No rest as Glasgow chase four-try haul

SEAN Lineen has urged his Glasgow side to forget about the fact they have reached the Magners League play-offs when they face Scarlets tomorrow night, and prove they have the quality to be champions by striking an impressive victory.

• Richie Gray has struggled to keep pace in his first season as a pro but he will be handed a starting berth tomorrow night against Llanelli as Glasgow Warriors go in search of tries. Picture: SNS

Glasgow secured their place in the league's top four with three successive home wins to hand them a route into the inaugural play-offs, but tomorrow they conclude the normal league programme in Llanelli knowing that a four-try win could earn a top-two spot and a semi-final back at Firhill.

The Scots are in third place, one point behind the Ospreys in second and four off leaders Leinster. The Ospreys are favourites to beat the Dragons at home tomorrow night, but if they do so without scoring four tries – they have managed that feat just twice this season and lost away to the Dragons in March – and Glasgow beat the Scarlets and score four tries, something they have achieved only once this term, then points difference would then determine whether Glasgow or the Ospreys gained a home semi-final. Glasgow are currently ten points better off.

Lineen acknowledged he had been using various techniques to try to ensure the players did not rest on the fact their play-off berth was secure, and go into this match with the desire to win well and secure a home semi-final, but ultimately he acknowledged it was actions rather than words that would matter at Parc y Scarlets.

Lineen said: "It's all about the win. We planned for these three home wins from the start of the season and the players have done well to get them, but now it is all about Llanelli and the dangers they pose. It is a dangerous opponent to play in your last game.

"Some people have said we're lucky to get Llanelli in the last game. No we're not. They'll be playing for pride and they have a huge amount of that. It's a real challenging game for us and we will get stung badly if we go down there with anything less than 100 per cent.

"They are a team that you can play against, and we want to go there and attack them and score four tries to give ourselves the chance of a home semi-final.

"But, the one team you can't expect to just play rugby against without getting everything else right – like contact and defence – is also Llanelli.

"Their 50-pointer in their last game against Connacht shows they can score, so we have to have a massive defensive effort more than anything.

"I have said that to the players. You talk about momentum and confidence and if we go down there and play into their hands we'll get a belting, and that's not going to do much for the confidence going into the semi- finals.

"We are into the semi-finals and looking to next week, but if we look too far ahead we'll get stung."

Lineen has restored newly-capped Scotland lock Richie Gray to the pack and gives Calum Forrester a run in the back row as John Barclay strives to recover from a shoulder injury.

The back line is bolstered with Rob Dewey back for Hefin O'Hare on one wing and DTH van der Merwe returning from injury for Colin Shaw on the other.

"There are a couple of changes this week," explained Lineen, "partly to give guys an opportunity but not just for the sake of it; it's sending out a strong team that we believe will beat the Scarlets.

"There is a lot of competition for places and nowhere more than at lock, when you look at the way Dan Turner and Tim Barker have been playing.

"But Al Kellock has been outstanding for Glasgow and Scotland, and Richie Gray is a young player with a real X-factor.

"John Barclay had a bang on his shoulder and wasn't as effective against Leinster, as he would admit himself. He was off the pace a little bit there.

"He's not being rested; he's not right to play. If it was the semi-final this weekend he'd play, but he's not 100 per cent and if he took a massive bang on it now he wouldn't be fit next week."

Forwards coach and former Scotland lock Shade Munro spoke of how Gray's form had dipped since he returned from a dream involvement with Scotland during the RBS Six Nations Championship, in what is almost his first full season as a professional after being out with injury last year, but was sympathetic to the not-uncommon rollercoaster experienced by a player still only 20-years-old.

Gray acknowledged: "Obviously there are highs and lows in every sport. Being away with the Scotland squad was brilliant, but I knew the challenge I faced when I came back (to Glasgow].

"I knew Dan and Tim were playing well, but I didn't step up to the mark, which I take full responsibility for; it was on my own shoulders. I was rightly not involved with the squad from then on, but I've taken a good look at myself and tried to train as best as possible and they've given me another chance now and it's up to me to take it.

"I couldn't really give you a reason for it. I just didn't perform and sometimes in sport you have an off-day, but it's up to me to knuckle down.

"This is my first real season (as a pro] and it has been quite tough, more tiring than I thought it would be, but it's about adapting to that.

"It's been a fantastic season and now having a semi-final to look forward to is great. If we could go on to the final and win it that would really be the cherry on the cake."