Glasgow Warriors will seek to repay the loyalty of their supporters on Friday night when they face Newport Gwent Dragons in the opening game of the 2010/11 Heineken Cup (ko 7.30pm).
The Warriors fans have been as fervent as ever throughout the opening rounds of the Magners League and head coach Sean Lineen hopes that a win in European competition will help repay their terrific attendance and participation during home matches.
“We haven’t got off to the best of starts in the Magners League so this is an opportunity for both teams to really get their season underway,” said Sean.
“We’re at Firhill and I think it’s about time we repaid the fans that have supported us brilliantly in the last couple of games there.”
On Friday’s opponents, who the Warriors have fought on domestic and European fronts for the last two campaigns, Sean continued: “Obviously we know each other pretty well and there’s no doubt they bring an edge to the game. There’s a lot of familiarity there so I think it brings many things with it.
“I suppose there is a healthy relationship there, and when you play each other so often, you’re going to have that edge aren’t you?
“They are a dangerous team, and brutal in the contact, so we’ve got to make sure we get the basics right, keep our discipline and just play our game.”
The home advantage is something that presents Glasgow with a rare opportunity as they have been handed only their second home first round draw in the last six years of European competition.
“It’s huge,” Seann insisted, “and I don’t have to tell the players that. Last year we had Biarritz at home first up and we shot ourselves in the foot. It’s a massive opportunity for both teams.”
As for his squad, which has won just one Magners League match from five, Sean believes that a win will help reassure them that they are on the right track: “I’ve been so impressed with the way the younger players have come forward, we’re building all the time, and we’re developing.
“The game against Ulster could’ve gone either way. The guys are hurting but the only way of rectifying that is by winning on Friday.”
Glasgow Warriors

Forwards: John Barclay, Calum Forrester, Ryan Grant, Richie Gray, Dougie Hall, Robert Harley, Ed Kalman, Moray Low, Aly Muldowney, Chauncey O'Toole, Tom Ryder, Fergus Thomson, Richie Vernon, Jon Welsh
Backs: Federico Aramburu, Rob Dewey, Max Evans, Colin Gregor, Peter Horne, Ruaridh Jackson, DTH van der Merwe, Graeme Morrison, Henry Pyrgos, Bernardo Stortoni, Duncan Weir

This article was posted on 5-Oct-2010, 11:32 by Hugh Barrow.