Wasps v Glasgow

KENNY Logan, whose try-scoring prowess has prov-ided Wasps with much of their sting this season, again finds himself head-to-head with fellow Scotland internationalist Derek Stark at Loftus Road tomorrow as Glasgow continue their Heineken Cup campaign and the quest for a coveted quarter-final berth.

The English champions, bankrolled by pop impressario Chris Wright, are determined to make their mark in Europe this season and Logan is now very much part of that masterplan.

With victories already in the bag over Ulster, Glasgow and Swansea, the English League title holders remain very much on course for an extended run in Europe.

They currently top the standings in Pool B and seem certain to qualify automatically for the quarter-finals.

However, against his former comrades-in-arms, Logan's alter ego is willing Gordon Bulloch's men to grab one of the play-off places that would see a Scottish side reaching the elimination rounds for the first time.

Glasgow travel to London without centre Chris Simmers who was a key component of the mid-field defensive strategy which kept Swansea's Scott Gibbs under such a tight rein at Scotstoun last weekend.

Simmers is suffering from a tweaked hamstring and his omission means a starting European debut for Danny Ablett.

The Scotland under-21 flanker Iain Sinclair, who missed the match against Swansea because of a leg injury, is restored to the side in place of West of Scotland's John Shaw, who rose splendidly to the occasion last Sunday, and not least with a tearaway try at a crucial moment in the match.

Logan is top try scorer in the Heineken Cup. He had a hat-trick against Ulster last weekend to add to the tries scored against Swansea and Glasgow.

He is revelling in the Wasps' environment and tomorrow, against his former district colleagues he will be hoping to take up where he left off last weekend against the Ulstermen.

There is still, though, a hankering to see Glasgow do well. ''It would be fantastic if Glasgow were to qualify. What a boost it would mean for the game in the west.

''It would also mean that more of the Glasgow side would, hopefully, get themselves into the Scotland squad. They've got a great spirit, Kevin Greene is a clever coach and Gordon MacPherson has got the forwards going.

''Gordon Bulloch is a young guy, but he seems to have matured into a good leader. When I played there he was never frightened to ask the more experienced players for their advice. That's a sign of somebody who is confident within himself.

''There's not much that would give me more pleasure than seeing Glasgow through to the quarter-finals - but not at our expense,'' said Logan, whose loyalties may be divided but who also knows full well who is currently paying his mortgage!

''Having beaten Swansea last weekend they will be coming down to London with much more confidence than they showed when we played them in Glasgow. We will have to watch them. The difference between Glasgow and Ulster was that once we had put a few points past Ulster they more or less gave in.

''Glasgow never did that. They were still battling away until the final whistle and that is the sign of a good side,'' said Logan.

Within the Glasgow camp, the news on sidelined Scotland centre Ian Jardine remains bad. Jardine, out for 15 months with a groin injury, was on the point of making a comeback when he was stricken with a calf problem.

Glasgow manager Hamish Fyfe said yesterday: ''Init-itally, we believed it was a simple calf strain, but now we think the problem lies with a tendon under the calf muscle.

''The whole episode has been very frustrating for Jardie, because he worked hard over the summer to get himself in shape.''

Fyfe added: ''We can't afford to make the same mistakes that we did against them a fortnight ago. We learned the hard way that they are a big side who put you under pressure.

''We played into their hands by making unforced errors. We scored three tries against them which not many sides have done, but the fact is we had chances to score three more and didn't take them. This time we can't afford to throw away these opportunities.''

The English champions make just the one change in personnel to the side which defeated Glasgow 46-22 at Scotstoun. The Scotland lock Andy Reed appears in place of Simon Shaw. The 6ft 10in, 20-stone British Lion injured an ankle in Glasgow a fortnight ago and has not sufficiently recovered to enable him to be on duty for the rematch.

Wasps are sufficiently well endowed in that department to operate a rota system for their locks. The result is that Damian Cronin is on bench duty tomorrow with Reed operating alongside Mark Weedon, the 6ft 5in New Zealander, who previously turned out for the Canterbury provincial side.

The Londoners have also re-jigged their back-row for the Loftus Road re-match, Chris Sheasby moving to No.8 from the blindside flank, Michael White shifting from No.8 to the open-side and Lawrence Dallaglio listed at blind-side instead of No.7. Teams:

Wasps - G Rees; S Roiser, N Greenstock, R Henderson, K Logan; A King, A Gomarsall; D Molloy, S Mitchell, W Green, A Reed, M Weedon, L Dallaglio, C Sheasby, M White.

Substitutes - P Dunston, D Macer, A Black, D Cronin, J Worsley, M Wood, L Scrase.

Glasgow - C Sangster; D Stark, M McGrandles, D Ablett, J Craig; T Hayes, F Stott; G McIlwham, G Bulloch, capt., A Kittle, G Perrett, S Begley, M Wallace, D McLeish, I Sinclair.

Substitutes - J Weston, G Metcalfe, C Little, M Beckham, F Wallace, J Shaw, D Porte.

Referee - D McHugh (Ireland).

q New Australian coach Rod Macqueen has unveiled a youthful team to tour Argentina next month followed by one-off internationals against England and Scotland in November.

Australian rugby is clearly in a rebuilding phase for the 1999 World Cup in the aftermath of their two heavy defeats to New Zealand and a record loss to South Africa in this year's Tri-Nations series.

Macqueen, has included Australian Under-21 team members, second rower Tom Bowman and centre Jason Jones-Hughes along with young full-back Stirling Mortlock in a 34-man squad.