IT HAS been a tricky few months for Huw Jones. He missed out on Rugby World Cup selection at the final stage and now that the players who did make it are back at Glasgow Warriors, he has struggled to make the match-day 23.

He has the comfort, however, of some reassurance from the club, who promise that in one of the most competitive positions in the team, he will be given the chance to prove himself in time for the make-or-break Heineken Champions Cup and Guinness PRO14 games coming up.

There has been speculation in the South African press that Jones could be about to sign a loan deal with the Stormers in Cape Town, the Super Rugby franchise he left when he came to Scotland, but according to assistant coach Petrus du Plessis, he will get his chance in Scotland – then it is up to him if he takes it.

"There’s a good rotational system. At some point you each get that time," he said. "Dave Rennie [the head coach] is very fair. You come in, you play well and you take your chance, there’s a good chance you’re going to start again. So I would just say to him ‘Keep going’.”

“I haven’t spoken to him much with regards to him trying to look at going somewhere else. All I know is that his name has been thrown around every [selection] meeting and he’s part of the first team. If he didn’t play the last three or four weeks, he will be playing soon.

"That outside-centre spot is extremely tight. It’s small margins that make the difference. Also you sometimes pick guys on who you’re playing – who’s your most physical defensive or attacking centre, that sort of thing, who fits in better with our game plan.

“He’s a great player. Because he hasn’t featured for a few weeks, I’m sure he’s going to do pretty well come the next block, the next six weeks.”

They all know those six weeks could be the defining period in Glasgow's season with a series of big games in both Europe and the Guinness PRO14. Du Plessis, however, insists that he and the players are not looking any further ahead than this week's chance for revenge over Leinster, the team that beat them in last season's PRO14 final at Celtic Park.

"It’s the first time we've played them since the final," he said. "I looked at some of the clips from that game, just to remind us of the intensity they’re going to bring. It’s going to be a brilliant game for us, especially at home.

“Since I’ve been at the club, I’ve not seen Leinster come here. We know exactly what they’re going to bring, and I’m hoping for a sell-out and a lot of noise from the fans.”

“We speak about that final quite a lot, especially in my area of the game, the way the scrums were reffed in the final. For us, that game still hurts, hurts a lot. The only thing we can do now – brand new season, a clean slate – is prepare well and put on a good show.”

After failing at Exeter last week, they need a big performance and to prove they can handle the teams that turn up the physical intensity, a focus that will be helped by having Jonny Gray back from his post-World Cup break.

"He’s going to make a big impression. He’s been training with us and he’s a massive physical figure up front that we need. Hopefully when he’s back he should do pretty well. He’s physical, he’s dominant, and he’s a good lineout leader," Du Plessis added.