Gregor Townsend says Glasgow are in good shape for their 'biggest game of the season'
Saturday 1 April 2017 13:08, UK
Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend says victory over Leicester earlier the season has given his team the belief they can stun Saracens.
Warriors are through to the Champions Cup quarter finals for the first time and will take on holders Saracens on Sunday live on Sky Sports 4.
And Townsend thinks his men have already proved they have the mettle for the big occasion, after easily beating Leicester in front of the Premiership club's own fans.
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Glasgow ran up an incredible 43-0 triumph at Welford Road back in January, to book their place in the last eight.
And Townsend said: "That Leicester win got us the reward we have been working towards for the last few years, which was to get out of the pool.
"It has now set us up for a huge match, playing the European champions. Specifically it gave the players a lot of belief going into the Six Nations and this game too.
"It told them they can deliver when there is a big challenge ahead of them.
"We were up against a team who had only lost one European game at home in the last 10 years. We appreciate Leicester may not be playing at the same level as Sarries this year, so Sunday will be a tougher challenge.
"But at Welford Road we took control of our own destiny by what we did with the ball and how hard we worked in defence. We'll need that again this weekend."
Warriors will kick off with a starting XV boasting 14 full Scotland internationals and Townsend hopes his Dark Blues contingent can carry on from where they left off during this year's RBS Six Nations.
The tournament saw Vern Cotter's Scotland team finish joint second, after recording three wins for the first time in 11 years.
"Yeah, it helps," Townsend added. "It means they are full of confidence. The combinations that they carried on with Scotland, whether that be Stuart Hogg running lines with Tommy Seymour or Finn Russell working with Ali Price or Henry Pyrgos, that all helps us.
"So the players have been away but they have been playing together and have come back realising that this is our biggest game of the season. They can't wait to play."
