After 152 games the most crucial game of the GUINNESS PRO14 season is upon us as Glasgow Warriors and Leinster Rugby meet at Celtic Park in an historic occasion where the Championship decider is hosted outside of a non-rugby venue for the first time.
GUINNESS PRO14 FINAL: Saturday, May 25
GLASGOW WARRIORS (1st, Con A) v LEINSTER (1st, Con B), Celtic Park, 6.30pm (live eir Sport 1/TG4/Premier Sports 1/SuperSport 1/RTÉ 2fm/BBC Radio Scotland)
Tickets for the GUINNESS PRO14 final between Glasgow Warriors and Leinster are still available with prices starting at just £25 for adults and £1 for children. For more information on tickets, please visit www.pro14rugby.org/finaltickets.
Glasgow Warriors have secured a 'home final' in their first appearance at Celtic Park with a bulldozing win over the Ulstermen and arguably go into this game as favourites against defending champions Leinster. The title-holding province have reached a record ninth final, but have lost more finals than they have won.
Having lost to Saracens in the Heineken Champions Cup final at St James' Park in Newcastle two Saturdays ago, Leinster sealed their second final of the season at another football venue by overcoming Munster. The all-Irish GUINNESS PRO14 semi-final was a much tighter affair as you would expect from the two historically most successful provinces.
A cagey first 40 minutes opened up in the second slightly, allowing Sean Cronin and James Lowe to crash over (the latter having returned from a first half sin-bin which his side coped admirably with) for a 24-9 win.
No one can say the two best sides of the GUINNESS PRO14 have not made it to the final. Leinster and Glasgow Warriors each finished top of their respective Conferences in the regular season, Glasgow with a tally of five more points than their Irish counterparts after 21 regular season games.
Warriors are favourites, on paper, with their 'home' advantage, their marginally higher points tally from the regular season and the fact that they beat Leinster 39-24 at the province's usual fortress of the RDS last month. However, Leinster were very much changed that day with their final series spot already confirmed.
Both teams have got to Championship finals and won, both have got to finals and lost. In 2014 Leinster beat Glasgow - the only previous final meeting between these two sides. Whichever way you look at it, it is hard to call and this should be a cracking game.
GLASGOW WARRIORS & LEINSTER - TOP PERFORMERS IN GUINNESS PRO14 (Powered by Opta Statistics):
GLASGOW WARRIORS:
TOP POINTS SCORERS –
Adam Hastings 131
Pete Horne 61
Brandon Thomson 57
George Horne 45
Tommy Seymour 40
TOP TRY SCORERS –
George Horne 9
Tommy Seymour 8
Niko Matawalu 6
Peter Horne 5
Ali Price 5
METRES GAINED –
Niko Matawalu 883
Ruaridh Jackson 707
Adam Hastings 590
Nick Grigg 571
DTH van der Merwe 472
MOST CARRIES –
Adam Ashe 164
Matt Fagerson 161
Adam Hastings 146
Ruaridh Jackson 128
Jonny Gray 123
CLEAN BREAKS –
George Horne 18
Niko Matawalu 18
Nick Grigg 16
Pete Horne 16
DTH van der Merwe 14
DEFENDERS BEATEN –
Adam Hastings 51
Niko Matawalu 47
Matt Fagerson 34
Nick Grigg 28
DTH van der Merwe 27
MOST TACKLES –
Rob Harley 208
Jonny Gray 183
Matt Fagerson 179
Adam Ashe 171
Scott Cummings 167
TURNOVERS WON –
Niko Matawalu 10
Tim Swinson 8
Chris Fusaro 8
Scott Cummings 7
Fraser Brown 7
George Turner 7
LINEOUTS WON –
Scott Cummings 57
Jonny Gray 47
Rob Harley 25
Adam Ashe 23
Ryan Wilson 16
LINEOUT STEALS –
Jonny Gray 6
Scott Cummings 5
Matt Fagerson 3
Tim Swinson 2
Kiran McDonald 1
Callum Gibbins 1
Grant Stewart 1
Rob Harley 1
Ryan Wilson 1
Greg Peterson 1
LEINSTER:
TOP POINTS SCORERS –
Ross Byrne 107
Ciaran Frawley 58
Jonathan Sexton 41
Sean Cronin 35
James Lowe 35
TOP TRY SCORERS –
Sean Cronin 7
James Lowe 7
Bryan Byrne 6
Max Deegan 6
Conor O'Brien 6
METRES GAINED –
Dave Kearney 661
James Lowe 581
Conor O'Brien 522
Jordan Larmour 481
Adam Byrne 458
MOST CARRIES –
Caelan Doris 167
Max Deegan 140
Josh Murphy 117
Ed Byrne 115
Conor O'Brien 115
CLEAN BREAKS –
Jamison Gibson-Park 115
Conor O'Brien 13
Jordan Larmour 13
Adam Byrne 12
James Lowe 12
DEFENDERS BEATEN –
Jordan Larmour 38
Noel Reid 31
Conor O'Brien 30
Dave Kearney 30
Adam Byrne 25
MOST TACKLES –
Max Deegan 212
Caelan Doris 188
James Tracy 153
Josh Murphy 139
Scott Fardy 136
TURNOVERS WON –
Andrew Porter 9
Max Deegan 9
Scott Fardy 9
Rhys Ruddock 5
Dan Leavy 5
LINEOUTS WON –
Scott Fardy 47
Ross Molony 34
Devin Toner 33
James Ryan 19
Max Deegan 18
LINEOUT STEALS –
Scott Fardy 6
Josh Murphy 4
Ross Molony 3
James Ryan 3
Max Deegan 2
For more statistics, please visit www.pro14rugby.org/statistics/powered-by-opta/
A cagey first 40 minutes opened up in the second slightly, allowing Sean Cronin and James Lowe to crash over (the latter having returned from a first half sin-bin which his side coped admirably with) for a 24-9 win.
No one can say the two best sides of the GUINNESS PRO14 have not made it to the final. Leinster and Glasgow Warriors each finished top of their respective Conferences in the regular season, Glasgow with a tally of five more points than their Irish counterparts after 21 regular season games.
Warriors are favourites, on paper, with their 'home' advantage, their marginally higher points tally from the regular season and the fact that they beat Leinster 39-24 at the province's usual fortress of the RDS last month. However, Leinster were very much changed that day with their final series spot already confirmed.
Both teams have got to Championship finals and won, both have got to finals and lost. In 2014 Leinster beat Glasgow - the only previous final meeting between these two sides. Whichever way you look at it, it is hard to call and this should be a cracking game.
GLASGOW WARRIORS & LEINSTER - TOP PERFORMERS IN GUINNESS PRO14 (Powered by Opta Statistics):
GLASGOW WARRIORS:
TOP POINTS SCORERS –
Adam Hastings 131
Pete Horne 61
Brandon Thomson 57
George Horne 45
Tommy Seymour 40
TOP TRY SCORERS –
George Horne 9
Tommy Seymour 8
Niko Matawalu 6
Peter Horne 5
Ali Price 5
METRES GAINED –
Niko Matawalu 883
Ruaridh Jackson 707
Adam Hastings 590
Nick Grigg 571
DTH van der Merwe 472
MOST CARRIES –
Adam Ashe 164
Matt Fagerson 161
Adam Hastings 146
Ruaridh Jackson 128
Jonny Gray 123
CLEAN BREAKS –
George Horne 18
Niko Matawalu 18
Nick Grigg 16
Pete Horne 16
DTH van der Merwe 14
DEFENDERS BEATEN –
Adam Hastings 51
Niko Matawalu 47
Matt Fagerson 34
Nick Grigg 28
DTH van der Merwe 27
MOST TACKLES –
Rob Harley 208
Jonny Gray 183
Matt Fagerson 179
Adam Ashe 171
Scott Cummings 167
TURNOVERS WON –
Niko Matawalu 10
Tim Swinson 8
Chris Fusaro 8
Scott Cummings 7
Fraser Brown 7
George Turner 7
LINEOUTS WON –
Scott Cummings 57
Jonny Gray 47
Rob Harley 25
Adam Ashe 23
Ryan Wilson 16
LINEOUT STEALS –
Jonny Gray 6
Scott Cummings 5
Matt Fagerson 3
Tim Swinson 2
Kiran McDonald 1
Callum Gibbins 1
Grant Stewart 1
Rob Harley 1
Ryan Wilson 1
Greg Peterson 1
LEINSTER:
TOP POINTS SCORERS –
Ross Byrne 107
Ciaran Frawley 58
Jonathan Sexton 41
Sean Cronin 35
James Lowe 35
TOP TRY SCORERS –
Sean Cronin 7
James Lowe 7
Bryan Byrne 6
Max Deegan 6
Conor O'Brien 6
METRES GAINED –
Dave Kearney 661
James Lowe 581
Conor O'Brien 522
Jordan Larmour 481
Adam Byrne 458
MOST CARRIES –
Caelan Doris 167
Max Deegan 140
Josh Murphy 117
Ed Byrne 115
Conor O'Brien 115
CLEAN BREAKS –
Jamison Gibson-Park 115
Conor O'Brien 13
Jordan Larmour 13
Adam Byrne 12
James Lowe 12
DEFENDERS BEATEN –
Jordan Larmour 38
Noel Reid 31
Conor O'Brien 30
Dave Kearney 30
Adam Byrne 25
MOST TACKLES –
Max Deegan 212
Caelan Doris 188
James Tracy 153
Josh Murphy 139
Scott Fardy 136
TURNOVERS WON –
Andrew Porter 9
Max Deegan 9
Scott Fardy 9
Rhys Ruddock 5
Dan Leavy 5
LINEOUTS WON –
Scott Fardy 47
Ross Molony 34
Devin Toner 33
James Ryan 19
Max Deegan 18
LINEOUT STEALS –
Scott Fardy 6
Josh Murphy 4
Ross Molony 3
James Ryan 3
Max Deegan 2
For more statistics, please visit www.pro14rugby.org/statistics/powered-by-opta/