It’s knockout rugby from now on in the United Rugby Championship and the first Irish province up in the quarter-finals this weekend is Connacht. Stuart Lancaster’s men face the daunting trip to Glasgow to take on the Warriors on Friday night but they travel with plenty of optimism. The Galway based side have won three of their last four games, including big wins over Munster and Edinburgh as well as a victory in South Africa against Stormers. The westerners are riding the crest of a
URC wave too, they have won eight of their last nine URC games, a surge that gained quarter-final qualification in the wake of them being written off completely as the new year turned. “This is exactly where we wanted to be at the start of the season,” says coach Stuart Lancaster. “So credit must go to all the players for what they’ve displayed in recent months to get us to this position. Now we have to go out there and seize the opportunity. “Glasgow are
a formidable opponent especially away from home, with an array of talented players who are very well coached, but we are excited by the challenge ahead of us.” Lancaster brings a fair bill of health to the play-off with mainstays Sam Gilbert, Bundee Aki, Shayne Bolton, Ben Murphy, Cian Prendergast, Shamus Hurley-Langton and Paul Boyle ready for duty. And while Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen are still out they are boosted by the return from injury of Dylan Tierney-Martin and key lineout operator Darragh Murray.
Glasgow are still string favourites all the same and have Scott Cummings returning after injury layoff for his first Glasgow Warriors appearance since before the Six Nations. Can Stuart Lancaster keep the miracles coming? Stay here for live updates on tonight’s game.
Connacht, Glasgow Warriors, United Rugby Championship, URC quarter-final, Stuart Lancaster, knockout rugby, Sam Gilbert, Bundee Aki, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Darragh Murray, Scott Cummings