Jonny Gray back to the future as Glasgow Warriors name team for Exeter Chiefs crunch

Jonny Gray returns for Glasgow to face the club he will be joining in the summer as the Warriors face a make-or-break Heineken Champions Cup match against Exeter at Scotstoun tomorrow afternoon.
Jonny Gray will face his future club Exeter Chiefs at Scotstoun tomorrow. Picture: SRU/SNSJonny Gray will face his future club Exeter Chiefs at Scotstoun tomorrow. Picture: SRU/SNS
Jonny Gray will face his future club Exeter Chiefs at Scotstoun tomorrow. Picture: SRU/SNS

It was confirmed on 3 January that Gray will be heading to Devon to team up with his old team-mate Stuart Hogg at the English Premiership leaders next season but tomorrow the 55-times capped 25-year-old will be focusing on helping Glasgow get the win that would salvage a stuttering campaign.

Glenn Bryce will start at full-back as coach Dave Rennie makes 11 changes to the side who beat Benetton in Treviso last weekend.

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Glasgow currently sit a distant second on nine points in Pool 2 of the Heineken Champions Cup, ten adrift of the English giants who they have already lost to away, along with a home defeat to La Rochelle, which leaves their European hopes hanging by a thread.

Only three of the five runners-up in the pools will progress to the knockout phase.

Scott Cummings also returns to partner Gray at lock, while props Oli Kebble and Zander Fagerson return to the front row.

Ryan Wilson moves from No 8 to blindside flanker in order to accommodate the returning Matt Fagerson from suspension after his red card against La Rochelle, with club co-captain Callum Gibbins completes the starting pack.

George Horne and Adam Hastings are at half-back, while Sam Johnson and Huw Jones continue their recently fruitful midfield partnership. Tommy Seymour and Kyle Steyn start on the wings.

Rennie said: “Our fans are great to play in front of – it’s a great atmosphere when it’s a sold-out Scotstoun. We had outstanding support in Benetton last weekend, and we want to give them something to shout about this weekend.”

Glasgow Warriors team (to play Exeter Chiefs in the Heineken Champions Cup, Saturday 11 January, kick-off 3.15pm, live on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport Ultimate, Warriors appearances in brackets)

1. Oli Kebble (43)

2. Fraser Brown (97)

3. Zander Fagerson (89)

4. Scott Cummings (66)

5. Jonny Gray (108)

6. Ryan Wilson (163)

7. Callum Gibbins (C) (44)

8. Matt Fagerson (58)

9. George Horne (51)

10. Adam Hastings (40)

11. Kyle Steyn (22)

12. Sam Johnson (60)

13. Huw Jones (31)

14. Tommy Seymour (139)

15. Glenn Bryce (25)

Replacements

16. George Turner (43)

17. Aki Seiuli (6)

18. Adam Nicol (16)

19. Rob Harley (225)

20. Chris Fusaro (174)

21. Ali Price (84)

22. Pete Horne (164)

23. Niko Matawalu (123)

Not available due to injury: Andrew Davidson (foot), Bruce Flockhart (back), Tom Gordon (chest), Siua Halanukonuka (calf), Sean Kennedy (shoulder), Kiran McDonald (hip), Robbie Nairn (knee), D’arcy Rae (hand), Brandon Thomson (calf) and DTH van der Merwe (knee and wrist).