. In the last couple of days it’s all healed up so he was able to catch and pass without it opening up or any issues.
"We’ve got time, there will be a bit more contact tomorrow and we’ll see how he comes through that.”
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