Leinster V Glasgow

George Turner returns from suspension to start in a brand new all international front-row as Glasgow Warriors travel to the RDS Arena in the European Rugby Champions Cup.

Warriors face Pool 3 leaders Leinster in Dublin on Sunday live on Sky Sports (kick-off 1pm).

Jamie Bhatti and Siua Halanukonuka start either side of Turner and behind them Rob Harley again captains the side, shifting into the second-row alongside Greg Peterson.

It is the same back-three that started in Glagow’s 40-20 victory over Zebre with Lee Jones and Niko Matawalu playing either side of Ruaridh Jackson, who was this week named the club’s McCrea Financial Services Warrior of the Month for December.

Nick Grigg and Huw Jones remain in midfield, while Peter Horne starts at fly-half teaming up with Ali Price.

24-year old Adam Ashe is the oldest member of an exciting back-row. Matt Smith (21) and Matt Fagerson (19) completing the starting squad.

On the bench, BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy Stage 3 player Grant Stewart is involved in a full Warriors squad for the first time and Brandon Thomson is in line to make his European debut.

Glasgow Warriors Head Coach Dave Rennie said: “We travel to Dublin to face the best side in our pool and one of the best sides in the whole comp.

"We've had a good week training and it's an opportunity for us to show what we've learned."

Glasgow Warriors team to play Leinster in the European Rugby Champions Cup on Sky Sports, kick-off 1pm. You can also follow the action on Twitter @GlasgowWarriors. Glasgow Warriors appearances and Champions Cup appearances in brackets:
15. Ruaridh Jackson (129) (34)

14. Lee Jones (68) (28)

13. Huw Jones (4) (1)

12. Nick Grigg (34) (7)

11. Niko Matawalu (87) (24)

10. Peter Horne (130) (22)

9. Ali Price (52) (14)



1. Jamie Bhatti (20) (4)

2. George Turner (12) (3)

3. Siua Halanukonuka (7) (2)

4. Rob Harley (173) (35) CAPTAIN

5. Greg Peterson (25) (3)

6. Matt Fagerson (16) (1)

7. Matt Smith (12) (2)

8. Adam Ashe (48) (8)



Replacements



16. Grant Stewart (0) (0)

17. Alex Allan (65) (18)

18. D’Arcy Rae (35) (4)

19. Kiran McDonald (7) (2)

20. Chris Fusaro (132) (29)

21. George Horne (12) (2)

22. Brandon Thomson (6) (0)

23. Henry Pyrgos (137) (29)



Not available due to injury: Brian Alainu’uise (knee), Fraser Brown (head), Scott Cummings (hand), Alex Dunbar (knee), Zander Fagerson (foot), Callum Gibbins (achilles), Stuart Hogg (hip), Rory Hughes (shoulder), Sam Johnson (jaw), Pat MacArthur (shoulder), Lelia Masaga (knee), Leonardo Sarto (shoulder), Tommy Seymour (foot), Tim Swinson (hand) and Ryan Wilson (ankle).



I fear Glasgow may get a bit of a doing here!

Leinster Rugby Head Coach Leo Cullen has announced the match day 23 to take on Glasgow Warriors in the Champions Cup on Sunday in the RDS Arena (Kick Off: 1.00pm – live on SKY Sports & Newstalk).

Ticket sales for the game have gone past 16,000 and the remaining tickets can be purchased at leinsterrugby.ie or through Ticketmaster only. No other source is affiliated with Leinster Rugby.

Cullen has also given an injury update on two players not involved this weekend.

To team news first and the Leinster Head Coach has handed a first Champions Cup start to Jordan Larmour. The Leinster Academy back has come off the bench in both Rounds 3 and 4 against Exeter but this will be his first start at European level.

There is also a European debut for recent arrival James Lowe. The New Zealander has two tries in three games for Leinster so far but all in the Guinness PRO14. He starts on the left wing on Sunday.

Fergus McFadden who scored two tries against Ulster last Saturday in the PRO14 continues on the right wing.

In the centre with Garry Ringrose ruled out through injury, captain Isa Nacewa comes into the number 12 jersey with Robbie Henshaw moving out one to the number 13 shirt as he had done against Montpellier and Glasgow in Rounds 1 and 2.

Luke McGrath and Johnny Sexton are the half back pairing.

In the pack Jack McGrath, Seán Cronin and Tadhg Furlong will start in the front row, Furlong having come through his Return to Play Protocols and having recovered from the elbow injury picked up against Ulster.

Devin Toner and Scott Fardy will start in the second row behind them.

In the back row Jordi Murphy starts at blind side flanker with Josh van der Flier at open side and Jack Conan the final name on Cullen’s list.

On the bench there is a potential Champions Cup debut for hooker Bryan Byrne, while James Ryan has recovered from injury to take his place on the bench.

Cullen also gave an update on Seán O’Brien and Adam Byrne, who had hip and knee injuries coming into the game.

Seán O’Brien saw a specialist this week for the tightness in his hip as it hadn’t responded to treatment as we would have liked. As a result he had a small procedure and the target is to have O’Brien back available during the 6 Nations window.

In addition Adam Byrne has gone through a period of rehab for a knee injury since the Guinness Series. He was not responding favourably to the conservative approach and as a result saw a specialist this week. He will have a procedure today and a return to play timeline will be formalised following his surgery.

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):

15. Jordan Larmour (12)
14. Fergus McFadden (162)
13. Robbie Henshaw (20)
12. Isa Nacewa (177) (CAPTAIN)
11. James Lowe (3)
10. Johnny Sexton (143)
9. Luke McGrath (86)
1. Jack McGrath (123)
2. Seán Cronin (143)
3. Tadhg Furlong (76)
4. Devin Toner (209)
5. Scott Fardy (12)
6. Jordi Murphy (97)
7. Josh van der Flier (58)
8. Jack Conan (65)

16. Bryan Byrne (20)
17. Cian Healy (182)
18. Andrew Porter (20)
19. James Ryan (8)
20. Dan Leavy (47)
21. Nick McCarthy (17)
22. Ross Byrne (39)
23. Rob Kearney (191)

4 SHs in the 23 - just shows how fecked by injuries we are. Dead rubber for us anyway.

Will be embarrassing of Glasgow to not get any wins, especially after qualifying for the QF last season (Edinburgh know all about that feeling!). It isn't going to happen away to Leinster but if he loads the team up at home to Exeter Glasgow stand a chance.

Crocodile tears, they'll be waiting in the long grass ready to pounce as soon as the focus drops.

Bit concerning that Dunbar has a knee injury and Seymour has a foot injury, hopefully they're not too serious.

Or those 'injuries' a bit of a thin veil to hide the fact that the selection is second string for a dead rubber match?

"McCrea Financial Services Warrior of the Month for December" starting at fullback. Jackson will have run the length of the field by the time the commentators have said that mouthful.

Have we any idea why Hastings is nowhere to be seen in 23 or in injuries?

Anglobraveheart wrote:Have we any idea why Hastings is nowhere to be seen in 23 or in injuries?

Unfortunately was never in the Euro squad, so can't get picked. Thompson was put in as probably seen as more versatile.

Looking forward to seeing Hastings get some game time in the 6N window.

Cheers Gee, I didn't know that Adam wasn't in the squad, but he doesn't seem to have been picked in a 23 since a while ago.
Agree about him getting a chance in 6N windows. Would love him to progress for us.

I honestly cannot see how Glasgow are going to finish within 15 points of Leinster today. Leinster are in some very good and confident form. For me, they are the favourites for the cup.

As I wrote that, Leinster get their first try.

Ref pinging both sides for crooked feeds!

Thought that Leinster (Sexton) were lucky not to get a second yellow card therr for repeated infringements close to their line...

Isa, cuts through and scores.

It really annoys me to hear the commentators refer to Henshaw as the 'bits and pieces' player. He is one of Leinster and Irelands best players.

Leinster with their third try now.

We are getting a bit of a lesson here!

Trousers down.

Leinster are playing some pretty irresistible rugby out there. We have been blown off the park.

I hope we can salvage some self respect in the second half.

Playing like this, Leinster are the best team in Europe for me.

eirebilly wrote:Playing like this, Leinster are the best team in Europe for me.

Would not disagree with that. It is going to take a very good team to stop them winning the competition this year and with the age profile of that team, you can hardly say they have peaked yet.

Well done to Glasgow for holding out there. Good to see us not giving up!

BigGee wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Playing like this, Leinster are the best team in Europe for me.

Would not disagree with that. It is going to take a very good team to stop them winning the competition this year and with the age profile of that team, you can hardly say they have peaked yet.

Proper Ireland legends in Heaslip, SOB and Kearney may even struggle to get back into this Leinster side ahead of VdF, Conan and Larmour as well. The talent coming off the Leinster production line is very impressive.

Agree, this Leinster side look seriously good. From a Glasgow perspective we were inevitably on to a drubbing today, but it would be nice to see a bit of endeavour.

On a sidenote this Larmour lad has some serious wheels.

Nice to see us score a decent Glasgowesque try at last!

Jackson has not had his best game today, it builds a bit of momentum for Kinghorn coming into the Scotland squad

Well at least it's got tries for the neutrals...

Well done Leinster. That was very impressive

The thing about Leinster at European level this season... is probably the fear.  They are perhaps a tad doing over-kills, if you were of the mind to be more careful and keep your powder a bit dry for future battles - but Leinster don't seem to be doing what they are doing for pomp but simply because they feel they have to keep a fast train rolling to get them the chance of another star on that shirt.  
The fear this Championship as much as they undoubtedly love it.  It's wonderful to see fire in the belly (but also technically sound) rugby and I think it's a kind of a warning to other sides that complacency or taking the foot off the peddle won't be part of the drill this year.  Leinster seem to have the sense that after each game they just have to get better still.... that fear of losing momentum shines bright.  
It might fall apart and end badly but I love it that Leinster feel they have the tools and the possessed drive to give it a big shot this year at getting that forth star.

Does anybody have a stream for the Munster game that they could private message to me please?

Anglobraveheart wrote:Cheers Gee, I didn't know that Adam wasn't in the squad, but he doesn't seem to have been picked in a 23 since a while ago.
Agree about him getting a chance in 6N windows. Would love him to progress for us.

Hastings played for Currie yesterday and scored 2 tried from full back.   Richjie 'The V Man' Vernon scored 1 from starting at 8 and Ratu Tagive played a full 80 on the wing as they defeated top of the table Melrose. Only good news of the weekend for me.

V at 8? Oh he won't have like that!

tigertattie wrote:V at 8? Oh he won't have like that!

RV can play anywhere!

Was that a Glasgow best team they could put out or were they resting players, thinking from a Chiefs prospectus for next weeks match . Think Leinster are the best European team this season must be favourites as the French are blowing hot and cold Claremont and La Rochelle.

eirebilly wrote:

BigGee wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Playing like this, Leinster are the best team in Europe for me.

Would not disagree with that. It is going to take a very good team to stop them winning the competition this year and with the age profile of that team, you can hardly say they have peaked yet.

Proper Ireland legends in Heaslip, SOB and Kearney may even struggle to get back into this Leinster side ahead of VdF, Conan and Larmour as well. The talent coming off the Leinster production line is very impressive.

I actually think Leavy is the best of the lot, the talent they have is incredible, with Carbury to come back also.

I think Byrne is underrated too, he's very solid, Leinster didn't lose much when he came on.

rosbif wrote:Was that a Glasgow best team they could put out or were they resting players, thinking from a Chiefs prospectus for next weeks match . Think Leinster are the best European team this season  must be favourites as the French are blowing hot and cold Claremont and La Rochelle.

Glasgow rested Finn Russell and Jonny Gray, and Stuart Hogg, Zander Fagerson, Fraser Brown and Dunbar were injured so that’s perhaps all you need to know, although it was worth saying Glasgow have a long injury list just now. If everyone was fit and available the team they put out this weekend would be some way short of the first XV, but such is the injury list that isn’t far off the best they can put out just now other than the 6 listed above. But to be fair it is quite a 6 to be without!

Glasgow were short about 13 players who would have been in first team squad contention, through injury and resting. It was also a dead rubber game for us away from home and you do wonder what that does to motivation levels.

Not using that as an excuse though, we would have struggled against Leinster in that kind of form, whoever we had put out. I would like to think the score would have been a bit closer though!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

rosbif wrote:Was that a Glasgow best team they could put out or were they resting players, thinking from a Chiefs prospectus for next weeks match . Think Leinster are the best European team this season  must be favourites as the French are blowing hot and cold Claremont and La Rochelle.

Glasgow rested Finn Russell and Jonny Gray, and Stuart Hogg, Zander Fagerson, Fraser Brown and Dunbar were injured so that’s perhaps all you need to know, although it was worth saying Glasgow have a long injury list just now. If everyone was fit and available the team they put out this weekend would be some way short of the first XV, but such is the injury list that isn’t far off the best they can put out just now other than the 6 listed above. But to be fair it is quite a 6 to be without!

You omitted Tommy Seymour, Ryan Wilson, Leo Sarto, Tim Swinson and Callum Gibbins from our burgeoning injury list and the fact that we finished with 3 scrum halfs on the field.  Not an excuse but just saying.

Rosbif - expect a far 'warmer' reception at a bitterly cold Scotstoun on Saturday.