COLE FORBES believes the new-look Glasgow Warriors back three will click quickly and play a fast brand of rugby in their first pre-season game next weekend.
The Warriors welcome Newcastle Falcons to Scotstoun on Friday evening (7pm kick-off) and with Huw Jones, Tommy Seymour and Lee Jones having moved on, it is now up to the likes of 22-year- old New Zealand-born winger/fullback Forbes, below, to create a spark from the backfield.
Sebastián Cancelliere is still on Argentina duty, but Josh McKay has arrived from the Crusaders and homegrown youngster Rufus McLean showed he had pace to burn last term for Danny Wilson's men.
“We are building a back three – and a back line in general – designed to play a fast brand of rugby,” said Forbes, who originally arrived on trial early in 2021 and has now signed a long-term deal.
“You have got Sebastián and Josh coming into the mix so it is a good brand of rugby we can play for sure.
“Josh looks like a good player and it is great to have another Kiwi on board and someone of that quality.
“He will bring competition in the back three and a bit of knowledge.”
Glasgow also have centre/wing Sione Tuipulotu in their ranks after he arrived from Yamaha Jubilo in Japan.
Both he and Forbes are Scottish-qualified through family links and could well have earned their first international caps in the summer until Covid hit the scheduled matches.
“In the end we trained for about two and a half weeks and were in camp for four with Scotland,” Forbes said.
“It was a bit frustrating not being able to play, but it was good to be in that environment for a bit and I want more of it going forward.
“It showed how big a step-up international rugby is, but it was good there as a lot of young boys were involved and that made it a lot easier for me.
“The call-up came as a shock to me because I had come over here on trial only a few months before.
“I want to be involved with Scotland in the Autumn, but with the likes of Stuart Hogg and Duhan van der Merwe coming back from the Lions it makes it a lot tougher, so I am only worried about playing well for Glasgow just now.
“If other stuff comes, it comes.”
