Scotstoun will be sold out as Glasgow Warriors welcome old rivals Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon, a week on from their first Guinness PRO14 defeat of the season. A second defeat would see the 1872 Cup, the oldest club rugby rivalry in the world, go to Edinburgh with a third match between the sides still to be played. What’s at stake? The Warriors, despite defeat last week, head into round 12 with a 12-point lead over nearest challengers Munster at the top of Conference A. Edinburgh meanwhile are just three points behind third-placed Ulster in Conference B meaning a win over the Warriors could prove vital to their play-off aspirations. Team news (Glasgow Warriors): Dave Rennie has changed a third of his starting XV with Nick Grigg, Niko Matawalu, Finn Russell, Kiran McDonald and Matt Fagerson all recalled. Matawalu starts on the wing alongside Lee Jones with Grigg alongside Alex Dunbar in midfield and Russell pulling the strings at fly-half. McDonald partners captain Jonny Gray in the second row while Fagerson, in his first game since the start of November, starts alongside Rob Harley and Matt Smith in the back row. Team news (Edinburgh): Head coach Richard Cockerill has made a quartet of changes to the side that beat the Warriors in the first leg of the 1872 Cup at BT Murrayfield last weekend. Damien Hoyland comes onto the wing while James Johnstone joins Phil Burleigh in midfield with Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Jaco van der Walt continuing their partnership at half-back. Matt Shields replaces the suspended Simon Berghan in the front row while Jamie Ritchie moves from the bench into the back row. Talking points: Glasgow Warriors will have been bitterly disappointed at their late loss last weekend, particularly with Edinburgh reduced to 14 men after just six minutes following Simon Berghan’s red card. With that in mind Dave Rennie has warned his team that they must be much better this weekend in front of their home fans. He said: “It was a sub-standard performance last Saturday and we were hugely disappointed. We had so many opportunities to put them out of it and we didn’t and they hurt us at the end. “We know we have a lot of genuine support out there and we’re disappointed we put in a performance like that over Christmas. We need to be better on Saturday and we certainly want to give the supporters a lot more to sing about than we did last week.” Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill said: “The players showed a great deal of passion and desire in last weekend’s victory over Glasgow. “We will need the same levels of commitment if we are to come away with a positive result at Scotstoun this weekend. “We know how tough an opposition Glasgow are, especially at home, but I know the squad will be ready for the battle.” Key battle: Sam Hidalgo-Clyne v Ali Price There are some huge head-to-heads throughout the starting XVs but the battle at scrum-half could be even more crucial than most in Glasgow. These two Scotland internationals will be well aware that Greig Laidlaw is close to returning to fitness and will be looking to prove a point. Price started three Autumn internationals in Laidlaw’s absence, scoring a try against Australia, while Hidalgo-Clyne missed out on the squad but has been racking up the tries in the league. Key stat: Edinburgh have suffered only one defeat in their last ten matches in all competitions, on their visit to Bloemfontein to face Toyota Cheetahs in November. Did you know? The Warriors have won all six games they have played at Scotstoun in the Guinness PRO14 this season. Glasgow Warriors: Ruaridh Jackson, Lee Jones, Nick Grigg, Alex Dunbar, Niko Matawalu, Finn Russell, Ali Price, Jamie Bhatti, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson, Kiran McDonald, Jonny Gray, Robert Harley, Matt Smith, Matt Fagerson Replacements: Pat MacArthur, Oli Kebble, Siua Halanukonuka, Greg Peterson, Chris Fusaro, George Horne, Peter Horne, Huw Jones Edinburgh: Blair Kinghorn, Damien Hoyland, James Johnstone, Phil Burleigh, Duhan van der Merwe, Jaco van der Walt, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Murray McCallum, Stuart McInally, Matt Shields, Ben Toolis, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Viliame Mata Replacements: Neil Cochrane, Jordan Lay, Elliot Millar-Mills, Fraser McKenzie, Cornell du Preez, Nathan Fowles, Chris Dean, Darcy Graham Match officials – Referee: Mike Adamson AR1: Sam Grove-White, AR2: Keith Allen TMO: Neil Paterson TV: Sky Sports (KO – 3.15pm) Guinness PRO14 Final 2018 Ticket Information: Fans can save up to 20% on selected tickets, and prices start at just €30 for adults and €5 for children, and can be booked via www.ticketmaster.ie
