Glasgow Warriors are bracing themselves for a massive physical test when they face up to the Vodacom Bulls at Murrayfield in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship semifinal this Saturday.
The Warriors have beaten the Bulls twice this season, with both games being incredibly close and both having the Bulls feeling they could have won. Both took place on the artificial pitch, but Glasgow didn’t finish top of the regular season log for nothing.
They are a savvy team and have their own strengths and are good at negating their opposition. Franco Smith is a very astute coach and will have a plan to try and stop the Bulls this Saturday.
That’s why it wasn’t a surprise to see assistant coach Nigel Carolan talk up the Bulls' physical threat. Glasgow knows just how much that will play into the match this weekend and Glasgow need to be ready.
“It’s been a real squad effort right from the start of the season, and there have been a lot of players used,” said Carolan.
“So it's on us now to cash in on this massive opportunity, and it's a great position against really tough opposition. It’s what you want in a semifinal.”
There is a lot of history between the two sides. Glasgow shocked the Bulls in the 2024 URC final in Pretoria and the Bulls beat Glasgow in 2025 at Scotstoun. This season, though, Glasgow narrowly won both games against the Pretoria side.
It's time to 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱 #TheUnbreakableLine.
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) June 1, 2026
Next UP in the VURC
🆚️ Glasgow
📅6 June 2026
🕞15h30
🏟Scottish Gas Murrayfield@Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA pic.twitter.com/XqmZmVyBW1
“We've just got to keep our feet on the ground. It's about not getting ahead of ourselves. I think it's very important that we don't play the occasion. It is foreign territory for us to have a home semifinal – when we won the URC, we had to do it the hard way. That does keep you on edge.
“We've got to make sure that we control the things that we can control this week, which is our preparation. Our focus is purely on how to beat the Bulls and the game that we need to put on the field to beat them as well, rather than getting caught up in the occasion.
“At the back of your head, you're still thinking we've put ourselves in a really good position as we did with the Champions Cup this year. But we saw that it came back to bite us. We've got to make sure that we cash in on the opportunity.”
Some good news for Glasgow is the hope that talismanic scrumhalf George Horne will be ready for the clash. He came off injured in the quarterfinal victory over Connacht last Friday, and Glasgow will give him as much time as possible to be ready for the clash, as he is a massive player for them.
“I'd say if George lost his two arms and one of his legs, he'd still want to play at the weekend,” he said. “George is still fighting. He won't train today (this was Monday afternoon), he's just a little bit bruised, but we're going to give him every chance to get back for Saturday.
“He's doing alright; he's just a little bit tender. At the moment, we're preparing and planning that he's available.”
There’s also hope that Jamie Dobie may be ready to return as well and Huw Jones has also returned to training after a foot problem, although it is unlikely he will replace Stafford McDowall, who has been Glasgow’s best player in the past few months, in the starting line-up.
Glasgow will name their side for the clash on Friday.