Glasgow’s greater experience of semi-finals could be crucial when the crunch comes in Saturday’s Guinness PRO12 play-off meeting with Connacht, believes Pat MacArthur.
The hooker knows this is Glasgow’s sixth semi-final in a row but the West Irish province’s first and that it could equalise the home advantage enjoyed by Connacht after their 14-7 win in the “dress rehearsal” at the same venue two weeks ago.
“We’ve been in the semi final for the last five years in a row so we have experience of this,” he said. “Hopefully that experience, of being in the final twice as well, will help us knowing how we should be feeling, how we should be dealing with it, and how best to use that feeling.
“There is a big, passionate crowd at Galway but sometimes that spurs you on as well. We had a great Glasgow following, and weeks ago and it seems that we will get that again.”
The crucial element in the defeat two weeks ago was unquestionably the dismissal of Tongan prop Sila Puafisi and the tighthead was given a three-week ban to put him out of the play-offs, but he’s still contributing, says MacArthur.
“Sila is a passionate, big man, he came here at the start of the season and he loves the club and playing for the boys,” continued the hooker. “After the game he was truly gutted that he had put us under pressure and would work his hardest to make it up to us all.
“When he spoke to the boys he was down, but he promised he would do his best in the scrum sessions, he knows that is where he can help because he cannot play.
“That is how our team works. The boys not selected, or not playing, give their all to push the starting boys.”
MacArthur accepts the analysis of head coach Gregor Townsend that the teakm lost “emotional control” towards the end of the last game against Connacht but puts it slightly differently.
“It shows how much it means to the boys in the squad,” he said. “You have heard many a time how we’ve created a culture, a family, when we drive each other.
“We all buy into everything. When Gregor talks about emotional control he knows how much it means to us every game and he is trying to say use it to our advantage rather than distract us from what we have been planning.
“The boys just tried too hard on occasions. That is the best way to put it. we have to understand that we push ourselves to the limit but not over that. That is where that control, or the composure, has to come.”
Neither side showed their full hand in the first game making for an intriguing return, as Glasgow felt they could have won even playing half an hour with 14 men.
“I am sure Connacht will be sitting there back at The Sportsground happy that they won,” said MacArthur. £They are a very good team and have been at the top of the table all season and will have confidence in their own ability.
“They will their plays and plans and we have to prepare the way we will prepare. We will do a lot of analysis and so will they.
“We hope to do a lot of learning from the lats game and have new ideas and new ways to attack them on their home pitch.”