By Clément Mazella
He played in the 2023 World Cup. Has 2 international caps. And next year, he will represent Montauban. USM, likely to return to Pro D2, has secured Johnny Matthews, an international hooker from Glasgow. A record-breaking player.
Scottish international heading to England
Johnny Matthews has a huge reputation: that of a try hunter (29 tries in 26 games in one season, editor’s note). This is what attracted Glasgow in 2019, when they signed him at the age of 26, to cover for the absence of internationals at the World Cup. Quickly, the Liverpool native made his mark.
So much so that he experienced the 2023 World Cup in the colors of the Scottish team (due to injuries to Dave Cherry and Stuart McInally, editor’s note).
His eligibility for the Thistle XV is thanks to his mother, who is of Scottish origin. On September 30, 2023, he earned his first cap in the rout against Romania (84-0). And guess what: in 22 minutes, he managed to score a try.
5 tries in 46 minutes: Johnny Matthews, record breaker
A true scoring machine, Johnny Matthews holds amazing records. He became the first hooker in Glasgow’s history to score a hat-trick (in 2022).
Furthermore, in 2023, he became the first Warriors player to score 5 tries in a single match. All in just 46 minutes. Finally, no Warrior had ever scored more than 20 tries in a calendar year: Johnny Matthews did it. Impressive.
Winner of the URC in 2024, Johnny Matthews stood out by winning the Championship’s top scorer trophy (14 tries). The hooker also finished at the top of the try scorers’ list in the 2023 Challenge Cup edition.
Johnny Matthews in Glasgow’s history
Johnny Matthews has clearly made his mark on Glasgow’s history. Indeed, in 105 matches wearing the Warriors jersey, he scored 51 tries. He is only the 3rd Warrior to surpass the 50-try mark, after DTH van der Merwe and George Horne.
Glasgow wanted to keep him, but Montauban offered him a “great contract”
Glasgow acknowledges that Johnny Matthews’ departure is a loss. But the Scottish club could not compete with the “great contract” proposed by Montauban.
The Warriors could only offer a short-term extension, while USM presented a 3-year contract. At 33 years old, it was impossible for Matthews to refuse.
“Johnny had the opportunity to stay with us. But he will now have a great contract. And we couldn’t match it. It’s a multi-year contract, which suits him and his young family perfectly. He also needs to think about himself,” reacted Glasgow backs coach Nigel Carolan.
Carolan also acknowledged that Johnny Matthews, who has had injuries, has seen his playing time somewhat restricted recently due to increased competition.
And the Warriors have also prepared the next generation: “Johnny knows where he stands in our hierarchy now. At first, he was a substitute. Then, he became a starter. And now, it’s someone else’s turn to take over.”
Johnny Matthews’ future is now in Montauban.
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