Glasgow Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend has called for a response from his side when they face defending RaboDirect PRO12 champions Leinster in Dublin on Saturday.

Townsend saw his side slip to a 24-23 defeat to the Dragons last weekend, bringing their four-game winning streak to an end and delivering a blow to their RaboDirect PRO12 hopes.

It also ended a record-breaking sequence of seven successive away victories in the PRO12, but Glasgow have won four of the five encounters they have played against Irish provinces this season.

The Warriors were successful 12-6 when the two sides met at Scotstoun in round three and are going for a first ever season's double over the Leinstermen.

Glasgow's only previous victory on Leinster soil in 18 previous visits in all tournaments was 23-19 at the RDS in the PRO12 on September 17, 2011.

Townsend welcomes back full-back Peter Murchie, who has been out of action since October with a shoulder injury while Tommy Seymour, Chris Cusiter and Tim Swinson return from international duty.

Townsend said: "We were very disappointed to lose at the Dragons last weekend and we'll need a much better performance tomorrow night in Dublin.

"Leinster are one of the top teams in the league and are the defending champions, so this game will give us a good indication of where we are as a team.

"It's great to have Peter Murchie back involved again after his injury lay-off and we've also been boosted this week by the return of Tommy Seymour, Chris Cusiter and Tim Swinson from the Scotland squad.

"Our recent encounters have all been very close and we're expecting another tight match tomorrow night.”

Leinster's only defeat in the RaboDirect PRO12 since round five came away at Edinburgh on December 20 and they have not been beaten at the RDS in any tournament since last March.

Matt O’Connor makes ten changes with a completely new forward line that includes captain Leo Cullen, Mike McCarthy and Shane Jennings.

In the backs Fergus McFadden makes a return to the starting XV and is selected at outside centre with Noel Reid once again selected at 12. Darragh Fanning continues on the right wing with Luke Fitzgerald selected on the left.

In the half backs, Ian Madigan starts for the 99th time while Eoin Reddan is getting ever closer to his own century of Leinster caps with tomorrow night being the Limerick man's 96th appearance.

Jennings said: "I think they've got a very good squad. We've always had very difficult games against them and we've played them in a few semis in the league and we've a lot of respect for them.

“This season their away form has been really good. They've beaten us over there already so I think they'll be pretty confident that they can come over here and do a job.

"Obviously we want to rectify what happened earlier on this season (losing away to Glasgow). But at the same time the most important thing is that we win and we perform and we get better.

“We've got to start improving, we've got to start taking ownership as players and making sure that we're doing things better and that'll put us in better positions for weeks to come.”

At RDS, Dublin, 8.30pm. Live on TG4/BBC ALBA
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU, 105th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Stuart Gafikin, Richard Kerr (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Peter Ferguson (IRFU)
TMO: Alan Rogan (IRFU)