United Rugby Championship: Glasgow Warriors v Connacht Rugby, Saturday, 7.35, Scotstoun Stadium (Live on TG4 & Premier Sports)
At this stage of the URC campaign, Connacht would normally be entitled to a small celebration – top eight and having achieved the play-offs with a game to spare.
However, Connacht and departing coaching director Andy Friend instead have one big game in order to realise one of their seasonal ambitions – Champions Cup qualification. And, and they will not come much harder than their final round game against Glasgow Warriors in Scotstoun Stadium.
Glasgow, sitting pretty in fourth, are in confident form, but if Connacht want to ensure European qualification they need to win.
The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times
Coach says Connacht taking a ‘wait and see’ approach after Mack Hansen referee comments
Munster confirm Craig Casey will miss Six Nations as Nankivell could also face spell on sidelines
‘There were a few offers but it was easy for me to stay’: Robbie Henshaw agrees new Leinster deal
“We want to be playing Champions Cup rugby next season and there’s a plenty of ‘what could happen’ going on where one result could change so much,” head coach Pete Wilkins says. “The bottom line is we need to win this weekend.”
Despite currently holding sixth place, they could be caught by both the Bulls and Sharks, who entertain Leinster and Munster respectively in South Africa, and with Cardiff guaranteed to take the eighth place in the Champions Cup – due to a current rule which ensures every URC country has one place – the team finishing in eighth would miss out as a result.
And while the mood around the camp is “very positive”, Wilkins says the job is not yet complete.
“I’m expecting them to be full strength,” Wilkins says. “I don’t think this is a dead rubber for them as they could still get to third in the table. Either way, I think they are too proud a team at home to take their foot off the gas this weekend.
“To secure that playoff spot with a game to spare shows how far we’ve come, but we haven’t finished the job yet.”
Nothing comes easy for Connacht, however. As Wilkins expected Glasgow have named a squad with 23 full internationals – some 1,000 caps – making this a huge challenge for the visitors.
GLASGOW: H Jones; C Forbes, S McDowall (capt), S Johnson, J Dobie; T Jordan, A Price; A Dell, F Brown, L Sordoni; S Cummings, R Gray; R Darge, S Vailanu, J Dempsey.
Replacements: J Matthews, J Bhatti, Z Fagerson, JP de Preez, L Bean, M Fagerson, G Horne, D Miotti.
CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; J Porch, T Farrell, C Forde, B Ralston; J Carty (capt), C Blade; D Buckley, D Tierney-Martin, F Bealham; O Dowling, N Murray; J Murphy, C Oliver, C Prendergast.
Replacements: E de Buitlear, P Dooley, S Illo, D Murray, S Hurley-Langton, K Marmion, T Daly, S Jennings.
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy).
