Back row match-up
Tommy O’Donnell is left out of Munster’s squad entirely, with Sean Dougall preferred in the seven shirt and Paddy Butler providing cover on the bench.
The impression is that head coach Rob Penney feels that Dougall’s breakdown skills are the most complementary to CJ Stander’s power game at blindside.
At No. 8, James Coughlan can be relied upon to deliver a performance full of work-rate, although he is directly opposite one of the best players in the competition.
The bearded Josh Strauss is in superb form, and consistently leads the way for his side in contact. With Scottish internationals Rob Harley and Chris Fusaro in the flanker positions, this is a Glasgow back-row that excels by doing the basics effectively.
Finn Russell v Ian Keatley
Keatley has matured rapidly this season, with his excellent individual performance against Toulon in the Heineken Cup semi-final a marker of how the competition with JJ Hanrahan has pushed the 27-year-old to greater heights.
Opposite him, Russell is set to make just his 10th Pro12 start for the Warriors. Head coach Gregor Townsend says “what’s most pleased us most about Finn is his work-rate,” although the 21-year-old has place-kicked competently and shown a wide range of passing too.
While Keatley and Russell may not directly come into contact against each other this evening, the success with which they manage their respective teams could be decisive. Keatley will feel that he has the upper hand in that regard, but Russell will be keen to repay Townsend’s faith.
The midfield battle
James Downey and Casey Laulala’s two-season spell as Munster’s first-choice centre pairing is coming to an end, and reviews on their success have been mixed. On rare occasions they have dominated games, while other games have seen the province failing to use the players’ strengths to maximum effect.
At 33 and 32, the Munster pair are at the opposite end of their careers to Glasgow’s 21-year-old Mark Bennett and 24-year-old Alex Dunbar. The former is a particularly notable threat due to his running game, but Dunbar facilitates those outside him in the backline expertly.
With all their experience, this is a midfield battle that Downey and Laulala would back themselves to come out on top of, but Glasgow’s plucky, confident pairing are highly unlikely to play to their elders’ wishes.
Spark from the bench
Many Irish rugby fans will have been delighted by the selection of Andrew Conway on the Munster bench, a player of remarkable athletic ability who has recently enjoyed a genuine upturn in form.
The 22-year-old would bring an element of the unknown for Munster if used off the bench and, in what is likely to be a tight game, Conway’s pace may be ideal for clinically taking a late chance.
Similarly, Niko Matawalu provides the Glasgow bench with a heavy dose of attacking flair. The Fijian covers scrum-half for this game, but he may well be used out wide, as he has been for the majority of the season.
The likes of Hanrahan, James Cronin and Donncha O’Callaghan provide potential impact of varying kinds for Munster too, while Ruaridh Jackson, Sean Lamont and Leone Nakarawa may perform similar roles for the Warriors.
Second row leaders
While Paul O’Connell is not Munster’s official captain, he and second row counterpart Al Kellock perform similar roles for their sides. Both are leaders in mental and technical terms, as important for their presence as their actions.
When Munster are at their peak, O’Connell is invariably winning turnovers on the deck, initiating choke tackles, throwing his body into contact when carrying around the corner, and running the line-out with intelligence.
Kellock is perhaps less apparent around the collisions than O’Connell, but his line-out excellence and calming influence are just as crucial.
Where do you think this game will be won and lost? Which areas are the keys to Munster securing an away win and advancing to the Pro12 final?
