Huwipulotu

And so it’s finally here. The URC is back!

First of all, congratulations to Jamie Dobie, who is set for his 100th game for the Warriors. At just 25 years old (4 months older than me), this is an amazing achievement.

It’s absolutely not a full-strength lineup that you’d want against Munster, but rest protocols mean many first-choice players weren’t available for selection this week. Despite this, it’s still a very strong side.

It’s good to see Murphy Walker get a start at tighthead; he’s had a rough time with injury for the last few seasons, but if he can stay fit and play well, he would be a great back-up for Zander and Talakai. Schickerling will hopefully continue his good form from last season. And Gregor Hiddleston looks to be continuing as first-choice hooker.

The engine room brings a lot of bulk with Brown and Williamson. Hopefully big Max, or Bakkies as Franco calls him, can kick on again this season. He was overshadowed by Alex Samuel last year but has proven he could grow into a good test-level lock for Scotland. Ally Miller makes a rare start at 6, with Darge and Fagerson alongside him. A sign that Matt will be moving back to number 8 now that Dempsey has gone. Would have liked to see Ruwald get his first game, but we shall have to wait to see that.

Horne and Lancaster continue as first-choice options. Horne is now getting very close to breaking into the top 5 all-time top try scorers in the URC. I think he’s just 3 off overtaking Steff Evans and moving into 5th. Ollie Smith slots in at 13, a position he has played 10 times across the last two seasons, with Stafford McDowall at 12. This isn’t a centre combo that I like the balance of too much. Whilst Stafford is a good distributor, and Smith a good carrier/runner, I feel McDowall is best deployed as a 13 rather than a 12. If Sione is being rested, I would have liked to have seen a Yule/McDowall or Yule/Smith combo. But let’s hope I’m proven wrong.

The back three is strong. Dobie, Rowe and McKay are all brilliant players. Arguably, only Steyn ahead of Rowe could make for a stronger back three for Glasgow. Dobie may shift to scrum-half in the second half, but Callum Reidy on the bench is also a scrum-half, so he may be staying on the wing all game.

The bench is fairly strong too. Franco has continued with the 6/2 split that has been working well. It’s hard to pick between McBeth and Schickerling as first choice, but I’d personally go with McBeth. Seb Stephen is a brilliant talent and will bring energy off the bench, the clear second choice at the moment. It will be interesting to see how long Walker plays for; I’d imagine Sam Talakai will come on around the 50-minute mark. He’s become a real favourite of mine since coming to the club two seasons ago. In that time, I’m sure he’s improved a lot, as he has really begun to stand out at scrum time and in the loose too. He only made one start last season, with 22 appearances off the bench, demonstrating how key Zander has been for us.

Angus Fraser seems to be continuing as an openside; I think it’s fair to say now that this is his main position instead of hooker. Cummings and Duncan will both have a big impact off the bench. Callum Reidy is an exciting name to see. Not seen him play yet, but the Australian scrum-half impressed on a trial last season in training. Will be interesting to see where he fits in the pecking order. If he’s really good, it could mean we see even more of Dobie on the wing. And finally, Bayley Kuenzle (I am going to spell this name wrong so many times) will make his debut off the bench too. He can play many positions in the backline, having started at 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 for the Western Force. So I’m curious to see where Franco brings him on. I’d imagine it will be at centre, which is where he’s played the majority of his rugby, but it will be nice to have another utility player who can fit in really well at multiple positions.

Munster

Many Munster fans have been saying that this is an injury-stricken, weaker Munster side. But that does not mean this will make it any easier. Sure, there are some big names missing: Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey and Calvin Nash, to name a few. But the players replacing them are still good players. The back row is strong, with 2 more back rowers on the bench. I’d imagine Gavin Coombes will empty the tank before Gleeson replaces him at 8. Their centres are also strong. Kiwi Nankivell is a dangerous player, and Sean O’Brien must be in good form to keep Dan Kelly on the bench.

Hanrahan is very experienced at 10, and the back three is dangerous. Glasgow will need to be on top in the forwards battle and keep their discipline to ensure that Hanrahan isn’t given too many chances at goal, as he’s a good kicker.

Prediction

I think it’s going to be a close game for 60 minutes. Munster away is always going to be tough. But I do think Glasgow’s bench is stronger and will put the pressure on at scrum time, and this should give the edge to Glasgow. It will be a fairly high-scoring game; I think Glasgow will win 24-33. With it being 24-28 coming into the final quarter.

On the whole, I’m super excited to see Glasgow back in action, and I hope we get the season off to a brilliant start!