Key battles and stats ahead of Glasgow's trip to Scarlets

It’s been 337 days since these sides met at Parc y Scarlets in the 2022/23 Challenge Cup semi-final. There are 18 changes to the starting line-ups from that day: eight for Glasgow and 10 for the Welsh side, who have Scotland lock Alex Craig among their ranks.

Stats expert Kevin Millar brings you some of the key numbers ahead of a crucial BKT United Rugby Championship clash. 

• The Warriors have only collected one try bonus point in their last 20 URC fixtures against Scarlets (in Llanelli during the 2015/16 campaign). That’s the fewest that they have picked up against any of the 11 sides who also played during the tournament’s PRO12 and PRO14 eras.
• Glasgow’s most recent trip to Parc y Scarlets in the league was during the 2021/22 season. With time nearly up in the first half, the Warriors led 10-0 but conspired to concede 35 unanswered points in the space of around 42 minutes as they subsided to the first of nine consecutive away defeats across the end of 2021/22 and beginning of 2022/23.
• At 901kgs, this is the lightest pack named by Franco Smith for any game during his tenure (average of 928kgs with a high of 952kgs).
• It’s possible that, Jonathan Davies and Duncan Munn could go head-to-head in the centres. Davies made his first appearance in a Scarlets’ jersey in a pre-season fixture against Northampton on August 11, 2006. At the time, Munn was just three years old.
• Giant lock, Max Williamson, is the Warrior to Watch.

The teams

(players in CAPITALS are full capped internationals, numbers in brackets are previous appearances for Scarlets / Glasgow)

Head to Head

Glasgow Greetings

This will be Rory Darge's first appearance of 2024 for the Warriors. The Scotland co-captain will be crucial for Glasgow’s run-in with his ability to disrupt opposition ball and win turnovers a key element in his massive workrate.

Matchday Milestones

• Scott Cummings will be making his 100th start for the club, having first worn the number 5 shirt in another game against Scarlets - the season opener for the 2015/16 campaign on 5th September 2015 at Scotstoun.
• One for the hardcore fans of wing numeration: This will be the first time that Sebastian Cancelliere has worn number 11 for Glasgow after 32 starts in the 14 jersey.

Warrior to Watch

If there’s one thing Franco Smith loves, it’s an oversized second row with a penchant for hard graft.

Richie Gray, JP du Preez and Greg Peterson have been particular favourites, but with the former two injured and the latter having moved on, a new face has emerged.

It took until round five against Benetton before he made his debut but since then, Max Williamson has been in every matchday squad bar one, starting the last five in a row.

Glasgow lock Max Williamson has been in terrific form (Image: SNS)

During this season’s URC, the former Scotland under 20 has been consistently putting up stand out numbers, particularly in attack where he has been a menace with ball in hand.

In a position where broken tackles are a relative rarity, he's led the way for his more experienced colleagues.

Carries

• Williamson - 10.1 carries per 80 minutes
• Other Glasgow locks - 5.7 carries per 80 minutes

Tackle breaks

• Williamson – tackle break every 4.4 carries
• Other Glasgow locks – tackle break every 23.4 carries

Current form

Glasgow away to Scarlets in the PRO12/PRO14/URC

• Two wins
• Six losses
• One Try BP
• Nine points out of a possible 40 (22%)

The Warriors have managed two victories in European competition during this spell: A 9-6 success in the 2015/16 Champions Cup and 35-17 in last season’s Challenge Cup semi-finals. 

Previous match-up vs Scarlets in Wales

Officials:

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR, 29th league game) AR1: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) AR2: John Darcy (WRU) TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)

Gnecchi’s regular season record for 2023/24

• Matches – nine
• Average penalty count – 18.2 per game
• Home side penalties conceded percentage – 42.7%
• Average card count – 1.0 per game
• Penalties per card – 18.2

This will be the fourth time that Italian referee Gnecchi has taken charge of a Glasgow fixture. Against Connacht last season the Warriors won the penalty count, held on for a narrow victory but had Scott Cummings sin-binned.

During the 2021/22 season, Glasgow won the penalty count, held on for a narrow victory but had Fraser Brown yellow-carded versus Munster.

They also held on for another one of those narrow victories versus the Lions, but on that occasion lost the penalty count.

At this stage of the season, at a venue where they have struggled historically, another narrow victory would be most welcome for the Warriors.