Former Scotland captain and pundit John Barclay has hailed the Vodacom URC playoff showdown between Glasgow Warriors and the DHL Stormers because the tie of the spherical.
Will probably be fourth meets fifth at Scotstoun Stadium on Saturday evening within the final of the weekend’s 4 quarter-finals.
Having been league leaders just some weeks in the past, Glasgow slipped down the desk with back-to-back defeats in South Africa, whereas the Stormers – finalists for the previous two years – are on a four-match profitable run.
“I believe it’s the tie of the spherical and doubtless the tightest one to name,” stated Barclay, who can be commentating on the sport for Premier Sports activities.
“Glasgow’s type has arguably dipped a little bit bit whereas the Stormers appear to be hitting their straps on the proper time, as they all the time appear to do underneath John Dobson.
“Glasgow have been first or second within the desk for just about the entire season they usually have been there for a purpose. I assumed they have been going to have dwelling benefit all over the playoffs. It looks like an enormous alternative missed they usually face a tougher problem now.
“They have to hit their straps this weekend as a result of I believe the Stormers will come to play and hit their greatest sport. It could possibly be a tricky day.”
The 76-cap flanker added: “All of us love the way in which the Stormers play when it really works. At occasions this season, they’ve been a little bit bit careless and sloppy with the ball.
“However of all of the groups beneath the highest 4, they’re essentially the most harmful and essentially the most able to upsetting the quarter-final draw in the event that they get it proper, with the gamers they’ve, the fashion of rugby they play, their dealing with, their energy and physicality.
“So, that’s the toughest one to name. However I nonetheless assume the Glasgow lads have gotten it in them to iron out the creases of their sport.”
As for the assembly between the Vodacom Bulls and Benetton at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld, Barclay believes the hosts may have an excessive amount of energy for the Italians.
He concluded: “I’m sticking with 4 dwelling wins. The one one I can see as a possible slip is Glasgow-Stormers simply due to the standard the Stormers have.”
Giving his verdict on the URC season as a complete, he stated: “It’s been so shut. So many groups have overwhelmed one another this yr which highlights the standard of the competitors.
“There’s not been a runaway like there was in earlier years.
“The usual and the standard of the rugby during the last month has been excellent and to have so many groups in rivalry going into the final spherical was nice.”
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