ALASTAIR Kellock heads into his second year as Glasgow's captain and tonight's match with the Newport Gwent Dragons will mark the start of a seventh Celtic League campaign for the 6ft 8ins Bishopbriggs-born international.
He has only recently turned 27 and is considered an elder statesman of the Glasgow squad, not least because he has been one of the most talented and vocal. He also knows better than most the expectations, the enjoyable highs and more numbing lows tha
t come with inconsistent forays into Celtic and European competitions, to the extent that he now refrains from any public goal-setting.
There is just one target in the mind of Kellock and his teammates right now and that is to win their opening league game for the first time since 2003-4.
"The start to the season is so important and we've not got it right for some time," he acknowledged. "Last season was good for us, but it could have been outstanding, but for a poor start and bad spell in the winter. The season before that was similar, so even though we finished well we weren't pushing for the position we should have been.
"But I've seen a growing maturity in the last season. We've still got quite a young team, but some of last year's new guys, from abroad like Lome Fa'atau – who has been flying in pre-season – and those like Richie Vernon who were moved here from the Borders, have settled, and younger guys have grown physically and mentally.
"We also have Mark McMillan coming in with experience from Leeds and Wasps – he bosses people on the park and is not scared to tell players when they're in the wrong place, which is exactly what we need – and Tim Barker brings great physical attributes that will help the pack.
"So, although I won't say where we'll finish, I'm confident we have a better squad and more strength in depth that I've known before. But we need to get the start right."
Kellock's smile hints at the bubbling belief in the squad ahead of the kick-off, but the key will be finding the ability to gel as a team. The front five have to be more consistently aggressive to uncover reliable set-piece possession, and Glasgow then must make better use of the whole team's strengths than was the case at key times last season.
They face a dog-fight in the rain at Newport tonight against a strong home pack and an overall team strengthened by the summer signing of ex-All Black hooker Tom Willis, James Arlidge and Marc Stcherbina. Dan Parks' kicking contest with Arlidge will be fascinating.
But the Scots possess one of the most talented back-rows in the competition, Fa'atau is indeed quick and a proven finisher, Graeme Morrison is emerging as a stronger threat, Max and Thom Evans are developing into rapier strike-runners, and Ruaridh Jackson showing glimpses of real potential.
The key factor is that they add up to little without the ball and while Kellock is right to feel he has more talent around him, Glasgow must unleash it all to improve upon their fifth place of last season.
Newport Gwent Dragons (v Glasgow at Rodney Parade, 7.05pm, live on BBC Wales): A Smith; T Selley, R Sidey, M Stcherbina, R Fussell; J Arlidge, W Evans ; A Black, T Willis capt, R Thomas, A Jones, L Charteris, J Bearman, L Evans, R Parks. Subs: H Gustafson, L Harrison, J Ringer, G Webb, S Connor, G Maule, R Lewis.
Glasgow: B Stortoni; L Fa'atau, M Evans, G Morrison, T Evans; D Parks, M McMillan; J Va'a, D Hall, M Low, T Barker, A Kellock capt, K Brown, J Beattie, J Barclay. Subs: E Milligan, K Tkachuk, O Palepoi, S Swindall, C Gregor, A Henderson, R Jackson.
Referee: G Clancy (Ireland).
The full article contains 654 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
