2013–14 Glasgow Warriors season

• Head coach: Gregor Townsend
• Assistant coach: Shade Munro
• Assistant coach: Matt Taylor
• Assistant coach: Kenny Murray

• Kenny Murray from Ayr RFC

None

• Johnny Gray[3]

8 August 2013

Aberdeen GSFP	0-53	Glasgow Warriors
	Report	Try: Byron McGuigan Kevin Bryce Adam Ashe Ali Price x 2 Gordon Reid Gabriel Ascarate Jack Steele Gavin Lowe Con: Scott Wight x 3 Finn Russell

Aberdeen GSFP: M Crawley; E Oag, H Duthie, W Wardlaw, C Gordon; M Ryan, M Ward; S Corsar, S Bingham, M Erksine, E Nimmons, S Smith, R Cessford, G Ryan (capt), T Preece. Subs (all played): R Coates, M Cox, A Wallace, C Harvey, S Warnock, G Clow, S Ryan, G Walker, A Rennie, L Earle-Wright, P Nacamavatu, S Knudson.
Glasgow Warriors: R Ferguson; B McGuigan, M Bennett, F Russell, D. T. H. van der Merwe; S Wight (capt), A Price; G Reid, K Bryce, J Welsh, A Redmayne, J Gray, R Harley, T Holmes, A Ashe. Subs (all played): F Gillies, D Rae, D Mutamangira, E Kalman, T Ryder, J Eddie, W Bordill, R Vernon, P Jericevich, R Hughes, G Ascarate, J Steele, G Lowe.

24 August 2013 2.30pm

Harlequins	19-12	Glasgow Warriors
Try: N Easter U Monye M Hopper Con: N Evans B Botica	Report	Try: Byron McGuigan Con: Scott Wight Pen: Scott Wight x 3

Twickenham Stoop Referee: Andrew Small

Harlequins: M Brown, T Williams, G Lowe, J Turner-Hall, U Monye, N Evans, D Care; J Marler, J Gray, W Collier, G Merrick, G Robson, T Guest, C Robshaw, N Easter. Replacements (all used): R Buchanan, M Lambert, P Doran-Jones, S Twomey, L Wallace, K Dickson, B Botica, M Hopper, Maurie Fa'asavalu, D Ward, T Casson, P Sackey.
Glasgow Warriors: P Murchie, T Seymour, M Bennett, G Ascarate, B McGuigan, S Wight, A Price; G Reid, P McArthur, E Kalman, J Gray, T Ryder, J Eddie, C Fusaro, R Vernon. Replacements (all used): K Bryce, J Welsh, M Low, T Swinson, W Bordill, T Holmes, H Pyrgos, F Russell, R Hughes, S Lamont.

31 August 2013 3.00 pm

Exeter Chiefs	26-29	Glasgow Warriors
Try: James x 2 Con: Steenson x 2 Pen: Steenson x 4	Report	Try: Byron McGuigan x 2 Mark Bennett Alex Dunbar Con: Scott Wight x2 Finn Russell Pen: Scott Wight

Sandy Park Attendance: 5049 Referee: W Barnes

Chiefs: L Arscott (T James 39); F Vainikolo (M Jess 56), P Dollman, J Shoemark (S Hill 73), I Whitten; G Steenson, H Thomas (W Chudley 49); B Sturgess (B Moon 62), J Yeandle (C Whitehead 62), C Rimmer (A Brown 74), D Mumm, D Welch (T Hayes 66), B White (J Phillips 73), T Johnson (J Scaysbrook 53), D Ewers (B Moon 11-21). Replacements (not used): H Slade, W Carrick-Smith, K Horstmann, D Lewis, C Sweeney
Glasgow Warriors: P Murchie; T Seymour (G Ascarate 64), S Lamont (C Cusiter 53), A Dunbar, B McGuigan; S Wight (F Russell 62), H Pyrgos (M Bennett 62); M Low (J Yanuyanutawa 30; G Reid 62), F Brown (P MacArthur 30; F Gillies 62), J Welsh (E Kalman H/T), T Swinson, J Gray (L Nakawa 62), R Harley (J Eddie 62), T Holmes (C Fusaro H/T), R Vernon

Glasgow Warriors had a great start to the season winning their first five matches leaving them top of the league.[17] However the results over the winter period were inconsistent and it wasn't until the spring that the side really got going again.[18] Matches postponed over the winter period against Edinburgh and Treviso really helped give a late charge to the line. Glasgow's victory over Edinburgh in the 1872 decider won the 1872 Cup for the fifth year in a row and they found themselves second in the league.[19] By the end of the league season, the Warriors had comfortably secured second spot. In fact, despite the inconsistent winter period the Glasgow side finished with more wins than first-placed Leinster, with only the Irish side's knack of securing bonus points giving them a slender lead.

This was the last season that a top finish secured a home semi-final and possible home final, so Leinster were favourites in the play-offs. They played 4th place Ulster in Dublin in their semi-final whilst Glasgow Warriors had a bruising match against 3rd place Munster at a packed Scotstoun.[20] Perhaps crucially it was the Warriors first semi-final at home.[21] It was the Glasgow side's 9th consecutive win in the season run-in.[22]

Both Leinster and Glasgow Warriors won through, so Leinster secured their home final as expected. 5000[23] of the Warrior Nation[24] made their way to Dublin to a very tight RDS Arena only to see Leinster take charge of the match in the second half and run out 34-12 winners.[25]

4 April 2014 19:35[29]

(1 BP) Glasgow Warriors	29–10	Benetton Treviso
Try: Pyrgos (2) 1' m, 14' c Matawalu 4' c Maitland 53' c Con: Russell (3/4) Pen: Russell (1/1) 46'	Report	Try: Sgarbi 11' c Con: Botes (1/1) Pen: Botes (1/3) 18'

Scotstoun Stadium Attendance: 4,710 Referee: Giuseppe Vivarini (FIR)

This match – originally scheduled to be held during Round 10, on 20 December 2013 – was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.[27]

26 April 2014 19:05[30]

(1 BP) Glasgow Warriors	37–34	Edinburgh (2 BP)
Try: Murchie (2) 8' m, 49' c Jackson 22' m Bennett 40' c Harley 76' c Con: Russell (3/5) Pen: Russell (2/3) 4', 12'	Report	Try: Nel 15' c Scott 58' c Visser (2) 79' c, 80' c Con: Laidlaw (4/4) Pen: Laidlaw (2/3) 21', 36'

Scotstoun Stadium Attendance: 8,855 Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)

This match – originally scheduled to be held during Round 12, on 1 January 2014 – was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.[28]

Glasgow Warriors won the 1872 Cup with an aggregate score of 57 - 50.

Despite initial confidence over a decent European run[31] Glasgow Warriors had a mixed European campaign in 2013-14. The first match against Toulon seemed to sum up the Warriors' European experience over the season; good in parts but not consistent enough to win out.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, aside from the opening two games in October, the European matches fell in a winter period when they suffered most from inconsistencies. Losing both matches against Cardiff Blues - a side that finished 7th in the Pro12 that year - really put paid to any hopes and the last match at home to Toulon which could have otherwise ended in a group decider fizzled out with another Toulon victory. Only wins against the Exeter Chiefs gave any solace and the Warriors finished bottom of their group.

Macron