Preview: Glasgow v Scarlets

Editor

Rory Hughes, Scott Cummings and Richie Vernon have recovered from long-term injuries to be named in the Glasgow squad to face Scarlets.

Scotland international winger Hughes, who has signed a new two-year contract with the club, returns following knee surgery after an injury sustained in Warriors’ PRO12 game against Munster in December.

Both Cummings and Vernon will make their first Glasgow appearances of the season having missed the first-half of the campaign with shoulder injuries.

Hughes starts the game on the wing, while Peter Murchie and Lee Jones ensure that the back-three all have international experience.

Fresh from signing new contracts with the club this week, Nick Grigg and Sam Johnson are named as the centre partnership.

Henry Pyrgos is recalled from international duty to captain the side from scrum-half, while Rory Clegg starts outside of him.

Alex Allan is another to return from Oriam packing down in the front-row alongside Pat MacArthur and D’arcy Rae.

Cummings’ first taste of PRO12 action this season comes in the engine room and he is partnered by Brian Alainu’uese.

Rob Harley returns to his club from Scotland camp to start on the blind-side flank and he is joined by Chris Fusaro and Adam Ashe in a full Scotland international back-row.

On the bench, Hagen Schulte is in line to make his Warriors debut covering stand-off.

Richie Vernon’s versatility allows him to cover positions in both the forwards and backs, while Sila Puafisi also returns to the matchday 23.

Meanwhile, centre Hadleigh Parkes will lead the Scarlets at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday.

Scarlets, currently in fifth position in the championship table, will look to gather ground on the leading pack with Glasgow one point ahead as it stands and taking up the all important fourth position.

Head coach Wayne Pivac has selected a strong side to take on the Warriors on Friday evening despite being without a third of his squad due to international duties.

Parkes is joined in the backline with his fellow countryman Johnny Mcnicholl as he makes a return from injury. McNicholl is named at full-back with international DTH van der Merwe and Tom Williams joining him in the back three.

Captain Parkes is joined in midfield by Gareth Owen, whilst Dan Jones and Jonathan Evans make up the half-back pairing.

Wyn Jones, Ryan Elias and Werner Kruger head up the region’s scrum with a new pairing in the second-row as Tom Price and Lewis Rawlins combine. Aaron Shingler, James Davies and Will Boyde make it a tried and tested back-row.

Scrum-half Aled Davies has been released from Wales camp to take up his place on the replacements bench.

Form: Glasgow Warriors only defeat in their last seven matches was 12-14 at home to Munster in the European Champions Cup on 14 January. The Warriors most recent reversal in the Guinness PRO12 was also to Munster at Scotstoun on 2 December. Scarlets have lost just one of their last ten Guinness PRO12 encounters: 9-19 to Ospreys at Liberty Stadium in round 11. The Welshmen have won once in visits to Scotland since 2013: 16-10 against Glasgow at Scotstoun in round 1 last year. Scarlets beat Glasgow 27-3 at Parc y Scarlets in round 8 and have not achieved a season’s double over the Warriors since 2012/13. Scarlets have visited Scotstoun on four previous occasions in the PRO12 with honours even at two wins and two losses.

The teams:

Glasgow: 15 Peter Murchie, 14 Lee Jones, 13 Nick Grigg, 12 Sam Johnson, 11 Rory Hughes, 10 Rory Clegg, 9 Henry Pyrgos, 8 Adam Ashe, 7 Chris Fusaro, 6 Rob Harley, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Brian Alainu’uese, 3 D’arcy Rae, 2 Pat MacArthur, 1 Alex Allan
Replacements: 16 James Malcolm, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 Sila Puafisi, 19 Richie Vernon, 20 Lewis Wynne, 21 Grayson Hart, 22 Hagen Schulte, 23 Sean Lamont

Scarlets: 15 Johnny McNicholl, 14 Tom Williams, 13 Gareth Owen, 12 Hadleigh Parkes (c), 11 DTH van der Merwe, 10 Dan Jones, 9 Jonathan Evans, 8 Will Boyde, 7 James Davies, 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Lewis Rawlins, 4 Tom Price, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Ryan Elias, 1 Wyn Jones
Replacements: 16 Emyr Phillips, 17 Luke Garrett, 18 Nicky Thomas, 19 Tadhg Beirne, 20 Joshua Macleod, 21 Aled Davies, 22 Aled Thomas, 23 Steff Hughes

Date: Friday, February 10
Venue: Scotstoun
Kick-off: 19:35 GMT
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Gary Conway (Ireland), Kevin White (Scotland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)