lineen demands Follow-up victory TEAM

Substitutes: P MacArthur, G Reid, E Kalman, J Eddie, R Wilson, H Pyrgos, A Dunbar, P Horne

Warriors look to complete Welsh double as Dragons come calling

There is always a perverse kind of karma hidden away in the details of a fixture list, so after their exuberant win on the road against Cardiff Blues last weekend, the only possible follow-up for Glasgow Warriors was to take on Newport Gwent Dragons at home.

The Dragons have a proven talent for bringing Glasgow back to earth with a bump, but Warriors coach Sean Lineen yesterday signalled his determination that his side should live up to the standards they set in their 34-13 thumping of the Blues.

“This is a big week for us,” said Lineen after naming a side that shows two changes from the one that started in Cardiff. “There has been an emphasis on how we back up our last result.

“Obviously, there’s history there with what happened after we beat Leinster recently [Glasgow were beaten at home by Treviso the following weekend] but that’s something we can refer to and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“The Dragons are a stuffy side and they’re coming off a good win over UIster at home. We know what they’re about and it will be a very physical game.”

Coincidentally, the two players brought into the side have also pledged their futures to Glasgow over the past few days.

Prop Ryan Grant and flanker Chris Fusaro, both of whom have signed two-year contract extensions, take the places of Gordon Reid and James Eddie respectively. Duncan Weir, who starts at fly-half, has also ended speculation over his future by agreeing a similar deal.

Of his side’s up-and-down form recently, Lineen said: “We never lost sight of the fact the guys have continued to work hard. They backed themselves last week and went about their business really well. There have been some outstanding performances.”

While the individual performances of some players have reflected the collective inconsistency of Glasgow as a whole, full-back Stuart Hogg has come through as one of Lineen’s most reliable players. In his first season as a full-time professional, the Hawick 19-year-old’s mature form invites comparisons with Rob Harley’s emergence last season.

“That’s a good way of putting it,” agreed Lineen. There’s real talent there and he’s taken to the Warriors environment. He is a good lad to work with, he’s keen and he has a fantastic attitude. Stuart is very comfortable kicking the ball, very comfortable running and passing , and he has very good skills.”

The RaboDirect PRO12 competition takes a two-week break after this weekend’s round of games to avoid a clash with the closing stages of the World Cup. After their early exit from that tournament, Scotland’s home-based players can now enjoy a longer rest than they might have anticipated, but Lineen hinted that none of them can expect to walk straight back into the Glasgow team anyway.

“It was explained to the players here ahead of this group of games that it was about them making it really difficult for the World Cup guys to come back in and retake their places.

“Against that, we also need them to create a positive, happy, winning atmosphere for the World Cup guys to return to.”