Dutch Kiwi arrives to increase competition in the Glasgow back row

Competition for places in the Glasgow second row is set to intensify after Otago lock Rob Verbakel agreed a deal to move to Sean Lineen’s side.

The 24-year-old forward will arrive next week, fresh from helping the Dunedin-based outfit to five wins in the ITM Cup. Verbakel holds a Dutch passport, with both of his parents having been born in the Netherlands.

He only started to play rugby seriously while at university in Christchurch. His progress was instant and impressive enough to win him a place in the Canterbury ITM Cup side last season, before he earned a move to Otago for the 2011 campaign.

The Nelson-born player said: “I was thrilled to get the call, and it wasn’t something I needed to think particularly long about. I know I’ll be arriving with the season already underway, but I feel like I’ll be showing up battle-hardened after my involvement with Otago and my aim will be to hit the ground running.

“The talk back home is all about the Rugby World Cup, and it’s obvious from the number of guys Glasgow have involved that I’m coming to a quality outfit.

“It will be great to learn from these players, and hopefully bring the benefit of my own experiences as well.”

Glasgow head coach Sean Lineen said: “He’s a powerful kind of lock, whose basics in the set-piece are very strong and who likes to carry the ball. ”

The Warriors will look to give their supporters the perfect introduction to the newly-rebranded RaboDirect PRO12 competition by beating reigning champions Munster at Firhill tomorrow night (kick-off 7.30pm). Lineen wants a repeat of the resolve his men showed against Ulster in Belfast last Friday, but no recurrence of the soft tries that ultimately cost them the game. He said: “We were disappointed not to win at Ravenhill, because certain aspects of our performance were at the sort of level you need to get a positive result in a place like that.”

Lineen has made four changes to his starting XV for the match. Loose-head prop Jon Welsh picked up an ankle injury in the Ulster game and Ryan Grant comes into the front row as a result. In the second row, Tom Ryder will pack down beside Nick Campbell, while captain Rob Harley switches from second row to blindside flanker, with James Eddie on the bench.

There are two changes in the backs with scrum half Colin Gregor making way for Henry Pyrgos and an injury-enforced switch on the wing where Federico Aramburu will replace Tommy Seymour, who has a back problem.

Glasgow team: S Hogg, F Aramburu, R Dewey, T Nathan, C Shaw, D Weir, H Pyrgos; R Grant, P MacArthur, M Cusack, T Ryder, N Campbell, R Harley (capt), C Fusaro, R Wilson. Subs: F Gillies, E Kalman, G Reid, J Eddie, R Pitman, C Gregor, S Wight, P Horne.