Warriors must front up against familiar foes Leinster

After winning all of their first six league matches in the Guinness Pro14, Glasgow Warriors were dealt a huge dollop of perspective by Exeter Chiefs, whose forwards produced a display of pure ferocity to bring the Scots down from their autumn high in the European Rugby Champions Cup.

The Warriors had seen off opponents from four top rugby nations in the lead-up to the showdown at Sandy Park and most would not have expected to see them at the bottom of Pool 3 as the only team who walked away with nothing.

And this weekend the Conference A leaders return to Scotstoun to host three-time European Cup winners Leinster who came away with everything, securing a 24-17 bonus-point victory over ex-Scotland coach Vern Cotter’s Montpellier to top the group.

Leinster managed the win even without star fly-half Johnny Sexton and, for the final six minutes of the match, winger Adam Byrne, who was sin-binned in the crucial final moments with just seven points in it.

It will be a true test of Glasgow’s resilience to try and see off the Irishmen after having a losing bonus point snatched away from them in the dying moments at Sandy Park in contrast to Leinster who managed to hold it together despite having 14 men.

Scotstoun has become a bit of a fortress for Dave Rennie’s men this season and they will use their consistently noisy 16^th man to spur them on but Warriors will have to rethink their goal line defence if they are to have any chance of victory on Saturday afternoon.

All three of the tries they conceded in Devon were scored by Exeter forwards who burrowed their way over from close range fairly easily in all three attacks. Glasgow are not short of speed and spark with players such as Finn Russell and Tommy Seymour but a lack of strength up front was what cost them against the English champions.

But while reflecting on their errors, they must not lose heart and continue to play the creative, loose brand of rugby they have been, especially as Leinster have been enjoying playing in a similar fashion this season. Three of their tries came from backs at the RDS Arena on Saturday, the second coming from a cross-field kick much like Russell’s trademark set-up for Seymour at Sandy Park.

Leo Cullen’s men have also only lost one of their first six Pro14 games losing only to the Toyota Cheetahs, who came close to defeating Glasgow in Bloemfontein, so the stats suggest the Scots should brace themselves for a tight encounter.

But Leinster are not the unfamiliar opponents Exeter were and Glasgow must use the knowledge they have of their style and tactics to frustrate them, for it could well be a moment of genius that could be the difference between glory and pain in what will inevitably be a tense battle.