Hungry Warrior back for a slice of action

Oct 2 2008 By Matthew Leslie

RAVENOUS JOHNNIE GOBBLES UP SCARLETS

THERE'S no stopping this hungry boy claimed Glasgow Warriors ace Johnnie Beattie after the Firhill side demolished Scarlets 34-20.

A poor display against the Ospreys over a fortnight ago saw boss Sean Lineen wield the axe on the number 8.

But Beattie received a recall and took his chance with both hands as he broke the Scarlets pack.

So dominant was his display that some in the stands commented his display was not a chip of his father John Snr's block but an entire boulder.

Boss Lineen even remarked that he might be sending Beattie to the lab to bottle up that display.

However, Beattie says his performance was down to realising what he had when it was taken away. He said:

"Its simple why I played well against Scarlets - I was dropped the previous week and that hurt.

"I can see why Sean did it as I had not started the season well but if it was designed to give me a kick up the a**e it certainly worked.

"I'm a hungry player and when something I want is taken away, when I get it back it makes me more determined to keep it."

It looked bleak for the Warriors early on as Scarlets raced into a 12-0 lead within 14 minutes.

But the Firhill side abandoned the shackles that has had them looking timid at certain times since they left Hughenden and went for the jugular.

Tries from Thom Evans (2), John Barclay, Dougie Hall and Colin Gregor had fans marvelling in what was their best display since they moved to Firhill.

Chief-executive Ian Riddoch spoke last month of how he hopes to double the crowd average this season and if they keep this up the sold out sign may be dusted off.

Beattie added: "We relied on kicking less and we now know what we are really capable of once we get our running game into gear.

"This will be a hard act to follow in the future but we'll be aiming to keep playing like that because I believe you win games convincingly instead of hoping just to eek them out."

Displays like this are what the Warriors should be aiming for - rugby is part of the entertainment business and fans deserve to be on the edge of their seats.

It is time for the shackles to be loosened. This past year they went from a team who played an attractive running game to one that placed a too great emphesis on defence.

There were good reasons for this move but when you're trying to attract big crowds, French-style champagne rugby is a big hook.

One result - however good it was - does not mean there's not room for improvement. Munster are up next for the Warriors and the European champs will be a sterner test.

Sloppy starts such as last week's will not go unpunished by the likes of the Irish side and Dan Parks must produce for the full 80 minutes.

Great though his second half show was, the first highlighted there is still the odd demon or two that continues to hamper his progress.

However, Parks and the rest of the team will travel to Ireland with bags of confidence and hopefully leave those shackles behind at Prestwick airport to get a timely boost ahead of their Heineken Cup campaign.

AS WE went to press, a Glasgow Warriors spokesman confirmed that the club will be signing Argentina's all-time record try-scorer Jose Maria Nunez Piossek subject to both a medical and to him obtaining a visa from the Home Office.