All the key stats as Glasgow welcome Benetton to Scotstoun

Here are some of the notable stats for a game which will also serve as the first Italian X Scottish Shield clash of the season.

• The Warriors’ backs have outscored Benetton’s backs by 27 tries to two across the 10 fixtures these sides have played at Scotstoun.
• There are 30 combined changes from the 23s that were selected the last time these sides met in Glasgow in November 2023.
• This will be one of the rare occasions when the Warriors face a team that can match the number of capped internationals in their lineup. There are 17 Test players on each side.
• Benetton have failed to score a try on their last three trips to Glasgow. Their most recent five-pointer in front of fans at Scotstoun was in September 2017.
• Since the beginning of the URC era, in 2021/22, Benetton have only won four of the 24 games they have played outside Italy. Winning more consistently away from home will be one of their big targets to help them move from playoff contenders to challenging for top four. This match offers them their first chance of this campaign to show what they are made of on the road.
• The constant fullback, Josh McKay, is the Warrior to Watch.

The teams

Glasgow vs Benetton teams (Image: Kevin Millar) (players in CAPITALS are full capped internationals, numbers in brackets are previous appearances for Glasgow / Benetton)

Head to Head

Glasgow vs Benetton head-to-head (Image: Kevin Millar)

Glasgow Greetings

Adam Hastings is back at Scotstoun for a competitive fixture for the first time since June 2021.

Gregor Brown’s last competitive game at home was 11 months ago against Leinster in round one of the 2023/24 season. Remarkably, four-and-a-half years on from his debut, this will be just the fifth outing at Scotstoun for the back row. Across the same period he has featured in 17 away fixtures.

Gregor Hiddleston will make his first home start for the Warriors after his three previous outings in the number two jersey all came at away venues.

Matchday Milestones

Rory Darge will mark his 50th match for the Warriors, joining fellow 2021 signings Jack Dempsey, Tom Jordan, Sione Tuipulotu and Josh McKay in bringing up their half-century in recent games.

Rory Darge will make his 50th Glasgow appearance (Image: SNS) The flanker’s debut appearance also came against Benetton. He will be hoping that this will be one to remember rather than the Rainbow Cup encounter which – barring his debut – is very much best forgotten.

Warrior to Watch

Josh McKay has worn the number 15 jersey for 24 of Glasgow’s last 27 matches. No-one else in the squad even comes close to how he has dominated starts in a single position since the beginning of last season.

While the absence of Ollie Smith for an extended period has contributed, the primary factor has been McKay’s outstanding form, especially in attack.

Josh McKay has been outstanding for Glasgow in recent months (Image: SNS) He made the most metres of anyone in the URC last season, a product of his willingness to run the ball back from pretty much anywhere, combined with the ability to beat the first tackle time and time again.

While he might be the most Kiwi sounding man around, the former Crusader will be Scottish qualified by residency in two years time.

He will still only be 29 and given his current trajectory it would be no surprise to see him pick up a Scotland cap or two.

Current form

Glasgow vs Benetton form (Image: Kevin Millar)

Glasgow at home to Benetton in the PRO12/PRO14/URC era

• 10 wins
• One loss
• Seven Try BPs
• One Losing BP
• 48 points out of a possible 55 (87%)

Previous league match-up vs Benetton at Scotstoun

Officials

Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU, 22nd league game) AR1: Ru Campbell (SRU) AR2: Michael Todd (SRU) TMO: Christopher Allison (SARU)

Mr van der Westhuizen’s regular season record for 2022/23:

• Matches: Five
• Average penalty count: 21.6 per game
• Home side penalties conceded percentage: 50.9%
• Average card count: 1.8 per game
• Penalties per card – 12.0

Glasgow’s record with Mr van der Westhuizen as referee is pretty awful, having lost all three of his previous matches.

The Warriors did draw the penalty count in two of those fixtures – and lost the other one narrowly – so it is possible that the away venues for those games had the most significant impact on the result.

Although it is worth noting that he has only taken charge of a single away win in his last dozen outings.

That does also mean he is making his Scotstoun debut, and will be the first South African official to ref a game in Glasgow since Stuart Berry in April 2019.