Bernie Stortoni completes an exceptional sequence by starting every competitive match Glasgow Warriors have played this season when they line up against Munster at Cork's Musgrave Park today.

However, perhaps even more impressive than the Argentinian veteran's record is that of Moray Low, the young tighthead prop who, in arguably the most physically demanding position on the pitch, will also have played ever match in this, his first season for the club.

The 23-year-old Aberdonian, who is built like the proverbial granite outhouse, has started all bar one of those matches and has rightly been rewarded this week with a new contract and a call-up to Scotland's Test tour of Argentina.

He is among several players benefiting from having kept faith with the domestic game after last summer's mass exodus of established international players.

"It wasn't a hard decision to stay," he said. "Sean Lineen has got a few young Scottish guys, the likes of John Barclay, John Beattie and Kelly Brown to stay on and that's good. We're all looking to build on it and to go forward and finish high in the league.

"I've just been happy to have stayed injury free. I enjoy it here. The guys are all great lads and the coaches and back-up staff are really good.

"I like Glasgow as a city and have settled in fine so was very happy to stay. Some guys have gone away and excelled, such as Al Strokosch. However, I always knew that with the talent we've got, we were going to compete.

"It takes some time for players to come through, but now it's starting to show. I'm looking forward to next year after a full season of professional rugby under my belt. Guys now want to stay and others are coming back because they can see that we are actually competing.

"People have careers and if they want to go then that's fair enough, but if they want to stay it's fair enough as well.

A lot of young Scots guys are staying and if they are getting into the Scotland squad as well I don't see any reason to leave when you get to compete in the Heineken Cup and at the top end of the Magners League."

Warriors visit Munster and Edinburgh meet Llanelli Scarlets to day and if the Scots can match last week's achievement of winning away from home on the same Magners League weekend they will achieve their best finishes in the competition; Edinburgh finishing third or fourth and Warriors fourth or fifth.

That would go down as a remarkable achievement considering how much they rely on homegrown talent. The fact these squads are growing up together is one of the reasons why young players are being persuaded that their futures lie in Scotland.

"I came here when Sean was starting to take over and, even as an apprentice, you could see he was starting to put the passion back into it," said Low. "It's your job and you're paid to do it, which is fantastic, but you always have to have the passion you had as a kid of wanting to play the game.

"Everyone is really close here, enjoys it, gets on well and wants to see Glasgow do well. I get frustrated when you read stuff suggesting we are just a Mickey Mouse team. We've proved in Europe and the Magners League that we are strong. We've got a good home record and next year we want to improve our away record, having won our last two away from home at the Dragons and Ulster."

Part of the trick has been to generate a club atmosphere, something that has previously proven difficult for the Scottish teams, but is increasingly evident on and off the pitch at Glasgow.

"It is a professional sport with a competitive edge, but we socialise a lot together on team days and it's always a good laugh. There's no-one who doesn't talk to anyone else," Low explained.

"The likes of Daryl Gibson have come in and said the difference between here and England is fantastic. Not that down south they don't get on with one another but, while we still knuckle down and get the work done, it's more of a family environment.

"The support has contributed to that too. The crowds have got bigger this year and they've supported us away as well. You know them and go up and speak to them afterwards which is great.

"We just want to see more and more, especially at home games."