January nominations for Warrior of the Month revealed

• 31 Jan 2023

Four of January’s standout performers have been nominated for the McCrea Financial Services Warrior of the Month award, after Glasgow Warriors enjoyed a second successive unbeaten month on the field.

Franco Smith’s men extended their unbeaten run to nine matches across all competitions, overturning the defending BKT URC champions in their opening match of the year with a dramatic 24-17 victory over the DHL Stormers at Scotstoun.

A bonus-point win away to USA Perpignan and a home draw with Bath would then see the Warriors secure a home Round of 16 tie in the EPCR Challenge Cup – the first-ever home European knockout match in the club’s history – before finishing the month with a 42-28 win away to the Dragons on Saturday afternoon.

The quartet of nominees are shortlisted based on both their performances on the field, as well as their work ethic and contribution around Scotstoun on a day-to-day basis.

Supporters can vote for their winner until 5pm on Friday 3 February.

Sebastian Cancelliere

Argentinian flyer Cancelliere has started 2023 in scintillating form, his performances only serving to further enhance his growing reputation as a fan favourite amongst the Warrior Nation.

The winger crossed for four tries in his three outings across the month of January, including a sublime brace against the DHL Stormers that included an unforgettable match-winning score in the game’s final moments.

His form has not gone unnoticed across the BKT URC, either; the winger currently leads the league in both clean breaks and defenders beaten, as well as sitting in the top five for tries, offloads and metres made.

Lewis Bean

Second-rower Bean featured in all four of Glasgow’s matches over January, bringing a powerful presence to the engine room in each of his appearances.

The 30-year-old played the full 80 minutes in the victories over both the DHL Stormers and Dragons, finding himself denied a try in the latter fixture only by the intervention of the Television Match Official.

Now in his second full season with the Warriors, Bean has made nine consecutive appearances in Glasgow colours, including helping his team to he knockout stages of the Challenge Cup for the first time.

Johnny Matthews

After missing out on the win over the DHL Stormers, Matthews has caught the eye with a series of typically dynamic performances in the middle of the Glasgow front-row.

An all-action display in Perpignan saw the hooker claim Player of the Match honours for his efforts, crossing for a well-taken try and beating 10 defenders – more than any other Warriors forward in the club’s professional history bar Jack Dempsey’s tally of 12 in the same match.

Matthews then started in the 19-19 draw with Bath at Scotstoun, before coming off the bench at Rodney Parade to help his team close out the bonus-point win over the Dragons.

Kyle Steyn

Club captain Steyn continues to lead from the front in the 2022/23 season, finding himself nominated for the second successive month.

The skipper was a livewire of a presence on the wing in victory over the Stormers, crossing the whitewash for Glasgow’s second try of the afternoon in front of a delirious West Stand.

He was then at the heart of the action in the draw with Bath, making more metres than any Warrior save for Josh McKay and beating six defenders under the Friday night lights.

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