The 2015–16 season saw Glasgow Warriors compete in the competitions: the Guinness Pro12 and the European Champions Cup.
Season Overview
The 2015–16 season began for Glasgow Warriors, for the first time, as defending champions.[1]
In preparation for the defence of the title in a Rugby World Cup year - where it was expected that Glasgow Warriors would supply the majority of the Scotland side - Gregor Townsend assembled one of the biggest Professional squads in world rugby.
It was hoped that the large squad would see the Warriors through the early part of the season and provide enough impetus for a European challenge too.
During the 2015–16 season, Glasgow have used 56 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and points scored by each player.
Jacques-Lavédrine Sports Complex, Issoire Referee: Salem Attalah (France)
Glasgow Warriors:15. Peter Murchie
14. Junior Bulumakau*
13. Glenn Bryce
12. Fraser Lyle
11. Lee Jones
10. Rory Clegg
9. Grayson Hart
1. Jerry Yanuyanutawa
2. Kevin Bryce
3. D'arcy Rae
4. James Eddie
5. Kieran Low
6. Tyrone Holmes
7. Chris Fusaro (c)
8. Jason Hill
Replacements: Mark Robertson, Nick Grigg**, Robbie Fergusson **, Nyle Godsmark, Ali Price**, Will Bordill, Simone Favaro, Scott Cummings**, Andrew Davidson**, Zander Fagerson, Pat MacArthur, Fergus Scott, George Hunter[61]
[* Trialist]
[** BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy Stage 3 Player]
Clermont: 1. Thomas Domingo (c) 2. John Ulugia 3. Clément Ric 4. Paul Jedrasiak 5. Loïc Jacquet
6. Camille Gérondeau 7. Julien Bardy 8. Fritz Lee 9. Ludovic Radosavljevic 10. Camille Lopez 11. Hosea Gear 12. Benson Stanley 13. Aurélien Rougerie 14. Adrien Planté 15. Nick Abendanon
Replacements: Viktor Kolelishvili, Raphaël Chaume, Arthur Iturria, Alexandre Lapandry, Enzo Sanga, Patricio Fernandez, Pedro Bettencourt, Daniel Kötze, Etienne Falcoux, Judicaël Cancoriet, Calvonn Allison, Alexandre Nicoue, Albert VuliVuli, David Strettle[62]
Glasgow Warriors:15. Glenn Bryce
14. Junior Bulumakau
13. Sam Johnson
12. Fraser Lyle
11. Lee Jones
10. Rory Clegg
9. Grayson Hart
1. Alex Allan
2. Fergus Scott
3. D'arcy Rae
4. Rob Harley (c)
5. Scott Cummings**
6. Tyrone Holmes
7. Hugh Blake
8. Adam Ashe
Replacements (all used): James Malcolm**, George Hunter, Zander Fagerson, Jason Hill, Callum Hunter-Hill**, Ali Price**, Gregor Hunter, Nick Grigg**, Chris Fusaro, James Eddie, Gary Strain, Mike Cusack, Kieran Low, Robbie Fergusson **, Nyle Godsmark, George Horne**[64]
[** BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy Stage 3 Player]
Army Rugby Union: 1. Dowding 2. Austin 3. Budgen 4. Jones 5. Ball
6. Koroiyadi 7. Lamont 8. Boladua 9. Chennell 10. Davies 11. Nlalaugo 12. Wessells 13. Nakamavuto 14. Watkins 15. Leatham
Replacements: Dwyer, Hamilton, McLaren, Bates, Llewellyn, Nayacavou, Vata, Prasad, O'Reilly[65]
Pro12
At the start of the season, Glasgow Warriors were missing 21 players on Rugby World Cup duty in various international squads, more than any other club in world rugby.[66]
That wasn't all. The Australian international, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Glasgow's marquee signing of the season, was stuck in Australia awaiting a visa. He wouldn't arrive in Glasgow until October and he played his first match against Newport Gwent Dragons on 16 October 2015.[67]
In addition to losing players to the World Cup and visa hold-ups Glasgow had a run of injuries at the start of the season. Alex Dunbar & Sam Johnson were injured for the opener against Scarlets[68] and that injury list grew with stand-in captain Peter Murchie being injured for 3–4 months.[69]
A spate of injuries to Glasgow's recognised hookers caused the Warriors to sign Shalva Mamukashvili from Sale Sharks.[70] The hooker injury list included Kevin Bryce, Fraser Brown, Pat MacArthur and new academy promotion Fergus Scott. Mamukashvili and academy players James Malcolm and Cameron Fenton were called on to avert the Hooker crisis.
The season was to get even worse for the Warriors as, due to flooding, Scotstoun became unplayable over the winter. Glasgow's 1872 Cup home match against Edinburgh Rugby was played at Murrayfield, Edinburgh's home! In addition Glasgow had to move other home matches to Rugby Park in Kilmarnock.[71]
Losing both matches to Edinburgh left Glasgow at one point sitting 9th in the Pro12 league table. However, as the club managed to get Scotstoun playable again and their World Cup players gradually got back to domestic ways, Glasgow slowly climbed back up the table. A 9-game winning streak saw Glasgow manage to climb to the top of the table and secure a semi-final play-off place.[72]
Away to Connacht in the final league match of the season, victory would have secured Glasgow a home semi final and first place. Instead Connacht ground out a tight match which meant Glasgow finished third; with Leinster securing top spot by a single point.
This meant that Glasgow had to travel back to Connacht for an away semi-final. Another bruising match followed with two Glasgow Warriors players Russell and Fagerson colliding when tackling Connacht's Bundee Aki in the first minutes, immediately putting Glasgow on the back foot. Russell ended in hospital[73] - and by the end of the game Simone Favaro, Johnny Gray, D'Arcy Rae and Josh Strauss all suffered injuries. Connacht ground out another win and found themselves in the Edinburgh final against Leinster to end Glasgow's championship defence.[74]
By virtue of winning the Pro12 in 2014–15, Glasgow Warriors were seeded as top seeds in the European Champions Cup pool stages. Drawn with Racing 92, Northampton Saints and Scarlets, it was a tough group.[81]
Townsend had predicted that four wins out of six would be needed to qualify.[81] Glasgow secured a home win against Racing and home and away wins against Scarlets.[82] Three wins might have been enough had the group been tighter but unfortunately Scarlets proved the whipping boy of the group and it was Glasgow's losses to Northampton Saints home and away which ended the Warriors hopes of progress.[83][84]
A player's nationality shown is taken from the nationality at the highest honour for the national side obtained; or if never capped internationally their place of birth. Senior caps take precedence over junior caps or place of birth; junior caps take precedence over place of birth. A player's nationality at debut may be different from the nationality shown. Combination sides like the British and Irish Lions or Pacific Islanders are not national sides, or nationalities.
Players in BOLD font have been capped by their senior international XV side as nationality shown.
Players in Italic font have capped either by their international 7s side; or by the international XV 'A' side as nationality shown.
Players in normal font have not been capped at senior level.
A position in parentheses indicates that the player debuted as a substitute. A player may have made a prior debut for Glasgow Warriors in a non-competitive match, 'A' match or 7s match; these matches are not listed.