Johnston to make first start for Glasgow Warriors

The former Scotland U20 standout will line up on the wing in Llanelli nine months on from making his debut off the bench against the Dragons, as the BKT United Rugby Championship returns following the autumn internationals.

Let’s make this an occasion to remember, Warrior Nation 😤

Be part of the Hampden roar! https://t.co/pqZY1VSuJI#WhateverItTakes ⚔️🛡️ pic.twitter.com/mQihYA6WWw

— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) November 27, 2025

10 of the Glasgow Warriors matchday 23 were involved with the Scotland squad throughout the Quilter Nations Series, with one – Jamie Bhatti – lining up in the front-row alongside Johnny Matthews and Patrick Schickerling.

Alex Craig packs down in the engine room as he prepares to face his former club, joining Jare Oguntibeju – who made his Glasgow Warriors debut at home to the Scarlets a year ago to the day tomorrow – in the second-row.

Gregor Brown has recovered from a head injury sustained on Scotland duty against Argentina to line up on the blindside flank, linking up with Angus Fraser and Macenzzie Duncan as the loose-forward trio.

Behind the scrum, Ben Afshar makes his first start of the season after coming off the bench in both of Glasgow’s last two matches, with Dan Lancaster lining up outside him in the number 10 jersey.

An all-Scotland centre pairing sees Stafford McDowall captain the side from inside centre, combining with Ollie Smith in the midfield for tomorrow night’s encounter.

Johnston joins Kyle Rowe – scorer of a hat-trick on Glasgow’s most recent visit to Parc y Scarlets – on the wings, as Josh McKay starts at full-back to round out the starting lineup.

Five further Scotland internationals await their opportunity from the bench, including Max Williamson and Alex Samuel, who are both included amongst the replacements after starting together for Scotland against Tonga last Sunday.

Gregor Hiddleston joins Nathan McBeth and Sam Talakai as the front-row cover, whilst Ally Miller is in line for a first appearance of the 2025/26 season after being named as one of the six forwards on the bench.

The backline is covered by George Horne and Adam Hastings, the former having crossed for a brace of tries in Scotland colours against Tonga last weekend.

Speaking following selection, Head Coach Franco Smith told glasgowwarriors.org: “We are excited to return to BKT URC action this weekend as we kick off an important block of fixtures over the next 10 weeks.

“The whole squad has worked hard over the last couple of weeks to put ourselves in the best possible position, as we know that the way we apply ourselves will be extremely important.

“We know the Scarlets will provide a tough test in front of a passionate home crowd, and we know that we must be at our best to overcome a challenging opponent.”

Glasgow Warriors team to face Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets, Saturday 29 November, kick-off 7.45pm. You can watch the match live on Premier Sports, or follow all the action in our Live Match Centre at glasgowwarriors.org.

1 Jamie Bhatti (128)
2 Johnny Matthews (102)
3 Patrick Schickerling (14)
4 Alex Craig (3)
5 Jare Oguntibeju (12)
6 Gregor Brown (39)
7 Angus Fraser (21)
8 Macenzzie Duncan (7)

9 Ben Afshar (25)
10 Dan Lancaster (5)
11 Kerr Johnston (1)
12 Stafford McDowall (C) (98)
13 Ollie Smith(48)
14 Kyle Rowe (41)
15 Josh McKay (68)

Replacements

16 Gregor Hiddleston (30)
17 Nathan McBeth (59)
18 Sam Talakai (25)
19 Max Williamson (36)
20 Alex Samuel (45)
21 Ally Miller (36)
22 George Horne (143)
23 Adam Hastings (74)

Unavailable for selection: Euan Ferrie (ankle), Huw Jones (ankle), Charlie Savala (knee), Grant Stewart (foot), Tavi Tuipulotu (knee), Sione Vailanu (knee), Murphy Walker (shoulder).