Tommy Seymour: Scotland wing targets Six Nations boost
Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
| European Rugby Champions Cup |
|---|
| Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock Date: Saturday, 23 January Kick-off: 17:30 GMT |
| Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio Scotland and score updates on the BBC Sport website |
Scotland wing Tommy Seymour admits he needs a strong showing in Glasgow's final European Champions Cup pool match to bolster his Six Nations prospects.
The 27-year-old, who has scored a try in each of his last five Tests, has been out of sorts since the World Cup.
"Personally, I can do a lot more in my performances," he told BBC Scotland.
"I need to be playing better. It is unrealistic to expect anything if my club form isn't where it needs to be. My only concern is this Racing game."
Seymour was one of four wings named in the Scotland squad along with club-mate Sean Lamont, Sean Maitland and Tim Visser - with the latter likely to miss the opening two matches.
The former Ulster wing returns to the Warriors side against the cash-rich French outfit on Saturday after missing their last three games with a hamstring injury.
Glasgow's hopes of European qualification may be all but over but after four defeats in a row, all away from home after their Pro 12 derby with Edinburgh was switched to Murrayfield, they are desperate to finish their campaign on a high.
"If we get a win here and put in a good performance, that can give us a hell of a lot of morale going forward into the league," said Seymour.
"Everyone is very much aware of the things we need to be doing better. From an 80-minute perspective we have let ourselves down on a few occasions. We just need to concentrate on getting back to the rugby we like to play and hopefully the 80 minutes will follow."
'We can still reach the Pro 12 play-offs'
Despite a recent dip in form and results, Seymour is adamant that once the Champions Cup campaign is over, the Pro 12 champions are still capable of reaching this year's play-offs.
"Absolutely, without a doubt," he added. "We have put ourselves a little bit under the cosh by losing the two games against Edinburgh. We realise the pressure has probably increased on us but this group of players is completely capable of getting back into the play-off positions.
"We are under no illusions how difficult it will be but we are not the sort of side to lower our expectations because things have got a little bit harder. The next few games will be vital but we will be pushing all the way to get into those play-off spots."
Three years ago, Glasgow lost their first five European games before a last-minute victory against Northampton in their final pool match was the springboard for seven wins from their last nine Pro 12 games and a place in the play-offs.
Head coach Gregor Townsend is optimistic a similar outcome at Rugby Park on Saturday will spark a resurgence for the remainder of their league campaign.
"We have a couple of games in hand, and if we win them, we would be right back in that top four or five," he told BBC Scotland.
"We know we have got some very tough games coming up but this squad is capable of winning those. It will be down to how hard they work, how many opportunities they create and probably more importantly, how many they seize."
