Need to Know: Exeter v Glasgow Warriors, Champions Cup match preview 2019/20

KO 3.15 at Sandy Park
Saturday 23rd November
Live on BT Sport 2

Champions Cup stats:

• Glasgow have won 2 and lost 7 of their games when they been away from home in the Champions Cup for Round 2.
• The wins came last season against Cardiff Blues and versus Montpellier in 2014.
• That victory against Montpellier also represents the only time in their history that the Warriors have won both their Round 1 and Round 2 fixtures in the European Cup (having previously beaten Bath at Scotstoun).
• Glasgow have 3 wins and 1 defeat from their previous encounters with Exeter in this tournament, with the loss coming on their last visit to Sandy Park.
  

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Starting XV stats:

BACKS
19   Champions Cup tries   27
155   Champions Cup appearances   119
27.3   Average age   27.9
5   Capped players   6

FORWARDS
887kg   Pack weight   886kg
567kg   Tight 5 weight   588kg
112   Champions Cup appearances   192
27.9   Average age   27.1
5   Capped players   7

Glasgow Greetings:

There’s a potential European debut for Tom Gordon. Warriors’ fans are already looking forward to the flanker’s post-match interview…

Matchday Milestones:

Chris Fusaro will play his 40th Champions Cup match – just the 4th player in the club’s history to reach this mark. Two of the others (Rob Harley and Ryan Wilson) are also in the Glasgow pack with Gordon Bulloch the only other man to rack up 40+ appearances in the top tier European competition.

Once a Warrior:

This one still feels a bit raw…Just 182 days on from his last game for Glasgow, Stuart Hogg (Warrior number 191) will face off against his old club. It will be pretty strange watching Hoggy in the wrong coloured jersey. The man with 31 tries, 14 conversion, 14 penalties and even a solitary drop goal to his name from his 121 appearances for the Warriors was integral to the club’s growth and eventual success as PRO12 champions. Hopefully he enjoys his sabbatical but a full-time return to Scotstoun in two seasons’ time is what’s really required!

Warrior to Watch:

The Glasgow pack put in a big shift last week against Sale, including a full 80 minutes from Zander Fagerson. It’s just the second time in his Warriors’ career that the big prop has been asked to play a complete match (the first came against Leinster at the RDS last season) but he was still looking for work right into the dying minutes.

Zander’s workrate has always been pretty exceptional for a prop. What’s been interesting about the early stages of this season is how his duties have been more heavily weighted towards ball-carrying. 14.9 runs per 80 minutes leads all Glasgow players, edging wee brother Matt (12.9) into second place.

There definitely seems to be a concerted effort to get Zander on the ball more often and with his percentage of possessions passed down from 23% during 2018-19 to 12% this season he is going to be central to the Warrior’s fight to get on the front foot in the tight exchanges.

Glasgow’s Track Record…

…against English sides in the pool stages of the European Cup:

• • 14 wins (12 at home, 2 away)
  • 25 losses (8 at home, 17 away)

Including knockout matches there have been just 2 wins in 22 attempts in this tournament on English soil – against Leicester in 2017 and in 2014 – against Exeter at Sandy Park…

Most recent meeting in Europe:

20/01/18 at Scotstoun Stadium Report

Glasgow Warriors 28
T: Stuart Hogg, Penalty Try, Tommy Seymour, Matt Fagerson
C: Finn Russell (3)
P: none

Exeter 21
T: Sam Simmonds, Don Armand, Ian Whitten
C: none
P: Gareth Steenson (3)

Even though it’s less than 2 years since the game at Scotstoun just 4 players return from the Glasgow starting XV on that day – Tommy Seymour, George Horne, Robert Harley and Matt Fagerson. On the Exeter side the turnover has been a bit lower with 7 of their lineup from 2018 also starting this game.

Officials:

Referee: Pascal Gauzere (Fra)
AR1: Maxime Chalon (Fra)
AR2: Johnathan Dufort (Fra)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)

Previous Warriors’ matches with M. Gauzere as referee:

• 2013/14 – lost to Cardiff Blues (H)
  Penalties: 21 (For 14 – 7 Against)
• 2015/16 – lost to Northampton (H)
  Penalties: 27 (For 16 – 11 Against)
• 2015/16 – beat Scarlets (A)
  Penalties: 23 (For 13 – 10 Against)
• 2015/16 – lost to Saracens (A)
  Penalties: 23 (For 4 – 9 Against)

M. Gauzere has seemingly been on retainer to take charge of Scotland matches, refereeing the national side on 8 occasions in a little over two years. Despite his infrequent appearances in Glasgow games the Warriors should have plenty of information to go on when it comes to preparing for the French official.