Glasgow (a) Friday 13 April game thread

Teams named:

www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht-name-side-...lasgow-in-scotstoun/

(15-9) Darragh Leader, Niyi Adeolokun, Bundee Aki, Peter Robb, Matt Healy, Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion, (1- Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Quinn Roux, Eoghan Masterson, Jarrad Butler (Capt), Eoin McKeon.

Replacements (16-23): Shane Delahunt, Peter McCabe, Conor Carey, Gavin Thornbury, John Muldoon, Caolin Blade, Tom Farrell, Stacey Ili.

www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/18/04/12/br...nbar-return-warriors

15. Stuart Hogg (104)
14. Tommy Seymour (112)
13. Alex Dunbar (108)
12. Sam Johnson (38)
11. DTH van der Merwe (98)
10. Peter Horne (135)
9. Henry Pyrgos (143)
1. Alex Allan (70)
2. Fraser Brown (71)
3. Zander Fagerson (65)
4. Scott Cummings (35)
5. Jonny Gray (84)
6. Rob Harley (180)
7. Callum Gibbins CAPTAIN (11)
8. Matt Fagerson (22)

Replacements
16. Grant Stewart (6)
17. Jamie Bhatti (24)
18. Siua Halanukonuka (13)
19. Kiran McDonald (11)
20. Chris Fusaro (139)
21. Ali Price (55)
22. Finn Russell (77)
23. Niko Matawalu (91)

The bookies have the spread at 17 points. Glasgow have beaten that spread in 6 home Pro14 games this year and missed it by 1 in another, which explains why some bookies won't let you bet on Glasgow to beat that spread, only Connacht. Connacht have only shipped 17+ point defeats twice on the road this season, and Glasgow were nearly as bad as us last week, so hopefully we'll at least beat the expected margin.

Their back 3 is terrifying, and Connacht have a grand total of 1 win and 1 draw, ever, on artificial pitches.

On the plus side Bundee, Roux & McCartney are back and there seems to have been at least some accountability for last week's game, with Griffin out of the 23. Likewise Cannon and a few of the subs (Ronaldson, who can feel a bit hard done by, and Heff & Robertson-McCoy, both of whom definitely can't).

Overall, looks like another long evening. Last three seasons we've had something (Glorious Best Pro 12 Victors ever, Champions Cup playoffs) to keep us interested to the very end, but I can't wait for the season to end...

My only hope for this game is that we don't get totally humiliated. Pretty depressing.

Maybe I'm wrong, but yet again we don't have a specialist 10 replacement.
Hope we don't get hit with a big Glasgow display, and we can up our game . . otherwise we could be in for a difficult evening.
I'm hoping they will step up after last weeks display.

pinky wrote:

Newname wrote: Maybe I'm wrong, but yet again we don't have a specialist 10 replacement.

Which should mean that we don't change our ten after sixty minutes for no apparent reason

What happens if he's injured in the first 10 /25 minutes.
I'd imagine a lot of times he is taken off is because he's exhausted and needing replacement look what happened against Leinster this season when Carty and Marmion were both left on right to the end of the game - both exhausted.
On our final play we were battering their line with pick and go runners, while out on our left we had numbers to walk in a try, but our 9 and 10 were exhausted to see the opportunity and to even get the pass out ( no fault to them, they had played well) in fact Marmion went down with cramp.

You need cover for a 10 it's an important and busy position. Every team has cover for it.
I know our choice is limited, but that's managements job to mentor a squad player to step up if required.

The man you are highly critical of is off form and lacking confidence, but he has done the job adequately many times - wasn't that long ago he was man of the match. I believe he is better at 12 but he has in the past done a job for us at 10.
He doesn't deserve the nasty comments he has received over the last 5 or 6 weeks.

pinky wrote: I don't even know which player I wasn't having a go at![/

Sorry Pinky, I didn't mean to have a go at you per sa, with the anti Ronaldson sentiment on a few threads, over the last while - I just feel that with so many players not going well, perhaps it's a little unfair to single out one guy.

Not seen one other Connacht fan so far. Might be slightly outnumbered.

This is worse than against osprey.....much worse

Woeful, I don't know what I'm looking at there doesn't seem to rhyme nor reason to their attack and defensively they look tired. I'm nearly tempted to put the Ulster game on.

Glasgow took their foot off the gas but that's a decent fight back. Changes made a positive difference, thought ili did well and Blade. Scrum as a whole did well and maul and maul defence looked better as did the lineout.

Not all good though, defense in open play was terrible, looked like they could score any time they got the ball. Decision making not brilliant either.

Something to build on anyway.

First half looked like all the Connacht players were thinking of their holidays in a few weeks time. Didn't look very interested.
Our second half scores were more down to Glasgow turning off when they knew the game was won.
BTW, why hasn't Ili been involved in the match squad more often this season.