'Better than Ireland' - Glasgow boss Smith hails dominant Leinster

Glasgow caput coach Franco Smith hailed Leinster arsenic nan top nine squad he has ever seen aft watching nan Irish broadside extremity Warriors' Champions Cup hopes successful devastating fashion.

The URC champions were wholly outgunned arsenic Leinster ran successful 8 tries successful a 52-0 quarter-final triumph successful Dublin.

It followed a akin 62-0 demolition of Harlequins successful nan erstwhile information and Smith says Leinster are simply operating connected a different level from each their rivals.

And erstwhile asked if this Leinster broadside is amended than thing he has witnessed successful nan nine game, Smith told BBC Scotland: "Definitely, hands down.

"I've been coaching since 2007 successful nan Heineken Cup and hands down, it's by a agelong shot.

"Not conscionable nan truth they person nan champion players. Most of them person been successful nan number 1 seeded squad for a agelong period. They've played much than 1 World Cup.

"They travel backmost and they play together astatine nan club. You tin spot that. They've been kept together for a agelong time.

"A batch of money has been spent. Do they play amended than Ireland? Yes, I deliberation so.

"If you switch Bundee Aki pinch Jordie Barrett and you person nan likes of RG Snyman successful location and Rabah Slimani, there's immoderate bully foreigners that's added worth erstwhile they are still processing young Irish players.

"I deliberation if you look astatine Bordeaux and Toulouse, they are besides teams that person immoderate large hitters. From a financial perspective, it is reliable to compete pinch that budget."

Smith refused to usage Leinster's greater resources, aliases nan absence of a big of cardinal Glasgow players done injury, arsenic an excuse for nan dense defeat.

He says nan team, and nan nine arsenic a whole, must study lessons from nan humbling acquisition to move guardant for nan remainder of this play and beyond.

"If nan nine wants to advancement and go existent contenders for nan backmost extremity of nan European Cup and URC rugby, nan players request to understand wherever to spell and really galore group must beryllium successful our building, really galore group must beryllium exposed during nan season," said Smith, who confirmed nan limb wounded suffered by Matt Fagerson astatine nan Aviva Stadium is apt to extremity his season.

"I deliberation we did a awesome occupation successful doing that, truthful pinch an oculus connected adjacent season, I deliberation there's a batch of ingredients that's important to beryllium competitory again successful some competitions. The players must improve.

"We've learnt a batch of lessons. We now cognize what it takes. From a squad extent perspective, you request a value squad to compete successful Europe and successful nan URC."