United Rugby Championship: Glasgow Warriors v Ulster (Friday, 7.35pm, live on Viaplay Sports 1)
ULSTER and the Glasgow Warriors will hope to benefit from the feelgood factor that both their respective national teams currently find themselves experiencing when the sides meet tonight in a hugely important URC game at Scotstoun.
After two rounds of the Six Nations, only points difference separates Ireland and Scotland at the top of the table after both sides registered two bonus point wins in their opening fixtures. Playing a brand of entertaining and fast-paced rugby, the Celtic cousins are now the envy of those below them.
While the intensity of tonight’s match may not come close to what was witnessed last weekend, those in attendance at the sold-out Glasgow venue can expect a fastpaced game on a 4G surface that is made for running rugby.
Glasgow have benefitted massively from installation of the synthetic pitch but their team selection tonight has been badly affected by the Six Nations, more so than Ulster. I
n all, the Warriors were represented by 11 players in last week’s win over Wales, while on the other hand Ulster only had four on duty for the 32-19 win over France.
With that in mind, Glasgow head coach Franco Smith has been forced into making seven changes from their last outing against the Dragons three weeks ago, but with the help of having players released from international duty, he has been able to name a strong bench with the likes of Fraser Brown, JP du Preez, Ali Price and Duncan Weir all included.
The Warriors currently sit four points adrift of Ulster in fifth place and after a slow start to the season are enjoying a nine-game unbeaten run.
With form as such, is it any wonder that former Glasgow coach and current Ulster head honcho Dan McFarland has the Glaswegians as favourites.
“They’re unbeaten in nine games, five of those are League games,” said McFarland.
“It’s not that they’ve snuck up the table - they’ve stormed up the table. The League is such that they have a different fixture schedule than ours. Ours is more difficult than theirs. It makes the head-to-head games much more important.
“Momentum is an amazing thing in rugby and they’re on a nine-game unbeaten streak.
“They’re playing some great attacking rugby, some of their attacking stats are among the best in the League and it’s going to be a real test for us.
“They’ve sold out their stadium, it should be a great night.
“We don’t mind carrying the underdog tag.”
For tonight’s clash, Ulster have been boosted by the news that Tom Stewart and Jacob Stockdale have been released from the Ireland camp and both have been named to start as Ulster aim to build on their 35-5 win over the Stormers three weeks ago.
Hooker Stewart is joined in the front row by new fans favourite Jeff Toomaga-Allen and Eric O’Sullivan who will be making his 100th Ulster appearance.
Stockdale takes up his usual left wing berth while Ethan McIlroy gets a rare start at full back with John Cooney and Craig Gilroy named amongst the replacements.
