After an unusual start to the season due to the RWC it’s only really now, a third of the way in, that squads have settled down to allow some analysis. Time then for a first detailed look at the ‘Official’ On Top Of The Moon Depth Chart for 2019/20.
For a look at last campaign’s Depth Chart click here.
Here is the full OTOTM Depth Chart for Glasgow 2019/20 (click for large version):
Main squad facts and figures
Squad size:
- There are currently 51 full-time pros in this year’s squad (including player coach Petrus du Plessis).
- There are also 2 Partnership players and 14* SRA stage 3.
- That compares to 49 + 1 + 9 at the same stage last season (although 2 of the full-time squad – James Malcolm and Lewis Wynne – were out on season-long loans).
- Overall the Warriors’ full-time squad averaged 49 players last season (46 when players out on loan are excluded).
- The club have also made use of short-term loans and contracts to provide cover (Glenn Bryce this season; Andrew Davidson last campaign) while also giving game time to Scotland 7s player Kyle Steyn during 2018/19.
Age:
- The squad is a little older with the average age now standing at 26.8 compared to 26.2 last year.
- The average for the first team is 27.3 v 27.5.
- There were 11 players over the age of 30 at the start of the season – with another 2 hitting that milestone during the early part of the campaign. That’s up from 9 last year.
- There were 15 players aged 23 and under at the start of the season (2018/19 – 14)
- Petrus du Plessis is the oldest player in the squad at 38 years and 6 months. Fellow tighthead prop Siosiua Halanukonuka is next in line at 33 years and 4 months.
- Jamie Dobie (18 years and 6 months) is, by some distance, the youngest player in the full-time squad. This is the first time since he turned pro that Matt Fagerson (21 years and 5 months) has not been the baby of the squad.
Caps:
- There are 30 capped players (25 Scots and 5 others) with 556 Test caps among them.
- That’s a slight decrease from last season when there were 32 capped internationals in the main squad of 49 players with 607 caps (25 Scots and 7 others).
- Partnership contract player Gordon Reid of course also has 41 Scotland caps under his belt.
Appearances:
- The players have a total of 2,879 Warriors appearances behind them.
- They include 11 Warrior Centurions who account for more than half (1,592) of the previous matches played for the club.
- Before the season started there were 7 players in the main squad who had yet to make their Warriors’ debut. So far Jamie Dobie, Johnny Matthews, George Thornton and Aki Seiuli have taken their bows. Charlie Capps, Mesu Dolokoto and Jale Vakaloloma have yet to see any competitive action.
- Fraser Brown (94) could well become the next Warrior Centurion this season with Zander Fagerson (87) not far behind.
Development:
- 22 (compared to 23 last year) of the main squad have progressed directly from the Scottish Rugby Academy or its predecessor, Elite Development Player contracts (43% of current full-time players – 48% last season).
- Of the remaining players:
- 8 came from Super Rugby;
- 7 from the Gallagher Premiership;
- 4 from other PRO14 clubs (Ulster and Edinburgh x3);
- And there were 10 ‘others’ (Nice, Heriots, Fijian Drua, Boroughmuir, London Irish**, Hull, Moseley, Brisbane City, Scotland 7s and Eastern Suburbs).
- 7 of the players who came to Glasgow from other clubs were involved in the EDP or SRA systems at some stage in their career.
Not Scottish Qualified:
- Forwards – 7 of 30 players in the main squad are not eligible to play for Scotland (23% – the equivalent figure was 22% last season).
- Backs – 4 of 21 players are not Scots qualified (19% – compared to 29% in 2018/19).
- Total – 11 of 51 players (22%). Last season 12 of 48 (25%).
- Nationalities – 7 in total (2018/19 – 9)
- 40 players – Scottish (or Scottish-qualified).
- 3 players each – Fijian, South African.
- 2 players – New Zealander.
- 1 player each – Australian, Canadian, Tongan.
* Theoretically this should be 15 with 5 players at each of Ayrshire Bulls, Boroughmuir Bears and Stirling County in the Super 6. However Dan Winning (TH prop – Boroughmuir Bears) has been included in Edinburgh’s Challenge Cup squad for this season and so is also on Edinburgh’s Depth Chart for 2019/20.
** While they were in the Championship
On Top Of The Moon 