Glasgow assistant coach Nigel Carolan has warned his side not to get caught up in a loose fixture against Challenge Cup final opponents Toulon.
It promises to be an exciting game on Friday between the two attack-minded teams at the Aviva Stadium as Glasgow run out for their first European final.
Glasgow have scored 139 points in three knockout matches in the Challenge Cup and Carolan is keen for his troops to take that form to the Dublin clash.
Toulon ‘thrives in chaos’
However, the attack coach did fire a warning at his team that keeping their structures will be vital against Toulon, a side he believes “thrives in chaos”.
“They are a team that thrives in chaos, a little bit looser, the French teams tend to be a little bit looser. They rely a little bit more on individuals, they can pull the rabbit out of the hat, and they can punish you if you go off-script and go on your own,” he said.
“It’s very much about the collective. We have to make sure we are tidy about everything we do and don’t get caught up in that loose game. It’s inevitable we are going to turn the ball over at some stage, but just that we re-gather and get our shape back again.
“We are very process-driven, we have plans for most parts of our game. It’s just about thinking ‘what’s the next job?’ and try to focus on that moment. If you get caught up in what’s going on around you then you lose focus.
“Order beats chaos but our order isn’t exactly conservative. Our order is all about ambition, being brave, having that desire to play from deep and trying things.
“That’s exactly what we want in the final, not to go into our shells. We want to be ambitious, we want to play the brand of rugby that has actually got us to this final, and hopefully that will get us on the right side of the scoreline.”
It promises to be an amazing week in Dublin leading up to the Challenge Cup and Champions Cup finals and Carolan has told the squad to relish the time.
Dublin will be jumping
“It’s hard not to let some of the sideshow get to them and there is obviously a lot of added attention as well, which is fantastic. It comes with the territory and I hope the lads relish that as well. They have certainly earned it,” said the Irishman.
“I expect they will enjoy the hype and the expectation that comes with it. It certainly keeps the mind focused on what needs to be done.
“We have expectations as coaches because we feel the team are prepared really well and they have high expectations and standards of themselves. They want to deliver a performance that they and the fans can be proud of.”
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