We are at the stage of the season now where everything is
knockout and this is the first round of pure knockout rugby
Here are the semi-finals and the teams they plan to play.
Whether they get home advantage or not depends on league position
SEMI FINAL 1
GLASGOW V ULSTER
FRIDAY 7.45 pm
Hooker Fraser Brown and scrum-half Henry Pyrgos return to
Glasgow Warriors' line-up to tackle a much-changed Ulster in the Pro12
semi-final.
Brown replaces Dougie Hall, while Niko Matawalu moves to the
left wing to accommodate Pyrgos at Scotstoun.
Ulster restore Ruan Pienaar, Paddy Jackson, Darren Cave,
Jared Payne, Craig Gilroy and Tommy Bowe to the backline.
Captain Rory Best returns at hooker in a team that boasts
304 caps.
The sides met last Saturday in the final round of regular
Pro12 fixtures, the Warriors earning a 32-10 bonus-point victory to secure the
home play-off.
Ulster head coach Neil Doak opted to rest many of his Test
players, with only full-back Louis Ludik, prop Ricky Lutton, lock Lewis
Stevenson and flanker Chris Henry retained this week.
Best and Lutton are joined in the front-row by Callum Black,
Dan Tuohy partners Stevenson in the second-row, while Roger Wilson and Iain
Henderson form an all-Ireland back-row with Henry.
In the backline, Cave is paired with Payne in midfield, Bowe
and Gilroy line up on either wing, and Pienaar and Jackson resume their
half-back partnership.
Prop Rob Herring has been cleared of stamping on an opponent
in last week's fixture by a Pro12 disciplinary committee and is named on the
bench.
Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend is able to recall the
club's record try-scorer, DTH van der Merwe, to the squad with the Canadian now
recovered from a hand injury.
The semi-final will mark the last home appearance for the
winger, together with Matawalu and captain Al Kellock, with the trio departing
Glasgow for the Scarlets, Bath and retirement respectively.
Townsend said: "It will be a big challenge facing one
of the best sides in Europe for the second time in a week and it's knock-out
rugby now, so we know what's at stake.
"We've had some epic battles with Ulster over the last
few seasons and they'll be eager to reverse the scoreline from last week."
Glasgow Warriors: Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Richie Vernon,
Peter Horne, Niko Matawalu, Finn Russell, Henry Pyrgos, Ryan Grant, Fraser
Brown, Rossouw de Klerk, Jonny Gray, Al Kellock (CAPTAIN), Josh Strauss, Chris
Fusaro, Adam Ashe
Replacements: Pat MacArthur, Gordon Reid, Mike Cusack, Leone
Nakarawa, Ryan Wilson, Duncan Weir, Sean Lamont, DTH van der Merwe
Ulster: Louis Ludik, Tommy Bowe, Jared Payne, Darren Cave,
Craig Gilroy, Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar, Callum Black, Rory Best (CAPTAIN),
Ricky Lutton, Lewis Stevenson, Dan Tuohy, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Roger
Wilson
Replacements: Rob Herring, Andrew Warwick, Bronson Ross,
Robbie Diack, Sean Reidy, Paul Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Michael Allen
PREDICTION
Ulster are playing for a home final. There is no doubt that
this is something that Ulster will look for. Glasgow found it difficult against
a weakened Ulster team last week so I think that this match will be very close
and definitely could see both teams winning it. But I do feel that Ulster do
have a big advantage knowing the ground and staying in Scotland I do feel thaty
Ulster can learn a lot from Glasgow last week which gives it just to Ulster but
Glasgow are improving year on year and this might be a big chance for them.
SEMI FINAL 2
MUNSTER V OSPREYS SATURDAY
2.30PM
Ospreys wing Tom Grabham has been ruled out for the rest of
the season and will miss the Pro12 play-offs.
Grabham, 23, has failed to recover from an abdominal strain
sustained during the win over Cardiff Blues in April.
Ospreys' medical team decided, following consultations with
specialists, that Grabham should have surgery.
"He has undergone a minimally invasive procedure to
repair the damage," Ospreys said in a statement.
"[He] will rehab over the summer with a view to
returning to training for pre-season.
Ospreys face Munster away in the play-off semi-final on
Saturday with Glasgow or Ulster awaiting the winners in the final on 30 May.
PREDICTION
I feel that this tie belongs to Munster as I feel that they are a lot stronger in confidence than the Ospreys after what happened last week. I feel that people like Conor Murray and Paul O'Connell can definitely do things to change this game.
No comments:
Post a Comment