GREGOR TOWNSEND marked his European coaching debut a little more than two years ago with a high-profile selection gamble when he picked his Glasgow Warriors side to face Northampton Saints in the Heineken Cup and included just two backs among his eight replacements.

 

The ruse backfired because of a sequence of injuries that involved Stuart Hogg hobbling off in the early stages, Ruaridh Jackson departing at half-time and Sean Lamont being removed just after the hour mark. In the closing stages, a flanker, Chris Fusaro, was being utilised in the centre. In the end, Glasgow lost 24-15, having led 15-0 at one point in the game.

In which light, Townsend must surely have felt a twinge of trepidation as he signed off his team sheet for today's European Champions Cup clash with Toulouse having opted for the highly unusual strategy of a 4/4 split between forwards and backs on the Warriors bench. Whereas Glasgow were undermined against Northampton by a savage attrition rate behind the scrum, Townsend and his fellow coaches will be praying for the wellbeing of their pack against Toulouse this afternoon.

The key to it all is found in the strapping figure of Richie Vernon, a player who may be unique in the modern game in having moved from the back row - he was good enough to win 20 caps for Scotland - to the backline, where he is now trying to establish himself as a centre of international calibre as well.

Vernon, who came on as a midfield replacement in Glasgow's 19-11 loss to Toulouse in the Stade Ernest-Wallon last weekend, has been promoted to the starting XV for today's game, trading places with Peter Horne.

Vernon was impressive in that first match against the four-times European champions, but he may have to reprise some of the tricks of his old trade, for he is effectively providing cover for the loose forwards as well, where casualty rates tend to be higher.

The 27-year-old seemed sanguine about the prospect of having to switch roles at any stage. "It is a mindset thing," the player said. "When I go back to the back row, it is the position I have been playing most of my career so I slot in quite naturally and slip back into the rhythm of being a forward which is different to the one of being a back. It is actually something I have found easier this week than I thought I might so if I am required to do that at the weekend, I am comfortable with it."

Many would have expected Sean Lamont - named among the replacements - to be brought into the starting XV, with the versatile Vernon remaining on the bench but Townsend explained that he was happy with the solution he had devised, adding that Fraser Brown, the replacement hooker, can also do a shift in the back row if required.

"Sean is fired up and wants to play well," said the coach. "We see Sean covering winger at the weekend with Peter Horne being on the bench. We have really good cover with four backs [the others are Niko Matawalu and Duncan Weir]. Richie had missed a lot of the beginning of the season with Achilles injuries so he has only played the last couple of games and played really well.

"We felt he was developing really well at 13 last year. He played during the Six Nations and scored two tries away to Leinster and probably should have got a third. He then had a great summer playing sevens rugby and has shown what he can do in the last couple of games."

Townsend has also made two changes in the pack. Ryan Wilson starts in place of Fusaro, who suffered a serious ankle injury in last Sunday's game in France, and Tim Swinson is preferred to Leone Nakarawa in the second row. Nakarawa did not play particularly badly against Toulouse in the first game, so it is easy to suspect that his demotion to the bench owes something to the silly yellow card he picked up late in the game.

Glasgow also lost Finn Russell to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle on Jean-Marc Doussain. Toulouse scored all but three of their points while the Warriors were short-handed, although Townsend might take perverse consolation from the fact that his side came out on top while the game was a 15-a-side contest.

"It just shows what yellow cards can do," he said ruefully. "They give the opposition three points if they have just won a pen and then space to attack. Toulouse are up there with Toulon as the best team at reacting to any space in the defence, whether for their try or just getting half a metre close to the ruck. We have to make sure that we fill the field, come up quick and knock them down.

"The majority of the penalties against Toulouse last week were at the breakdown. We have to be better there because we are up against some big guys who competed really hard in their 22 and we have to make sure they don't get that chance this weekend."

The breakdown battle is unlikely to be any easier for Glasgow, as Toulouse have promoted former world player of the year Thierry Dusautoir from the bench to the starting XV.

Defeat would not knock Glasgow out of Europe, but it would probably leave them looking for bonus points as well as wins from their remaining two pool games to have any hope of reaching the knockout stages. However, Townsend said that his players are not feeling the pressure of the situation.

"There has been a real edge to training," he smiled. "It has been very competitive. Players want to play in this game,so there is more excitement and anticipation than pressure."

Glasgow Warriors v Toulouse, today, Scotstoun, 1pm

Glasgow Warriors: S Hogg; S Maitland, R Vernon, A Dunbar, T Seymour; F Russell, H Pyrgos; R Grant, P MacArthur, J Welsh, T Swinson, J Gray, R Wilson, R Harley, J Strauss (capt).

Substitutes: F Brown, G Reid, E Murray, L Nakarawa, N Matawalu, D Weir, P Horne, S Lamont

Toulouse: C Poitrenaud; Y Huget, Y David , G Fickou, M Médard; J-M Doussain, S Bézy; G Steenkamp, C Flynn, C Johnston, J Tekori, Y Maestri, Y Nyanga, T Dusautoir (capt), L Picamoles.

Substitutes: J Marchand, V Kakovin, K Pulu, R Millo-Chluski, G Lamboley, L McAlister, V Clerc, A Palisson.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)