Glasgow Warriors welcome the Southern Kings to Scotstoun on Friday night looking to resume an unbeaten run that sees Dave Rennie’s side sit atop Conference A with six wins from six. The Kings arrive in Scotland refreshed after a two-week break and with some fantastic new recruits to their squad. What’s at stake: The South African side journey to Glasgow looking for their first Guinness PRO14 points and may sense it’s a good time to face the Warriors, with Rennie’s men having lost their last two fixtures, both in the European Champions Cup. Meanwhile, the Warriors will be pleased with their start to the Guinness PRO14 season but with Munster and the Toyota Cheetahs hot on their heels in Conference A, no slip-ups can be afforded. Team news (Glasgow Warriors): There’s an all-new half-back pairing for the Warriors with scrum-half George Horne and fly-half Adam Hastings both making their first starts for the club. Stuart Hogg retains his place from the Champions Cup match against Leinster to start at full-back – he’s joined in the back three by Lee Jones and Niko Matawalu. Team news (Southern Kings): The Kings welcome new additions to their squad this weekend, with fly-half Martin Du Toit in the starting XV and prop Mzamo Majola taking his place amongst the replacements. Sibusiso Sithole has sustained a long-term knee injury but key man Yaw Penxe returns to the wing after missing the last fixture against Benetton Treviso in early October. Talking points: As the first-ever meeting between the two sides, Friday night is set to be a historic encounter and the players will no doubt be looking make a big impression. The mood in the Kings camp is positive, and having begun the Guinness PRO14 season hot off the back of their Super Rugby campaign, are looking to capitalise on their recent break. “We have not only been able to get over a few knocks and niggles but also had a chance to focus on a few things that our lack of pre-season preparation had not made possible,” said Kings captain Michael Willemse. “After six weeks of really hard rugby I think the break came as a blessing for us.” Key Battle: Yaw Penxe v Niko Matawalu Fijian Matawalu, in his second spell with the Warriors, gets his first start of the season on the wing but can also cover scrum-half and will add another playmaker to the home side’s XV. The unpredictable Matawalu will come up against jet-heeled Penxe, who has caused problems for every defence he’s faced this season and will be desperate to make an impact on his return from injury. Key stat: Glasgow Warriors have dropped only two possible league points in the Guinness PRO14 this season, failing to secure a try bonus point on their trips to Connacht in Round One and Cardiff in Round Three. Did you know? The two sides have not met before but Warriors did beat the other South African team, the Toyota Cheetahs, 29-26 in Bloemfontein Round Six. Glasgow Warriors: S Hogg; L Jones, N Grigg, S Johnson, N Matawalu; A Hastings, G Horne; A Allan, P MacArthur, Z Ferguson, S Cummings, J Gray, R Harley, M Smith, M Fagerson Replacements: G Turner, R Grant, A Nicol, G Petersen, L Wynne, R Jackson, S McDowall, L Masaga Southern Kings: M Banda; Y Penxe, B Klaasen, L Vulindlu, A Bock; M Du Toit, R van Rooyen; S Ferreira, M Willemse, R De Klerk, S Greeff, B De Wee, A Ntsila, J van Vuuren, R Lerm Replacements: T Balekile, M Majola, M Dreyer, L Mtyanda, K Majola, R Gouws, O Zono, J Nel TV: BBC ALBA (KO: 7.35pm) Match Officials – Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU) AR1: Lloyd Linton (SRU) AR2: Sam Grove-White (SRU) TMO: Neil Paterson (SRU) 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 be booked via www.ticketmaster.ie
