Leinster v Glasgow: Scotland stars back at Warriors

GREGOR Townsend has restored virtually all of his fit Six Nations internationalists to the side as the Warriors bid to exploit weakened Leinster’s resources for the second year in a row.

Leinster name their side today but are expected to be missing a handful of key performers, notably centre Brian O’Driscoll, suspended for three weeks for stamping, injured wing Luke Fitzgerald and stand-off Jonny Sexton.

In addition, some or all of their Six Nations performers, Rob Kearney, Cian Healy, Mike Ross, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip, may be rested before the team faces Ulster and then travels to Wasps for their Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final.

The last time Glasgow faced Leinster at the RDS Showground in the Irish capital was in September, 2011, when both teams were missing their World Cup players and the Scots ran out 23-19 winners. The Irish side actually had more caps in their line-up that day and only Rob Harley of the Glasgow XV which will run out in Dublin tomorrow survives from the visiting side that started 18 months ago.

Townsend rests his Test prop Ryan Grant while centre Sean Lamont is on the bench after playing every minute of Scotland’s championship after having missed January action due to injury. Full-back Stuart Hogg and winger Sean Maitland are also both ruled out with injuries suffered in the final Six Nations match against France but Townsend is hopeful that both will recover in the next fortnight to be able to play key roles in the final three league games.

Back come skipper Alastair Kellock, front rows Moray Low and Dougie Hall, flanker Harley and stand-off Duncan Weir with their fellow caps Jon Welsh, Ryan Wilson, Henry Pyrgos, Ruaridh Jackson and Lamont all starting on the bench.

“It was a very difficult team to select as you could imagine,” said Townsend. “We have the biggest squad of the year available to us and players playing really well for Scotland for us over the last five or six games, so I believe it is a really strong side and bench.

“It [Leinster’s line-up] is a bit of guesswork and, hearing from people based over there, I believe they won’t pick the players that have been regulars for Ireland during the Six Nations.

“They have a big run of games coming up so, whether they rest them against us, against Ulster next week, or their European quarter-final, we know that they operate similarly to us and so the players can’t play five or six games in a row.

“They also have a number of injuries, but they have real strength in depth, so it will be a strong side. They have dropped only two points in the last six games and are one of the best teams in Europe. They play a game of rugby that when they get it right is very tough to go up against.”

Townsend took training with just 16 players at one point last week, with Glasgow having 33 players in the national, under-20s and sevens squads – as well as the treatment room. But, with virtually all back in harness, the focus is back to extending their run of seven victories, and maintaining their top spot in the RaboDirect PRO12, ideally with some help from Edinburgh, who host Ulster tonight.

“We’ve focused,” said the coach. “After the Dragons game we had the league leaders Ulster the next week, and that drew our focus, and now we’re up against the European champions, who haven’t lost a game at home this season, so we know how hard it’s going to be over there, but we believe with what we’re doing and with the players we have that we can win.

“We know that we’ll have to score points against them. They produce quick ball and it is very hard to defend against teams producing quick ball over a number of phases, so we have to put dominant tackles in, slow down their ball and win turnovers and, when we do have the ball, they defend slightly differently to other teams so we will aim to do different things against that defence.”

As for whether the focus is any different now looking down on the chasing pack, and aiming for the top two, and a home semi- final, rather than merely top four, Townsend added: “The aim is to get in the play-off positions.

“It’s a nice advantage [to have a home semi-final] but once into the play-offs it’s a straight knockout. We always knew we had difficult games coming up – Leinster, Munster, Scarlets and Ospreys, who are all trying to get into that final four so, whether we’re first or second, it’s the same focus.

“A win would be a fantastic achievement but also very important with our standing in the league. It’s Leinster-Ulster next week and, obviously, Edinburgh will beat Ulster this week, fingers crossed, so there will be teams winning and losing between now and the end of the season to affect the standings in the top four.

“There are a number of wins I have in the back of my mind that will probably guarantee us a place in the top four, and teams that we could knock out of the top four but Leinster aren’t one of them.

“They’re two points behind us so they’re going to be in the mix right to the end.”

v Leinster at RDS Showground, Dublin, tomorrow, 7:45pm

15 P Murchie

14 T Seymour

13 A Dunbar

12 P Horne

11 DTH van der Merwe

10 D Weir

9 N Matawalu

1 M Low

2 D Hall

3 E Kalman

4 T Ryder

5 A Kellock (capt)

6 R Harley

7 J Barclay

8 J Strauss

Subs

16 P MacArthur, 17 G Reid, 18 J Welsh, 19 J Eddie, 20 R Wilson, 21 H Pyrgos, 22 R Jackson, 23 S Lamont.