Benetton Treviso v Glasgow Warriors, 2 May

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Benetton Treviso v Glasgow Warriors

Friday 2 May 2014, KO: 20:00 (local), 19:00 (UK and Ireland)
Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso

Referee: George Clancy (IRFU, 62nd competition game)
Assistant Referees: Andrea Spadoni, Simone Boaretto (both FIR)
Citing Commissioner: Stefano Marrama (FIR)
TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)

Live on Mediast/BBC ALBA

A. Teams:

I. Benetton Treviso

15 Brendan Williams
14 Ludovico Nitoglia
13 Michele Campagnaro
12 Luke McLean
11 Angelo Esposito
10 Mat Berquist
09 Tobias Botes

08 Marco Filippucci
07 Paul Derbyshire
06 Manoa Vosawai
05 Marco Fuser
04 Antonio Pavanello (c)
03 Lorenzo Cittadini
02 Leonardo Ghiraldini
01 Alberto De Marchi

16 Giovanni Maistri
17 Matteo Muccignat
18 Ignacio Fernandez-Rouyet
19 Valerio Bernabò
20 Dean Budd
21 Alberto Sgarbi
22 Fabio Semenzato
23 James Ambrosini

II. Glasgow Warriors

01 Reid
02 MacArthur
03 Cross
04 Swinson
05 Gray
06 Harley
07 Holmes
08 Strauss (c)

09 Pyrgos
10 Russell
11 Matawalu
12 Horne
13 Bennett
14 Seymour
15 Hogg

16 Brown
17 Grant
18 Welsh
19 Nakarawa
20 Fusaro
21 Cusiter
22 Jackson
23 Maitland

B. Form - head to head:

7 Played 7
2 Wins 5
5 Losses 2
0 Draws 0
7 Tries 17
6 Conversions 14
12 Penalties 16
2 Drop Goals 0
89 Points 161
26 Avg. Age 25

C. Form - this season & last:

Sat 27 October 2012, 19:05
Benetton Treviso 13 - 24 Glasgow Warriors
Stadio di Monigo

Fri 4 January 2013, 19:30
Glasgow Warriors 41 - 7 Benetton Treviso
Scotstoun

Fri 4 April 2014, 19:35
Glasgow Warriors 29 - 10 Benetton Treviso
Scotstoun

RDW

A guy knows a guy that saw him with a guy from Ulster. Apparently his agent was there (not sure how the guy knew that guy was his agent   ).

A website in Ulster renowned for getting things wrong reported it then we all started slating him for being a mercenary.

Same old

Cheers chaps. His recent absence has been down to his ban right? Rather than any 'fitness' issues?

nickj wrote:Cheers chaps. His recent absence has been down to his ban right? Rather than any 'fitness' issues?

Ban initially, followed by a hamstring niggle that he picked up in training

I see. Cheers ASBO. BTW I spotted a comment in the Scotsman Glasgow / Treviso preview comment thread that also suggested Hogg is off to Ulster. I hope its not true, it would be a damn shame if Glasgow lost such a good, young player to one of their nearest rivals.

Hogg thing was storm in a teacup in a quiet news week.
When Hoggy has a stormer tomorrow, we'll all be relieved.

We absolutely have to stuff Treviso with BP tomorrow. The sheer unadulterated luxury of knowing we have a home semi, followed by one final game against what are supposed to be the poorest team in the league. As a Scot, my brain almost cannot accept a win-win scenario like this.

George Carlin wrote:Hogg thing was storm in a teacup in a quiet news week.
When Hoggy has a stormer tomorrow, we'll all be relieved.

We absolutely have to stuff Treviso with BP tomorrow. The sheer unadulterated luxury of knowing we have a home semi, followed by one final game against what are supposed to be the poorest team in the league. As a Scot, my brain almost cannot accept a win-win scenario like this.

Do we have to play the "pampered jades of the east" again?

Which is harder to accept; a win-win situation, Toonie renouncing his Muppetness, Richie V becoming a genuinely good centre, the fact that we will play a team we have already beaten this season in the semi OR the MFL keep giving us promising young players?
If that back line get enough ball tomorrow night then we could have 5points by half time.

Two things that really struck me about Treviso when they played the jazz flute connoisseurs back in March was how poor their centre defence was, but also how good their back three were.

The way Scott continually cut through the 12-13 axis, with even the slightest lateral drift from the defence inviting a brilliant straightening up and a resulting line break, I still can't work out how the jades failed to win that match.

I suppose that bringing McLean closer to the action is an attempt to address the defensive frailties.

Good team for Glasgow. Very pleased they are not looking to take this one easy, a bit of more gentle rotation to the bench for a few players is about right. The same will apply again next week, can't afford to take any games to easy now and there are potentially only 3 more to go after this one, so only gentle rests allowed from now on!

Glad to see Hoggy back even if it is a bit hard on Murchie who has played well and hardly deserves to be dropped. He is one of our X men though and we do need to get him back in the saddle for the run in. He needs to have a good game though or else he could get left behind, can you believe that is even being contemplated!

Are we going to see Weir again this season? I thought they might have eased him back in for this game but it was not to be. Maybe his crisis of form and confidence is deeper that we thought. I am not worried about Russell playing but wonder how this will effect Weir. More than likely we will see him play next week against Zebre, which should be the kind of run out to allow him to regain his mojo. It is a bit worrying though that he has gone from starting Scotland FH to being not able to get into the team in such a short space of time!

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:RDW

It most certainly did not!   

The Ulster boys and various Scottish posters were talking about it long before I ever said anything on the matter.

Something that was glossed over at the time, Weir actually broke his nose about 2 matches ago and spent about 20 minutes on the pitch wondering which of the balls that he could see he was actually holding. Not unreasonable that it's something like this keeping him out.

George Carlin wrote:Something that was glossed over at the time, Weir actually broke his nose about 2 matches ago and spent about 20 minutes on the pitch wondering which of the balls that he could see he was actually holding. Not unreasonable that it's something like this keeping him out.

There's a joke in there somewhere, possibly involving ASBO's free NHS checkup, but I for one am too afraid to make it...

IanBru wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Something that was glossed over at the time, Weir actually broke his nose about 2 matches ago and spent about 20 minutes on the pitch wondering which of the balls that he could see he was actually holding. Not unreasonable that it's something like this keeping him out.

There's a joke in there somewhere, possibly involving ASBO's free NHS checkup, but I for one am too afraid to make it...

  

Wahooo!! We're in the playoffs baby!!!

Zebre have just won which leaves Treviso bottom of the table and out of the European competition.

Treviso will be up for this.

You can tell we're Scottish when we decide a team is worth worrying about because they are bottom of the table

As we've seen in many of Scotland's gritty and great victories (England 2000, England 2008, South Africa 2010 etc) never underestimate a team at the bottom of the table with their backs to the walls.

VinceWLB wrote:Zebre have just won which leaves Treviso bottom of the table and out of the European competition.

Treviso will be up for this.

Isn't the opposite going to be true? Ospreys fans must be tearing their hair out, mind.

George Carlin wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:Zebre have just won which leaves Treviso bottom of the table and out of the European competition.

Treviso will be up for this.

Isn't the opposite going to be true? Ospreys fans must be tearing their hair out, mind.

Yes sure, Toonie will have to name a strong team against Zebre too as this is another banana skin..

8 points from these 2 games should be enough for a home semi, hopefully.

Strong line up.

Russell, Horne and Bennett looks like a very talented midfield.

I see Glasgow winning and getting the bonus point late on. Hoggy with the fourth try

All of a suddent Treviso need to win some games to take back Euro qualification from Zebre - who would have thought it!

This is definitely going to be a tough game for Glasgow.

From the Hoorald:

Strauss remains on front line as other Warriors withdraw . . .

by Alasdair Reid, Rugby reporter
Friday 2 May 2014

A long-running theme of Gregor Townsend's career as a professional player was his frustrating and often unsuccessful quest to find a club which could offer him consistent selection at fly-half.

What do they say about victims becoming aggressors? The choice of Finn Russell as playmaker in the Glasgow Warriors team for tonight's match with Benetton Treviso in the Stadio Monigo is the seventh game in succession where Townsend has made a change in the one position where most rugby followers would probably assume that a bit of stability might be a good thing.

Still, as Townsend's side has also won those last six outings, perhaps there is method in his, well, method. While the coach's faith in continuity has apparently weakened, he has become a strong believer in the value of competition and at fly-half he has an embarrassment of riches. Russell, Ruaridh Jackson and Duncan Weir have all worn the No.10 shirt in winning Warriors sides over the past few weeks, while Stuart Hogg and Peter Horne could both step into the role if asked.

Curiously enough, full-back Hogg and inside-centre Horne both return to a side that features 10 changes - eight of personnel and two positional - from the team that defeated Edinburgh 37-34 last weekend. Such sweeping alterations might, in part, measure Townsend's disappointment at leaking four tries and two bonus points to their inter-city rivals, but it is also clear that he expects a rather different kind of game in Italy than the one he witnessed at Scotstoun six days ago.

The clearest sign of that is in the selection of Tim Swinson and Jonny Gray as the Warriors' second row. That means no place - even on the bench - for Al Kellock, the club captain, the thinking being that the chosen combination will bring greater physicality against a Treviso pack which might misfire in many areas but is never short of grunt.

Townsend explained that many of the changes are the consequence of his wish to rest players who have had a heavy schedule of games recently. However, that thinking clearly does not apply to Josh Strauss, the powerhouse No.8 who this season has figured in 17 of Glasgow's 20 RaboDirect PRO12 games and five of their six Heineken Cup matches. Nor have these been 60-minute shifts, for Strauss has played the full 80 in all but two of his last nine outings for the Warriors.

"Yes, I've played a lot of games and that takes its toll, especially now I'm not as young as once was," said the 27-year-old. "But the people in charge of conditioning here look after us well, fully take into account what people have been doing. If you have had a heavy schedule you maybe get to take things a bit easier in training. It is managed very well and I don't think anyone is feeling burned out or overworked at the moment."

Just as well, too, for a home semi-final in the PRO12 play-offs is a tantalisingly close prospect at the moment. Two wins, just one with a bonus point, from their two remaining league games - they will finish their regular season against Zebre at Scotstoun next weekend - would guarantee that prize, although results elsewhere could get them there with less. That Glasgow will definitely be in the play-offs was guaranteed last night after Zebre's victory over Ospreys.

"It [playing at Scotstoun] would be a great advantage to us," Strauss admitted. "If we can win our last two games we will be sitting in a good place. That would be great for us because our crowd has been great all season and we had a record attendance last week. It would be great to get a big support out in a home semi-final, a real boost to morale and confidence, so that's a big focus for us."

Edinburgh might have been flattered by their three-point margin last weekend, but they still scored more tries and more points against Glasgow than any other PRO12 side has managed this season. Not surprisingly, defensive drills have figured high on the list of training priorities at Scotstoun these past few days but Strauss suggested that some allowance should be made for the particular context of the Edinburgh game.

"It was a bit of a wake-up call to lose four tries," said the South African. "But I think with it being the 1872 Cup, a derby with all the rivalry there is there, that can have a big effect on form. It is a very emotional game for both sides and you have to take that into account.

"You have to take a longer view of the past few weeks, where we have been pretty good in defence. Yes, we did slip up against Edinburgh a few times, but we've done a lot of work to try and fix that and get back to our best. We don't want to have other teams looking at what Edinburgh did and thinking they have found a weakness in our system. I think it was just momentary lapses. We've just been trying to work on a few things to bring us back to our best."

Emotion will also play a part for Treviso tonight as a number of their players make their final home appearances for the side. On top of which, the club itself is set to be reconstituted ahead of next season's PRO12 competition and will no longer be under the aegis of Benetton, the fashion giant which has its headquarters in Treviso and has been its major backer for 35 years

I think we should be carefull that we don't talk ourselves into a lack of confidence here.
Whilst Treviso are better at home than away, they have won 26pts at home compared to Edinburgh's 31.

They will be up for this game after last night's result but will be equally confident of us horsing Zebre next week.

If we have any credibility as potential winners this year, this is a 5 point game. No excuses.

I completely agree. 5 points is a must here. Glasgow are on a roll and Treviso are dreadful.

Just win it Warriors! The rest we can do next week.   

4 points good, 5 will be a bonus. I hope and think that they are to canny a team now to fall into the trap of chasing the game to early on. The bench is there for that if needed. I don't think it will be!

Front row seems to be struggling a bit, Treviso getting the nudge on both times. Might see Grant on early.

Glasgow in a game here, Italians look like they are up for it. Defence much better though, looks back to normal. Silly penalty though

Great dribbling by Seymour.

Well that should settle things down. Great opportunism from Seymour

Good to see Clownshoes down to his usual standard.

Can't blame much of this on him - handling and discipline from both teams is fairly poor

We're seeing tonight just how much we'll miss Cusiter next season. Pythagoras' service not as sharp.

Bennett with a monster penalty!

What a kick by   

Blimmey, Bennett got some boot on him!

10 points probably flatters us a bit, but not going to argue with it. Tighten up the discipline, cut out the miracle passes and the game is ours. Harley doing his usual shift in defence has been the pick of the team so far for me.

GLove39 wrote:We're seeing tonight just how much we'll miss Cusiter next season. Pythagoras' service not as sharp.

Agree that we will really miss Cus (in his recent form) and no great fan of Henry, but it must be hard to not have played any Rugby in weeks and then come straight into a big game like this.

BigGee wrote:Blimmey, Bennett got some boot on him!

10 points probably flatters us a bit, but not going to argue with it. Tighten up the discipline, cut out the miracle passes and the game is ours. Harley doing his usual shift in defence has been the pick of the team so far for me.

Its not been a classic, looks sodden under foot. Difference is that we have taken our chance well and we have defended well. Think if we get the next score it will be a big step towards a home semi.

...and now a 17 point lead. Great start to the second half!

Tommy Seymour has a lot a good luck on this pitch!

Terrible tackling by Treviso, that and the conversion should be the game. I wonder if the Italians still fancy it. Plenty of time left to score two more.

GORDY REID FIR THE LINEEEEE

WHAT A TRY!!!!!

Another great try. Gordon Reid showing some pace. well made by Hoggy though!

And some terrific moves after as well

Hatrick for Tommy Scoremore!!!!!

TOMMY SEYMOUR!

What a finish for his hat-trick   

And there's the bonus point   

Tommy Seymour is on fire! Great vision from Henry to put him away and a great individual try with some optional Italian tackling to assist.

Lets play some sevens now!

Lovely news. Conversely, there's some angry stuff at Ravenhill. 8-9 to the Ladyboys at half time but that game already contains a red card (against Ulster) and two yellows.