Glasgow aim 'to prove people wrong' - Matthews

Glasgow's Johnny Matthews describes knockout rugby as "a different beast"

Johnny Matthews says Glasgow Warriors are motivated "to prove quite a few people wrong" as they prepare to face the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship quarter-final on Saturday.

Franco Smith’s side have enjoyed an excellent campaign and led the table in the penultimate round of the regular season.

Warriors have faltered in recent weeks, though, and dropped to fourth in the standings, but Matthews believes the team can rediscover their best form at the business end of the season.

"Knockout rugby is a different beast," the hooker, 30, said on the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"We spoke about this week that pressure is a privilege and a lot of people maybe from the outside are talking us down - and that's fine.

“Glasgow, historically as a club and as a city, have had backs against the wall and fought out of it. So, we're relishing the challenge.

"We know when the Scotstoun crowd is behind us we're a pretty tough side to beat here and we just can't wait to prove quite a few people wrong."

Back-to-back defeats by the Bulls and the Lions in South Africa and a below-par performance in victory over Zebre have added to the sense Glasgow may have lost form at just the wrong time.

However, Matthews believes the regular season counts for little in the play-offs and says the team are determined to learn lessons from last season’s quarter-final defeat in the URC.

"We came up against Munster, who were probably perceived to be at the other end - we were on the rise and they were dropping," Matthews, the league’s top scorer this season with 14 tries, added.

"They turned us over and went on to win the competition. So, they proved that it doesn't matter.

"They were on the road three times and won all three and ended up winning the competition, which is something to be admired and something that we're going to try and replicate this season if we have to do that later on.

"We're all just chomping at the bit to right the wrongs of last year."