Need to Know: Glasgow Warriors v Leinster, PRO14 match preview 2020/21

KO 8.15 at Scotstoun Stadium
Monday 2nd November 2020
Live on Premier Sports 1

• The Warriors’ last league defeat at Scotstoun was inflicted by Leinster on their most recent trip to Glasgow in November 2019.
• The 2019/20 champions have won 22 consecutive matches in the league and don’t appear to let their standards slip no matter who is selected.
• Siblings George and Peter Horne are the Warriors to Watch

Teams

Head to Head:

Back 3 – ADV Glasgow
Centres – ADV Glasgow
Half Backs – ADV Glasgow
Front Row – ADV Leinster
Second Row – ADV Leinster
Back Row – ADV Leinster
Subs – EVEN

Glasgow Greetings:

Warriors’ fans will be able to give Hamish Bain, TJ Ioane, Enrique Pieretto and Fotu Lokotui a warm welcome as they make their home debuts for the club. Wait, no they won’t…See you in a few months’ time lads!

Matchday Milestones:

Niko Matawalu will make his 100th appearance in the PRO14 having played his first game in the competition back in October 2012 against Cardiff Blues. Niko has saved some of his maddest stuff for games against Leinster, so here’s hoping the mercurial winger is on top form and bringing all the positive actions on Monday night.

Warriors to Watch:

Brothers George and Peter Horne will be starting together at 9 and 10 for the 4th time in Glasgow’s last dozen matches. With an all international backline outside them the siblings will have a crucial role to play in unleashing all of that talent.

George will be tasked with marshalling his forwards in the face of what will be an intensely disciplined Leinster pack. The wee scrum half can’t really get in there himself (although he does enjoy digging in at the back of mauls occasionally) but he can boss his big men into the right positions and make sure they know when he wants the ball.

Pete will the key decision maker on the pitch for the Warriors. Leinster are likely to try and retain any possession outwith their own 22 and look to work their way up the pitch either through contestable kicks or the simple expedient of grinding out yards through their pack. Pete has to make the right calls when to keep possession and when to push the opposition as deep as possible so that there’s some chance of Glasgow seeing the ball again.

Glasgow at home to Leinster in the PRO14 era:

• 5 wins
• 1 draw
• 2 losses
• 2 try BPs
• 1 losing BP
• 25 points out of a possible 40 (62%)

Previous match-up:

I mean you could watch last season’s ‘highlights’ (maybe ditch it after Ruaridh Jackson’s moustachioed try double) or you could opt to watch Niko going full Niko from three years ago – your choice…

Officials:

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
AR1: Dunx McClement (SRU)
AR2: Finlay Brown (SRU)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)

Mr Whitehouse’s regular season record for 2019/20 in the PRO14:

Matches – 7 (all refs – 101)
Average penalty count – 22.0 per game (all refs – 19.1)
Home penalty percentage – 56% (all refs – 48%)
Average card count – 1.4 per game (all refs – 1.3)
Penalties per card – 15 (all refs – 15)

There was a spell when Mr Whitehouse was regularly taking charge of Glasgow games – particularly against Irish opposition – but it has been more than 18 months since the Welsh whistler was last spotted at Scotstoun.

Still just 30 years old, since his last Warriors’ outing Mr Whitehouse seems to have taken a slight change in direction. Most young refs start out with high penalty and card counts which reduce over time as they learn to manage the game (in the style of Mr Owens and the recently retired Mr Clancy). In contrast the older, more worldly-wise version of Mr Whitehouse is handing out more penalties and more cards.

Leinster are nearly always among the sides in the PRO14 that get pinged least for offences. Glasgow will need to match them on Monday night if they are to have any chance of bringing the champions’ lengthy winning streak to an end.