“The lads are disappointed not to come away with more” | Murray

Glasgow Warriors Assistant Coach Kenny Murray was quick to praise his charges after earning a losing bonus-point away to La Rochelle this afternoon, but admitted that there was a sense of ‘what could have been’ in the dressing room following the full-time whistle.

Having led following the opening quarter through two Ross Thompson penalties, and then again following Kyle Steyn’s 50^th minute score, a battling Glasgow side made sure their hosts had to be dialled in for the duration. at the Stade Marcel Deflandre.

Murray was pleased with the effort of his team, highlighting the nature of their performance across the full 80 minutes.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” he told glasgowwarriors.org post-match.

“They’re one of the top sides in Europe as they proved last season, and they’re definitely the best attacking side we’ve played this season.

“To be within a try and a chance to draw the game at the end is a positive, but the lads are obviously a wee bit disappointed we haven’t come away with more than just the losing bonus-point.

“We started the match really well and got into the lead, only to let them back in. We know the areas that we need to improve going forward, and we’ll look to address those this week.”

With a host of young talents making their Heineken Champions Cup debuts for the club, Murray also highlighted the impact of his team with ball in hand.

“We attacked really well in the first half-hour and arguably deserved to be ahead by more than we were,” he said.

“Small things make a big difference at this level, though.

“We know that to compete with the best in Europe, we need to be that extra wee bit clinical and a bit more physical.”

The Warriors won’t have to wait too long for their next chance to show that extra European nous, however, as 2020 champions Exeter make the trip to Scotstoun next weekend.

It’s been 23 months since Glasgow’s last home tie in Europe’s premier club competition, and it’s an occasion that Murray is relishing as he looks ahead.

“We’ve got a short turnaround this week – effectively we have one day of recovery and a couple of training days before we play Exeter,” said Murray.

“In a lot of ways, they’re very similar to La Rochelle. They’re a very physical unit who try to play a lot of rugby, and we know we’ll have to be at our best defensively.

“The boys are looking forward to the challenge, though, especially in front of a packed out Scotstoun – it’s been too long since we played a European match in front of the Warrior Nation.”