Sean Lineen keeps faith in lesser names as stars are kept on bench

GLASGOW’S ability to play their way into play-off contention in the absence of their internationalists has been reflected in coach Sean Lineen’s decision to leave a clutch of Scotland stars on the bench for tonight’s key Rabo- Direct PRO12 match with a Cardiff side who have surprisingly left Dan Parks at home.

Lineen could have had a handful back against Aironi last week, but opted to give virtually all the Scotland players a week off to recover physically and mentally from the RBS Six Nations for what he expects to be a uniquely intense league run-in.

In aiming for a winning balance, he restores five this week, Al Kellock and Rob Harley – who trained and travelled with Scotland, and played for Glasgow, without earning a cap – to the pack and Chris Cusiter, Graeme Morrison and Stuart Hogg to the back division. But Richie Gray, John Barclay and Jon Welsh start on the bench alongside fellow caps Ruaridh Jackson and Moray Low, and Henry Pyrgos, Peter Murchie and Pat McArthur, who have all impressed recently.

Lineen acknowledged: “Those guys are disappointed, as I’d expect them to be, because they want to play a part in driving us to success, but this is about one thing and that is following a win with a win.

“That does not mean I think these guys are less important, not at all. The game now requires a team of 23 and being able to bring on those players in the second half will be crucial to our ability to go on and seal the victory. The strength of your 23 is crucial these days.

“But you also have to recognise that Tom Ryder and Chris Fusaro, in particular, have been outstanding and real stalwarts of the team this season and you can’t drop them.

“And you look at guys who are not even in the 23 this week – guys like Calum Forrester, Troy Nathan, Rob Verbakel and Scott Wight who have also contributed well to where we are.

“The guys left out are never happy because they always want to start, but it’s as important to us right now how we finish and all of these 23 players have the responsibility now to keep us winning.”

Cardiff have also shaken things up with Wales Grand Slam heroes returning, but are far from full-strength.

Yet they have left former Glasgow pivot Parks and wing Chris Czekaj out of the 23 altogether. They are missing ten players to injury, including first choices Sam Warburton, Gethin Jenkins, Martyn Williams, Paul Tito, Michael Paterson and Rhys Thomas, but welcome back Leigh Halfpenny, Jamie Roberts, Ceri Sweeney, Bradley Davies and Maama Molitika.

Edinburgh target John Yapp starts at loosehead prop against one of Glasgow’s stars of the season, Mike Cusack.

In stark contrast to the form of their Scottish rivals, the Warriors have lost just one of their last 14 RaboDirect PRO12 games, and face Cardiff after claiming a comfortable 29-6 win over Aironi six days ago.

They missed out on a bonus point but so did Ulster the following day at Treviso, so Glasgow remain in fourth spot, but just one point ahead of the Ravenhill mob and the Scarlets, with 20 points still on offer.

Cardiff are six points behind Glasgow but a win tonight would revive their hopes while defeat, and new gap of ten or 11 points, would all but rule them out of the play-off reckoning.

Intriguingly, though, Glasgow beat Cardiff 34-13 away this season and they have not won this fixture at home since 2008 nor ever claimed a Blues double in one season.

Lineen added: “We’re now at the point in the season where there’s very little margin for error, and I know I speak for all the players and staff when I say that we relish the challenge of securing another result that allows us to hold or improve our position in the table.

“The game means just as much to Cardiff as it does to us, so another controlled but passionate performance will be required from all 23 guys who’ll pull on that Glasgow shirt tomorrow night.

“We know what’s coming. They have outstanding ball-carriers, play a strong off-loading game and move the ball around well and, having lost to the Scarlets, they have a point to prove this week.

“As ever, it will be a hugely physical game and we have to match that and play our game, sticking to the core principles that have got us here, but maybe with little twists and turns for this game.

“The integration of the internationalists has been good, and the attitude of all the players outstanding.

“They are challenging each other; they know what it takes to be a Warrior and they don’t want to let this pass.

“It’s now about showing that on the pitch in front of what will be another big, noisy crowd, and delivering the goods for themselves and those fantastic supporters.”

Glasgow will be raising funds for Yorkhill Children’s Foundation, one of their official charity partners, at tonight’s game at Firhill with the foundation’s logo on the jerseys and Tom Ryder’s shirt being raffled at the game.