Townsend leaves out star names
While Munster head coach Rob Penney has recalled Conor Murray, Keith Earls, BJ Botha and CJ Stander to his starting line-up following last week’s dismal 19-17 home defeat by Ulster, Glasgow boss Townsend has dispensed with the services of Lions full-back Stuart Hogg and fellow Scotland stars Sean Lamont and Duncan Weir as well as dropping danger man Niko Matawalu to the bench.
Matawalu was expected to start at scrum-half with opposite number Murray describing him as “a maverick, he’s a really dangerous player”.
Yet instead of switching him from the wing he occupied in the 55-0 rout of Zebre last week, Townsend has placed both Matawalu and Lamont on the bench, stuck with veteran Scotland number nine Chris Cusiter and will send out a completely new back three comprising Sean Maitland, Tommy Seymour and full-back Peter Murchie.
Munster hooker Damien Varley retains his side’s captaincy, with fellow front-rower BJ Botha in at tight-head at the expense of John Ryan while Stander replaces Paddy Butler at blindside flanker.
Murray replaces Duncan Williams at scrum-half with Ian Keatley continuing at fly-half despite a poor outing against Ulster, while Earls replaces Gerhard van den Heever on the wing, the South African dropping out of the squad completely with Andrew Conway named on the bench having recovered from a sprained toe.
There were still 800 tickets left on sale in Glasgow yesterday as the Warriors bid for a club record ninth win in-a-row and reach their first final.
“To be going into the play-offs by setting a new club record of eight wins in succession is very pleasing,” declared Townsend.
“Munster challenge you in a number of areas and will come here with the experience of being involved in these big occasions. They also beat us here in October so we’re well aware of the task we face tomorrow night.”
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