GLASGOW coach Dave Rennie has made six changes to his starting line-up for the game against Leinster tomorrow night, two in the back division and four up front. The team is strengthened by the return from Scotland duty of George Horne and George Turner, but other Test players such as Scott Cummings, Adam Hastings and Fraser Brown are rested, while Leone Nakarawa and Oli Kebble are both listed as injured.
Scrum-half Jamie Dobie, the star of the Warriors’ 34-19 home win over Dragons last week on his first start for the team, drops down to the bench to make way at scrum-half for Horne, who will play alongside his older brother Peter. The other change in the back line sees Kyle Steyn come in on the left wing in place of Ratu Tagive.
In the front row, Turner replaces the injured Grant Stewart at hooker, and D’Arcy Rae returns from injury to take the place of Kebble at tighthead for his first match since the defeat by Leinster at Scotstoun in late November. There are also two personnel changes to the back row, with Thomas Gordon and Matt Fagerson coming in at openside and No 8 respectively. Ryan Wilson moves to blindside from No 8 to accommodate Fagerson, and Callum Gibbins drops down to the bench.
Leinster have won all their matches so far this season in both the PRO14 and Champions Cup. It is a record that the Warriors will have to change if they are to ensure they do not drop out of the Conference A play-off places, having only gone into the top three last week after that big win over the Dragons.
The full list of those retained by Scotland is: Brown, Cummings, Zander Fagerson, Hastings, Sam Johnson, Ali Price and Tagive.
Thirteen players are named as unavailable due to injury: Adam Ashe, Bruce Flockhart, Jonny Gray, Siua Halanukonuka, Kebble, Kiran McDonald, Stafford McDowall, Robbie Nairn, Nakarawa, Adam Nicol, Stewart, Jale Vakaloloma and DTH van der Merwe.
Glasgow Warriors (v Leinster at the RDS, tomorrow 7.35pm): G Bryce; T Seymour, H Jones, N Grigg, K Steyn; P Horne, G Horne; A Seiuli, G Turner, D Rae, T Swinson, R Harley, R Wilson (captain), T Gordon, M Fagerson. Substitutes: M Dolokoto, A Allan, E Mcquillin, A Davidson, C Gibbins, J Dobie, R Jackson, N Matawalu.
Leinster: H Keenan; D Kearney, J O’Brien, J Tomane, J Lowe; H Byrne, L McGrath; P Dooley, S Cronin, M Bent, R Baird, S Fardy (captain), J Murphy, W Connors, M Deegan. Substitutes: J Tracy, M Milne, J Aungier, J Dunne, R Ruddock, J Gibson-Park, C Frawley, F McFadden.
Referee: N Owens (Wales).
Bearing in mind Owens is reffing so expect carnage due to his er, interpretation (code for D4 briefing), we still need something from this. Good 23 selected given what is available so good luck guys
Need something from this game. Nice balanced side tbh so here’s hoping,
Thought Hasting might have been there to try and bring his game up to scratch unless he wasn’t released, wrapped in cotton wool to eliminate the need to phone Finn and ask him to join the squad. His inside knowledge of French players and tactics would be to Scotland’s advantage and v France I think we’ll need all the help we can get.