Stafford McDowall says Glasgow Warriors cannot afford to take anything for granted in the United Rugby Championship (URC) play-offs despite finishing top of the table.
But the Scotland centre said Glasgow’s win over Ulster on Friday was the ideal way for the Warriors to warm up for the knockout phase,.
The Warriors had to battle all the way for their 26-22 victory at Affidea Stadium, with Kyle Rowe’s try three minutes from full-time proving the difference as Franco Smith’s side rubber-stamped top seeding.
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Speaking exclusively to Scotland Rugby News in Belfast, McDowall said: "There's no better game to come and prepare yourself for playing rugby than coming to a really tough place like this.
“We really had to dig in, especially at the end. The first game of last season, we lost that at the end.
"We referenced that a little bit during the week and we haven't won here in a while so it's really special for us.”
While their focus will turn to the quarter-final visit of the Irish province, who beat Edinburgh Rugby on Friday to book their own last-eight place, McDowall said it was important for the players to celebrate the achievement of finishing top of the table.
When the Warriors won the URC in 2024, they did so from fourth place and faced tough trips to Munster and Bulls in the knockout phase.
"I think the accomplishment of finishing top of this competition shouldn't be overlooked, but it doesn’t guarantee a single thing.
“We can't go into a quarter-final thinking because we finish top of the log we'll automatically go through it. It's one game at a time and we'll put our head down.
“We've been chucked out of quarter-finals in this competition before at home so we only have to look internally for our motivation."
While the Scotland international acknowledged Glasgow would rather have a Champions Cup final to prepare for this weekend, McDowall suggested a week off may be a good thing for a squad that was baring the scars of a physical outing in Belfast.
“We've got a chance to get some boys right and get some good trainings under our belt,” he said.
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Glasgow seem almost certain to be without Scotland international Gregor Brown for the run-in. He lasted just 15 minutes on his return from injury in Belfast as he was forced off with another knock.
While reluctant to reveal too much about the injury, McDowall said the squad would rally round the Aberdeen-born forward.
“He's a tough character, he'll bounce back from this,” said the stand-in captain.
“Obviously, we don't know the extent of the injury yet. It might not be anything too major but we're a close-knit group so I'm sure the boys will get around him.”
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