Munster’s first test as new GUINNESS PRO12 leaders is a tough one, renewing rivalries with an international-laden Glasgow side who will want to gain some revenge for October’s heavy Champions Cup defeat in Limerick.
GUINNESS PRO12: Friday, December 2
GLASGOW WARRIORS (5th) v MUNSTER (1st), Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm (live TG4/BBC ALBA)
Team News: Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has made six changes for tonight’s GUINNESS PRO12 encounter with Glasgow Warriors. Peter O’Mahony returns to captain the province with his back row colleague Tommy O’Donnell set for his 100th PRO12 appearance.
A Tipperary native and a product of the Greencore Munster Academy, O’Donnell’s Championship debut saw him introduced from the bench against the Scarlets in September 2007.
There are four personnel changes in the pack for the new PRO12 leaders. Niall Scannell returns at hooker, Jean Kleyn and Billy Holland start together in the second row and O’Mahony comes back in at blindside flanker. The Munster captain’s return sees Jack O’Donoghue make the positional switch to number 8.
The final two personnel changes are at half-back and in midfield with Ian Keatley and Rory Scannell starting at out half and inside centre respectively. Consequently, Jaco Taute reverts to the outside centre position.
Named among the replacements, Donnacha Ryan is another player to make his return from international action, while scrum half Te Aihe Toma could make his competitive debut for the province.
Meanwhile, fresh from winning his first international cap for Scotland against Georgia last Saturday, scrum half Ali Price returns to the Glasgow Warriors starting line-up to face Munster.
Nine of the Warriors involved with Scotland return, along with Sila Puafisi who played for Tonga in their win over Italy. It did not take long for Price to make a mark on the international stage, combing with Rory Hughes to set up a late try for Scotland with the winger also returning to the Warriors side.
Hughes is joined in the back-three by full-back Peter Murchie and Tommy Seymour, who scored Scotland’s opening try last weekend. Mark Bennett is another to return having started the game at Rugby Park and he partners Nick Grigg in midfield. They will both play outside of number 10 Peter Horne who featured in all three of Scotland’s autumn internationals.
Puafisi and Fraser Brown join Gordon Reid in the front row, all three having added to their international tally last month. Rob Harley was another in the team in Kilmarnock and he returns to partner Tim Swinson in the engine room.
Scotland’s man-of-the-match against Georgia, Ryan Wilson, will start at number 8 for the Warriors, flanked by Josh Strauss and Chris Fusaro. On the bench Fiji international scrum half Nemia Kenatale could make his debut for the club, while prop Alex Allan also returns from international duty.
GLASGOW WARRIORS: Peter Murchie; Rory Hughes, Mark Bennett, Nick Grigg, Tommy Seymour; Peter Horne, Ali Price; Gordon Reid, Fraser Brown, Sila Puafisi, Tim Swinson, Rob Harley, Josh Strauss, Chris Fusaro, Ryan Wilson (capt).
Replacements: Corey Flynn, Alex Allan, D’arcy Rae, Rob McAlpine, Langilangi Haupeakui, Nemia Kenatale, Rory Clegg, Lee Jones.
MUNSTER: Andrew Conway; Darren Sweetnam, Jaco Taute, Rory Scannell, Ronan O’Mahony; Ian Keatley, Duncan Williams; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Jean Kleyn, Bill Holland; Peter O’Mahony (capt), Tommy O’Donnell, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Rhys Marshall, Thomas du Toit, Stephen Archer, Donnacha Ryan, Robin Copeland, Te Aihe Toma, Dan Goggin, Alex Wootton.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Dan Jones (Wales), Dunx McClement (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Jon Mason (Wales)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Glasgow Warriors to win: 4/6; Draw: 16/1; Munster to win: 13/10
Pre-Match Quotes: Rassie Erasmus (Munster) – “The previous game (against Glasgow) was at home and it was after a very emotional few days (following Axel’s death). It’s a totally different set-up playing them away with some international players gone and some coming back into the mix.
“Our team was mixing and matching in the last four weeks and I guess it’s the same for them. The last time we played them, they had just smashed Leinster by 40 points so that’s how difficult they will be at home. About 14 or 15 of their players played for Scotland last weekend so it’s a big challenge.
“For all of us it (Ireland’s November success) is great, for Leinster, Munster, Ulster, Connacht, for everybody. It’s good for Irish rugby, for world rugby that Australia and New Zealand have been beaten by Ireland. It’s good for the northern Hemisphere. Overall leading up to the 2019 World Cup those things will filter out to our level and club level.
“We have players like Jack O’Donoghue who played against Canada. He has learned a few things, he has talked to Conor Oliver about that. He talks to John Foley about that and it starts spreading and rubbing off and dreams become reality. It is a feel-good factor and the same for the other three Irish provinces. It’s great.”
Gregor Townsend (Glasgow Warriors) – “It was great to see all the Warriors playing Test rugby over the past few weeks and we welcome a number of them back this weekend.
“The players have responded to last week’s defeat (22-5 to the Ospreys) in a way we have come to expect from them – with positivity, effort and determination. They were disappointed but have put in the hard work to make the necessary improvements.
“Munster are well organised in defence, physical in contact and show innovation in attack. We’re going to have to be alert and at our best to come out on top on Friday night.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Glasgow Warriors – Points: Tommy Seymour 35; Tries: Tommy Seymour 7; Munster – Points: Tyler Bleyendaal 57; Tries: Ronan O’Mahony 4
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Glasgow Warriors – Played 9, Won 5, Lost 4, 26 Points; W 41-5 v Connacht (away), W 33-25 v Leinster (home), L 23-19 v Cardiff Blues (away), L 22-17 v Ulster (home), W 26-17 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 33-28 v Zebre (away), W 31-14 v Benetton Treviso (home), L 27-3 v Scarlets (away), L 22-5 v Ospreys (home); Munster – Played 9, Won 7, Lost 2, 33 Points; W 23-13 v Scarlets (away), L 24-23 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 20-16 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 28-14 v Edinburgh (home), W 49-5 v Zebre (home), Played , L 25-14 v Leinster (away), W 15-14 v Ulster (away), W 33-0 v Ospreys (home), W 46-3 v Benetton Treviso (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, May 16, 2014 – Semi-final – Glasgow Warriors 16 Munster 15, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, December 20, 2014 – Glasgow Warriors 21 Munster 18, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, February 28, 2015 – Munster 22 Glasgow Warriors 10, Irish Independent Park
Saturday, May 30, 2015 – Final – Munster 13 Glasgow Warriors 31, Kingspan Stadium
Friday, October 2, 2015 – Munster 23 Glasgow Warriors 21, Thomond Park
Friday, February 19, 2016 – Glasgow Warriors 27 Munster 24, Rugby Park
MATCH FACTS:
– Glasgow Warriors have slipped to two straight defeats in the GUINNESS PRO12, at the Scarlets and at home to the Ospreys, but have not lost three in a row in the Championship in the same season since 2010/11
– The Warriors have not lost back-to-back games at Scotstoun in the PRO12 since going down to Munster and the Newport Gwent Dragons there in October/November 2013
– Table-topping Munster have won their last five matches in all competitions since their 25-14 reversal to Leinster at the Aviva Stadium in the PRO12 in October
– Since the start of last season, Munster’s only defeat to a Scottish side was 27-24 to Glasgow Warriors in Kilmarnock in February
– The two sides have already met in the European Champions Cup this season with Munster winning 38-17 at Thomond Park on October 22
– In the PRO12, the last seven meetings have produced just two Munster victories, while the Munstermen’s only previous triumph at Scotstoun came in October 2013
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