Match Preview: Glasgow Warriors v Ulster Rugby

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[tag=image]http://www.shawlandsacademy.glasgow.sch ... rriors.jpg[/tag][tag=content]This is it. This is the knockout stage of the Pro12.

I’m going to rewind all the way back to September and now point out how costly those two losses are to our season. Had we won both games we would be four points clear at the top of the table and guaranteed a place in the play-offs. In fact, we’d probably be odds on to finish first in the regular season for the second season running.

As it is, we now reach the end of April and head into May in second place, four points behind leaders Leinster and with three very difficult games to traverse if we wish to keep hold of our grip on a home semi-final place. It isn’t beyond us, not by any stretch of the imagination, but we’ll need at least two wins to have a chance, and even then that might not be enough.

But still, let’s be positive, hm?

This week we head to sunny Glasgow to take on the mighty Warriors who are riding the crest of a wave having been the first side to down Munster at Thomond Park this season and will be looking to dent our play-off hopes while maintaining theirs. Let’s not forget that they have a game in hand and only sit five points behind us – in essence, we need to win this to keep them at an arm’s length.

Easier said than done, let me throw a few stats at you: Glasgow have scored at least two tries in every home game this season bar one (against Munster), they have scored at least one try in every game this season (bar the Munster game again) and they have conceded just 17 tries in 18 games. That is what we are up against.

It will be a huge task, but these are the games we have to win if we want to be the champions of the Pro12. If we don’t win these games now then quite frankly we don’t deserve to win the Pro12 altogether, so it’s now we have to prove that we deserve to play on beyond the 10th of May. But these are the big games that we want to be part of and now we get to prove ourselves over the next six weeks.

We have to move on from our win over Connacht. It may be the first time we’ve scored eight tries since May 2006, but that will not happen this week, nor is it likely to happen again for a while. What we do have to do is maintain the clinicality that we showed last week – every opportunity that we got we took and against a side with the talent that Glasgow do, every time we get into their 22 we have to leave with points on the board.

Buoyed by the news that two of tomorrow’s starters in Ricky Lutton and Ricky Andrew have signed on for two years and one year respectively, you would be brave to bet against Ulster though. The pain of going out of the Heineken Cup in the way we did will still be there at the forefront of the players’ thinking and with that as motivation you know we’ll be in with a shout for the entire game.

Glasgow have made two changes to the team that won against Munster with Peter Horne given his first start in three months at inside centre with Finn Russell moving to fly-half and Duncan Weir dropping out of the twenty-three altogether. The other change is that of Horne’s centre partner as Alex Dunbar is ruled out with injury and is replaced by Mark Bennett.

Mark Anscombe has made three changes to the team that put eight tries past Connacht. Darren Cave returns from his rest to start at outside centre with Tommy Bowe returning to the wing and Craig Gilroy dropping to the bench. Tom Court starts at loosehead prop with Andrew Warwick joining Gilroy among the substitutes while in the back row Chris Henry swaps from openside to blindside flanker in Robbie Diack’s absence with Sean Doyle starting at 7.

The easy games are behind us. For the next six weeks it’s all blood, sweat and tears as we look to make up for our Heineken Cup disappointment, and it is definitely achievable, even with our horrendously long injury list. Time for our boys to stand up and show what they’re made of as we leave the island of Ireland probably for the last time this season.

Well, hopefully for the last time this season.

Glasgow Warriors v Ulster Rugby
Friday 18th April, 19:35
Scotstoun Stadium
RaboDirect Pro12 – Round 20

GLASGOW WARRIORS
15. Peter Murchie, 14. Sean Maitland, 13. Matt Bennett, 12. Peter Horne, 11. Tommy Seymour, 10. Finn Russell, 9. Chris Cusiter (capt); 1. Gordon Reid, 2. Dougie Hall, 3. Jon Welsh, 4. Tim Swinson, 5. Jonny Gray, 6. Josh Strauss, 7. Chris Fusaro, 8. Ryan Wilson.

16. Pat MacArthur, 17. Ryan Grant, 18. Geoff Cross, 19. Leone Nakarawa, 20. Rob Harley, 21. Niko Matawalu, 22. Ruaridh Jackson, 23. Richie Vernon.

ULSTER RUGBY
15. Ricky Andrew, 14. Tommy Bowe, 13. Darren Cave, 12. Luke Marshall, 11. Andrew Trimble, 10. Paddy Jackson, 9. Paul Marshall; 1. Tom Court, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Ricky Lutton, 4. Johann Muller (capt), 5. Iain Henderson, 6. Chris Henry, 7. Sean Doyle, 8. Nick Williams.

16. Niall Annett, 17. Andrew Warwick, 18. Declan Fitzpatrick, 19. Lewis Stevenson, 20. Mike McComish, 21. Michael Heaney, 22. James McKinney, 23. Ricky Andrew.

Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 34th competition game)
Assistant Referees: David Changleng, Graeme Marshall (both SRU)
Citing Commissioner: John Montgomery (SRU)
TMO: Jim Yuille (SRU)[/tag]