Sean Lineen has made five changes to his Glasgow Warriors side for their RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final match with Leinster on Saturday night.
Chris Cusiter comes in to the backline, replacing Henry Pyrgos, while Ryan Grant, Pat MacArthur, Mike Cusack and Al Kellock come in to the front row.
“We’ve picked 23 men who we firmly believe have it in them to achieve a special result for Glasgow Warriors,” Lineen told the club’s official website.
“Once again, we’re expecting the intensity and pace of the game to be Test level, and that’s where the combined efforts of the starting XV and a strong bench can really come into their own.
“It’s especially the case for the six front row guys that they’ll all have a significant role to play, and we’re in the fortunate position of having half a dozen lads who are performing to a high level, never mind the likes of Gordon Reid, Finlay Gillies and Ed Kalman who have also shown up well.
“Al Kellock and Chris Cusiter give us experience, leadership and class, but again we’re delighted to have Tom Ryder and Henry Pyrgos ready and waiting to bring their influence to bear from the bench.
“The same goes for our other substitutes, Johnnie Beattie, Ruaridh Jackson and Peter Murchie, who have all made their own contribution to our season and who we’re backing to deliver more tomorrow.
“The players have trained really well all week – there’s an obvious hunger and determination there which stands us in good stead. We’re all well aware of just how tough a match this is going to be, but we’re focussing on ourselves and what we have to do to win.
“We’ve shown character, ability and tenacity to get ourselves into the semi-finals. The challenge now is to bring out those qualities in even bigger quantities to beat the best team in Europe.”
Warriors team to play Leinster on Saturday, May 12: Stuart Hogg, Federico Aramburu, Alex Dunbar, Graeme Morrison, DTH van der Merwe, Duncan Weir, Chris Cusiter; Ryan Grant, Pat MacArthur, Mike Cusack, Richie Gray, Al Kellock, Rob Harley, Chris Fusaro, John Barclay.
Substitutes: Dougie Hall, Jon Welsh, Moray Low, Tom Ryder, Henry Pyrgos, Johnnie Beattie, Ruaridh Jackson, Peter Murchie.
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