Glasgow Warriors suffered a late scare ahead of their crunch return to PRO12 action tonight against champions Leinster with Finn Russell suffering an eleventh hour training injury.
Gregor Townsend recalled the majority of his available Scotland players for the crunch match in Dublin, hoping for an immediate bounceback from their RBS 6 Nations disappointment against a Leinster side that has picked no starters from their 40-10 championship-winning victory at Murrayfield last week.
The Warriors top the PRO12 table and winning at the RDS for the first time since 2011 will significantly enhance their own chances of a home semi-final while putting the reigning champions under severe pressure to make the play-offs.
However fly-half Russell went over an ankle at the final training session at Scotstoun yesterday, although Townsend is still “hopeful” that he’ll still make the starting team tonight.
Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Mark Bennett, Finn Russell, Tim Swinson and Rob Harley all return from Scotland duty to the starting team, while Jonny Gray and Adam Ashe are included on the bench.
“Leinster are slightly different to us they have a very big game in the European Rugby Champions Cup the following week, while we have that weekend off so it was an opportunity for us to use players available and fit,” he said.
“The players who have come back were very keen to play and have trained well, so the question was mentally do they feel like they’re up to it, and it was also physically because those were a tough last two games.
“But they all seem to be in a good place and they’ve got an edge over other players in our squad because they’ve played the last two weeks while we’ve had two off.”
Townsend knows that they all want to bounce back quickly and there is “no better game than this one”.
“If you have a defeat you want to get out and play the next day, and they wouldn’t get the chance now as there’s a long gap before the next Scotland game, but they have an opportunity at the club.
“We know how important this game is for both clubs, we’d be in a great position if we were to win, Leinster would be right back in the mix if they win.”
Townsend is also excited to see young tight-head Zander Fagerson, who makes only his second start for the club after excelling for the Scotland Under-20 side.
“Usually the Under 20s struggle in the scrum in the Six Nations but this ytear they had parity and even dominated, and that showed how well Zander played,” continued the coach.
“I’m excited to see him because of what he brings about the field, he’s a great ball-carrier, an aggressive and effective defender, and his strength and maturity are coming through now at scrum time.
“He’s one of a few players who have come through with a real mental attitude of wanting to work hard and improve. Adam Ashe and Jonny Gray came a year or two before him, they are not fazed and really want to play the next level and take the game to the opposition.”
For Niko Matawalu, starting at scrum-half, every game until the end of the season is a final.
“This year is very important to us and more so for the players who are leaving and also the management with (assistant coach) Shade (Munro) leaving too,” said the Fijian.
“For me I am one of these players leaving and I want to put something over and achieve something with Glasgow before I go. The target is to try and win all the games until we reach the final.”
Euan Murray is out for this game but he, Jon Welsh, Sean Maitland, Duncan Weir and Gordon Reid should all be available for selection in the enxt home game against the Cardiff Blues in two weeks’ time.
Glasgow (vs Leinster, RDS Arena, Guinness PRO12, tonight 7.35 pm live on BBC2 Scotland)
Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Mark Bennett, Peter Horne, DTH van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Niko Matawalu; Alex Allan, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson; T Swinson, A Kellock (capt); Rob Harley, Chris Fusaro, Josh Strauss.
Replacements: Pat MacArthur, Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Mike Cusack, Jonny Gray, Adam Ashe, Henry Pyrgos, Connor Braid, Richie Vernon.