Investec Champions Cup Last-16 Preview: Glasgow Warriors Vs. Leicester
Investec Champions Cup Last-16 Preview: Glasgow Warriors Vs. Leicester
Investec Champions Cup last-16 knockout match preview sees URC champion Glasgow host a first Champions Cup knockout match against Leicester Tigers.
Closing out Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 is an absolute doozy of a fixture that pits two of club rugby’s most recognizable brands against one another.
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Hosting a knockout fixture for the first time in their long history with this competition, the Glasgow Warriors will relish the arrival of the former champions, the Leicester Tigers, to Scotstoun this Saturday.
Played under the lights, this matchup does not want for quality, with both sides naming stacked teams for the occasion.
Naming a squad that closely resembles the one who took out the URC title a season ago in dramatic fashion, head coach Franco Smith will feel his side is on the precipice of history.
Looking to stop the South African coach from guiding his team to uncharted territory with a potential home quarterfinal, depending on results, will be veteran international coach Michael Cheika.
The former Wallabies coach, who guided Australia to the 2015 Rugby World Cup final and Argentina to the 2023 semifinals, knows how to win big games in this competition.
Taking a previously underachieving Leinster side to its first title in 2009, Cheika has proven his ability to turn the tables on heavily favored opponents.
In 2009, his Leinster side shifted the trajectory of Irish Rugby when it took its biggest rival, and then reigning champion Munster, in front of a record 82,500 fans at Croke Park in a semifinal. Ironically, Glasgow would go on to develop a bitter rivalry of its own with Munster, but that is a story for another day.
On the field of play, Cheika’s grand plans will be brought to life by double World Cup-winning fly-half, Handre Pollard.
At 31 years old, Pollard has won everything there is to win in professional rugby, except for the Investec Champions Cup.
Mirroring his coach, Pollard already has confirmed that he will be departing the Tigers at the end of the season. Thus, setting up a now-or-never scenario for both with the midlands club.
Facing Pollard is another international fly-half, Adam Hastings, who will be itching to put on a show.
Suffering cruel blow after cruel blow on the injury front, Hastings knows these are the sort of occasions that will get him back into the Scottish national setup.
Fortunately for the tricky playmaker, he has plenty of exceptional players around him to him shine.
To his outside, the center pairing of Tom Jordan and Stafford McDowall combine physicality with panache that unlocks defenses with regularity.
In the back three, captain Kyle Steyn, Jamie Dobie and Kyle Rowe are slippery customers that score tries at a rate of knots.
Of course, for the various backline battles to unfold, the contest up front will play a key role in which back line has more opportunities. Both sides have some heavy hitters in their lineups, but none are more influential than Warriors tighthead Zander Fagerson.
The Scottish international veteran has moved into the upper echelons of front rowers in test rugby over the past five years.
Bringing a distributing game to go with his rock-solid efforts at set-piece, Fagerson is both the cornerstone of the Warriors and Scottish packs. His battle with Welsh international Nicky Smith is a front-row equivalent of dramatic theatre for those who understand what the big fellas up front go through.
Taking into account the quality of both sides in this contest, a win either way would not come as a shock.
Duly deserving of their favorites tag, the Warriors should have enough to get the job done.
The Tigers, who are coming into this clash in mixed form, could view this clash as a catalyst to reignite their season following a home loss to Saracens last time out.
Moving on from the starting XVs of both sides, the Warriors have a bit more quality on the bench, namely Scotland’s vice-captain Rory Darge. This will prove crucial in the later stages. Glasgow by six points.
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