Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of Leinster and Glasgow Warriors’ Champions Cup clash at the RDS (kick-off 1pm, live on Sky Sports).
Leo Cullen’s side welcome a severely-depleted Glasgow outfit to Dublin knowing victory would secure top spot in Pool 3. An all-important home quarter-final is within reach.
Stay with us throughout the afternoon for build-up and updates on the action. As per, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Leinster duo James Lowe and Jordan Larmour are both set for their first European starts, while Isa Nacewa returns from injury to captain the eastern province.
Here’s how the sides will line out, unless there are any late changes:
Leinster
15. Jordan Larmour
14. Fergus McFadden
13. Robbie Henshaw
12. Isa Nacewa (captain)
11. James Lowe
10. Johnny Sexton
9. Luke McGrath
1. Jack McGrath
2. Seán Cronin
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Devin Toner
5. Scott Fardy
6. Jordi Murphy
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
16. Bryan Byrne
17. Cian Healy
18. Andrew Porter
19. James Ryan
20. Dan Leavy
21. Nick McCarthy
22. Ross Byrne
23. Rob Kearney
Glasgow Warriors
15. Ruaridh Jackson
14. Lee Jones
13. Huw Jones
12. Nick Grigg
11. Niko Matawalu
10. Peter Horne
9. Ali Price
1. Jamie Bhatti
2. George Turner
3. Siosiua Halanukonuka
4. Robert Harley
5. Greg Peterson
6. Matt Fagerson
7. Matt Smith
8. Adam Ashe
Replacements:
16. Grant Stewart
17. Alex Allan
18. D’Arcy Rae
19. Kiran McDonald
20. Chris Fusaro
21. George Horne
22. Brandon Thomson
23. Henry Pyrgos
Atmosphere is well and truly building on a fresh Sunday afternoon at the RDS. Leinster are on a seven-game winning streak across the Guinness Pro12 and Champions Cup. Can they make it eight? And secure that all-important home quarter-final?
Here’s some pre-match reading to get stuck into before 1pm, courtesy of Ryan Bailey:
We’re nearly ready for off. How do we see this one going?
KICK-OFF: 1 – Leinster 0-0 Glasgow: The visitors get us underway.
2 – Leinster 0-0 Glasgow: Glasgow start brightly on the attack but Leo Cullen’s men force the turnover as they start to settle into the game.
4 – Leinster 0-0 Glasgow: Nice carry from USA international Greg Peterson as Nick Grigg nearly gets away, causing early problems for Leinster. The visitors have had a relaxed opening to proceedings.
6 – Leinster 0-0 Glasgow: The eastern province are showing strong in the scrum. They race out from deep and there’s a very, very near interception but Larmour manages to gather the ball.
8 – Leinster 5-0 Glasgow: TRY for Leinster. It’s Jordi Murphy who gets across.
8 – Leinster 7-0 Glasgow: Sexton, who has been kicking well, follows through with the conversion.
11 – Leinster 7-0 Glasgow: Glasgow are hungry on the restart, putting Leinster under the pump. The home side are down a man, Jordi Murphy sent to the bin for a professional foul which was deemed to prevent a Glasgow try.
13 – Leinster 7-0 Glasgow: Two scrums for Glasgow, and they look good. Another penalty in Leinster’s 22 as it’s sent to the corner. Rings of ‘Leinster, Leinster’ are in full voice.
15 – Leinster 7-0 Glasgow: Shortly after the lineout, there’s a knock on following some good Leinster defending led by JVDF.
17 – Leinster 7-5 Glasgow: TRY for Glasgow. Niko Matawalu plants the ball after some impressive footwork.
18 – Leinster 7-7 Glasgow: A successful conversion and we’re level.
19 – Leinster 7-7 Glasgow: The perfect response from Leinster as they’re deep in Glasgow territory after some serious work from Henshaw Furlong and McGrath on the restart.
20 – Leinster 12-7 Glasgow: TRY for Leinster. The Leinster forwards drive on as Sexton plays Isa Nacewa through to cross.
20 – Leinster 14-7 Glasgow: Sexton converts. Leinster are making this look easy.
23 – Leinster 17-7 Glasgow
26 – Leinster 17-7 Glasgow: After a sloppy few minutes, Glasgow are looking to get back into this game but Leinster are right on their tails and in possession again.
28 - Leinster 17-7 Glasgow
30 – Leinster 17-7 Glasgow: Leinster are playing some entertaining rugby here, Lowe and Larmour combining nicely. Sexton plays a high ball towards the corner, Henshaw is the first man in. They get a lineout out of it. Cullen’s men are after a third try.
31 – Leinster 17-7 Glasgow: There are cheers around the ground as it looks to many like Devin Toner has reached the line. He hasn’t though. We go again.
32 - Leinster 22-7 Glasgow: TRY for Leinster. They get there through a pumping finish from Sean Cronin.
33 – Leinster 24-7 Glasgow: Four from four kicks for Sexton as he nails the conversion.
34 – Leinster 24-7 Glasgow: Leinster are opening Glasgow up here with Lowe, Sexton and McGrath running through like a knife through butter.
34 – Leinster 29-7 Glasgow: TRY for Leinster. Scott Fardy with the final say after some lovely teamwork involving Lowe, Larmour, McGrath and Sexton to name four.
36 – Leinster 29-7 Glasgow: Sexton fails to capitalise with the kick but that doesn’t matter, Leinster have a home quarter-final secured before half-time.
BONUS POINT TRY!!!! Scott Fardy gets it! #LEIvGLA pic.twitter.com/NWu1NA2olR
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) January 14, 2018
38 – Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: A FIFTH TRY for Leinster. Johnny Sexton powers home after some lovely work and a sumptuous pass to Sexton down the left wing.
39 – Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: Sexton was down after a bang to the head or neck as he crossed. He’s been checked out and up again. He won’t attempt the conversion though.
39 – Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: Nacewa steps up but his effort hits the post. Otherwise, all is going to plan for the home side as half-time approaches.
HALF-TIME: Leinster 34-7 Glasgow
So, what did we think of that 40 minutes of rugby? No doubt, if you’re a Leinster fan, you’re happy out. Can Glasgow produce something special after the break?
Some stats from the first 40 minutes:
Stats from a thrilling first half at the #RDSArena! #LEIvGLA pic.twitter.com/7z4TtdKTB4
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) January 14, 2018
SECOND HALF: 41 - Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: Sexton gets us underway again.
41 – Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: Robbie Henshaw intercepts a pass along the line to Matt Fagerson and crosses but there’s a grin as he knows it doesn’t count.
44 - Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: The Boys in Blue are on the front foot once again but Glasgow have a scrum deep in their own half. Leinster drive and are in possession, hungry for more.
45 - Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: High tackle advantage to the home side as Larmour is caught. They’re working hard, there’s a nice offload from Furlong. 14 phases in.
46 - Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: Matawalu intervenes as Lowe’s pass goes astray. He races away but is cut out accordingly. We now have a scrum to Leinster around the middle after a knock-on.
49 - Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: Cullen’s charges are on the hunt once again but McGrath has had the ball stripped away from him. Horne leads Glasgow up the field, there’s a knock-on and it’s a scrum to Leinster.
50 - Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: Some Leinster changes. McGrath and Sexton are off, Ross Byrne and Cian Healy are on.
52 - Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: Rob Kearney looks primed to come on too as Marius Mitrea address the sides in the scrum. We’re off again.
54 - Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: Lowe and Larmour fumble the ball between them but the latter gathers it and races away. He’s pulled back for a knock-on though and it’s a Glasgow scrum.
55 - Leinster 34-7 Glasgow: More fresh legs introduced by Cullen. Kearney for Henshaw so Larmour will move to 13 it seems. Dan Leavy is also in for Jack Conan.
56 - Leinster 41-7 Glasgow: TRY for Leinster and it’s ISSAAAA in for his second. All too easy. Converted by Byrne.
59 - Leinster 41-7 Glasgow: Some more changes for both sides.
60 – Leinster 41-12 Glasgow: TRY for Glasgow. Adam Ashe is on the end of a nice offload. They’re playing with a bit more of a spring in their step now. The conversion is missed.
64 – Leinster 41-12 Glasgow: Glasgow aren’t giving up, but Leinster will steamroll on. The subs have been doing well since their introduction as they look to make this even more of a numbers game.
65 – Leinster 41-12 Glasgow
66 – Leinster 41-12 Glasgow: Leinster are nine phases in and on the brink of scoring another try.
67 – Leinster 46-12 Glasgow: TRY for Leinster, James Lowe crossing. Nacewa could have though about the hat-trick but he took the right option in playing Lowe through.
69 – Leinster 48-12 Glasgow: A first try at the RDS for Lowe, and one on his European debut. Not bad! Byrne converts to make it 48-12.
70 – Leinster 48-19 Glasgow: TRY for Glasgow. It’s that man Matawalu again, and the extras are added.
73 – Leinster 48-19 Glasgow: Some more changes as Cian Healy powers Leinster on.
74 - Leinster 48-19 Glasgow: Luke McGrath has been named Man of the Match.
76 – Leinster 48-19 Glasgow: Will Leinster break 50 points? They’re in pursuit here, driving towards the line and putting Glasgow under fierce pressure.
77 – Leinster 53-19 Glasgow: TRY for Leinster. Huge, huge work in the driving maul and Frady spins away beautifully to get his second of the day.
79 – Leinster 55-19 Glasgow: Ross Byrne continues his excellent kicking adds the extras.
FULL-TIME: 80 – Leinster 55-19 Glasgow: The whistle sounds, and that’s that.
That’s all from me but Ryan Bailey will have a full match report from the RDS in the coming minutes and there’ll be no shortage of analysis and reaction throughout the evening and further afield. Thanks for reading, have a lovely evening.
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