Glasgow Braces for Tough Challenge Cup Final Against Toulon’s Three-Quarter Line

Glasgow expects to pass”a difficult evening“if the three-quarter line of Toulon gets some”opportunities to play the ball“, warned on Monday Richie Gray, the second international line of the Warriors, opposed to the RCT on Friday evening in the Challenge Cup final.

The Var club, which will play its fifth final of this “small” European competition in Dublin after those of 2010, 2012, 2020 and 2022, has never won this title yet, although it has three ” big” European Cups (2013, 2014, 2015). Last year, the RCT lost in Marseille against Lyon (30-12).

“Toulon will be under pressure on Friday, but as much as us“, underlined the Scottish international (33 years old, 73 caps), recalling that his club had never won a title on the European stage. “It’s a competition that is close to our hearts“, said during a videoconference and in French the second line, passed by Castres (2013-2016) and Toulouse (2016-2020).

“They have X factors”

“It will be a great final, a life and death match that will be decided on details, we must not let stress take over“added Gray, who started Scotland’s first four matches at the Six Nations Championship before suffering a rib injury and missing the last game against Italy.

“Facing Toulon, who have a big pack of strong, solid forwards who carry the ball well, it will be difficult, he admitted. But we have our organization and our defense on our side“. “They have X factors in their team such as Cheslin Kolbe, whom I met in Toulouse, or Gabin Villière: if we give them opportunities to play the ball, with the extraordinary players they have, it’s going to be a night difficult“, he added.

Gray, who counts Friday on his “finals experience“, acquired in particular when he was in Castres (finalist of the French championship in 2014) and at Stade Toulousain, with whom he won the Shield of Brennus in 2019, played 17 matches this season with Glasgow, so 15 as a starter.