During the 2016–17 season, the Glasgow Warriors competed in the Guinness Pro12 and the European Champions Cup. It was the team's last season under head coach Gregor Townsend. Due to flooding of its grass pitch, an artificial-turf surface was installed at Scotstoun Stadium.

Overview

Coaching changes and new pitch

It was announced at the beginning of the season that it would be the last under head coach Gregor Townsend. Townsend was announced as taking over the Scotland head-coach role from Vern Cotter in the summer of 2017. The SRU named Townsend's successor, Dave Rennie (New Zealand head coach of the Super Rugby Chiefs), two days later. The Chiefs had won the Super Rugby title twice under Rennie.

Jason O'Halloran and Jonathan Humphreys were later also announced as joining the Warriors for the 2017–18 season. To avoid the problems which plagued the 2015–16 season (when Scotstoun Stadium became unplayable due to flooding), a new artificial-grass pitch was installed at the stadium.

Objectives

Since this would be head coach Gregor Townsend's last season with the Warriors, a good European run was a key target; the Warriors had never qualified for the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup.

The Pro12 league began in 2011–12. Every year since then, the Warriors had made the play-offs during the final weeks; this was another target. The 1872 Cup had been held by Edinburgh Rugby for the previous two seasons, despite Glasgow finishing above Edinburgh in the Pro12 league in every year of Townsend's tenure, and Glasgow wanted the cup back west.

Results

A mixed season saw the team qualify for the European Champions Cup quarter-final for the first time, losing to the eventual champion Saracens. The Warriors missed a Pro12 play-off place for the first time, and the Autumn International and Six Nations Championship were particularly challenging.

With success came a problem. Glasgow were always a key supplier of players to the international team, but now they became a factory. It's hard to think of a side in world rugby that is as decimated by the international window as Glasgow. You pay a price for that eventually.

Although the Warriors won the 1872 Cup, they lost their home match to Edinburgh for the first time.

Townsend era

During Gregor Townsend's five-year tenure with the Warriors, he guided the team to the 2014-15 Pro12 title and a European Champions Cup quarter-final for the first time in 2016–17. Except for this season, the team made the Pro12 play-offs every year he was head coach.

It's hard to put into words how much he's done for the club. He's taken us to another level. We went from having 1,000 people at Firhill if we're lucky to selling out Scotstoun every single week regardless of how we're playing. The brand of rugby we're playing means Gregor's getting tipped for all sorts of jobs and, for the last two or three years, every club's probably been after him at some point.

I think we’ve moved from being a bit-part club to every time we take the field people expecting a bloody hard game. I think we expect to go out and win every game we play now, so we’ve certainly moved on.

Team

Coaches

• Head coach: Gregor Townsend
• Assistant coach: Matt Taylor
• Assistant coach: Kenny Murray
• Assistant coach: Dan McFarland
• Assistant coach: Mike Blair
• Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach: Stuart Yule
• Asst. Strength and Conditioning Coach: Thibault Giroud
• Asst. Strength and Conditioning Coach: George Petrakos
• Lead Performance Analyst: Gavin Vaughan
• Asst. Performance Analyst: Greg Woolard

Staff

• Managing Director: Nathan Bombrys
• Chairman: Charles Shaw
• Advisory Group: Walter Malcolm, Douglas McCrea, Alan Lees, Jim Preston, Paul Taylor
• Rugby Operations Manager: John Manson
• Kit manager & Masseur: Dougie Mills
• Clinical Manager: Lisa Casey
• Team physiotherapist: Nicola McGuire
• Rehabilitation Physiotherapist: Gabrielle McCullough
• Team doctor: Dr. David Pugh
• Commercial Operations Manager: Alastair Kellock
• Communications Manager: Jeremy Bone
• Communications Asst: Jack Reid
• Operations manager: Stephanie Karvelis
• Marketing and Partnerships Manager: Darroch Ramsay
• Partnership Sales Manager: Laura Hynd
• Partnership Account Manager: Oliver Norman
• Partnership Account Manager: Jim Taylor
• Game On Project Development Officer: Lindsey Smith
• Community Rugby Coach: Stuart Lewis

Squad

Scottish Rugby Academy players assigned to a professional club were Stage 3 players. They were assigned to the Warriors for the season season. Academy players promoted during the season are listed with the main squad.

Other players used by the Warriors during the season:

• Josh Henderson (Glasgow Hawks) – Scottish Rugby Academy Stage 2 player - Fly-half
• Shaun MacDonald (Stirling County) – Flanker
• Alex Taylor (Stirling County) – Number Eight
• Peter McCallum (Ayr) – Number Eight
• Rob McAlpine (Ayr) – Lock
• Adam Nicol (Stirling County) – Prop
• Kiran McDonald - (Glasgow Hawks) – Lock

Player statistics

During the season, Glasgow used 57 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and points scored by each player.

Coaching changes

Promotion

• Mike Blair

Personnel in

• Thibault Giroud

Player movements

Academy promotions

• Matt Smith from Scottish Rugby Academy
• Lewis Wynne from Scottish Rugby Academy

Player transfers

Competitions

Pre-season and friendlies

Harlequins: 15. Aaron Morris 14. Ross Chisholm 13. Joe Marchant 12. Jamie Roberts 11. Tim Visser 10. Nick Evans 9. Danny Care (C)
1. Joe Marler 2. Rob Buchanan 3. Kyle Sinckler 4. Sam Twomey 5. James Horwill 6. Chris Robshaw 7. Luke Wallace 8. Jack Clifford
Replacements from Dave Ward, Cameron Holenstein, Will Collier, George Merrick, Charlie Matthews, Mat Luamanu, Charlie Mulchrone,
Ruaridh Jackson, Jonas Mikalcius, Winston Stanley, James Chisholm
Glasgow Warriors: 15. Fraser Lyle 14. Leonardo Sarto 13. Nick Grigg 12. Sam Johnson 11. Rory Hughes 10. Rory Clegg 9. Grayson Hart
1. Ryan Grant 2. James Malcolm 3. D'Arcy Rae 4. Tim Swinson 5. Scott Cummings 6. Rob Harley (C) 7. Simone Favarro 8. Lewis Wynne
Replacements (all used): Alex Dunbar, Ali Price, Callum Hunter-Hill, Djustice Sears-Duru, Hagen Schulte, Junior Bulumakau, Pat MacArthur, Richie Vernon, Tjiuee Uanivi and Zander Fagerson.

Gloucester: 15. Tom Marshall, 14. Charlie Sharples, 13. Matt Scott, 12. Billy Twelvetrees, 11. Henry Purdy, 10. Billy Burns, 9. Greig Laidlaw (C)
1.Yann Thomas, 2. Richard Hibbard, 3. John Afoa, 4. Joe Latta, 5. Mariano Galarza, 6. Ross Moriarty, 7. Matt Kvesic, 8. Ben Morgan
Replacements from Darren Dawidiuk, Paddy McAllister, Paul Doran-Jones; Tom Denton; Lewis Ludlow, Callum Braley, James Hook; Mark Atkinson, Alex Craig, Dan Thomas, Andy Symons, Gareth Evans, Elliott Creed, Lloyd Evans, David Halaifonua, Charlie Beckett
Glasgow Warriors: 15. Rory Hughes. 14. Leonardo Sarto, 13. Alex Dunbar, 12. Sam Johnson, 11. Sean Lamont, 10. Peter Horne
9. Henry Pyrgos (C), 1. Gordon Reid, 2. Corey Flynn, 3. Zander Fagerson, 4. Greg Peterson, 5. Scott Cummings, 6. Rob Harley,
7. Fraser Brown, 8. Ryan Wilson
Replacements: (used:) Ryan Grant, Pat MacArthur, Sila Puafisi, Tim Swinson, Tjiuee Uanivi, Simone Favaro, Lewis Wynne, Ali Price, Rory Clegg, Richie Vernon, Fraser Lyle, (unused:) D'Arcy Rae, Grayson Hart

Glasgow Warriors: Peter Murchie (C), Junior Bulumakau (Robert Beattie, 41), Nick Grigg (Patrick Kelly*, 44), Fraser Lyle (Patrick Kelly*, 41–43), Lee Jones (rep:Rory Hughes, 41); Hagen Schulte (Josh Henderson*, 61), Nemia Kenatale (George Horne*, 7); Alex Allan (Rep: Jamie Bhatti, 49), James Malcolm (Cameron Fenton*, 41), D'Arcy Rae (Jarrod Firth, 49), Sam Thomson, Greg Peterson (Kiran McDonald, 49), Callum Hunter-Hill* (Shaun MacDonald, 41), Matt Fagerson*, Peter McCallum (Alex Taylor, 41). [* Member of the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy]
Canada A: J Wilson-Ross (James Bay D Joyce, Dublin University, 68); K Lloyd (Mississauga Blues), M Samson (Calgary Saints, D Fraser, Ladysmith, 55), P Parfrey (Swilers), D Moor (Balmy Beach, S Hayward, Sydney, 68); R Povey (Bedford, G du Toit, UVIC Vikes, 30), G McRorie (Calgary Hornets, A McMullan, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, 70); D Sears-Duru (Glasgow Warriors, A Luca, Burnaby Lake, 61), E Howard (Brantford Harlequins, A Mascott, UBC Thunderbirds, 38–41), R Kotlewski (Calgary Saints, C McClary, Port Alberni, 57), C Keys (UVic Vikes), K Baillie (Ohio, A Wadden, Oakville Crusaders, 63), A Cejvanovic (Burnaby Lake), N Dala (Castaway Wanderers, M Heaton, Darlington Mowden Park, 49), T Larsen.

Pro12

The Pro12 began with an away match at defending champions Connacht, the club which had taken the title from them the previous season. The Warriors were eager for the match, and secured a try bonus victory at Galway Sportgrounds; Peter Horne later said, "I think that really told when we finally played them in the first game of the season and hammered them. It was frustration about why we hadn't been able to do it at the end of last year."

The next match, against Leinster, saw Tommy Seymour run in four tries in another five-point victory for the Warriors. This set up an intriguing away match with Cardiff Blues, another team which started well. The Blues saw out a tight match, and the Warriors only managed a losing bonus point.

Finn Russell, back from his freak injury in the end-of-season match against Connacht, started against Ulster. Again, the Warriors contented themselves with a losing bonus point.

An away win against Newport Gwent Dragons and two bonus-point wins against the Italian sides Treviso and Zebre put the Warriors in a good place before the Autumn Internationals, when they lost fifteen players to the national team. Another three Warriors were also asked to train with the Scotland squad: Ali Price, Nick Grigg and Rory Hughes. Four international players (Simone Favaro, Nemia Kenatale, Djustice Sears-Duru and Langilangi Haupeakui) were called up for their respective countries before Sila Puafisi was called up to play for Tonga. A rapidly-growing injury list which sidelined Leonardo Sarto, Richie Vernon, Ryan Grant, Adam Ashe, Greg Peterson, Scott Cummings, Tjiuee Uanivi and Chris Fusaro also tested the Warriors' depth. They lost both of their Autumn International matches, against the Scarlets and the Ospreys. The run of defeats continued with a one-point loss to Munster at the start of December.

Over the winter period, with the international players returning, the Warriors again began winning matches. A healthy lead in the first leg of the 1872 Cup against Edinburgh led to wins against Treviso and Cardiff.

In the Six Nations window, the Warriors provided most of the Scotland national team. Strength and depth again became an issue; three successive losses to Scarlets, Ulster and Ospreys left Glasgow Warriors trailing those teams battling in the play-off hunt.

The international players returned, and the Warriors' results improved. Wins against Newport Gwent Dragons, Connacht and Zebre were a belated challenge for a top-four place, but losses to Munster and Leinster ended Glasgow's play-off hopes.

The Leinster defeat, on 28 April 2017, cost the Warriors its record as the only team which had qualified for a top-four place every year since the Pro12 began in 2011–12. The match, at the RDS Arena in Dublin, was strange; the match was topsy-turvy, with Leinster initially leading before the Warriors took control. Leinster edged ahead with a penalty, and then the stadium lights went out. It looked like the Dublin side would win the match with the abandonment rule, but the referee waited; about 20 minutes later, the lights came back on and Leinster saw out the remainder of the match.

The final Pro12 match was the second leg of the 1872 Cup against Edinburgh Rugby at Scotstoun Stadium. Glasgow was eager to return the cup back to the west after Edinburgh had won it two seasons before. Although Edinburgh won the match (their first 1872 Cup victory in Glasgow), they could not overturn the margin which the Warriors had built up in the away match at Murrayfield Stadium. The Warriors' seventh 1872 Cup win was bittersweet, as it was Gregor Townsend's last match with the Glasgow side.

Results

• 1872 Cup 1st leg

• 1872 Cup 2nd leg

The Warriors won the 1872 Cup with an aggregate score of 43–41.

Europe

The Warriors were placed in Pool 1 of the European Champions Cup. They were drawn against the previous year's finalists Racing 92 and past winners Munster and Leicester Tigers. Since it had been announced that this would be Gregor Townsend's last season with the Warriors, a huge focus for the season would be for Glasgow to get out of the pool stages and qualify for a quarter-final.

Glasgow's previous best in the Heineken Cup was a quarter-final play-off in 1997, when they lost to Leicester Tigers. This season's Tigers were first up in the pool stage.

The match at Scotstoun was a 42–13 victory for the Warriors, with the Glasgow side running in five tries. The untimely death of Munster coach Anthony Foley postponed Munster's match with Racing 92, and Munster's next match would be against the Warriors at an emotionally-charged Thomond Park. Foley's death seemed to galvanise the Munster side, and they were 38–17 victors in a difficult match.

A tough doubleheader against last year's finalists was next for the Warriors. Racing 92 had New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter and former Glasgow Warrior favourite Leone Nakarawa in their ranks; Glasgow side crushed the French side in Paris, however, with Townsend describing the victory as the second-best of his Warriors coaching career (after the 2014-15 Pro12 final against Munster).

A home tie proved the Paris result no fluke, as another special night at Scotstoun saw the Warriors dominate Racing. In particular, Finn Russell's outplaying of Dan Carter in back-to-back matches thrust the Scotland fly-half into Lions contention. Townsend said, "Finn deserved to be in the Lions conversation before the games against Racing but he’s playing with lots of confidence and parts of his game have got really strong over the last couple of years. Finn’s been up against Dan Carter and a lot of other big players in big environments, too. He’s started at Scotland at stand-off for the last two-and-a-half years so even though British & Irish rugby is full of quality players, I expect him to be in the mix."

An emboldened Munster came to Scotstoun and ground out a three-point win. The last Pool 1 game for Glasgow was at Welford Road in Leicester. The Warriors went to Leicester with purpose, and gave the Tigers their worst result in European history. The Tigers failed to score, and Glasgow ran in six tries for a 43–0 victory. By the end of the match, the Warriors pushed for 50 points in the Tigers' 22. Leicester's Freddie Burns was tackled, and the ball about to be turned over when Burns reached out for the touchline to end the match and avoid another Warriors score. The Warriors were the first Scottish team to defeat Leicester at home since the Fettesian-Lorettonian Club managed it 112 years before, when they won by a try to nil on 28 December 1905 with Jobson scoring the three points.

The Warriors qualified for a European Champions Cup quarter-final for the first time in their history. They drew Saracens away and, as the European champions, Sarries were heavy favourites. Still 6,000 Warriors fans went to London, however, and provided the Aviva Premiership team with their largest home attendance at Allianz Park. The first half was tighter than expected; a few attempted tries by Saracens were ruled out for infringements, but the London club led. Warriors captain Jonny Gray was taken off injured; returning from injury in his first game back, Greg Peterson tried to cover Gray's absence.

The second half began well for the Warriors, and a try by Lee Jones brought a period of Warriors dominance. A missed kick to touch by Finn Russell to consolidate Warrior pressure into a lead was the turning point of the match, however, and the Saracens began running in tries. A consolation try at the end by Ryan Wilson was the Warriors' only reply.

Townsend later blamed himself for the defeat, saying that he had over-analysed the Saracens and prevented Glagow from playing their own game: "Nothing might have worked, because Saracens are so good, but I got it wrong". Despite the loss, the Warrior Nation made many friends and Glasgow were now firmly on the European rugby map. Saracens would go on to the European Champions title, again defeating Clermont in the final at Murrayfield Stadium.

Results

Warrior of the Month awards

End-of-season awards

Competitive debuts

A player's nationality is taken from the nationality at the highest honour for the national side obtained or, if never capped internationally, their place of birth. Senior caps take precedence over junior caps or place of birth; junior caps take precedence over place of birth. A player's nationality at debut may be different from the nationality shown. Combination sides, such as the British and Irish Lions or Pacific Islanders, are not national sides or nationalities.

Players in BOLD have been capped by their senior international XV side as nationality shown.

Players in Italics have been capped by their international 7s side or by the international XV 'A' side as nationality shown.

Players in normal font have not been capped at senior level.

A position in parentheses indicates that the player debuted as a substitute. A player may have made a prior debut for Glasgow Warriors in a non-competitive, 'A', or 7s match; these matches are not listed.

Tournaments where competitive debut was made:

Sponsors

• BT Sport: Title sponsor
• Scottish Power: kit and community sponsor

Kit supplier: Macron

Kit sponsors:

• Malcolm Group
• McCrea Financial Services
• Denholm Oilfield
• Ross Hall Hospital
• Story Contracting

Other sponsors:

• The Famous Grouse
• Clyde Travel Management
• Harper Macleod
• Caledonia Best
• Eden Mill Brewery and Distillery
• David Lloyd Leisure
• Crabbie's
• CALA Homes
• Capital Solutions
• Martha's Restaurant

Partners:

• Barrs
• Glasgow Airport
• Cameron House
• People Make Glasgow
• Smile Plus
• Lucozade Sport
• Lenco Utilities
• HF Group
• Scot JCB News Scotland
• G4S
• MSC Nutrition
• Healthspan Elite
• Primestaff
• The Crafty Pig
• Village Hotel Club
• Land Rover

References