Glasgow Warriors suffer major team blow ahead of Champions Cup clash with Leinster

Zander Fagerson has been ruled out of Glasgow Warriors’ Investec Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster due to concussion.

The influential prop began to experience symptoms after last weekend’s round of 16 tie against Leicester Tigers. His place at tighthead for the game in Dublin on Friday evening will be taken by Sam Talakai, Glasgow’s experienced Australian international. Patrick Schickerling will provide cover on the bench.

Fagerson’s absence is a real blow for Glasgow ahead of what is one of the toughest assignments in rugby, playing Leinster away. The Scotland prop was in top form against Leicester as the Warriors dominated the scrum.

Zander Fagerson won't make it for Glasgow Warriors against Leinster. | SNS Group

Glasgow were already without Henco Venter through suspension. The No 8, who scored two tries against the Tigers and was man of the match, was later cited for an incident in the match with opposition prop Dan Cole. A disciplinary panel found Venter guilty of making “reckless contact” with the eyes of Cole and imposed a six-week ban.

In Venter’s absence, Rory Darge has come into the Glasgow starting side at openside flanker, with Sione Vailanu moving from seven to No 8. The Warriors have also made a change in the second row, with Alex Samuel starting ahead of JP du Preez, who drops to the bench.

Max Williamson returns to the match-day squad and is among the replacements. The lock has not played for Glasgow since October. He fractured his thumb while on Scotland duty in November then re-injured the same thumb, causing him to miss the Six Nations.