If you rocked up to Scotstoun Stadium you wouldn’t look at it and think it’s an intimidating setting in the rugby world.
It’s one of the smaller venues in the URC and the artificial surface means there’s no worries about the pitch being in bad shape with the weather.
Yet somehow, it’s a place Glasgow Warriors have made a fortress and they have an unbeaten league record at home this season and you wouldn’t expect that to change with Zebre the only match left at Scotstoun before the play-offs. One defeat in the Champions Cup against Northampton Saints is the only blemish on their otherwise perfect record.
Tom Jordan has been a key part of the Glasgow side this season, showing his versatility by playing at fly-half and in the centre depending on where he is needed and he reckons it’s a combination of factors that has made Scotstoun such a difficult place to come for visiting teams.
A home quarter final is the minimum Glasgow are hoping to get this season with a semi-final and final also a possibility if they finish first.
For Jordan, that has to be the aim: "For any team being able to potentially play home quarters, home semis and a home final is so important. Look at teams’ records and most win more games at home than away.
“With packed-out Scotstoun with people standing on the track watching it’s an unreal atmosphere and something we really thrive on. It’s really important for us to finish as high in the table as we can to ensure that we put ourselves in the best position come the end of the season and not leave anything to chance when it’s in our hands just now to put ourselves there.”
And when asked what makes it so special and difficult for opponents, he continued: “I think they get off the plane and get hit by ice-cold wind and rain! It’s probably a bit of everything; the turf, the weather at times – it’s cold weather but we still play pretty quick rugby.
“We’ve got a great squad too and we turn up now, home or away actually, with the mentality that defensively we’re not going to let teams score. We’re going to be really physical. That’s our mindset every week.
“When it’s packed out here and everyone’s cheering it’s an awesome atmosphere. All the big games we’ve had when the crowd is going for it and it just makes you proud to be representing Glasgow and it’s cool that we can do that every couple of weeks. Hopefully we can keep pushing so we can bring some more big games here for the fans to enjoy.”
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Next up for Glasgow is a trip to face Zebre on Saturday before a week off and then two weeks in South Africa. It’s three difficult away trips and Warriors will need to be full focused when they head to Italy this weekend with Jordan hoping they can take a big performance into the South Africa tour.
He added: “Zebre away will be a big game. They’re a strong side at home and can be dangerous. It’s important for us to really lock in and make sure that we take out some of our frustrations from the Sharks game when we didn’t take all of our opportunities and put it into a good performance out there and that sets us up for the South Africa tour and then into finals.
“Every week we’re focused on the opposition in front of us. We’re not taking Zebre lightly at all. It’s really important for us to go there and put in a really good performance as that will set us up for South Africa. That’s not your usual away trip so we need to keep a bit of that in our minds as well, given all the logistics required.”
Jordan is approaching five years in Scotland having initially joined the Ayrshire Bulls in the Super Series, before agreeing a deal with Glasgow Warriors in 2022 and has gone from strength to strength under Franco Smith.
The Kiwi won’t be eligible to play for Scotland in the summer tour but does become qualified just ahead of the Autumn tests, and he conceded that he has thought about the prospect of being called up to Gregor Townsend’s squad.
There’s stiff competition in both of his positions but his versatility could be a major benefit to the squad in the future.
He admits he never thought about being Scottish qualified when he first moved over to play in the Super Series but as the years have gone on, it’s something that has become more of an option for him.
When asked about the prospect of being called up, he said: “I seem to have come over at the right date! But we’ll just see what happens. I need to be still playing here and playing the best I can.
“I’ve been asked that a lot to be fair! My full focus is on Glasgow and winning the URC. That’s the main aim.
“It is still a while away. Obviously I’ve thought about it when people have asked me but whatever happens will happen. Once I’ve qualified then I’ll think about what’s going on. But it’s still so far away. There’s no point thinking about it right now.
“I’ll have to wait to see. I’ll just go with the flow. I’m not too focused on that at the moment."
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