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

KO 3.15
Sandy Park
Sunday 13th December 2020
Live on BT Sport 2

• In their 130th Champions Cup match, Glasgow are looking for just their 14th away win.
• The Warriors have recorded 3 victories on English soil in this tournament – although all 3 have come in their more recent history (Exeter 2013/14; Leicester 2016/17; and Sale 2019/20).
• Glasgow’s only away win in Round 1 of the Champions Cup came in their very first appearance in the tournament against Ulster at Ravenhill in 1997.
• There are 9 players in the visitors’ XV who also started when these teams met at Sandy Park a little over 12 months ago – the same number as for the home side.
• Henry Slade will be the only player from either team to have started all four of the Champions Cup encounters in Devon between these two clubs.
• Returning scrum half, Ali Price, is the Warrior to Watch.

Teams

Head to Head:

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

Glasgow Greetings:

Enrique Pieretto and TJ Ioane are in line to make their European debuts for Glasgow, while Sean Kennedy could feature for the Warriors in the Champions Cup for the first time since the 19th of January 2013.

Once A Warrior:

A little over 18 months ago, Jonny Gray and Stuart Hogg were part of a Glasgow squad that cruised to a PRO14 final where they lost by a score to Leinster. Fast forward to the end of 2020 and both players are European champions with Exeter. Nobody will be more delighted than Warriors’ fans to see two players who debuted for the club as 18 years olds and who were central figures in the PRO12 championship win doing so well. It does still smart a bit seeing them in another club’s colours though…

Enrique Pieretto has taken the opposite journey and was with the Sandy Park outfit last season.

Matchday Milestones:

Tommy Seymour will make his 150th appearance for Glasgow – he is just the 4th back to achieve this feat after Graeme Morrison, Peter Horne and Ruaridh Jackson. On the occasion of his 42nd Champions Cup match only Rob Harley and Ryan Wilson have featured in more European games than Tommy has for the Warriors.

Warrior to Watch:

Firmly ensconced as Scotland’s first choice number 9 (having started every Test in 2020 following Greig Laidlaw’s retirement) Ali Price has matured into an all-rounder at scrum half. There were some excellent moments of control and making the right decisions with his kicking during the recent Autumn series.

While he may not boast the try-scoring stats of George Horne, Ali’s contribution as a creator cannot be understated. Last season he averaged a try involvement  (tries + assists) for every 57 minutes played in Warriors’ colours – even better than the 77 minutes managed by wee George.

Playing in the right areas of the pitch will be crucial against an Exeter side that, last time round at Sandy Park, looked to pin Glasgow back and wait for them to overplay and make errors. Ali will need to be on top of his game to keep the Warriors out of trouble.

Glasgow away to Exeter in the Champions Cup:

11/1/14 at Sandy Park – report

Exeter 10
T: Fetu’u Vainikolo
C: Henry Slade
P: Henry Slade

Glasgow Warriors 15
T: Sean Maitland, Sean Lamont
C: Stuart Hogg
P: Stuart Hogg

14/10/17 at Sandy Park – report

Exeter 24
T: Harry Williams, Jonny Hill, Sam Simmonds
C: Gareth Steenson (3)
P: Gareth Steenson

Glasgow Warriors 15
T: Tommy Seymour, Lee Jones
C: Finn Russell
P: Finn Russell

23/11/19 at Sandy Park – report

Exeter 34
T: Jonny Hill, Henry Slade, Sam Simmonds, Tom O’Flaherty
C: Joe Simmonds (4)
P: Joe Simmonds (2)

Glasgow Warriors 18
T: Nick Grigg, George Turner
C: Adam Hastings
P: Adam Hastings (2)

Previous match-up away to Exeter:

Officials:

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
AR1: Adam Leal  (England)
AR2: Anthony Woodthorpe (England)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)

Last 5 Warriors’ matches with M. Raynal as referee:

• 2013/14 – beat Edinburgh (H)
  Penalties: 20 (For 12 – 8 Against)
  Cards: Edinburgh – 2
• 2015/16 – beat Scarlets (H)
  Penalties: 13 (For 10 – 3 Against)
  Cards: none
• 2016/17 – beat Leicester (H)
  Penalties: 23 (For 12 – 11 Against)
  Cards: Glasgow – 1 (Wilson); Leicester – 2
• 2016/17 – beat Leicester (A)
  Penalties: 23 (For 16 – 7 Against)
  Cards: Leicester – 2
• 2018/19 – lost to Saracens (H)
  Penalties: 23 (For 12 – 11 Against)
  Cards: none