Having done well to edge out the Toyota Cheetahs at home, Connacht are back on the road this week as they strive to win in Scotland for the first time since April 2017 and reduce the gap between themselves and second-placed Glasgow Warriors in Conference A.
GUINNESS PRO14: Friday, February 22
GLASGOW WARRIORS (2nd, Con A) v CONNACHT (3rd, Con A), Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm (live Premier Sports 2/Galway Bay FM/deferred eir Sport 1&2.highlights TG4)
Team News: Scrum half Kieran Marmion is set for his first start since undergoing ankle surgery in November, having been named in the Connacht team to play Conference A rivals Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday night.
Marmion came off the bench in the province’s 25-17 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs last Saturday, and is back in the starting XV this week, forming a half-back partnership with 21-year-old Academy player Conor Fitzgerald, who takes the place of Jack Carty.
Fitzgerald’s older brother Stephen is set for his second successive start on the right wing. The 23-year-old Limerick man is part of a back-three that includes Matt Healy on the opposite wing and Tiernan O’Halloran at full-back. With Bundee Aki and Tom Farrell on Ireland duty, the starting centres will be Kyle Godwin and Tom Daly.
Hooker Dave Heffernan rejoins Denis Buckley and Finlay Bealham in the front row, while 21-year-old Sligo native Cillian Gallagher starts in the second row alongside James Cannon. The loose forwards are unchanged with Eoin McKeon and Colby Fainga’a combining with captain Jarrad Butler, the scorer of the match-winning try against the Cheetahs.
Fit-again centre Peter Robb is also a notable inclusion on the replacements bench as he looks to end a long spell on the sidelines with neck and knee injuries. His last senior appearance for Connacht came against Glasgow at the same venue last April.
Meanwhile, George Horne returns from a shoulder injury to start for the Warriors. Having been ruled out since the Scots’ Champions Cup defeat to Saracens last month, he slots back in at half-back alongside Brandon Thomson, the 23-year-old out-half fresh from signing a new two-year contract with the club.
Paddy Kelly is brought into the midfield for his first Glasgow start. He partners Stafford McDowall, both having played together regularly for Ayr in the Tennent’s Premiership. After missing last week’s 38-34 win in Cardiff with a head knock, Niko Matawalu has passed his return-to-play protocols to start on the left wing with Ruairdh Jackson and Kyle Steyn completing the back-three.
In the forwards, Oli Kebble has recovered from illness to start in the front row and Tongan international Siua Halanukonuka starts the other side of hooker Grant Stewart. Tim Swinson and Scott Cummings continue at lock, while flanker Chris Fusaro returns from a neck injury to captain the side.
Glasgow are without 13 players due to international duty and have eight men on their current injury list. Their bench includes Scotland back rower Matt Fagerson who is involved in a matchday squad for the first time since damaging his shoulder against Cardiff in January’s European game.
GLASGOW WARRIORS: Ruaridh Jackson; Kyle Steyn, Paddy Kelly, Stafford McDowall, Niko Matawalu; Brandon Thomson, George Horne; Oli Kebble, Grant Stewart, Siua Halanukonuka, Tim Swinson, Scott Cummings, Rob Harley, Chris Fusaro (capt), Adam Ashe.
Replacements: Kevin Bryce, Jamie Bhatti, Adam Nicol, Matt Fagerson, Thomas Gordon, Nick Frisby, Rory Hughes, Robbie Nairn.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Stephen Fitzgerald, Kyle Godwin, Tom Daly, Matt Healy; Conor Fitzgerald, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Cillian Gallagher, James Cannon, Eoin McKeon, Colby Fainga’a, Jarrad Butler (capt).
Replacements: Shane Delahunt, Peter McCabe, Conor Carey, Joe Maksymiw, Paul Boyle, Caolin Blade, Peter Robb, Cian Kelleher.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Lloyd Linton (Scotland), Elgan Williams (Wales)
Television Match Official: Charles Samson (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Glasgow Warriors to win: 3/10; Draw: 18/1; Connacht to win: 13/5
Pre-Match Quotes: Andy Friend (Connacht) –
It is extremely tight in our conference with only a few points separating four or five teams, so every game takes on an even greater importance now. We have picked a side with a good blend of youth and experience and I have full confidence in them to get a result on Friday night.
“The real positive this week is to see Kieran Marmion back and raring to go after a period of injury. He’s worked really hard over the past few months to regain his fitness and is looking forward to his 150th appearance in a Connacht jersey. It’s a significant milestone and something to be proud of for him and his family.”
Dave Rennie (Glasgow Warriors) –
Connacht are going to bring over a pretty well-oiled team with a lot of experience. They’ve been going really well and because of how tight the comp is this is a big game for both sides. They play a pretty good brand of footy and we know they’re going to ask a lot of questions of us, so we’re going to have to be a lot better this week than we were against Cardiff.”
Top Scorers – 2018/19 GUINNESS PRO14: Glasgow Warriors – Points: Adam Hastings 57; Tries: George Horne 6; Connacht – Points: Jack Carty 119; Tries: Cian Kelleher, Tom Farrell 5 each
2018/19 TEAM FORM: Glasgow Warriors – Played 15, Won 10, Lost 5, 51 Points; W 27-26 v Connacht (away), W 25-10 v Munster (home), W 52-24 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), L 38-28 v Isuzu Southern Kings (away), W 29-13 v Dragons (home), W 36-8 v Zebre (home), L 25-24 v Munster (away), W 29-20 v Ospreys (away), W 40-15 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 29-20 v Scarlets (home), L 23-7 v Edinburgh (away), L 16-8 v Edinburgh (home), L 20-17 v Benetton Rugby (away), W 9-3 v Ospreys (home), W 38-34 v Cardiff Blues (away); Connacht – Played 15, Won 8, Lost 7, 42 Points; L 27-26 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 32-13 v Zebre (home), L 17-10 v Edinburgh (away), W 33-20 v Scarlets (home), L 20-3 v Leinster (home), W 22-15 v Ulster (away), L 22-17 v Ospreys (away), W 33-12 v Dragons (home), W 31-14 v Isuzu Southern Kings (away), W 21-17 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), L 33-29 v Leinster (away), W 21-12 v Ulster (home), L 31-24 v Munster (home), L 8-7 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 25-17 v Toyota Cheetahs (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, May 21, 2016 – Semi-final: Connacht 16 Glasgow Warriors 11, the Sportsground
Saturday, September 3, 2016 – Connacht 5 Glasgow Warriors 41, the Sportsground
Saturday, March 25, 2017 – Glasgow Warriors 35 Connacht 24, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, September 2, 2017 – Connacht 12 Glasgow Warriors 18, the Sportsground
Friday, April 13, 2018 – Glasgow Warriors 35 Connacht 22, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, September 1, 2018 – Connacht 26 Glasgow Warriors 27, the Sportsground
MATCH FACTS:
– Glasgow Warriors have won their last two GUINNESS PRO14 matches since their defeat in Treviso on January 5
– The Warriors’ only home defeat in the Championship this season was to Edinburgh in the 1872 Cup match at the end of December
– Glasgow have not been defeated by an Irish province at Scotstoun Stadium in the PRO14 since Munster were the visitors in December 2016
– Connacht beat the Toyota Cheetahs in Galway last weekend to end a pair of successive defeats in the PRO14
– Connacht have lost their last two away games in the Championship but have already won three times on the road this season, at Ulster and in South Africa against both the Isuzu Southern Kings and the Cheetahs
– Connacht’s most recent victory over Scottish opponents was against Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield in April 2017
– Glasgow have won their last five encounters with Connacht since the westerners’ triumph in Galway in the 2016 semi-final, while Connacht’s most recent win on Glasgow soil was 19-17 at Firhill in September 2010