Glasgow Warriors | Glasgow team for PRO12 showdown
Share

Next article
Previous article
Got an opinion?
Discuss this article in the comments section or register with the glasgowwarriors.com forum.

Search this site

May 29, 2015

Glasgow team for PRO12 showdown

Posted by Editor on May 29, 2015 11:42 AM | No comments | Print | E-mail author

Robert Harley starts for Glasgow
Gregor Townsend has named his Glasgow team for tomorrow's PRO12 Grand Final against Munster at the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast (ko 6.30pm).

On what will be his last appearance in a Warriors shirt, Canadian winger DTH van der Merwe has been handed a place in the starting XV following his try against Ulster last weekend, with Nikola Matawalu moving to the bench.

Henry Pyrgos continues at scrum-half on his 99th appearance for the club.

Dougie Hall, who will make his final appearance for the Warriors, replaces Fraser Brown at hooker.

Gordon Reid replaces the injured Ryan Grant at loose-head, while Rossouw de Klerk will start his third consecutive game for the Warriors at tight-head.

Fijian second-row Leone Nakarawa comes into the engine room in place of Alastair Kellock.

Robert Harley returns to the starting XV for the first since the defeat to the Ospreys at the beginning of May and he'll be joined in the backrow by Ryan Wilson.

Josh Strauss starts at Number 8 and will captain the side in the club's second major final.

Jon Welsh, Niko Matawalu and Al Kellock are named amongst the replacements and if they come on they will make their final appearances for the club.

Thousands of Glasgow Warriors supporters are expected in Belfast for the showpiece event.

Glasgow Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend said: "It's been an enjoyable week preparing for another final and it's essential we use the experience of last season to put in a performance of which we can all be proud.

"The way the team came back to win last week against Ulster underlined the work ethic and belief the players have in each other, and we expect to see more of that on display in Belfast tomorrow.

"Munster are a quality side who have been at the top end of the GUINNESS PRO12 table all season. They play a direct brand of rugby, balanced with dangerous attackers in their backline, so we'll have to give our best defensive effort of the season.

"Our supporters have got behind the team in large numbers home and away and we're looking forward to playing in front of them one final time this season at the Kingspan Stadium.”

Glasgow Warriors

15 Stuart Hogg

14 Tommy Seymour
13 Richie Vernon
12 Peter Horne
11 DTH van der Merwe

10 Finn Russell
9 Henry Pyrgos

1 Gordon Reid
2 Dougie Hall
3 Rossouw de Klerk
4 Leone Nakarawa
5 Jonny Gray
6 Robert Harley
7 Ryan Wilson
8 Josh Strauss (Captain)

Substitutes

16 Fraser Brown
17 Jerry Yanuyanutawa
18 Jon Welsh
19 Alastair Kellock
20 Chris Fusaro
21 Nikola Matawalu
22 Duncan Weir
23 Sean Lamont

Not available due to injury: Alex Allan (shoulder), Mark Bennett (shoulder), Hugh Blake (ankle), Alex Dunbar (knee), Ryan Grant (sternum), Sean Maitland (shoulder) and Tim Swinson (ankle)