‘We’re getting close’ - Why Duncan Weir thinks Glasgow Warriors can emulate class of 2015 as he signs new deal

Duncan Weir’s next game for Glasgow Warriors will be his 150th but there’s life left in the old dog who has signed a new contract that should keep him at the club until summer 2026.

The stand-off cut a relaxed figure at Scotstoun yesterday as he sat down to discuss the deal, reflect on his role within the squad and speculate on how close they are to winning a major trophy.

The 33-year-old local hero was part of the last Glasgow side to lift silverware and was invited to make a comparison between today’s team and the class of 2015. Nine years on from that monumental triumph over Leinster in the Guinness Pro12 final in Belfast, Weir detects similarities within the current group and a growth in their ability to handle pressure moments.

Duncan Weir directs the team during a Glasgow Warriors match at Scotstoun this season. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

“I think it’s getting close to the level of that 2015 squad when we won it,” said Weir. “That was a special group of players. We’re very close to emulating that feeling now, albeit I’m now at the other end of the age bracket!

“Those times from 2013 to 2016 you felt that something was going to happen and it did. It does feel like that but we’re at the time of season now where we have to go and deliver. We’re still itching for that 80-minute performance. There have been times within the season where we’ve been outstanding and then you have other moments like that 12 minutes of madness against the Lions where we concede four tries.

“We’re still striving for that perfect game and it’s going to be important going into the next couple of weeks that we don’t have to change much but we have to iron out some creases to make sure we bring the best Glasgow Warriors performance and not really worry about the opposition.”

Despite the defeat by the Lions in South Africa, Glasgow are guaranteed a top four finish in the United Rugby Championship and therefore a home quarter-final in the play-offs. They lost at that stage last year, going down to eventual champions Munster at Scotstoun. They progressed further in Europe, reaching the final of the Challenge Cup, but fell flat against Toulon in Dublin. The hope is they can go one step further this time around in what is Franco Smith’s second year in charge. Weir knows it was a similar story during his first spell with the Warriors when Gregor Townsend was at the helm and they had to experience their share of heartbreak before finally landing the big prize.

Weir in action for Glasgow Warriors back in 2015.

“We had the quarter-final of the URC last year, the Challenge Cup final and then the [last 16] tie of the European Cup this year [against Harlequins] and I think you need to have that feeling within a squad of what those weeks are like,” said the 30-times capped Scotland international.

“When it’s new and raw within a squad it can eat away at you, nerves or whatever it is. That can distract you from playing your best game. In the quarter against Munster we didn’t have our best game and we were obviously really disappointed against Toulon. But even against Harlequins we were in it right until the last minute and that mentality has shifted in the right direction for me. We didn’t get it right in the end but we swung some punches which was a massive turnaround from the Toulon final in Dublin when we weren’t at the races across the board. But we’ve made strides on the mentality front since then.

“You have to be comfortable in those pressure games. In 2015 we had lost a final and semi-finals before then so eventually when the chance came up again we had full belief that we could go over there and do the job. And thankfully we did that.”

Weir’s value to the squad was vividly illustrated in the recent game against the Bulls in Pretoria when he came on to help Glasgow rescue two precious bonus points from what looked like a lost cause. He’d prefer to be starting but he knows he can exert influence off the bench by driving and cajoling the team.

He says the new deal is for one year initially with the option of another if all parties are happy. “It’s a one plus one deal – at my age it kind of goes by that book! The body still feels good so hopefully it’s another two years. It’s my boyhood club so it means a lot to me. I’m delighted that I’m staying on and hopefully we can keep building on the last couple of years.

“I’m expecting to have a similar role to what I’ve played this year. That could be like the recent Bulls game and coming on to change the game that way or if we’re winning and the game just has to be managed – I’ve got quite a lot of experience behind me now. But I absolutely love starting. I just love playing.

“Franco wanted me to stay when we had a discussion and for me that was enough. I feel valued that he has pushed for me to stay on and wanted me to be in the building. That filled me with real confidence and was enough for me to want to stay.”

Tom Jordan has been Smith’s first-choice No 10 over the last two years but that could change next season when Adam Hastings returns to the club from Gloucester. Weir, who also had a spell in England with Worcester before returning to Scotstoun in 2021, thinks the new signing will help raise standards.

“Adam is a top quality player so it will be good to get him back in and we can all keep working hard. Franco’s managed that balance of rotation really well this year. The boys have been fresh coming into this final bit of the season where probably last year we were hanging on by a thread in certain positions.

“We’ve got that squad depth now and everyone knows what they’re doing and knowing their roles. There are no big shocks week to week when you’re making several changes to the matchday squad. You’re still getting people with the same knowledge and match sharpness. That shows where the club is really.”