Glasgow Warriors v Ulster, Scotstoun, Friday, 7.35 – Live on Premier Sports 1
With just four points between the sides, who both have a game in hand to be made up in one-off trips to South Africa next weekend, Friday night’s encounter comes laden with significance.
Ulster, in third, still have achievable looking designs on ultimately nailing down the advantageous runners-up spot in the table. The Warriors, currently fifth, are thinking along the same lines and especially so arriving at this point with some decent form and an impressive unbeaten run in all competitions on their artificial home surface.
So, both teams enter their three-game block acutely aware that the same number of rounds are awaiting them the other side of the Six Nations and, as such, now is the time to be pushing on in the race to chase down finishing positions ahead of the playoffs.
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The Warriors are bolstered by eight players returning from the buoyant Scotland camp while Ulster bring along Jacob Stockdale and Tom Stewart after their unused time with Ireland, as well as their own Scottish release Rory Sutherland, who is benched.
Ulster – for whom Eric O’Sullivan wins his 100th cap – at least return to action having addressed their alarming decline in form by winning their previous two games before the break, which were both at home against Sale in Europe and the league clash with the Stormers. But this trip to Scotstoun will undoubtedly ask some deeply probing questions regarding their apparent recovery.
Dan McFarland has made some alterations to the side which defeated the Stormers last month, with Stockdale starting and Ethan McIlroy at fullback in the absence of Michael Lowry.
Kieran Treadwell comes in at lock for the missing Sam Carter and there is a rare start for Jordi Murphy with Nick Timoney switching to number eight as Duane Vermeulen is not in the 23.
John Cooney is benched again and sits alongside Luke Marshall and the rarely used Craig Gilroy and Cormac Izuchukwu on what could be a difficult evening for the visitors.
GLASGOW WARRIORS: O Smith; S Cancelliere, S McDowall (Capt), S Johnson, C Forbes; T Jordan, J Dobie; N McBeth, J Matthews, L Sordoni; L Bean, S Cummings; T Gordon, S Vailanu, J Dempsey.
Replacements: F Brown, J Bhatti, S Berghan, JP du Preez, A Samuel, E Ferrie, A Price, D Weir.
ULSTER: E McIlroy; B Moxham, J Hume, S Moore, J Stockdale; B Burns, N Doak; E O’Sullivan, T Stewart, J Toomaga-Allen; A O’Connor (Capt), K Treadwell; H Sheridan, J Murphy, N Timoney.
Replacements: J Andrew, R Sutherland, A Warwick, C Izuchukwu, G Jones, J Cooney, L Marshall, C Gilroy.
Referee: C Evans (WRU).
