51 essays in 105 matches: who is this international player who has signed a darn good contract in Montauban?

By Clément MazellaPublished on Apr 7, 2026 at 11:32

He played in the 2023 World Cup. Has 2 caps. And next year, he will wear the colors of Montauban. USM, probably returning to Pro D2, has signed Johnny Matthews, an international hooker from Glasgow. A player of records.

Scottish International now in England

Johnny Matthews has a big reputation as a try hunter (29 tries in 26 games in one season, editor’s note). That’s what attracted Glasgow in 2019, when they signed him at 26 years old to cover for the internationals away at the World Cup. The Liverpool native quickly made his mark.

So much so that in the 2023 World Cup, he experienced it wearing the Scotland team jersey (after injuries to Dave Cherry and Stuart McInally, editor’s note).

His eligibility for the Thistle XV comes from his mother, who is of Scottish origin. On September 30, 2023, he earned his first cap during the romp against Romania (84-0). And guess what: in 22 minutes, he managed to score a try.

5 tries in 46 minutes: Johnny Matthews, record man

A real scoring machine, Johnny Matthews holds incredible records. He is the first Glasgow hooker in history to score a hat-trick (in 2022).

Moreover, in 2023, he became the first Warriors player to score 5 tries in a single game. All within 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 topped the list of try scorers in the 2023 Challenge Cup edition.

Johnny Matthews in Glasgow’s history

Johnny Matthews has clearly written Glasgow’s history. Indeed, in 105 games with the Warriors, he scored 51 tries. He is only the 3rd Warriors player to pass the 50-try mark, after DTH van der Merwe and George Horne.

Glasgow wanted to keep him, but Montauban offered “an excellent contract”

From Glasgow’s side, they acknowledge that Johnny Matthews’ departure is “a loss”. But the Scottish club could not compete with the “excellent contract” offered by Montauban.

The Warriors could only offer a short-term extension, while USM put a 3-year contract on the table. At 33, it was impossible for Matthews to refuse.

“Johnny had the possibility to stay with us. But he will now have an excellent 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 admitted that Johnny Matthews, who has had injuries, has seen his playing time somewhat limited recently due to increased competition.

“And the Warriors have also prepared for the future: ‘Johnny knows where he stands in our hierarchy now. At first, he was a substitute. Then, he became a starter. And now, it’s up to someone else to take over’,” he added.

Johnny Matthews’ future is now in Montauban.

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