Conference A rivals Munster and Glasgow Warriors head into tonight’s encounter having recorded bonus point wins in the opening round. The men in red are looking to right a few wrongs after losing on both of their visits to Scotland last season.
GUINNESS PRO14: Friday, September 7
GLASGOW WARRIORS (3rd, Con A) v MUNSTER (1st, Con A), Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm (live Premier Sports/eir Sport 1/highlights TG4)
Team News: Jaco Taute makes a welcome return after missing almost a year of action due to a knee injury with the centre listed among the replacements. Ireland international Tadhg Beirne is also among the 23 with the new signing in line to make his Munster debut off the bench.
Billy Holland captains a Munster side that shows one change to the starting XV that beat the Toyota Cheetahs 38-0 last weekend as Sam Arnold, a second half replacement last time out, comes in at outside centre.
Round 1 debutant Mike Haley continues at full-back with Darren Sweetnam and Academy youngster Shane Daly on the wings. Rory Scannell is partnered by Arnold in midfield with the half-back pairing of JJ Hanrahan and Neil Cronin, who both impressed against the Cheetahs, unchanged.
There are no changes to the forwards with hooker Mike Sherry packing down alongside Dave Kilcoyneand John Ryan. Holland and Jean Kleyn are in the second row with Dave O’Callaghan and Tommy O’Donnell, who both touched down in the opening round and Arno Botha in the back row.
Rhys Marshall, James Cronin and Stephen Archer are the front row replacements for the current Conference A leaders, with the 20-year-old Fineen Wycherley and Beirne completing the forward cover. Duncan Williams, Joey Carbery and Taute are the back-line replacements.
Meanwhile, Glasgow boss Dave Rennie has selected a settled side for the round 2 visit of Munster. The inclusion of Fraser Brown and Adam Ashe up front are the only two changes to the team that secured a 27-26 bonus point win at Connacht last week.
Brown joins Oli Kebble and Zander Fagerson in the front row, and Rob Harley moves from the flank into the engine room to partner Jonny Gray. Number 8 Ashe, who bagged the bonus point score off the bench in Galway, features in the back row alongside co-captains Callum Gibbins and Ryan Wilson
It is an unchanged back-line, Stuart Hogg will be looking to replicate his man-of-the-match heroics from the opening round, lining out in a dangerous back-three combination with Tommy Seymour and DTH van der Merwe. The Horne brothers, Peter and George, continue at inside centre and scrum half respectively.
Ali Price and Matt Fagerson have both recovered from injury to be included in the matchday 23, and Scotland international Jamie Bhatti has also been added to the bench as a reserve prop.
GLASGOW WARRIORS: Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Nick Grigg, Peter Horne, DTH van der Merwe; Adam Hastings, George Horne; Oli Kebble, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson, Rob Harley, Jonny Gray, Ryan Wilson (co-capt), Callum Gibbins (co-capt), Adam Ashe.
Replacements: George Turner, Jamie Bhatti, D’arcy Rae, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Ali Price, Alex Dunbar, Niko Matawalu.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Darren Sweetnam, Sam Arnold, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly; JJ Hanrahan, Neil Cronin; Dave Kilcoyne, Mike Sherry, John Ryan, Jean Kleyn, Billy Holland (capt), Dave O’Callaghan, Tommy O’Donnell, Arno Botha.
Replacements: Rhys Marshall, James Cronin, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne, Duncan Williams, Joey Carbery, Jaco Taute.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Dan Jones (Wales), Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Glasgow Warriors to win: 2/5; Draw: 16/1; Munster to win: 2/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Johann van Graan (Munster) – “I’ve watched the Connacht-Glasgow game and it was pretty tight at the end. Quality sides, most of the time, find ways to win and I thought they’ve done pretty well in the pre-season games.
“Glasgow are one of the teams in Europe that I rate, a very good coach and very much in touch with the way want to play. You know what’s coming from their side, a settled side. I wasn’t involved in the away game last year when Glasgow got a big result and then we got a big result in Cork. Two quality teams having a go at each other in round two.
“These are the games you look forward to. It’s our first away game of the season as well and we said we wanted to improve our away form this season but this will be a pretty big challenge.”
Dave Rennie (Glasgow Warriors) – “Over the last year there has been a lot of changes week-to-week based on availability, rotating internationals and injuries so it is good to have some continuity from the game last week.
“Munster are a quality side and are consistently up at the top end of our league and in Europe based around a really strong pack. They are smart tactically, kick really well and look after the ball so our discipline will be important, but we’ve trained really positively this week and can’t wait to get back out in front of our vocal home support.”
Top Scorers – 2018/19 GUINNESS PRO14: Glasgow Warriors – Points: Tommy Seymour, George Turner, Ryan Wilson, Adam Ashe 5 each; Tries: Tommy Seymour, George Turner, Ryan Wilson, Adam Ashe 1 each; Munster – Points: JJ Hanrahan 13; Tries: Rory Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne, Tommy O’Donnell, JJ Hanrahan, Dave O’Callaghan, Darren Sweetnam 1 each
2018/19 TEAM FORM: Glasgow Warriors – Played 1, Won 1, 5 Points; W 27-26 v Connacht (away); Munster – Played 1, Won 1, 5 Points; W 38-0 v Toyota Cheetahs (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, October 2, 2015 – Munster 23 Glasgow Warriors 21, Thomond Park
Friday, February 19, 2016 – Glasgow Warriors 27 Munster 24, Rugby Park
Friday, December 2, 2016 – Glasgow Warriors 15 Munster 16, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, April 8, 2017 – Munster 10 Glasgow Warriors 7, Irish Independent Park
Friday, September 22, 2017 – Glasgow Warriors 37 Munster 10, Scotstoun Stadium
Friday, February 23, 2018 – Munster 21 Glasgow Warriors 10, Irish Independent Park
MATCH FACTS:
– Glasgow Warriors’ narrow victory in Galway last Saturday ended a three-match losing run in the GUINNESS PRO14
– The Warriors have won their opening two fixtures in each of the last two seasons
– Glasgow have not been defeated at Scotstoun Stadium in the PRO14 regular season since Edinburgh were the visitors in May 2017
– Munster beat the Toyota Cheetahs 38-0 in Limerick last weekend, the first time they held their opponents scoreless in the PRO14 since the Ospreys visited Cork in November 2016
– The Munstermen have won their last two regular season away games in the PRO14, both in South Africa, against the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs
– The province lost on both of their visits to Scotland last season
– Munster’s only defeat in their last six fixtures with Glasgow in all competitions was 37-10 at Scotstoun Stadium in round 4 of the PRO14 last season
This website uses cookies.
Read More