Glasgow Warriors’ debut match on their new 4G pitch at Scotstoun Stadium sees them host Leinster who are hunting their first pair of opening round wins in the GUINNESS PRO12 since 2007/08.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, September 10
GLASGOW WARRIORS (2nd) v LEINSTER (5th), Scotstoun Stadium, 3pm (live Sky Sports 3 HD)
Team News: Ahead of Saturday’s GUINNESS PRO12 round 2 game against Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has named his team for the province’s first away trip of the season.
There are three changes to the Leinster side that won their first game of the season last Friday at the RDS against Benetton Treviso, with one switch in the backs and two in the forwards.
Rob Kearney continues at full-back and his younger brother Dave comes in to make his first appearance of the campaign having returned from a shoulder injury that cost him a place on the Ireland tour to South Africa. He will start on the left wing with Fergus McFadden moving over to the right.
Noel Reid and Garry Ringrose are once again selected in the centre, while Luke McGrath will captain the province from scrum half. Last week’s man-of-the-match, Joey Carbery, will make his first start away from home, retaining the number 10 jersey.
In the pack, both Cian Healy and Michael Bent continue at loosehead prop and tighthead respectively, and James Tracy comes in to start at hooker. Tracy came off the bench last week to score Leinster’s third try.
Ross Molony and Mike McCarthy continue in the second row and the final change is in the back row where Jordi Murphy starts his first game of the season from number 8, flanked by Dan Leavy and Josh van der Flier.
Among the replacements there is a welcome return from injury for second row Mick Kearney, while props Peter Dooley and Tadhg Furlong (pictured below) are involved in a matchday squad for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors will run out on the new artificial pitch at Scotstoun Stadium for the first time in front of a crowd in excess of 7,000. Following last Saturday’s 41-5 win over Connacht, Fraser Brown replaces Pat MacArthur at hooker and Sila Puafisi comes in for Zander Fagerson at tighthead prop.
After his man-of-the-match display in Galway, Stuart Hogg once again starts at full-back, with Leonardo Sarto named on the right wing and Tommy Seymour lining up on the opposite side.
Alex Dunbar and Sam Johnson form the centre partnership, with Peter Horne and co-captain Henry Pyrgos continuing at out-half and scrum half respectively.
Gordon Reid is once again named at loosehead and he will pack down in the front row alongside Brown and Puafisi. Tim Swinson and co-captain Jonny Gray start their second consecutive game together in the engine room.
It is also the same back row which started last Saturday, with Rob Harley, Simone Favaro and Ryan Wilson combining. Alex Allan and Lee Jones come onto the bench, with Ryan Grant and Sean Lamont not involved this weekend. Allan could make his first appearance in a Warriors shirt since last February.
GLASGOW WARRIORS: Stuart Hogg; Leonardo Sarto, Alex Dunbar, Sam Johnson, Tommy Seymour; Peter Horne, Henry Pyrgos (co-captain); Gordon Reid, Fraser Brown, Sila Puafisi, Tim Swinson, Jonny Gray (co-captain), Rob Harley, Simone Favaro, Ryan Wilson.
Replacements: Corey Flynn, Alex Allan, Zander Fagerson, Tjiuee Uanivi, Lewis Wynne, Ali Price, Rory Clegg, Lee Jones.
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney; Fergus McFadden, Garry Ringrose, Noel Reid, Dave Kearney; Joey Carbery, Luke McGrath (capt); Cian Healy, James Tracy, Michael Bent, Mike McCarthy, Ross Molony, Dan Leavy, Josh van der Flier, Jordi Murphy.
Replacements: Bryan Byrne, Peter Dooley, Tadhg Furlong, Mick Kearney, Dominic Ryan, Jamison Gibson Park, Cathal Marsh, Zane Kirchner.
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Dan Jones (Wales), Dunx McClement (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Gareth Simmonds (Wales)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Glasgow Warriors to win: 1/3; Draw: 20/1; Leinster to win: 13/5
Pre-Match Quotes: Mike McCarthy (Leinster) – “Glasgow were very good (against Connacht). Their team has stars in every position but I think how Jonny Gray and Tim Swinson went about their business impressed me the most. It gave them a brilliant platform and then the backs did the rest.
“I think they would have been hurting. Their last two games last season would have been against Connacht and they lost both of those games in Galway. There was no way Gregor Townsend and the players would have settled for a third away loss there.
“I think with this being Gregor’s last season with them and with the new artificial pitch in Scotstoun they will be playing with a different mentality, especially at home. And let’s not forget how good they were last season and the season before that when they won. So we need to be at our best on Saturday.
“We played against Bath on a similar (artificial) surface in Donnybrook. That’s a huge plus whereas before you would play against Cardiff without a proper feel for the pitch. We also trained in Donnybrook this week and most of the younger lads would be familiar with it as the Leinster ‘A’ team and all schools matches are now played in Donnybrook. So it’s not as big an issue as it might have been a few years ago, but it’s a different game. It’s faster and your defence has to be right.”
Gregor Townsend (Glasgow Warriors) – “We were pleased with aspects of our game (against Connacht) last weekend and it was good to start with a win, but there has been plenty to work on in training this week.
“We always have some really good contests with Leinster and they will be coming to Glasgow with confidence following their win against Treviso.
“We’re expecting a capacity crowd of more than 7,000 and we’re looking forward to being back home on Saturday afternoon, playing on the new pitch for the first time in front of our own supporters.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Glasgow Warriors – Points: Tommy Seymour 10; Tries: Tommy Seymour 2; Leinster – Points: Joey Carbery 10; Tries: Joey Carbery 2
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, March 1, 2014 – Leinster 28 Glasgow Warriors 25, the RDS
Saturday, May 31, 2014 – Final – Leinster 34 Glasgow Warriors 12, the RDS
Saturday, September 6, 2014 – Glasgow Warriors 22 Leinster 20, Scotstoun Stadium
Friday, March 27, 2015 – Leinster 34 Glasgow Warriors 34, the RDS
Friday, October 23, 2015 – Leinster 23 Glasgow Warriors, 18, the RDS
Friday, March 18, 2016 – Glasgow Warriors 12 Leinster 6, Scotstoun Stadium
MATCH FACTS:
– Glasgow Warriors achieved a bonus point victory at Connacht in round 1 and have only lost once in rounds one or two since 2012
– This is the Warriors’ first league game at Scotstoun since the new 4G pitch was installed, a venue where they have only been defeated just once in a regular season GUINNESS PRO12 encounter since November 2013
– Leinster began the new season with a 20-8 victory at home to Benetton Treviso and have not started with a pair of wins in the opening two rounds since 2007/08
– The Leinstermen have lost their last three away games in the PRO12 but have not lost four in a row on their travels since 2010
– Each side won its respective home game when the two teams met last season, while Leinster’s only previous victory at Scotstoun was 6-0 in November 2012
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