Glasgow just need tokeep on winning and pray that the stars align
TALKING WARRIORS
TOMMY Seymour takes over at fullback from Stuart Hogg tonight as Glasgow Warriors try to keep their slim play-off hopes alive by beating Leinster in Dublin.
Gregor Townsend’s side would still need other results to go their way this weekend even if they claim a bonus-point victory, otherwise they will definitely be out of the top four for the first time in six years.
And if they are still in with a chance after this round of games, they will have to do it all again next week by beating Edinburgh – again with a bonus point – and relying on either Ospreys or Ulster dropping points.
Townsend would love to win at the RDS for the first time in his coaching career, and on the occasion of his last away game in charge of the Warriors.
But the head coach’s assessment of his team’s chances of getting into the semi-finals is reflected in the team selection.
That sees Finn Russell and Alex Dunbar among the usual starters on the bench, and Hogg not in the squad at all.
Seymour, who has been chosen for the British & Irish Lions along with Hogg, makes his 100th appearance for the Warriors tonight.
Townsend believes that Lions selection is well deserved, and said that the winger was well worth his place in the squad for the three-Test series against New Zealand.
“He’s earned that call-up with t he consistency he showed,” the coach said of the winger. “He’s played really well for Glasgow this year and Scotland.
“First of all, his finishing ability for both those teams has been very good this year. He works really hard off the ball, so he gets involved in attack off nine, off 10 – there was a cracking try he scored against Leicester working off Ali Price and fighting through tackles.
“He’s one of the best players in the game in the air, catching our own kicks but also any kicks that go up from the opposition.
He was in a very competitive position, but his quality came through and he got on that tour.”
Townsend added that he and his assistant coaches had not wasted any time worrying about the permutations that would take them into the top four.
Instead, he said, they simply wanted to go and complete the double for the season over Leinster, having beaten the Irish province at Scotstoun last September.
“We would need the stars to align in a big way. We need Ulster and Ospreys to draw the following day, and that’s obviously unlikely. Our job is to go out there and win: that’s all we can talk about this week.
“As a coaching group we’ve never won at Leinster. We’ve not won there in five years. We’ve drawn, we’ve lost by three points, by two points.
“We’ve always had really good games against Leinster at the RDS, and we’d love, in the last time playing there as a coaching group, to come away with a win and our players are really determined to do that.”