Danny Wilson insists the Cardiff Blues will be facing the best team in the Guinness PRO12 when they take on Glasgow Warriors on Friday night. Warriors have begun with a pair of maximum point victories in the Guinness PRO12 – no side has ever tallied 15 points after three rounds. The Scotsmen have not been defeated by a Welsh region since Scarlets visited Scotstoun in round 1 last season and have won their last ten fixtures against Blues in the Guinness PRO12. Wilson has called up four Wales internationals into his starting line-up as a result – Josh Turnbull and Sam Warburton come into a reshuffled pack, replacing Macauley Cook and Nick Williams who drop to the bench. Lloyd Williams is preferred to Tomos Williams and Matthew Morgan replaces Dan Fish, who has been ruled out due to a minor ankle injury. “We have selected with an approach to beat Glasgow and then secondly to make sure this squad develops because the games come thick and fast,” Wilson said. “At this minute Glasgow are the best team in the Championship. They have shown that again in the start they have made. “They are a very well coached, a very well drilled side that have performed at the top end of the PRO12 for a long time. “They have started this Championship well so it will be a huge challenge, our toughest game yet, but if we could get a win at home then what a platform to build on. “I feel we’re in a similar place, we are an in-form team coming off the back of two wins and we will play them with huge confidence.” For the Warriors Nick Grigg comes in to make his first competitive start for the Warriors. Josh Strauss starts at No.8 after returning from injury, while Ryan Wilson moves to openside flanker and Rob Harley completes the back-row at blindside. Both Ali Price and Rory Clegg make their first starts of the season in the half-back positions, while Peter Horne shifts to inside centre to accompany Nick Grigg who will wear 13 on his first competitive start. Lee Jones also makes his first start of the campaign on the left wing, Stuart Hogg starts at full-back and last week’s man of the match Tommy Seymour will look to continue his try-scoring form on the other flank having scored six in the opening two games. In the front-row, Zander Fagerson joins Gordon Reid and Fraser Brown and behind them is Tim Swinson, who has also scored in the opening two matches, accompanying captain Jonny Gray in the second-row. Olympic silver medalist Mark Bennett is involved for the first time since returning from the Rugby 7s in Rio and he’ll hope to make an impression from the bench. Greg Peterson, Grayson Hart and Rory Hughes will also play their first competitive rugby of the season if they come on and they are joined by Pat MacArthur, Alex Allan, Sila Puafisi and Lewis Wynne to complete the replacements. Glasgow Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend said: “Nick Grigg has worked very hard during pre-season and played well against Harlequins and Canada ‘A’ last month. He deserves his opportunity tomorrow. “It’s also great that we’re able to welcome Josh Strauss and Mark Bennett back into the squad. Josh has recovered from an ankle injury and Mark came back from Rio fit and hungry and it didn’t take him long to integrate himself back into the group. “Cardiff have started the season very strongly and can score tries from anywhere. They have had excellent wins against Edinburgh and Munster and we’re going to need to improve defensively to get a positive result at the Arms Park tomorrow night.” Glasgow: Hogg, Seymour, Grigg, Horne, Jones, Clegg, Price, Reid, Brown, Fagerson, Swinson, Gray, Harley, Wilson, Strauss Replacements: MacArthur, Allan, Puafisi, Peterson, Wynne, Hart, Bennett, Hughes Cardiff: Morgan, Cuthbert, Allen, Lee-Lo, James, Anscombe, L.Williams, Jenkins, Dacey, Filise, Earle, Turnbull, Warburton, Jenkins, Navidi Replacements: Rees, Gill, Andrews, Cook, N.Willliams, T.Williams, Shingler, Scully Overall Guinness PRO12 head to head record: Played 26, Cardiff Blues won 10, Glasgow Warriors won 16. At BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, 7pm. Referee: George Clancy (IRFU, 82nd competition game) Assistant Referees: Gary Conway (IRFU), Simon Rees (WRU) Citing Commissioner: Chris Morgan (WRU)
