News about John Barclay

Not many neutrals will fancy Glasgow Warriors to win the URC grand final this weekend but I don't consider this a club punching above its weight. I know this is only Franco Smith's second season in charge but he's made such a difference in such a short space of time that the expectation levels have skyrocketed. Yes, the Bulls will be favourites to lift the trophy, especially seeing they're on home soil at Loftus Versfeld, but my old club aren't there just to make up the numbers. They'll see themselves as equals in this final and, with nothing to fear, I really fancy their chances.

MUNSTER will be most people's favourites to reach the URC final again but I'd give Glasgow Warriors a fighting chance of beating them in tomorrow's semi-final. Munster peaked at just the right time last season and did it the hard way by winning away from home in all three rounds of the play-offs. They've looked strong again this season, topping the regular season table and then getting the better of Ospreys in their quarter-final on Friday night. Munster could well be the team to stop again this year, especially with home advantage.

CHRIS FOY: England seems to have crossed the road as they brace for a showdown with Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday. They have reached a difficult junction, in fact, all the lights are off, and they don't have a map. When Steve Borthwick took over the national team in December 2022, the buzz word was 'clarity,' and that was achieved with a narrow game-plan at the new World Cup.

ROB ROBERTSON IN MARSEILLE: South Africa's victory over Scotland was shrouded in mystery after Jesse Kriel was lucky not to be red carded after just 57 seconds. Referee Angus Gardner and his staff were unable to attend the incident, which occurred when he made contact with Jack Dempsey's head. Former Scotland captain John Barclay said at halftime on ITV that he deserved to be shown a red card. It seemed to be on a par with the challenge that England's Tom Curry faced early on in his match against Argentina that resulted in his ordering, but the South African got away with it on this occasion. Being a man down early in the game could have been a game changer for Scotland as the Scotland mounted a vain attempt against a South African who didn't appear to be world beaters. The Springboks went down just six points to three before leading their game in the second forty minutes.

In Scotland's match against South Africa, John Barclay has argued that Jesse Kriel should have been suspended for his head-on-head contact with Jack Dempsey. This comes after England's Tom Curry was sent off for a similar challenge, with the flanker expected to find out the length of his suspension on Tuesday.