CONFIRMED: Glasgow's SA flyer out of Bulls clash

NEWS: Glasgow head coach Danny Wilson confirmed that star wing Kyle Steyn will not be involved in their United Rugby Championship clash against the Bulls in Pretoria on Friday.

The 28-year-old left the field early during his team's 7-32 defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town last weekend.

The Scottish side have brought in Australian-born flyer Ratu Tagive to bolster their wing stocks ahead of their big clash in Pretoria.

"Kyle Steyn is definitely out," said Wilson.

"He had an Achilles injury, but it is not quite as black and white. There are a couple of ligaments in that area and they [the medical team] are trying to nail down what that is going to mean.

"It's a medium-term injury and hopefully not a long-term injury.

"He has been in really good form. He obviously came here really looking forward to being back playing in South Africa and he only lasted 10 minutes, so I am very disappointed for him and for us.

"He has been a quality player and he put in a man-of-the-match performance against Newcastle recently.

Wilson added: "Sam Johnson [ankle] picked up a niggle and we are still waiting to see what that means for him this weekend."

Wilson knows how crucial Friday's match will be in a race to the play-offs as only two points are separating them and the Bulls in the standings.

Glasgow are sixth with 50 points and the Bulls are eighth with 48 points.

"This league is so tight. The top nine teams are battling for those eight places.

"We have been in the top four for the majority of the season and then we come to this tight business end.

"We can quite easily, with one or two losses or with a couple of wins, jump three or four places.

"The league can change very quickly over these few games and for us it is now a series of away games that we face and it's a big challenge.

Meanwhile, Wilson admitted that they got some encouragement from Benetton's performance against the Bulls over the weekend.

Jake White's side was made to work hard for their 46-29 win.

"The scoreboard wasn’t a reflection of the game.

"I think at 50 minutes the score was 22-19 and the Bulls had just gone back into the lead.

"They [Benetton] started really well and physically they fronted up, which you have to do against opposition in that venue [Loftus Versfeld].

"It does encourage us, but I think it was like our game [against the Stormers].

"On the 50-minute mark it was 13-7 and at the end of the game, it is 32-7.

"In South Africa, you got to be able to go toe-to-toe for more than 50 minutes with these guys. You got to be able to go 80 minutes and turn them over.

"I genuinely believe we can beat the Bulls if we can show some of the form we have shown recently and maybe not what we showed on the weekend."

@rugby365com