Glasgow Warriors' young colts are aiming for the top by ditching the fear factor.

That's the verdict of assistant coach Kenny Murray, who reckons the Warriors' shooting stars can shine for years for club and country.

And he pinned the credit for their rapid-fire progress on the example of inspirational head coach Gregor Townsend.

Murray, who joined the PRO12 champions two years ago after a successful spell in charge of Ayr, has played his part in the likes of Finn Russell, Alex Dunbar and Mark Bennett graduating to Scotland honours.

“The thing about our training programme at the Warriors is that we see making mistakes as a positive thing as long as they are learned from,” he said.

“The guys go out in our small-sided or conditioned matches in training and are not scared to try things a bit out of the ordinary to try and break down a defence.

“They then work and work at these skills and then they take them into competitive games and I think you can see from how Finn, Alex, Mark and others have moved along that they now have a vast array of skills in their locker to help them get their team on the front foot.

“The fact that they are not scared to try things comes from Gregor’s leadership, while at other clubs they may not get the same leeway.

"As a player, he wasn’t afraid to make mistakes and as a coach he has given the players a lot of confidence in their own abilities and is a great man manager.”

Murray was speaking after it was announced that he would be one of eight up-and-coming coaches to undertake a new coaching qualification.

The United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) Level 4 will be delivered for the first time in Scotland, in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University and sportscotland.

After two years in the pro ranks, Murray is keen for his own career progression to continue.

He said: “I am really grateful to have had the chance to be part of the Warriors journey to date and I have learned a lot as I have gone along.

"But as Gregor said after we won the PRO12, this is the start of the journey and not the end.

“And I am determined to be part of the next chapter in the Warriors story and to keep pushing myself to get better.”