Glasgow Warriors - Season 2007/08

Season 2007/08

Glasgow came into this season off the back of a record equaling 5th place the previous season, and having bolstered their squad over the summer with big names such as Pumas' fullback Bernardo Stortoni and Samoan winger Lome Fa'atau, but struggled in the early rounds due to missing key players to the RWC in France. They started with two trips to Wales, losing at both Cardiff and Swansea, before returning to their new home at Firhill to face all 4 Irish provinces in consecutive games – and run during which Munster were the only side to take anything from (an 11–11 draw). Although the Warriors continued this impressive home form, with wins over Cardiff in the League and both Viadana and Biarritz in the Heineken Cup, they could muster nothing away from home. (although they did come within a charged down drop goal of beating Biarritz in France).

The Warriors then traveled east, to take part in what would become one of the best Scottish derbies of recent times. A traveling support of around 2,000 from the West coast meant a great atmosphere and a new record crowd for a game in Scotland of 6,225 watched Glasgow fight back from a large deficit to take the lead in the dying moments through a Dan Parks try, only to have their hopes crushed as Ben Cairns raced home between the posts to seal it for Edinburgh.

And then things got worse as Newport – long known as a bogey team for Glasgow – breached the defences at Firhill and recorded the first away win in Glasgow since Ulster had won 363 days previously!

But Glasgow had to bounce back immediately – with home wins against Viadana and Biarritz putting them firmly in the mix for a Heineken Cup Quarter Final berth, they had a potential all-or-nothing game against Saracens at Firhill: But only if they could beat Viadana in Italy. The Warriors had not won an away game in the competition since their debut against Ulster a decade ago, but on a miserable day in Northern Italy they did it! However even with a record crowd of over 5,000 at Firhill the following week, they couldn't beat Saracens to go through to the knockout stages, Even with Scott Carmichael scoring a hat trick of tries and slotting a drop goal from within his own 10metre line.

All their games during the 6 Nations break went with home advantage, as did their trip to Dublin, before The Warriors turned up the heat and went unbeaten through their last 5 games: At home to Edinburgh (winning the 1872 Cup in the process) and the Scarlets, and on the road to Newport, Ulster and Munster (the latter would win the HC the following week) and meaning they would once again finish in 5th place.