Glasgow Warriors have done what good pre-season teams should do: named a squad with a bit of everything, a bit of promise and, crucially, no excuse to coast. For their final warm-up before the new season, Franco Smith has selected 33 players for the Cairnhill Pre-Season Friendly against Bath at Old Anniesland on Friday 18th September at 7:30pm, and it has the feel of a proper dress rehearsal rather than a half-hearted run-out.
That matters. This is the last pre-season test. It is the point where pretending stops and proper questions begin. Glasgow have mixed young prospects, academy players and experienced heads in a squad that also includes several Scotland squad members, which gives the evening a sharper edge than your average friendly. Bath are not arriving as decoration either; they are a side that regularly challenges at the top of the English game, and Smith has made it clear that this is exactly the sort of test his younger players need.
A useful final audition, not a vanity exercise
The best thing about this selection is that it looks intentional. Earlier this summer, Ruaraidh Hart returned to the club, while Bayley Kuenzle arrived from Western Force, and both are part of a squad that feels designed to keep competition alive across the board. Glasgow have also been willing to give opportunities where they are due. A fortnight ago, Callum Reidy came off the bench at Kingston Park against Newcastle Red Bulls and scored a try, the sort of contribution that makes squad selection impossible to fake. That is exactly the point of pre-season when it is done properly: reward good habits, test temperament and keep standards honest.
Smith’s own comments backed that up. He said the team were looking forward to running out in front of home supporters as they continue to build towards the new season, and he also highlighted the chance for young Scottish talent to test themselves against Bath’s quality. There is no hiding from the message there. If you are in this squad, you are either pushing for a place or proving you can handle the level. That is how pre-season should work. Not as a social event, but as a filter.
The sold-out Old Anniesland crowd adds another layer. Glasgow Warriors have promised the game will be broadcast live and free on the official Glasgow Warriors YouTube channel, but that does not change the central truth: this is a home occasion with real pressure attached. The club also thanked West of Scotland RFC for hosting training during pre-season and GHK for welcoming them to Old Anniesland, which underlines how much of this build-up has been about creating the right environment rather than chasing headlines.
So yes, it is only pre-season. But it is also the final pre-season test, and that means something. A 33-man squad gives Smith options, but it also sends a message: places are there to be won, not assumed. Against Bath, Glasgow Warriors should learn a great deal about who is ready, who is almost ready and who still has work to do before the real business begins.
