THERE seems to he a rule at Glasgow Warriors that doing things the orthodox way is for wimps. They have to carve our their own path through the season, whether it is making wholesale changes to a winning side or, as they did yesterday, doubling up on the club captaincy.

After Gregor Townsend, the head coach, named both Jonny Gray and Henry Pyrgos as joint captains for the season ahead, both were anxious to paint the decision as an exciting, even adventurous move, for the club, though they also admitted they had not quite got round to working out exactly how to handle the different logistics of a double leadership role.

While co-captains are nothing new, what makes this one unusual is that they are likely to play a lot of games together, including most of the big ones. Often co-captains are players who are likely to replace each other – as was the case when Mike Blair and Chris Cusiter shared the Scotland leadership back in 2010 – or a veteran who is unlikely to see a lot of action paired with an ambitious youngster.

Having two in the prime of their careers on the field at the same time could, in theory, muddy the waters as to which one would really be in charge, though Pyrgos preferred to put a more positive slant on the challenge.

"It is exciting," said Pyrgos, "The co-captaincy is slightly different to what I have done before but we [him and Gray] get on really well. I can definitely be an added bonus for the team and help drive standards and get us to where we want to go.

"We have not had a chance to have a sit down and a chance to talk through how we will work it but we will in the next couple of days, I'm sure. I think it is exciting and will work really well."

To explain the decision, you may have to look at the hands of Vern Cotter, the national coach, pulling a few strings. While Gray has undoubtedly been marked down as a leader for the future, he is still only 22. Though he has 49 caps already he is still young for the top job with the national team.

For the immediate future the pecking order is going to remain as it was for Scotland's Japan tour in the summer with Greig Laidlaw in overall charge and Pyrgos taking over as both scrum half and captain when Laidlaw needs a rest.

The problem with that arrangement is that Pyrgos did not really take his chance when it was handed to him for the second Test on tour, and there is a good argument that he needs to settle into the captaincy role with more certainty.

Thought the idea that Laidlaw came off the bench to rescue the match is a huge over-simplification, the fact is that Scotland were 16-9 behind when Pyrgos was replaced in the 48th minute and scored 12 unanswered points with Laidlaw on the field to win the game

At 26, Pyrgos is coming towards the peak of his career, and with Laidlaw settling into the role as sole captain at Gloucester – one of the teams Glasgow are to play in their pre-season friendlies – he must benefit from leading teams more often.

"There are a lot of senior guys in the squad and everyone leads by example," he said. "There are a lot of little things – making decisions on kicking for the posts or to the corner – and there may be different things through the week but when you get on the pitch you have to play well, first and foremost. It is great I am captaining with Jonny and there are a lot of other senior players in the squad too."

The other drive behind the decision must be to try to make that elusive breakthrough in Europe after five solid Guinness PRO12 seasons blighted by their consistent inability to get beyond the pool stage when it comes to the bigger Champions Cup challenge.

For Towsend, whose contract expires at the end of the season, time is starting to run out and he has to shake things up and try something different. If he is to command a megabucks contract in France or put himself in the frame to succeed Vern Cotter as Scotland coach, he needs to show he can produce a side capable of delivering at the top end. Nothing would attract the attention of the guys with the big cheque books like knocking Racing 92, the French Champions, out of this year's tournament.

For Gray, even if he is having to share a role the did by himself last season, he insists it is all to the benefit of both his game and the club. "Throughout the squad there are a lot of leaders, guys like Rob Harley, Peter Horne, Josh Strauss, who have captained the side before," he said.

"It is good to have Henry [Pyrgos] whose experience and knowledge of the game is unreal. To have him out there on the pitch will be great. He will be good to talk to – a lot of good ideas to bounce off. He has captained Scotland and is a great guy to have."