In spite of so many absentees, the Warriors pitched up in Halifax, Nova Scotia where they proceeded to give Canada a serious run for their money in preparation for their opening Rugby World Cup tie against Ireland in Cardiff on September 19.
Ironically, had it not been for one of those who played a leading role in their exhilarating GUINNESS PRO12 Final victory over Munster in Belfast at the end of last season, Glasgow's back-up players might conceivably have gone home with a draw. Unfortunately for them, DTH van der Merwe started for Canada the way he finished for the Warriors last May.
For the Warriors, the silver lining to this particular cloud is that DTH will be safely out of harm's way when his new club, the Scarlets, come a knocking on his old one at Scotstoun on Saturday for the start of the GUINNESS PRO12 campaign.
Getting to the top is one thing, staying there a different matter of entirely. The Warriors are about to find out, having already cast their net far and wide to replenish a squad hit by the inevitable raft of departures and retirements, let alone severe Rugby World Cup demands.
Six other internationals have moved on in addition to van der Merwe - scrum-half Nikola Matawalu to Bath, wing Sean Maitland to London Irish, prop Jon Welsh to Newcastle, tighthead Euan Murray to Pau, Doug Hill and Alastair Kellock into retirement.
The Warriors' global trawl has brought a haul from near and far - among them the Fijian wing Taqele Naiyaravoro from the Waratahs, back-row forward Sam Johnson from the Queensland Reds and Treviso's Italian international flanker, Simone Favaro.
As well as a trio from the English Premiership, American Eagles lock Greg Peterson from Leicester, Tongan prop Sila Puafisi from Gloucester and Scotland scrum-half Mike Blair from Newcastle, head coach Gregor Townsend has also been busy on the home front, signing the Edinburgh pair Grayson Hart and Hugh Blake.
Despite starting at the disadvantage of supplying more World Cup players than any of their rivals, the Warriors will still be the team to beat. No GUINNESS PRO12 team has managed that in Glasgow since the Dragons won there way back in November 2013.
Since then, Townsend's team have won 26 home matches in a row, the latest against Ulster in the play-off semi-final last May, albeit by the skin of their teeth thanks to Finn Russell's priceless conversion of van der Merwe's late try.
Eight days later, Ulster provided the stage for the Warriors to win Scotland's first major trophy of the professional era in the grand manner. Under a leaden Belfast sky, Townsend's largely all-Scottish clan routed Munster 4-1 on tries, 31-13 on points.
When it mattered most of all, they rose to the occasion, nobody more so than Leone Nakawara who played as if he had spent the Friday night studying an old tape of the Harlem Globetrotters. While Fiji will hope for more of that magic during their matches against England, Wales and Australia, the Warriors will have to make do with something more prosaic over the coming few weeks.
Their 11 rivals will all be bringing something new in their collective attempt to knock the champions off their pedestal.
Munster (beaten finalists):
Tomas O'Leary reunited with his native province after three seasons at London Irish. Wallaby second row Mark Chisholm has joined from Bayonne along with Auckland Blues centre Francis Saili, a big hit during last week's friendly against London Irish before taking a hit worrying enough to put him in hospital. Happily, he was released after an overnight stay.
Ulster (semi-finalists):
Willie Faloon has returned from Connacht. Sam Windsor, an Irish-qualified Australian fly half, has been signed from Worcester Warriors along with former Harlequins, Newcastle and London Welsh lock Peter Brown.
Ospreys (semi-finalists);
Gareth Delve is home in Wales for the first time after a 14-year journey from his native Cardiff to Bath, Gloucester, Melbourne and Japan. Paul James, the under-rated Welshman who can prop either side of the scrum, is back from Bath. Former All Black scrum-half Brendon Leonard has arrived from Italy.
Leinster (5th):
Gordon D'Arcy's monumental career may be over but Jonathan Sexton will be back on board to steer the ship after the World Cup. Ica Nacewa is also back, in his case after a gap of two years.
Scarlets (6th):
One local fly half heads for the West Country, another comes back. Aled Thomas, restored to familiar surroundings after a season at Gloucester, will head the challenge for the No. 10 jersey vacated by Rhys Priestland's switch to Bath.
Connacht (7th):
Their line-up includes another New Zealand back, Api Pewhairiangi, who has already played for Ireland, in the Rugby League World Cup. South African lock Quinn Roux and Emerging Ireland scrum half John Cooney return from Leinster.
Edinburgh (8th):
Tonga wing Willie Helu and Nasi Manu, a New Zealand under-20 back row international, are among the new signings - Helu from Wasps, Manu from the Highlanders.
Newport Gwent Dragons (9th):
Cheetahs' scrum half Sarel Pretorius joins a region brimming with such outstanding young Welsh backs as Hallam Amos, Tyler Morgan and Jack Dixon. Two of the old guard - Lee Byrne and Ian Gough - have called it a day.
Cardiff Blues (10th):
Danny Wilson takes over as head coach from the departed Mark Hammett. Former Wales captain Matthew Rees is staying despite having been released before Wilson's appointment. The Blues should have no shortage of attacking options with American Eagles wing Blaine Scully joining from Leicester, Hurricanes centre Rey Lee-Lo from New Zealand and Tom James from Exeter.
Benetton Treviso (11th):
They may have lost centre Michele Campagnero to Exeter but ought to be all the stronger for the homecoming of three Italian internationals - Luke McLean and Alberto de Marchi from Sale and Robert Barbiere from Leicester. Other reinforcements include the veteran England lock, Tom Palmer.
Zebre (12th):
Sixteen new players, a list headed by 37-Test Australian scrum half Luke Burgess from the Melbourne Rebels and Argentinian hooker-cum-loosehead Bruno Postiglioni from La Plata.
It promises to be fiercely competitive from top to bottom.
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