Chris Fusaro urges Glasgow to focus in Galway

Glasgow's Chris Fusaro is set to play a key role against Connacht. Picture: SNS

Not only did a weakened Munster side draw the Warriors into a tight battle at Scotstoun last Friday, but they finished the game carping about supposed Glasgow cheap shots. Scrum-half Niko Matawalu was cited for biting the arm of Donncha O’Callaghan, the veteran Ireland and British and Irish Lions lock complaining to the referee and everyone who listened after the final whistle that the Fijian had sunk his teeth into his arm. A disciplinary panel this week found that Matawalu’s teeth might have met with O’Callaghan’s arm, but that there was no evidence of a bite, or that there was any malicious intent, so he was cleared to return to play. His opposite number Conor Murray was also cited for striking a Glasgow player and, while proven, the panel deemed it not worthy of a red card so he too is free to play.

Glasgow name their side to face Connacht this morning and will shuffle the deck with a core group of internationalists sitting out. Fusaro is now eyeing a Scotland debut, injury having deprived him last season, but remains happy to play a key role in the forecast Galway storm tomorrow.

“I’m just looking forward to getting into the Glasgow shirt,” he said. “I have always had that dream [to play for Scotland] and now I feel I am getting a bit closer to it, but there is so much intense competition that I just have to keep working hard and putting in the performances.

“So the focus has to be on Connacht right now, and the boys are chomping at the bit to put right what went wrong against Munster. There were things that happened on the pitch last week that we should have been better at dealing with. They are a stuffy side to play against and we have a game plan that did not happen on the night. We try to stay away from being dragged down to their level but they can be good at doing that.

“We know that is something they do so, before the game, we try to say to stay away from all that and make the ref aware if there is any funny business going on, but it became a bit scrappy, unfortunately.

“Connacht are similar in their physicality in the way they will attack the breakdown so we are looking forward to a good physical battle over there. One of the lines the boys have used this week is ‘get back on the horse’. We had a lot of momentum behind us with winning so it is a question simply of getting back to winning ways.”