Glasgow Warriors v Munster 22nd September 2017

Glasgow Warriors v Munster

22nd September
KO 19.35
Scotstoun Stadium


Glasgow



15. Ruaridh Jackson (116)
14. Lee Jones (57)
13. Nick Grigg (23)
12. Peter Horne (119)
11. Rory Hughes (33)
10. Finn Russell (66)
9. Ali Price (44)

1. Jamie Bhatti (9)
2. George Turner (3)
3. Zander Fagerson (53)
4. Tim Swinson (100)
5. Scott Cummings (20)
6. Ryan Wilson (129) CAPTAIN
7. Callum Gibbins (2)
8. Adam Ashe (42)

Replacements:

16. Pat MacArthur (156)
17. Alex Allan (52)
18. D’arcy Rae (26)
19. Brian Alainu’uese (18)
20. Rob Harley (163)
21. Henry Pyrgos (128)
22. Sam Johnson (25)
23. Leonardo Sarto (10)

Unavailable players: Adam Hastings (thigh), Lelia Masaga (calf), Tommy Seymour (thigh), Fraser Brown (ankle), Alex Dunbar (knee), Jonny Gray (wrist), Stuart Hogg (shoulder), Oli Kebble (foot), Paddy Kelly (ankle), Ratu Tagive (achilles), Richie Vernon (achilles) and Samuela Vunisa (knee).





Munster

Andrew Conway
Darren Sweetnam
Chris Farrell
Rory Scannell
Alex Wootton
Tyler Bleyendaal – capt.
Duncan Williams
Liam O’Connor
Rhys Marshall
Stephen Archer
Jean Kleyn
Billy Holland
Sean O’Connor
Tommy O’Donnell
Jack O’Donoghue.

Replacements

Niall Scannell
Dave Kilcoyne
John Ryan
Fineen Wycherley
Robin Copeland
James Hart
Jaco Taute
Simon Zebo.



This fixture has become a bit of a grudge match with a fair amount of bad feelings from both teams over various issues. Munster though, clearly got the upper hand last year. It also has the makings of the battle for the top spot in the conference and so it is going to be a very important battle for both teams even at this early stage in the season. A bit of a battle of style and culture with Glasgow go from anywhere attacking game coming up against the best press defence in the league. Both teams, though not yet at full strength will be looking to put down an early marker and are undoubtedly going to be up for this game. This match has got the makings of an early season classic.

Well we had better sort out the set piece this week or we will get oor erses handed to us !

I wonder if D'Arcy Rae might start ahead of the Reverend Ragnar. Some people have been commenting that the New Rev anchors the scrum better than most but that Rae is better at disrupting the opposition's set piece. This may explain the "in yer face" attitude which seems to have suddenly appeared in Fagerson's game. Has he been told he needs to take the battle to the opposition more, and is taking it too literally?
This would explain the biblical reference on his arm-strapping;
1 Corinthians 15:1.
For those godless heathens among you,
Verily Jehova said unto the Israelites, "If at first you don't succeed...use the boot and then the heid.

jimbopip wrote:I wonder if D'Arcy Rae might start ahead of the Reverend Ragnar. Some people have been commenting that the New Rev anchors the scrum better than most but that Rae is better at disrupting the opposition's set piece. This may explain the "in yer face" attitude which seems to have suddenly appeared in Fagerson's game. Has he been told he needs to take the battle to the opposition more, and is taking it too literally?
This would explain the biblical reference on his arm-strapping;
1 Corinthians 15:1.
For those godless heathens among you,
Verily Jehova said unto the Israelites,  "If at first you don't succeed...use the boot and then the heid.

Expecting a big performance from Glasgow but Munster looking sharp, really excited for this one!

Bet on Big Brian and Big Bad Boab back in boilerroom - belter !

See what I just did there Jimbo ?

Sorry/ Schiz...sadly alliteration is the last refuge of a tidy mind. Maybe the last refuge of the mediocre middle management mind?

Naughty Boy and Cummings giving it grunt.

I can't believe this match isn't on TV

cakeordeath wrote:I can't believe this match isn't on TV

I think it is on BBC2 Scotland

BigGee wrote:

cakeordeath wrote:I can't believe this match isn't on TV

I think it is on BBC2 Scotland

sweet

jimbopip wrote:Sorry/ Schiz...sadly alliteration is the last refuge of a tidy mind. Maybe the last refuge of the mediocre middle management mind?

Naughty Boy and Cummings giving it grunt.

Maybe even Greg Petersen and Big Brian. My mate is a Marr College man and watched him as Marr defeated Hawick in Hawick on Saturday and said GP looked very good indeed.. He (GP) did well when he came on in Galway in the sub- Hurricane Irma match

Assuming health

Allan
Turner
Fagerson
Brian
Cummings
Wilson
Gibbins
Ashe

Price
Russell
Jones
Johnson (is he back?)
Dunbar (if he is healthy, otherwise Grigg)
Seymour
Jackson

Malcolm
Bhatti
Rae
Swinson/Peterson
Wynne
Pyrgos
Horne
Mata

Biggest front 5 available. Not many options for subs. Swinson may get preference for me as he has a bit of experience and dynamism if we are chasing the game. Back row is big with 2 a**holes to pick fights with the opposition. Wynne I assume is healthy and deserves an opportunity based on last season.

In the backs, Horne covers centres assuming he is not needed to start otherwise Tagive or Thomson comes in (depth is truly being tested). Mata purely for if we are chasing the game. His footwork live...it was magical. I never understood how he was loved so much until I saw it in person.

Tagive has a snapped Achilles, so we won't be seeing him any time soon. Niko did enough last weekend to remind us of what he is capable of though, despite managing to drop the ball at the crucial moment.

Dunbar limped off quite badly last week as well, so I doubt if we will see him either. It would be good if Sam Johnson is fit again, as we do seem to be getting a little bit short of centres. Hastings may be just about ready to play again though and maybe will bench.

I fancy we might see something like this:

Jacko
Seymour
Grigg
Horne
Jones
Russell
Price
Allen
Turner
Rae
Big Brian
Swinson
Wilson
Gibbins
Ashe

Bhatti
Malcolm
Fagerson Z
Peterson
Harley
Horne P (he hardly got a shout last weekend)
Hastings/Johnson
Sarto/Massga/Niko (depending who is fit)

Munster side out:

Munster: Andrew Conway
Darren Sweetnam
Chris Farrell
Rory Scannell
Alex Wootton
Tyler Bleyendaal – capt.
Duncan Williams
Liam O’Connor
Rhys Marshall
Stephen Archer
Jean Kleyn
Billy Holland
Sean O’Connor
Tommy O’Donnell
Jack O’Donoghue.

Replacements:

Niall Scannell
Dave Kilcoyne
John Ryan
Fineen Wycherley
Robin Copeland
James Hart
Jaco Taute
Simon Zebo.

and Glasgow:


15. Ruaridh Jackson (116)
14. Lee Jones (57)
13. Nick Grigg (23)
12. Peter Horne (119)
11. Rory Hughes (33)
10. Finn Russell (66)
9. Ali Price (44)

1. Jamie Bhatti (9)
2. George Turner (3)
3. Zander Fagerson (53)
4. Tim Swinson (100)
5. Scott Cummings (20)
6. Ryan Wilson (129) CAPTAIN
7. Callum Gibbins (2)
8. Adam Ashe (42)

Replacements:

16. Pat MacArthur (156)
17. Alex Allan (52)
18. D’arcy Rae (26)
19. Brian Alainu’uese (18)
20. Rob Harley (163)
21. Henry Pyrgos (128)
22. Sam Johnson (25)
23. Leonardo Sarto (10)

Unavailable players: Adam Hastings (thigh), Lelia Masaga (calf), Tommy Seymour (thigh), Fraser Brown (ankle), Alex Dunbar (knee), Jonny Gray (wrist), Stuart Hogg (shoulder), Oli Kebble (foot), Paddy Kelly (ankle), Ratu Tagive (achilles), Richie Vernon (achilles) and Samuela Vunisa (knee).

That's a very ligthweight Glasgow backline (probably one of the smallest in the league) and the pack isn't exactly monstrous either. Glasgow will certainly be looking for a fast open game. Will the forwards be able to deliver a good enough platform to allow that?

Forecaset is to be dry but with heavy rain during the day so it could be a greasy ball.

So not so much in the way of changes from Glasgow other than a few injury enforced ones. Rotation will clearly have to wait until the next two games against Italian and South African teams.

Lots of less familiar names on the Munster team sheet as well, with a lot of their test players and Lions still to come back. I am not going to suggest for a minute that it is a weak team though, Munster sides never are. Glasgow will need to find their A game for this fixture that is for sure.

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Bet on Big Brian and Big Bad Boab back in boilerroom - belter !  

See what I just did there Jimbo ?  

Yes, got it wrong.

Because Big Bad Bob has Banished To Bench Blues.

Going to miss Dunbar and Richie Vernon in the centre tonight. However we have some clever rugby players in midfield and scorching pace too. Hughes maybe edges it over Sarto for his aggression ? Sarto of bench could be tasty though. Forwards will need a massive effort tonight. Sunny here at the mo but rain not to far away I suspect. Anyway usual fireworks and controversy a plenty tonight as is always v Munster.

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Going to miss Dunbar and Richie Vernon in the centre tonight.    However we have some clever rugby players in midfield and scorching pace too.   Hughes maybe edges it over Sarto for his aggression ?   Sarto of bench could be tasty though.    Forwards will need a massive effort tonight.   Sunny here at the mo but rain not to far away I suspect.   Anyway usual fireworks and controversy a plenty tonight as is always v Munster.

Vernon has barely played since you won the Pro 12!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Going to miss Dunbar and Richie Vernon in the centre tonight.    However we have some clever rugby players in midfield and scorching pace too.   Hughes maybe edges it over Sarto for his aggression ?   Sarto of bench could be tasty though.    Forwards will need a massive effort tonight.   Sunny here at the mo but rain not to far away I suspect.   Anyway usual fireworks and controversy a plenty tonight as is always v Munster.

Vernon has barely played since you won the Pro 12!

Aye, but that's the thing with really good players...you do miss them. Not a feeling you experience too often at Direside, I suspect.

RDW_Scotland wrote:

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Going to miss Dunbar and Richie Vernon in the centre tonight.    However we have some clever rugby players in midfield and scorching pace too.   Hughes maybe edges it over Sarto for his aggression ?   Sarto of bench could be tasty though.    Forwards will need a massive effort tonight.   Sunny here at the mo but rain not to far away I suspect.   Anyway usual fireworks and controversy a plenty tonight as is always v Munster.

Vernon has barely played since you won the Pro 12!

Yeah and so what ?

Just a strange comment to say that he will be missed given he's hardly played for Glasgow since 2015. You will surely have got used to him not playing by now!

He -The V Man- did play a few times last season before rupturing his achilles. A big centre like him with Alex Dunbar is what you need v Munster so I stand by my initial statement.

Any idea if and how I can watch this in England?

Its not on anywhere nickj, having to watch Leinster and Munster on live score.

On the good side, Leinster are being beaten by the Cheetas 19 - 5 with half time looming. 1 try a piece.

BBC 2 Scotland so you'll get it if you have anything other than terrestrial telly, and it may even be on red button.

I am up north RDW and have Sky, how do I see BBC 2 Scotland?

Channel 970 ish...

970 bang on, cheers RDW

Well that was a bit of an all in.

Munster may have been a little lucky not to get a yellow card there.

Tyler is becoming a liability with his goal kicking...

Bad call, Glasgow knock on in their own 22 and Owens calls it backwards and Glasgow go on to score a try.

It was a hell of a try all the same though so deserved of that.

Munster have probably had the better of the first half but have not been remotely clinical or looked threatening in attack.

Scintillating stuff from Glasgow at the moment but Russell looks hurt.

nickj wrote:Any idea if and how I can watch this in England?

Nickj, if you don't have Sky go on line to www. bbc/sport watch tv and change your settings to Scotland and you can watch BBC2 Scotland live.

Wow

Real intensity in the collisions and clearouts.
Real ambition and flair with ball in hand.
Driving maul working well.
Scrum WTF

I can see 5 points here.
However, if Dancer stays off we'll effectively be playing with six backs because Jean-Paul looks Friar Tucked, which could allow Munster back into the game.
Best game, and performance , of the season so far.

p.s. Interestingly, we usually see coaches put on their biggest pack to wear the opposition down and then bring on their lighter/faster players when the other side are tired but Renzo seems to be looking to run them ragged then bring on the bigger lads to grind them into the dirt.

Well a yellow card was coming. Glasgow have really come out in full attack.

Must score here.

That went forward I thought...

Nah all good, another try for Glasgow.

What a kick from Russell as well. 27 -5 to Glasgow, all over for Munster.

Glasgow need to reign it in a little bit - easy try to give Munster

RDW_Scotland wrote:Glasgow need to reign it in a little bit - easy try to give Munster

Fortunate try for Munster.

I do like Owens, he at least backs his calls.

The more I see of Finn Russell, the more I think that he is the best 10 in the NH right now.

Some great score lines being achieved tonight.

Cheetahs just whacked Leinster in Bloem and got the bonus point.  

Benetton leading Ospreys 13-6.

Ulster running in 6 tries against Dragons. Edit - make that 8.

Jeez the pace in this game is frenetic.

Rise to the top Glasgow, you have been worth it tonight. Taking everything on and simply playing Munster off the park.

Simply outstanding from them tonight

What a try!!!!

Dreadful tackling though!

Glasgow have the BP! There'll be wailing and wealing in Munster and Leinster tonight. Beaten out the door!

Huge defence Glasgow

Thanks for telling me where BBC2 Scotland was for the game tonight RDW, I really appreciate it

Pot Hale wrote:Glasgow have the BP!   There'll be wailing and wealing in Munster and Leinster tonight.  Beaten out the door!  

That's what the pro 14 needed.

Swinging elbow from Munster

Proper refereeing from Owens there. Player safety in his mind and a very deserved red card