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Pressure mounts on Warriors’ Pro14 bid
DAVE RENNIE has told his Glasgow Warriors players to embrace the pressure in their bid to qualify for the Pro14 play-offs. The Scotstoun side return to action tonight, hosting Zebre in what will be their first game in almost a month.
Currently sitting in fourth place in Conference A, Rennie is aware his team have little margin for error over the second half of the season.
There are 11 games left to claw back a seven-point deficit on the Cheetahs, who occupy the final play-off spot.
Having won all ten games so far, Leinster are home and hosed as group winners, with Ulster favourites to follow them home in second.
That effectively leaves Glasgow battling it out with the Cheetahs to claim last spot and make it into the end-of-season shootout.
And Rennie has backed his players to shine when the heat is on. ‘Both ourselves and the Cheetahs have a lot of tough footy to play,’ he said. ‘We’ve got to play a lot of teams ahead of us, which gives us the chance to haul them in.
‘But there’s not much margin for error. We’re in a similar position to last year and, since we’ve been in this spot, we’ve fronted really well against Treviso and in our two European games. We figured they were mustwin games and that’s how they turned out.
‘We played well in the month before the break but I still think it came at a good time. We had 22 consecutive weeks of playing or training, so it was good to recharge.
‘We had a couple of weeks off, a chance to get away and get a bit of training done. The guys have come back in good nick so we are happy.’
Glasgow reeled off nine straight domestic wins in the second half of last season, before ultimately falling at the final hurdle against Leinster in the Celtic Park showpiece.
A similar run may be required this time around and the Warriors head coach has named a strong line-up for tonight’s clash with the Italian minnows. Ryan Wilson will captain the side from blindside flanker and is joined in the back row by Tom Gordon and Matt Fagerson at No 8.
Leone Nakarawa will play his first home game since rejoining the club last month and is partnered in the boiler room by Rob Harley, who has just agreed a new two-year deal this week. So, too, did Nick Grigg and he is joined in the centres by Stafford McDowall, with DTH van der Merwe, Tommy Seymour and Glenn Bryce making up a strong back three.
Oli Kebble switches from loosehead to tighthead in the front row, with the Horne brothers, Peter and George, together in the halfbacks. George, in particular, should be raring to go after just 15 minutes for Scotland over the Six Nations games against Ireland and England.
‘George has been in great form for us and is very excited to be back and is really looking forward to this week,’ added Rennie.
‘George Turner at hooker gives us good energy and George Horne goes 80 minutes and is a threat any time he’s near the pill, so it’s great to have those two.
‘The good thing with our Scotland boys is every time they get the chance to come back from an international camp they jump at it, we’re thrilled they are here.’
On the inclusion of McDowall in midfield, Rennie added: ‘He’s got a great left foot and a good skillset.’
GLASGOW: Bryce; Seymour, Grigg, McDowall, Van der Merwe; P Horne, G Horne; Seiuli, Turner, Kebble; Harley, Nakarawa; Wilson (c), Gordon, Fagerson.
Replacements: Dolokoto, Allan, Nicol, Swinson, Fusaro, Dobie, Jackson, Steyn.
LIVE: Tonight, Premier Sports 1.
Kick-off: 7.35pm.