Fagerson to reach century mark in 1872 Cup decider

Zander Fagerson will become the latest player to join the list of Glasgow Warriors Centurions this weekend, with the prop set to make his 100th appearance for the club in tomorrow night’s 1872 Cup decider at Scotstoun.

The 25-year-old reaches the milestone six-and-a-half years after his professional debut against Benetton in October 2014, having since gone on to establish himself as one of the premier tight-heads in the northern hemisphere.

Fagerson is part of a starting XV showing five changes ahead of the visit of Edinburgh, as the Warriors look to reclaim the 1872 Cup for the first time since the 2016/17 campaign.

Fraser Brown reverts to hooker having started in the back-row last time out, joining Oli Kebble and Fagerson to form an all-international front-row once again.

Scott Cummings has recovered from an injury sustained on Scotland duty in the Guinness Six Nations to return in the second-row and link up with Rob Harley, who is set to make his 17^th appearance of the 2020/21 season.

The back-row sees Thomas Gordon return at openside flanker having shaken off the knock that saw him miss the trip to Benetton, as Fotu Lokotui and Ryan Wilson complete the pack.

Behind the scrum, Ali Price is promoted from the bench to start at scrum-half, whilst Ross Thompson will be looking to replicate his form from his previous meeting with Edinburgh in the number 10 jersey.

Stafford McDowall will make his first start since November’s visit to Ulster after being named at inside-centre, forming a midfield partnership with Nick Grigg under the Friday night lights.

Kyle Steyn retains his place on the wing after returning from long-term injury last time out, starting alongside Ratu Tagive and Cole Forbes – fresh from scoring his first try in Glasgow colours – in the back three.

Pete Horne makes a welcome return to the matchday 23 after being named amongst the replacements, with Glasgow’s most-capped back having been out of action since December’s clash with Exeter at Sandy Park.

Brother George will also be primed to make an impact from the bench, whilst namesake George Turner also rotates to the replacements for tomorrow night’s fixture.

Having made his Glasgow Warriors debut in Treviso, Tom Lambert will look to make his first appearance at Scotstoun as he joins Enrique Pieretto as the replacement props.

Richie Gray is selected in the 19 jersey, with Kiran McDonald returning the matchday squad after missing the visits to Montpellier and Benetton.

The bench is
completed by Niko Matawalu, the Fijian having scored on his previous outing at
Scotstoun against Benetton at the end of March.

Speaking following selection, Head Coach Danny Wilson paid tribute to Fagerson, saying: “It’s a fantastic achievement for Zander to reach 100 Glasgow Warriors appearances at the age of just 25.

“He has worked extremely hard at his game to become a strong scrummager, but more than that he contributes massively around the park both in attack and defence.

“It’s also great to welcome Scott Cummings and Thomas Gordon back into the starting team – both players have trained well and we’re sure will bring a lot of energy tomorrow night.

“The derbies are exciting occasions and with a Scotland summer tour on the horizon there will be plenty of players with something to prove.

“We look forward to the challenge of a strong Edinburgh side tomorrow evening at Scotstoun.”

Glasgow Warriors team to face Edinburgh in the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup, Friday 7 May, kick-off 8.15pm, live on Premier Sports 1. You can follow the action in our Live Match Centre at glasgowwarriors.org.

1. Oli Kebble (57)
2. Fraser Brown (106)
3. Zander Fagerson (99)
4. Rob Harley (248)
5. Scott Cummings (75)
6. Fotu Lokotui (11)
7. Thomas Gordon (34)
8. Ryan Wilson (C) (188)

9. Ali Price (95)
10. Ross Thompson (10)
11. Kyle Steyn (27)
12. Stafford McDowall (24)
13. Nick Grigg (87)
14. Ratu Tagive (22)
15. Cole Forbes (3)

16. George Turner (58)
17. Tom Lambert (1)
18. Enrique Pieretto (16)
19. Richie Gray (59)
20. Kiran McDonald (33)
21. George Horne (63)
22. Pete Horne (180)
23. Niko Matawalu (136)

Unavailable for selection: Alex Allan, Tom Brown, Matt Fagerson, Chris Fusaro, Adam Hastings, Huw Jones, Lee Jones, Ian Keatley, Aki Seiuli, Tommy Seymour, Ollie Smith.