Glasgow Warriors may be top of the Magners League but they are not yet playing to their Max and doing so will be essential if they are to have a chance of overcoming the European champions in Dublin tonight.

In their run of four wins from their five matches since the autumn Tests – they have extended their unbeaten league run to six matches in the process – Glasgow’s forward power has been impressive while their defensive resolve has been exemplary. In attack, it has been a different story.

The tries may not have dried up in the same way as they have for Edinburgh and Scotland but, for a team coached by Sean Lineen, one of the most creative thinkers in the game, and which boasts Max Evans, the Scottish player of last season, that has been a frustration.

Lineen said ahead of tonight’s trip to Dublin that, while his men have not had the credit they deserve for their back to back derby wins, improvement will be required on the efficiency shown when seeing off Edinburgh twice if they are to threaten Leinster in their backyard.

Since their best of the season 92% defensive success rate in the first of those matches was backed up by 91% effectiveness in the second, it is clear where that improvement must be made.

I think I’ll be peaking perfectly for the Six Nations because, in the last two games, like everyone, I’ve had to work for the full 80.
Max Evans
The older of the Evans brothers missed much of this season following knee reconstruction work, making his return only a few weeks ago and, typically, scoring immediately against Gloucester in the Heineken Cup. Since then, though, the team’s most creative force has been kept relatively quiet, which is the most obvious explanation for that aforementioned lack of tries.

“I’ve just not had as much ball as I got last season,” said Evans. “Ospreys away was terrible conditions and, in a few games, it’s just been the way that we’ve played that meant I didn’t get my hands on the ball or when I did it was pretty confined space.

“Sometimes games go that way and a couple of times I got the ball against Edinburgh, but one time Ben Cairns made a good tackle and another time I made a terrible kick. I got a bit of ball and maybe didn’t take my opportunities. I just have to keep waiting to get good ball and make the most of it. I did get a couple of tries coming back, which is always good to get tries for the team, but I’d like to be a bit more of a threat.”

The good news for both Glasgow and Scotland is that the centre believes he is now close to being at his own “max” and it is an Evans characteristic that he talks with self-belief rather than arrogance about the prospect of involvement in forthcoming Test matches.“Speed-wise I’m just getting back to top speed and my fitness, if I’m honest, isd still only at around the 85% mark,” he said. “I think I’ll be peaking perfectly for the Six Nations because, in the last two games, like everyone, I’ve had to work for the full 80. You can do all you want during the week but those games are a different level of fitness tests. There’s just a tiny bit to go.”

Lineen has billed the match as a Six Nations trial, noting that Leinster are packed with British & Irish Lions and should supply around half of the grand slam-defending Ireland side, while he believes his own team’s form means they should be doing the same for Scotland.

Evans’ first meeting with Brian O’Driscoll, arguably Ireland’s greatest player of all time, was at Test level at Murrayfield a year ago and they directly confronted one another later in the season in Dublin. He is relishing the prospect of facing him again and reckons the past two weekends have offered the perfect preparation.

“I had a Six Nations trial with Ben Cairns over the last two weeks and this is almost the same thing, dealing with Brian O’Driscoll whose name speaks for itself,” he said. “Against Ireland I felt we had the upper hand as a team for the whole game. It was just that Peter Stringer break that crushed us. Then against Leinster last season we had the game. We were up and then they came flooding through; it was one of the worst endings to a game I’ve experienced. To go 60 minutes feeling you were in control and could win the game, then lose a big scoreline was really heart-breaking.

“Going into the first game against Edinburgh a lot of the guys were remembering how tough it was suffering a big loss at Murrayfield last season and it’s the same feeling this week. Guys are still hurting from that game, hoping to make amends.

“I’m treating this the same way I was treating Ben and a lot of my opposite numbers. I wanted to feel like I came out on top afterwards and I felt I contained him well and did what I wanted to do. It’s the same with Brian as well. You are playing 15 men but he’s a key player in their team. He’s formed a key partnership with [Gordon] D’Arcy, just like Graeme Morrison and I want to be going into the Six Nations so, yes, I’ve been watching the videos and I want to finish on top at the end of the game.”

That is the attitude required because if Evans and Glasgow are to pass this most formidable of tests they know they cannot be overawed and, as has become their mantra this past month, must go out and play like league leaders.

“It would be great to be top of the league going into the Six Nations,” said Evans. “We were happy with our defence against Edinburgh and we need to maintain that and make sure it’s right, but the focus has been on how we’re going to beat them with our attack, not just waiting to see what they’ve got.”

This article was posted on 8-Jan-2010, 08:21 by Hugh Barrow.