Richie Vernon has enjoyed more first XV rugby of late, and his last start came when this weekend’s visitors, Toulouse, came to Firhill in October.

Since then, Vernon has continued to push his way onto the replacements bench but it tasting first team action none-the-less in just his second season with the Warriors.

“Things have been going well this year. I think it’s down to having more confidence.

“I think it all stems back to the pre-season tour to France and I’ve carried on my performances from there.”

When not in the Glasgow squad for Magners League or Heineken Cup action, Vernon turns out for his club side, West of Scotland, an experience he feels keeps him in shape for a return to duty whenever head coach Sean Lineen summons him.

“Playing club rugby keeps you sharp and helps sustain your fitness levels, although it’s nowhere near the intensity of the professional game.

“Last year, I got to play a lot of rugby with the Scotland 7s team and that was also a great way to stay in shape for a return to XV-a-side rugby.”

Vernon turned out for the Glasgow back-up squad on Monday in their 39-11 victory over the Scotland U20 team, and the 21-year-old is confident that the Warriors performance against the Dragons was one they have all been working hard to forget.

“Everyone is really disappointed. We feel we let ourselves down. I don’t think there was any lack of effort, just poor execution and that’s what we’ve been working on in training this week.”

The previous encounter of the two sides at Firhill contributed to their current unbeaten run of 11 games. However, Vernon believes the further along a winning streak a side may be, the closer to defeat they could become.

“Toulouse have won their last 11 games in a row, and we pushed them really close at Firhill, which was a fantastic experience for me. However, their winning streak has to come to an end sometime and it could be this weekend.”

Richie admits that a win on Saturday could spark the confidence back into the squad, but it’s all about re-establishing their challenge for the Magners League where they now have to make up a deficit of six points between them and leaders Munster.

“We’ve had quite a topsy-turvy season and a win on Saturday would really boost the confidence in the squad and push us on for a good finish in the Magners League.”