'If he says he's going to do something, he does it' - Tuipulotu on Smith
Sione Tuipulotu has revealed that his shared faith with Franco Smith helps him feel aligned to the way the Glasgow head coach thinks.
The Scotland star praised the "authority and discipline" that Smith has brought to Scotstoun as he spoke about his coach on the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.
"He's obviously a very religious man, and everything is underpinned by God," Tuipulotu said. "That's something that I relate to. He stands by what he says, and when you have a coach like that, it creates an environment where people listen and they follow.
"There's no deviation from the plan. He says what is going to happen and we all march towards that plan. He's brought that in - authority and discipline.
He doesn't want plaudits from the media, he's quite a private guy, and he wants it to be about the team."
The Warriors have seen a significant uptick in form since South African Smith replaced Danny Wilson at the Glasgow helm, and currently sit first in the URC rankings heading into the play-offs.
"He's quite a selfless individual and someone I can relate to in terms of his faith," Tuipulotu added. "I always feel pretty aligned when I play rugby for Glasgow just because I'm aligned with the way he thinks.
"The one thing that I really respect about Franco is how professional the relationship he has with players is. As a man, the morals he has - he always stands by them. If he says he's going to do something, he does it."
The Australia-born centre also revealed his partner is heavily pregnant and spoke of his excitement at impending fatherhood.
"It's coming at the perfect time in my life and the perfect time in my career. I feel like it's going to make me a better rugby player. I'm really focused on being a good dad. I've got to watch the other boys do it before me - Shuggy [Huw Jones], Finn [Russell] - and I've seen what it does to their career.
"It always brings back that there are things bigger than rugby. These little things - seeing your mates go through fatherhood, now my turn is coming round - give you the broader picture of life."
