Glasgow Warriors v Zebre, 10 May

Glasgow Warriors v Zebre

Saturday 10 May 2014, KO 18:30
Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

Live on BBC ALBA/Sport Mediaset

Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU, 65th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Neil Paterson, Graeme Marshall (both SRU)
Citing Commissioner: Paul Minto (SRU)
TMO: Jim Yuille (SRU)

A. Teams:

I. Glasgow

15. Stuart Hogg
14. Sean Lamont
13. Alex Dunbar
12. Peter Horne
11. Niko Matawalu
10. Duncan Weir
09. Henry Pyrgos

01. Ryan Grant
02. Pat MacArthur
03. Moray Low
04. Tim Swinson
05. Al Kellock (Captain)
06. James Eddie
07. Chris Fusaro
08. Leone Nakarawa

16. Dougie Hall
17. Jerry Yanuyanutawa
18. Geoff Cross
19. Rob Harley
20. Tyrone Holmes
21. Ruaridh Jackson
22. Lee Jones
23. Peter Murchie

II. Zebre

15 David ODIETE
14 Giulio TONIOLATTI
13 Gonzalo GARCIA
12 Giovanbattista VENDITTI
11 Dion BERRYMAN
10 Tommaso IANNONE
09 Guglielmo PALAZZANI

08 Samuela VUNISA
07 Andries VAN SCHALKWYK
06 Mauro BERGAMASCO
05 Marco BORTOLAMI (cap)
04 Quintin GELDENHUYS
03 Dario CHISTOLINI
02 Davide GIAZZON
01 Salvatore PERUGINI

16 Tommaso D’APICE
17 Matias AGUERO
18 Dave RYAN
19 George BIAGI
20 Emiliano CAFFINI
21 Alberto CHILLON
22 Filippo FERRARINI
23 Filippo CRISTIANO

B. Form - head to head:

3 Played 3
3 Wins 0
0 Losses 0
0 Draws 0
11 Tries 5
9 Conversions 5
3 Penalties 7
0 Drop Goals
82 Points 56
24 Avg. Age 27

C. Form - this season & last:

Fri 28 September 2012, 19:35
Glasgow Warriors 22 - 19 Zebre
Scotstoun

Sun 10 February 2013, 15:05
Zebre 20 - 36 Glasgow Warriors
Stadio XXV Aprile

Fri 27 Sepember 2013, 19:30
Zebre 17 - 24 Glasgow Warriors
Stadio XXV Aprile

Hope Toonie does not mess about too much with the team.  I know we have a semi final the following week, but we really can't afford to rest too many as a home semi is vital.

I would rest Gray and drop Strauss and Seymour to the bench.   Russell has played a lot so could be rested, but if he is going to start at FH in the Semi Final, I would be inclined to give him another game under his belt.

Assuming fitness etc.

Hogg
Niko
Dunbar
Horne
Maitland

Russell
Cusiter

Reid
Hall
Welsh
Swinson
Kellock
Harley
Fusaro
Wilson

Bench

McArthur
Cross
Grant
Naka
Strauss
Pygros
Weir
Murchie

Right GC usual question - who are the pretty ladies??

Ola amigos, judging by Toonie's comments in the press re. injured players returning I think we can expect to see Dunbar and Shlong. Weir is also in need of a run out if he is fit. Jedi and Lee Jones will probably be flying the flag in the Sevens in London.

Hogg
Niko
Dunbar
Horne
Maitland
Schlong
Russell
Weir
Cusiter

Reid
Hall
Welsh
Swinson
Gray
Cap'n Kellock (No Clownshoes reffing so no danger of an international incident)
Harley
Fusaro
Wilson

Bench

McArthur
Cross
Grant
Naka
Strauss
Holmes
Pygros
Weir Jacko
Murchie

jimbopip wrote:Ola amigos, judging by Toonie's comments in the press re. injured players returning I think we can expect to see Dunbar and Shlong. Weir is also in need of a run out if he is fit. Jedi and Lee Jones will probably be flying the flag in the Sevens in London.

Hogg
Niko
Dunbar
Horne
Maitland
Schlong
Russell
Weir
Cusiter

Reid
Hall
Welsh
Swinson
Gray
Cap'n Kellock (No ownshoes reffing so no danger of an international incident)
Harley
Fusaro
Wilson

Bench

McArthur
Cross
Grant
Naka
Strauss
Holmes
Pygros
Weir Jacko
Murchie

Would not be too bothered if Weir starts.  Is Lamont back fit?

Meant to put Kellock in my team and not Gray!

Tough decisions to make - given how much rugby they've played since the 6N do you give Russell and Gray a break and risk them losing their momentum they have built up before the semi, or do you give them a break so they are fresh and fighting fit?

RDW_Scotland wrote:Tough decisions to make - given how much rugby they've played since the 6N do you give Russell and Gray a break and risk them losing their momentum they have built up before the semi, or do you give them a break so they are fresh and fighting fit?

That is why I would be inclined to start Russell at FH, if that is the route they are planning to go down for the Semi Final. That said if they rest him, I can fully understand why.

Vernon, Jones and Eddie have not been released to the 7s for the event next weekend, so maybe there are going to be a few more squad players involved against Zebre.

It's a tricky one Dot. Glasgow need to win but they also need everyone match fit for the following week.
If Shlong is fit, and Toonie seemed to be saying he was then he needs to start. Maitland and Seymour are on great form and can be rested to keep them fresh. Horne probably needs more game time, so Dunbar-Horne in the centres.
So,
15. Hogg
14.Shlong
13. Horne
12. Dunbar
11.Niko (does Isles get into the 23? If not now then why sign him?)
10. Weir/ Jacko
This set of backs should be too good for Zebre.

Interestingly , this leaves the Messiah in limbo.   However I'm certain he'll feature in the semi.
For the play offs we then can begin to consider
Murchie
Maitland
Vernon
Bennett,
Seymour
Russell
and Lee Jones and George Carlin Isles.
If we don't score tries with those players to choose from then grits ain't groceries and Mona Lisa was a man. As they say.

jimbopip wrote:

Interestingly , this leaves the Messiah in limbo.  

  

RDW   

You've got to help me here....and yes I am aware it makes me look stupid!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Right GC usual question - who are the pretty ladies??

Back to actresses this week, as apparently you all like a good ogle with your threads and non-beautiful famous people seemingly just don't cut it, regardless of whatever miracles they achieved in their chosen professions. This week's reps are the lovely Gloria Bellicchi (born in Parma and a former Miss Italy) with the fab Laura Fraser (born in west end of Glasgow).

RDW_Scotland wrote:Right GC usual question - who are the pretty ladies??

The pretty ladies ? New name for Edinburgh Rugby perhaps ?!

Ok, here goes.
RDW, the Messiah is an obvious Judeo-Christian reference. No, no save your questions till later. Limbo is an abstract concept to give a name to the place to where souls go if they're not blemished enough to go to Hell (bad fires, pitchforks, Fran and Anna songs) but not quite spotless enough to go to Heaven. ( Our clubhouse last Saturday; Deacon Blue's "Dignity" blasting from the sound system, Warriors thumping the MFL on the telly, local brewery selling ale at £1 a pint and Fat Sam the extravert prop wandering in after ten years in Suffolk to say his band are playing in the pub round the corner later and would I care to go and watch them). We can all agree that the juxtaposing of Messiah and Limbo in one sentence may not be the kind of thing S J Perelman would have concerned himself with but on a rugby site it did merit a drumroll emoticon, surely?
GC, who is Laura Fraser? and why, apart from the obvious, is she fab?

I was wondering whether you were referring to purgatory, but it is a bit of a tenuous link really!   

Purgatory? Purgatory!
I forgot in Brotheltown you had to have posh names, with extra syllables too, for everything. " Oh yes his soul is resting in Lesser Paradise while we're awaiting the renovations on our Heavenly mansion to be completed."

Jimbo - you really are a clever little wordsmith- smerterse !

 

   

BTW Warriors forum full of chat that Western Isles will play some part on Saturday - wha -hey.  Could be mental time if Mad McMata and Hoggy are also on the field.   Niko was milking the adulation as water boy (Big Naka was the other) for the Fiji 7s team at Scotstoun.   However best laugh of the day when the roving camera picked out a punter in the stand and then that fud Grant Stott span the wheel to win prizes.  It clicked around to Edinburgh Season Ticket and hovered between that and LOSE.   Most of the Main Stand were shouting LOSE and then burst out laughing when Stott tried to big up winning an MFL season ticket.   Really priceless tbh  

I would actually like to see him have 20 mins in the second half, as long as the game is won, which it should be. Never going to be a better chance to break him in gently!

Schitz, that spin the wheel bit was the best part of my day! The rugby equivalent of winning tickets to Fleetwood Mac, but discovering that you have to go to Slough to see them.

jimbopip wrote:GC, who is Laura Fraser? and why, apart from the obvious, is she fab?

She was good in the last season of Breaking Bad. And did I mention she's really quite attractive?

BigGee wrote:I would actually like to see him have 20 mins in the second half, as long as the game is won, which it should be. Never going to be a better chance to break him in gently!

I would only pick him if he deserves a place on merit. Its a big game for the club and a big occasion, not a place for what would amount to no more than a glorified marketing ploy. Glasgow sent some players to play XVs with the Caley Reds at the weekend against Newcastle A, he was not one of them.

Surely he has to earn a place in the match day squad?

Agreed, Dot, no time for complacency

Pure speculation on my part, but does anyone know if Isles' contract with Glasgow is part payed for by the USA union? I vaguely recall talk that the Canadian union part payed DTH's contract when he first came to Glasgow to ensure he would be exposed to high level rugby that would ultimately benefit the Canadian international team. If this is true and I'm not talking out my backside, might there be a clause in Isles contract that insists he feature in at least 1 high level game (to justify the union contribution)?

Not sure about complacency. I think his role is going to be that of the impact sub, certainly in the short to medium term. He could be devastating against a tiring defence and he seems to have done reasonably well in the run outs he has had.

Toonie seems to have managed the team very shrewdly in this crucial part of the season and got the results required. I don't think he will take any risks and will only play him if he thinks he is ready. It may be that he is ready!

As something you've just completely made up, Manky, that does sounds surprisingly plausible.

I would love to see Western on the bench for this game.

If you follow him on Twitter he posts quite a few video's of him doing sprint training, I can imagine this is a god send for some of the younger guys to train with him.

I suspect we're more likely to see Sean Lamont return that Carlin Isles making a start. Not sure you can get two more different wingers!

Kellock should start as captain. I don't think he'll make the starting XV as captain in the playoffs, and this is a good chance to give Johnny Gray a rest before the big games against the Irish provinces.

Harley and Strauss should also be rested, even if it means using Naka or Swinson in the back row (or using both Holmes and Fusaro in a slightly unbalanced back row). I do appreciate the need for a home semi-final, but you should beat Zebre in any event.

funnyExiledScot wrote:I suspect we're more likely to see Sean Lamont return that Carlin Isles making a start. Not sure you can get two more different wingers!

Kellock should start as captain. I don't think he'll make the starting XV as captain in the playoffs, and this is a good chance to give Johnny Gray a rest before the big games against the Irish provinces.

Harley and Strauss should also be rested, even if it means using Naka or Swinson in the back row (or using both Holmes and Fusaro in a slightly unbalanced back row). I do appreciate the need for a home semi-final, but you should beat Zebre in any event.

With Eddie being recalled from the 7s, I wouldn't be surprised if both Harley and Struass are rested.

Eddie
Fusaro
Wilson

Strauss to bench?

Although It depends on what Toonie sees as our best back row for the semi. Harley might not be in it!

Worth having a stab at a team now, then?

Given the number of players that still need gametime and rest, I would be happy with something like:

01 Grant
02 MacArthur
03 Cross
04 Swinson
05 Kellock
06 Eddie
07 Holmes
08 Wilson

09 Henners
10 Russell (who would take the 10 shirt in the semi? Not clear but if there's any chance it's Russell, he needs game time)
11 Lamont (yay)
12 Horne (needs more match sharpness)
13 Bennett (can be yanked for Hogg moving to OC, with Murchie coming on at 15 if we're winning well)
14 Maitland (benched last time)
15 Hogg (not 100% yet by any stretch)

16 Brown
17 Reid
18 Welsh
19 Nakarawa
20 Fusaro
21 Matawalu
22 Jackson
23 Murchie

I think that's pretty much it GC - giving key players a rest whilst still having enough to secure the win.

Weir may want to be involved, but I'd agree that Russell and Jackson should now be considered the top two choices at 10, so keeping them both in the matchday 22 makes sense. Neither have been overworked this season, and Weir's penchant for kicking the ball out on the full is just an easy way of handing Zebre territory.

Cus sat out the whole game on Friday, that will be his rest and he will be back with Niko to come off the bench for a chunk of the second half.

Weir has got to start, or else we are saying that we are writing him off, which would make a mockery of keeping him and letting Jacko go. Weir to start and Jacko to come off the bench, Russell looked quite heavily strapped up and could do with a rest, remember he played the whole summer as well!

Lamont and Dunbar will come back in if fit, Hoggy needs more match sharpness so has to play as well, tough on Muchie, who may struggle even to make the bench. If I was a gambling man then I would have a few quid on Isles benching as well.

Kellock will play this one, could well be his last game of the season. J Gray and Strauss need a rest, the bench at best for them.

No bad GC, no bad at all ! Like where you are going here. Also with what Big Gee says re Dunky Weir. Would be strange to jettison him at this stage given Jacko is for the off. Jacko has been excellent in little cameos recently btw. Probably rubbing in it to the Luvvies and their elderly Saffer coach for not persuading the SRU clowns to offer hime something and go East. Tbh he probably would not want to - who would ?   

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:No bad GC, no bad at all !   Like where you are going here.  Also with what Big Gee says re Dunky Weir.   Would be strange to jettison him at this stage given Jacko is for the off.    Jacko has been excellent in little cameos recently btw.  Probably rubbing in it to the Luvvies and their elderly Saffer coach for not persuading the SRU clowns to offer hime something and go East.   Tbh he probably would not want to - who would ?   

To be fair he's moving to Wasps, who are in a comparative position in the Aviva (7th) to Edinburgh in the Jeff (8th).

Still, I'm sure he'll miss Glasgow and all those "friendly" people.

George Carlin wrote:Worth having a stab at a team now, then?

Given the number of players that still need gametime and rest, I would be happy with something like:

01 Grant
02 MacArthur
03 Cross
04 Swinson
05 Kellock
06 Eddie
07 Holmes
08 Wilson

09 Henners
10 Russell (who would take the 10 shirt in the semi? Not clear but if there's any chance it's Russell, he needs game time)
11 Lamont (yay)
12 Horne (needs more match sharpness)
13 Bennett (can be yanked for Hogg moving to OC, with Murchie coming on at 15 if we're winning well)
14 Maitland (benched last time)
15 Hogg (not 100% yet by any stretch)

16 Brown
17 Reid
18 Welsh
19 Nakarawa
20 Fusaro
21 Matawalu
22 Jackson
23 Murchie

GC, in the backs Dunbar will play if fit. Weir must play if he is to be used in the play offs; and if not then why keep him and move Jacko out? I think Cusiter, Seymour, Russell and Maitland will all be wrapped in cotton wool and not risked. MadMata will start on the wing and Bennett will bench.
In the fat boys; Reid, Grant, Angela and Cross are the props- pick and mix as you will. Brown may bench, just in case we need him in the play offs. But it's more about who gets rested; Gray, Strauss, Harley, Swinson and Fozzie since they are almost certainly playing in the semi.
Whoever plays it's a five pointer and then Munster at home.

On this Jacko vs Weir thing, I don't think it's particularly relevant that Jackson is leaving and Weir is staying, not at this point in the season.

Glasgow aren't building for next season, they're trying to win this season. That means picking the best players, and Jackson is on better form that Weir.

I know this is entirely hypothetical, but were Edinburgh competing for anything meaningful at this stage in the season, I'd certainly pick Greg Laidlaw and Ross Rennie were they available.

Totally accord with my esteemed colleague above.

I feel under no compulsion to pick Weir at all. On current form, he is injury cover and that's the truth of it. It does raise the difficult question as to whom should play in the semi. If you pick Jackson (and I might), then Toonie might feel compelled to pick Russell at 12 to kick at goal and that would be an absolute waste when you consider talent like Horne and Dunbar on the bench.

The constant reminder of Jackson's goalkicking frailties is just a reminder to me of why he should go. Very good at some things, cannot do others at all.

Didn't know Dunbar might be back. Amazing news although it does raise a problem at 12 too. Whom do you go with? Horne with only 5 games under his belt before Munster. Or Dunbar who is a better player but has only had 1 game? For me, Russell has to play at 10 or not at all.

Tough calls. But what a luxury to be able to say that.

Especially bearing in mind the 2011 6 nations crisis when Graeme Morrison was injured and we had to resort to Lamont at 12 and literally no one else; now there is Scott who is one of the best centres in Europe at Edinburgh, and Horne and Dunbar as well as Bennett and Russell who can cover it at Glasgow and Duncan Taylor at Saracens

When they tell him to aim at the corners, Jackson has a decent chance to nail these kicks   

More seriously, i would start Weir for this one if only to allow him getting some confidence back.
But for me the key is to rest Strauss and Jonny Gray who are big impact players and when i say rest i mean not on the matchday squad not giving them 68 minutes off the bench   

I am still in the Weir camp, the rest will have done him good and he has not become a bad player overnight. Jacko to come off the bench as the game opens up which it will. Zebra look like a side who like to chuck it about a bit and they have got nothing to lose in giving it a go. Weir will be playing for his place in the playoff squad and will know it, time to see what he really has!

I would say I'm in the Weir camp but edging towards the Russell camp

My real concern over the last three months, once the delayed fixtures were rescheduled, was that the sheer strain of running seven straight fixtures would be too much for us. I think Toonie has handled his resources excellently up to now, ensuring that no one player was absolutely flogged unless (as with Russell) he was testing out a new player. Townsend's real achievement this year is to build a squad that can put out a second-string side and yet still have a strong chance of winning. Now though, we need to get players fit and hungry for a real examination by Munster.

Below, I've listed  my preferred starting XV for the semi final with substitutes, along with the total number of minutes played in the last seven matches and  my recommendation for their use against Zebre.  I hope that I've balanced those players who need complete rest, those who need real game time, and those who must be kept sharp without real exertion.

No.	Name	Minutes played (out of 560)	Recommendation
1	Grant	129	Start
2	Hall	299	Bench
3	Welsh	311	Rest
4	Gray	351	Rest
5	Swinson	358	Bench
6	Harley	400	Rest
7	Fusaro	308	Bench
8	Strauss	377	Rest
9	Cusiter	349	Rest
10	Jackson	199	Bench
11	Seymour	369	Rest
12	Dunbar	167	Start
13	Bennett	328	Rest
14	Maitland	342	Rest
15	Hogg	130	Start
16	MacArthur	196	Start
17	Reid	365	Rest
18	Cross	162	Start
19	Nakarawa	227	Start
20	Wilson	255	Start
21	Matawalu	330	Bench
22	Russell	460	Rest
23	Horne	187	Start

That would give us a match-day squad against Zebre consisting of:

No.	Name
1	Grant
2	MacArthur
3	Cross
4	Nakarawa
5	Kellock
6	Eddie
7	Holmes
8	Wilson
9	Pyrgos
10	Weir
11	Lamont
12	Dunbar
13	Horne
14	Hughes
15	Hogg
16	Hall
17	Yanuyanutawa
18	Kalman
19	Swinson
20	Fusaro
21	Matawalu
22	Jackson
23	Isles

Far too little effort went into that last post Mr Bru.

I'd love to see Mr Isles involved.

IanBru wrote:My real concern over the last three months, once the delayed fixtures were rescheduled, was that the sheer strain of running seven straight fixtures would be too much for us. I think Toonie has handled his resources excellently up to now, ensuring that no one player was absolutely flogged unless (as with Russell) he was testing out a new player. Townsend's real achievement this year is to build a squad that can put out a second-string side and yet still have a strong chance of winning. Now though, we need to get players fit and hungry for a real examination by Munster.

Below, I've listed  my preferred starting XV for the semi final with substitutes, along with the total number of minutes played in the last seven matches and  my recommendation for their use against Zebre.  I hope that I've balanced those players who need complete rest, those who need real game time, and those who must be kept sharp without real exertion.

No.	Name	Minutes played (out of 560)	Recommendation
1	Grant	129	Start
2	Hall	299	Bench
3	Welsh	311	Rest
4	Gray	351	Rest
5	Swinson	358	Bench
6	Harley	400	Rest
7	Fusaro	308	Bench
8	Strauss	377	Rest
9	Cusiter	349	Rest
10	Jackson	199	Bench
11	Seymour	369	Rest
12	Dunbar	167	Start
13	Bennett	328	Rest
14	Maitland	342	Rest
15	Hogg	130	Start
16	MacArthur	196	Start
17	Reid	365	Rest
18	Cross	162	Start
19	Nakarawa	227	Start
20	Wilson	255	Start
21	Matawalu	330	Bench
22	Russell	460	Rest
23	Horne	187	Start

That would give us a match-day squad against Zebre consisting of:

No.	Name
1	Grant
2	MacArthur
3	Cross
4	Nakarawa
5	Kellock
6	Eddie
7	Holmes
8	Wilson
9	Pyrgos
10	Weir
11	Lamont
12	Dunbar
13	Horne
14	Hughes
15	Hogg
16	Hall
17	Yanuyanutawa
18	Kalman
19	Swinson
20	Fusaro
21	Matawalu
22	Jackson
23	Isles

As someone who knows how long it takes to put good match threads together, I want to thank you for taking the time to do that.

I cannot 'do' tables. Never could.

Can't believe MacArthur has played so little. The message is clear. The most important team members in recent games have been Gray, Strauss, Harley and Fozzy. All should be wrapped in cotton wool for Munster.

Bru, Who's taking the kicks in your semi team? Bennett/Hogg? I'd actually be inclined to start Russell ahead of Rhubarb.

Also in your team to play Zebre, I'd switch Dunbar and Horne around in the centres

But great work, there must be some tired bodies around Scotstoun - shows what a machine Ginger Boab Harley really is

There is no TV listing on the Rabo site, but I noticed that it is in the BBC Alba schedule

Yeah Cake, it looks like someone has forgotten to update the fixture list on the Pro12 site.

As I understand it, here's the coverage:
BBC Alba - Glasgow v Zebre
BBC Ulster - Munster v Ulster
BBC Wales - Ospreys v Connacht
S4C - Scarlets v Blues
TG4 - Leinster v Edinburgh

...Marconi's wonderous new telegraph: Dragons v Treviso

Rabo website has usually updated to 'preview' status now for each fixtures, which lists the referees used, gives a short preview and confirms TV rights. They're a bit slow this week.