GUINNESS PRO12 Preview: Leinster v Glasgow Warriors

This is shaping up to be a cracking contest which will hopefully match the high octane nature of the sides’ most recent meeting at the RDS – an eight-try 34-34 thriller at the end of March.

GUINNESS PRO12: Friday, October 23

LEINSTER (7th) v GLASGOW WARRIORS (6th), the RDS, 7.45pm (live Sky Sports 2 HD)

Team News: Ben Te’o and Jack Conan have recovered from injury to take their places in the Leinster team to take on Glasgow Warriors at the RDS, as head coach Leo Cullen makes seven changes in total from the defeat to the Scarlets.

Leinster have also announced that any Ireland supporter who comes to the game on Friday and shows a Rugby World Cup ticket stub will be rewarded for backing our boys in green with a special offer €;15 ticket to the game.

In team news, also returning to the starting line-up are Ireland World Cup players Mike McCarthy and Rhys Ruddock who were late additions to the squad. Ruddock came off the bench in last Sunday’s quarter-final loss to Argentina.

For the fourth game in-a-row it is as you were in the back-three with Isa Nacewa captaining the side from full-back and Garry Ringrose on the right wing and Fergus McFadden on the left. Between them they have scored four tries and 43 points in the four GUINNESS PRO12 rounds to date.

Te’o has shaken off the calf injury that kept him out of last week’s trip to Parc y Scarlets. He takes his place at outside centre, with Noel Reid continuing in the number 12 jersey.

Luke McGrath starts at scrum half for the third time in five games, while Cathal Marsh is outside him having won the man-of-the-match award last time out at the RDS against the Dragons.

Ireland internationals Michael Bent and Martin Moore are once again selected at loosehead and tighthead prop respectively, while Aaron Dundon comes back into the side at hooker.

McCarthy, who missed the Scarlets game due to his World Cup call-up comes back into the second row to partner UCD’s Ross Molony (pictured below).

There are two changes in the back row with Ruddock resuming at blindside flanker and Conan selected at number 8 having recovered from the ankle injury suffered in the warm-up before the Dragons game. Josh van der Flier completes the back row at openside.

Among the replacements, Tadhg Furlong is in line to make his first Leinster appearance of the season having played against Wales and England in the World Cup warm-up games and against Romania in the World Cup, while Isaac Boss returns following his short stint in Ireland’s World Cup camp as an injury replacement.

Leinster v Glasgow Warriors match tickets are still on sale online here. They can also be bought at the Anglesea Road ticket office from 6.15pm onwards on Friday.

Meanwhile, Italian international Simone Favaro has been named in Glasgow Warriors team for their round 5 match encounter against Leinster in Dublin.
 
Favaro, who scored a last-minute try to secure a bonus point victory over the Dragons last Friday, starts at openside flanker in place of Chris Fusaro.
 
Six players return to the matchday squad having featured for Scotland at the Rugby World Cup, with Sean Lamont, Richie Vernon, Duncan Weir, Tim Swinson, Ryan Wilson and Kevin Bryce all included.
 
After reaching the milestone of 100 caps for Scotland at the World Cup, Lamont returns at full-back, with Rory Hughes moving to the left wing and Taqele Naiyaravoro starting on the opposite side.
 
Vernon makes his first appearance for the Warriors since last season’s final, coming in at outside centre for Alex Dunbar who picked up a knock on his chest last week. Fraser Lyle is once again named at inside centre, Weir returns at out-half and Mike Blair replaces Grayson Hart at scrum half.
 
It is the same front row which started last time out. Pat MacArthur has overcome injury to start at hooker, having only lasted two minutes of the round 4 fixture. Alex Allan is at loosehead prop and Zander Fagerson on the tighthead side.
 
Swinson also returns from international duty and partners Scott Cummings in the engine room. It will be 18-year-old Cummings’ fifth consecutive start for the Warriors.
 
Rob Harley moves from second row to blindside flanker, while Scotland international Wilson returnes at number 8 and Favaro dons the number 7 shirt.

Scotland hooker Kevin Bryce has been named among the replacements, along with the top-scoring Rory Clegg who could make his final appearance for the Warriors before moving to France.

LEINSTER: Isa Nacewa (capt); Garry Ringrose, Ben Te’o, Noel Reid, Fergus McFadden; Cathal Marsh, Luke McGrath; Michael Bent, Aaron Dundon, Martin Moore, Ross Molony, Mike McCarthy, Rhys Ruddock, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.

Replacements: James Tracy, Peter Dooley, Tadhg Furlong, Dominic Ryan, Dan Leavy, Isaac Boss, Ross Byrne, Cian Kelleher.

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Sean Lamont; Taqele Naiyaravoro, Richie Vernon, Fraser Lyle, Rory Hughes; Duncan Weir, Mike Blair; Alex Allan, Pat MacArthur, Zander Fagerson, Tim Swinson, Scott Cummings, Rob Harley (capt), Simone Favaro, Ryan Wilson.

Replacements: Kevin Bryce, Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Mike Cusack, Greg Peterson, Adam Ashe, Hugh Blake, Grayson Hart, Rory Clegg.

Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Leo Colgan, Olly Hodges (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Dermot Moloney (Ireland)

Match Odds (Paddy Power): Leinster to win: 5/6; Draw: 17/1; Glasgow Warriors to win: Evens

Pre-Match Quotes: Josh van der Flier (Leinster) – “Happy with how I’m playing and the confidence that comes with it. I feel a lot more comfortable at the PRO12 level. It’s still very tough, but I’m finding my form.

“I’m trying to improve on how I work within the system, especially in defence, where we’ve changed up a few things and that’s probably the biggest area for me to improve on.

“Communication is important too, when it comes to talking to the rest of the players because seven is a position where you need a lot of conversation with other players.”

Gregor Townsend (Glasgow Warriors) – “We were pleased to get back to winning ways last weekend (against the Dragons) and we’re looking forward to the trip to face Leinster.
 
“We’ve been boosted by the return of some players from the Rugby World Cup, so competition for places has increased. It’s important that we utilise our squad with 15 back-to-back games up until the beginning of February.

“We’ve had some great battles with Leinster over the years and we’re expecting another one on Friday night.”

Top Scorers – 2015/16 GUINNESS PRO12: Leinster – Points: Isa Nacewa 39; Tries: Isa Nacewa 3; Glasgow Warriors – Points: Rory Clegg 48; Tries: Glenn Bryce 2

RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:

Saturday, May 11, 2013 – Semi-final – Leinster 17 Glasgow Warriors 15, the RDS
Friday, September 20, 2013 – Glasgow Warriors 12 Leinster 6, Scotstoun Stadium
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

MATCH FACTS:

– All four of Leinster’s matches in the GUINNESS PRO12 this season have been won by the home side on the day, while their only defeat at the RDS in their last 33 matches in all competitions was 16-14 to the Newport Gwent Dragons in the PRO12 on February 15

– Glasgow Warriors gained their first maximum point victory this campaign with their 29-15 win over the Dragons last Friday

– The Warriors have won just one of their last five away games in the competition: 31-13 at Connacht in April

– The Warriors were unbeaten against Leinster last season having won at Scotstoun Stadium in September and drawn 34-all at the RDS in March

– Glasgow’s only previous success on Leinster soil in any competition was 23-19 at the RDS in the PRO12 in September 2011